Categories > Celebrities > Fall Out Boy > Assisted Revenge
Ch. 8: Just Listen
2 reviewsAssisted Revenge makes a little decision that will go a long way. Yes I know I haven't updated in a while as though anyone cares.
0Unrated
So, we hadn’t been home for a week. We were all extremely tired, though we didn’t let it show. We were at the airport to catch a plane back to Chicago.
“So… I’ve been thinking…” Brandon said.
“Yeah?” Keith replied, “That’s a change of pace.”
I hit him.
“Go on…” I said.
“Well… you don’t play guitar on any of the songs really anymore…” he said to me.
“I know,” I said, “I feel guilty about it. But I like performing without a guitar better.”
“I never said it was a bad thing.” He said, putting his arm around my shoulder, “I think it’s to our advantage you do that-“
“In other words he’s saying you suck at guitar.” Keith snickered.
“I am not!” Brandon protested, “I’m saying that I think we need to get another guitar player.”
“Wait…meaning what?” Shane said, slightly nervous.
I laughed.
“I get what he means. He means that we should get one in addition to you.”
“Oh…sorry. I got nervous.”
“So, any ideas on who it would be?” I asked Brandon.
“Not one. I was considering throwing an audition…” he started.
“… But people who aren’t serious may show up.” Keith finished.
I nodded in agreement.
“Shoot.” Shane said, “Our plane’s boarding.”
We got up to enter the plane. So our seats weren’t anything fabulous. They were coach. But that was fine. I’d rather have coach. We were all situated when we began talking again.
“Is there any of our friends who play guitar?” I asked.
“I don’t think so.” Shane said thoughtfully, “At least not good.”
“I’d rather have one amazing guitar player than a suckish one drowning out the amazing one just so we can have two.” Brandon said.
And that is why he’s our lyricist. He comes up with the wisest and wittiest stuff like nothing.
“Good point.” Keith said.
“I say we leave it alone.” I said, “Let it rest in our minds for a while.”
“I like that plan.” Brandon nodded.
We started talking about what we had done the past week. We had been playing some shows with bands that we played with before and had a lot of fun with. They were with us on Warped Tour: The Academy Is… and Cobra Starship. But it was only a week long run and we were coming home. We were talking about some of our favorite moments with them, then most of us fell asleep.
I woke up feeling slightly dizzy. Damn nightmares. I’ve had them almost every time I’ve shut my eyes since I was eleven. The first one was the worst in my opinion. I won’t get into that though.
I pulled out my iPod and pressed shuffle. ‘Sleep’ by MCR. I shivered. Not right after or before sleeping. Next.
Once I found a song I was comfortable with, I pulled out a notebook to draw. I was still drawing when it was announced we were descending. I gave the pleasure of waking Keith up to Brandon, to which he gained a mischievous grin. He snuck up to where Keith was sleeping by the window next to where Shane had been sitting. Shane had moved, knowing he didn’t want to get in the way of Brandon.
“WAKE UP!” Brandon yelled, diving onto Keith’s lap.
“WHAT THE FUCK?!!” Keith yelled, as he woke up. Shane and I were falling over in our seats laughing. Keith was a little pissed at firs,t but when he saw we landed he softened up a little.
As we walked off the plane, I teased Brandon.
“You couldn’t come up with a more creative way to wake him up?” I asked.
“I did my best, considering the fact we were on a landing plane.” He laughed.
“True… it wouldn’t be good to disturb the pilot.” I joked.
“Not one bit.”
Shane drove us home in his car that he had left at the airport. Brandon almost passed his drivers test the last time he tried. I had a feeling he’d pass it the next time.
I dragged my suitcase up the stairs of the orphanage to the room I shared with Britt. Before I opened the door to go in, I stopped. I heard someone playing guitar on the inside. It was beautiful. So good…
“I thought she had quit.” I whispered.
I finally walked in. She was sitting against her bed, playing the electric guitar that usually sat in the corner of our room. She looked up at me with wide eyes when I walked in. There was silence.
