A BARD’S FOLKTALE
Roaming Cadenza
Aramis Barron
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Published by:
Aramis Barron at Smashwords
Copyright (c) 2011 by Aramis Barron
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All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
Smashwords Edition Licence Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank the many people that contributed to this novel and the success thereof:
Stef, for giving me the idea to start it in the first place and serving as the first editor.
Irina, for reading and revising so many drafts on top of school and everything else.
Lizzie, for pushing me to keep writing despite the myriad of distractions that always seemed to come up.
Jo, for somehow finding time in your already tightly packed schedule to produce such beautiful cover art.
John, for your help in coming up with a fine general layout.
Sabrina, for everything really.
And of course my family, for putting up with me in general.
It’s a tough job, but for some reason they do it anyway.
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CONTENTS
12 Home (Chocolate with Marshmallows)
13 Dusty, Starry Darkly Clouded Sky Night
17 Remnants Remain (Happy Birthday)
18 Into the Dark, or “Straddling the Razor’s Edge”
20 The Exit (featuring Emma Roberts)
27 Historically Inaccurate Drunken Fairytales
34 The Interregnum of Skeptics and True Believers
40 Waiting for My Real Life to Begin
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DEDICATION
Dedicated to Mrs. Madeline Thompson, and every teacher whose lessons do not stop at the classroom.
Remember the glory days? Back when you used to get all nervous when that special someone came rollin’ around? Or when all eyes were on you ‘cause you’re just that awesome? Hell, remember the first time you ever fell in love? Just curious.
Anyway, hey, how’s it going? Name’s G. That’s what the people I like call me, anyway. Figure if you’re listening to me, must mean you’ve got some interest in a tale or two, huh? Or at least found yourself a little lost along the way. But it’s all good; I think I can whip up a pretty good story for ya, but I’m telling you right now I ain’t makin’ any promises on a happy ending. This is a pretty long story, so I don’t think I’ll be able to get through all of it in one go. Let’s call this the first part.
Anyway, this is a story that always comes to mind for me. It’s the one about a few friends of mine that went on a road trip a while back, right after graduation. Wasn’t too long ago, actually. Seemed simple enough for sure, they were just out messing around trying to have some fun, but damn those dudes didn’t have the slightest clue of the mess they’d be getting themselves into. Other than the usual sex, drugs, and rock & roll, anyway. I think that’s pretty much standard fare, isn’t it?
Well, don’t let me ruin it for you…let’s get started.
“They always say, ‘Today is the beginning of the rest of your life,’ but I guess that doesn’t really say much for everything I’ve done up until now, does it?” – The Diary of Alma Grey
Day One: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor. Full of trees, as the name might suggest. A fine mix of city and nature, yet not truly belonging to one or the other. The day was one of early June, bright and cheery; its sky an ever-expanding blue with only a few clouds to dim the sun. Birds were singing and chirping their choruses throughout the schoolyard without much care or attention. The setting itself was an average sort of school, made of red brick and a severe lack of parking for its students (though they always somehow managed to make room).
The time was now 7:20 and only some of the students were starting to arrive. Among them were Charisma Roberts and Alma Grey, the latter cruising elegantly in the passenger side of her best friend’s ride. It seemed a bit early for them to be there, but Charisma, more commonly referred to as Cris, was excited. They had already graduated, but many of the seniors still had work to finish up before their transcripts were complete. Cris came to catch up and say goodbye to her friends.
She parked the car, waiting for their other friends to arrive as she looked over to Alma. Her best friend and partner-in-crime, Alma was only slightly shorter than Cris, but more bubbly with fuller curves and less inhibition. Alma was the older of the two, having just past her eighteenth birthday. Her mid-length, disorganized, sun-warmed, blonde hair contrasted yet complimented her tanned skin—a testament to her fiery nature. She held luminously wide hazel eyes that found no trouble in lighting up an entire room on a whim. Breaking out of her trance, Cris returned Alma’s smile as they got out of the car.
Some of their friends walked by and they casually worked their way into the group. Unfortunately, there weren’t a whole lot of places to walk to and they would hardly want to be seen wandering around school this early in the day. They loitered about idly, but after a short while, they headed into the building to find more entertaining things to do. Eventually the first bell of the day rang.
It was at about this same time that Konrad Lehane, who was stuck in traffic and enjoying the Ska punk ballads of “We Are the Union,” was finally en route to school. Dirty blonde with jaded green eyes, Kody’s relaxed boyish figure did him justice for a man only seventeen years of age. He wore his medium build and average height like a snuggly fit suit, and except to those who knew him, he was completely unremarkable.
He rested his head against the window and sighed, looking at the long stream of cars lined up on the bridge. He knew he wouldn’t make it to his first class on time, but he was proud that he could at least say he was trying.
However, despite this, it made little difference as he still didn’t have much hope of making it before the end of his first class. This meant the perfect excuse he’d be saving up all semester would go to waste if he didn’t hurry. He felt the fault didn’t lay entirely with him, since it wasn’t so much that he hadn’t arrived with enough time to get in the building as much as he didn’t have anywhere to place his car, thanks to the parking situation. He quickly let such marginal concerns go with the realization that there’s always second hour.
He thought for a few minutes on where he could park while he drove through the parking lot in hope of finding an open spot. Eventually, he decided to drive his rusty station wagon down the road to a nearby townhouse community, hoping no one would notice it for the day. He had pulled this trick a few times before with some success, so he was optimistic. He dragged his feet, still not in a particular hurry, and began on his way to school.
He walked for a good fifteen minutes with no real desire to get to class, enjoying the warm summer sun as he strode, regretting that he’d soon be rid of it in exchange for a bland, only mildly entertaining classroom. He felt the injustices of the educational system were too great, denying children the simple beauty and freedoms of nature and youth so soon after spring blossomed. It crossed his mind that his opinion may be slightly influenced by the fact he just hated sitting around in class when he could be outside writing.
