FicWad

Odie stood at the bottom of the stairs at the brownstone thinking. He was thinking about everything that never really seemed important until now. Girls.

He knew Atlanta and Archie had their little love/hate thing going on, and Theresa and Jay were just perfect, and then he looked at Neil, he could any blonde bimbo he wanted, but he didn't care enough. Then Herry, he could find a girl easily, he was huge and buff. That attracts pretty girls. And then there was Odie. Scrawny, brainy little Odie. Couldn't hold down a girlfriend to save his life. Except Calypso but you just can't go out with a Godess. It's not a great thing to have going for you. He needed someone. He needed someone BAD.

"IN COMING!" Archie yelled as he slid down the banister in socks. He landed hard and ran into the front door.

"Since when do you wear socks?" Odie asked looking at Archie's feet.

"Since never, I just thought that'd be fun!" he laughed taking off the socks and putting his sandals on.

"Hey, everybody ready to go?" Jay walked in with Theresa and Herry.

"Ya, I guess s..." Odie was interuppted mid sentence.

"IN COMING!" Atlanta then came sliding down the bannister in her socks.

She landed much more gracefully and didn't need to hit the door.

"What is with you two?" Odie asked, a little weirded out.

"I can do anything Archie can, and BETTER!" she stated punching Archie in the arm.

"Whatever. Let's get out o' here." Archie said pointing with his thumb to the door.

They all piled into Herry's truck in the garage and drove off.

Odie was looking out the window at the school and saw the norm for the day: the cheerleaders mesmerizing everyone, and everyone watching them. He sighed, wishing that a cheerleader would notice him someday.

Suddenly, HE noticed something. There was someone new taking the attention from the cheerleaders. A band had taken a picnic table over and had started to play. A guy with a nose ring had drum sticks and was banging the table while a girl with an acoustic guitar was playing and singing.

Herry pulled up to the curb and everyone piled out to go see these guys play.

Odie squeezed between Herry and Neil to see the band. The first thing his eyes caught was the singer. She was beautiful.

Her hair was shoulder length, you could tell it was thick, and stright as a pin. A section that was too short to reach her ears fell in front of her eye. She was playing her wooden acoustic with such passion you could practically see the notes flying like they do in cartoons. And she was singing a song he had heard from Atlanta's stereo. Odie thought for a second and realised it was called Lithium.

"Come to bed, don't make me sleep alone.
Couldn't hide the emptiness, you let it show.
Never wanted it to be so cold.
Just didn't drink enough to say you love me.

I can't hold on to me,
Wonder what's wrong with me.

Lithium, don't want to lock me up inside.
Lithium, don't want to forget how it feels without...
Lithium, I want to stay in love with my sorrow.

Don't want to let it lay me down this time.
Drown my will to fly.
Here in the darkness I know myself.
Can't break free until I let it go.
Let me go."

She sang with such passion, the words rolled off her tounge, and she let the emotion of the lyrics take over her entire body as she played the chords effortlessly on her guitar.

The song was long over and the crowd dispersing when Odie came to his senses. He tryed to leave, but something told him other wise.

"See ya in class?" the drummer was asking.

"You know it! Great to see you again by the way," she said as she packed away her guitar.

"Good to have you back, Dee!" the guy ran the otehr way trying to catch up with some guys.

Odie's feet suddenly took over and he was next to the singer in a minute.

"That was really good." he glanced aroud to see who had spoken when he realised it had been him.

She looked up at him slightly taken aback, as though she was searching the part of her mind that told her how to talk to find the English section.

"Er..." she looked totally clueless as to the fact that Odie, a scrawny little geek was talking to her. "Th-thanks..." she almost said it frantically.

"Right, uh..." Odie suddenly knew that she thought he was weird. He wouldn't want to talk to him either. "Bye then..."

"Bye," she whispered looking up at him with the one eye that wasn't concealed with her hair.

Odie practially ran away, blinded by confusion he ran into someone.

He looked up to see Archie staring at something behind Odie. He glanced back and saw the girl packing her guitar away. Archie had a look of stone on his face, like he was trying to supress his gag reflex.

"Hey, Archie, you o..."

"Odie," Archie grabbed his shoulder and squeezed it hard. "Stay away from her if you know whats good for you." He spun on his good heel and walked away like a statue.

Odie was thinking what he possibly ment, when he realised: Archie must feel threatened by Odie, he wanted this girl more than anything.

Odie sighed and headed to class. He didn't have a chance if Archie was on the war path.