It got harder to write good music these days. I had a lot of things I needed to release, but it felt like they just didn’t want to reveal themselves to the world. The garbage can at the corner of the rehearsal room was now a hoop for the paper I crumbled up into a ball after every bad idea was written down.
I sighed, playing different chords on the guitar trying to get something down. I don’t know how my dad did this for years with his band growing up. What was his muse?
Before I could get any deeper in thought, I hear a knock on the rehearsal door. I sighed.
“It’s taken,” I shouted, continuing to play random chords. Someone still knocked on the door, which began to bother me. I got up from my seat, walking toward the door to open it.
“It’s taken–” I said before noticing Ronnie. She looked just as surprised to see me in this room. “Sorry, Ronnie. I didn’t realize it was you.”
“It’s cool; I thought Mollie was with you today,” she said. Before she could completely turn around, I cleared my throat to speak.
“You can still hang out if you want,” I suggested, opening the rehearsal door. Ronnie looked at me before looking inside the rehearsal room.
“Sure,” Ronnie began to say. “I don’t have anywhere else to be during lunch…” I closed the rehearsal room as Ronnie placed her things down on a seat. I walked back to where I was, picking up my guitar and playing random chords.
“Mr. Harrison has you already prepping stuff for the year?” she asked, opening her bookbag on her lap.
“No, no; I’m just playing random shit,” I said, putting the guitar down to face Ronnie. “My dad suggested that I pick up a new hobby this year. He said it’s important to have extracurricular activities on my college applications.”
“More activities? Isn’t being a dual major already enough to check that bullet point off?”
“You would think,” I scoffed, closing my notebook full of scribbled lyrics. “But if I’m planning to go to Juilliard or somewhere with a good music program, they want more than just what I do in school.”
“That’s stupid.” I couldn’t help but laugh at Ronnie’s straightforward answer. Ronnie had picked up a ton of Mollie’s lingo over the years, considering how much time they’ve spent together. In some way, Ronnie had become Mollie’s best friend in the time that she and I were not. If anything, I’m glad Mollie had Ronnie to lean on during that time.
“My dad suggested creating a band,” I said as I rolled my eyes.
“A band? That’s original.”
“He had a band when he was my age; him and his friends did it so I guess he thinks it’ll work for me.”
“Who would you even include in this band? You’d need a drummer, a bassist, lead guitarist, main vocalist, a sound engineer–“
“Whoa there, Ron,” I stopped her, feeling anxious about the thought. “I’m not committing to this idea. I don’t even know what type of music to play for this theoretical band.” I looked at Ronnie’s stuff as I spoke, noticing her instrument case. Ronnie played in the brass section; saxophone to be exact. “Do you play other instruments besides the sax?”
Ronnie looked confused. “Huh?”
“I mean, I know you play the sax for band, but do you play anything else outside of school?” Ronnie folded her arms across her chest, squinting her eyes at me suspiciously.
“If this is your way of interviewing me for your band; I’m not interested.”
“Can’t a guy get to know his best friend’s girl best friend?” I teased. Ronnie rolled her eyes as she smirked, sighing before she answered.
“I do; electric guitar,” she answered. Whoa.
“Shut up; really?” I said, shocked. “My dad has been trying to teach me to play for the longest time, but with vocal and band I just don’t have the time.”
“My mom taught me when I was a kid. She was the guitarist in her friend’s band, so I grew up around music; no shock.”
“That sounds epic,” I responded, genuinely intrigued with this new information about Ronnie. “So why not try not for the contemporary band program?”
“I practically grew up with a sax in my hand,” Ronnie joked. “I knew how to play sax long before I was good at guitar.” Ronnie squinted her eyes once more, seeming suspicious of me. “Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why are you all of a sudden interested in what I play?” I could feel my face getting hot, not realizing just how forward Ronnie was. She was a different type of girl than the ones I knew; much different than Sophie. But, I couldn’t help but feel intrigued in getting to know Ronnie better, especially after basically hanging out with her and the rest of the gang over the summer.
…
“Well gang, it’s been good but I have to get going before my uncle rips me a new one,” Davy said, walking to the corner of the street. Jonah, Mollie, Ronnie, and I stood at the corner behind him.