He arrived at the school building and trudged into his second hour only a few minutes late. Cris’s expression caught his gaze and he wished he didn’t recognize it. Her amber eyes called out to him as she motioned for him to join her. Her smile drew him over. She was aptly named as she always seemed to emit a charismatic warmth that was almost too inviting. Her hair brushed just past her shoulders, holding the hue of rich mahogany. Her lean athletic frame was accentuated by her lighter skin and the freckles that decorated the plane of her face. She was textbook jailbait.
Kody knew if he took a seat next to her a scolding would be in order. Surprised to find a seat next to Cris open, he accepted her implied offer with pride. He felt the cold stare of his classmates as the teacher stopped the lesson, watching him pretend he was invisible as he slinked over to his seat. He saw Mrs. T. pick up the phone on her desk and all the students knew what was coming next.
“Hold the phone, Kody! Before we can continue with this exciting lesson, please share with us what delightful story you have for today.” The teacher’s voice caught him off guard.
“My mom didn’t want me going to school today. I know, I know…I couldn’t believe it either. I tried to convince her I needed to go, but it was no use… She was like, ‘You need to quit being so mature and responsible all the time!’ so I ended up having to wait until she left the house so I could sneak out. If you could do me a huge favor, Mrs. T., please don’t tell her I snuck out to go to school today, on skip day of all days. She’d be very disappointed with me,” he replied, smug and pleased that he got a chance to use his excuse after all.
His teacher grinned.
“I won’t say anything about it, Kody. Now if you could take a seat and get out your textbook, we’re on page 273,” she finished.
Kody finally relaxed in his seat a bit and pulled out some books to appease his teacher.
“Busted,” Cris whispered, smirking.
“Hey, you know how it works. Mr. Sunshine says good morning, I say good night,” he quietly replied.
“Maybe if someone would actually wake up when his alarm went off, it wouldn’t be such a problem,” she chided him. “Today’s the big day and you still get up late? What, were you up all night messing around or something? You should’ve had your stuff packed days ago!”
“I’m not a girl, Cris; I don’t have lots of bags of useless crap. I just didn’t feel like getting up. I like my sleep, really.”
“I didn’t think guys needed beauty rest…?” she inquired, countering his remark.
“Did you at least call Glenn?”
“I haven’t even had breakfast; I had to rush just to get out the door in time.”
“How’d that work out for you?” she cut in, sarcastically.
“Oh, hey, look, we’re learning! I’m gonna pay attention now, to someone that’s glad I’m here!”
“Oh, really? Where?” He shot Cris a dirty look.
“I’m just messing with you. I’ll call him after class and find you third hour, okay?” she teased.
“Sure. You should seriously start paying attention, though; you still care about this stuff.”
“Very funny, Kody. You should try it yourself some time, it might do you good.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said as he opened his notebook.
He held the notebook in his lap while leaning it against the desk to make it appear as though he was taking notes. Although Kody paying attention in class seemed suspicious, he appeared so diligent in his task that even Cris gave him the benefit of a doubt and bought into it. As the lecture drifted on, so did Kody’s imagination as he jotted down the various verses that traversed through his head.
What should I write about today…?
Kody thought about it, trying to narrow his focus into something a little more cohesive. He began drawing in the margin of the page hoping he might sketch out some kind of some inspiration.
“Guess I’ll just let it flow...”
He began to write. He thought of the flowers he had seen on his walk to the school, and drew one in the margin. He kept staring.
The flowers, their shimmering leaves share the joyful dance of the green throughout the field, careless to the fact they are bound in chains of sand and stone. They drink bountifully of the water that hails them, and shudder; sharing anticipation as their oppressors flee. They remain undercover in their bed of soil, thick as thieves and grateful for their reprieve, swaying ever so gleefully in the moistened plot, enjoying their sweet refreshment under a light morning haze...
He continued to write. “Raining mist abash, crimson embers alight, their retreat no longer a safe haven. That which was no longer is, thus it feeds off the dispassionate green for a chance to breathe. The ash is unsettled and time has no place. As the flame burns away, the flight of its last waning wisp...
He finished.
“It always comes out so depressing...even now...” he muttered to himself.
Cris unintentionally overheard him. “Hmm?”
“Kody, are you okay? You seem a little down,” she whispered to him.
“What?” Kody looked up.
“Hmm...are you watching me?” He had a smug grin.
“Why, should I be?” Cris challenged him.
“You know, it’s amazing… I’m hearing voices and yet I’m not Joan of Arc!” All eyes were drawn back to the front of the class, to the teacher who was now waiting politely for Cris.
“Sorry, we’re good Mrs. T.!” Cris felt that she covered herself well.
“I hope so,” Mrs. T. said. “I realize you all have taken your finals already, but there is still plenty to learn. Life in itself is a lesson.” Mrs. T. continued on, shooting a kind but authoritative glance in Cris’s direction.
“You got it!”
Cris put on her award-winning smile to ensure the incident was quickly forgotten. Kody shuffled through his notebook, pretending to find some reference materials, hoping Cris would be distracted enough to forget.
“Oh, no, mister. You aren’t getting out of it that easy.” Cris was onto him.
“What? I just don’t really get all these literary devices,” he responded, trying to sound convincing.
“You seem to have a lot of notes for someone who doesn’t understand them,” she said, glancing at his notebook.
“Oh, this? There’s a difference between taking notes and understanding them.”
“Really? Can I see them then? Maybe I can help you out.”
“I don’t think you’d want to, it’s just a bunch of scribbling. Mostly bored doodles, really.”
“Then you wouldn’t mind, right?” she pressed on.
“I guess not.”
He reluctantly slid the notebook to the side of the desk, carefully watching her pick it up. He was a bit embarrassed allowing her to see the notebook given that he wasn’t too confident about his poetry. This concern was quickly dwarfed, however, as he casually caught a glimpse of Alma looking over Cris’s shoulder.
