11. ROOT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11. Root

 

     WE GOT HOME BY THREE PM. ADAM JUST LET ME CHANGE MY clothes before we head to the recording studio. I hope I don’t embarrass myself later. I went to my room to change my gold tank top, denim skinny jeans and tan calf boots.

     After that, I checked my emails first but I have none. I guess Miley is pretty busy now since she’s spending the last week before school starts. I’m a bit tired now, but I tried to fight it.

     I decided to go downstairs to see on what they’re doing, but I can see neither Abby nor Amy. Suzie is probably asleep now, since she told me that she can’t sleep back at Hawaii, though it’s relaxing back there, she said she can’t get the luau out of her mind. Well, it’s truly amazing. I guess Jeremy is asleep as well, if it weren’t for this recording thing, I would be at my bed as well, fast asleep. Then I heard the doorbell ring.

     “Ready?” Adam asked me.

     “Yah… of course…”

     “Well, c’mon…”

     “Okay…” as I get in to the passenger’s seat, I can see that Shane and Nate are practicing the song.

     “How’s the practice going?” I asked both of them.

 

 

♦128♦

 

 

     “Fine… hey how that last part goes again? I forgot…” Nate asked playing the guitar.

     “Here…” I controlled his fingers lightly until he got it right.

     “Thanks…”

    “Can I play later as well?” I flickered to the guitar then back to him.

     “Sure… I brought an extra one already… you can borrow it…”

     “Thanks…” I smiled.

     “Alyson, fasten your seatbelt, we need to go now…” Adam said tapping my shoulder as he starts the car.

     “Oh sorry…” I quickly fastened my seatbelt and sit properly like a kid that had been given a sermon. “Have you memorized the song?”

     “Yah, of course…”

     “Hey Alyson, listen to this… tell me if I’m out of tune…” Nate said.

     “Sure…” I said facing him.

     Then he started playing as if I didn’t taught it to him a few hours ago, as if he’d been playing it for a year now.

     “So how’s that?”

     “That was great! You’re really a fast learner!”

     “Thanks…”

     “How about you Shane?”

     “Yah… I keep playing it at home… want to hear it?” Shane said.

     “Sure…”

     Then he played and sang it as well.

     “Wow… you’re really amazing!” I said still facing them. “You just learned that in a few hours while I planned that for a week!”

     “Of course, you’re a great teacher… besides, a week for a wonderful song?”

     “Well… thanks…” I smiled.

 

 

♦129♦

 

 

     “Hey, want to practice?” Nate asked.

     “Sure…” I said then I flickered to Adam.

     “Sure… but Alyson, please sit properly...”

     “Stop the car… I’ll sit at the back…”

     “Oh alright…”

     I got off the car and sit back in the middle of Shane and Nate to ask them to teach me how to play their other songs.

 

     By the time we reach the recording studio, I learned to play almost all the songs.

     “Wow… if we were a fast learner, what do you call yourself? The fastest learner in the whole wide world…?” Nate asked as we go out of Adam’s car.

     “It’s just fun learning to play them…”

     “Hey, I’d like you to meet someone…” Adam said.

     “Who?”

     “Well, you didn’t meet her the last time you were here because she was out of town…”

     “Hello Adam, Shane and Nate! It’s so long since I saw you three! And who is this lovely woman?” a red head woman with glasses in a black shirt said. She flickered to me then to Adam. “Let me guess, Adam?”

     “Why is it always me? But yes, you’re right, Shirley…” Adam said.

     “I knew it…” then she looked at me again. “I’m Shirley Musso, and you are?” she said smiling. She put her hand in front of me.

     “I’m Alyson Smith…” I shook her hand and smiled at her.

     “Um, we called yesterday, right?” Nate asked.

     “Yes… of course… so what’s the song you need to follow up for your album?”

     “It’s titled impossible written by Alyson…”

     “Ah… well then, we don’t have all day… or may I say, all night… so c’mon…” she led us to the same studio as before.

 

 

♦130♦

 

 

Nothing has change, still have the same bunch of wires and everthing. I took two deep breaths to relax myself. There are only five people there. At least now I’m not that nervous, since I’ve done a lot of school plays before that includes more than a thousand of audience watching me perform.

 

     After we finished recording, we went out to dinner to restaurant Gary Danko.

     “Alyson, you’re a great singer!” Shirley complimented.

     “And songwriter…” Shane added.

     “Well, thanks…” I said.

