Chapter 15
I drive home giddy that everything is coming together. The guys won't be here until later, but I need to give Elliott some extra lessons on the guitar before tonight. Zayes leaves again giving my mind room to breathe. I think about everything on the trip home. How many others are aware and out there looking for us? Are all of them good? If a phoenix and a dragon can exist in the subconscious mind of teenagers what else could be out there? I have so many questions but none as important as one. Will Nix and I make up? God, I hope so. I have been away from her for as long as I can stand it.
I practice with Elliott for hours. Josie makes it to my house before the guys do. She practices singing while we play. Nana dances in the kitchen. It sure does feel like home in here. Reminds me of days when Nana and Grandpa danced in the kitchen to the radio. Takes me back to when dad smiled, and moms laughter echoed the house. Reminds me of simpler times when life was perfect. Before my young self knew grief. The knock at the door has me jumping up dropping my guitar. Nana opens the door before I do, and on the other side are my guys. Mikey walks in first, broad as an ox with a grin a mile wide.
"Miss me?" He asks.
"Terribly. Mikey this is Josie." I gesture to her.
"Ohh Lala." He kisses her cheek, lighting her cheeks crimson.
Leo and Andy walk in. They look the same as last time Id seen them. Leo with his buzzed blond hair and harry potter glasses, and his twin Andy with long blond hair and goofy grin. Andy grabs my guitar strumming a tune. He never was one for conversations. Leo, Mikey, and I make up for it talking excitedly.
"Dude I saw a cornfield. Like an actual cornfield!" Leo exclaims. "This is like seriously backwoods country redneck hillbilly children of the corn something," he says, eyeing the buck mount on Nanas wall as if it will come to life. Nana notices and smacks the wall causing it to wiggle. He jumps back narrowing his eyes at Nanas laughter.
"You are going to see a lot more cornfields during your stay." I promise. "More of those to, my grandpa did his own taxidermy." He shudders.
"Did you get taller?" Mikey interrupts. I nod. "Thats B.S. you were too tall as it was." His eyes flick to Nana. "You must be the lovely Nana that was so kind to take in our delinquent and shape him into a real man." she nods.
"I need to start a home for boys like you. Now come on, I want to dance you guys get playing I've been anxious to hear you all week." She shoves us all to the living room where Andy is strumming the guitar lost to the world. He may be socially awkward, but man can he play. I have always envied his ability to make music the way he does. He is a fingerstyle master, august rush kind of thing. I pick up playing rhythm to his pattern. Mikey starts slapping an end table and anything else he can reach adding in a beat. Leo unzips his case adding in with his bass. I look at Josie and tell her to sing, she does. Even dad, who didn't even say hello pulls out his harmonica and we made music. That night we rocked the unheard-of tiny town of Leiters Ford Indiana, home of the strawberry festival. Josie sang of simpler times and happier days.
I dream of Alex. He tells me it's okay. That from the other side he can see the good that Nix and I will do. I cry and apologize; he says he forgives me, but I need to forgive myself. He tells me Nix is too good for me and congratulates me for finally finding her. Then he walks off into light and nothingness. I sleep like a baby. I feel relief from the guilt. I wake up the next morning feeling like a new person. I woke feeling worthy of life. I hope everyone at some point and time realizes that they deserve to wake up.
The day flies by with the guys, we practice and decide to go swimming to kill time until we must leave. We have a blast. We talk about Alex and how much the world seemed darker after he died. Before I know it, Elliott is rounding us all up to go get ready. The four of us all getting showers in and getting ready was a circus. I get mine first, I make it quick scrubbing the river off me. We all decide to wear plain black shirts and dark wash jeans to keep it simple but keep a unity about us. Dad walks into my room as I tie my shoes. "How are you?" He asks. "Are you ok here?" He asks not giving me time to answer the first question.
"I am happy, dad," I say feeling the warmth of the words.
"I'm glad to hear it. So, Nana tells me your smitten with a rather special girl." I nod.
"I most defiantly am." I don't try to deny it anymore. What's the point?
"Are you being careful?"
"Dad, you stepped out, you don't get to decide when to step back in. Just makes it hurt more when you step out again. I love you and I will always be your son, but I cant allow your disappointment in me to cloud how I see myself."
"I just mean..."
"Dad I know what you mean."
"Do I at least get to meet her?"
"She will be there tonight; you can meet her."
"Ok, good luck tonight." He walks out of my room.
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"I cant believe Im doing this," Josie says, she has been a bundle of nerves the entire time. "What if I get sick?"
"The place is packed; I don't think I've ever played in front of this many people," Mikey says.
"Shut up Mike." He looks at me apologetically "Josie," I say placing my hands on her shoulders. "You are fine, you look great and you sound great. You can do this." She nods trying to compose herself. "Just remember the first two songs you don't have to sing, if you can that's great if you cant then just calm yourself and wait on the next one okay?" She nods.
"Hey Evan, someone left you a gift," Leo calls
"What?" I say walking over to him to see a note tied to a guitar case. I rip open the note. I love you too. I'd know that handwriting anywhere, Nix. I open the case and there is a beautiful Gibson, with a hand-painted black dragon with blue-lined scales. She knows I never lied. That Dragon is Zayes. A grin starches my lips, and I cant put it away. The guys mock me, but I don't care. She loves me, and this is the best-looking guitar I have ever seen. I give it a quick tune and switch my strap to this guitar. Zayes enters my mind. and sees what I see. His excitement matches my own.
"Give it up for a band that traveled from Los Angeles to be here tonight. Come on out Outta Ammo!" The announcer calls us.
I walk on stage like I own it. With Nix's love, I could do anything, and I'm going to start with rocking this stage.
Our first song is a cover that we have tweaked majorly to make it more our style. Josie is supposed to open this song but with how nervous she is I think I might have to never mind she just honed the stage. She is killing it. Josie comes to life bringing the energy of our band soaring high. I don't find Nix until I start on the song, I wrote for her. She smiles at me and blows me a kiss. A girl beside her flashes us, Nix knocks her out. looking back at me mouthing "No idea what happened." I wink at her. On our third song, we play the first song we danced to. I sing about halfway through then meet eyes with Elliott, from off stage. Just like we practiced when we hit a long pause, I swing the guitar on my back and jump off the stage. Elliott walks behind me taking my place as he and Josie sing never missing a beat. I walk off the stage, to Nix cupping her face in both my hands and kiss her. And that my friends, is how you get the girl.
YOU ARE READING
Phoenix Rising (re-writing)
Teen Fiction"Once upon a time there was a dragon that only knew one love, a phoenix." She laughs at me again. "The phoenix was kind, full of compassion. She could see the corruption in the world knowing that eventually the dark would consume the light. The drag...