Looks like this’ll be a fun afternoon... he thought sardonically.
As he not so subtly watched them, he could see the look of surprise on Cris’s face as Alma whispered to her, but was greatly relieved by the sound of the bell ringing.
“Hey, look at that! Class went by fast today! Gotta hurry to third hour! Trying out this new thing where I get to class early, by which I mean on time, so let me know how it goes with Glenn!” Kody rushed out of the room, not giving Cris a chance to speak.
“He’s a little stranger than usual today, don’tcha think?” Alma inquired.
Cris nodded, still holding his notebook as they both headed out of the classroom.
“Goodbye, Charisma; goodbye, Alma! Both of you have a wonderful day!” Mrs. T. called out to them as they left.
“Bye, Mrs. T.”
“See ya later!”
Mrs. T. watched them go as she prepared for her next class. They continued on down the hall.
“So, it’s really over between you two, huh?” Cris turned her head to watch Alma as they walked.
“Yeah…let’s just say it wasn’t working for me,” Alma informed her.
“How come? It seemed like you two were doing pretty well.”
“Eh…I don’t really want to talk about it. Hey, that Kody’s notebook?” Alma noticed Cris was carrying it.
“Yeah, he rushed off so fast I didn’t have a chance to give it back to him.”
“Huh…hey, can I see it?”
“Sure.”
Cris handed her the notebook. Alma glanced at it briefly, only marginally aware that Cris had stopped to wait for her.
“Hey, I gotta get off to class, but I’ll make sure I get this back to him!” Alma called out as she headed off down the hallway.
“Hey Alm, wait…!” Cris shouted, trying to stop her, but she was already gone.
“We have the same third hour…”
Cris continued down the adjoining hallway, debating whether or not she should actually attend her third hour, considering her grades were already set. Most of the seniors that were there only attended because their parents made them go, or because they honestly had nothing better to do. For her, all she wanted was to see her friends one last time before summer. The more she thought about it, though, the more she found she had already seen the few people she really wanted to.
She decided instead to head out to the practice building as there weren’t any classes held there until the afternoon. She checked the back door, knowing it would be open as the lock was busted and the school faculty was simply too lazy or cheap to fix it. As she entered, she was surprised to see the auditorium empty; usually there was a slacker or two catching a good nap. She had also walked in on couples on more than one occasion.
She pulled the door shut behind her as she wandered around backstage. She loved playing around behind the curtains, pretending that maybe she was an actress or an idol of some sort. Once, she had imagined herself a princess, and she was wandering through a dark maze looking for her prince. Unfortunately, all she had found was two girls getting high, which quickly brought her back to reality.
Still, she loved hanging out back there; the place felt comfortable for her. She had grown accustomed to it when she tried acting in the theater club, but found that the club itself never really suited her. Singing for her own personal amusement was far more her style.
Cris made her way through the wafting heavy curtains, coming up to the front of the stage looking out into an empty auditorium. She paced back and forth, trying to determine where the center was, and found what she thought to be a good approximation of it. She looked down to see the black X marked by electrical tape and remembered that this was the spot. She prepared herself and cleared her throat, as she tried to think of a song to sing. She had a select few she always hummed to herself, but she felt like this was a golden opportunity and she didn’t want to waste it.
She pulled out her small mp3 player and shuffled through some songs until she found one she could work with. She grabbed a small bottle of water out of her bag and sipped a little, before replacing it and setting her bag down next to her. She did a little curtsey and took a deep breath into her diaphragm as she prepared to perform.
She started out slowly, singing the first few lines from the “Book of Love” until she was suddenly startled at the sound of clapping from the balcony of the auditorium.
“Lovely performance, pet, truly inspiring.” Cris heard a confident, somewhat accented male voice as she noticed a man applauding from the balcony.
“Who’s up there?” Cris was more embarrassed than alarmed.
“Just me. A bit surprising, I must say; I never would’ve expected something like that from you. I suppose it makes sense, though. The little sister of Emma Roberts has a voice on her after all.”
“Daron?”
“Yours truly.”
“What’re you doing here?”
“Waitin’ on me, probably.”
Cris recognized Geroge as he walked out from behind the curtain, guitar case slung across his back.
“Geroge? Ohhh, are the Bards rehearsing?”
“Nah. Well, sorta. But since dickhead and Tits McGee are MIA, we’re just chillin’. Keep goin’, though, sounds like you’re puttin’ on a better show than we do.”
“You weren’t supposed to hear that…” Cris blushed.
“Damn. Guess we should consider ourselves lucky, eh, D.?”
“Suppose we should, G.” Daron made himself comfortable on the balcony.
“Guess that means I’m not gonna convince you to join the band any time soon, huh princess? We could definitely use a female lead. The Bards could work a whole new sound.”
“Sorry, I’m not really interested. What about Jence though?”
“Jeany? Girl can rock a keyboard in ways I can’t even understand, I’ll give her that. But she’s a bit lacking in the vocal talent department.”
“Plus…she isn’t exactly eye candy,” Daron contributed.
“Hey, D., a little respect. Besides, that girl has far more impressive skills than you could ever dream of.” Geroge, now redirecting his attention to Cris, “Anyway, can I interest you in some tickets to tonight’s show?”
“I actually have other plans. Thanks for offering, though.”
Cris slowly started making her way offstage as she decided she had worn out her unanticipated welcome.
“Gotcha. Well, if you change your mind, let us know. We’re puttin’ on a special show tonight. You’re more than welcome. We’ll hook you up Bard-style.” Geroge threw on his heart-melting smile as Cris made her way out.
“Thanks, I’ll remember that. See you guys and good luck with the show!” Cris grabbed her bag and slipped out the back, the same way she came in.
