Open Your Mind Before Your Mouth

Things Change

July 4 2002

            "Alright motherfuckers! Now you're in for it!" Chris yells hopping into my car. "What exactly are we in for Cerulli?" Blaine looks at my boyfriend. Chris has a goofy grin on his face and looks at the duffel at his feet. "You're not doing anything illegal are you babe?" "Not at all, we're going to play Lucky's party as planned and then hope the cops don't get called." Dylan reaches for the bag. "Lemme guess, fireworks?" "Uh-Huh." "This is gonna be the party of the year!" I start the car and we head off. We were playing Dylan and Blaine's cousin Luciana's party and it was supposed to be a blowout, of course it was a senior party, but she wanted a band and we were available.  Chris usually doesn't play with us but we needed a guitar player and he can, so he's it. Ooh, that's a good idea for a song title, 'Tag, You're It!'. We're got signed to Hollywood records last month and are releasing our second EP next week. I'm so excited.
          "I don't know, do you guys wanna do it?" "I'm not singing," Blaine deadpans. I look at Chris, he looks back at me. "Babe, will you please sing with me." "Okay, he grabs me and pulls me into his lap. I kiss his lips. "I love you." I mumble into his mouth. "I know," he smirks. "Okay, so um," Lucky says into the mic, "my cousins and their friends aren't quite seniors yet, but well, they do have a record deal, and they have consented to play for us tonight, so without further ado, Paige's Lament!" Dylan heads out first and sits behind the drum kit, then Chris, then Blaine, then myself. "Alright! We're so glad that Lucky asked us to play tonight! But we don't have too much to do in the way of any original work, so here goes!" We started off with 'Spacetravel' by Bush , and then ended it with 'Good Riddance(Time of Your Life)' by Green Day. Blaine was in no mood to sing, so whenever we did any Blink 182 Chris stepped up to the plate, we even had him sing 'Good Riddance' everyone loved us. Even people who never even talked to us before cuz we were considered the weirdos, Well Chris and Blaine anyway cuz they started wearing makeup just before starting high school, well eyeliner anyway, Well Chris also paints his nails black, actually I do it for him, but whatever, Dylan because she's bisexual, and me because I've worn all black since I was a little kid.
          "That was fucking awesome!" Dylan exclaimed. We went back to my house after the party. Me and Chris were on the couch, my head resting in his lap as he played with my hair. We were trying to decide what movie to watch, but Blaine got up and put in 'Bless The Child' and we all just relaxed. "Should I ask out Elise?" Blaine asks. "I thought she liked Chris?" Dylan said I nearly choked on the piece of gum I was chewing. "Well that's just too bad," Chris says, looking down at me and smiling, "cuz I'm in love with Alex," "Damn straight," I say, "you're mine." I sit up and kiss my boyfriend. "I love you." With that the front door opened and my father came in stumbling and we could smell the alcohol coming off of him. "Do you think your parents would be okay if I stayed over tonight?" I ask Chris, "I don't want to deal with him." "My parents are, to be honest I was probably just gonna stay here tonight." "That bad again?" "Yeah." "Well, we're gonna head out before our mom sends a search party, it's almost two." "Do you guys want a ride? He's too fucked up to even notice if I take the Mercedes," I smirk. "Yeah, sure," Dylan says. The four of us head out and take my dad's car. I'm the only one with a license right now, so basically I just play taxi anyway. "Yuck!" Blaine exclaims as I start the car and Reba McEntire comes from the speakers. I turn on the CD player and play 'Just Got Wicked' by Cold and we all start singing along.
         "I can't wait til I'm 18, and can get my own place, between him and now your parents I don't know anymore, this is nuts." Me and Chris are just laying in my bed snuggled under the covers listening to music. His parents stopped screaming at each other a few minutes ago, we could hear them through my open bedroom window. I wonder if Nick and Jenni are elsewhere tonight, because it was bad. They never get physical, but it does get bad enough to the point where me and Chris just take his brother and sister and leave sometimes. "I hope this whole music thing works out." "Baby, you guys are so awesome, I know you're gonna make it." "I know, but what if nobody buys our album, and we get booed off tour." "You won't." "I know, but if I do, I'm still moving out, and I want you to stay with me. Forever and always." I snuggle myself closer to Chris and kiss his neck, he kisses my lips and we just keep going until we hear my dad stumbling around in the hallway.