     “How would you like to try Broadway? Or songwriting? I’m the one who discovered the unknown… not that I’m being boastful or anything but look at them now…”

     “She’s right… she’s the root of us…” Adam said.

     “Well, thanks but no thanks… I’m planning to finish college first before going to show business…”

     “Ah, well, here’s my card… just in case you change your mind… you’re always welcome…” she said handing me a small blue card.

     “Thanks…” I said taking it from her.

     “How old are you?”

     “I’m seventeen… well, I’m turning eighteen this coming December thirteen…”

     “Ah… so are you in college already?”

     “Not yet… fourth year high school this school year…”

     “Ah… so where are you studying?”

     “Um, actually I haven’t enrolled myself yet, since I thought before, that I’m only having a vacation here, but my dad decided to stay here since he has some clients here…”

     “Did you find some schools interesting for you?”

     “Well, yes… though maybe I’ll enroll myself tomorrow to where Shane’s recommending me… to Abraham Lincoln High School…”

 

 

♦131♦

 

 

     “Ah… nice choice… so when will you start?”

     “Next week, I guess…”

     “Ah… well, good luck to you…”

 

     After we eat, Adam drove me home alone.

     “We only got a week left…” he said.

     “Of course…”

     “And next week you’ll have a special classmate…”

     “Who?”

     “He’ll drive by…”

     “Okay… let me guess… is he my best friend?”

     “You two are best friends?”

     “Yah… kinda…”

     “Well then… yes…”

     “Will it be okay for him to study? You know… the fans… girls…”

     “I guess… he’s the one who keeps insisting it… actually since we were home schooling, he keeps saying that he wants to try normal school… just for experience… well, we think that since it’s his last year as well, he can try it… if he can’t handle it… it’s his regrets…”

     “Okay…”

     “And you could come to our house and I’ll teach you if you have some problems on stuffs… or better yet, you could come to our house every day after class, so we can still hang out… and it will be a study group in the same time…”

     “Thanks… so that means you’ll be my tutor?”

     “Kinda like that...”

     “Okay… well, I’ll go inside now… bye… goodnight…” I said and kiss him.

     I went out of his car and waved goodbye as his car disappeared in the corner. I went inside and headed to my room—since I already had dinner— and prepared my things before I went to sleep.

 

 

♦132♦

 

 

     I woke up a little dizzy, and it’s been a week now. I brushed my teeth and took a bath. Then I put my striped tee, denim jeans and white wedge shoes. Then I went downstairs to eat breakfast. Maybe I’ll just read my emails later, if I have some.

      “Good morning, Alyson…” Amy greeted. She put the last pancake on the plate.

     “Good morning…”

     “Excited for school?” she asked looking at my bag.

     “Not really… just prepared…”

     “Ah… well, have some breakfast first…”

     “Okay… thanks…” I said sitting down.

     “So are you going to drive my Porsche?” she asked giving me a plate of pancakes.

     “Um, no… I guess Shane will fetch me… Adam told me last week…” I said taking a bite.

     “Ah… are you going to use the Mercedes or Volvo?”

     “I’m guessing, neither… maybe Shane’s Ferrari…”

     “Ah…” she sat across me.

     “Um, where are the others?” I asked as I take a glass of pineapple juice.

     “Suzie and Jeremy headed to school already… their school bus drove by a few minutes before you went down… while Abby’s in the garden now…”

     “Okay…” I said taking another bite. Then I heard the doorbell ring. “I’ll get it…”

     “Good morning…” Shane said with a smile.

     “Oh hey… I’m not yet finish eating breakfast yet… why don’t you join me?”

     “Oh that’s okay… I just ate…”

     “C’mon…”

     “Hey Shane… it’s nice to see you again…” Amy said.

 

     It didn’t take that much time to reach Abraham Lincoln high school— or maybe I didn’t notice it since I keep chatting— now

 

 

♦133♦

 

 

I’m only hoping that I can fit in.

     “You ready?” Shane asked.

     “Of course… how about you?”

     “Yah…”

     “Ready your eardrums…”

     “Always put your hand on my arm, okay…”

     “Why?”

     “To make sure I can stay with you…”

     “Okay…” I chuckled.

     “Well, c’mon…” we went outside and I can see that some students are already looking at us.

     “Shane Cyrus? Really?” I heard someone murmured.

     “It is true… he’s really studying here…” another murmur.

     “Mr. Cyrus, can I have your autograph?” a girl suddenly approached us.