“Damn, man, that’s one hot chica, no?” Geroge took center stage, positioning himself in various places getting a feel for it while he waited for Daron to make his way down.
“I wouldn’t say no.”
“Dude, you wouldn’t say no to her cardboard cut-out.”
“No, I wouldn’t. But neither would you.”
“I’d consider it. If nothing else, a man should at least pretend to have principles in the absence of actual character. Might help him develop one someday, ya know?”
“Could be. Although I do have standards. I just wouldn’t say no to Charisma Roberts.”
“Not many men alive would, my friend, not many men would.” Geroge patted Daron on the back as he finally arrived on the stage, chuckling to himself and heading back outside to haul in some more equipment.
* * *
Alma had hit the jackpot, and she wasn’t going to squander such a rich opportunity. She wasn’t interested in what Kody was doing. . .much, but she figured as long she had his notebook she may as well take a little glimpse of what was going on inside. She wasn’t proud of it, but such opportunities were rare and she couldn’t let it go. She found her way inside a nearby bathroom and camped out in one of the stalls.
She thumbed through the notebook, finding a lot of miscellaneous doodles and drawings that weren’t very impressive, as well as various quotes and quirky expressions. She found a sketch of some kind of small animal, and couldn’t figure out what it was supposed to be. There was a caption that read combustible duck, but she decided she’d be better off not trying to figure it out.
“Let’s see, what do we have here… ‘He gave us light first and the sun two days later. God: the bad play-write’ – J. Joyce. What is this?”
Alma wasn’t sure what kind of stuff Kody was writing down or why, but at the very least she was determined to find out if he wrote anything about her (she decided it wasn’t snooping since she was only trying to understand him better, doing him a favor, really). Finally, she found something she was looking for. She thumbed across a page entitled My Fox.
I’m tired of paying for yesterday. So I’ll tell you what. Meet me by the pier tonight.
If you’re still interested, then we’ll work it out. Tonight, I’m gonna swim away. The only question remaining is will I find you on that distant shore when I arrive? Don’t come just to compliment me, or to see if I made it. Come only if you plan on staying. This will be my new home. If you are not my fox, then you are my snake. Though both do a bit of mercy.
The entry struck a strong resonance with Alma; she couldn’t believe he’d write something like this. It cut so close to her own past. She didn’t know what to think about Kody, or how to deal with him. She figured he had been fine; after all, he seemed okay in class. So do I… she thought as she closed the book. She sat for a moment, playing with the hem of her dress. She needed a moment to figure out a good way to blow off some steam. She stuffed the notebook in her bag and pulled out her phone, sending a text message to a friend as she started heading toward the gym.
She opened the stall door and looked herself over the mirror. She had only a light coat of make-up on and wore a black floral dress with a button-up top that was a little tight around the chest, adjourned to her body. Her blue jeans showed just underneath hemline. She unbuttoned the top two buttons of her dress, giving herself a little more to work with but not exposing too much. She took her time walking to the gym, knowing that her ‘friend’ would already be there waiting.
When she arrived she didn’t see him anywhere. She stopped for a moment to watch a basketball game that looked like it had just started, debating whether or not she should stay for that instead. She checked out some of the guys practicing, recognizing a few, and licked her lips finding that this could be a more worthwhile endeavor with very lucrative prospects. She started getting into the game and ready to walk in when she heard her name being called from one of the empty side hallways. She decided to go check it out.
“Hey, Alms. How’s it goin’, sweet thing?” She instantly realized who it was.
“Hey, Thad, how’ve you been?”
“Busy as always. Sam’s been riding my ass hard the last few days.”
“That literally?” she smirked.
“I wish. She wants to make summer plans and all this shit, but I ain’t tryin’ to hear that. I just wanna chill for a bit.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean. So you and Sam still together?”
“Man, I don’t even know anymore.” She tilted her head, about as convinced as he was convincing.
“Huh, I hope that works out for you.”
“What about you and that weird emo poet kid?”
“Kody? He’s not weird or anything. We just weren’t really seeing eye to eye, I guess.”
“Huh, that’s a shame. I know how hard that can be.”
“Do you now?” Alma’s lips perched back slightly, always ready for some good flirtatious excitement.
“I surely do.”
“Funny, ‘cause you don’t seem to be looking at my eyes.” She called him out.
“So? Can I help it if a hot young thing is standing right in front of me, looking all luscious?”
“I’m luscious now, huh?”
“Like an apple.”
“Did you just call me an apple?” She cocked an eyebrow.
Thaddeus leaned in to kiss her. She didn’t expect it, but she wasn’t all together surprised.
“Hey, what about Sam?” she said, stopping him.
“What about Sam?” He didn’t seem to care.
He leaned in once again, this time pinning her against the wall. She didn’t resist. He kissed her, and she found herself kissed—a small amount of comfort and relief in it. She broke it off.
“Thaddeus, I don’t know about this…”
“What’s there to know? Nothing we ain’t done before.”
“I know, but still. . . I just. . .”
“Ohh. . . I gotcha. Don’t like a crowd.”
*
Thaddeus grabbed her hand and led her down the hall into one of the open offices as they made their way inside.
“Thad, this isn’t what I meant.”
“Funny, ‘cause you texted me. And we both know what that means. ‘Sides, I don’t see you lookin’ to leave. Or maybe you wish it was your little poet boy?”
She looked away from him.
“Don’t worry, sweet cheeks, it’s just like ridin’ a bike. A very fine, well-tuned bike.”
She took a deep breath and hesitated. She didn’t disagree with him, but didn’t know what she wanted and couldn’t help but feel there might be more than a little truth in his words. But she had left him, and decided to be here now. The awkward combination of shame and comforting familiarity both came creeping back, and she was unsure of which feeling was more prominent or what she really wanted to do. He paid little attention to her as his hands roamed freely, and she felt the tension build as she searched for an answer. Her body took over.
