Wrong Number

Hydrochloride

Song: Hydrochloride

Artist: Ghostmane

^^^

As I drove to see Clara, all I could think of was how Tylor said goodbye. There was so much sadness behind his words. Was he really going to miss me that much? I didn't want to leave if it was going to upset him, but I had to. While I'd get to see Tylor at school, who knew when I'd get to see Clara again?

I had to figure out what I felt for Clara. I owed her that much. Whether meeting her was just infatuation or if it was just an off night, I couldn't keep beating around the bush. I had to give her an answer, as well as myself.

Following my GPS down the road past the houses spaced wide apart, I drove up to the center of the community of Rosewood. The largest flower garden in the Midwest area had little shops and picnic areas. I'd been there before for mom and Stacy's second wedding anniversary, as they wanted to celebrate as a family. I never thought about returning, as it wasn't really my sort of thing, but it was the exact right amount of romanticism needed to figure out if there was anything between us.

I parked my car and walked up to Clara. She sat on a bench next to a pond with the sun and moon reflecting in the water. Bushes of roses surrounded her, and lanterns aligned the sidewalk up to her. She stared ahead at the fountain in the pond with her shoulders tight and her teeth clenched. As she heard me step closer, she relaxed her shoulders and smiled at me.

"Hi, Damon."

"Hey."

She stood up and gave me a hug. "It's great to see you again."

"You too."

"I feel like we haven't had enough time lately to really enjoy spending time with each other."

"It has been a few weeks."

"I hope you don't mind this place for our date," she said, looking around her in awe. "My parents are garden architects, and they help keep this place running smoothly."

"That's incredible!"

"Have you been here before?"

"Once. It was my moms' wedding anniversary."

"This is the perfect place for such occasions."

Clara grabbed my hand, and we strolled through the gardens. As we walked, we properly caught up on everything that had been going on with us since we'd last seen each other. Nothing much had changed, according to Clara. She was still in the Literature Club, and they were reading "The Great Gatsby." According to her, the view of the pond reminded her a lot of Gatsby looking across the lake for his sweet Daisy.

"So I brought everyone over here to have a look after hours, and they all loved it here," she gushed. "One of my friends, Sheryl, she told me this would be a wonderful spot to bring someone during a full moon, and I instantly thought about you. What better way to continue our pattern of vastly different dates than to come here?"

"What do you mean?"

"First, we had a simple dinner date, and then we went to a metal concert. If we're going for more unorthodox dates, a moonlight stroll through a flower garden feels like a good contender, right?" she teased.

I nodded. "I didn't think of it like that."

"So, what do you think about us being here right now?"

"That we're trying out being more romantic or something," I chuckled, and she did as well.

"Okay, but for real, though... What are you feeling?"

I shrugged and stuffed my hands into my jeans pockets. "If I'm being honest, I'm not entirely sure. This is the third time we've gone out, and it's definitely the most romantic out of them all, but... I don't know. I'm sorry."

Clara exhaled and dropped her hands to her sides. "It's okay. I'd rather you say something honest than try to be romantic and match the atmosphere. Honesty is such an important and admirable quality in a man."

"Really?" I blushed, scratching at my cheek.

"Absolutely," she said, smiling sweetly.

She led the way again, and I followed her. She didn't try to hold my hand again, instead having us walk close side by side. We walked through the garden in silence. I wanted to keep talking with her, but I could feel the tension radiating off her.

While I wanted to believe I wasn't the one causing the tension, I knew I was. She clearly wanted this to be a sweet, romantic date, and my confusion was ruining her night. While I wished I could take her hand and give her a kiss on the cheek, I didn't want to. It didn't feel right.

"So," she slowly asked, "how have you guitar lessons been going?"

"They're good. Levon is an amazing teacher."

"Does Tylor ever help you with your lessons?"

Tylor.

"Goodnight."

His voice was so soft, so sad. It stabbed me through my heart, and thinking about it caused my heart to ache all over again.

"No, but he works there, so I see him regularly."

"Have you thought about dueting with him?"

"What? Are you trying to make me more metal?" I teased. "Is that what you're into?"

She giggled. "I admit that their bassist was... very attractive, but I wouldn't say it's what I'm into."

I snickered. "I meant musically."

"Oh." Clara blushed and quickly jerked her head away from me. "I do like metal music. I like all music. If you can appreciate music, it doesn't matter what kind of genre you're listening to. As long as you like it, you'll enjoy it."

"I feel the same way, though I'm not a fan of techno music. Remixes never sound as good as the original."

"A few can be good. It just depends on how well it's done. Who knows? Maybe someone will remix a song you sing, and you'll enjoy it."

"The only song I plan to sing anytime soon is Lonely Room."

"Yeah, but if you and Tylor decide to play a song together, it could be remixed and sound great."

"I doubt it," I stated. "I'm nowhere near Tylor's level as a musician. He's incredible! I mean, he's classically trained and playing in high end venues all the time. I could never picture myself playing on the same track as him. I'd just bring him down, I guess."

Clara wrapped her arms around herself and stared at the ground. "You find his music to be very sacred. Don't you?"

"I guess? I admire him more than anything."

Clara nodded and continued to walk ahead. I followed her, not saying anything more, and neither did she. Luckily, I no longer needed words to determine how I felt for her.