     “Sorry, but I’m not a celebrity today… I’m just your average schoolmate… and one more thing, call me Shane, I bet we’re just the same age…”

     “Okay Shane…” she blushed still with wide smile.

      As we go toward the campus, I can see that all are staring and murmuring about us, but of course, mostly about him.

     “I hope they’re only talking about you… regardless me…” I whispered to him.

     “It’s not their fault you’re holding to me for my protection…”

     “Well, I hope I’m not gonna be ambush later by the girls of the campus…”

     “Don’t worry… just hold tight…” he chuckled.

     “Hey, aren’t we going to the office first?”

     “Oh yah… where’s the paper?”

     “What paper?”

     “Didn’t I gave you a—”

     “Nope… lets just ask someone…”

     “Okay… um, excuse me, can you tell us where the principal office is?” he asked a man at about his height.

 

 

♦134♦

 

 

     “Go inside then to your right… as you walk toward, you’ll see some doors, you’ll see a small sign over the door reading FRONT OFFICE… you could ask for directions there…”

     “Okay… thanks…”

     We followed his instructions then we went inside, the office was small; a little waiting area with padded folding chairs, blue flecked commercial carpet, notices and awards cluttering the walls, a big clock ticking loudly. There are some plants grew in pots. The room was cut in half by a long counter, cluttered with wire baskets full of papers and brightly colored flyers taped to its front. There were three desks behind the counter, one of which was manned by a brunette woman wearing glasses. She was wearing a white collared shirt and black skirt.

     The brunette woman looked up. “Can I help you?”

     “I’m Shane Cyrus and this is Alyson Smith…” Shane informed her.

     “Of course…” she said. She dug through a precariously stacked pile of documents on her desk till she found the one she was looking for. “I have your schedule right here, since you two have the same classes, and a map of the school.” She brought several sheets to the counter to show us. “And I’m Ms. Weber.”

     She went through our classes for us, highlighting the best route to each on the map and gave us a slip to have each teacher sign, which we were to bring back at the end of the day. She smiled to us and hoped that we would be comfortable here. We smiled back convincingly.

     “Memorize it already?” Shane asked when we were alone.

     “Yah… sure…”

     “Okay…”

 

     The rest of the morning in about the same fashion, we go to a class, students scream the teachers calm them down. Well, at least none of them wants us or just him to go in front and

 

 

♦135♦

 

 

introduce ourselves. Well, obviously they already know Shane very well. Whenever the teacher is gone, they come and ask for a picture or autograph.

     We sat at the end of a full table, some people talk to me on how I met Shane then like a recorded tape, I keep saying that I met Adam first, and then many thought I’m dating Shane, and I just keep repeating that we’re just best friends.

 

     After class, we quickly went to his Ferrari before other students approach us and ask for his autograph. Though he gave up at the end of the class and gave everyone an autograph, he still missed some.

     “How’s your hand?” I asked then smiled crookedly.

     “Fine… good thing they have their own pen… or mine will be out of ink already…”

     “At least you’ve practice your penmanship…”

     “Sure… and my hand sore…” he said massaging his right hand.

     “So I guess you regret studying here with me?”

     “Nope… it’s for experience anyway…”

     “Okay… if you want I’ll drive…”

     “Thanks… hey look, that’s her…” he gestured to a blonde girl.

     “What’s with her?”

     “Well, I kinda have a…”

     “You have a crush on her? Great!” then I suddenly remembered that she’s the girl who sat in front of us on english. “Hey Lily!” I greeted her loudly.

     “Oh hey, Alyson and Shane…” she smiled showing her gorgeous dimples.

     “Lily!” a boy on the football team at about an inch or two taller than me said approaching her.

     “Oh hey, Justin…” then she faced us again, “Oh yah, Alyson, Shane, this is my boyfriend Justin…”

 

 

♦136♦

 

 

     “Oh, nice to meet you…” I said then I flickered to Shane.

     “It’s okay…” he murmured only to me.

     “Well, I guess we have to leave now… Shane needs ice for his hand…” I said waving goodbye.

     “Okay, bye…” Lily said waving at us. Then I drove away.

     “Sorry about that…” I bit my lip.

     “That’s okay…”

     “I bet you can find another one tomorrow…”

     “Sure…”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

♦137♦

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEPTEMBER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OCTOBER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOVEMBER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DECEMBER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JANUARY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FEBRUARY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MARCH

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

APRIL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reviews

[mmzx]

haha. i like the last part. about the months. lol.