Unrequited

She's So Gone-Naomi Scott

She's So Gone-Naomi Scott (5)

HERE I AM. THIS IS ME. AND I'M STRONGER THAN YOU EVER THOUGHT I'D BE. ARE YOU SHOCKED? ARE YOU MAD; THAT YOU'RE MISSING OUT ON WHO I REALLY AM?

I was completely mistaken about the whole abandoned thing.

As we came close to the isolated place, I started hearing loud—really loud—music and I gave Matt a look which he responded with a shrug.

"What is this place?" I breathed as we went inside the crowded room.

Lights of blue, orange, yellow and red were roaming around the high-ceiling, wide-spaced shack from the stage at the very centre which a band is playing on. People were jumping up and down with the beat and were singing along to the music. Girls and boys, seventeen and above (I guess), merged together in a big concert-like party.

"They come here to sing and have fun." Matt murmurs in my ear and pulls me to the side. "That's exactly why we're here."

I stared at him wide-eyed. "What?"

"You're still holding back, B. I can see it, you know."

"But, Matt, curfew—"

"Your curfew is ten and it's only six-thirty. We have a lot of time and a lot to do." He takes my hand and kept on pulling but gently. "We better start now."

-

I wonder if my mom agreed to this. I wonder what he wants me to do. I wonder if I could find that voice he's looking for. I mean, I keep on wondering but I'm exactly the kind of person who doesn't answer any of them until I do something stupid.

I sighed. My mind is running wild and here I am, standing in front of a band Matt is introducing me to.

"I'll take lead guitar," Matt says. "We have Jonah for bass. Our resident drum lord, Simon. Harold Fitz on keyboard and Pip Marx on vocals," then he turned to me and grinned. "But of course, you have the microphone. Pip will back you up. Just pick a song."

"When...uh, when are we playing...?" I was afraid to ask because M is giving me that look; the you-can-do-this-right-now right now look.

"Tonight, in five minutes actually," Jonah says casually and started fumbling with his guitar. I gulped and stared at M.

Like a trapped animal, I exclaimed. "No!"

"Why?" He demanded, only half amused. "Come on, we're here for a reason and it's not like we're in a sinking ship. This band is amazing." He countered and I had no choice but to nod because it will be embarrassing to point out the doubtful reasons he has in front of said amazing band.

I sighed and shook my head. "You are so dead meat, M." I tell him and began to talk with Simon and Pip. We arranged the song and felt weird to let them play it because it's more like a girl-power thing than a boy-band thing.

Harold assured me that it's an amazing song for a breakout though because it has high range. Jonah backed him up and said that they've heard it once or twice because of his little sister.

"Are we singing Hannah Montana here?" Matt raised a brow and I rolled my eyes at him. "Come on, B, hard core band...and that's the song you choose?"

"Oh, come on, M. You're the one who put me in the limelight here. Suck it up."

He only shrugged. "Your funeral," he says.

Funeral...The Funeral...Band of Horses...

"Can we do two songs?" I asked them and Matt nodded.

"They're the band in this shack, B. They perform like every night and people come to see them." He explains. "So screw it up and we're both dead meat."

"I have a good song after my little breakthrough." I assured him and collaborated with the band again.

I'm happy to report that they are more than thrilled to play that song with me.

-

I took off my leather jacket and was relieved that I wore my black tank top. I pulled my boots tight up to my knees and adjusted my jeans. I let lose of my blonde hair and shook out my remaining fears off my hands and looked at Matt.

"We are never going to do this again."

"Okay," he promises. "Except for the competition and the audition for the festival,"

"Right," I sighed as I remembered why we were actually doing this. "But after this, I'm pretty sure I have already lost my nerves to sing in public."

"Oh please, you can do this, B." He groans impatiently and hands me the microphone. "Have a little faith."

The lights went down and the band started filing through and Matt went out next. They had given a small introduction regarding, well, me and started to slowly play the song. I didn't come out but when it was my turn to play it out, I sang.

I sang from there, on the side, watching as Matt gave me the encouraging gesture saying 'get out here' but I kept on singing right there.

"So it looks like the joke's on you," I moved an inch toward the open. "'Cause the girl that you thought you knew—"

I was out in the open and walking quickly to stand by M. "She's so gone. That's so over now. She's so gone. You won't find her around." I gave out my voice and let it all be heard. "You can look but you won't see her; the girl I used to be 'cause she—she's so gone."

To my surprise, there were hoots and yeah loudly bursting through and I couldn't have been more satisfied with the outcome of giving out my heartache to these strangers. I looked at Matt as I sang, with Pip backing me up, and smiled at them both. Matt was playing the guitar pretty well and I wondered how many seconds it took him to memorize the chords to this.

After that, I was looking over the sea of people who were cheering me on and tried to tell them how my heart has been broken and how I failed to see the lies—how I've been so blind all these years.

And with this song, I told them, that I could stand up pretty much better than I did yesterday.

The girl everyone thought they knew...is gone. And they could see the real her now.

-

My song ended and I walked away to drink water because the band is going to play another song I suggested. Pip is going to sing lead and I'll be the back-up.

Matt gave me a proud pat on the shoulder when I returned a few seconds later.

"You were amazing." He whispered in my ear and I settled beside him.

"Thanks," I said and if I could write all over my bedroom walls, the rest of the night I could say—R-O-C-K-E-D.

-

Mom stayed up. When I went inside, I handed over the keys and sat by her on the couch. She asked me where Matt is and I told her that I drove him home.

We had an excellent night and that was all I could say to her.

I retreated to my room later on and put on my earphones. That song—our song—I kept listening to was in the back of my mind and I avoided playing it. Instead, I listened to The Funeral and smiled at the memory that was my greatest hit a few hours earlier.

I slept soundly and when morning came, I was glad to go to church and thank the Lord for giving me a reason to finally be happy again.

-

If you're satisfied with the story, click on VOTE or COMMENT right below! –Katherine.