Les's fingers flew across the fretboard of his beloved Les Paul as he played along to the riff from "Day Tripper", which was playing over on his computer screen. Sitting on his half-made bed, he nodded his head to the music, unaware of anything else as the melody flowed over him. His hair flopped into his eyes as it often did when he was playing guitar, but he hardly noticed.
The song ended, and Les opened his eyes and grinned. That had been his best playthrough yet. He had been practicing a number of sixties and seventies rock songs for months now, and he only got better at them. Les glanced towards the window to see if anyone had noticed his playing. It didn't matter if they hadn't, but he always appreciated an audience. Often his best friend Jimmy and Jimmy's two dogs served as a loyal, reliable audience, although other times Jimmy liked to jam with Les on his drums.
The door opened, and Les's father came in. "Oh, there you are, Les. Having fun with your little hobby?"
Some of the euphoria from playing flickered out. "It's not just a little hobby, Dad," Les tried to explain. "I'm good. I've been practicing every day, and I keep getting better and better!"
His dad nodded, smiling a small indulgent smile. "Do you know what I really want you to practice every day, son? Your schoolwork." He tapped a pile of undone homework that was haphazardly piled on Les's desk. "Your grades have been slipping. I want my son getting into a good college and making his old dad proud of him."
"Dad..." Les looked down at the floor. "I don't want to apply to college. I want to start a band." He raised his eyes and glanced hopefully up at his father.
Les's dad folded his arms. "You want to start a band instead of going to college."
Swallowing hard, Les nodded.
"You'd go chasing your rock-and-roll fantasies and throw your future away? You'd really do that to your father? Come on, Les, you're a smart boy. You know better than that."
"But Dad..." Why would his father never understand?? "I love music. I'm as good as a lot of the guitarists I hear on my records..."
"Don't brag, Les. What have I told you?"
"It's not bragging, it's true!"
"It doesn't matter anyway. Son, you'll never succeed. In the end, you'll be but a wave tossed in the ocean."
Les couldn't speak. He felt a pricking at the back of his eyes, but he refused to let the tears fall. How could his father say that? Didn't he have faith in him??
Les's father glanced around the room once more, taking in with some disapproval the pile of homework from last week abandoned on Les's desk, half-buried underneath a mound of printed-out chord progressions and incomplete song ideas. "Do your homework, Les. And clean your room."
His father left, and Les threw himself down onto his bed next to the Les Paul. His dad was wrong. He had to be! Les was as good as he said he was!
"I won't be a wave tossed on the ocean! I won't! Why don't you listen, Dad?!"
The song ended, and Les opened his eyes and grinned. That had been his best playthrough yet. He had been practicing a number of sixties and seventies rock songs for months now, and he only got better at them. Les glanced towards the window to see if anyone had noticed his playing. It didn't matter if they hadn't, but he always appreciated an audience. Often his best friend Jimmy and Jimmy's two dogs served as a loyal, reliable audience, although other times Jimmy liked to jam with Les on his drums.
The door opened, and Les's father came in. "Oh, there you are, Les. Having fun with your little hobby?"
Some of the euphoria from playing flickered out. "It's not just a little hobby, Dad," Les tried to explain. "I'm good. I've been practicing every day, and I keep getting better and better!"
His dad nodded, smiling a small indulgent smile. "Do you know what I really want you to practice every day, son? Your schoolwork." He tapped a pile of undone homework that was haphazardly piled on Les's desk. "Your grades have been slipping. I want my son getting into a good college and making his old dad proud of him."
"Dad..." Les looked down at the floor. "I don't want to apply to college. I want to start a band." He raised his eyes and glanced hopefully up at his father.
Les's dad folded his arms. "You want to start a band instead of going to college."
Swallowing hard, Les nodded.
"You'd go chasing your rock-and-roll fantasies and throw your future away? You'd really do that to your father? Come on, Les, you're a smart boy. You know better than that."
"But Dad..." Why would his father never understand?? "I love music. I'm as good as a lot of the guitarists I hear on my records..."
"Don't brag, Les. What have I told you?"
"It's not bragging, it's true!"
"It doesn't matter anyway. Son, you'll never succeed. In the end, you'll be but a wave tossed in the ocean."
Les couldn't speak. He felt a pricking at the back of his eyes, but he refused to let the tears fall. How could his father say that? Didn't he have faith in him??
Les's father glanced around the room once more, taking in with some disapproval the pile of homework from last week abandoned on Les's desk, half-buried underneath a mound of printed-out chord progressions and incomplete song ideas. "Do your homework, Les. And clean your room."
His father left, and Les threw himself down onto his bed next to the Les Paul. His dad was wrong. He had to be! Les was as good as he said he was!
"I won't be a wave tossed on the ocean! I won't! Why don't you listen, Dad?!"
Shortly after the incident, the members of The Devil Wants Peace were interviewed. The interviewer asked, "John, is it true that you overcame your fear of water before you saved Allen?" John replied, "It's true." The interviewer asked, "Is it true that the rest of you were surprised when John swam so quickly?" Stan said, "Yes. I knew that his girlfriend, Caryn, taught him how to swim, but I didn't know she taught him to swim so well." Peter said, "I was impressed at how brave he was, too." Allen said, "Yeah. I'll never forget what he did for me." John said, "Thank Caryn. She's the one who taught me how to swim." Caryn saw the interview on the news, and she was very touched. Later, John said to Caryn, "Thank you for everything you did for me this summer." She said, "You're welcome." He said, "Your love for me is what motivated you to help me, and in the end, I was able to help my mates. Love conquers fear. I truly believe that."
THE END
THE END
During the 4th of July celebration in Oak Ridge, the members of New Religion decided to take Klondike out with them to get him used to noise and crowds. Lots of people stopped them and asked to pet Klondike. He was very happy getting petted. One person said, "He's a beautiful dog. What kind of dog is he?" Erin said, "He is a cross between a German Shepherd and a Siberian Husky." Another person asked, "How old is he?" Paul replied, "He will be three months old later this month." Klondike enjoyed all the attention he was getting. He didn't seem to mind the noises during the parade. That night, he wasn't even bothered by the fireworks. Carl said, "I think he's mascot material. He doesn't have a problem with crowds or noises." Lola said, "Yeah. He will do well when he starts touring with us." The members of New Religion knew that they got the perfect dog to be their new mascot when Fritz retires. Klondike will have big shoes to fill, but he'll certainly fill them.
THE END
THE END
The next day, Leila and Greeley took Paul for a walk on the beach while Leila's aunt and uncle relaxed on the beach. Greeley said, "I can't believe today is our last day here." Leila said, "I know. Vacations always go by so quickly." He said, "Let's make the most of the time we have." She said, "Yes." That evening, they had a seafood meal. They then began packing for their things so that they would be ready for their trip back home. Greeley said to Leila, "Thank you for inviting me to go on vacation with you, Leila." She said, "You're welcome, Greeley." He said, "We'll have to do some more fun things this summer." She said, "Yeah. That would be great." They settled into their beds to rest for the trip the next morning.