“Close the door.” She kept quiet.
She thought briefly that maybe she should do something different, but it was her choices that had brought her this far and she had always made it through. She was abandoned to circumstance, a victim of fate. Whatever happened to her wasn’t her fault—it was just another page in the story of her days. She was just along for the ride.
Alright, so you’ve met some of my friends, but there’s one dude in particular that plays a pretty big role. He just hasn’t found his way into the spotlight yet.
He kinda hates lights.
The first time I met him I thought he was kinda weird, but the more I got to know him the more I came to find that ‘kinda weird’ didn’t begin to cover it: this dude was straight certifiable loony-bin material.
Strange as it sounds though, this guy is one of the dudes I’ve come to respect most.
But you should really see for yourself.
All relevant truths should be witnessed with one’s own eyes.
“Even when he smiled, Glenn always seemed sad. They say there just isn’t any pleasing some people, but I honestly don’t believe that. I think everyone is capable of happiness, and I aim to prove it.” – The Journal of Charisma Roberts
“Yet another dream; will I ever be rid of these?”
Glenn Redcliffe lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling. It was only when he sat up in his bed that he realized he was covered in sweat.
“This certainly can’t be good…”
He pondered his options before crawling out of bed and looking out the window. The light hurt his eyes. He stepped away from the curtains, allowing them to conceal the window and cloak the room in darkness once more. He could barely make out the shapes of the quietly messy room as he stumbled about. He found his way into the living room and stood there for a moment, scratching his head. Glancing around, he thought about whether cleaning was in order: shirts lying on the floor, nearly all long sleeves; the sink was filled with dishes; and his small kitchen table was cluttered with books and other assorted papers. He shrugged.
Every window had a heavy curtain draped over it to prevent any more than a small ray of light from shining through. He lived alone in a small apartment, as he didn’t have anyone he would claim to be family or many friends. He wasn’t very sociable, though he was well acquainted with his excessively large bookshelf and didn’t suffer from a lack of education. He was mildly tall, though a bit lanky. He had shaggy ruffled hair that was a sort of dusty mud color, seemingly to match the dim echoes that reverberated from his eyes. Today was his twenty-third birthday and he sat at home, alone as usual.
He flicked on a dim light in the ill-lit living room. There was a bowl on the counter, filled with half-eaten dry cereal. Glenn opened the refrigerator and pulled out a cold gallon of milk only slightly past its expiration date. He thought about the situation briefly, whether he should really use the potentially stale milk, but figured it was probably still okay. Truthfully it wouldn’t matter if it wasn’t. He poured it into the bowl, and placed the nearly empty carton back into its specifically designated location within the even emptier fridge.
The apartment was silent, a place so bereft of sound that he could distinctly hear the quiet fizz of the milk interacting with the cereal. He sat down at the disorganized table, brushing aside a spot for his breakfast, carelessly knocking several objects onto the floor in the process. He supposed maybe he should care, that perhaps there might’ve been something important amid all of that clutter, but he doubted it. He tried to eat. He was still tired from the night before, adjusting his glasses to rub his weary eyes.
“If this keeps up, I’m never going to get any better…” He leaned back in his chair, tilting it off the ground as his thoughts drifted to more relevant matters.
“What am I doing? Getting involved with a bunch of children…” he thought aloud, not entirely aware he was even speaking.
He began to doze off as he was eating. His head bobbed forward, the momentum bringing his chair back down to ground as he caught himself just before hitting the table. He heard a loud ringing sound. Half-startled and half-asleep, he quickly regained his posture and began searching for the phone, not realizing it was buried beneath the clutter he had just knocked down. He found his way to the floor and scrambled through the various medication bottles and papers until he finally found the receiver. He pressed a few different buttons until he heard it connect.
“Mm...hello?” he spoke into the phone, trying not to yawn.
“Glenn? Hey. How are you?” a female voice replied, causing his heart to leap only for a moment until he recognized who it was.
“Oh... Charisma! What’s the matter?” he woke up a little.
“Nothing, I’m fine. Just checking up on you.”
“Me? I’m the same, fine, just a bit t-tired is all.” Glenn’s stutter started to come out.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes…so what did you n-need?”
“I wanted to see if you needed help packing. I got all my stuff done earlier so I figured maybe you could use some help.”
“Yes…I’ve, uh…b-been working on that.” The uncertain wavering in his voice betrayed him.
“I figured as much.” He could hear Cris’s dry sarcasm clearly. However, she seemed confident in setting up a game plan. “So once Kody and I get our stuff together, we’ll come over and help you pack. Just sort out what you need and we’ll take care of the rest, okay?”
“Are you sure? S-Seems like a lot of work for both of you to d-do on my behalf.”
“Yeah, it’s fine.”
“All right…thank you, C-charisma.”
“Glenn, relax. And I’ve told you a hundred times already… call me Cris, okay? Cris.”
“R-right. Sorry, I’ve some business to attend to before you both arrive. B-Besides, aren’t you in school? You’ll be late for class.”
“Heh… it’s no big deal. It’s just math.”
“If you insist. In any case, I’ll talk to you later Charisma—Er…C-Cris. Goodbye.”
“Bye Gl—” He hung up before she had a chance to finish.
He set the phone down and remained on the floor a while longer. He began to feel light-headed, overwhelmed. He clutched his head as he felt like the room was slowly beginning to spin. Unwelcomed as this sensation was, it was not unfamiliar. He doubled over in pain, though there was no discernable cause or reason. He started taking slow deep breaths, trying to calm himself.
He held the position for a few moments, gradually recovering though not fully recomposing himself. He was a little disoriented and maintained only a faint sense of reality; he stared blankly at the phone, almost as if he expected it to ring again with pleasant news, or at least something that interested him. He was utterly convinced it was bound to happen, though he knew this to be a lie. It was always a lie.
