Weightless [Jack Barakat]

Chapter Four

Eleanor's POV

What had I agreed to do? Go to someone's house who's practically a stranger and listen to their garage band play?

I worried about what would happen differently today when I got to school. Exactly as I had feared, people actually started noticing me.

It started in my third period, literature. A guy of about average height with a buzz cut asked to be my partner for a new project we got. We had to find three different people in our grade and ask them three questions that we didn't already know about them.

I think his name was Rian Dawson.

"What's your last name?" He asked as we sat down in a corner of the room together.

"Jacobs. Please don't tell me that was one of your questions."

He laughed, shaking his head. "No, it's not dont worry. But I think I might have some good ones."

"Really?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. To be honest, I was really confused because three new people had talked to me in the last three days, and while it was a bit overwhelming, I couldn't help but feel excited.

"Question number one," he said, getting straight to business and ready to write down my answer with his pen. "What kind of music do you like? What bands and artists are you into? Do you listen to a lot of music?"

"Um, what?"

"Those all fell under one question. I'm just curious, and its something I don't know about you."

"Oh." I tried to think really hard about this one, but I sagged my shoulders to be brutally honest with both Rian and myself. "I'm sorry, I don't really listen to any music, or know too many bands."

His jaw literally dropped. "You don't listen to Greenday? Blink? Face To Face?"

I shook my head pathetically at all the unfamiliar names he was listing.

Dramatically slapping his palm to his face, he looked up at me excitedly as the bell rang. "Don't go yet! Come to my locker with me, I'll give you a few CDs to borrow."

I was hesitant, but I slowly nodded anyway.

He grinned. "Great, come with me!"

Rian took my hand and started pushing through the other students trying to get out of the classroom, and stopped in front of his locker. He did the combination then dug around in some paper on the bottem before coming up with a CD in a clear plastic case.

"Here," he said, as I took it from him and looked down at it. In green marker it read across the top 'Alex is sexy and amazin' and Zack can go choke on a pinecone.' "My friends and I made it, it's a mix tape. Cheesy, I know, but its got some great stuff on it."

"Thanks," I said, putting it in one of my folders so I didn't lose it somewhere. He nodded, and I realized how long it had been since the bell rang. "I need to go, I'll see you tomorrow for the rest of the questions. Bye."

"Bye!" He waved, slamming his locker shut and heading towards the cafeteria.

-

When I got home, my mom was at work, but Bill was home. He sat in his recliner in the living room, watching some golf tournament on tv.

"El, that you?" He called.

"Yeah, hi Bill. I'm going up to my room to do some homework."

"Okay, just be down for dinner in an hour."

I jogged up the steps and sat down at my desk, excited to listen to Rian's CD. I put it into my speakers and sat back while the first song started to play. It was fast paced and energetic, but I liked it. I didn't know the name of any of the songs, or who was playing them, but I sat there and listened to the whole thing, about twelve songs.

I was going to press stop and remove the disc, but one last song was left. There was a bit of static, then a voice came on. I think it was Rian's, and there was whispering in the background.

"Congrats on our first show, ATL! There's a whole life ahead of us with gourmet dinners, fanatics,"

"Groupies, alcohol, money," it sounded vaguely familiar, then an unknown one took its place.

"Fancy slippers, nice cars, and,"

It cut off. There was more whispering, then I jumped when all the voices shouted at the same time when a noise that sounded like a pop can opening played. "PARTIES!"

It cut off, and the static ended. Then the song started to play. It began with someone saying softly, "one, two, three....I got your picture, I'm coming with you, dear Maria count me in. There's a story at the bottem of this bottle and I'm the pen."

I was shocked at how good it sounded. Was Rian friends with Jack and Alex, and was he in their little band? Maybe this was them playing. Maybe it was Rian singing. I didn't know, but I listened to the whole rest of the song, then popped it out.

I was strangely excited for the plans I had made Friday afternoon, just one more day from now, if it was going to maybe sound like that. It was good music.

I walked downstairs when I heard my mom walk in the door, humming softly one of the other songs on the disc.

"Hey sweety. How was school?" My mom asked as I sat down at the kitchen table across from Bill. She sat down next to me and waited for my answer.

"Ok," I shrugged, scooping some food onto my plate. "Hey, mom?"

"Yeah?" She replied as I passed her the carrots.

"We aren't busy Friday night, are we?"

She set down the bowl, thinking. "I have work, and I think Bill said he was going golfing, why?"

I shrugged. "I don't know...I was wondering if maybe I could go hang out with some people?"

She shared a look with Bill, then asked jokingly. "It depends, who these people are."

"Alex." I said quietly.

"Alex?" Bill asked, amused. "Do you have any classes with her?"

I nodded. "He...invited me to come over to his house with him and some of his friends Friday night to hang out. Is that alright?"

They shared another look. Mom answered. "Sure, that'd be just fine. Just don't plan on staying out past midnight, 'Kay?"

"Okay," I said, taking a mouthful of salad into my mouth.

"Eleanor?" My mom asked after a few minutes of silent chewing.

"Hmm?"

"Why are you smiling?"

"What?" I realized I had been smiling, and shrugged, really not knowing why. "I don't know. I just started smiling."

She squinted at me, then smiled back, and we went back to our food.