Untitled story

[njbohemian]

I had this story on another board, but I don't think anyone noticed. I'll let you guys see and let me know what you think.
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Part 1

(Autumn 2005)

She solemnly walked out of the cold movie theater and mildly embraced the warm, evening air as numerous people walked past her without noticing, or spoke to others about the film they just watched. She spotted something from the corner of her eye, but continued to walk to the nearest pub for a warm, stiff drink alone, as always.

As she entered the bar, the server behind the counter recognized her and replied, "Glass of Salviano, right? The red wine?"

She nodded and took her seat in front of the bar without looking at anyone else around her. She had been verbally and physically tormented for so long, she didn't feel like starting a conversation with those she didn't know personally or didn't want to know.

Minutes later, she received her drink and started to give the bartender her money.

"Don't worry about it. It's on him," he replied.
"Him who?" She asked.
"The one by the table next to the window. The blond."

She turned slightly and spotted someone around her age who glanced back at her with intense eyes.

"You sure?" She asked.
"Yeah I'm sure. He was real nice bout paying for your usual glass of wine, too. He also asked for you to join him...just to be generous, I guess."

She shrugged and debated about whether to sit across from a stranger for a few minutes more, until she got up and walked over to where the stranger was sitting.

"Hi," she said, standing over him slightly.
He looked up, smiled and replied, "Hey. How are you?"
"Um...okay. I guess."

(To be continued...)

[klly]

Hi Nj...sounds interesting...I'll keep reading when you post the next section. Im Kelley and Im pretty new around here too. Welcome. Everyone here is really nice.

[greeneyes]

A blonde with intense eyes... uh-huh

[njbohemian]

Part 2

"Would you like to sit?"

She glanced over at him quickly with some worry and asked, "Sorry. What?"
"Sit. You know, as in sitting down in the chair, talking BS, that sort of thing."
She nervously looked down and looked around slightly as he continued.
"You don't have to. It's not a big deal."

She glanced at him again and saw that he seemed a nice enough person to talk to, but only until it was late enough for her to head back to her place. She wasn't used to having people invite her over for small talk...especially people who were nice enough to notice her as a person rather than a speck of dust. She grabbed the chair and slowly slipped in, placing her glass of red wine on the table across from where he was sitting.

"You've made up your mind then?" He asked.
"I can only stay for a while, then I have to head back," she answered.
"How long's a while?"
"I don't know..."
"Five minutes, ten minutes...an hour?"
"Depends on how long this conversation's gonna go."

The guy slouched in his chair slightly and replied, "That depends as well, I guess..."

Suddenly, a song from the jukebox started to play and the speakers started to vibrate slightly at the noise. She noticed that the guy was tapping his fingers and humming to the song.

"You know this song then?" She asked.
"Sort of. Its got a good beat. I'm more into the hardcore stuff though."
"Metal?"
"Nah, not so much metal...well yeah, maybe a hint of metal."

She laughed slightly as the song continued.

"Name's Marty," he replied, holding out his hand.
She stared at him for a second, then replied, "Mikayla", placing her hand in his.
"Nice to meet ya, Mikayla."

(To be continued...)

[Ayesa86]

I like this^^ You're a good writer nj^^

[njbohemian]

Part 3

Mikayla rushed into the studio, struggling with her black Fernando guitar on one shoulder, and the rest of her things in the other. It was her first paying job in 2 years and she felt a bit nervous about playing an instrument in front of other people.

She had played for a while when she had a sense of normalcy, but never professionally and in front of other people. As she started to set up her guitar for tuning, the stranger from a few nights ago, Marty, entered the studio and smiled at her.

"Stalking me now?" He asked, jokingly.
"No. It's my 1st paying job. I didn't know you were the singer," she answered.
"I was kidding. Calm yourself."
She started to tune and said, "I am calm...somewhat."

He nodded and watched her tune her guitar for a few moments.

"How long have you been playing?" He asked again.
"Six years. Off and on, but never professionally."
"Ah, so this is your first time playing with a band, huh?"
Mikayla shrugged and said, "Something like that."

Two guys suddenly entered the room with their equipment and acknowledged Marty from a distance.

"Hey Bobby. Dino. How's it goin'?"
"Great man. Whos she?" Dino asked.
"This is Mikayla. She's subbing for Billy for a while," Marty answered.
"You're kidding? She's a chick."

Mikayla looked at them and said, "What's that got to do with anything?"
"Nothing. Just that...we're an all guy band. We usually see chicks in the audience and not on stage playing guitar. So...when you're done chatting with our friend Martin, you can go."

Mikayla grabbed her guitar, plugged it into the amplifier and played wildly for a solid minute, to the amazement of Marty and the two guys.

"Dang that's crazy," one of them whispered when she finished.
"Can we keep her now, dad?" Marty asked them jokingly, "Please?"

(To be continued...)

[greeneyes]

Let me get this straight...
the character is ALONE in a room with these 3 hunks?

