Tuesday, September 15, 2009
almost there
But I can't wait till school starts for a couple reasons. 1: It gives me something to do during the day and gives me some kind of structure. 2: I can start making money with my tutoring job. But probably what I'm most excited about 3: Girls. I'm tired of sitting around with Melinda and Joel as they get all cuddly on the couch. Not to mention my friend Katie who a mere week or 2 ago said she thought she would never date another guy again is suddenly raving mad about her new boyfriend. Raving mad as in her last 20 posts on facebook are about her freaking out that she hasn't talked to him for an aggonizing 1 hour. All the girls I've attempted at dating this summer have either broke up with me (in the case of Jenae) or rejected me outright. Girls are fun, I have to admit, and I miss that. I want a quality relationship, someone I can talk to is the most important part...And now I'm thinking about how I always just complain in these posts. Maybe that's why people don't really read this...Oh well.
DIFFERENT TOPIC! So I got Scribblenauts today, along with the free rooster hat because I preordered it. So far it is alot harder than I thought it would be. You think being able to type in any object you can think of would make any possible puzzle mind numbingly easy, but that's not the case. I make myself do the challenge level where you replay the same level 3 times only you can't type in any objects you used already. It is HARD. I could spend like an hour on a single level, and this is suppose to be a KIDS game. I think games that look like they are for kids now adays are deceptively frustrating. Sure makes you feel stupid when a game designed for kids outsmarts you.
I'M READING A BOOK! AN ACTUAL BOOK! Wow it's been a long time since I've read an actual book book. I use to read all the time but like alot of things I just stopped doing it one day without thinking about it. But now I'm making a journey through a 1070 page book, and boy is it gonna be a long one. I read around 40 pages every other day lol I'll be amazed if I can have it finished by next month. Plus with school starting next week I have no clue if I'll even read 40 pages a week. But if I finish it I shall be totally proud. It's called Atlas Shrugged by Any Rand. Apparently it's like one of the greatest books ever written and people are crazy about it...I mostly got it because it inspired the videogame Bioshock. But so far I am liking it. I'm at like...140 or 180 pages in. The first 90 pages were really kind of boring to tell the truth, all about the drama that a railroad company is having. But when it actually started to delve into the characters is what sucked me in. Her characters are no where near flat and each of them has their own backstory that defines who they are and gives them a meaning. I'm shit at explaining plot and characters so I'm not even going to attempt, but it can be addicting at times which in my opinion is good. When you start reading and you look up after a couple chapters and notice it's been 2 hours and you still want to read, that's a good book.
Don't ya hate it when you read something but for some reason you start thinking of something but your still reading without paying attention? That's so fucking frustrating. I'm all into the book, something catches my minds attention, I think about it but keep reading, and get completely lost. So then I gotta figure out where the heck I lost track and reread the same part over again. Blarg.
...I need a way to end these, I always just kinda leave it hanging.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
nice guys finish last
Monday, August 17, 2009
101 random things
101 Random Things about me
1. I am 19
2. I am eating a burger right now for breakfast
3. I prefer crunchy bacon over squishy
4. I taught myself all my music theory knowledge through books and the internet
5. I can’t stand having my hair more than 2 or 3 finger widths long
6. I measure my hair in finger widths
7. I am HORRIBLE at approximating distances/lengths
8. I use to suck my toes
9. I am still able to suck my toes
10. I can stick both legs behind my head
11. I once punched a girl in the boob at Kung Fu while sparring and she punched me back so hard I almost got a black eye
12. I was sad that I didn’t have a black eye
13. I have a triangle of moles on my right arm
14. I enjoy anime, my favorite being Trigun
15. My life goal is to learn every single band instrument
16. I wish to become a music teacher
17. I’m nervous about what school I’m going to go to next year because I haven’t picked one yet
18. I tend to procrastinate as long as possible
19. When I’m in a group of people I try and get things done as fast as possible
20. I am always a glass half full kind of person
21. I have a horrendous short term memory
22. I have a thing for girls in various types of hats
23. The longest story I have ever written and the only one that I planned all the way through I thought up while I was in the bathroom
