Chapter Two
Sunday 22nd September
Yesterday, we took over the shed. We cleared it out and made a stage. We used a few spare pallets we got off Luke’s dad.
When we’d finished setting things up, Luke stood on the edge of the pallet stage. “What are we called?” he asked. We’d already discussed this a fair bit
“Arena?” Cole suggested again. For some reason Cole wanted Arena.
“Nah, already taken, I checked.” Adam played a few chords on his guitar and looked at the tuner on his phone.
“What about Stadium?” said Noah. “It’s the same sort of thing.”
Luke nodded. “That’ll work.”
“Yep,” says Cole. “I can live with that.”
It was decided, we were Stadium. We spent the rest of the day practicing.
Thursday 3rd October
At school today, Tessa said she wanted to come and watch.
“Can I bring Jess?” she asked.
Jess looked sceptical. “Are they any good?”
“Come and see,” said Luke.
“Tomorrow, Jess’s brother Denis is going to drop her and Tessa off here,” said Luke. “He’ll pick them up later.”
Did you know girls travel in pairs if they’re nervous? That’s something I’ve learned.
As soon as I knew Jess was coming, I talked the guys into playing “How You Remind Me” by Nickleback because it had some cool guitar in it, and I could act all interesting and deep while I was singing.
“You don't need to try that hard,” said Luke. “She likes you, or she wouldn't be coming.”
“I haven’t seen any signs.”
Luke just snorted and shook his head.
Tuesday 8th October
At lunchtime today, I was sitting on a bench near the quad, elbows on my knees, backpack on the ground. I was fiddling with the strap of the pack waiting for Luke. He’d shot off somewhere to find Tessa.
A girl walked slowly towards me, the sun at her back, just an outline, shoes, legs, body, skirt. I shaded my eyes and Jess came into focus, all pleated skirt and legs long forever.
“Hi Isaac,” she said.
“Hi Jess.”
She sat down. “What are you doing?”
“Waiting for Luke.”
“Are you practicing today?”
I nodded. And my soul threw itself at her. In the stillness, it curved down and whispered, “Say something. Anything. For once. Ask her about coming to watch practice today. Anything.”
The silence paused.
She waited.
And waited.
And waited some more.
After a while she stood again. She tucked her hair back and smoothed the pleats of her skirt. “I have to go.” She waited a little longer.
I nodded. “See you, Jess.” Pathetic.
Then she turned up at the shed with Tessa. I’d only seen her in school uniform before. But in jeans. Fuck. But we didn’t talk. I couldn’t make the words. She didn’t make any words either. She just watched. At least she didn't do that giggling and nudging thing that girls do to make fun of you.
She didn’t say anything though.
At all.
She left without a word.
“She’s waiting for you talk to her,” said Luke like a broken record. Then he sat on the edge of the stage again. “Now, we need a look.”
“I’ve got a look,” said Cole. He never bothered much about what he wore. Boots, jeans and black T-shirt suited him.
“Not me. I’m not dressing up either,” said Noah.
“No,” said Adam.
So basically, Luke’s idea got shot down by everyone except me. Luke was right. I needed a look.
Monday 14th October
Last night when I sloped through the lounge, Mum was watching American Idol and there’s this guy on TV. All styled hair, heavy makeup, leather pants, and long coat. You need to visualize goth meets Matrix, to get the picture. I studied him. I wasn’t too keen on the bare feet. I thought he should’ve gone with boots, but it was a good look.
I went to my room and Googled the guy. I’d never heard of him. Probably why he was on American Idol. I printed off his publicity shot and took it to the hairdresser. She had her hair dyed red and piled on top of her head. She stared from the photo to me and back, looking doubtful.
“You want to be on American Idol?” she asked. But she went to college too and had heard the rumours. “You one of Collins’ crew this year?”
“Yeah,” I said.
She studied the photo again. Her eyes flicked, me, photo, me, photo.
“I guess you’re not bad looking,” she said after a while. “Nice eyes, grey, unusual, should work.” She studied me again, then the photo, then the top of my head, then the photo. She was acting superior under that fountain of red hair.
“You got a GHD?” she asked.
“A what??”
“Hair straightener.”
“No. How much?”
“Three hundred and fifty dollars,” she said, going to the glass shelf near the counter, picking up this black bag and pulling out what looked like an electric bread knife.
“Three fifty?”
“Yeah.”
I thought about that for a while. “Mum’s got a blow drier.”
“No good, you won’t get the look with a blow drier.”
I shrugged. There was no way I was spending three fifty on a hair straightener. That would take every bit of grandparent Christmas and birthday money I had saved up. “I’ll think about it.”
“Okay.” She got to work on the hair. After an hour and a half, my hair was straight and dyed black with a long fringe over my eyes.
She hovered over little tubes and pots like an artist then waved this wand thing around.
“I’ll use the smoky velvet. Should work with grey eyes.”
She got to work. When she was finished, it wasn’t me there behind the mirror with a long fringe like a curtain and eyes smoky velvet. It was Zac Coleman, singer, songwriter, future rock star.
I bought the GHD.
Tuesday 15th October
“For goodness sake, Isaac,” said Mum at the breakfast table. “You’re not going to school looking like that.”
Dad just looked up from his newspaper and studied me as I sat down with the muesli packet.
Hair black and straight. Eyes like a panda.
He shook his head.
But when I got to school, the Year 13s were waiting to be let into the hall for some speaker who was bursting to tell us how to live our lives. I’d already got it figured. Zac Coleman, singer, songwriter. Remember?
Tessa and Jess came over before they went to class.
“I like the hair,” said Tessa.
“Thanks.”
“I like the whole look.” She turned to Jess. “Isaac looks great, doesn’t he?”
Jess looked my way, and it was like it was the first time she’d seen me.
Our eyes clashed, and I found words.
“What do you think?”
Jess nodded and smiled. “You look nice.”
I was soul taken, heart stopped, breathing on hold.