Chapter 3

When Gil got home one of the first things he noticed was that Eliza had come and taken her things from the house. He didn't care to think about it, and went upstairs to sleep.

He leaned the guitar case on the wall and stripped from his clothes, promptly falling face down on the bed.

To his displeasure, sleep did not come easy. For some stupid reason he was constantly thinking about that idiot punk he met today, Arthur was it?

Like he really needed for damn competition!

After nearly two hours he drifted into a light sleep.

The next day he woke at around six, and to say the least, he was not happy.

We went through his usual routine, shower, practice, eat.

Today he sat strumming his guitar and thinking. What song to play? He picked his strings and came up with 'Miserable at Best.' He sighed sadly, then tuned his guitar and packed it up.

Downstairs he ate some eggs, since that was the only thing he was pretty confident about cooking. Anything else was liable to burn the house down.

Today he wore red pants and a black shirt with a bleeding heart on it, then his bandanna on his wrist. The look worked well for him and his mood.

It was seven by the time he left, and he was in a very numb state.

He didn't think. He didn't feel. He was very robotic in all his motions thus far.

Pulling into the bars parking lot he hopped from the car, grabbed his guitar, and walked in. As was expected, Arthur was on stage, rocking out and umping up the bar.

As before, Gil sat at a table and waited. The way Arthur got the crowd pumped made him a little jealous, but he calmed himself with the idea that if he tried, he could outdo Arthur.

Today the man was dressed in dark blue jeans and a tight green shirt, he still wore the spiked wrist band and had the British flag guitar.

Gil ordered a beer and drank it as he listened. Tonight he had the pleasure of having the punk jam out to 'Sound of Madness' by Shinedown. Gil actually enjoyed the song, for he liked Arthur's voice and pitch, it went well with the song. Not only that, but the enthusiastic rocker put on a hell of a show, and really got into his songs. He followed up with 'Pet' by A Perfect Circle.

And boy was he creeped out. Arthur had good variation, because the difference between the two songs was astronomical.

Gil seemed to have missed he start of the show because Arthur spoke into the microphone "Last song for tonight! Let me hear some noise!"

The cheering crowd pissed Gil off a bit. The guy acted like he was signed by a label already.

Arthur started another Shinedown song, this one being 'Devour.'

"Take it and take it and take it and take it and take it all

Take it and take it and take it until you take us all

Smash it and crash it and thrash it and trash it

You know they're only toys

Try it you'll like it don't hide it don't fight it, just let it out

Steal and shoot it and kill it or take another route

Take it and take it and take it

You know they're only toys

Devour Devour

Suffocate your own empire

Devour Devour

It's your final hour

Devour Devour

Stolen like a foreign soul

Devour Devour

What a way to go

You want it, you want it, you want it, you want it

Well here it is

Everything everything everything

Isn't so primitive

Take it and take it and take it and take it and take it all

Nobody nobody wants to feel like this

Nobody nobody wants to live like this

Nobody nobody wants a war like this"

Again Gil was a bit miffed. The guy was good, really good actually. He had a hell of a voice and intense stage presence.

When the song was finished he took a bow, and exited the stage. Gil then stood and walked over to his case, and set up on the stage.

The room ran with the murmurs of conversation, no longer drowned out by music. Gil started his first song, which was 'Perfect' by My Darkest Days. The song was lively, upbeat, powerful, but again, bitter and sad.

He moved down his list, playing 'Beautiful Day' by Saving Abel, simply because like the song, everything about Eliza did hurt him.

Through playing, he got a little more bitter towards Eliza. Did she think he was under her? Was she better than him?

Impromptu, his next song became 'Cooler than Me' by Josh Posner.

This backfired in his face, because now he felt guilty, and hurt even more. He went into 'The Last Song' by My Darkest Days.

Now the mood was set, and he began his last song, Miserable at Best by MayDay Parade, editing the name 'Katie' with Eliza.

Eliza, don't cry, I know

You're trying your hardest

And the hardest part is letting go

Of the nights we shared

Ocala is calling and you know it's haunting

But compared to your eyes, nothing shines quite as bright

And when we look to the sky, its not mine, but i want it so

Let's not pretend like you're alone tonight

(I know he's there and)

You're probably hanging out and making eyes

(while across the room, he stares)

I'll bet he gets the nerve to walk the floor

And ask my girl to dance, and she'll say yes

Because these words were never easier for me to say

Or her to second guess

But I guess

That I can live without you but

Without you I'll be miserable at best

You're all that I hoped I'd find

In every single way

And everything I could give

Is everything you couldn't take

Cause nothing feels like home, you're a thousand miles away

And the hardest part of living

Is just taking breaths to stay

Because I know I'm good for something

I just haven't found it yet..."

He was close to tears, very close to them actually. He felt terrible, he loved her! What is he any good for now? She was the other part of him! The ended his song, and again he brought some of the listeners to tears.

He had a good voice for sad songs, and his emotion gave it the authenticity to pick at the heart.

Without words, he got off the stage, stashed his guitar, and went to get himself another beer. His heart was in turmoil, but he looked composed.

He found Arthur at the table he was at earlier, and tried to ignore him. A girl came up to him, she was pretty cute, and he started to flirt with her.

She seemed tipsy, but not drunk. He smirked, using his looks and mysterious edge to lure her into him.

"What you singing about there, sad man?" she asked giggling

He smirked "Ah, not for you to know."

She flirted more, touching his arm and getting closer to him.

He could use a moral less and guiltless fuck...it came with the occupation didn't it? There wasn't any harm anyway, it would benefit them both. He would be distracted for Eliza, and she could tell all her friends about it.

He finished his beer, took her hand, and pulled her away from the crowd to a supply closet the manager left open for sound equipment by the stage.

He smirked and shut the door behind them, still, not feeling a thing.

Thoughts?