24. I use to write a lot more but somehow I don’t anymore
25. I feel guilty about not doing things
26. I still own stuffed animals
27. I still have a pokemon comforter (It’s really warm ok?)
28. I once wanted to be a astronaut
29. I didn’t want to be an astronaut after thinking about being sucked into the vacuum of space
30. I wear contacts
31. When I was little I would “accidentally” leave my glasses in my desk at school so I wouldn’t have to wear them
32. I use to be afraid of being abducted by aliens at night so I slept in the hallway near my room
33. For a year or two I only slept on my bedroom floor
34. I have had 6 girlfriends although I really only think I should count 5 because Jenae was only a week
35. The longest relationship I had was 2 years
36. My longest relationship was a long distance one
37. I sleep with my drivers license in my pocket
38. The lizard on my key chain is known as Lucky Retarded Lizard II
39. I name my instruments and they have to have a meaning
40. My euphonium is called Moby because he’s a big oily beast
41. My acoustic guitar is called Fed Ex because I had to send my original acoustic in to get replaced because of a defect and it took around 2 or 3 months just to get it back and it was delivered by Fed Ex
42. My alto saxophone is called Charlie because it was originally my sisters and she loves unicorns
43. My crappy first act acoustic is Lil Brother because even though I make fun of it and say I hate it, it was still my first guitar and I learned how to play on it
44. My electric guitar is known as Amber because that was my kindergarten crush that everyone made fun of me for and so does my sister for this day
45. I’ve known my best friend, Joel, since kindergarten
46. My second best friend, Melinda, I knew from riding the same bus together since around 5th or 6th grade
47. I dated Melinda for a month
48. Joel and Melinda have been dating for a while now and it makes me feel awkward
49. I am a Gamer
50. The first paycheck I ever got I spent on a Xbox 360, video games, and a controller because I wanted to buy something that would take me forever to save up for
51. I have a very “gotta have it now” attitude when shopping
52.I think that I am a little over weight but I’m fine with that
53. I have accounts on Twitter, Myspace, and Facebook as well as 5 blogs
54. I once had a hamster who died of a cold and I blamed myself
55. I am a cat person, but dogs are ok at times
56. I don’t really know where I stand on kids, they can be fun but at the same time extremely annoying
57. If I were to have kids I would name the girl Hope, because I think hope is a very important part of life and you should always have it, and the boy Zeek, because it’s an awesome name
58. Nearly every night I listen to songs on my MP3 player, figure out what key it’s in, and then play my own solo parts to them for the fun of it/for relaxing
59. I have written around maybe 5 or 6 tunes on the guitar
60. I have written a good number of lyrics but haven’t been able to attach them to music because I’m not good at composing for voice
61. I enjoy figuring out what time signature a song that I’m listening to is in
62. I know how to waltz
63. The only play I’ve been in (other than dinky elementary school plays) was Cinderella
64. I don’t really like much seafood unless it’s deep fried
65. I eat a lot of frozen pizzas
66. Italian food is the bomb
67. I am not a fan of vegetables unless you count potatoes
68. I have only had 1 cell phone and I only got it recently
69. I don’t have a favorite actor or actress
70. My car is known as the Pimp Mobile because one time I fit 4 girls in it and 1 guy in the trunk
71. I love it when girls I like wear my sweatshirt
72. I am known for wearing my band sweatshirt ALL the time (except during the summer)
73. My high school band director nicknamed me Floral Mickey because of the time that I got lost in Disneyland on a band trip and I thought we met at the floral Mickey but we really met at toontown. I ended up running back and forth across all of Disneyland before I finally found them
74. I have hid in my high school band directors basement before
75. I enjoy rice krispie treats
76. I often marvel at the size of outer space
77. I have never done drugs, smoked, or drank alcohol and don’t plan on doing any of them either
78. I wanted to do a sport like wrestling or swimming but I don’t think I’d be able to handle the competitiveness of it all
79. My favorite band is Streetlight Manifesto and is the only band I can name all the members (Jim Conti: Alto and Tenor Sax and backup vocals, Mike Soprano: Trombone, Mike Brown: Alto and Baritone Sax, Chris Thatcher: Drums, Pete Mucullough: Bass, Thomas Kalnoky: Guitar and lead vocals)
80. Ska is my favorite genre of music
81. Rap is my least favorite genre
82. I love out there bands like Movits or Primus
83. I really like waking up early because it makes the day seem longer
84. I love the smell of the forest when you wake up in a tent while camping
85. I use to be afraid of deep water but got over this fear when I was put into life guard training and told to bring up a brick from the bottom of the deep end of the pool
86. I couldn’t swim before life guard class so I was put into beginning swimming
87. I cannot do a cartwheel but can do a mean monkey roll
88. I once nearly knocked a guy out when I kicked him in the face at kung fu
89. I have seen Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog at least 5 times and plan on watching it even more
90. I once ate Fruity Pebbles with Dr. Pepper instead of milk and found it especially fruity
91. I am very picky about expiration dates on food, if it is even 1 day over I wont touch it
92. My favorite breakfast food is hash browns
93. I’m still a virgin
94. I can’t wait till school starts so that I can tutor
95. I have never been grounded
96. I bit my mom on the butt one time when I was really little
97. I try to shave as little as possible except when I hang out with a girl I like, then I make sure to always be clean shaven
98. I have a huge dislike of cotton balls rubbing on my skin, it makes my skin crawl…and I have yet to find anyone else who shares this
99. At times I think that I am too much of a nice guy
100. I love life
101. I wish that I had something really profound to write for this one…
Sunday, August 16, 2009
as apposed to an oink cow?
