Monochrome beat (boyxboy)✔

Beat 43 X 3: The final beat

Orlando's POV

"You know Orly, you've never really told me what it is about music that you like."

"Everything babe," I mused. "For me it's more than a sequence of sounds. It's...ethereal. It's so delicate it's very easy to get it wrong and yet very easy to get it right. It speaks to my soul. It simultaneously calms me down and ignites me when it resonates with me. When it hits that spot everything just feels aligned. It has different beats, different hooks, different lyrics...but it has...I don't know, one color. There's always just that one thing. I live for that beat. Some songs have it and some don't."

Jax stopped and turned to me. I could see the stars adorning the sky shining in his eyes. We'd taken a walk just as the sun set, and now the sky was dark. We were walking hand-in-hand as we returned to his father's apartment. The streets were largely empty except for a few people here and there. We were in no rush as evidenced by our slow pace, and now Jax had stopped.

"You'll say yes, then?" He was looking at me with hope.

"I don't know."

"Can I tell you something?"

"Of course," I said pulling him slightly. His feet didn't move.

"Your music saved me..." he said and I cut in.

"Aren't we exaggerating just a bit here?" I chuckled.

"No, no. I mean...it didn't save me alone. It gave me hope. It convinced me to let you in. For a long time I couldn't sleep without having nightmares, but when I listened to your music, I could. You say you live for that beat right? That beat that hits the spot? Orly you're capable of creating that beat. I'm not the only one who thinks so, and you have a chance to ignite the souls of many other people."

I put my hand around his shoulders and pulled him to me. "You are so sweet," I said and kissed him on the forehead. "Can we walk now?"

It had been a month since Matt and Wendell's wedding. A lot of things had happened since then. I had reluctantly called the talent manager who'd left his card with Jax. I had mainly called to tell him I wasn't interested, but he played daft to my disinterest and told me to think about it instead.

I wasn't planning on changing my mind, but I decided to do some research on the guy. Jack Adams was no small-time talent manager like I originally thought he was. He represented some major artists. I had never been interested in them so I didn't really know much about them, but I knew they were famous.

Jax insisted on calling Matt to verify he knew Jack Adams. Matt didn't really know him well, but Wendell did. He explained that they were in college together for two years, and Jack dropped out to pursue the business aspect of life. He got into talent managing. Wendell basically sang his praises; said Jack had a keen eye and was good at calculating risks.

Jax was too impressed. I wasn't. I'd played at Matt and Wendell's wedding only because they were in a fix and needed help. I wanted to help, that was all. The thought of doing something about my music had never occurred to me. I was too guarded with it.

Besides the Jack Adams thing, other things had happened in the month from Matt and Wendell's wedding.

Digger was tried for his crimes. The murder trial was the first one. The prosecution laid out in detail how Digger had gotten agitated when Sam confronted him about having an affair with Nina and he'd killed him out of rage. Nina testified that she'd gone to Digger's house to talk to him and heard Digger exclaim to himself that he'd "killed him", even though she didn't know who it was at the time. The prosecution also had the murder weapon and Digger's prints on it. It was a solid case and the jury thought so too. Digger was found guilty of second degree murder and sentenced to twenty-five years in prison.

While in jail he was tried for sexual abuse of a minor (Jax was 17 years old at that time). Jax gave his testimony on the third day of the trial. I was there to hear the story all over again, and it didn't make me any less angry. Digger was found guilty and sentenced to eight years in prison, to be served after his 25 years.

Jax made peace with Janice. She was supportive during the trial but you could see she was heartbroken. Unlike Janice, Jax's mom didn't try to make contact with him. Jax conceded that sending him to Rittertown had nothing to do with him; his mom had sent him there because she was tired of him. She had essentially given him up and relinquished all her rights.

Jax was doing well. He was still seeing his therapist and their sessions were shorter and reduced to twice a week. We were doing great. Our relationship was blossoming wonderfully. Intimacy was no longer an issue and truthfully we couldn't get enough of each other.

Speaking of relationships, our good friend Amy had finally gotten her crush. Sam's murder had made Wesley realize what was important, so she told me. He'd apparently given up his drug dealing too.

Me? I was okay. My mom was mad that I was planning to spend the whole summer in Crescendo (that was not what we agreed on). I finally told her about my phantom pains and my leg not helping, and for once she didn't blame anyone. I was scheduled to get a new leg fitted as soon as I returned home.

It was amazing, wasn't it...how you could go through life having some small insignificant things happen to you and one day this major thing just happens and it sweeps you off your feet, bangs you against the walls...but in the midst of it all you manage to plant your feet on the ground and get up? That was Jax's story...that was our story.

"Orly, I'm just saying..." Jax said and finally started walking.

"Can I tell our story?"

"Huh?"

"...In beats. If I can tell our story then I'll do it."

"You have my permission to tell our story," he said with a big smile. "I just have a question, what will you call it?"

"Monochrome beat...we found it, didn't we?"

He nodded. "We found it."

"Now let's go and produce it, yeah?"

He leaned more into my shoulder. "Yes!" he said emphatically and chuckled. "Monochrome beat...sounds ridiculous by the way."

I chuckled too. "I know, but I love my philosophy and I'm sticking to it."

"I love it too. And I love you," he said running his thumb against my fingers.

By then we were underneath a streetlight. The orange glow was touching his face, highlighting how beautiful he was. In this light his androgynous facial features came out more. He looked more like a girl, with big blue eyes and pale pink lips that begged to be kissed, yet his cheekbones and nose reminded me that he was a boy.

"I love you too Jackson."

"Do you think our story has fast rhythmic beats or really slow mellow beats?"

"I don't know. We'll just know when we've found it."

The End

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A/N: I honestly don't know what to say. So...monochrome beat has come to an end. I had planned to finish this story in 6 months but I took way longer...mostly because I've been really busy and partly because I never had a solid plan for it, and so a lot of things and emotions crept up as I wrote. I'm happy with the final product (even though I hate the beginning) and I hope you guys are too.

Vote, comment...tell me what you guys liked, and what you didn't like, your favorite characters, who you hated...just tell me anything.

I do have an idea for a sequel (Don't I always? Lol...separation anxiety is a real thing), but it ties in with another book of mine, so it just won't happen until I write a sequel for said book.

Idk what else to say. It's 7:30 in the morning and my doggies are looking at me like they haven't eaten for years...or they are concerned I'm going to be late for class. 

I'm such a weirdo

XXXX Dante