Les went back to his father's house only long enough to pack up his Les Paul, his record collection, and a number of other essentials and favourite possessions, and then he left. Luckily, his dad wasn't home. His father often worked late, and would always impressed upon Les the importance of doing so, even though he was usually in a worse mood when he came trang chủ after working too long. Les wondered if he should bother leaving a note. There was nothing he really wanted to say to his dad, but then, if he didn't say anything his father might try and look for him, and Les didn't want to deal with that. Eventually he settled for a very brief note left on the phòng bếp, nhà bếp bàn which said, "Dad, I'm eighteen. I'm moving out. Les." He locked the door one last time and headed for Jimmy's house.
Jimmy's parents were very welcoming. Of course Jimmy had already đã đưa ý kiến they had agreed to let Les stay, but he still worried a little that he would be intruding on Jimmy's family. But Jimmy's parents both gave him warm hugs and told him he could stay as long as he liked.
"Thanks," Les told them. "I don't want to impose on you."
Jimmy's mother smiled kindly. "You're very sweet, Les. Letting bạn stay is no trouble at all."
"No," agreed Jimmy's father. "Besides, bạn and Jimmy can help keep each other out of trouble, can't you, son?" He ruffled Jimmy's hair affectionately.
Venus and Mars both wagged their tails like crazy and jumped on Les the một phút he got inside, running back and forth and barking and bringing him their toys.
bữa tối, bữa ăn tối was cheerful, with Jimmy and his dad cracking jokes around the bàn and Jimmy's mom offering Les một giây and third helpings, and after bữa tối, bữa ăn tối Les offered to help them clean up, something which he was well aware he never did back at his father's house.
"Thank you, dear," đã đưa ý kiến Jimmy's mother, "but it's your first night here; bạn should rest. Why don't bạn and Jimmy catch up?"
So Les and Jimmy decided to have a mứt session, which was their favourite thing to do together. They went to the basement, followed bởi the dogs, and Jimmy sat at his drums, Les brought out his Les Paul, and they began to play.
When Les was playing guitar, everything else seemed to fade away. His troubles with his father, his bad grades and the lack of encouragement he'd gotten when he'd đã đưa ý kiến he wanted to start a band, adjusting to his new life, everything was gone, and there was nothing but the music, flowing through him. When Les began to play, nothing else mattered.
After a time, Les began to sing, too. Jimmy always đã đưa ý kiến Les was the better singer out of the two, and was never resentful about letting Les do the hát when they played together. Mars had other ideas; he began to howl along as though he wanted to be Les's backup chorus. Venus lay with her head on her paws and thumped her tail contentedly against the cold stone floor.
At last, the mứt session came to an end, leaving Les flushed and happy.
"We're good," he remarked to Jimmy. "We've both gotten so much better this year!"
Jimmy grinned and nodded. "Hey, maybe we should start a band," he suggested. "You on guitar, me on drums, and Mars on backing vocals."
Venus raised her head and made a little questioning whimper. Les and Jimmy laughed, but Les was the first to stop.
"Jimmy - bạn don't think... if we started a band, we'd just be a wave tossed in the ocean, do you?"
Jimmy's face grew serious. "Listen, brother, your dad doesn't understand âm nhạc hoặc passion hoặc anything like that. He never even tried to understand you. Why would bạn take his advise?"
Before Les could answer, footsteps sounded on the basement stairs and Jimmy's mother appeared at the door.
"Les, honey?" she began hesitantly. "Your father just called our house; he wants to know if you're here. Do bạn want to talk to him?"
Les exchanged a glance with Jimmy.
"You don't have to," Jimmy đã đưa ý kiến at once.
"No, that's okay." If Les was going to break ties with his father, if he didn't want to feel like he was running away for the rest of his life, he might as well deal with this now. Besides, he reminded himself, his father was only a regular person. There was nothing to be scared of. "I'll talk to him."
Jimmy's parents were very welcoming. Of course Jimmy had already đã đưa ý kiến they had agreed to let Les stay, but he still worried a little that he would be intruding on Jimmy's family. But Jimmy's parents both gave him warm hugs and told him he could stay as long as he liked.
"Thanks," Les told them. "I don't want to impose on you."
Jimmy's mother smiled kindly. "You're very sweet, Les. Letting bạn stay is no trouble at all."
"No," agreed Jimmy's father. "Besides, bạn and Jimmy can help keep each other out of trouble, can't you, son?" He ruffled Jimmy's hair affectionately.
Venus and Mars both wagged their tails like crazy and jumped on Les the một phút he got inside, running back and forth and barking and bringing him their toys.
bữa tối, bữa ăn tối was cheerful, with Jimmy and his dad cracking jokes around the bàn and Jimmy's mom offering Les một giây and third helpings, and after bữa tối, bữa ăn tối Les offered to help them clean up, something which he was well aware he never did back at his father's house.