So I went to the Renaissance fair on Saturday and it was loads of fun. It was Anna, Andee, Sam, Anna's Mom, and I riding up in the big ol' red monster truck which surprisingly had plenty of leg room. OH! I should explain the cow (yeah, I'm probably not gonna edit this so expect jumps lol) So Andee, Sam and I were driving along and for some odd reason we were talking about cows and Andee said "It's a moo cow" and I said "Is there any other kind of cow?..." and eventually we degraded into arguing and finally she's like "IT'S A FUCKING MOO COW!" And oddly I imagined a moo cow...fucking. So of course from there the conversation moved onto cows raping me...
The moo cow conversation pretty much was a precursor to the conversation that happened in the truck up to the festival. We were just loud and crazy and I was amazed Anna's mom didn't want to kick us out right on the spot. There was a huge mixture of conversations going on so I kind of can't remember off the top of my head what we talked about, but it was pretty special.
The females were all dressed up for the fair. Andee had this very elaborate and fancy shirt with a corset looking kind of vest going on along with a long skirt, Anna had a simple maroon colored dress that Andee hand made for her, and Anna's mom kind of seemed like a hippie but it worked in the end with a green top and long skirt. Sadly Sam and I were not dressed for the fair but we did have fedoras...which makes us awesome.
Part of the fun of people being dressed up is going into restaurants and getting very odd looks. We walked into McDonald's to get some breakfast (it was about 8:30 in the morning at the time) and all the girls in their fancy dresses ordered food and such and the old guys there were kind of checking them out. But we got our food and went on our way.
As we walked to the two lines that were formed at the gates a lady comes over randomly and whispers something in my ear about a zipper. I was really confused and asked her to repeat what she said and she said "Your zipper is undone." So I kind of think about it while I'm walking to the back of the line when it finally hits me...my zipper on the front of my pants was undone. I was all morning, went to McDonald's, and sat in the car for hours without noticing my underwear was on display to all. I'm that awesome.
The first thing that we notice when we made our way into the festival (with all our zippers properly zipped I might add) we notice a blue cat fairy kind of girl who communicated by purring. Everyone that passed by she gave them a tiny colorful pebble without anybody really knowing what it was. Was it a fish pebble?...a piece of candy?........drugs?..........Sam actually tried eating his and we still weren't sure.
Off to the booths we went. There were a lot of clothes of course and Andee was desperately trying to dress Sam and I up because we looked totally out of place but that would involve spending money and I was kind of reluctant since I was trying to save mine. Eventually though Sam got a peasants shirt and a robin hood looking hat. (which we later found out actually has a fancy Velcro pocket INSIDE the hat! GENIUS!)I got some goggles though which I put on Andee's fedora and everyone thought it looked pretty cool so now I gotta buy a fedora of my own lol I've been meaning to but now there's more of an incentive.
There was alot going on that day since it was the last day but we only caught one show which was a cool horse show. But before the horse show was the opening entertainment. There were these two girls (one dressed as a peasant and the other as a jester) and they were insulting people with Shakespearean quotes for a dollar and for 2 dollars you could even get insulted in a verse. Anna's mom was the first customer and I was the first victim. I didn't quite catch it all but apparently I am so dense that light bends AROUND me. I then thought it would be fun to pay them to insult a random person I didn't know and payed them to insult a girl that was sitting right infront of me and she just kind of looked back at me and glared lol good times.
