Southern Belle |M.C|

Chapter 7: Done

“Uh, alright.” I got up, unsteady. Waves of nausea rolled over me as I made my way upstairs to get me stuff. My guitar was right where I left it the night Drew and I fought. My song notebook was lying under a heap of clothes on my desk. I grabbed both and brought them downstairs to an expectant Luke, Savannah, and Michael.

“There she is.” Luke smiled at me widely. He had drifted closer to Savannah, his arm lazily slung over the back of the couch and around her shoulder. She was grinning ear to ear, whatever drama that had transpired between her and Jack was long forgotten.

“You can sit here.” Michael volunteer, patting a place on the loveseat, right next to him.

I obliged, carefully sitting down and positioning my guitar on my lap. Flipping through my book of unfinished lyrics, my eyes fell on a relatively new entry, just a few days old. A small smile found it’s way onto my face as I read over the lyrics and notes that I already had. This seemed like a good song to showcase my skills.

I strummed a simple intro, the notes sounding familiar from the weeks of trying to get them right. “I, uh, only have the chorus.” I muttered before skipping to the middle and taking a deep breath.

Mama always told me that I should play nice

She didn't know you when she gave me that advice

I'm through with you

You're one bridge I'd like to burn

Bottle up the ashes, smash the urn

I'm through with you, la dee da

My fingers swiftly picked across the final notes before I mustered up the courage to look up at my small audience. Savannah was smirking like the little know it all she was. Luke was bewildered to say the least, and Michael’s face was slack, his jaw hanging wide open.

“Sorry it’s not finished-” I began but Michael and Luke both started talking at the same time.

“Holy shit that was fucking awesome!”

“Hey- don’t swear. But seriously Belle that was amaz-” Luke scolded.

“I’ll swear if I want to!” Michael pouted at Luke before turning back to me. “You’re singing at the Fall Jam. And I’m going to help you finish that song.”

“Really?” I asked, sounding a little more hopeful and eager than I wanted to let on. “You’re sure?”

Michael nodded, “Absolutely.”

Three weeks. 56 missed calls. Over 1000 texts. An in-school restraining order. That’s what it took to keep Drew away from me. It was three weeks since the Friday when I decided I didn’t want to date him anymore. Three weeks since I drove to his house and told him the truth; it wasn’t working and I didn’t want to be around him. 6 days since he caught me alone in the school hallway and cornered me, threatening stuff against Savannah and the boys if I didn't take him back. That’s when the school got involved. They completely rearranged his schedule, making sure he and I were never on the same floor at the same time. My schedule got switched, too. I had each class with either Savv, Michael, or Luke. Sometimes two or three of them at once. Administration wanted me to feel ‘safe’, so they gave me a close friend in every subject I took.

Not that I was complaining. Math and were fun with Michael. The four of us still had art together. I got English with Luke, and History with Savv and Michael. Classes were running smoothly and the only hiccups were when Drew sent his friend to talk to me, or worse, when he went straight to Savannah. I wasn’t worried about her, especially since she and Luke were basically an official couple. He was very protective over her, something she used to be annoyed with but had since accepted it.