there's a story I would like to tell_ [wayde]

[Elijah Cuttey]

{MY PROBLEM IS, IT'S ONE YOU KNOW TOO WELL}

-->CLOTHES<--

Elijah sat crosslegged on the cool grass, back against a tree, Fender acoustic guitar in his lap. His black messenger bag sat beside him, covered in patches and pins that varied from cartoon characters such as Salad Fingers and the Power Puff Girls to bands like HIM and From Autumn to Ashes. No matter where Eli went, his bag almost always went with him. In it he kept his phone, notebook, Zune [because they're just that much better than iPods, excuse me, iShits], camera, money, sunglasses, and whatever the hell else happened to be in there. Eli wasn't even sure himself. All he knew was that his bag was somewhat light today, so he obviously had taken a few unnessicary things out of it without even realizing it. Poor Elijah and his severe ADHD.

But he had taken his medicine this morning. That was a good thing. He had woken up, drank his coffee, took his three different pills, and headed out to the park. He didn't have class untill around three today, and it was eleven thirty-ish now, so he had pleanty of time. And besides. Sitting in the park alone playing an instrument was a great way to pick up band members for a band that didn't even have a name or more than one member- Elijah.

Biting his lip, he placed his fingers on the strings, pick in hand, and his other hand sliding up and down the neck of the guitar, finding its place to begin the song. After a deep breath, Eli closed his eyes and began to play. The notes flowed easily from the guitar, the song easily recogniziable to any passing stranger. The tune? Pinball Wizard, by the Who. And seeing as it was one of Elijahs favorite songs, he just had to sing along, even if it was somewhat quietly.

"Ever since I was a young boy,
I've played the silver ball.
From Soho down to Brighton
I must have played them all.
But I ain't seen nothing like him
In any amusement hall...
That deaf dumb and blind kid
Sure plays a mean pin ball.

He stands like a statue,
Becomes part of the machine.
Feeling all the bumpers
Always playing clean.
He plays by intuition,
The digit counters fall.
That deaf dumb and blind kid
Sure plays a mean pin ball.

He's a pin ball wizard
There has got to be a twist.
A pin ball wizard,
S'got such a supple wrist.

'How do you think he does it? I don't know.
What makes him so good?'

He ain't got no distractions
Can't hear those buzzers and bells,
Don't see lights a flashin'
Plays by sense of smell.
Always has a replay,
'n' never tilts at all...
That deaf dumb and blind kid
Sure plays a mean pin ball.

I thought I was
The Bally table king.
But I just handed
My pin ball crown to him.

Even my usual table
He can beat my best.
His disciples lead him in
And he just does the rest.
He's got crazy flipper fingers
Never seen him fall...
That deaf dumb and blind kind
Sure plays a mean pin ball."

[Wayde Manfield]

Wayde walked through park, feeling terribly self conscious at the moment. See the thing about Wayde was his appearance had slightly differed from his usual black hair and occasional eyeliner. Since his argument with Brodie, he’d went home and pleaded with some money from his mother to get the dye out at a place of professionalism. Instead of giving him the money, she managed to make her own concoction to get it out herself. After all one job in her lifetime had been a hair dresser. It was quite an enjoyable night for her, to finally get rid of the charcoal black and replace it for his natural brown. Without the black, he didn’t look as gaunt, but still he didn’t like it too much. He was known for his black hair. It was like his trade mark and now when people saw him walking from behind, they would not recognise it to be him. Was that a plus? He made sure a bandana covered the majority of it. The bandana was white with a few black pattern type things on, like shapes.

He stretched out and sighed. The world just didn’t seem to want him there anymore. He felt like an outsider in his own home. It was as if fate was telling him that he didn’t deserve to be there. He’d quit the band, he’s broke off his friendship with Brodie. He just didn’t know anymore, he didn’t know what he wanted to do. And all he knew was that any chance he had at escaping was gone now. And he’d be hated all his life. The fact that he was alone didn’t help him any and it certainly knocked his confidence. It was like suddenly he realised it wasn’t everyone else’s fault but it was his. It was his fault that he was walking alone, and no one could help him with that because no one wanted to, everyone just wanted to avoid him.