[njbohemian]

faden2u said:

Let me get this straight...
the character is ALONE in a room with these 3 hunks?

lol ;D why?
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Part 4

"That was some kick-ass session today," Marty said as he and Mikayla walked down a few blocks, "you really proved to them that you knew your stuff."
"Yeah well, they're the ones who said that girls can't play the guitar," Mikayla muttered as they continued to walk.
"Don't listen to Bobby and Dino. They don't know what they're smoking half the time anyway."

They both laughed and turned a corner, where he stopped her.

"I almost forgot to ask you something," he said.

She paused in her steps without a word and waited for him to continue.

"We need a guitarist for an upcoming tour, and...the rest of the guys would like you to join me."

Mikayla raised her eyes slightly and replied, "Me?"
"Yeah."
"What am I supposed to do on tour? Play opening act or..."
"You're gigging with us. For Billy anyway."

She raised her eyes in shock.

"We heard some of your demos a while back, and we like your stuff. You got a real cool sound, and we could use some of that for our gigs. So what do ya say?"
"So this is what the set-up was, huh? You buy me a drink, let me sub for your band-mate, and ask me to join you guys on tour?"
"It was just a coincidence, basically. I had no idea that you were the same person."
"What about Billy? What's his take?"

Marty went silent and replied, "He thinks it's fine."

(To be continued...)

[Stiletto]

ahhhhh.........I'm liking this..........well done.......and VERY original.......

Tell me more tell me more..............

[Ayesa86]

Like I said before...very nice...particularly with the added mystery of WHERE has Billy vanished too^^

[njbohemian]

Part 5

The first gig for Mikayla was in the Chicago area of the city, and she either felt nervous, worried, or both. The practices were hard as well as learning the new music material, but she had gotten used to the grueling rehersal schedule and felt relieved that she had been given this opportunity to go on tour and fill in for Billy, one of the missing guitarists.

During the day (hours before her first concert), she felt like she was about to faint, but was re-assured by Marty that things would be great and that it was just nerves.

"You're gonna kick ass. I know it," Marty replied to her, "I've gotten so used to performing, that it's almost nothing."
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The concert ended hours later, and a huge after-party erupted across from the concert hall where they performed at. Everyone was crowded around Marty and his friends except for Mikayla, who was alone by a table with a drink in one hand and holding her head in the other in some exhaustion after a long concert. The audience seemed to enjoy her as a replacement for Billy, but it didn't seem to be enough.

She heard someone pull up a chair and noticed that it was Marty.

"Awesome job tonight," he said.
Mikayla shrugged and replied, "Thanks."
"You don't take compliments too well, huh?"
"I'm just exhausted. It's been a long, frustrating day for me, and I think that it'll get worse as the tour goes on."
"Nah, I doubt it. That's a way of life. Things get worse, then they subside. It's how it is, sometimes."
"Yeah, try all the time. I think Bobby and Dino hate the fact that I'm here," she said, taking a sip from her glass.
"How d'you know for sure?"

Mikayla shrugged again and replied, "I could just tell for some reason."

As she looked towards them, Bobby and Dino suddenly turned away and faced their friends, while she glanced over at a concerned Marty.

Hours later, she heard Marty talking to two guys outside after the party and the talk then erupted into yelling. As she poked her head out, she heard Dino say:

"This chick will never replace Billy and you know it! We know she's good, but we don't need someone to fill the
void for someone who's still missing in action!"

Mikayla backed up and started to walk away until Marty called out for her and she ran out into the street and into the bar, trying to camoflauge herself in the crowds of people in sudden sadness and confusion while Marty glanced back at his friends and replied, "You see what you guys just did?"

(To be continued...)

[njbohemian]

Part 6
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She silently sat in the corner of the room where the bustling after party crowd grew more lively and not very entertaining. Before Mikayla could leave, she spotted Marty walking through the crowd in search of something or someone, and she realized that it was her.

"Oh great," she thought, trying to push herself out of the way until someone else got up close to her.

"You're the sub, right?" The guy asked.
"Um...yeah. I guess you could call it that," Mikayla said nervously. As she tried to move out of the way, he kept blocking her and tried to thrust up against her, but she pushed him out of the way and stormed out of the club, letting Marty follow behind without noticing.

"Mikayla! Mikayla, wait!" Marty yelled as she continued to walk quickly.
"Please! The next thing I need is two guys bugging me during a rough night," she muttered.
"C'mon. I just wanna talk to you," Marty replied, touching her shoulder once he caught up to her.

"Well? What else do you feel like saying to me?" Mikayla asked angrily.
"Look. I can explain what Bobby and Dino were saying..."
"What? That I'm not welcome? That I can't play as good as your friend Billy just 'cause I'm a chick?"

Marty sighed and said, "Just listen. They're still upset that he's still missing. And we've been under a ton of stress ever since we got signed to a major record label. Everything's supposed to be perfect, you know? That's why Billy's M.I.A. so to speak..."
"Missing in action."
"Yeah. He never showed up for rehersal sessions and left a note saying that he needed to do some supposed soul-searching and only left his stuff behind. He hasn't been in contact for months now."

