I’m not really feeling too hot today. My stomach is achy and I don’t have much gumption to draw right now. So, to have something of note here today, here’s some old short stories I penned in 2001 with So…this webcomic characters. It’s not my best work (far from it!), but it’s something. I’ve edited them slightly, but there’s a ton of errors and crappy writing. At least you can see the difference eleven years can make! Hit the jump to read the three relics of my early adulthood.—
A girl stood by a lake, watching the ripples flow from a nearby duck. She was young, a 17 year old who was discovering things about herself and about her friends. How they had changed over the last two years into totally different people. How could girls she once knew and respected turn into…what they are now?
A noise makes the girl jump, but it is only her grandfather. She smiles at him. He returns her smile. “Nice day, isn’t it Marie?”
“Yes, I guess so.”
“You seem to be sad about something. I hardly see you smile…only when you first see me do you smile Marie.”
“It’s…just that things have changed Grandpa.”
“Oh?” He sat down and threw breadcrumbs towards the duck.
“My friends have changed…they are trampy now. Wear so much makeup and wear skimpy clothes…I don’t want to be like them.”
“Who said you have to?” he replies. “People may have the need to follow others, but sometimes people discover that they should be the ones leading. You sound like you want to stop following.”
“Yeah, I do.”
“I tell you what Marie. I was once in your shoes. Back in the 50′s everyone where I lived had to be able to afford the coolest clothes. My mother couldn’t, so I was always the nerd at school for wearing a simple sweater and slacks while they wore leather and jeans. But you know what? All of them…they never will have the happiness I have now. For they simply followed what was hip at the time. And you know what? What is hip at some point will fade, and something else will rise. Why waste money trying to be like some stupid bimbo on the television? Why not be who you are? And that’s been my motto ever since Marie.”
“I like that.” she mutters.
“Well then, I think it’s time to go inside. It’s getting dark out here.” he stands up and begins towards the house. “It’s times like this I wish your grandmother was still alive Marie. She’d be able to help you more than I could.”
“Aw, grandpa. You helped me more than you know.” She stood up and hugged him. “I love you Grandpa.”
“And I love you Marie. Come on, I have some cookies on the table.”
The two went inside, and had a good night. But alas, Marie never did see her grandfather alive again. He passed away that night in his sleep. She cried, so much her eyes were red. And she never smiled after that. But she never forgot what he said to her that day.
—
Chad picked the strings of his bass guitar. Not quite in tune he noticed. As he messed around with them he began thinking about the things going on in his life. How simple and quiet it is here…how he can finally be himself and not be teased and ridiculed, and how he met a girl that understands him. Alexia. She too came from the same situation he did, but at another school. Now they have met, and although Chad likes her, he can’t quite explain himself. He strummed the strings again, and this time it sounded much better. He heard a thump and turned to see Mike next to him. “What’s up man?”
“Not much, just tuning.”
“Ah. What a nice day. I love it when it’s like this.”
Mike opened his guitar case and pulled out his guitar. “I wonder where Jose is,” he asked.
“No idea. I asked someone else to jam with us today.”
“Who, Janelle?”
“No…Alexia.”
“Oh. Doesn’t she play for Hadagi?”
“Yeah.”
“I wonder how she’ll sound. I haven’t heard them,” Mike pondered as he strummed his guitar.
“She’s pretty good.”
“Heh,” Mike glanced into the sky. “Is the rest of the band coming?”
“I think Claire went to eat, but she’s on her way. Janelle had to take a test, and I’m not sure about Jose. Trent…is right there.”
Trent was walking over with Marie. “Hey, what be up my home dog G’s?” he asked as he walked up.
“Hey Marie, you gonna hang out while we jam?” Chad asked.
“No, I would like to but I have class in a few minutes. I’ll listen to you now though.”
“Well, there’s not enough of us to start yet,” Mike noted. “But I guess you and I can play for a bit.”
“My keyboard’s in Jer’s room, so I can’t play yet,” Trent spoke.
“Oh? Well, I hope he comes!” Chad spoke.
Marie shifted her weight as she watched Chad and Mike play. She did like Chad, he was a nice guy and they got along pretty well. Her first encounter with Mike however was a bad one. It was too strange…
“You okay Marie?” Chad asked. “You look like you’re spacin’ out.”
“Oh, I’m fine. I better get going, I’ll catch ya later.”
“Bye,” Mike said.
“See ya later,” Chad added.
“How long will your test take?” Trent asked.
“No idea…it’s Psychology so probably most the class period.”
“Alrighty. Peace.”
Marie waved and began to walk towards the school. Trent sat down next to Chad. Mike and Chad began to play again. Trent listened to them and thought how far they progressed since school started. And how he met a girl he actually liked, and who liked him back. He glanced towards the dorms and saw Claire and Jose coming. “Hey!” Jose yelled.
Chad raised his hand. Mike smiled and Trent stood up. “Well, most the band is here now,” Mike noted.
“Minus Chris and Janelle,” Trent added.
“What do you mean? I’m right here,” a voice called, and a slap smacked Trent in the back. Chris hopped over the bar and smirked.
“Dude, don’t hit so hard,” Trent grumbled.
“Heh, that was just a slap,” Chris joked. “What’s up?”
“We’re almost all here. Janelle can’t make it, but Alexia is gonna jam with us,” Chad informed.
“Ah.”
Claire and Jose dropped their bags and sat down. “No Janelle huh?” Jose asked.
“Nope. She has class,” Mike answered.
Claire slurped her soda. “How was lunch?” Chad asked.
“Good,” Claire nodded. “Had pizza.” She finished the soda and put the cup beside her.
“Well, let’s go jam, eh?” Jose spoke.
“Yeah!” Trent screamed.
“Dude, relax,” Chris teased him.
The group began to go inside the dorm, but Chad hesitated. “Alexia…”
He began to walk after them but heard “Chad!” from across the school. He looked and saw Alexia running with her guitar. When they locked eyes both smiled. “Then this will be fun after all,” Chad muttered, and walked towards her.
—
Song-Li stared into the cloudy sky. ‘What a dreary day,’ she thought. Her skirt blew with the wind, and her long black hair fluttered. She sat down and put her bag beside her. “Sigh. What a depressing day.”
She watched Drew and Ben skate by, and could have sworn that Drew purposely ducked trying to peek up her skirt. ‘Pervert,’ she thought. ‘How he got the job at Girls R Us is beyond me.’
As she watched them go by her sister, Yoshi-Li, crept up behind her. Yoshi-Li was only going to scare her, but she overheard “Ben is cute, I wish I could go out with him.”
‘Whoa,’ Yoshi-Li thought, and quickly ducked back behind the bench Song-Li was sitting on. ‘Ben…and Song-Li? Heh, this looks like fun.’
She sneaked off again, and grabbed her discarded stuff. She hopped on her board and skated off to the dorm, to think of a plan of how she could try to get her sister and her sister’s crush together.
—
Yikes. I guess I should feel a little embarrassed about that stuff, but hey, it’s how I got my start doing this sort of thing. I’ll try to have some actual art next week.