Wayde groaned and kicked a lamppost hard with his foot, not wincing at the pain which it caused him either. He was too deeply lost in his own thoughts. He couldn’t notice the natural beauties, he didn’t care. He didn’t even want to ‘make art’, aka beat people up. All he wanted to do was sit, lie and die. Without Brodie and his band and his hair, he just saw no point. He was stuck. It was like an unmetophorical game of stuck in the mood.

A sound eroded his thoughts and he recognised it completely. Or at least the instrument. Wayde followed the sound of the sweet music. Music was his life, it was like without music he would’ve given up already. It was all he had left to hold on to. It was all he could do, all he was good at.

When he spotted the boy who was playing it, he stood at the side, watching him gently with a curiosity around him. Could this boy be his new victim of friendship? Could he be the replacement for Brodie? Wayde approached him and sat down next to him, naturally without asking if he actually could. “Hello,” Wayde said, interrupting the music. “What’s up? That’s a nice guitar you got there,” he smiled. It was odd, a compliment from him. With his new appearance he wondered if he could change his name too. Wayde Manfield was known as a bully, but maybe this boy didn’t know him, maybe he didn’t recognise him. It was doable. “My name’s… Ren,” he blurted out quickly, “Ren… Kidsper.” He finished with a nod of his head. Ren Kidsper? Inside he was cringing at his new identity, but no, Ren Kidsper it was.

[Elijah Cuttey]

{YOU CAN BREATHE BUT THE AIR IS RUNNING OUT}

Fingers flowed along the strings, eyes closed in consentration, voice smoothly singing the words. It was times like this when Elijah seemed to get lost in himself. It was times like this when Elijah was at his happiest. When it seemed to only be him and his music, and nothing else. The only thing that could have perfected this moment was if there was an auidence. If he was on stage, he would have been in heaven. Whether solo or with a group, this is what Elijah loved more than anything else. This is what Eli wanted to do with his life. Write, create, and preform music. Music was his life.

Sure, he was seventeen and already in college. Sure, he had graduated highschool at sixteen with honors. Sure, he was in the media and design arts department at UCLA. Sure, he had his own small little photography buisness going on. But it wasn't what his heart was set on. His heart longed for the stage, for music, for adoration, for attention. Attention from one who would never look at him the way he wished he would. Attention from the boy who was the love of Elijahs life. Attention from the boy that seemed to be scared of Eli, when yet they had never really met. Ah, wasn't poor Elijahs life complicated?

With all these thoughts running through his head, he just wanted to get lost in his music. He wanted to slip away from reality and into a dream land where nothing troubled him. Unfortunately for Elijah, that was not to be. At least not at this moment, that is. His song was interrupted by a male sitting beside him, smiling and complimenting his guitar. "Uhhhh.... thanks?" Eli stuttered out, not sure what this boy was up to.

It had somewhat annoyed him that he had been interrupted, but he tried to push the irritation away as the boy introduced himself. "Er, Ren? I'm Elijah.. Eli.. Cuttey." he said slowly, looking the boy over. He was sure he had seen him around somewhere, but he looked different. Maybe it was just his immagination, but Eli had a feeling that this boy was hiding something by his hesitation, although he could not tell what. Maybe he would find out. But only time would tell.

[Wayde Manfield]

“No problem,” Wayde grinned. He nodded when he introduced himself, stating his name. There was something in the way he spoke that made him wonder if Elijah really wanted him here. But still, Wayde wanted a friend, even if he’d lied. Maybe if he managed to befriend him, he could admit to his lies. But not just yet. If he recognised his name, he wouldn’t want anything to do with him and that wasn’t something Wayde felt happy with dealing with. He was sick of being messed around, like by Brodie. It was like she forced his feelings out for her, drove him to tears and then rejected him. He didn’t want t deal with it no more, but she was raped? Raped? By her own father. He wanted to get back at him, Brodie, everyone. Wayde was just filled with so much hatred, a lonely hatred which desired the opposite but also feared it.