He focused on the phone when he got that funny all-too-familiar feeling in his belly right before he faintly passed gas. He jumped, scaring himself, though he scarcely even noticed.
Disappointed that the phone had nothing more to offer him, and had deceived him yet again, he staggered, slowly standing back up and eating a few bites of his cereal. Having lost his appetite (for he knew not where to find it) he stood there in place, noticing little, and letting even less pass through his mind.
He felt a small gag in his throat and doubled over once again, now hunched over on the ground as the contents of his stomach liberated and revealed themselves. He was no longer bothered by this and continued to heave, waiting for this session to end. Eventually, there was nothing left and he was able to breathe.
He looked down in wonder at the unamusing creation he had brought forth. He recognized small bits of cereal and little else. The wretched stench began to foul the stagnant air, and only the light breeze of a fan behind him re-circulating the vile odor in the background made any difference. He could not let this stand.
He grabbed some of the papers now resting on the ground next to him, using them to clean up what he could of his mess. He trashed the papers and scrubbed the carpet with a washcloth, making sure to spray plenty of air freshener and being grateful for the fact that his landlord’s horrible taste in rug colors actually happened to coincide with the former contents of his stomach’s. He gave up his effort and wandered back toward his bedroom.
He searched in the dark for his night stand and reached for some pills. It didn’t matter to him which they were, though he knew by shape and texture exactly which ones he had grabbed. He fumbled around a bit more and found a glass of water from the night before. He swallowed the pills half-heartedly while taking another sip from the glass before collapsing onto his bed.
He hated staring at the ceiling. It was too dark to accurately define anything, yet he was certain he could always make out the image of the monsters lining it. He could make out an eye here, claws there, and of course, always the teeth. Always the teeth. He could barely tell if he was watching them, or if they were watching him.
He sometimes imagined that he was in the ceiling, observing a pitiable man feigning his way through life, toward death. He wondered why he dragged on, either indecisive or watching this grotesque display; why he didn’t take initiative and expedite the process or end it all together he had no idea. He had no respect for such a false character in either case.
His thoughts became less coherent and his rationale depreciated into simple amusements and pleasures at any inane notion still cogent within him. The medication began to kick in. Drowsiness overcame him and he finally began falling into what he was sure would be an unrestful sleep.
Like I said – straight certifiable. But as uplifting and inspirational as Glenn can be, let’s face it: you’re probably more interested in the ladies at this point (even if you happen to be one yourself). It’s all right, I gotcha – I feel the exact same way.
Don’t worry, ole’ G. here ain’t gonna let ya down.
“You only live once, right? Guess there’s no way to know that for sure, but it’s a good excuse to do whatever the hell I want before I get too old to do it.” – The Notebook of Kody Lehane
Cris sat in the bleachers outside, enjoying the lighthearted sunny pre-afternoon and deciding what she should do with the rest of her day. The longer she sat there, however, the more agitated she became; she had a nagging feeling that something was off and she couldn’t let it go. She was certain that something greater was going on, that both Kody and Glenn were keeping something from her. They just didn’t seem like themselves, and she was determined to find out what was going on.
Despite that, it was too pretty a day to let petty issues distract her from what she needed to accomplish, and she decided to head out to lunch to help clear her mind and reassess the situation. She got up, taking stock of the school football field before she left and made her way out as she headed for the parking lot. When she reached the fence, she recognized her partner in crime waiting by their getaway mobile.
“So...what’cha thinkin’ about?” Alma asked her, now donning unfashionably large shades as she caught sight of Cris.
“Other than how much those look like my missing pair of sunglasses?” Alma made her innocent pouty face.
“Nothing…” she looked away, but she was never good at keeping anything from Alma.
“Cris.”
“Just not really up for talking about it right now.”
“Mm, I can understand that. Well, how about Italia’s? We haven’t had pasta for lunch in a while!”
“That’s kinda pricy for lunch, isn’t it?”
“This is the last time we’ll get to go out to lunch instead going to fourth hour, and you’re worried about something like that?”
“Good point, let’s go!”
They both got into Cris’s convertible and put the car’s top down.
“No matter how many times I’m in this car, I never get tired of this! . . .even if it is a little messy,” Alma explained, brushing her hair back.
“Yeah, but what about when it starts raining?” Cris replied.
“Pessimist! It’s still cool, even then! It’s like a free roaming shower!” Alma retorted.
“Complete with environmentally friendly sewage water.”
“Pessimist!”
They left the school, and headed downtown. Unfortunately, they left at the wrong time of day and got stuck in the lunch-rush traffic.
“Great timing, Cris,” Alma complained.
“Now who’s the bitter one?”
“Tantalizing me with thoughts of special non-school lunch, only to make me sit around and wait all day. . .” Alma pouted.
“You were the one who was waiting outside before I even thought of going.
Alma smirked as she turned up the radio, listening to Third Eye Blind’s “Bonfire”.
“I love this song! Kody and I used to listen to it all the time!”
“That reminds me...” Cris started in. “Did you give Kody his notebook back?”
Alma hesitated, dancing along with the song before she replied.
“It’s taken care of.”
“Good. The last thing we need is for that to go missing. Have you noticed Kody acting…I don’t know...weird at all lately?”
“Not really, but we don’t talk or hang out all that much anymore.”
“What’s the deal with you two anyway? You didn’t even tell me you two really broke up. I thought it was just a fight.”
Alma stopped dancing enough to explain the situation.
“I was going to, sweetie, I was. I just…didn’t want to talk about him for a while, you know? It’s kind of a depressing topic. He’s a sweet guy, but I think he was just a bit too...I mean, I don’t wanna say clingy, but I kinda do? I mean, he wasn’t like that, but he’d always call or just seem to be around. It was nice and I really liked that at first, but it was like he never wanted even a little time to himself. He was just always there. And you know me: I like my space.” Alma’s eyes began to wander, reflecting on her words as she spoke.
