Another bonding moment between Jojo and Zeke.
Chapter 16: Surprising Visit
The next day, Jojo's sitting in the roof of the observatory, looking at the entire city of Whoville and just getting some air and a little space as well. He keeps looking over the city and parts of it he sees is City Hall. He definitely feels completely frustrated that there's no talking to his dad to understand that he doesn't want to take part of his dream of being mayor. He sighed heavily and lowered his head and face in his knees to hide from his emotional feeling.
"Jojo?"
Suddenly, he hears someone calling his name coming from somewhere. he turns around and stands up, walks around the roof and sees Zeke down there.
"Hey, Zeke. Up here."
Zeke looks up and sees Jojo in the roof of the observatory. He asked, "What are you doing up here?"
"Just looking at the skies and just to get away for a while." Jojo replied.
"Mind if I join you?"
"Sure. Give me a sec."
He then pushes a button and out comes a little gadget and Zeke carefully climbs on and then, Jojo pushes the button and it slowly pulls him up to the roof. Zeke gets off from there and walks to the roof. He asked, "Is it gonna fall?"
"No, of course not. It's perfectly safe." Jojo chuckled.
"If you say so."
He sits down next to Jojo and sees the entire city from the top of the ceiling. Zeke gasped at the amazement of how it looks like from up on the roof.
"Wow. It looks so cool."
"I always like to come up here everytime, because it's the only time where I can get away from my dad or if I just feel like it."
"I see what you mean."
"So, how'd you find me?"
"Well, I figured if you're in the observatory, I guess I just needed someone to talk to. Did you see my WhoTube vids?"
"Yeah, I did. I gotta say, you've got an awesome voice. It's like you're releasing all the emotions that you felt that needs to be heard."
"Which part did you like?"
"I like the part where you dedicated it to me yesterday. It blew me away when you wrote 'One Day'. It does put me in that position where I have so much pressure brewing inside of me, my dad expecting me to take part in his mayoral setting that I have zero interest in. I relate to that song with a passion."
"You like that one?"
"I loved it. How many people clicked on it?"
"When I checked my WhoTube during time at the library, it got over 35,981 views and a million comments. They were so amazed by it and some of them were surprised that I've moved to Whoville."
"When you dedicated it to me, what did they say?"
"Excuse me?"
"Some kids from Whoville High always go to WhoTube for every video. Did they leave any comments about me?"
"About 12 of them said some stupid things about you, but I responded in your defense. I couldn't believe they made such a big deal about you."
"Neither can I. How much can one person take?"
"I know, right? A few said that I'm lucky to have a friend like you and I thank them for saying that."
"That's cool."
Suddenly, Jojo looks at Zeke's bag and sees a little notebook there and asked, "What's that?"
Zeke turns around and notices his notebook in front of his bag and shows it to Jojo. He chuckled and said, "This is my songbook. I wrote a lot of songs in this book when I was 12. It has so many emotional songs and a lot of angst written in these songs."
"Mind if I have a look?"
"Be my guest."
Jojo flips through every page and sees every song full of emotion, hurt and frustration about his father, being different from everyone else and dealing with constant pressure. He reads through one part of his songs that he wrote.
There's a boy who sits under the bleachers, just another day eating alone and though he smiles, there is something just hiding and he can't find a way to relate, he just goes unnoticed as the crowd passes by and he'll pretend to be busy when inside he just wants to cry
It surprised Jojo to know this is how he feels and how much passion he wrote. He flips into another one and this one can definitely relate to him and starts reading.
I am what I am, I can't help myself and if you don't like it, get with someone else I'll never change my ways It's not a phase This is how it is and this is how it's gonna stay, because I am what I am, I know what I'm not I'm not the type of guy that doesn't know how good he's got it and I won't back down, won't come around saying that I changed cause that's not how it's going down
And I know, I know, I know Wherever I go, I go, I go, I know where I stand I am what I am, hey, hey! I am what I am, hey, hey!
Looks like a lot of anger that Zeke felt writing from this, meaning he can't deal with the fact that this is who he is and how someone wants him to change the way he is and he's telling the world, 'Screw you, this is me' and it relates to Jojo in a huge way. He flips through the next songs and stops to one and in front of it, says, "R.I.P, Mom."
I close both locks below the window, I close both blinds and turn away, sometimes solutions aren't so simple, sometimes goodbye's the only way, oh-oh-oh... And the sun will set for you, the sun will set for you
And the shadow of the day, we'll embrace the world in grey and the sun will set for you...
