Hate Every Beautiful Day
Chapter 19
By: Makena
Benji woke up Saturday afternoon, like he usually did, but he could hear a bass guitar in the garage again. He groaned and sat up, rubbing a hand through his hair before climbing out of bed and pulling his jeans up over his boxers.
He forced his eyes to stay open as he stumbled outside into the garage to see what and why Paul had been asked over again. Joel was tuning up Benji's own guitar, and Paul was messing around with his bass, playing a few licks from random songs and bands.
"I told you he'd wake up eventually," Joel told Paul with a small grin. Paul laughed slightly and nodded.
"Why's he over again?" Benji asked Joel sleepily, as if Paul wasn't even in the room.
"He's playing with us tonight," Joel replied proudly. "You know... see if we can actually make this whole band thing work."
Benji nodded. He wanted to have a band that consisted of people other than just him and his brother, and he wanted to be rich so he could stop living the poor life. He also wanted a beer and some sleep.
"We gotta get some songs together before we play tonight," Joel said, holding Benji's guitar out for him to take. "So we should probably practice a little."
Benji groaned to himself, but walked the couple of stairs down to where Paul and Joel were sitting and took his guitar. He tuned it up himself a little, playing a couple of notes to make sure it was tuned up alright.
It took a while, but they finally found about a half hour worth of songs they could play together in Acme.
-----
The crowd was slightly bigger in Acme than it usually was, and Benji was suddenly feeling a little more nervous than he normally felt before going on stage. Not that it was a big stage with half a million people watching him, waiting for him to play their favorite songs. But it was big enough for now.
Joel stepped up to the microphone and breathed a couple of times as Benji plugged his pickup into the makeshift amp he had made himself from an old karaoke machine that had been sitting in the garage. Paul fiddled around, playing a couple of cords to make sure his own amp was on and working.
"Ready?" Joel asked, looking at Benji. He nodded and looked over at Paul, who nodded as well. Joel breathed again and tapped the microphone.
"Test," he spoke into it. "Test. Hello, Acme! We are Good Charlotte, and we will be your entertainment for the next half hour."
"Whoo! Go Paul!" Benji heard. He looked out over the crowd and noticed Shannon making her way through the crowd to watch the tiny band. Following closely behind her, Makena, Nicole, Brian and Billy were pushing their own way through the crowd to catch up with Shannon.
'Oh crap,' Benji thought, rolling his eyes as he began to play the first chords to the first song.
The tiny band played their songs for a half hour, and Paul began to feel more confident in Benji and Joel. He figured, after a couple of short lessons, Benji would be an excellent guitar player and Good Charlotte could actually become a successful band.
"Thank you, Acme!" Joel said once they had all played their set. "Next up is 'Mythology,' followed by 'Overflow.'"
They walked off stage after Paul and Benji had wrapped their cords up and grabbed their amps. Benji couldn't wait to get his free beer and his $20. Except tonight, he was met by not only the manager, but - five of the "Magnificent Seven."
"You guys have potential," Shannon said. "You're gonna be famous some day and show all those popular pricks what you're made of."
Benji rolled his eyes and set his guitar down next to his makeshift amp as Mythology began to warm and tune up. He walked to the bar where the manager stood and nodded shortly, signaling that he wanted a drink. He sat down on the bar stool and accepted his $20 while his brother talked to their already growing fan base.
"Hey, can I get a few beers?"
Benji turned around to see Makena, drumming her fingers on the black counter top. She looked over at Benji and smiled.
"Hey," she said. "You guys... you guys are okay."
Benji frowned. "Why'd you come?" he asked. "And why are you getting something to drink?"
"Well," Makena began. "We're VIP. Not only do we have a friend in YOUR band, we've got a friend in Overflow."
"Oh? Who?"
"Billy," Makena replied as the manager set three cold beers in front of her. "How much?"
"Free if you're VIP," the manager laughed. "And if you're back here, you must be VIP."
Makena laughed and picked the three beers up. "Thanks," she said, looking back down at Benji. "We weren't here for you - don't get too full of yourself, now."