“I didn’t know you still played.” I said quietly.
She nodded.
“I played it once in a blue moon. But when you guys started getting attention, I played when you guys were gone… which has been a bunch.”
“You’re really good.”
“Thanks.”
I had an idea.
“So Britt… um… we were talking on the plane…” I began.
“Yeah?” She said.
“And… they…er…we… think I should stick with mic full time. So we decided we want to get another guitarist.” I said, “But we couldn’t think of anyone we knew who played guitar. Or still played. But, um, I think I found someone.”
“Really?” She said nervously.
I sat down against her bed next to her.
“Yeah.” I said, “You.”
“Me?”
“I’ll talk to the guys tomorrow. They’ll probably have you play something for them.”
“Okay…”
“Is it okay with you? You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
“No, no. I want to do it. I’m just surprised.”
“Don’t be.” I smiled.
The next morning, I woke up easily (due to yet another nightmare) before Britt and quietly left the room. I ran downstairs to find Brandon, Keith, and Shane waiting for me in the Game Room.
“So?” Brandon asked, “What’s your big news?”
“Okay,” I took a deep breath, “So I went to my room last night, and before I went into the room I heard someone playing guitar. They were really good. So I walk in and guess who was playing?”
“Who?” They all asked simultaneously.
“Britt!” I exclaimed.
“REALLY?” Keith and Brandon yelled.
“I didn’t think she played anymore!” Shane said, surprised.
“I didn’t think so either!” I said, “But I told her I’d talk to you guys about it and that you guys would probably have her audition with something.”
“Yeah...”
And at that moment Britt entered the room.
“Hey.” She said, tiredly scratching her head.
“Hey, I talked to them about the guitar thing.” I said.
“Really?” She said, surprised.
“Yeah, we think it’s a sweet idea.” Brandon said, “But we want to hear you first.”
Britt groaned.
“Told ya.” I laughed.
“What do you want me to play?” she asked.
“Do you know any of our songs?” Keith asked.
“Kinda.”
“Here: can you learn this by the end of the day?” Shane said, pulling out a piece of sheet music, “If you want any help Alicia and I are here.”
“’Kay.”
So that was it. Britt was auditioning.
The end of the day came quickly. From what I heard, Britt had only asked Shane about one little part of the song.
Then we set up for practice. Shane sat in the audience, instead of Britt, so he could hear her play.
“Don’t think, don’t judge, just listen.” I said to him. That was about my favorite quote ever.
Then we began.
I had wondered at first why Shane had picked this one. And then when the song began, I realized that it was because the guitar started off the song. Britt began and we all kicked in.
It felt so cool to be able to go over to Britt during the song, dance and mess around. I loved it. When the song was sadly over we all looked over at Shane. His eyes were wide.
“Perfect.” One word that made us jump up and down like we were on a trampoline.
“So I’m in?” Britt asked.
“Definitely.” Shane confirmed.
By the end of practice we were all wearing smiles. We were teaching Britt the songs and changing her part in little yet important ways so there would be harmony. Afterwards, we walked up to Britt and mine's room and watched TV for a while. As we watched I pulled out a notebook.
Maybe I should give writing a shot again.
So I wrote.
These innocents
So well deserving of their fate
Don’t try to save them
You can’t
It's way too late
They couldn’t listen.
They remind me of you
But unlike them
You have someone to tell you just what to do
You need to listen to me
Without my words
You’ll live in lifelong misery
But you’re so persistent
Get over yourself
You’re so resistant
Just listen to me!
Broken hearts
And loveless lives
Bring tears to
These innocent eyes
Why won’t you listen?
I’m trying to save you
Instead you act like
I’m trying to enslave you
You need to listen to me
Without my words
You’ll live in lifelong misery
But you’re so persistent
Get over yourself
You’re so resistant
Just listen to me!
You keep ignoring
I won’t complain
Just get on going
Before I can’t contain
My anger and flame
You need to listen to me
Without my words
You’ll live in lifelong misery
But you’re so persistent
Get over yourself
You’re so resistant
Just listen to me!
