City People and Trains

So I've formulated a few ideas.

#1: "How To Read Books" Vlog
I'm a fan of vlogs. I also love books and talking about books and my YouTube channel hosts a whole flow of Perks readers. So I think I would like to start a vlog talking about books and what-not and how to go about reading them and what to read if you love some book.

#2: New Story
Chris is living the bare minimum. He's living in the basement of an apartment complex and can't seem to deal with anything in his life anymore. He's in his twenties and he should be out having a fucking ball every night, but instead he's drinking, getting beaten in fights and blowing every chance he has with the one person he can stand for more then five minutes. Then he lands a job driving buses at night. It's pathetic. It pays next to shit but he doesn't have to deal with anyone telling him to get his shit together because anyone who boards a bus at one in the morning doesn't even have their own shit together.

#3: Sunday 8 pm EST Updates
To keep my writing posts consistent I'll post a new update every Sunday at 8 or around that time. I feel like I'll post something and then never again for a month. So to keep you guys busy and keep my writing coming and keeping myself together I'll start writing more instead of staring at my Twitter waiting to see whether or not John Nolan re-joined Taking Back Sunday.

Listen to: Cage the Elephant "Back Against The Wall"
Read: "Oedipus Rex" Sophocles
Go see: "Alice in Wonderland"

Last Place 2.0 is off and official.

So after the first update of the new and improved "Last Place 2.0"...
Nathan is officially annihilated.
Cass is different also.

Fair Game:
-Bennett Williams
-Cass
-Kerrington
-Amber
-Sean and Becky
-Nathan

So don't get mad at me because I promise you a big happy surprise will be coming up. It's going to be quite plot altering but once we leave the good old exposition hopefully you'll be happy.

Pre-occupation.

Hi

Read Oedipus Rex. It's Greek Theatre, but it's helping me figure out my life right now. It's about a king- Oedipus who was gived his fate and did all he could to avoid it. He ended up living up to what was predicted because of his strongest inner flaw. But did he make the decicision to unintentionally make the oracle come true? Or did fate make the decision for him?

I like a boy I've never met. He likes Modest Mouse and The Shins and Radiohead. He makes me feel butterflies. He makes me feel self-concious. I'm not that outgoing and I'm rarely insecure. We make eye contact a lot. He is perfect from afar.

The reason I'm saying all of this:

If I like this boy so much and see us talking and getting along from what I already know about him... is that my oracle? And if I'm trusting what I've learned from the story of Oedipus Rex, should I be the master of my own destiny and try to talk to him maybe once? Should I fight fate in hopes of overcoming it and reaching my oracle which I predicted myself? Or should I wait for fate to force me in his direction if that's fate's plan?

I don't know. I just know what I feel.

But he likes the Shins.

In love? Me? Never. A cynic? Me? Never. Us? Together?!?! Friends?!? Maybe.

He does like the Shins.

I'll stop spewing my nonsense and try writing something.
I'll try writing something listening to "New Slang" by the Shins on repeat.

But oh my lanta. He likes the Shins.

Jaseyray

Nick and Lace

/\ I kind of see a little bit of Nick /\

I really just go to school with Nick.

/\ I totally see Lace doing this /\

Captures him nicely

When I say I go to school with Nick: I see a boy walking the halls that I always picture walking down the halls talking to Lace and being the character I'd imagine Nick being like in school. Also the Lieutenant is a car I walk by on my way home that is exactly as I describe it. I write a lot more about it in Nick's story I started writing originally.

Nick's POV

Around six I hear the Lieutenant driving up. I've been waiting for a half hour. My ride was supposed to get me at five-thirty but Lace is always late. So I always tell him to pick me up a half hour before he's supposed to. The Lieutenant is the shittiest Landcruiser on the continent. He can't take turns too sharply because it loses balance easily, but if there were a better car for the money Lace shelled out I doubt it'd have as much character.

It is all rusty and discolored. The leather seats are all cracked and he has duct tape holding the side-view mirrors on. There is a huge dent in the back, but nothing heart breaking. The wheels screech when he hits the gas. He broke the radio. Sometimes it stops working completely. Sometimes it reincarnates into a Mustang- but that hasn't happened since the one time I took acid when I was a stupid kid. But there's something about it that makes me goddamn love this fucking car. I think they have a name for love like this.