Jojo felt completely blown away by Zeke's songs and how much angst and frustration and sorrow he felt. He turns to Zeke and asked, "Those songs are...amazing."
"It's pretty much all of the crap I've been through because we're pretty much a dysfunctional family. Me and my dad don't get along much and my mom never got along with my dad and stuff. Being that I'm the only kid, it's a hard task to be a kid. Every night, I used to hear my parents fight whenever I fall asleep and it's really scary to go through that."
"Whatever happened to your mom?"
Zeke's eyes start welling up in tears and he told him in a choked voice, "My mom died when I was 10 by a...car accident."
"A car accident? How did this happen?"
"On her way home one night, she got run over...by a drunk driver!"
Zeke got down on his knees and broke down crying. Jojo went beside him and said, "I'm sorry that happened."
"It's been hard ever since and you know, she was the one who taught me guitar and piano, even though my dad was against it."
"Why's he against it?"
"Said it makes them 'sissies'. Just because I can express myself doesn't make me a sissy."
"I can see that you were under the pressure of being in your dad's shadow. I write songs too."
"You do?"
"I always write about stuff that makes me feel bad."
Jojo pulls out his notebook and gives it to Zeke and he takes a few looks at it and realizes that Jojo's got so much writing passion in it. He stops and reads one verse of one song he wrote.
I'm giving up on everything, because you messed me up Don't know how much you screwed it up You never listened, that's just too bad, because I'm moving on I won't forget you were the one that was wrong I know I need to step up and be strong Don't patronize me, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Have you forgotten everything that I wanted Do you forget it now you never got it Do you get it now?
Zeke sees that there's so much passion written on that song, like he's saying to his father, 'I'm not following your footsteps and won't be in your position.' Like there's sorrow, depression, anger and a million amount of anguish written inside. He looks around for more and then, stops at another song that touches his heartstrings.
Seems like it was yesterday when I saw your face You told me how proud you were but I walked away If only I knew what I know today
I would hold you in my arms, I would take the pain away thank you for all you've done forgive all your mistakes There's nothing I wouldn't do to hear your voice again Sometimes I wanna call you, but I know you won't be there
Oh, I'm sorry for blaming you for everything I just couldn't do. and I hurt myself for hurting you
Zeke felt totally surprised about this one song. He asked, "What was that one about?"
"When I was 13, my friend, Kailey Baker, couldn't succumb to the pressure of following her older brother's footsteps when it comes to being the academic dude in middle school. One day, she disappointed her family for doing the unthinkable-wearing gothic clothes. Then, she couldn't take it anymore and she went to her room, got a gun out of her closet and pulled the tigger and shot herself. She committed suicide that night and it really tore me apart."
"Man, I'm so sorry." Zeke said.
"I wrote about it in her perspective and it pretty much relates to her and it keeps her memory alive."
He went over some more songs and then, he stopped at one song that most definitely relates to so much pent-up frustration.
I don't wanna make this harder than I have to, this is how it has to be There's so many things I want to say, but you just don't listen to me
I don't want you to hurt me, you don't want to hurt me, I can't stand you and you can't stand me
We can't rearrange, you can never change me, say goodbye Nothing I could say change your mind because I can't stay, tomorrow I'll be on my way, so don't expect to find me sleeping in my bed, cuz when you wake up, I won't be there, I won't be there
Zeke turns to Jojo and asked, "Why did you write this?"
"Cause nothing I can say to my dad won't get through. He talks, but doesn't even listen. I was in my frustration point and it got to where I can't stay and listen to all the crap he's saying about me being mayor, because I want to run so far away, he can't even expect to find where I am."
"Man, it's like you've been through so much and you express it in a way to make everyone understand the real you."
"I know. Music's my thing."
"So's mine."
"Your songs are amazing."
"Not as nearly amazing as yours."
They both turn around and look at the view, throughout most of the day and sees that their friendship is growing in the quickest possible way.
Pretty powerful stuff, isn't it? There were three songs used here: 'Miss Invisible' from Marie Digby (changed it to 'Mister Invisible'), 'I Am What I Am' from the Jonas Brothers, 'Shadow of the Day' from Linkin Park, 'Forgotten' from Avril Lavigne, 'Hurt' from Christina Aguilera and 'I Won't Be There' from Simple Plan. Powerful angst between to two of them make them grow stronger as well as their friendship. Stay tuned for more!