AMA-Con: The Compilation

Adagio

Written by: @mcdimplesPEX

Prompt: Stranger, broken guitar chord and lasagna

Prompt by: @silent_shipper

***

My fingers moved rhythmically, in time to the beat inside my head and my heart. I feel the vibrations of every single sound made against my body: chest, gut, hands. A cacophony of sounds creating my own brand of music. I see you looking my way. I look back, trying hard not to stare. But you hold my attention and it unnerves me. My hand accidentally slips, the broken chord signalling my nerves. I try to shake it off and continue on, conscious all the while of the heat of your gaze. No words are spoken. I think about the distance that separates us and wonder if this is as close as I'll ever get. I probably won't see you again. I should be content with this one glimpse, I try to convince myself.

When you leave, I can't help but watch you go. I bite my lip to stop from calling out to you. I shouldn't say anything because we don't know each other. I'm nothing to you.

I see you again. Same place. Same circumstances. I still don't know you and you still don't know me, but it is easily the best part of my day. This time, as I watched you leave and walk away, I prayed to God that you would turn around. Just one look back. Please.

You did.

And with that one look, I stayed on cloud nine for the rest of the day. I said the rosary that night.

The next time we met, you came closer to me. There's a bench a ways to my left and there you sat. The distance between us closed ever so slightly and even that small difference made my heart race. You smiled when you caught my eye. It was like the sun breaking away from the clouds. I'd seen you smile before but this smile seemed different. Better. Your eyes twinkled as you showcased your pearly whites but what drew my gaze were the most adorable twin dents in your cheeks. You had dimples! I couldn't help but smile back, hoping you wouldn't notice how dazed I was feeling. I continued to strum my guitar, my eyes never leaving your own. I feel like I've grown wings and I'm flying. You make me fly.

The effect you have over me reminds me of flowers blooming to signal the end of a long, cold winter. All it had taken was one look and I was yours. You had reeled me in, hook, line and sinker. I was ready to give you the world. Me, a consummate loner who made pains to stay that way. It was the price I paid to keep my focus wholly on my music. It's all that ever made sense to me. Music was all I was. And yet here you are, evoking other feelings and thoughts inside of me that I thought had died long ago. I feel off balance and elated. All tangled up and ecstatic. None of this makes sense so I cling to the one thing I do know: I keep singing to keep you smiling.

It's her hair and her eyes today

That just simply take me away

And the feeling that I'm falling further in love

Makes me shiver but in a good way

All the times I have sat and stared

As she thoughtfully thumbs through her hair

And she purses her lips, bats her eyes as she plays

With me sitting there slack-jawed and nothing to say

Cause I love her with all that I am

And my voice shakes along with my hands

Cause she's all that I see and she's all that I need