Benji rolled his eyes and took another sip of his beer.
---
"Homecoming is Saturday," Makena announced, sitting down at the lunch table. She was the last one there, because she had to finish her art project and barley made it before the bell rang.
"Not going," Billy said, flipping through a guitar magazine.
"Not going," Paul announced, digging into the limp lettuce salad that sat on his tray.
"Not caring," John reported.
"Fine," Makena said, rolling her eyes. "Is there anyone who is even remotely interested in going?" Everyone looked up at her and cocked an eyebrow.
"Me neither," she said. "But... okay, is there anyone who's GOING?"
"I think I am," Shannon said, raising her hand. "But I have to go dress shopping and I have to ask somebody." She paused. "And you're going, Paul." Paul looked up at Shannon and groaned, but didn't complain.
"I might go," Nicole said, flipping through her own book. "Billy, you're my date."
"I'm your... aw, damn it!"
Paul laughed at him, but Shannon kicked him from under the table and he suddenly stopped, coughing on a fry.
"I need a dress, too," Nicole said.
"We can go shopping... tomorrow?" Makena suggested. "I made mine... I'm technically supposed to go, since Aaron's on the football team and all."
"Okay... who's MY date?" Shannon asked.
"Benji," Makena replied simply.
"Did you ask him?" Shannon asked, a little surprised at Makena's reply. Makena shook her head and nodded towards Benji.
"He's sitting right over there."
Shannon looked over across the lunch room at Benji and bit her bottom lip. He was sitting alone, involved in a book with his lunch untouched, his tray pushed away from him. She sighed and got up.
"Where's she going?" Brian asked. Makena watched Shannon cross the lunchroom and kneel down next to Benji's chair so that she was eye level with him.
"Hi," she said. Benji looked up from his book and over at Shannon. He frowned slightly, but put his book down.
"Yeah?" he asked.
"Homecoming is Saturday," Shannon stated. Benji nodded.
"Okay."
"Wanna go with me?" Shannon asked finally, realizing it was pointless to beat around the bush with him. Benji thought about what he was going to say before replying.
"Like... a date...?" he said. Shannon shrugged and nodded a little.
"Yeah... sort of."
"Oh." Benji paused. He had to be in Acme... no. Joel had already told the manager that it was the Homecoming dance, although they were both highly aware that they were probably not going, and... "Yeah," Benji replied finally. "I'll go with you."
Shannon smiled and stood up. She hadn't actually thought he would accept, but she was happy he had none the less.
"Okay... sweet. I'll meet you here, okay?"
Benji nodded and watched her walk back to her own table. He couldn't believe that he was going to go out with one of the people he was annoyed with the most. But he couldn't believe that he was going out with somebody again - the first time since his dad had left.
-----
Nicole and Shannon went through dress after dress, but couldn't find anything that they thought was remotely attractive.
"Makena, this really sucks," Shannon said, putting a red dress back on the rack. "The dance is on Saturday, and all of these dresses are ugly."
She paused and noticed a couple of girls from their school looking at her, pausing from their own dress shopping. "UGLY!" the two girls frowned and put their dresses down, quickly walking away. Satisfied, Shannon grinned and turned back to Nicole and Makena.
"You could always make a dress," Makena suggested. Nicole shook her head and continued to look through the rack.
"Too late to do that. Damn! Look at how much this dress costs!" They looked. The price tag read $150.
"Maybe we should go to Target," Shannon suggested. "... or Salvation Army." Makena laughed as they walked out of J.C. Pennys.
"I can't believe I'm doing this," Nicole muttered, nodding to a couple of freshmen girls that attended La Plata. "I've stooped to their level."
"I think they heard you," Shannon said, noting the offended frowns on the girl's faces.
"Good," Nicole said. "Let's go."
Makena shook her head. "No. We're not leaving until both of you have a dress."
"Fine," Shannon said, crossing her arms. She glanced at some dresses in a different store window and moaned. "How long does it take to make a dress?" Makena laughed.
"Not very long," she replied. "Assuming you know HOW to."
"I think we can figure it out..." Nicole began.