Jam Session (Rachel)

[blueeyeddevil]

OOC: For Sarah!

Wes Harlow

It was cold out as he sat there playing in the Bois. He pulled the faded green army jacket closer around him, huddling a little into its warmth. It wasn't so bad if he managed to keep in the sunlight. It gave him a little warmth. He could hardly be expected to play in his cramped apartment where the walls were paper thin! He'd be kicked out in ten minutes flat for noise complaints. Not that his music was bad or anything, but his elderly neighbors would probably disagree with him on that.

He sat on a bench, strumming a few cords as he he cleared his mind. His playing quickly picked up pace and soon he found himself playing one of the old pop-dance songs his group Radio Remedy had done. He glanced up to see a little girl, maybe five years old and dressed in a bright pink puffy coat had wandered over. He laughed softly as she began to dance along to his song, giggling like crazy. He played for her and let her dance until her mother finally found her and took her hand, leading her away. The mother gave him a terse nod as if thanking him for watching out for the little girl.

He shook his head as they left and reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his pack of cigarettes. Slipping it into his mouth, he lit it and began to play again. The song was soft and sorrowful. This wasn't something he would have played for the little girl. This one was for himself. Something about the song had always struck him. In a strange way he related to the pain that was in it and he closed his green eyes, letting himself give into the song, playing and singing around the cigarette between his lips.

[RaeRae]

Rachel Scott

The weather was cool today, though Rachel didn't mind too much. She decided to take a break from her work for now, though kept a passive eye out for any possibly stories. She had settled down under a tree with that 'Pride and Prejudice' book that the library had finally just made her buy outright, trying to get through the wording. Rachel liked to read, but she preferred non-fiction things like people's biographies. Maybe she could ask Tom if he could give her any good fiction books. He had to have some hidden away right? Didn't all authors?

How many times had she read this same page? Rachel sighed and then paused a bit, hearing some music. Her eyes followed the sound to a young man strumming on a guitar and a little girl dancing to it. The tune sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it. Once the little girl had left with someone, Rachel figured it was her mother, the man's tune had changed. Sadder...such a difference from the melody he'd been playing just moments ago. He was interesting. Rachel gladly slipped the small book back in to her purse and stood up, brushing off any grass sticking to her and walked over.

As Rachel got closer she heard that he was singing along. "Those are bad for you, you know." Rachel commented lightly, looking to the cigarette and offered a smile to the man. He was cute in that boyish sort of way, he had to have been younger than her. She paused and then sat besides him. "What's that song called?" She asked, referring to the song that he was singing currently. Whatever it was...it sounded kind of depressing honestly, still it held an eerie...beauty, if that was the right word for it.

[blueeyeddevil]

Wes Harlow

He found himself lost in the song, just letting the haunting melody float through the air. He thought about about the words... 'go mad for a couple grams'. He knew what that was, knew the feeling all too well. Drugs took you over. He'd very nearly killed himself doing them and it was only by some miracle that he was still here. And yet, there were days he still felt that sick draw for it. Days he missed the sting of the needle in his arm and calming sensation that followed. Days he could never let Amorette or Logan or Bill or anyone know about. If they knew how weak he really was, they'd just stick him in rehab. He couldn't do that.

"Those are bad for you, you know." came a feminine voice. His green eyes flickered open to see a woman a few years older than him standing there, looking at the cigarette before giving him a brief smile. The song slowly ceased and he smiled back as he took the cigarette from his lips, holding it between his fingers.

"So I've been told..." he said with a small smirk. He held up the cigarette and stamped it out on the bench beside him before tossing it in the trashcan that stood off to the side. "Better?" he asked the woman with a small smile, briefly noting she had to be around the same age Ian would have been now.

She sat beside him now after a moment. "What's that song called?" she asked.

He set the guitar to the side, turning to look at her. "It's 'A-Team' by Ed Sheeran," he explained. "It's a favorite of mine. I love the emotion it has." A sort of teasing smile flickered to his lips. "But obviously, I'm not Ed. You can call me Wes, though," he said, holding out a hand.

[RaeRae]

Rachel Scott

She studied him curiously as the song slowed and he finally spoke to her. "So I've been told." Rachel chuckled softly as she sat, watching him throw it away. "Better?" He had a nice smile, she mused. "Much." Though in reality, smoking didn't bother her, if Rachel really sat down to think about it, not a lot of things bothered her these days. To keep the conversation going she asked him about the song.