Listen!
Listen to me…
I called it Just Listen.
After all, a new guitarist deserves a new song.
------------------------------------
whee! new chapter!!
rate and review??!!
“So… I’ve been thinking…” Brandon said.
“Yeah?” Keith replied, “That’s a change of pace.”
I hit him.
“Go on…” I said.
“Well… you don’t play guitar on any of the songs really anymore…” he said to me.
“I know,” I said, “I feel guilty about it. But I like performing without a guitar better.”
“I never said it was a bad thing.” He said, putting his arm around my shoulder, “I think it’s to our advantage you do that-“
“In other words he’s saying you suck at guitar.” Keith snickered.
“I am not!” Brandon protested, “I’m saying that I think we need to get another guitar player.”
“Wait…meaning what?” Shane said, slightly nervous.
I laughed.
“I get what he means. He means that we should get one in addition to you.”
“Oh…sorry. I got nervous.”
“So, any ideas on who it would be?” I asked Brandon.
“Not one. I was considering throwing an audition…” he started.
“… But people who aren’t serious may show up.” Keith finished.
I nodded in agreement.
“Shoot.” Shane said, “Our plane’s boarding.”
We got up to enter the plane. So our seats weren’t anything fabulous. They were coach. But that was fine. I’d rather have coach. We were all situated when we began talking again.
“Is there any of our friends who play guitar?” I asked.
“I don’t think so.” Shane said thoughtfully, “At least not good.”
“I’d rather have one amazing guitar player than a suckish one drowning out the amazing one just so we can have two.” Brandon said.
And that is why he’s our lyricist. He comes up with the wisest and wittiest stuff like nothing.
“Good point.” Keith said.
“I say we leave it alone.” I said, “Let it rest in our minds for a while.”
“I like that plan.” Brandon nodded.
We started talking about what we had done the past week. We had been playing some shows with bands that we played with before and had a lot of fun with. They were with us on Warped Tour: The Academy Is… and Cobra Starship. But it was only a week long run and we were coming home. We were talking about some of our favorite moments with them, then most of us fell asleep.
I woke up feeling slightly dizzy. Damn nightmares. I’ve had them almost every time I’ve shut my eyes since I was eleven. The first one was the worst in my opinion. I won’t get into that though.
I pulled out my iPod and pressed shuffle. ‘Sleep’ by MCR. I shivered. Not right after or before sleeping. Next.
Once I found a song I was comfortable with, I pulled out a notebook to draw. I was still drawing when it was announced we were descending. I gave the pleasure of waking Keith up to Brandon, to which he gained a mischievous grin. He snuck up to where Keith was sleeping by the window next to where Shane had been sitting. Shane had moved, knowing he didn’t want to get in the way of Brandon.
“WAKE UP!” Brandon yelled, diving onto Keith’s lap.
“WHAT THE FUCK?!!” Keith yelled, as he woke up. Shane and I were falling over in our seats laughing. Keith was a little pissed at firs,t but when he saw we landed he softened up a little.
As we walked off the plane, I teased Brandon.
“You couldn’t come up with a more creative way to wake him up?” I asked.
“I did my best, considering the fact we were on a landing plane.” He laughed.
“True… it wouldn’t be good to disturb the pilot.” I joked.
“Not one bit.”
Shane drove us home in his car that he had left at the airport. Brandon almost passed his drivers test the last time he tried. I had a feeling he’d pass it the next time.
I dragged my suitcase up the stairs of the orphanage to the room I shared with Britt. Before I opened the door to go in, I stopped. I heard someone playing guitar on the inside. It was beautiful. So good…
“I thought she had quit.” I whispered.
I finally walked in. She was sitting against her bed, playing the electric guitar that usually sat in the corner of our room. She looked up at me with wide eyes when I walked in. There was silence.
“I didn’t know you still played.” I said quietly.
She nodded.
“I played it once in a blue moon. But when you guys started getting attention, I played when you guys were gone… which has been a bunch.”
“You’re really good.”
“Thanks.”
