[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
She looked at her watch again, she was about to leave with him and she felt sick. She was nervous what were they going to talk about? Sure the other night outside in the yard they talked, she just was so nervous she didn’t even remember about what. She wiped her sweaty hands over and over. What was she suppose to talk to him about? Apparently boring stuff, but what? She was startled when she heard her doorbell ring that was him. She ran down the stairs and beat her mother to the door. “I got it,” she told her mother shyly and shooing her away. She took a deep breath and was disappointed when there stood Jesse the mailman. “Hey Jesse,” she said with a disappointed tone.

“Hey, Lisa just the person I needed,” he smiled and handed an overnight package with her name on it.

She saw from where it was from and her heart jumped. “It’s from New York,” she said as she signed the green paper for Jesse.

“Yep, well I got to get going. I have a lot to do still, its Saturday I am trying to finish early. Say hi, to your mother for me and tell her those cookies were good,” he walked away slowly.

“Ok I will,” she said as she closed the door slowly not taking her stare away from the package. She felt angry and happy for Gilbert had finally remembered about her. She didn’t want to wait any longer and tore open the small package. In it was a short letter and tickets. A two way ticket to New York and a ticket to see his show, she put those back into the package and read the letter, she smiled as she recognized Gilbert’s handwriting.

Hey Precious,

I am sorry for the delay, but it has been so hard adapting to my new life. But, thoughts of you have kept me through it all. I am having the time of my life Lizzie, I met Kelly Preston! She is the best and I am just meeting so many people. I don’t want to bore you with it on paper; I will call you soon and spill it out all for you. So our show has been sold out so far, as you can see by now you have found the tickets. I promised you I would bring down here so I am. I am sorry though that they are dated for November, but it will be awesome. So how are you? I am missing you so much, but I do have to tell you about this guy I met – so cute! His name is Richard; we’ve been talking since I arrived! Nothing romantically but it’s a start. I really want to talk to you but I have been so busy I barely got time to send you this! I haven’t even seen my emails, but I will soon. Lizzie I love you and I am counting the days for you to come down. I have to go to rehearsals again so I will let you go, but not before telling you that I miss you and love you so much. Take care precious…

Johnny Gibbs

P.S. doesn’t my name sound awesome…? I will call you soon…

She removed her glasses to wipe away her tears, he hadn’t forgotten about her. Gilbert was still her friend… and he missed her. She re-read the letter again and again. She felt happy; at least she knew he was ok. She was startled again by the doorbell, she took a deep breath and put her glasses back on. She opened the door and there stood AJ, her new acquaintance.

He saw her red eyes and wondered why she was crying. “Hey, so are you ready for my first boring lesson?” he said trying to break the ice. He gave her a smile as he walked inside the house.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

“I don’t think this is boring at all, it’s different to what I usually do though,” said AJ as he continued to make his bowl out of clay. Why did he get to make the bowl and not the piggy bank? “How come I get to make the bowl?” he asked her as he watched her hard at work on the piggy’s ears.

She looked up and laughed as she saw his face, “because you need to start easy then you can do more complicated things.” She continued to laugh though, he had clay on his nose and hair thank god he didn’t hesitate to wear the apron.

“What? Why are you laughing?” he asked her now wondering what had made her laugh.

She stopped her work and brought a mirror to him? “This,” she said as she showed him the mirror. “You’re a mess. Where did you not get clay on?” she asked.

“You,” he answered with an evil grin on his face. Before she could duck he flung a piece of clay to her smacking right on her forehead. He laughed as he saw her surprised face.

“Oh, it’s on,” she said and walked to where she kept her paints brushes and her paint. Taking out a bottle of red paint, opening it she turned and squirted it directly his way, hitting him on his back, since he had tried to run away.

“This is my favorite shirt! It was not cheap either,” he said as he turned around and ran right for her! Only she ran away, this was now a war zone.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

They looked around her workshop, only it was now pretty messy, the good thing was her paintings were not this room but in the one next to it. “Well, this is your entire fault!” she said as she wiped her face which now had paint all over it.

“My fault?” he asked in mockery. Ok so maybe it was but he had gotten her to go outside her boring routine. “Ok I have to admit it was, but who made me do it?”

“Oh, no you don’t, all I did was show you how sloppy you were. It’s not my fault you’re not an artist!” she said in defense, but she had to admit she had fun. Having fun was actually… - fun?

