Friend To My Favorite Band

Chapter 17: Just Like Me

As we walked around there was this guy sitting on one of the fountain ledges with a guitar in hand. I dragged Cody over and he just laughed.

"What would you like me to play love?" he asked, his accent was thick. He had black hair and hazel eyes. He looked like he was in his mid-thirties.

"Um, I don't know. If you've written anything I'd like to hear it," I said and he nodded.

"Spoken like a true band member or someone who writes/sings music," Cody whispered in my ear. I laughed a little.

The guys started to strum his guitar and began to sing," I came from the other side of the world, you invited me which I wasn't expecting. I am with you now so why am I so unsure of my self.  Can you tell me why I'm so insure[long note] of my---self[another long note]."

He sang more, I just sat there and listened. It was as if this guy knew me, but he possibly couldn't. So then I asked," How did you come up with that?"

"Oh I've seen you guys on the tele and my daughter loves The Energizers so," he looked down at his guitar. "She's at home, I have to go in five minutes so I'll be packing up."

"Cody, could we pay his daughter a visit?" I asked him in a whisper. Cody looked at his watch and nodded.

"Good day, " the guys said. 

"Wait, do you mind if we come with you so we can surprise your daughter?" I asked.

"That'd be amazin', sure just follow me," He said guitar case in hand. 

As we walked he talked about how his wife left him alone with there one year old daughter 5 years ago. Now he works two jobs and just plays guitar in the park to see if someone sign him to a record. I felt bad, life is so hard for so many people while you have the idiots bathing in the riches and not helping people who need it.

"So your daughter is six years old?" Cody asked as we came up to an apartment building. (Or flats as some would call it :) )

"Yes, she loves music so much. She listens to it everyday on her radio," the guy stated.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name earlier," I asked holding on to Cody's arm.

"It's Jason Brown, and my daughter's name is Melanie Brown," he said pulling the door open to the building. "We have to take the elevator because they are working on the stairs."

Cody and I nodded, but I tensed and I knew my grip on Cody's arm tightened. He gave me a glance with his eyes and whispered,"What's wrong?"

"I hate elevators," I whispered.

"It's brand new so nothing should be wrong with it," Jason said as the doors of the elevators opened. "Go ahead."

I got in and went straight to the back right corner, Cody came and held my hand. My breathing became uneven when the doors closed. My grip tightened on Cody's hand.

"Don't worry we only have to go up two floors,"Jason stated and pushed the button with a number three.

I slid to the floor, I felt a sudden jerk of the elevator and then weightless. It was the weightlessness and the next jerk of the elevator when we reached our floor. Cody still held my hand and sat next to me holding me. I covered my head with my free hand, I began taking short breaths and rocking a little bit back and forth. I was having one of my mini panic attacks. 

"Shh, your fine Mila," Cody whispered, and that'ts when the elevator stopped.

"We can get off now, sorry you had to go through that," Jason said holding the door. I stood up and quickly  got out of the elevator. "This way."

Jason lead us down a long hallway and to the apartment from which we could hear The Energizers playing loudly. I turned around to see Cody's blue eye's lit up with happiness and a smile.  

"Melanie, I have a surprise for you," Jason said as he opened the door. After he said the music stopped.

"What is it Daddy?" She asked from inside the apartment. Jason stepped aside and let Cody and I walk in. "OH MY ENERGIZERS!"

"Hello Melanie, I'm Cody and this is my friend Mila," Cody said kneeling down to her height. Melanie gave him a hug. "Aw, thanks."

I knelt down as well waiting till she was done hugging Cody, which only took about 2 minutes and 30 seconds. (Which I didn't mind it was adorable.) She stepped back for a minute and just looked at Cody and I.

"What's the matter?" I asked, but she just leaped into my arms. 

"I knew it was you, you're Cody's new girlfriend," she said with a little giggle.

"Um, we...," I was about to say we aren't but she cut me off.

"Oh come on, it's sooooooo easy to see," she said standing up and returning to the living room area.

"She has a knack for seeing when someone is in love or not, she gets it from her mother. She is also really smart for her age," Jason said looking towards the living room and then back at us. "You can go ahead and go hang out with her, I'll make some tea."

Cody and I walked to the living room where Melanie was reading a book. I sat down next to her and realized something. The book she was reading is The Peppermint Bear.

"Where did you get that book?" I asked. 

 She put her bookmark in it and closed it,"My teacher gave it too me, I have really bad self esteem and confidence. She said it would help with it, why?"

"I have the exact same book, except it is a little older and was given to me by a bookstore owner," I said.

"You have the same problems I do?" she asked tilting her head.

"Yes I do," I said as Cody finally took a seat next to me. 

"But you are older than me, shouldn't they be gone?" 

"Sometimes those problems never leave and you have to work even harder to make them go away," I said staring at the book cover. 

"It's nice to know someone has the same problems as me," Melanie said giving me a hug. Jason walked in with the tea. "Thank you Daddy."

"Thank you," Cody and I said at the same time.

"You are welcome," he said with a smile.

As we drank our tea Melanie told us that as far as she knows she is the only person in her class that has low self esteem and low confidence. She also told us about the first time she heard The Energizers and how she danced to it right when she heard it. Sadly it was getting late, with that Cody and I said good bye and left.

~ 1 Hour Later~ At The Hotel~ (Everyone else was out at the cinema.)

"Melanie is a very smart adorable girl," Cody said as he closed the door to Lizzie, Helen, and mine's room.

"Yes she is, I'm tired though," I said falling back onto Helen's bed.

"I don't blame you, it is nearly 10," Cody said with a yawn and sitting in the chair by the window. "Wonder when the others will be back."

"The note said around 11, so another hour. Jet lag is still there a little bit, how bout you?" I asked rolling over to face the chair.

"Not really with all the touring. You should get some rest so I'll leave," He said and began to walk towards the door.

When he was half way to the door I blurted out,"No, I mean please stay. I don't like being in hotels by myself it creeps me out."

"Okay, I'll stay," He said as I sat up. He walked over to me, sat down and gave me a hug.