The show it self was pretty awesome, guys doing backflips from one horse to another while going in a circle, standing ontop of each others shoulders while on a horse while going in a circle, juggling 5 sticks while on a horse going in a circle, and lots of crazy things not normally done while riding a horse in a cricle.
In the end Andee ended up buying some daggers (everyone was terrified the way home) and everybody ended up with more stuff and less money than when they entered. So that was my day in a little bit bigger than a nut shell.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Last day
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
existentialism in lincoln city
Sunday, March 09, 2008
For-never say forever again
It's just total crap that her boyfriend leaving happened to be at the time when she found out she's pregnant. I mean, gosh. At least she told her parent and they're understanding of it because the same thing happened to her mom and what not. But she definately wasn't planning on getting pregnant at this point in her life, being just a freshman and all. Now she understands why her parents always tried to protect her from Bobby. I mean, it's not that they were out to "hurt her relationship" or that they "don't understand her" it's because they don't want crap like this to happen.
And also she doesn't understand at all why her boyfriend dumped her. He dumped her even before he knew she was pregnant. Sure he was moving but before he always said if one of them moved they could work it out. They always said they would be together forever...but we all know how how long that "forever" really turns out to be. Forever can destroy people, and personally for me saying forever is hard and I just can't see why people would say it. Never say forever is my advice...
But anyways, on to other things that are not soo depressing but are still in a way. Well we went to state in basketball again of course. Mark Morris just plain kicks ass that way. The bus rides up and back were great, 2 hours of playing Metroid Prim Hunters or Mario Kart on our DS's, just plain bugging each other. Course the games were fun as well. I blew my lungs out with my valve trombone. All those other years in pep band when i played trumpet all I ever heard was "Play better!" because I would ever blow and blat, but when I picked up valve trombone all I heard was "Play louder!" I still remember when I was the only trombone at a football game and Laura Mahon was yelling "More trombone!" and I never stopped giving it my all.
I was the loudest person this year pretty much. I just love the sheer endless power the trombone gives me. I figured all those years with trumpet, I was just too powerful for it. On trombone it was just like the louder the better. I blew people temporarily deaf, twas great. Also my traditional charge fanfare during kick offs at football and the ends of basketball games. I just loved when I was the only one and I blasted that fanfare, just listening to the blaring echo.
But it's the end of a generation. The end of the generation of speeches from James, of the band mating call, and even the tradition that I started of the charge. I just can't believe it's been 4 years since that day in disneyland when all of us went down the road of toontown doing the mating call, going down the grizzly river run as a 50 person group. I went to every single state game and I barely missed any pep games ever. But anyways, onto more recent memories.
Well the second to last game was probably the most exciting game I've ever been to. It was crazy, Eric Hutchinson did an alley oop I believe, where the ball is heading toward the basket and he slam dunks it. Also we were done the whole game be pretty much 10 points most of the time and with 7 seconds left in the quarter we were only down by 3 and we would be tied. And then Jyles Peterson scored a 3 pointer and tied it up, everyone just EXPLODED! It was outrageous he made that shot, I was jumping up and down like mad. But in the end, after the overtime we lost. But it was still awesome. The last game wasn't too exciting, just a blow out for us which gave us 3rd place. But what made me sad was the last state game I go on on the band bus...we didn't go down the roller coaster hill. I was just destroyed. EVERYONE loves the roller coaster hill except that fucking bus driver...damn her to hell...
But anyways, memories memories..yeah I'm done now I suppose.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
A Better Place, A Better Time by Streetlight Manifesto
And so she wakes up
in time to break down
She left a note up on the dresser
and she's right on time
You don't know anything
right or wrong
I said I know
and she said so
I wanna panic
but I've had it so I go
You don't owe anything to anyone
But don't take your life
'cause it's all that you've got
You'd be better off just up and leaving
if you don't think they will stop
And when you wake up
everything is gonna be fine
I guarantee that you wake in a better place
in a better time
So you're tired of living
feel like you might give in
well don't
it's not your time
Looking through the paper today
looking for a specific page
Don't wanna find her full name followed by dates
because when i left her alone
she made a sound, like a moan
"You're known by everyone for everything you've done"
Fuck buying flowers for graves
I'd rather buy you a one way non-stop
to anywhere
find anyone
do anything
forget and start again, love
She said she won't go
(and that's that)
It hurts too much to stand by
you've got to stop and draw a line
Everyone here has to choose a side tonight
the moment of truth is haunting you
Don't forget your family
regardless what you choose to do
You can't decide
and they're screaming "why won't you?"