“For your information I am an artist! Just not a boring one.” He said back to her, how daring of her to tell him he was not an artist.

“Oh, yeah what kind of artist are you?” she asked him in a demanding tone.

“I am an artist I just can’t tell you what kind,” he said remembering that he must keep that to himself. “So, I am thirsty do you have anything to drink, besides water?”

“Hmm, why can’t you tell me? Cause your lying aren’t you?” she stared at him as she told him that. Even though his swift change of the conversation made her feel like he was hiding something. Something big, she was now curious to find out about. “I can make some lemonade if you want,” she offered as she opened a cupboard where there was some towels. She handed him one and grabbed one for herself.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

After an intense cleaning session of her workshop, they were sitting in the back yard. “So I had fun, I thought you were suppose to show me how to be bored.” He said as he exhaled the smoke from his mouth, bringing his cigarette back into his mouth for a second time.

She shrugged her shoulders, “well I always thought that popular people thought art was boring,” she said with honesty, she really didn’t think he would have enjoyed his first session in clay so much. Well maybe they used more than clay, “I am glad to know that you actually had fun.”

“I did and your paintings are awesome,” he said as he finished his cigarette. Tossing away the cigarette butt, “have you ever thought about putting them up for sale?” he asked.

“No, but Gilbert always told me I should,” she said as looked up to the clear blue sky. “So are you going to tell me what talent you have that classifies you as an artist?” she asked him as she looked back to him.

“I could but then I would have to kill you,” he said as he smiled at her. She hadn’t forgotten about that. He was hoping she would’ve, could he trust her? She didn’t have friends to tell to anyway. He sighed and spoke, “Ok but can I trust you to keep it to yourself?”

“Yes, or you could always not tell me and then I will go with my dads theory,” she told him as she returned the smirk to him.

“What theory?” he asked as he looked at her questioningly.

“Well he said that you told him you were in the business of traveling. He thinks you just tell that to your mom and that you work for the mob or something. He said that maybe you might even be a gang banger” she answered.

He busted out laughing this was truly the best guess to his job position. “That’s a good one, but nope that’s not right. Ok I am going to tell you but to make this interesting I tell you little bit about me and in return you tell me more about you deal?” he said still laughing about what he had just heard.

“Ok,” she told him. This was going to be good, what could he possibly be, a singer or actor? He probably was some traveling agent. Besides she didn’t have anything interesting to share what could she loose?

“Ok, so my real job is…” he stopped and teased her by not saying a word. Making her look at him with great expectation. “I sing that’s it” he said slapping his hand on his lap.

“You sing, so your famous than right?” she asked more in a doubting tone than actually believing him.

“As a matter of fact I am,” he said as he remembered those days; the long tours and the crazy fans but, most of all the guys. He hadn’t seen them since he got out of rehab. He sighed heavily as he remembered it all.

She saw the sad face he got as he answered her. He too looked sad, “really, how come I don’t recognize you? What kind of music do you sing?” she asked hoping to lighten the mood he now seemed to be in.

“Pop, I guess… I really don’t know how to describe our genre, but I miss those days,” he said and once again sighed. “See I screwed up, it’s my fault that I am or we are not singing anymore. I screwed up and ended bringing down the greatest thing that ever happened to me and the rest of the band. I got dragged into the bad things in the industry and ended with the wrong crowd of friends. Forgetting who my real friends were, slowly I start to destroy myself till my real friends couldn’t take it anymore and gave me an ultimatum. But, I didn’t listen, so they threaten to through me out of the group, that’s when I realized I had screwed up. They showed me that they loved me, by stopping our touring for me, I willing checked into rehabilitation for alcohol and illegal substances. We then continued our tour and then we decided it was time for a break after so many years of hard work. We were all exhausted I guess, it’s been two years since that break and seems that all my band mates are not willing to give our band another try anymore,” he said with tears now in his eyes.

He was crying and she felt sad, he truly did want to be her friend. She didn’t know what to say to make him feel better. She just stared at him, “I am sorry I don’t know how to be a good friend, tell me what I am suppose to do?” she said with a concerned tone.

“I could use a hug,” he said as he looked at her.

“Ok,” she said as she leaned in to hug him. She was new to this friendship thing in way Gilbert counted as family, but so far it was liberating to her. She now knew she wasn’t the only one with issues; there were people like her suffering of something.