“I should get going too,” Jonah said, turning around to face Mollie. “Plus, Aunt Lydia told me to make sure you get back home before curfew.” Mollie rolled her eyes at him.
“Dude, what did you do this time?” I jokingly said. Mollie nudged my shoulder, sucking her teeth.
“I’m pretty much grounded for the entire summer after–” Mollie began to say before Ronnie intervened.
“So, you and Jonah are going back toward Brooklyn?” Ronnie asked. I looked over at her, fidgeting with her fingers.
“I can walk with you if you want,” I suggested. Ronnie looked at me, scrunching her eyebrows.
“Why would I want that?” Ronnie fought back.
“Because it’s late and Jonah is taking Mollie home.”
“And?”
“Dude, just let him walk you home,” Mollie spat out at Ronnie. She turned around and shouted back at Mollie; typical for two girl friends with strong personalities. Before things got too heated, Jonah stepped in between the two girls.
“Relax! Mol, start walking; Ronnie, go with Milo!” The two girls rolled their eyes and listened knowing it took Jonah a lot for him to take control of situations like this.
Ronnie and I didn’t talk for most of the bus ride back home. It felt weird to only be around Ronnie, considering she was Mollie’s best friend these days. Maybe she felt weird that I’m back in the picture? Maybe she’s just being a really good friend and protecting Mollie from getting even more hurt.
I looked over at Ronnie as she looked out the bus window.
“Ron–“
“Just because you and Mollie are cool again doesn’t mean I have to be cool with you,” she bluntly said. She finally turned her head and looked at me. “Especially after everything she’s been through.”
“You’re absolutely right,” I said. Ronnie looked at me in an uneasy type of way. “Is there more to that?”
“Nope. I’m just looking out for my friend.” She turned her head around, back toward the window. I sighed, knowing I had to make this right; not for me, but for Mollie’s sake.
“We’re just both looking out for our friend–“
“That’s what I’m talking about,” Ronnie spun around and said to me. “You think just because you guys made up and the past is the past doesn’t mean that what was done and said didn’t happen. You didn’t have to hear and console Mollie at her lowest this summer. You got her when she was in a better place, a place that her friends helped her get in.”
“I’m not fighting that,” I began to explain. “I can’t imagine what Mollie went through with her ex earlier this summer, and I’m glad that she had a solid friend group for support. I’m just trying to be Mol’s friend again after all of this nonsense that got in our way–“
“She told me.” I looked at Ronnie, confused by what she meant. She looked at me, her eyes soft now. “About you and Sophie.” Of course she would tell Ronnie. “I’m sorry that things didn’t work out for you guys.”
“It’s fine,” I said, letting out a deep breath. “The past is the past.” Ronnie looked at me, but didn’t say anything after that.
…
“We’re friends, aren’t we?” I answered back. Ronnie cocks an eyebrow up, looking down at the notebook in my hand. “What?”
“It’s giving unsolicited therapist,” Ronnie joked. I couldn’t help but laugh, which made her laugh out loud as well.
“That’s a good one, Ron-drigo.”
“Did you just combined my first and last name into a pet name?”
“Oh please! Like you haven’t called me ‘Kamaloser’ before!” Ronnie threw her head back and laughed. She had a loud laugh; one that filled an empty room. It was comforting. The bell rang, which meant our lunch period was over. Both Ronnie and I gathered our stuff, about to go our separate ways for the rest of the day. Before I turned around the corner, I heard Ronnie call me by that exact nickname.
“Kamaloser!” Stupidly, I responded back to it. “If you’re still looking to learn electric guitar, I can help you out with that.” I looked at Ronnie and nodded.
“You know where to find me, Rondrigo.” I turned back around, my head in deep thought during the hallway passing. It was nice for Ronnie to offer lessons; it was much better than having my dad stop me after every chord, shouting how wrong the note would sound. Plus, Ron’s sorta cool.
Before I can look up and turn the corner, I bumped into a person coming from the other direction. I dropped my lyrics notebook on the ground; pages are spread along the ground.
“Sorry–” I hear a girl’s voice say. I immediately looked up, seeing her for the first time in a really long time. We locked eyes for a slight second before another guy’s voice breaks us out of it.
“Soph?” I turned around and see Allen call out for her. Sophie quickly turned away and walked toward Allen, not even bothering to look back at me.
Letters From Liz. 