"Thank you, dear," đã đưa ý kiến Jimmy's mother, "but it's your first night here; bạn should rest. Why don't bạn and Jimmy catch up?"
So Les and Jimmy decided to have a mứt session, which was their favourite thing to do together. They went to the basement, followed bởi the dogs, and Jimmy sat at his drums, Les brought out his Les Paul, and they began to play.
When Les was playing guitar, everything else seemed to fade away. His troubles with his father, his bad grades and the lack of encouragement he'd gotten when he'd đã đưa ý kiến he wanted to start a band, adjusting to his new life, everything was gone, and there was nothing but the music, flowing through him. When Les began to play, nothing else mattered.
After a time, Les began to sing, too. Jimmy always đã đưa ý kiến Les was the better singer out of the two, and was never resentful about letting Les do the hát when they played together. Mars had other ideas; he began to howl along as though he wanted to be Les's backup chorus. Venus lay with her head on her paws and thumped her tail contentedly against the cold stone floor.
At last, the mứt session came to an end, leaving Les flushed and happy.
"We're good," he remarked to Jimmy. "We've both gotten so much better this year!"
Jimmy grinned and nodded. "Hey, maybe we should start a band," he suggested. "You on guitar, me on drums, and Mars on backing vocals."
Venus raised her head and made a little questioning whimper. Les and Jimmy laughed, but Les was the first to stop.
"Jimmy - bạn don't think... if we started a band, we'd just be a wave tossed in the ocean, do you?"
Jimmy's face grew serious. "Listen, brother, your dad doesn't understand âm nhạc hoặc passion hoặc anything like that. He never even tried to understand you. Why would bạn take his advise?"
Before Les could answer, footsteps sounded on the basement stairs and Jimmy's mother appeared at the door.
"Les, honey?" she began hesitantly. "Your father just called our house; he wants to know if you're here. Do bạn want to talk to him?"
Les exchanged a glance with Jimmy.
"You don't have to," Jimmy đã đưa ý kiến at once.
"No, that's okay." If Les was going to break ties with his father, if he didn't want to feel like he was running away for the rest of his life, he might as well deal with this now. Besides, he reminded himself, his father was only a regular person. There was nothing to be scared of. "I'll talk to him."
The tiếp theo day, Greeley accompanied Leila and her aunt and uncle on a ride to the nearest beach. Leila's uncle drove. Leila's dog, Paul, enjoyed looking out the window at the sights. When they stopped for lunch, Leila took Paul out on a leash to "do his business". A few people stopped Leila and asked her, "What kind of dog is that?" Most people didn't believe her when she told them that Paul is a purebred German Shepherd Dog. Leila didn't mind, though. She was aware that most people don't know that Shepherds can be blue, especially solid blue like Paul. Around 6:00 that evening, Leila, Greeley, Leila's aunt and uncle, and Paul arrived at the property. It was a nice bờ biển, bãi biển house, and it was very pet friendly. They were all tired from their trip. After unpacking, they got bữa tối, bữa ăn tối and relaxed for the rest of the evening. A few hours later, they called it a night.
Leila and Greeley had just finished their first năm of college. They were looking phía trước, chuyển tiếp to the summer. Greeley asked, "What are bạn going to do this summer, Leila?" She said, "I'm mostly going to relax and take it easy. What are bạn going to do?" He said, "I think I'll do the same, but we should do some fun things this summer. After all, summer doesn't last forever." She said, "You're right. We should do some fun things together." He said, "I'd like that." Later, Leila texted Greeley and said, "My aunt and uncle and I are going to the bờ biển, bãi biển this weekend. They đã đưa ý kiến that I can bring one friend with me. I first asked Rita, but she can't come, because she's taking summer classes as well as taking on a summer job. Would bạn like to come with us, Greeley?" He said, "I'd tình yêu to, Leila." She said, "Great!" He asked, "Is your dog, Paul, going too?" She said, "Of course he is." The two Những người bạn were looking phía trước, chuyển tiếp to their weekend getaway.
The first ngày of spring was approaching. Leila and Greeley were on Spring Break. Leila said, "It doesn't seem possible that we're going to be finished with our first năm of college in less than two months." He said, "I know." She said, "It's also hard to believe that my dog, Paul, is not a cún yêu, con chó con anymore. He's fully grown." Greeley said, "They grow up very quickly." She said, "They really do. I also can't believe that my birthday is coming up. It's the first ngày of spring this year, March 20. I'm going to be eighteen." Greeley said, "Happy Birthday." She said, "Thank you." Knowing that she had Những người bạn that she didn't have to say "I thought we were friends" to gave Leila comfort. She also knew that she didn't have to have a romantic relationship to complete her. She has and supportive aunt and uncle and great friends. Because of that, she's not lonely at all.
THE END
THE END
