Mr Hood (Calum Hood AU)

Twenty Four - Thoughts and Conclusions

So our band was going to get signed. The band I was in with my best friends. The band that we loved so much. The band our parents forced us to quit because it would never become of anything. That band. We were going to get signed. And by Summer's dad. I even heard of him. That is what sucks. We could have been something else – me and the guys. And I could have met Summer. I could have met her all before her parents died, I could have comforted her after it. Even though she is four years younger than me, I would have. It isn't much and I would have known her. I could have known her is another way than just being her teacher. This sucks!

And now, she is just watching all our old videos we put up on YouTube. Thank God we took down the horrible, awkward ones, well more awkward than the ones that are still up. I could hardly watch them. For one, it was extremely awkward watching my younger self at 18. And it was me singing on there and I got so distracted on the videos and it was horrible, she watching the really early ones right now, so I could hardly watch them. Also, a beautiful girl is watching them, one who is my student, and I may or may not be a little infatuated with.

There is another part of me that can't watch them, because it hurts. It hurts to see how happy we all were back then and how much we loved music and just being stupid – we still are stupid, but not in the same way. And it hurts to know that we could have done that, we could have lived out our dreams, if it weren't for our parents. That was two dreams that were taken away from me. I wanted to play soccer professionally, but I had a horrible break in my knee so that dream was shattered. Then I loved music and so I focused on that. But then my parents told us it was a stupid dream and that we would never make it because hardly anyone ever did. It was a little earth crumbling, but we understood. We left our music dreams behind to go for more achievable things. But we could have been something. We could have gotten everything we wanted.

I heard Summer giggle again, probably at me singing. I can't believe how high my voice was in some of these videos and just how much of a player I thought I was, when really, I was a scrawny little kid trying to be Chris Brown. "Hey Calum?" She asks, gaining my attention. "Yeah, Summer?" I say to her, showing her I was paying attention.

She looked as if she was thinking something over. "What do the other guys do now, if they aren't teachers and aren't in a band?" She asks curiously, with her eyebrows furrowed cutely. "Well Mike owns a video arcade and gaming shop. Ash, he actually stayed in music, he owns a shop and does classes sometimes to teach other people." I tell her. I was always a little jealous that Ashton kept some of his dream alive. "Really? What does he play, other than drums?" She asks very interested now. I was a little jealous of her interest in Ashton but I wasn't going to make it obvious. "Well he plays the drums, guitar, piano, violin and sax." I tell her listing the instruments he plays, he probably plays more that I just can't remember now. He picked up a lot after the band finished.

She seemed impressed before she looked deep in thought once more. "Why doesn't he sing in any of the videos? Is he horrible?" She asks with a little grin. This makes me a little sad, the answer to this question. "He actually has a good voice, but he has anxiety and he is really nervous about his voice so he just doesn't sing as much. He sings as he walks around the house or when he is in the shower. Just not in front of strangers." I tell her honestly. I don't even know if I am allowed to tell people that, but she seems trustworthy, and it isn't like people know him all that well for her to spread it around.

"I like your voice, it is like raspy." She smiles at me. It takes me a little off guard to be honest. Besides, nobody really likes my voice, heck, I hardly like my voice. Luke. He is the main voice. He was the talent. Well vocally, anyway. She looks back at the me on the screen and I can't lie, I blushed. I didn't know if it was because of what she said, or because she is looking at the younger me. "Thanks. Luke is the main man though." I shrug. Whenever we had gigs, the girls would always line up for him or the other guys. No-one ever likes the bassist. I laugh a little at the thought. "Nah, I like yours better. I mean, you all have talent and Luke's voice is amazing, but I just, I like yours better." She tells me. For some reason it makes me really happy that she likes my voice.