But I think most people would call it an emotional complex.

When the Lieutenant pulls up I get up and dust off my ass in case paint chips are all over it. I walk across my lawn and reach for the door handle. It goes shooting past me as Lace hits the gas. He miscalculates and goes right up onto the "curb" (it's isn't really a curb, it's an inch off of the street) and goes into the Stop sign.

I laugh watching as he backs up like he just recoiled from a hit. The engine cuts and gets out. "Fuck," He says, he's freaked out a little. He walks around and looks at the front bumper. He picks at it a little. "Huh, not even a scratch." He smiles a little.

"You're the worst driver ever," I say in between laughs. Me and Lace laugh like goddamn maniacs when shit like this happens.

He looks up at me kicking the bumper softly. "I may not be the best," He said. "But I'm the luckiest fucking driver out there." I have to roll my eyes at that. I sit down in my passenger seat. He walks over getting in and sitting down behind the wheel. "Besides, you're no expert. ***********************************?"

I roll my eyes. "That was just bad luck." I say. "I'm a good driver."

He turns on the engine again and reaches forward. Lace is the only person on the planet to still use cassette tapes. He flips it over and just sticks it back in. He rolls his eyes at me as he does it. "Keep telling yourself that, kid," He says laughing a little.

I look at the dashboard putting my feet up on it. "You're airbags didn't even go off," I say snorting. "You're going through the windshield someday, dude. I put money on it."

He starts driving slowly by the Stop sign looking at it. It's crooked now a little. Maybe my head was tilted a little, but it looked pretty crooked. "Tell your mum I didn't mean to." He said. "Say you wanted to drive tonight and drove up and hit it."

I snort again. "You're such a joke, you know that," I shift in the uncomfortable seat. Its soft cushion covered with cheap leather. I push down harder on the dashboard with my feet. He turns up the radio some more and nods his head. I don't know if he's nodding at what I just said or the music.

Sinus Infection.

I don't have one.
Bu I think I have something of the sort in my right brain. I can't finish anything. But I want to write. I just start writing useless little love speals and what not.

Stressssssssssssssssssssssss.

Not really. I'm pretty happy for some reason. I guess it's a side-effect of having a crush. This really should be helping me but really it's killing me. But I've been checking out photography and my images of characters are becoming clearer. I'll post a few pictures I've saved. Maybe you'll know who they are.

jaseyray

Nick's POV ---- Nick's house

My mom walked in with a few boxes of pizza. "Hey Suze," Lace said.

"Hi," She said smiling. "I thought you'd be here. I just ran into Salvy at the post office, he said you and Nick were somewhere." She put the boxes on the counter slipping her bag on top of them. "Are you stayign for dinner? We have plenty..."

"Oh, no thank you," He said.

"Suze, guess where Lacey Boy here is going tonight?" I said smiling. He crossing his arms and pretended to now be bothered or annoying by what I just said.

"Where?" She asked. "If you're just embarrassing him I don't want to hear it." She went over to the sink and washed her hands. It's kind of funny how she treats Lace more like her son than she treats me. I guess that was bound to happen.

"Thanks, Suze," He said. "It is just to embarrass me by the way but that won't stop him."

"He's taking a girl on a date," I said smiling. "Guess which girl?"

"Her name's Emily right?" Suze said.

"Yep," I said. "It's their first date and Sir Lancelot is nervous. He's shaking in his sneakers. You can't tell but he thinks she's going to dump him because he couldn't think of anything to do on this first date."

"I thought you were already dating," My mother said looking at Lace. "Isn't she your girlfriend?"

"No," Lace said. "I didn't want to rush things."

"Oh shut up," I said smirking. "You guys are practically engaged. All you guys do is mack it."

"No we don't," He said. "Stop." He is always so touchy about Old Emily like the Poet. It's pretty funny but he's knows I'm only kidding. I just smile and Suze sweeps in.

"Where are you taking her?" She asks.

He shrugs. "I couldn't think of anything," He said. "But just probably out to dinner or something."

