Carry On

un

::2011::

I can still taste the ocean like it was today

You said please keep on holding your hand and

The rain it came too soon, I will wait for you

So love me again

I guess I was running from something

I was running back to you

Lost here in Sydney with nothing

I'm still running back to you

If you could love me again

I could let go of eve-

"Great song."

I almost jumped the moment I heard the voice behind me. I looked up and saw a tall blonde boy standing behind me. He had a guitar swung over his shoulder and his blue eyes seemed to look right into my soul. I felt the blood rushing to my cheeks.

"Uh.. thanks?" I mumbled looking down at my hands.

"My name is Luke. Did you write that yourself?" he asked while he reached his hand out to help me up.

"Yeah.. And my name is Melanie." I smiled shyly. I am so awkward around new people.

"Do you often write songs this great?

"No. I mean thanks, but well it actually is the first song I've ever written." I admitted.

"I assume you've just got a lot of talent then. Would you please play it again for me?" he asked with a crooked smile.

"Of course! I mean, yeah sure." I said a little bit nervous. I had never sung for someone besides my grandfather before. The chords and lyrics were all around me spread across the floor.

"I can still taste the ocean like it was today," I started, mind focusing on my voice. I had played the guitar long enough to leave the instrument to my instinct. "You said please keep on holding your hand and," Another voice blended with mine. I looked back to see Luke staring concentratedly to one of the paper lyrics sheets. The duet doesn't sound flawless, but as the start of something special.

"That was great! You were great." I said smiling when the final notes vanished with the wind.

"Thanks. It was cool to sing another artist's song." He bended over grabbing all the papers before the wind could.

"I am not an artist. That's the only song I've ever written and it still needs to be worked on."

He looked hurt. "Where's the line drawn then and by whom? o me, you're an artist when you create things because you like to do so, whether that's looking for a new melody, decorating a cake or thinking of new choreographies. So, artist, are you playing on Live at Northwest?"

That's sort of the story of how I met my best friend. We'd meet between periods to play in the school's band room as often as we could. In he beginning there was just the two of us, but later on we got joined by two of Luke's classmates. Calum and Michael. The three of them thought about starting a band together, which is what they did when they found Ashton to play the drums.

I took my phone out of my back pocket when I felt it buzzing and I saw I had received a text from Luke;

8.30 pm - big friendly giant: mELANiE GUESs WHAT!!1!

8.31 pm - me: uhm..

8.31 pm - me: OH,, YOUVE FINALLY GOT YOUR FIRST CHEST HAIR?

8.32 pm - big friendly giant: >:-(( no

8.32 pm -big friendly giant: WE GOT ASKED TO TOUR WITH 1D!! AAAAH!!

8.32 pm - me: NO WAY ARE YOu kiDDING UR KIDDING

8.33 pm - big friendly giant: nope :-----)

8.35 pm - big friendly giant: but,,,,, we'll have to move to London to write songs for ourselves. . You know, professionally...

8.47 pm - big friendly giant: u still there?

8.47 pm - me: yeah, i'll be there in five

I speed-walked to my bike as fast as I could and racet to Luke's home. Jack opened the door before I could even ring the bell and opened his arms before I fell into his warm hug. The Hemmings' had basically come to feel as my second family during the years of my friendship with Luke and they understood what I felt perfectly fine. I waved to family members in the living room and climbed the stairs to Luke's attic, where I found him staring at the ceiling.

"How long will you be gone?" I asked him as I playfully shoved him aside to make room for me on his bed.

"That's like 50% of the problem because I haven't got a clue," he answered. "Australia is my home, but this is all I've ever dreamed of."

"I am not going to say you won't miss Sydney, because you will." I said. "But this will be the biggest chance you guys will get. Ever. And if your ambitions to become a famous band are real, you will take it."

They did. After a small farewell party, they left to London. Their tour with One Direction went amazing and the boys got rewarded with dedicated fans of their own. Two years had passed when they returned to their Australia and even the stay in their homeland didn't last long.