I'll start the engine but I can't take this ride for you
I'll draw your bath and I'll load your gun
but I hope so bad that you bathe and hunt
Annie's tired of forgetting about today
and always planning for tomorrow (tomorrow)
Tomorrow and she says, "The saddest day I came across was
when I learned that life goes on without me" (without me)
Without me and she says, "If everyone has someone else,
then I ain't got nobody's love to save me" (save me)
Save me, and she says "I think I'll pass away tonight,
'cause it seems I'll never get it right, it's just me" (just reality)
And when you wake up
everything is gonna be fine
Guarantee that you wake in a better place
in a better time
So you're tired of living
feel like you might give in
well don't
It's not your time
Annie says she wouldn't mind
if they never find a cure for all her problems (her problems)
Proplems and she says, as long as she has someone near to make it clear
she does not need to solve them (solve them)
Solve them and she says, "oh, this loneliness is killing me,
it's filling me with anger and resentment (resentment)
Resentment and she says, "I'm turning into someone that I never thought I'd have to be again"
And when you wake up
everything is gonna be fine
Guarantee that you wake up in a better place
in a better time
So you're tired of living
feel like you might give in
well don't
It's not your time
Annie's tired of forgetting about today
and always planning for tomorrow
Tommorow and she says, "The saddest day i came acrosss was
when I learned that life goes on without me"
Without me and she says, "If everyone has someone else,
then I ain't got nobody's love to save me"
Save me and she says, "I think I'll pass away tonight,
'cause it seems I'll never get it right, it's just me" (just reality)
And when you wake up
everything is going to be fine
I guarantee that you wake in a better place
and in a better time
So you're tired of living
and you feel like you might give in
well don't
It's not your time
And even if it was so
I wouldn't let you go
you could run run run run but I will follow close
Someday you will say "that's it, that's all"
but I'll be waiting there with open arms to break your fall
I know that you think that you're on your own
but just know that I'm here
and I'll lead you home
if you let me
She said "forget me"
but I can't
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Yellow Line
Yellow Line
Walk alone, stand on the line but never let go.
As we walk this path in between such danger,
everything seems blurred,
and all gets so much stranger.
As the death of metal swoops by on each side,
this yellow line is all that keeps me alive,
because I simply can’t decide.
Torn between choices,
each as dangerous as the last,
traffic on either side,
trying to escape from the past.
As the death of metal swoops by on each side,
this yellow line is all that keeps me alive,
because I simply can’t decide.
(Increase tempo)
Take a chance and jump into traffic,
which side is safer?,
either way might be tragic…
Walking this line is all that keeps me safe,
I have never truly decided,
walking this line,
I am purely divided.
(Instrumental solo)
As the death of metal swoops by on each side,
this yellow line is all that keeps me alive,
because I simply can’t decide.
As the death of metal swoops by on each side,
this yellow line is all that keeps me alive,
because I simply can’t decide.
So I jumped…
(decrescendo out)
Sunday, August 13, 2006
the night of the star fall and rebirth
(Some people may have heard me mention a Luvs List. It's something I've been doing with a few of my friends that are more than friends, but friends I luv. This list isn't exactly all that long but you will know if your on it if I leave you saying "Luvs ya" or something along those lines [although not with guys...because no offense to them but I don't want to seem gay. Although this does make me seem sorta gay I admit...but I don't want to seem out right "i love your purse" kind of gay. {although I am not against gays in anyway, I just don't want to seem like I am}])
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
journal for once in a 100 years
Well ok enough of that, I've done well enough not to dwell on things too much already and I don't want to be depressed because thats not going to help me or anyone around me...But onto other recent events I suppose. I went to the Clark County Fair yesterday and Alice Cooper had a concert! XD Loki is jealous. I would have told her about it but I didn't even know that he was playing until I heard Schools Out For Summer was playing and giant balloons were flying everywhere ^^; sorry Loki, I would have told ou if I knew. But ya know...maybe I'm a point or two cooler now. And while we were at the fair we bought a hot tub!!! n.n YAY! Getting a gazeebo thingy and putting in a patio majiger. Although whats not awesome is having to tear up the lawn with shovels all day in the hot sun to be able to put it in x.x ugh, blisters. But it is totally gonna be worth it ^^ HOT TUB PARTY!!! mwhuahahaha o.O I will be the party master for once!