I had an idea.
“So Britt… um… we were talking on the plane…” I began.
“Yeah?” She said.
“And… they…er…we… think I should stick with mic full time. So we decided we want to get another guitarist.” I said, “But we couldn’t think of anyone we knew who played guitar. Or still played. But, um, I think I found someone.”
“Really?” She said nervously.
I sat down against her bed next to her.
“Yeah.” I said, “You.”
“Me?”
“I’ll talk to the guys tomorrow. They’ll probably have you play something for them.”
“Okay…”
“Is it okay with you? You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
“No, no. I want to do it. I’m just surprised.”
“Don’t be.” I smiled.
The next morning, I woke up easily (due to yet another nightmare) before Britt and quietly left the room. I ran downstairs to find Brandon, Keith, and Shane waiting for me in the Game Room.
“So?” Brandon asked, “What’s your big news?”
“Okay,” I took a deep breath, “So I went to my room last night, and before I went into the room I heard someone playing guitar. They were really good. So I walk in and guess who was playing?”
“Who?” They all asked simultaneously.
“Britt!” I exclaimed.
“REALLY?” Keith and Brandon yelled.
“I didn’t think she played anymore!” Shane said, surprised.
“I didn’t think so either!” I said, “But I told her I’d talk to you guys about it and that you guys would probably have her audition with something.”
“Yeah...”
And at that moment Britt entered the room.
“Hey.” She said, tiredly scratching her head.
“Hey, I talked to them about the guitar thing.” I said.
“Really?” She said, surprised.
“Yeah, we think it’s a sweet idea.” Brandon said, “But we want to hear you first.”
Britt groaned.
“Told ya.” I laughed.
“What do you want me to play?” she asked.
“Do you know any of our songs?” Keith asked.
“Kinda.”
“Here: can you learn this by the end of the day?” Shane said, pulling out a piece of sheet music, “If you want any help Alicia and I are here.”
“’Kay.”
So that was it. Britt was auditioning.
The end of the day came quickly. From what I heard, Britt had only asked Shane about one little part of the song.
Then we set up for practice. Shane sat in the audience, instead of Britt, so he could hear her play.
“Don’t think, don’t judge, just listen.” I said to him. That was about my favorite quote ever.
Then we began.
I had wondered at first why Shane had picked this one. And then when the song began, I realized that it was because the guitar started off the song. Britt began and we all kicked in.
It felt so cool to be able to go over to Britt during the song, dance and mess around. I loved it. When the song was sadly over we all looked over at Shane. His eyes were wide.
“Perfect.” One word that made us jump up and down like we were on a trampoline.
“So I’m in?” Britt asked.
“Definitely.” Shane confirmed.
By the end of practice we were all wearing smiles. We were teaching Britt the songs and changing her part in little yet important ways so there would be harmony. Afterwards, we walked up to Britt and mine's room and watched TV for a while. As we watched I pulled out a notebook.
Maybe I should give writing a shot again.
So I wrote.
These innocents
So well deserving of their fate
Don’t try to save them
You can’t
It's way too late
They couldn’t listen.
They remind me of you
But unlike them
You have someone to tell you just what to do
You need to listen to me
Without my words
You’ll live in lifelong misery
But you’re so persistent
Get over yourself
You’re so resistant
Just listen to me!
Broken hearts
And loveless lives
Bring tears to
These innocent eyes
Why won’t you listen?
I’m trying to save you
Instead you act like
I’m trying to enslave you
You need to listen to me
Without my words
You’ll live in lifelong misery
But you’re so persistent
Get over yourself
You’re so resistant
Just listen to me!
You keep ignoring
I won’t complain
Just get on going
Before I can’t contain
My anger and flame
You need to listen to me
Without my words
You’ll live in lifelong misery
But you’re so persistent
Get over yourself
You’re so resistant
Just listen to me!
Listen!
Listen to me…
I called it Just Listen.
After all, a new guitarist deserves a new song.
------------------------------------
whee! new chapter!!
rate and review??!!
Sign up to rate and review this story