“So he was just one of those needy guys who couldn’t stand being away from his girlfriend for more than five minutes?”
“Something like that...”
“Hm...Do you think it was one of those relationships where he cared about you more than you cared about him?”
Alma raised an eyebrow as she glanced at Cris.
“Cris, don’t tell me what I think it is...you like him, don’tcha?” Alma turned a devious grin as she cornered Cris.
“Kody? Not so much; I’m just curious. I mean, you two had such a good thing going and all and then out of nowhere it just kind of stopped. It doesn’t really add up.”
“Uh huh.” Alma giggled as she stuck out her tongue.
“Honestly? He probably did care more about me than I did him. Don’t get me wrong: I really liked him, and everything was good. But I could go more than twenty minutes without seeing him, ya know? I doubt he could’ve done the same.”
“Yeah. Sounds horrible...” Cris trailed off.
“Sweetie, you’ll get a decent boyfriend someday. I promise!” Alma tried to cheer her up, pushing her own feelings aside for the sake of her friend.
“I know. It’s just the only reason guys are ever attracted to me is because of my body.”
“What’s wrong with that? It just means you have your pick of the guys! I mean, look at you! If I had your body—oooh the things I could do…!”
Cris chuckled to herself.
“Um…thanks, I think. But for once it’d be nice to meet a decent guy who actually cared about me for who I am—because I’m me. Like someone who thinks that looks are just an extra perk or something. Do you think there’s a guy like that?”
“Probably somewhere. Like in a monastery or something. I hear monks are very devout.”
“I’m serious, Alm!”
“I know, I know…you’ll find your prince charming soon enough. Until then, we’re both single! I say we live it up and make the best of it.” Alma’s charm was irresistible.
“Maybe you’re right.”
“Of course I’m right! But forget about that, it’s food time!” Alma started getting excited.
Almost as if the vehicles were attuned to Alma’s whim, the road cleared up and they made it to Italia’s, home of the legendary Super Pasta Bowl. Rumor has it that if a customer can finish an entire bowl, they’ll win a fantastic prize. No one really knew what this prize was, but that just added a sense of mystery to an already great legend. Cris and Alma had been no match for this challenge before, but it didn’t mean they couldn’t try.
Cris parked the car while Alma took off her sunglasses, and they headed into the restaurant, catching the faint aroma of garlic bread sticks in the air as they passed through the door. This only served to heighten their hunger and make them even more insatiable.
As soon as they entered, they noticed the vast array of seats available; they figured the place being mildly empty was due to it being the middle of the day and not the lack of excellent food choices.
“Ooh, let’s get the booth in the back! I really like that one.” Alma chimed in.
They asked the waiter to seat them in the back, and he was more than happy to oblige.
“Oh, crap…what do I want?” Alma had a mild panic attack at all the wonderful food options that lay before her. Cris looked up at her and they locked eyes.
“...shall we?” Cris’s lips contorted into a devilish smile.
“I don’t think we dare…do we?” Alma grinned her mischievous grin, following Cris’s lead.
“Oh, we dare!”
“This is gonna be so sweeeet! Let’s do this!”
Alma was getting so hyped up the waiter immediately brought her a glass of water and some bread sticks.
“Are you alrigh—” the waiter tried to be attentive.
“We want the legendary Super Pasta Bowl!” Alma exclaimed rather loudly, slamming her fists on the table and shaking some of the silverware.
“You know that the promotion doesn’t count if you girls split it right?”
“Screw the promotion, we just want the pasta!” Cris ordered, supporting Alma, who now had fire in her eyes.
“Gotcha. I’ll go put in the order now.”
With that, the waiter glanced back before returning to the kitchen, stopping mostly to wonder if they could really finish off that much pasta. Mostly.
The girls chowed down on bread sticks while looking around the restaurant. There were a lot of miscellaneous decorations, mostly of European origin. Most of them appeared to be Italian, but there were some things that hinted of having either a French or Germanic descent. Cris noted that their waiter’s name was Luigi (as it had read on his name tag) and watched as Alma couldn’t help but giggle.
“So, what do you think of Luigi?” Alma asked.
“What? Alm, you’re kidding, right?” Cris partially turned her head to look him over before quickly looking back.
“He was totally checking you out!”
“Me? I thought he was looking at you.”
“He probably was. I bet he was looking at both of us! We are yummy treats, after all.” Cris couldn’t help but smile.
“And besides, he’s a waiter you know...probably all about sampling each dish, if you know what I mean.”
Alma winked at Cris, arching her back to show a little cleavage. Cris lowered her head as Alma offered Luigi a little something for his trouble.
“Alma!”
Cris picked up the straw next to her water and ripped the tip of the wrapper off, rolling it into a little ball. She stuck the small piece of paper in her mouth and moistened it to prepare for battle. She took aim after carefully placing the straw in her mouth and readied her miniature cannon.
“Cris, you better no—!” Alma squealed as she felt the soggy missile hit her face, right below her eye.
“Oh, it’s on!” Alma readied her miniature plastic cannon and retaliated.
Their spitball fight was cut short by dirty glances from other guests, and more importantly, the arrival of their mythic dish. They called a truce in honor of being in the presence of a true legend.
“Mmmm...! This looks amazing, but it’s sooo big!” Cris said, as she started assaulting her half.
“It smells even better!” Alma said as she began ravishing the plate.
“This was such a good idea, we should do this more often,” Cris said between bites.
“Well, if today wasn’t your last day of school, we would!”
“It’s okay; we’ll go out all the time once I get back.”
“You’re starting that trip today, right?”
“Yeah,” Cris managed between mouthfuls.
“With Kody?”
“And another friend of ours.”
“Who?”
Alma was surprised to hear Cris mention someone she hadn’t met before; there wasn’t much the pair didn’t know about each other.
