Force of Habit

Chapter 15

"My, my, my, my, oh give me love."

I strum the final chords to Give Me Love by Ed Sheeran, utterly lost in the music. I sit there, on a small black stool, staring down at the guitar that I was currently borrowing and admiring the beauty in such a simple, yet complex instrument.

I'm pushed out of my thoughts by the sound of clapping, reeling me back into reality. I'm sitting in front of maybe twenty other people, most of them armed with instruments. I glance toward Sawyer, who's grinning and clapping along with the others. I'm the last musician of the night and I'm sure everybody wants to go home, so I scurry off the stage and make my way to the curly haired boy with a thing for orange juice. I'm maybe fifteen feet away from him when I'm stopped by the same girl who invited me to this event in the first place.

"Hey! That was really good. I had no idea you were that talented," she says, her green eyes piercing into my blue ones.

"Thanks! Do you play?" I ask her, gesturing to the surrounding instruments.

"I play a little. I also play bass, which I like a lot more."

"Really? That's so cool. I've always wanted to learn but never really got the chance," I say, glancing behind her to Sawyer, who is currently looking at a red Gibson.

"Yeah, it's loads of fun. Hey, do you want to get together and play sometime?" She pauses for a second, rethinking the words that just came out of her mouth, "I don't mean play like that... We're not seven. I mean play instruments together."

"No I got'cha. And sure that'd be fun! What's your name?" I ask her. I'm not sure what it really is about this girl, but for some reason it seems like she'd be a good friend to have.

"Abigail."

"Cool, I'm Olivia. I'll text you so we can meet up soon."

We exchange numbers before she heads over to talk to a boy on the other side of the crowded room. She greets him by giving him a hug from behind while he's talking to another boy who I'm assuming is a friend. He turns toward her and his face immediately lights up, a smile evident from across the room. His friend must have realized that the conversation was most likely done, so he soon leaves the couple to avoid an awkward third-wheel moment. Abigail's boyfriend wraps his arm around her shoulders as she does the same around his waist and he places a kiss on her temple as they walkout of the rapidly emptying shop.

Why can't I have a relationship as cute as that?

I turn and attempt my best at imitating a ninja while heading over to Sawyer, who moved onto admiring a sleek black guitar that looks like it would be a finger-print hoarder.

"Hey," he says, his eyes still on the shiny guitar.

"How'd you see me?! I was as stealthy as a ninja in July!"

"What does the month have to do with anything?"