Fix You

Chapter Seven (Ryan's Past)

SEVEN (Ryan's Past)

TWELVE WEEKS EARLIER...

   "If it were real, I'd buy you lunch for the entire month" Ryan said, strumming his Taylor guitar to the melody of 'Superman Ain't Got Our Swag', one of the songs off of their yet to be released self-titled debut album. He lay there on their dark maroon couch, in their living room, physically exhausted after playing a gig last night at a friends' party - till the wee hours of the morning. 

   Ryan, his older brother: Chase, and Chase's childhood bestie, Trey Choi, or otherwise freshly known as the band members of the band, 'Waiting For', had just played one of their very first gigs last night under the name Chase had randomly thought of. "Waiting For. That's gonna be the name of our band!" Chase had said groggily, over breakfast one fine morning. And they somehow just stuck with it, for they were in desperate need of a name, having already written a bunch of songs and secured several small-scaled gigs.

   But now, Chase was breaking the real deal. He was swaying Ryan to believe that someone actually got them a 9-gig spot to open for Hot Chelle Rae. "Yeah right, Chase" Ryan scoffed, sitting up straight now, his back against the couch. "Us opening for Hot Chelle Rae, is like saying Capo can fly! It's impossible and just plain stupid" Ryan said.

   Capo, their Yorkshire Terrier happened to walk past the living room at that time and he did seem a teeny tiny bit annoyed. "No offence though, Capo. You're still awesome!" Ryan laughed, watching his 7-year old buddy give him the glare, like he sometimes does.

   "I'm honestly not kidding, Ry!" Chase said, his face telling Ryan that indeed he was telling of nothing but the truth. Yet Ryan still found it pretty hard to believe. I mean. It was Hot Chelle Rae they were talking about. Knowing though that he was the subject of his big brother's many evil pranks, Ryan had learnt from a really young age, never to keep his hopes up on things that seem just too good to be true, for instance: this.

   Ryan decided to study Chase's expression closely, trying his best to find the loophole, anything that'll give Chase away - a snicker, a twitch of the eye, anything will do. And yet it never came.

   Ryan tossed his guitar aside and climbed up onto the couch, jumping about in pure unadulterated glee. "We got the spot?!!" Ryan asked to confirm. "YES! Waiting For's officially waiting no more. We're going down to Malibu tonight! We did it Ryan!" A nine-gig opening spot on Hot Chelle Rae's tour!" Chase said. "And then the world!" Ryan suggested. "And then the world!" Chase agreed.

   After a while when their childish joy had simmered down to nothing more than a giddy laugh or two, Ryan finally asked, "How'd you do it man?"  

"We were at Heather's party last night, weren't we?" Chase explained, grinning from ear to ear. 

"Yeah?" Ryan said to the obvious. 

"Well guess what? Heather, she's friends with a friend of Hot Chelle Rae's Jamie. One thing led to another, they listened to what we had, they liked it. We're sold!" Chase said. 

"We gotta give Trey a call man!" 

"Forget about giving him a call. We pack our bags and we leave tonight. Tomorrow night's our first gig and it's only a two hour drive down to Malibu" 

"We pick up Trey before we leave. It'll be the perfect surprise" 

"Exactly!" Chase said. "And Ryan?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Guess what?" Chase stopped for suspense, and then continued with a loud laugh, "You owe me lunch all month!"