Now on the subject of hot tubs, my friend Molly and I are trying to start a band sometime in the future. Originally se wanted an irish punk band but seeing as noone can play bag pipes we're just going to make music hat sounds good to us which partly explains our name, Hot Tub Orgy, an orgy of musical tastes ^^ So far we got trumpet, guitar, keyboard, and a vocalist. Although we gotta get to practiing our indivdual instruments seeing as Joel doesn't practice much, Molly hasn't sung for nearly a year and even then she didn't even know note names, then Brittany needs to learn keyboard in the first place. I'm probably the best player in the band amazingly...
But yeah, thats about all except maybe school coming and all...weee...
Monday, August 07, 2006
Failing Flailing by Streetlight Manifesto
but i don't have a disease,
and you say you've got the answers,
but i've made no inquiries,and you're failing,
bailing,
good god motherfucker now i hear you flailing,
i see you flailing,
that's right i think i do,
i see you flailing away,
i know it's hard but so are you,
and so am i and we'll pull through together,
Together,
and i said that it's been years but i still fear,
that someone dear will leave me here forever,
forever and i said: hey! you've got to keep trying,
you've got to keep holding onto what you've got,
because what you've got it sure ain't a lot,
and hey!,
everyone's falling down,
everyone's holding out for what you've got,
but what you've got, it sure ain't a lot,
and you act like it is but you know that it's not,
and even if it was,
would you ever give it up?,
if i told you what you had was really nothing?
nothing?,
nothing!,
yes, it's nothing,
nothing at all,
so you say your life's a bore,
and i can't quite disagree,
if you judge your life by the pieces of shit that inhabit your tv,
because they stand so proud,
and they talk too loud,
and every other word is a lie,
i've found that everyone who is anyone is a waste of time,
a waste of time,
i know it's hard but so are you,
and so am i and we'll pull through together,
together,
and i said that it's been years but i still fear,
that someone dear will leave me here forever,
forever and i said: hey! you've got to keep trying,
you've got to keep holding onto what you've got,
because what you've got it sure ain't a lot,
and hey!,everyone's falling down,
everyone's holding out for what you've got,
but what you've got,
it sure ain't a lot,
and you act like it is but you know that it's not,
and even if it was,
would you ever give it up?,
if i told you what you had was really nothing?,
nothing?,nothing!,
yes, it's nothing,
nothing at all,
nothing,
you won't say nothing,
you don't say nothing,
and that's just fine,
nothing,
you won't say nothing,
you don't say nothing,
and that's just fine,
sticks and stones may break my bones,
but names will never hurt me,
and it's been years but still i fear that someday they'll desert me,
oh, it's hard,
i know,
when it's time to stand alone,
and no one understands you,
sticks and stones may break my bones,
but names will never hurt me,
and it's been years but still i fear that someday they'll desert me,
oh, it's hard,
i know,when it's time to stand alone,
and no one understands you,
sticks and stones may break my bones,
but names will never hurt me,
and it's been years but still i fear that someday they'll desert me,
oh, it's hard,
i know,when it's time to stand alone,
and no one understands you,
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Lifes Roller Coaster, Midnight Shoppers
^^ I am proud of it so far, especially with the plot I have planned. And I love you people who read this soo much I used paragraphs for once =P (even though blogger is fucking retarded when it comes to paragraphs -.- )
Cold hard night,
Insanity on the prowl,
What is right?
Bringing death,
Or instead taking,
Your final breath,
What is normal?
What is life
Without moral?
Feeling no shame,
Follow twisted love,
Pushing the blame.
Decide and find,
Life beyond rules,
Have your own mind.