“You wouldn’t know him. He was my neighbor until he went off to college. He invited Kody, and then Kody called me up.”
“Kody knows him, too?”
“Yeah, I think they used to work together downtown or something.”
“How long are you guys gonna be gone?”
“I’m not sure. As far as I know there isn’t much of a plan, we all just wanted to get out of town for a while.”
“How are you going to pay for all that?”
Alma was surprised to see Cris being so impulsive.
“My dad is covering all my expenses. He encourages ‘social development’ and ‘fostering a worldly perspective.’ Perk of having straight A’s all of high school instead of a social life.”
“Heh…well, hope you guys have fun.” Alma was uncomfortable with the idea of her besty being gone for so long.
“I’m sorry you can’t come with us.”
“It’s all right. Someone has to stay and take care of Maria—er…Mom.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll bring you back some souvenirs.”
“You better!” Alma stated as she finished her dish. “Almost ready?”
“Definitely. I’m so full.”
Cris, ceding victory to Alma for the mighty spitball fight, paid the bill. She and Alma left unfulfilled, having (marginally) lost to the legendary Super Pasta Bowl. Alma ran ahead of her and jumped behind the steering wheel.
“Ready, chica? Let’s get this show on the road!” Alma was nearly cackling.
“And who said you could drive my car, missy?” Cris maintaining her authoritative demeanor.
“’To the victor go the spoils.’”
“Crazy…” Cris muttered to herself as she got into the passenger seat.
Alma caught wind of it. “What was that?”
“I said you’re crazy!” Cris laughed, screaming at her.
“Don’t yell at me! My precious tummy is so full of yummy food... I shouldn’t have run.” Alma rubbed her belly as she put the key in the ignition.
Cris just smiled at Alma as they pulled out of the parking lot and headed back to school. Alma played around with the buttons on the dashboard as they drove back, catching a glimpse of Cris relaxing in passenger side. She watched Cris pull out and put on a hidden pair of sunglasses.
“Cheater! Hiding a second pair.”
“Nyaa!” Cris stuck her tongue out, teasing Alma.
The two continued down the road, basking in the light breeze and warm sun on their skin.
“My, my, my…” Alma sighed to herself.
“What is it?”
“You don’t know?”
“Know what?” Cris looked up, trying to read Alma’s face.
“It’s a shame, you know. You’re gonna miss the show tonight.”
“Show…? Oh, you mean the Bards?”
“Hell yeah, I mean the Bards! They’re debuting their new single tonight! Daron told me that he and Geroge co-wrote it.”
“Really? I’m surprised. Daron doesn’t really seem like the creative type.”
“Maybe not, but he’s wicked hot.”
“Alm, is there anyone you don’t think is hot?”
“Yeah, probably. But I haven’t met him yet. C’mon, girly! It’s all about looking at the bright side! Everyone’s got something neat about them, right? I mean we’re kinda obvious, but even your scrungy everyday book nerd has something cool about him.”
As she listened on, Cris couldn’t help but see Glenn come to mind.
“I think for you it’s just that you don’t really get to know people all that well. For someone so popular you’re pretty much a recluse.”
“Opposed to your getting to know everyone?”
“Hey, different strokes.” Alma’s grin returned.
“Suppose you’d know…” Cris muttered under her breath, disapproving of Alma’s lifestyle but always supporting her friend.
“Promise me this: you won’t leave town before taking me to that show.”
“Alm, you know I already have plans.”
“So? I’m pulling the best friend card.”
She could see the reluctance in Cris’s face.
“C’mon! It’s your last night in town for God knows how long! Kick it off with a bang!”
I’m sure you will, Cris kept to herself.
“Besides, if I have to go all by my lonesome, who knows where I’ll end up? Maybe Daron or Thteve will try to whisk me away and I’ll have no one to protect me.”
You mean protect them? Cris thought, considering Alma’s point.
“…all right, all right. Fine. Geroge offered to hook me up earlier anyway. I’ll get some tickets from him later.”
“Sweeeet! I love you Cris! This is gonna be awesome!”
Cris reminded Alma that she was still on the road and driving her car as Alma swerved a bit recklessly. They continued the ride back in peace, both psyched for the night ahead.
All right, so I figure at this point you gotta be wondering, “G? What makes this story different from any other story I’ve heard? Just sounds like some kids hanging out and messin’ around!”
Well, so far you’d pretty much be right, chief. But that’s only because I haven’t really gotten involved yet. See, you’re about to see what makes me the dude cool enough to tell you this story and, by virtue of that, why it’s one worth being told. So kick back and get cozy ‘cause I got some s’plainin’ to do.
“I never understood the self-righteousness of teenagers. They entitle themselves to everything including knowledge of the world, with the one exception of not yet having actually been a part of it. ” - The Chronicles of Glenn Redcliffe
Kody lay daydreaming underneath a tree on the school campus. He rested stretched out beneath the leaves, covered in shade, sitting on a hill overlooking the main building. It was still lunch (or at least the extended lunch period that all the seniors seemed to be taking) and he didn’t have any kind of plans. He stared at the clouds, through them, beyond imagining, into the inverted deep blue ravine of the sky.
He thought of how he lay on the grass looking up past the leaves, through the atmosphere, into a large black abyss of nothingness in space; he could almost see the darkness beyond the ubiquitous cloud animals drifting along the azure skyline. Protected by a layer of gases that surround the sphere on which he lay, he could breath and live peacefully if he so chose.
There was a massive rock, whose origin was unknown to him, that circled the mighty sphere as if to watch over it as an older brother might watch his younger sibling. Or perhaps it only waited, until it’s time came to perform a more sinister act. It held no shame, for it did not hide itself from view even in the presence of its brilliant antithesis and archaic counterpart. The night was its domain; now in the day, it held no place but to watch, even if it remained unwelcome. Kody began to feel they had something in common.
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