everlong ; sal fisher x reader

chapter 34

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

i was peacefully practicing with my guitar when i heard a knock at the door.

sighing, i got up and rushed to open the door. mom was at work.

when i opened it, sal stood in front of me. he had his guitar strapped around him on his back. "hey y/n."

"hey. what's up? it's like 9am. i'm surprised you're up this early."

he laughed and rolled his eyes. "hah, me too. are you super busy right now?"

"not really. i've just been in my room."

he nodded. "yeah, so.. you know how you said you would teach me that opener you played at your last show?"

"mhm."

"i was wondering if you could today. sorry.. i was just playing around with mine and thought of you."

i smiled. "well, you're in luck. i've been playing mine as well." i opened the door wider to invite him in. "i got a new guitar, also. the band got it for me. you gotta see it."

"no more of the old black one?"

"well, of course i'm still keeping that one. it will just be my practice guitar. the other one i'll use when i'm on stage, y'know?"

i pushed the door to my room open. sal sat on my bed and set his guitar against the edge of it. "woah, is that it?" he pointed.

i picked it up proudly and stood it up straight. "nice, right? i couldn't even believe it was mine at first. i've been raving about it to my mom for like 3 days now."

"i would too. it fits your personality well."

"i think so too." i sat next to him and held it in my lap. "so what was it you wanted to learn?"

"i honestly don't know the name."

i chuckled. "alright then. i'll teach you something good." i pondered for a moment. "okay, this one's a new one that we came up with, but i think you could pick it up. it's called panoramic. i'll play it first and then just walk through it slowly."

sal nodded as watched silently as i played. it wasn't perfect but it was enough for sal to get what the gist was.

after about 30 minutes of me teaching him the parts, i sighed and sat back. "alright, let's see it."

he inhaled deeply and looked down. "you have to promise you won't laugh."

i furrowed my brows. "why would i laugh?"

".........i don't know. i guess i'm just not used to playing in front of someone."

"you'll be fine, it's just me."

"r-right. okay then." he exhaled and began.

it honestly wasn't bad. i had never heard him play before, so i sat there smiling softly. he was a lot better than i thought he was.

i watched him press his fingers against the fret board and dart his eyes back and forth between the sheet of music beside him, and my guitar. when he was finally done, he looked up at me nervously.

"that could've been better."

"that was good! not to say i thought you were terrible or anything, but you're a lot better than i thought you were."

he smiled. "really?"

"yeah, why would i lie?"

"i don't know. you're just like, super good. you're basically famous for it."

i chuckled. "i guess so. but there's plenty of people who can play the guitar and never get famous from it. like you, for example. you would become pretty known if you had started playing in front of crowds."

his eyes widened. "now you're REALLY pushin' it..."

"i'm serious! the fact that you were able to just learn and be able to play a new song i just taught you is pretty fuckin' cool."

he chuckled softly. "whatever you say."

i rolled my eyes and began to roll up a joint. "we should smoke."

"is that a statement or a question?"

"what do you think?"

he put his hands up defensively. "you got any shows coming up?"

i pondered for a moment. "yeah. i think."

"you think?"

"okay, well, alex is always hit or miss with his plans. he keeps going bigger and bigger with the venues he wants us to play at."

"that's good, though."

"i guess." i shrugged. "i'm not really bothered by it."

"geez, you don't get scared of anything."

i looked up and chuckled. "good one."

while i continued to roll the joint, sal picked up my guitar again and began strumming softly. even just from him mindlessly playing, i could tell he really was good. i guess he just doesn't know how to take compliments.

eventually, he stopped playing and exhaled. he continued staring down the strings.

i furrowed my brows and looked up. "what's wrong?"

"nothing, nothing. it's just..." he sighed and still didn't look up. his ears were turning a little red. "i need to tell you something."

i nodded. "and that is....?"

sal was silent for a moment. "so, um.. i just really need to get this off my chest before i explode or... something."

i nodded again, more slowly.

"you're like, the coolest person i've ever met. and i've always thought that. even when me and larry first met you." he started to pick at the guitar strings anxiously. "and the more i got to know you, the more i liked you. ha, i mean, i couldn't even believe the fact that you were even giving me the time of day at first."

i giggled. "so, you just wanted to get the fact that i'm the most amazing person in the world off your chest?" i replied playfully.

he chuckled. "i guess that's part of it." sal inhaled and exhaled deeply. "y/n, i-"

suddenly, my bedroom door slammed open. low and behold, my mother in her work clothes.

she squinted and looked around my room. i could tell she didn't have her glasses on. "i knew i heard another voice."

"jesus, mom, can you knock??"

"i was just making sure there wasn't a burglar coming to take that nice shiny guitar you got in there, sue me." she rolled her eyes and smirked. "oh and, hey sal."

he smiled and waved. "hi ms. l/n."

she turned and walked down the hall to her room. i sighed and closed the door again. "i didn't even hear her. jesus christ, that scared me."

"ha, me too."

"so what were you saying?"

sal looked away. "........it's nothing. are you, uh, done with that?" he quickly pointed at the joint.

"oh, yeah." i scooted over to the window beside my bed and lifted it up. "get me a lighter, will you?"