Life’s Roller Coaster Ch. 1:
Midnight Shoppers
__The dark wispy night air swirled about the lonely 7/11, cloudy upon the witching hour. It was beacon in the night for those seeking refuge in its short halls of high calorie snack foods and sugary treats. Its sign seemed to float in the air a hundred feet towards the stars, a dim sun in the night. Bugs flew about it. Dark and lonely on the street corner of Pacific and Atlantic avenues. The streetlights did flicker, as if the moths bouncing off it interfered with the electricity. A hound barked in the distance. The whistle of the wind sounded like the whisper of a white ghost. A mysterious owl hooted atop a nearby tree, sounding like a muse of Satan out to bring the weak minded to the side of fire and brimstone. At least that is how it had been pictured in Jeff’s mind. A mere sixteen year old boy, hood up, slurping on a icee.
__Such superstition and eccentricities always seemed to squirm about his mind at these darkened hours. Thoughts of Caesar’s ghost coming around and grinding a skateboard on the sidewalk or maybe a giraffe driving from inside the bowels of a living car seemed to drift through his confused and shattered brain. None seemed impossible, merely improbable. Fantasy had always shared a place along side the reality of every day life in Jeff’s actualization of the world, for what is a man without imagination? Of course these thoughts did come from a teenager, which explained a bit. His hooded black sweatshirt had a metallic blue dragon twisting around his arm with a threatening snarl. Baggy grayed cargo pants drooped to the floor draping across his shoes with scraggly ends which he often treaded upon. With night black hair and brown eyes that were glazed lightly with fatigue. The quiet type of kid but with such imagination, his grips upon his emotions seemed stressed. Fickle and read to snap.
_It had been weeks since the disappearance of Lilly and all that calmed his spastic hold upon his self being was the simply blue zooberry icee he sipped on. Like an old man with a cigarette, he dragged a long gulp from the straw. Savored the cold, brain ceasing up. Brain freeze was his own version of self masochism while the mesmerizing motion of the mixer always brought him into a state of peace. His own little ritual when these teenage days got hectic. Lilly had simply left the house and had not returned. No boyfriend to speak of nor agitation from parents to explain her departure. Simply up and left without a word. Tired of searching for the streets for the night, his nerves tested and twitching, he sought refuge in this nearby establishment.
__These sunless hours always brought about the more colorful people of town in search of that late night fix, whether it be a beer, tobacco, and on a few occasions the much needed scent of febreeze before a good nights sleep. People just seemed to be drawn to the mildly blue tinted fluorescent lights that hummed on those late nights, as if moths to a flame. It just seemed to be one of those nights. The stereotypical comic book nerd sat behind the counter. His fragile folded chair creaked as his flab overflowed out from under his stained star wars shirt that had long since been instilled with the smell of moldy cheese. His hair drawn back in a greasy orange pony tail, glasses fixed with duct tape. Blue lightsaber always at his side, he was prepared to defend his store if need be. Being the not so friendly neighbor hood that this was, a man had once come around high on meth. With a gun in hand, the man tried to rob the store. But what is a nerd to do backed into a corner with no weapon to retaliate? So he pulled out his lightsaber and declared the code of the Jedi sending the meth head off into the distance, scared as a baby battle droid. Before then he was a star trek fan, yet now his faith lies with the force. A legend or possibly urban legend of the town.
__Jeff soon approached the counter with a handful of quarters with which to pay for his cup of icy sugar. The nerd took the money without looking up from his X-Men comic “Thank you, come again.” he said shooing Jeff away with his hand, as if his mere presence was irritating. Jeff took another sip from his icee and responded “Yeah your welcome dude, or do you still want people to call you Wolverine?” of course, Jeff was not in the best of moods. Walking away the nerd flipped him off again without looking away from his comic as Jeff happily returned the gesture walking backwards through the push doors. A spark and there was darkness. Without warning he was shoved to the ground.
