The Write Thing

Chapter 19

"So, how is it going?" Matt asked, strumming his guitar lazily.

I leaned back on the couch, sighing as I recalled everything I had been dealing with lately. Things I'd rather not think about.

It was Sunday. A week had passed since I last spoke to Rafa, a week since I sent him my song. Only for him to reject it outright. And since then I haven't came up with another one yet. I just feel like it's getting even more harder and complicated. Sometimes I would thought maybe it's not about my writing anymore. Maybe he really doesn't want to sing, that's why.

"Do you really think I could make that guy sing? It's hapless." I sighed, slumping further into the couch as I contemplate about my decisions in life.

"Of course. We believe in you."

I let out an audible sigh as I sit up to look at him in the eyes. "That's not the case here. I mean, I just don't know how can I make that guy sing. Maybe I'm really not what you needed for this."

"Come on. That's not what I want to hear from you." He quickly said as soon as I finish my words, setting his guitar aside before he scoot beside me. "You see, we don't know how much we owe you. I don't even think we could name a value for your hard work. I know it's not an job, not even us could do as what you can. But that's exactly the reason why we trust you and believe that you really could make him get back to it."

How I wish it's as easy as how we believe it could be. But it isn't.

It had been months since I agreed to their offer, and yet I still didn't understand why they had such faith in me when we barely knew each other, and yet they believed, wholeheartedly, that I could make their friend sing again.

.

"Have you heard the news about what happened to Rafa last night?" I snapped out of my thoughts as Bea appeared in front of me.

I wasn't really paying attention and it took me a second to process her words, and my eyes widened as the memory of the other night at the bar rushed back.

Bea was still looking at me while waiting for my response, which makes it difficult for me to think of what to respond to that.

"What do you mean?" I avert my gaze as I clean up the empty table.

I hadn't told her about what happened that night. And I didn't plan to. I didn't want to be reminded of it, much less talk about it. But now that she was bringing it up, I had no idea how to respond.

"You really don't know what happened?" I looked at her. And this time, she's looking a little different as she propped a hand on her waist with her brow raised.

Unsure of what to say, I started shaking my head slowly. "N-no." I looked away, trying to move past the conversation, but I could feel her eyes on me.

"You sure?" She asked me again. And the next time I looked up, her phone was suddenly in front of my face. I didn't have to think further when I saw a photo of Rafa from the other night at the bar.

It wasn't just a normal photo of him beating a guy. I was standing beside him while trying to stop him from almost murdering someone.

It was all over the internet. And yet, it hadn't even crossed my mind before I lied to Bea.