"She eats!" I said sthrowing my arms up. "She's a keeper!"

Suze laughs. And Scottie Boy walks in. "Whose a keeper?" He asks. He walks over to Suze and kisses her cheek before moving onto the fridge to get a can of soda. Lace always says how my parents act like theyu're still in their twenties and I guess I can see it sometimes. Especially since my dad still drinks Diet Soda like he's underaged.

"Emily," I said. "Lace's Lady-friend."

"She was a nice girl," He said. "Polite too."

You can see Lace kind of blush. I figure this is enough bugging for tonight. "Do you want me to pick David up from his pottery class?" I ask. "He's at pottery tonight right?"

"Do you mind?" Suze says. "I swear, if Bradly's mother blind-sides me one more time I'm going to gauge her eyes out with a felting knife. I'm so sick of talking about her fundraisers and candy stripes." Scratch that... my parents act like twenty-year olds with a fifty-year-old's problems.

"It's fine," I said. "He wanted to show me his project anyways. He was telling me they're making hollow spheres and shit."

"Watch your mouth," Scott says and I nod.

"He was telling me about that too," Lace said. "When are you picking him up?"

"The class gets out at six," I say.

"I'm going out with Em at seven can I come too?" He asks.

I shrug. "Do you seriously want to?" I ask.

"Yeah," Lace says. "I'm not doing anything until I pick her up anyways. I might as well. I told him I'd come see his stuff too." He really means it too. Sometimes you really can't ask someone to do this, but that's what's different about Lace. He'll tell your brother he'll visit his pottery class and really go and visit his pottery class.

"But you don't want to be late for your date, do you?" Suze asks.

"I'll make it in time." Lace says. "Come on," He pushes off of the counter. I look at my parents who just accept it and move on. I follow him out to the Lieutenant and get in. I jokingly rub the cracking leather and lok around.

"What are you doing?" He asks laughing.

"Relishing the moment," I said. "Just think about it... when Emily becomes your girlfriend after tonight I'm stuck in the backseat for good."

He rolled his eyes and pulled out. "She's not going-"

"Shut up," I said. "You're in love with her. Just admit it, dude."

"Piss off," He sighs and he starts driving. I smile and we head off to the next town to see the elf heads David made for us out of clay.

------------ POV ------- setting: house party

I sank down against the wall and looked over at Elisa and Bennett. I wasn't jealous but they looked fucking awkward. He kept running his hand through his hair and looking down at her feet and she was laughing nervously and squeezing her neck. It was uncomfortable for me to watch. I wanted to walk over and come out and say it that whatever he was doing was a wasted effort. But I don't really know why I was thinking that. I mean, I'm just really fucked up I guess, but when you see two people talking like they were you want to go over and tell them to move on to the next one. This isn't going to work out, guys, I'm really sorry.

Bennett's a nice guy and everything, but he's an airhead for crying out loud. He's a hypocrite. He's a poser. He's aiming to be someone and fallign short. He's not good for Elisa. He has to fucking spine.

Then Rainie came over plopping down next to me. "Hey," She said. She looked at where I was looking. "Who is that?"

"Bennett and this girl Elisa," I said. I didn't look over at Rainie. I just kept staring at Bennett and Elisa. Their names sounded so weird together. They didn't work even with their fucking names.

"I don't think I know her," She said. "Is she a junior?"

"Yeah," I said. "She's a junior." A junior. We've been in the same school system for three years and I didn't even know she existed.

"Huh," Rain said nodding. "Why are you so pissed?"

"I'm not," I said. I finally looked away from them. I looked at Rainie. She sipped the cup in her hand and looked at my like I was lying. "Why?"

"You just looked pissed," She said. "Are you mad at Bennett or something?"

"No," I said. I looked back over. "I just think they aren't that great together."

I felt Rainie watching me. She just looked at me and didn't really say anything. "So," She said. "It's Bennett- he's not great for anyone."

"Yeah," I said. "But look at how awkward he is. He was just flailing around and freaking her out. I mean, he has no spine whatsoever. I don't even know why she's even fucking talking to him." I looked down at the cup in my hand. I took a sip. I was getting all fired up for some reason.