__His own face squished his icee onto the floor exploding the blue ooze in his own face. Trying to sit up, he was pinned to the ground as a man sat on his hips. Cold metal was pressed to the base of his neck. Death frozen to his flesh. “Freeze!” a gruff voice shouted, pointing the gun to the nerd who had finally had enough sense to pry his eyes from Storm’s boobs on page 15. Looking onto the ground the icee seeped across the floor drawing rivers, trailing off with each second as all three were captured in time. Darkness seemed to fill Jeff’s ears from the silence. Flickering, the sun of 7/11 was the only light penetrating to cast a faint glow. Jeff could feel his heart throb, almost seeing his own breath. Not even the lights of a passing car highlighted them. The man grabbed Jeff by the back of his sweatshirt and tugged him to his feet. “I emptied the cash register, there is nothing in there except this weirdos seventy-five cents!” the nerd said raising his pit stained arms over his head out of instinct. “Just stay where you are!” the man with the gun shouted waving it threateningly. His voice was rough, his breath malignant and stale. The man seemed old yet he stood at 5’6”, a few inches shorter than Jeff. Putting the gun on Jeff’s shoulder, still holding him by his hood, he aimed it at the nerd near the cash register, ready to fire at a twitch. Looking out of the corner of his eye Jeff could only see a long nose protruding from a gray hooded sweatshirt that covered the mans face. In a way it reminded him of Snape from Harry Potter, seeming sinister and curved like the beak of an eagle, his face was indistinguishable in the darkness.
__Slowly the man tugged Jeff to his right until they had turned around the counter, keeping the abyssal hole of the muzzle pointed at the pale faced nerd. Jeff could feel a cold drip of moisture drag slowly down from his eye across his cheek. Possibly a tear heavy with fear, or the melting icee that was still splattered over his face. Coming within a couple feet of the nerd with his hands still high and odor racing even more than usual from his pores, the man stood still for a few seconds letting go of Jeff’s hood yet leaving the gun on his shoulder. They were blocking the only open side of the counter, and with his athletic stature the nerd would not be able to get over the counter fast enough to avoid the mans aim. Jeff could feel the mans body heat against his back as shifted, pulling something from a sheath at his side. Not being able to see for himself, Jeff could merely speculate what the man had in his spare hand from the reflection of fear in the nerd’s eyes.
__The man gave a low snickering sort of laugh, sounding like the growl of a lion, again something that would easily be imagined in a story of mystical fiction. Cold steel grazed across his cheek. Adrenaline pumped through his skin, not feeling the pain as a knife was drawn across his cheek. Blood dripped to the floor, lightly colored purple from the zooberry. A long silence grew as Jeff’s face leaked with tears, blood, mucus, and sugar water. Flicker of the lights. Bark in the distance. Hoot of the owl. Time stands still. Gun on the right. Knife on the left. Death stricken man in front. Homicidal maniac behind.
__Finally the man spoke “I shall give you two choices. Now, you see your friend over here?” he said as the knife lifted away, looking like more of a dagger from its size. “He will die either choice you make, but you my friend.” he said patting his face with the side of his gun “Will be deciding between life, or death.” The nerd’s knees seemed to tremble below him, his arms being drawn lower as he tried to back up against the wall. “DON’T MOVE!” the man shouted point the gun straight out at him. The nerd froze. “Now, either I put a bullet through his head and yours.” the man said seeming to aim up the barrel with his left eye and the mans head. “Or…“ slowly he lowered the knife close to Jeff’s hand, placing it in his palm and curling his fingers around it with his stone cold touch. The joints in Jeff’s hand seemed to ache as if bathing them in ice water for an hour as he took the weight of the knife in his hand. Pushing lightly, he had Jeff stand in front of him a few feet putting with the gun still on his shoulder. “Or…You can cut off this poor mans head with your own hands, and live.”
__With those words Jeff’s pupils dilated so fast he swore he could feel it shake his head. “Are…are you kidding me? I am…not…” the man smacked him lightly on the cheek again with the side of his gun. “Oh yes you are, that is unless you have a death wish...” Jeff seemed to feel the chill of the mans sneer, even if he could not turn around and see his face. The nameless man did not make a move as the nerd slowly sunk back into a corner. They say teenagers could never understand the true pressure of making decisions in the real world, saying that they did not know the line between right and wrong. Yet when those people say such things they are attempting to fool themselves. Never is there a line between right and wrong, merely perspective. Everyone sees everything differently and as long as they have justification they believe what they did was right. But at this frozen moment in time, there was not right or wrong. There was only survival.
__Again the man gave Jeff a nudge, yet his touch felt distant as a ghost. “Choose.” he said sternly. Slowly, Jeff took the weight of the knife, holding it up with the power of courage or simply fear. He had decided. And from then on, he knew, life was never going to be the same.
