Broken Guitar Strings

Chapter 12

A/N: I have no passion in this story anymore because I wrote it so long ago. I continue to post these chapters only because I feel the need to have the entire story on here and marked as completed.

A/N like a year later: maybe I still like this story lmao people are reading it

(CHANYEOL'S POV)

"Ready, Chanyeol?" My mom calls up from downstairs. "Yeah," I say, as I gingerly make my way down the stairs, buttoning my last button on the tux coat as I go. She straightens my bowtie and says, "You look very handsome today."

"Aren't I always handsome?" I laugh. Then she makes a face. "Remember, no joking around over there. We want to make a good impression on the Thompsons."

"I know." She lowers her voice. "Have you been talking to Miss Thompson lately? Recall what I said: doing the best for you and the people around you?" I mumble a "yes" because it's true. I have been. Everyone at school likes me and Allie together (besides Savannah), and my parents do too. And remember, you love her too. I guess I shouldn't be too upset about her working with Lay. After all, it's just a stupid assignment. She's still mine and everything is perfect.

My parents and I get into our limousine, and our driver, Milton, takes us to Allie's house. I've never been here before, but her house is huge. It's just like mine, with all the nice lights and huge lawn. Wow. Is this how she felt when she came for the Halloween party? Because this is insane. I feel so nervous now.

My father takes the lead and our party of three reach their front door. Inhale, exhale. Don't screw things up. He rings the doorbell and the door opens to a tall, strongly-built man who is nicely dressed in a suit. "Hello! Come on in," he projects. He shakes our hands as we walk in and I bow a little bit when I enter. "Hey, Chanyeol," he chuckles. "It's nice to meet you."

I see Allie walk out from the living room, and my breath hitches. She looks stunning. "Hey," she says. "How are you?"

"Um, I was fine until I saw you. You're gorgeous." I can see her slightly blush. I know she doesn't really know how to take compliments from people other than the media, and even with the media it's the fake type of "thank you." Her mother comes out immediately behind her and starts greeting my parents. After some introductions, Mr. Thompson says, "Let's go have some dinner."

It was one family on one side of the huge table and the other family on the other side. A crystal chandelier brightly lit up the room. I sat right across from Allie, and throughout dinner, it was mainly just the parental unit exchanging words about business and family and things like that. Only some parts of the conversation were interesting, and those were the parts when Mr. Thompson made jokes. God, he's hilarious. He doesn't make me feel uncomfortable at all. The food was great too. The turkey and the mashed potatoes were delicious. I look up at Allie, and she was quietly taking small bites of her food. There's something different about her today. She seems to be more reserved. Is it just because she's like this around her parents? Other people's parents?

"So how's your break been?" I say. Almost immediately after I say that, the adults quiet down. Their gazes drift intently over to us. I look back at my parents. "Is there something wrong?" I say. "No, of course not. You two go on." My mom says. They return to talking about stocks.

I look back at Allie. Her eyes glisten in the light, making them sparkle beautifully. "My break's been okay," she says. "How about you?"

"Okay. Whitney doesn't get back from Colorado until tomorrow, so we haven't started on our project at all yet. She went skiing."

"Oh. I'm sorry. Lay and I have already finished." Ugh, I feel like we just met each other. That sucks.

"Also, did you know that Lay dances? It's not like company dance but it's self-taught. He's amazing, you should ask him to show you sometime." All I can do is nod. Lay, Lay, Lay. I get it. You shouldn't overreact, Chanyeol. All she did was say that he's good at dancing. It doesn't mean she doesn't like you. She's still yours. Completely. I clear my throat. "Uh, could I have a private word with Allie?" Mrs. Thompson looks over at us, and says, "Of course, of course." And then they go back to talking. I stand up and take Allie's hand; we walk up the stairs and sit on the top step. I sigh. "What's wrong?"

She perks her head up a little bit, as if she were caught off guard in surprise. "Nothing, really." She mumbles. "There's just been a lot on my mind lately."

"Like what?"

She takes a deep breath. "Like you." Oh.

"What about me?"

Allie turns to me. "Let me tell you a story. There was once a boy who liked a girl. Everyone thought that they were cute together. He wanted to officially claim her as his, but he was too scared to do that. So she never knew his true feelings, and another boy took her away before he could call the shots. End of story."

"And?"

"Chanyeol, are you interested in me?"

I tilt my head a little bit. "Why do you ask?"

"Because if you were interested in me, everything would be perfect for the people around us. And you."

"What about you?" I tug at my lip.

She looks down. "I don't know. I don't know if I would be happy or sad or...content."

I exhale sharply. Might as well. "I do like you. I love you in fact."

This time, she looks me straight in the eye. "Then the world will be happy."

"Do you like me back?"

"I don't know yet."

"What's holding you back? I can change. I can-"

"It's nothing like that."

"Then what is it?"

"I-" Then she stops. Oh. It's Lay, isn't it?

"Is it...Lay?"

"I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. There's so many things on my mind right now, you don't even know."

"I do know."

She looks hopefully up at me. "Have your parents ever talked to you about joining fam-"

"Yes. And that's exactly what's been on my mind, too." I hug her and her head rests on my collarbone. We sit there in silence for a few moments, and then I say, "I love you, Allie. I really do. But I would never push you that far if you don't want to go that far."

"I don't know if I want to yet. We're not even adults yet, only sixteen years old. Marriage is way past me. I want to do great things before any of that happens."

I gently nod. "Me too. I just wish that all of those great things would have something to do with you." I say. I kiss her forehead. I know she doesn't feel comfortable around me right now because of mixed feelings: what her parents want, what she wants, what I want, and what everyone else wants. And what Lay wants. "Does Lay take interest in you?" I ask. I hope she can't hear my heartbeat skip a beat. "I don't know," she says. "We'll just have to wait and see."

"But just like you said in your story, I want to claim you. Before you leave me. I want you to officially be mine right now and forever. To make it real. Actually real."

And then started our real love story.