Rainie laughed softly. "What-" She said. "Do you like this girl Elisa?"

"No," I said. "We're friends and stuff though, I just think Bennett isn't good for her."

Rainie nudged me. "Jealousy is part of the process," She said. "Do you think she's cute?"

"I guess," I looked over at Rainie. "We're just friends though."

"What color are her eyes?"

"Hazel," I said. "I'm not like going after her or anything, I'm just saying her and Bennett are fucking weird together. She could do so much better." Rainie was laughing quietly and looked over at Elisa and Bennett again.

"Go talk to them," She said. "I'll get Paul to switch hours with you so you can work Saturday afternoons and go out at night."

I looked over at her. "Is he going to be cool with you gambling his hours?"

"No," Rainie said. "But I can switch mine to whatever I want so he'll have to switch hours with you and everything. I gaurantee you'll get the afternoon shift."

I thought about it. "Ok," I said. I finished off my drink and pushed myself up off of the ground and started over.

Elisa looked over and saw me. Her cheeks turned slightly pink when we made eyecontact and she looked away. She looked back at Bennett who was talking about something in his math class. "Hey, Lise, what's up?" I walked up. She looked at me and Bennett stopped talking.

"Hi," She said softly detaching her fingers from her neck for only a second.

"That CD you burned me is amazing," I said. "How did you find those recordings? I didn't even know they existed." She looked at Bennett quickly and then back at me. She moved her arms down and crossed them.

"Oh, um," She started. "Yeah, I just found them one day or something. They're, uh, pretty cool. Not many people have them..."

Bennett shifted uncomfortablely and I looked at him. Bastard had it coming.

"Have you heard the leaked Early November stuff?"

"No," She said shaking her head.

I smiled. "I'll have to burn you a copy," I said. "It's really cool stuff. You'll love it."

She smiled a little. "Yeah, sure," She said. "And I have some acoustic tracks too that I found. Just Saves the Day stuff, I don't know if you have them but they're really good. I think they're live- recorded at some show."

Bennett cleared his throat. She looked at him. "Hey," He said. "I'm going to go smoke a cig, I'll be right back."

"See you later dude," I said. "We have to talk later, I heard your band has a few gigs. You'll have to tell me about it." I won. The kid knew it. He had to. He nodded and said goodbye to Elisa and walked away.

I looked back at her and she watched him go. Then she looked back at me. "We have English Monday, right?" I said. She nodded.

"Yeah," She said. "I'll burn you a copy and give it to you then."

"Yeah cool," I said.

"What did you think of the EP?"

I don't know why I felt so fucking incredible all of a sudden. I think I was just happy to have broken up their awkward conversation. Maybe I was just really stoned but I felt fucking fantastic.

Muahahaha

Hopefully I've thrown you all off of my trail.

I'll just say as of now this story is under massive reconstruction.
Brace yourselves.

Rainie's POV -------- setting: hallway

I looked over and saw him. I slipped my bag over one shoulder and exhaled. I shut my locker and started over to him. He was cramming books into his bag- one after the other. "Hey," I said walking up to him.

He looked over at me and smiled a little. "Hey," He said back lifting his hand in a wave. he sank dwon to his knees and worked on fitting them all inside.

"So," I said walking up and crossing my arms a little. "What's new?"

"Nothing," He said. "What about you?"

I shrugged. "The same old stuff," I said. I looked at him and he finally got up looking back into his locker for a few more seconds.

"Did Paul's band get that gig in the basement of the Church downtown?" He looked over. This was so strange. Everything was completely forgotten. We were friends. And that was it.

I nodded smiling. "Yeah," I said. "They did. It's a pretty big deal I guess."

"Yeah," He said smiling. "I heard they booted that shitty band Three Cheers."

I smiled. "They were so bad," I said.

"But Paul's bands really good," He said. "I got a demo from him at work."

That was weirder. They were friends. I didn't get it but I didn't want to get into it. It was better than just the three of us walking around the achool avoiding one or the other. I smiled tucking hair behind my ear. "They're getting so much better," I said.