Suddenly a thought struck his mind as he glanced at the guitar. A band. He’d quit his last one, perhaps he could start a new one, a better one. And he’d come back at Brodie with a vengeance. “Hey, are you in a band?” Wayde asked curiously. “It’s just the previous band I was in, we got into a big… problem and I quit and now I’m looking to form a new one. You’re good, let’s create one.” Wayde grinned. So he’d have to be known as Ren Kidsper, but the name wasn’t that bad. It could be like a stage name, an adopted name. He shrugged, he could get used to being called Ren or Kidsper. It could be like a false identity, an undercover one. Wayde Manfield could be him with black hair and eyeliner. Ren Kidsper could be him with brown hair. He grinned. “I know you don’t want to decline me.” Wayde smiled, “I have good contacts from the last band I was in. We were near signed but some girl was in care so she stopped us until she got out. And she never yet. But come on, there’s nothing holding us back! We can get together some more people, we can totally ace the records, totally perform, get loads of gigs.” He pleaded. He could imagine him and Elijah on the stage, rocking around with a few more people doing just the same thing. He could imagine Brodie leaving with tears in her eyes. It was the perfect come back, the perfect revenge, the perfect thought. Now all he needed was Elijah to agree with it.

[Elijah Cuttey]

{WE'LL DRIVE UNTIL TOMORROW, DRIVE A MILE FOR ALL OUR SORROWS

A smile forced its way onto Elijahs lips, his worries momentarily subsiding. He liked this boy, Ren. No, not like, in a gay way. He liked him as in.. he was nice. Eli felt that he could get along with this boy, even though he was hiding something. Sometimes there were things that were never meant to be found out. Sometimes there were things that were better left untouched. Eli felt that, whatever this boy was hiding, it was one of those things.

But Elijah, being nosy as he was, was finding it dificult not to pry into the boys concious, asking him questions galore, digging for the answer. Damn him and his curiosity. Damn him for just having to know everything about everyone. Damn him for caring. Damn me... he cursed himself, biting his lower lip hard, then releasing quickly for fear he would cause himself to bleed. Elijah hated it when he bled. Just hated it. He couldn't stand the sight of his own blood. Others, he was fine. But seeing his own, caused him to get sick.

"A band? Me? Naw. Not right now. I've performed solo before, and I've been in bands before, but I was always kicked out for being a f*g..." he chuckled, running a thin hand through his red bangs. "I'm not gay, though.. I just tend to act like it sometimes, I guess..." He shrugged, then looked at Ren in surprise at his next comment. "Me, you, in a band?!" the thought shocked him slightly. "But.. I mean.. I've only just met you! Like, thirty seconds ago, you came up and sat beside me, and now you wanna be in a band with me!" his shock subsided as he began to chuckle in amazement. "Am I really that good?"

Hearing Rens next words made Elijahs breath catch in his throat. The idea of playing shows and getting signed and becoming famous made his heart rate triple. Was this real? Elijah certianly hoped so.
Oh how he hoped so.

[Wayde Manfield]

Wayde’s face turned from a smile to disappointment and then back to a smile all in a matter of moments. This could be true, this could happen. He wanted revenge on Brodie and getting a better band than hers would be that perfect revenge. Plus Brodie’s band were all ugly, that was his recent idea, despite the fact that he had only quit because Brodie rejected him and his art. Wayde grinned and nudged Elijah playfully with his fist, “Don’t worry about it, man, I don’t care. I won’t kick you out at all, be gay, be straight, whatever. I don’t care.” Or at least he didn’t at the minute. His desperateness for a band was too big, too hard. He was excited for a gig, for showing Brodie up. He was sure he had fans of followers from his gigs he did with Brodie’s band, surely he could get their support. “It doesn’t matter if we’ve just met. You’re a good musician, I’m a good musician but I can’t get nowhere without a band,” he persisted. “I mean I don’t know my dad and my mom had me young, she’s never really gotten that much of a good job so I don’t have the most money. I’m not that bright when it comes to academic studies, my music talents are all I have to escape. I need you.” It was odd for Wayde. This was possibly the first time he’d ever been nice to anyone in quite a while. Most definitely. It never really occurred to him that he was only doing this to get a band, but maybe make a friend too. Lonelyness was something which he was feeling a lot of recently and he couldn’t stand it.