"'A-Team' by Ed Sheeran. It's a favorite of mine. I love the emotion it has." He explained. "It's a sad song, but a nice melody. " Rachel commented and then he smiled again and introduced herself. "But obviously, I'm not Ed. You can call me Wes, though."

"You could've been Ed and I wouldn't have even known the difference." Rachel laughed and shook his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you Wes, my name is Rachel." She shook his hand and then let her own fall back in to her lap. She wasn't very up to date on the new music and such. "Where did you learn to play like that? You were playing something earlier...that adorable little girl was dancing with it...it sounded familiar but I couldn't place it." You would think with all the things she needed to remember that she would remember things like this, but she hardly remembered music.

"So are you out here often? I'm fairly sure I haven't seen you here before, and if there's one thing I never forget, it's a face."

[blueeyeddevil]

Wes Harlow

He studied the woman sitting next to him briefly. She was very pretty with long dark hair, dressed very sensibly. Some kind of business woman. He wondered what had made her come up and talk to him of all the people in Bois. She asked about the song and he explained it was 'A-Team' by Ed Sheeran. It was wryly that he also explain that he was not, in fact, Ed Sheeran and introduced himself to her with a warm smile.

"You could've been Ed and I wouldn't have even known the difference." she said and she laughed and shook his head in a jokingly pitying manner. "It's a pleasure to meet you Wes, my name is Rachel." She pulled back, resting her hand in her lap and he did the same. "Where did you learn to play like that? You were playing something earlier...that adorable little girl was dancing with it...it sounded familiar but I couldn't place it."

The Radio Remedy song. he had to try hard not to grimace.

"Um, my older brother taught me to play when I was a kid. Got me my first guitar too..." he started out. "And the song was 'Any Kind of Guy' by this band I use to be in...Radio Remedy." His voice was kind of trailing off a bit, obviously embarrassed. He wouldn't have said he was from the band if he didn't think she'd guess. If she recognized Radio Remedy at all, she'd piece it together.

"So are you out here often? I'm fairly sure I haven't seen you here before, and if there's one thing I never forget, it's a face." she asked.

He gave a shrug. "Depends on your definition of often," he said with a small laugh. "I come here at times to just relax and play guitar. I'm here most weekends, a few weekday afternoons here and there. Fairly certain I'd have remembered you too." He shot her teasing grin. "Why? You interested in seeing my amazing one man concert," he asked jokingly.

[RaeRae]

Rachel Scott

Rachel tilted her head as she listened. "Um, my older brother taught me to play when I was a kid. Got me my first guitar too...the song was 'Any Kind of Guy' by this band I used to be in...Radio Remedy." Wes explained, though he seemed reluctant to tell her, Rachel wondered why that was. Was he thinking she might get, what was the term?...Fan-girly? Rachel almost laughed out loud at that though. Her fan-girling...she'd pay to see that day.

"A band? That's pretty cool. Can't say I've ever met anyone that was in a band before." A real one at least.. "Must've heard you on the radio a couple times...did you break up?" Rachel asked curiously, not seeming star-struck in the least, though Rachel was sure any girl who had loved them and listened to all their music would be. Then she asked how often he came around to the Bois.

"Depends on your definition of often," He gave a laugh as he continued, "I love here at times just to relax and play guitar. I'm here most weekends, a few weekday afternoons here and there. Fairly certain I'd have remembered you too." Rachel smirked slightly at his grin, teasing a bit again. "Why? You interested in seeing my amazing one man concert?"

Rachel laughed and brushed a few loose strands of hair from her eyes. "Maybe I am." She smiled. "You're very talented; but I guess you already knew that. I haven't had a chance to come out here in a while, too many deadlines to meet and subjects to write about. Today, I just so happened to say 'forget it' and walk away from the computer to get some fresh air." And fail at an attempt of reading...

[blueeyeddevil]

Wes Harlow

Rachel seemed fairly interested as he explained the song had been from an old band of his. "A band? That's pretty cool. Can't say I've ever met anyone that was in a band before." she said and honestly Wes wanted to laugh. It was obvious now she'd never heard of Radio Remedy or she would have never said it was 'pretty cool'. She had no idea that it was a tween-heartthrob boy band he'd been in. "Must've heard you on the radio a couple times...did you break up?" she asked.