He nodded and shut his locker throwing his bag onto his back. Then he looked at me. "So," He said. "I kept talking to that girl I told you about." His voice lowered a little. "Thanks, you know, for the advice."

I smiled. "Any time," I said. "So are you sweeping her off of her feet?"

He smiled a little. "No," He said. "She's scared shitless of me but we're talking more. She's really cool."

I smiled. "Who is it?" I asked. "It's bugging me." I've asked the few Juniors I've talked to who it could be but they don't know anyone like he's described. He smiles adn shakes his head.

"No," He said. "But I'll see you later. You working this afternoon?"

"Yeah," I said. "We're both working until seven so I'm giving him a ride home. Why?"

"A few records came out today," He said. "I'll stop by and visit you or something."

I smiled. "Okay," I said.

"Paul was complaining though because he said that kid Bennett was working there today," He said rolling his eyes. "I might hang around in there for a while."

"Cool," I said. "I'll be sure to come by on break."

He smiled. "See you Rainie Joseph," He said like he always did.

I smiled. And he walked away down the halls.

He was smiling so much more. I smiled to myself headed down the other hallway to find Paul waiting at his locker for me. He was going through his locker like he always does and I couldn't help but smile even more. I moved my arms around covering his eyes. "Hey," He said not even reacting.

He turned pealign my hands off of his eyes. I smiled and we kissed. I was so happy. That was really strange too. After so long I didn't know I could be this happy again.

Sean's POV ------- setting: peterson high school

I saw Jeremy. He was hunched over eating while Jonah was talking beside him to one of Jeremy's friends. I don't know where Jeremy gets all fo these friends but they are always from completely random groups. This kid is one of those indie rock hipsters, I think his name is Miles or whatever.

I set my tray down across from Jonah and climb onto the bench next to Miles. He doesn't look over he just continues to listen to Jonah go on and on about someone. In a few minutes I know he's going on about Steve. Who else would be talking about anyways?

Jonah doesn't even stop to take a breath. He just keep talking and talking. He isn't eating today that's why. He's telling stories he's told a million times too many. They used to be cool or funny but now they're just annoying.

"He's into Sunday Drive, right?" The kid cuts in.

Then Jonah pauses. "Have you guys ever talked about music?" Jonah says laughing a little. "They're all he fucking talks about. He's obsessed with them." I look over at the kid Miles. "You know Bennett, right? He's into them too. They each make up fifty percent of the Sunday Drive fanbase here."

I look down at my lunch. Another Sunday Drive conversation.

"Actually," He says. "The reason I'm asking is because I hang around with this girl who listens to them too and her and Steven started hanging out, I think. I'm not sure, we're not that close, but I heard them talking about the band. I was just wondering what was up with them."

Then is all started clicking. It all snapped into place. I looked at Jonah waiting for him to look at me and piece it together too. Instead he kept talking. I ate my lunch in silence. It all made sense to me.

Cass' POV ------ setting: Cass' house. (Just a taste)

It's official. I'm going to kick the crackhead who decided to have school at seven fifteen in the morning in the balls when I run into him someday, right after I kick the idiot who made my alarm clock in the balls too. I lifted my head and saw my alarm decided to not go off (AGAIN!) and that Lise was picking me up in twenty minutes.

I jumped up in a panic and ran into the hallway to my bathroom. I was going to have to pee, brush my hair and do my make-up and brush my teeth simultaneously if I was ever going to get outside in time so me and Elisa weren't late for school. Fuck. Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Luckily Sue-Ann was done with the bathroom- the bitch- and I could run in and try and look presentable from the neck up. Stupid eighth graders think they need to look good. Who gives a shit what some stupid eighth grader looks like. They just figured out what sex was last week- they don't need mascara or to straighten their hair. I was in a rush anyways. I didn't have time to think about Sue-Ann and her fried straight hair and clear mascara she bought whenever we went to the mall. In fact I didn't have time to think.

I washed my hands at lightening speed and looked up at myself in the mirror. My hair wasn't that crazy. It was curly but it was tame. I'd pull it back though anyways. I wasn't in the mood for Matt Fryer to reach out and play with my banana curls gawking about how my hair was the eighth wonder of the world. I put on make-up to cover the grey circles that would be sure to form around my eyes and enough eye-liner to make my eyes pop.

