What He Wouldn't Give (Unedited Version)

Chapter Sixteen: You Can't Run Before You Go Learn How, and You Won't

Chapter 16...You Can't Run Before You Go Learn How, and You Won't.

After the solo, the song moved into the next chorus and Eli could feel himself playing the song as the music played through the ear buds with his feet hitting the pavement with each stride. It was just last week when he played this song on stage with Chester and it had felt amazing as Jimmy Eat World was one of Eli's favorite bands. This week Eli and Chester were preparing to play the song Chester chose, City of Ocala, due to that's where the boys lived and where A Day to Remember was from.

Eli's leg ached as he saw his driveway in sight and he pushed himself to his maximum potential speed reaching the driveway before the end of the song. This music switched to another song as his hands went to the top of his tights and the breathes came in short and quick until he could breathe normally again. Promising he would try to get fit so he wouldn't become a former she'll of himself again Eli and Chester decided to work out together. Eli stood up and a few minutes he saw Chester coming down the street looking like he could collapse at any second.

"Man I thought when you said you needed to get in shape I'd have a chance to at least keep up with you during the run, not be ditched in the first minute as you disappeared around the corner and where off like Usain Bolt headed to a finish line."

His comment elicited a laugh from his new friend. "I just ran; you have to push yourself if you want to improve. Give it all and remember no pain no gain."

The quick movement of the head up and down let Eli knew Chester agreed, but he couldn't speak as he had to catch his breath again resulting in Eli grabbing two water bottles from the garage chucking one at Chester. The beads of liquid fell from the strands of the hair hanging in front of Eli's forehead and at the back of the neck it pooled dripping down his back staining his tank top. The heat was nothing for a Florida resident, but Eli remembered a friend that had visited from New York, who had moved away, coming and ran a race, but had to train in the heat so they wouldn't hurt themselves from running in close to minty degree weather.

"Think you're up for a little race?"

"Where to?"

"The pool last one in had to pay for pizza?"

Chester took off cheating by shoving Eli who quickly recovered and past Chester running up the driveway and jumping fully clothed leaving his music and headphones in the grass near the pool's edge soaking Chester from the splash of the cannon ball.

"Cheaters never win!" Eli exclaimed in midair before being submersed in the water. It had been for ever since Eli used the pool, but thanks to the pool service he had to pay for the pool was maintained and cleaned regularly. Chester soon followed Eli's action and the pool waves splashed over the edge. Even being heated to eighty the water was colder than the air so it felt refreshing to the sweaty men. After swimming and cooling down the boys would end up ordering pizza and working on the song. They had two more days before they had to perform and they were just about ready. Eli had to learn the solo and Chester had to work on remembering the lyrics that were in the solo.

"You ready?"

And with a nod of his head Eli started to play the solo while Chester joined in when the lyrics were queued. A couple of hours of practice and by the end of the third hour Eli managed to get the solo down and Chester had the lyrics almost memorized by heart. They agreed to meet the day before just to make sure everything would run smoothly the day they had to perform and if they passed this round then the two of them would move onto the next round and others would be voted off by the people watching at the performance.