Another Reason To Live (Watty Awards 2014)

Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

I carefully positioned my fingers on the strings of my guitar, attempting to get the opening notes of the Green Day song correct.  I lightly strummed and moved my fingers to their appropriate positions, smiling to myself as the sounds of the beautiful song filled my room.  It wasn't the same on an electric guitar compared to an acoustic one, but I didn't care.  I loved the song.

Moving on to the chorus, I imagined the drums kicking in and goosebumps spread across my skin at the mere thought, only to come to a screeching hault when I hit a wrong note and threw off the rhythm.  But hey - I'm only an amateur.

I sat the guitar back down onto my bed, carefully laying it across some blankets so its cherry red body wouldn't be damaged.  It was my baby and the fact that Gerard gave it to me as my own little way of escaping the stresses of my life made it that much more special.

I quietly made my way across my room to peer out of the window, taking note of the sunny weather outside.  The idea of going on a walk entered my head, so I grabbed my black zipper hoodie and walked out of my room.

I made my way down the stairs and into the living room as I zipped my jacked and stuffed my hands in its pockets.  I was about to round the corner into the living room, but I could hear the hushed talking of my parents, so I stopped and managed to pick up a few things that they were saying.

"...I know, but she barely knows him! How are we supposed to trust him with her? Maybe he's a pedophile." I could hear my mom whisper-shout.

There was a pause, which made me believe that my dad was giving her an 'I-doubt-that' look.  "I really don't think he's like that."

"How do you know?" she snapped back.

"Because obviously he cares about her enough to be trying to help her." he justified.  A small silence filled the room, which almost made me believe that they realized I was there, but my mom sighed and continued to speak.

"I don't know.  I still think she needs to talk to a professional, not just some guy she met."

"He seems like a good guy, honey.  Scarlette trusts him for a reason.  She wouldn't just hang out with anyone she didn't trust." he replied. "Plus, the kid likes good music."

More silence.  They were obviously talking about Gerard, which made me nervous.  Was my dad trying to convince her that he was a good part of my life? 

My mom sighed. "How about this: she can spend time with him, only if she's home before dinner each night, and tells us exactly where they're going.  After however long, if we notice that she's not getting better, then we're making an appointment with an actual therapist."

There was some more mumbling between them, which gave me a glimmer of hope.  If my dad had somehow made my mom realize that Gerard was good for me, then I wouldn't have to lie about hanging out with LeAnne again. 

I heard the TV switch on, which signaled that their conversation was most likely over.  My mother requesting a channel change to watch some cooking show made it obvious that the topic was done.

After waiting for another minute or so, I slowly made myself visible as the cooking show host energetically showed the viewers how to properly trim the fat off of a steak.

"Do you guys mind if I go on a walk for a bit?" I asked, making both of them jump.  My mother placed a hand over her heart and closed her eyes and gave me a nervous smile.

"You scared the crap out of me." she breathed before returning to her original position.  My dad turned to me and asked, "A walk?"

I nodded. "Yeah.  It's great weather outside and I don't really feel like being inside."