“Do you know any other people who could help us out?” he asked as he chewed on the inside of his cheek. He always got wrong for doing that off his mom, she always complained that it made him look ill with his cheek bones already defined enough.

He looked at Elijah. He hadn’t to seal the gig before he tried to find other members. It would be perfect. “Imagine,” Wayde said quietly, passionately. He put his arm around Elijah’s shoulders and held another in front of him, wide fingers as if drawing a picture with his palm. “Imagine going on stage and having everyone cheer for you. Imagine playing in front of a wild crowd, imagine people slamming to your very music. Imagine the fans and the girls who wanna jump your bones just because you hold a guitar in your arms. Imagine the glory. People would search for our band on myspace. Our names would be famous, Elijah Cuttey and…” he hesitated for a moment, this name thing would get annoying, “…Ren Kidsper. It’ll be magic, I promise you, man.” He let go of him and dropped his arms to his side, trying to play it all cool again. “So what you say? Are you in? Also… I… uh, I’m kind of looking for a friend too. I’m lonely, my old one turned out not to be the person I thought she was,” he nodded admittedly. He was pulling out all the stocks trying to secure this band. “Please. I can’t do it without you.”

[Elijah Cuttey]

{HOW YOU GONNA GET THE MONEY? NOBODY TO ANSWER THE PHONE

Elijah stammered, brown eyes wide as he listened to every word Ren said. One thin hand remained grasping the neck of the guitar, absent mindedly plucking the strings, while the other hung limply over the body, not doing anything at all. A sigh escaped his lips as Ren spoke, leaning his head back until it rested on the tree, his eyes gazing up at the sky filtering through the leaves. Suddenly, at hearing Rens last words, his eyes jerked open, head snapping to face his companion. "You... need... me?"

If Eli wasn't in shock before, he certianly was now. He was wanted. He was needed. He was needed by someone who had only just met him. This all came as such a shock to him. Wow. Him. Elijah. The boy who never trusted anyone unless he knew them for years. But with Ren, Eli just felt like he had to trust him. He felt like he needed to trust him. Like he wanted to trust him. In fact, he felt like he did trust him. Why, he had no idea. All he knew was that he did.

In an attempt to hide his shock and sheer amazement, Eli began thinking in response to Rens next question. Anyone who could help them.. be in the band..he had no idea. Well, there was Patrick.. but god, Elijah didn't think he would be able to stop himself from raping the poor kid right there on stage, let alone if he was walking on the opposite side of the street from him. Jesus, Eli had some serious obsession issues.

Without thinking, he began strumming his guitar, playing the White Stripes song, You're Pretty Good Looking. In all honesty, he had sort of forgotten that he was supposed to be thinking about anyone who could at least remotely play an instrument. All he was thinking about was Patrick, seeing as thinking about people who played instruments led him to think about Patrick because damn, that kid could sure as hell play guitar. His eyes glazed over, not looking at particularly anything, as he thought just about the boy, still playing the song without even thinking.

Elijah had totally zoned out, so when Ren put his arm around his sholders, he jumped slightly and stopped playing, his fingers coming to an abrupt stop suddenly. He listened intently to everything spoken, hanging on every sentence. Jeeze, this kid sure had a way with words. Elijah could feel the excitement of performing already, even though it had been months since he had been on stage. The energy, the passion, the love, the music. He longed for it all. And it seemed as though Ren would be able to help him get it.

"Kid, if you're looking for a friend, you didn't need to ask!" Eli chuckled, patting Ren on the shoulder playfully. "I'm Elijah, king of making friends by running up to random people in the mall and hugging them." he shook his head, laughing. "And in response to your question...." he paused a moment, biting his lip slightly before continuing.

"............I'm in."