Before it ends

Voicemails...

"Hiya it's Hayley. You know what to do, here comes the beep." The same phrase was being repeated through the phone again and again. She must have left straight after the fight. I didn't see her after school, I waited. God knows I waited. She didn't show up, she didn't tell me about her sister and she wasn't picking up the God damn phone.

It wasn't long before I was parked outside Ashley's house.
Come on pick up, pick up.
If you pick up now I'll drop everything. Please.
"Hiya it's Hayley-"  I cut the call before it could play any longer.
"For fuck sake." My fist smashed against the wheel. I looked down at my hand. My screen lay cracked inside it.

Ashley: Where are you? Did you forget Ryan?

The message popped on to my home screen. I couldn't even look at my phone without getting angry. So I tucked it into my pocket and got out the car.
Like before, the front door was left open, I locked it behind me. I waked upstairs and into Ashley's room, no interruptions this time. I don't think her brother was here. The house was quite quiet.
"Finally." Ashley said once I opened her door. She was lying on her bed with headphones on. "We can begin." She sat up and put her phone on the side of her piano.
"Sorry I took so long." I didn't sound sorry. Even I knew that, but Ashley smiled nonetheless and shook her head.
"Don't worry about it."
"So what are you showing me?"
"Just a tune. It's not solid yet. But I need your help with words. It can't stray too far from my original idea or you'll be more than just a singer and the board won't class it as my work." I nodded but she didn't turn away, she kept looking at me, through me.
"Are you okay Ryan?" I smiled faintly. "It's just you seem, you seem like something else is on your mind. Not to seem demanding but I kinda need your full attention for this. We can reschedule, or you know what just forget-"
"No." I couldn't bail on her. I would've if Hayley answered her phone, but she didn't and I wasn't going to let her ruin this for Ashley. This is big for me too. I haven't sang in so long, it's time. "Let's do this." I sat down next to Ashley.
She turned towards her phone and then the keyboard. "I've recorded a rough draft. Key word: rough. It's not-"
"Just play Ash." She rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath.
"Bossy." I laughed.
"So I've been told."
The intro was soft, pure piano. Beautiful and timeless, clean, maybe too clean. The chords moved along the keyboard and settled on black notes. The sounds were harsh. The piece was perfectly executed, honestly, I thought words would ruin it- but then she paused. The tune was striped away and only the chords played. The sound of a guitar came from her phone, it gave the room a warm feeling.

It's hard for me to smile when gravity holds me down
It's hard for me to hear, when you don't make a sound
It's hard for me to breathe, when all the water helps me drown
Oh I'm told I'm a queen, but I'm waiting for my crown

Her voice was ... amazing. When I'd heard her sing before it sounded nothing like this. This was the type of sound that made you nervous, watching her gave you goosebumps, the words seemed to mean everything. The song was everything. I didn't dare disturb her, every ounce of power was going into the chords and her voice and the words. The words.

I once believed the things you said and now they're all just you
Your face, your lips, the way you laugh, the way you slowly move
It's crazy really the words we say, the things we feel inside
Even when I shouldn't say it, I fight against my pride
She took a deep breath
So baby don't go, baby don't leave
Don't you bring me to my knees
There's a limit you know
There'a a limit you'll see.

Oh baby don't go, baby just stay
I won't take it if you walk away
So leave the key under the doormat
Leave me be if that's where your at
But don't ask me to come with you
Don't make me choose

The song began to slow

Cause darlin' in my heart, I know

The last few keys played after each word.
I
Won't
Choose
You.
The last key was held for what seemed like forever, until silence swallowed us.
"You can sing." That's all I could think to say, I was shocked. She was good.
"About that." She explained "You wouldn't have helped it if you knew I could sing."
"Yeah, damn straight." I nodded "Why do you need me anyway."
"It's just you it's your voice, your tone on the last verse would sound amazing, I am trying to make the audience remember their past, a love, a break- up."
"But Ashley-"
"Look Ryan I don't need you here whining. It's your voice, that's all I need." I sighed beside her.
"Strictly vocal?"
"Strictly vocal." We shook on it. I smiled.
"Okay one more time from the top."