Wes gave a sigh and gave a rueful grin. "In a manner of speaking," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I suppose you could say it was more of a break between me and the band. I quit and the rest of the guys still play some small venues. They brought in a new guy to replace me after I left."

She asked about him coming around the Bois and he teasing asked if it was so she could catch his concert. "Maybe I am." she said with a laugh, making him smile. "You're very talented; but I guess you already knew that. I haven't had a chance to come out here in a while, too many deadlines to meet and subjects to write about. Today, I just so happened to say 'forget it' and walk away from the computer to get some fresh air."

Wes laughed and nodded in agreement. "Well fresh air is quite necessary," he said. "So you're a writer then? That's really cool! What kind of things do you write?" He'd met his fair share of reporters during his time with the band. While some were annoying and bordered on being like paparazzi, most of them he had a healthy respect for. They worked hard and if Rachel was one of them she deserved to take a break every now and then.

[RaeRae]

Rachel Scott

"In a manner of speaking...I suppose you could say it was more of a break up between me and the band. I quit and the rest of the guys still play some small venues." Wes was explaining and Rachel nodded. "That's sad." She said. "I mean, obviously you had your reasons, but were you sad to leave? How long were you with them?" She asked, her reporter mind kicking in momentarily. Maybe she could make an article of this...no. No. She wanted to get to know him a little more first. He seemed nice enough anyways, he probably had a lot of stories about band life.

Then Rachel explained to him why she had been out here today and he laughed, he had a nice laugh, "Well fresh air is quite necessary, so you're a right then? That's really cool! What kind of things do you write?"[/b] He asked and Rachel flashed a grin. " Well, all sorts of things, but at heart I'm a journalist. I work for an online newspaper writing articles or working on my own column." She explained. "I've got a couple things I'm working on...but I just needed to take a break from them." Rachel ran a hand through her hair and looked to his guitar again.

"So how long have you been playing for?" She really was curious. Depending on how long he had been in the band...well you had to add some time on top of that because you didn't get in to a band first and then learn how to play. He was good, and he had a good voice. "You should play me something else." Another laugh. "Did you ever write any of the songs your band performed?"

[blueeyeddevil]

Wes Harlow

Honestly it had been quite a long time since he'd gotten to talking about his time in Radio Remedy. It was a part of his life he had thought was basically behind him. But here he was speaking about to Rachel who seemed quite curious. "That's sad." she said when he mentioned his split from the band. "I mean, obviously you had your reasons, but were you sad to leave? How long were you with them?"

Wes sighed. "I was with them for just over two years. That's really the only part that makes me sad," he admitted. "After two years you get to be close iwth the guys in the band. My best mate Logan it still a member. It was sad to leave him and the rest of the guys, but I was a different person They understood that and that I needed to move on." He thought back to the heroine he had bought not so long ago it seemed. Maybe he wasn't that different a person after all.

He changed the subject, asking about her work as a writer, wondering what it was she wrote. "Well, all sorts of things, but at heart I'm a journalist. I work for an online newspaper writing articles or working on my own column." she said and he nodded with interest. "I've got a couple things I'm working on...but I just needed to take a break from them."

He a brief huff of understanding. "Everyone needs a break every now and again," he said. "That's great about the column though! Quite impressive! What sort of things do you write about in your articles?"

"So how long have you been playing for?" she asked curiously, which seemed to be her nature. Must have been a journalist thing.

He had to think on it a bit, mentally doing the math back to when Ian had taught him to play guitar. "Well, my brother taught me to play when I was 11 and then got me a guitar for my birthday that year when I turned 12...so I've been playing over 10 years now," he said.

"You should play me something else." she suggested, making him smile.

"Sure! I'm happy to play for a lovely lady like you," he said with a teasing grin. He began to play the first song that came to his head which happened to be another one from Radio Remedy. Seriously it was hard to get those songs out of his head. It was originally meant to be a pop ballad for all of them to do harmonies on, but he preferred the solo acoustic version he'd come up with by himself.

"Did you ever write any of the songs your band performed?" she asked a moment later once the song had finished.

He couldn't help but laugh. "No. Not really. I mean, a few times I suggested a change or two to the lyrics, but other than that the songs were mainly written by the record company," he admitted. "They had an image that wanted to upkeep and apparently my songs didn't really fit with it." He gave a shrug. It didn't bother him so much now, but it had been a major source of tension between him and the company when he'd been in the band.