Promises or Lies (Darren Espanto)

Chapter 3

Darren E.

"That doesn't count!" she firmly said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Yes, it does.  I played the piece correctly."

"No, it doesn't, you only get one try."

"You didn't say that before," I countered.

"But I'm saying it now."

"And I'm saying that what you say now doesn't count 'cause the game's over and I won fair and square."

"But..." I could tell by the look in her eyes that she no longer had anything to say. "Fine," she huffed as she plopped down on my bed.

A smile crept onto my face.

"Does that mean we're friends again?"

"Whatever you want to think," she muttered.

We sat there in silence for a while, each of us doing our own thing. The only sounds that could be heard were the sounds of me tapping on the keyboard of my phone, and Skylar strumming the guitar.

"So who's the guy?" she asked out of nowhere.

"What guy," I asked as I turned the chair around to face her.

"The one blocking the exit," she responded in a 'duh' tone.

"That's Juan Karlos, he prefers if you call him JK."

She nodded in understanding.

"You know I'm sitting right here, and I can speak for myself, right?"

"That's not important," Skylar said as she shushed him.

"Hurtful," he responded as he put his hand over his heart.

"Suck it up," she playfully threw back.

I laughed to myself. They'd known each other for 30 minutes and they were already acting like best friends would.

"So, what are we doing?" Skylar asked me.

I blankly stared at her. What does she mean what are we doing?

"Are you just going to hold me captive all day long or are we actually going to do something?"

"What do you want to do?"

"I don't know."

"Why don't you play a song for us?"

"Do I have to sing?" she asked as she nervously twisted together the elastics on her wrist. She used to do that before too. I guess bad habits never break.

I raised my eyebrows at her questioningly. "Are you going to play a song for us and not sing along to it?"

"I don't sing anymore," she said as she leaned on the wall.

"Why not? You used to love to sing."

"Key words, used to."

"Please? For me?"

"You know that doesn't work on me, right?"

I sighed. Of course it didn't

"Come on, for old times sake?"

She stared at me for a few seconds, and finally caved. "Fine, for old times sake."

I casually popped my phone up onto my desk and started recording without her noticing. The idea that was forming in my head was definitely something that she could benefit from.

She started strumming notes on the guitar and proceeded to singing.

"All I need's a little love in my life, all I need's a little love in the dark. A little but I'm hoping it might kick start me and my broken heart. I need a little loving tonight. Hold me so I'm not falling apart. A little but I'm hoping it might kick start me and my broken heart