Mikayla lowered her eyes slightly in shock and some guilt. She now knew a part of the truth to the missing band-mate and didn't know what else to say.

"Don't even pay attention to them for a while," Marty replied, "They just miss Billy. Plus they're not used to the fact that someone's taking over and doesn't know the same stuff as him."
"But I'm working on it," she said.
"I know. Which is fine. As long as you work on all the stuff, then you'll be able to gain their respect. You already gained a lot of it from me."
"Really?"
"Well, you do know how to rock it with the guitar."

After a brief staring match in silence, Mikayla replied, "Thanks."

(To be continued...)

[penny74]

Hi nj. Just wanted to say that I am enjoying your story! But I have to say that your Mikayla is a lot stronger than I am. If I was the main character here, that last line would have read:

After a brief staring match in silence, Penny replied, "Beejustofliptiit," and slid to the ground.

[njbohemian]

penny74 said:

After a brief staring match in silence, Penny replied, "Beejustofliptiit," and slid to the ground.

LOL
That would've been interesting.

[Ayesa86]

penny74 said:

Hi nj. Just wanted to say that I am enjoying your story! But I have to say that your Mikayla is a lot stronger than I am. If I was the main character here, that last line would have read:

After a brief staring match in silence, Penny replied, "Beejustofliptiit," and slid to the ground.

Penny, penny,penny...what are we gonna do with you?

But yeah^^ I'm loving your story NJ^^ Mikayla is definately more in control of her temper than I am^^ If it were me, I'm sure I woulda slugged Dino & Bobby!

[njbohemian]

Part 7
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(December 2005)

Months passed, and Mikayla followed Marty's advice and tried to ignore the insults from Bobby and Dino as she tried to continue her subbing duties for Billy.
She had been tuning her guitar and practicing all week on end to further impress Marty and his two comrades, but it didn't seem to be enough for them.

Days later, Mikayla decided to take a walk with Marty, despite the fact that the weather was starting to grow colder as the months progressed. They grabbed some coffee hours later and sat on a bench for a half hour while they talked about the tour and about Dino and Bobby.

"I wouldn't worry about them for the time being," Marty replied, "Worry about you finishing the tour with us."

Mikayla looked at him and asked, "How come you're so different?"
Marty glanced at her and said, "Different how?"
"Well, you're not so wild offstage than you are onstage."

He smiled and replied, "I have my moments."
"Oh really?" She replied, walking up from her seat and onto the sidewalks. She then turned around and laughed lightly as Marty started to catch up to her side.

"What the hell? You were gonna leave me out in the cold," Marty moaned jokingly, leaning up against her side.
"Come on. You're a big guy. Guys can stand cold weather, can't they?"
"Not this guy! I almost got stuck in the seat!"

She laughed and, without warning, stopped and kissed him. He stared at her in shock, not knowing what to say or do.

"I'm sorry," Mikayla replied, covering her mouth, "It's just....it was a reflex..."
She started to blush and say something else, but he suddenly kissed her back.
"Consider it a Christmas present," Marty whispered, kissing her again.

(To be continued...)

[Ayesa86]

Wow! What a reflex!^^

[njbohemian]

Part 8

(February 2006)

Mikayla watched the snow fall from the window from the skies, letting it fall down to the ground onto a wet sheet of white slush. Another few months had passed, and she was starting to earn Bobby and Dino's trust as a guitar player for the still absent Billy. She was also romantically involved with their lead singer: Marty.

"Hey stranger. You comin' back or what?"

Mikayla turned her head slightly and saw that Marty was awake after minutes of getting up and keeping quiet to herself. She walked back and slid under the covers next to him and gently closed her eyes while he lightly touched her cheek.

"What were you thinkin' about?" He whispered.
"Nothin'. What makes you think that I was in thought?" She whispered back.

Marty shrugged and replied, "Just a guess. You sometimes have that look in your eye like you're worried about something. I just wonder if you are."
"I'm not worried," she replied, then hesitated when she felt him staring at her in the dark.

"OK. I'm a little worried about Billy."
"Why?"
"Because I'm the one doing his job, Marty. I'm the one who's doing the rifts in most of the songs and I'm even responsible for playing on key. I'm just wondering what he'd think if he came back and watched me during a concert."

"Well, I don't think he'd hate it. He'd be amazed that a hot chick like you has these impressive guitar skills and is nailing every note right on target. That's what he might think."

Morning arrived hours later and it was time for another soundcheck and rehersal for another concert. Before Marty could approach the stage with the rest of the band, there was a figure standing alone on the stage with his glasses on and holding a guitar case in his hand.

As he turned around to face everyone, Marty stopped and watched Billy take off his glasses and ask, "What's goin on, fellas?"

(To be continued...)

[Ayesa86]

Oh dear...

[lena]

Oh....boy....

Sad ending, I guess............