In seven minutes I emerge and hurry to my room. I don't have any outfit planned I just throw on the first pair of jeans find and the first grey shirt on my dresser. Then I throw on one of those button-down sweaters and call it a day. I grab an elastic, my math textbook, my backpack, my iPod, my cell phone, Miles' book I never read, and a History book and head downstairs. Who the fuck invented text-books. I look forward to when we have computers for everything like that.

Packing is easy now. I can stop rushing. I look at my new schedule. Thank god I dropped that fucking English class. I have a free ride this year. I'm all set. I have all average classes but now I have no classes with Elisa. She would never say it but, in all honesty, she's pissed. We've been all of the same classes since the eighth grade and now I'm ditching her for average classes with kids my own age.

I mean, Elisa's smart. She's got English down pat and a few others Honors. But me? I haven't read a book in a year unless it was Dr. Suess (Don't ask.) and I don't plan to. Who cares about Mocking Bird and Expectations (even if they are Great). I'm going to a State School and I'm proud of it.

I run into the kitchen and see Sue-Ann putting on her shitty furry boots and slipping her backpack over her shoulders. "Late again?" She looks up. We look the same. It's creepy. But that's what my families like. We all look the same.

"Shut up," I say. I grab a pop-tart and look over my shoulder and see Elisa's car parked out front. Then I rush grabbing my bag and the stuff I haven't crammed into it and head out the front door.

Elisa's car's really nice. Her mom bought is last June when she got her license. It's new and everything and Elisa was probably one of the best drivers in our Driver's Ed class. I failed it and I don't have a car so it doesn't matter. She has a license and Miles has one. I'm golden.

I open the passenger door and pile in. "Hey," I say. I shut the door and try to disentangle myself from my mess of things hanging out of my arms.

She looks over. "Hi," She says. She looks tired for once. She leans over and looks at me. I would give anything to have her hair. Its a nice dark brown with a little red in it. Plus it's nice and stick straight. She barely even has make-up on today and she looks fine. I have to cake it all on to look like her. Geez.

"Sorry, alarm didn't go off," I said.

"It's fine," She said. "Mine went off early."

I settle and reach forward opening my pop-tart. I break off a good sized piece and pass it to her. She takes it awkwardly and I go on eating it without watching her. She nibbles at it soon enough. "So," I say. "Guess who called me last night?"

"Kevin," She says smiling a little for me.

"Yes," I say smiling. "We talked until like two, I'm exhausted." She smiles a little and turns her car back on. Her stereo is playing- of course- Sunday Drive. If you don't know Elisa- her favorite thing in the entire world is music. Out of that huge catagory she listens to Sunday Drive religiously. She's wearing a Sunday Drive t-shirt she bought this past August today and she has every song they ever wrote and has been a fan since the third year they were together. Die-hard doesn't even cover how crazy she is for them. But you'd never know. She's a closet music addict.

"When's he going to ask you out?" She asks.

"Never," I said rolling my eyes. "He likes Liz Castro."

"She's so ugly," Elisa says. Then she looks over. "He'll like you eventually."

I shrug. "I hope so," I say. I hope she's right. In some weird way Elisa always tends to be right. At least from what I've seen in the past she is.

But who really knows.

Notes. Notes. Notes.

Does anyone want some new notes?

Not just Nick POV's or anything to do with "Miracle" but would it spoil it if I introduced some new "Last Place"? It's very similar and still soooo different. I'm hoping it will seem more realistic. I haven't posted a lot because I've been busy going into the city and drooling over the first biography I ever read (Elliott Smith- musician/songwriter).

Plus I've been drawing again and loving art again. I'll tell you: School Art Ruins Art. Ahh! I can't even explain how much a college art class can help you. Every Saturday I go into the city now for an art class. It's so rad. I'm a city person. I'll tell you that.

But I don't know how severe I should make the notes. Should I bat around the bush and not rip your skulls off or should I just write some other POVs and avoid the main characters? Because a lotta ya are gonna be pissed I think. I'll tell you that.

jaseyray