Kenzie
Oakbrook Newbie
Posts: 6
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Post by Kenzie on Jun 19, 2013 19:33:32 GMT -6
It was Sunday afternoon, right after church, and Tom had borrowed Chris’s crappy old truck to drive to Oak Street as he usually did to perform on his acoustic guitar! Recently, he hadn’t been receiving too many tips. It had been frustrating, but Tom just used it as motivation to learn a whole new song!
It was easier to play, too! It was a cover of a popular pop song. Something overplayed on the radio, surely, but maybe someone passing by liked it! Or thought he played it well…
Tom was sitting down on a set of stairs, his usual place. A wide, large jar sat in front of him, away enough from the sidewalk to not get in anyone’s way. TIPS was written on it in large letters, with the doodle of a dollar sign beside it.
Tom started to play, the notes carrying out through Oak Street. He saw quite a few passing him by, but not many people stopped. He was a good player, but no one had time for him or his music. He was preforming a guitar cover of the song ‘Get Lucky’ by Draft Punk. No vocals—just guitar strummed to the lyrics of the song. He hummed along under his breath, smiling warmly at a little girl who deposited a quarter into his jar.
He hoped this kept up! The girl soon left, and he continued to play.
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Post by Admin Sydnee on Jun 20, 2013 13:01:03 GMT -6
Paxton was walking back from the post office, where he'd dropped off an essay to mail in that would certainly wipe out all of the other applicants' entries. It was some of his best work and he was sure to win the top prize, which was a good amount of cash, a generous amount that Pax could put towards anything. He was very easy going with his money. After all, it was there to spend and he had plenty of it. As he was walking past the convenience store, he heard music, the strum of a guitar from the alleyway. He peeked his head around the corner, watching as some people walked by with their noses upturned at the guy and others dropped in some loose change as they passed. The sound wasn't horrible, Paxton would give the guy that, but he was obviously from West Oak and trying to make some money. He laughed at the irony of the song choice.
The guy was going to need luck. As he passed the guy, he took out his wallet, producing a one hundred dollar bill and bent to put it in the guy's jar. Giving, caring individual--is what people referred to him as, and he had to keep up that image. Besides, 100 dollars? That was nothing. He offered a fake grin at the guy.
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Kenzie
Oakbrook Newbie
Posts: 6
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Post by Kenzie on Jun 20, 2013 13:06:53 GMT -6
Tom was playing still, completely entertained by his music. It was so fun to preform, after all! Even if no one seemed to be listening! He saw a boy dressed rather nicely approaching, immediately wondering if he was from East Oak. But that didn’t matter, anyone could appreciate his music!
When he dropped a bill into the jar, Tom leaned forward, out of curiosity. Most people dropped coins, not bills. When he saw the number on it he stopped playing and almost dropped his guitar down the stairs, a choking sound echoing from the back of his throat.
One hundred dollars! Was this guy really that impressed with his guitar!?
“T—thank you!” Tom sputtered, his wide eyes locking on Pax’s face. He was grinning, did this amuse him? Maybe he was really impressed by the music! That, or he was extremely generous. “One hundred dollars? Are you sure you didn’t, uh, put the wrong bill in there? That’s a lot of money!”
Tom fumbled with his instrument, keeping sure his hands still held a firm grip on it.
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Post by Admin Sydnee on Jun 21, 2013 1:31:59 GMT -6
Paxton almost laughed when the guy could barely speak after seeing the amount of money he'd put in his jar. If he hadn't been able to tell that he was from West Oak before, he definitely could now. It was written all over the guy's face as he stared in awe at the hundred dollar bill as if it was some sort of mistake, or rather in shock that such a bill even existed.
Instead, he chuckled, a charming sound that most knew him for, that and his golden boy smile. But in his mind, he was already mocking the boy. It took all he could muster not to roll his eyes at the West Oaker. "Not at all," he replied. "A hundred dollars well deserved. Now keep playing! That's what you're getting paid for, or I might have to take my donation back." It came out as a joke, but Paxton thought of it snidely. There was a big difference in how he thought and how he presented himself...most of the time.
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Kenzie
Oakbrook Newbie
Posts: 6
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Post by Kenzie on Jun 21, 2013 6:31:27 GMT -6
“Wow. Some people are really nice, huh?” Tom said, blinking in awe at Pax. He was oblivious to Paxton’s judgments of him, he bought his pretty boy smile and charming words with ease. He didn’t have any reason to doubt this generous man anyway, so why should he?
Tom laughed a bit, feeling very flattered that this guy thought his music was worth so much! He was going places—he’d become a famous musician in no time flat! “Well don’t take it back—I’ve just never been given that much here! I wanted to personally say thanks! I rarely get a grand total of over 50 tips on a good day….”
As he spoke, he started to play again. Fortunately for him, he could speak while playing and not get distracted.
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Post by Admin Sydnee on Jun 21, 2013 15:20:33 GMT -6
Paxton was in awe at how naive this guy was, although he assumed that many West Oakers must be, as their heads were probably in the clouds, wishing for things they'd most likely never receive. "I don't know what you hear about East Oak, but we are very generous," he said with a smile. He could imagine the things those dirty West Oakers said about the people who lived in the East. Surely they were jealous of their way of living. Paxton always made sure to keep up the image of the generous, intelligent golden boy so that he could be free to do whatever he wanted behind the scenes. Most people weren't smart enough for such a plot, but Paxton knew all too well that he had to be careful.
"Well, you're welcome. Just don't let anybody run away with your jar." He was sure there was somebody on Oak Street who would do such a thing at the sight of money.
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Kenzie
Oakbrook Newbie
Posts: 6
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Post by Kenzie on Jun 24, 2013 9:48:46 GMT -6
“Oh! Yeah, I don't want to lose it... I’ll just take that now…” Tom leaned forward and took the jar, pausing his playing, and removed the 100 dollar bill. He put it inside his pocket, and then replaced the jar on the sidewalk. The few coins in it chunked together as he placed the jar on the bottom.
“Thanks, again. Honestly, i’ve heard a lot about East Oakers, and seen a lot of them, but I’ve never met one as generous as you! I guess you’re right… people around me over in West Oak might be jealous, after all. Or they don’t talk to the right East Oak folk!”
He sounded awfully impressed, which he was. He still had his hand son his guitar. He didn’t expect to get that big a tip again, so he wasn’t too concerned with playing for the moment. He’d rather have a conversation with the guy who sacrificed 100 whole dollars on him, anyway!
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Post by Admin Sydnee on Jun 28, 2013 13:02:15 GMT -6
Paxton watched as the guy leaned forward and took the hundred dollar bill that Paxton had stuffed in it with all of the change. "It's no problem," he told him, fake generosity shining in his blue eyes. "Seems like West Oakers need to be more proactive about talking to us, instead of judging us first. May I ask what you've heard?" He knew it was bad things, most likely. Citizens of West Oak were often bitter about what they didn't have and what the East did have.
As he saw that the guy stopped playing his guitar, he held out a hand to him, a proper greeting. He thought twice about introducing himself. After all, the West had to be talking about him! They sure had to know who he was. He was a Hartfield after all, but then again, he kept up a good image so he should have nothing to worry about. "Paxton Hartfield," he said.
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