we were so beautiful
Disregarding the comments he had made about the lyrics of the song being some sort of indie propaganda, Casey found himself swaying along as each string was plucked and vowel sounded.
we were so tragic
He could almost laugh at the sight in front of him. Pierce, self proclaimed klutz and just a ball of anxiousness in general playing a sickeningly sweet melody for all of them like some sort of charming lead singer prototype.
When asked about the lyrics, he answered every question Casey had, but in an odd sort of cryptic way. The lyrics weren't just his, he had said.
'I may have wrote them, but the feelings aren't mine. Sometimes, Casey, you just have to look about and think about the people around you. Then you'll understand what and who everything belongs to.'
Casey wasn't going to pretend like he understood anything Pierce had said. Look around and think about the people around me? He found himself scanning the vicinity, before he realized Pierce was most likely talking about the 5 of them.
no other magic
could ever compare
A love song. How could he have not seen it? Pierce had always seemed like a sap to him, he was cool — don't get Casey wrong, but he seemed like the type to pull some homoerotic shit like this. Was he serenading them? Just fuck monogamous relationships, I guess. Go for all four of us.
lost myself, 17
then you came, found me
Casey's eyebrows furrowed, his moment of realization being crushed by a cloud of confusion. 17? Pierce was not seventeen, what the fuck was he talking about? Oh. Maybe he found his love at 17. But Pierce didn't know all of us when he was 17? Okay, maybe that part was more of a metaphorical thing. Metaphorical. Is that the right word?
As he turned his body slightly to question this to King, he stopped when he noticed Topher. He was smiling — a grand smile — and whispering something to Kai that he couldn't decipher from this far away. He watched as the newly brunette boy's body lifted off the blanket that the five were laying on to reach Kai, who was sitting upright and not laying down like the rest. Casey watched intently as Kai's lips turned upright into a matching smile, gleaming and truthful. He narrowed his eyes while taking his eyes off of the pair, before turning to King like he had originally planned.
"You're smart, right? What's this song about?"
King looked up from his phone - for the first time in what felt like a million years before chuckling and looking back down. The confusion swirling inside of Casey only grew stronger. "What do you know that you're not telling me, huh?"
Casey reaches over to swipe the phone out of the redheads hand, but not quickly enough. King quickly raised his hand - out of reach from the other boy. His eyebrow quirked up, almost in a challenge. If Casey wasn't so dead set on figuring this out, he would've took the opportunity to wrestle the younger boy for it.
"King," he pleaded, his voice bordering whiny.
"Just think about it. Not that hard, bud. You'll get it soon!" King nodded enthusiastically at the end, and Casey felt rather dumb when he didn't pick up the sarcasm until a few moments later. King laughed when Casey just swatted his arm and laid back down, now focused on the lyrics
there's a room in my heart
with the memories we made
The lyrics seemed to be slightly drowned out by the laughter coming from the pair, and Casey couldn't help but wish he could strangle them.
Maybe then they'd shut the fuck up. Since when were they that close, anyways?
took em' down
but they're still in their frames
What kind of shit is Pierce on? All this talking in riddles and making me look fucking stupid is annoying. Think, Casey, think.
there's no way i could ever forget
Not even a minute into the song and you're already giving up? Casey could've fought his subconscious for bugging him about this. It was lyrics. Stupid lyrics that probably meant nothing. Pierce most likely wrote some sappy love song to impress some foreign girls he had expected to meet here. But why did the lyrics seem so much more personal? Why did Pierce and King seem to know the same thing that Casey couldn't figure out? Whatever.
for as long as i live
and as long as i love
i will never not think about you
Once again, he found himself watching the two boys in front of him. Topher was laying down, his head resting in Kai's lap. His eyes were closed and a small smile was playing on his lips. Casey fought the urge to grab Topher away from Kai and bring the boy over by him.
Kai sat with his legs outstretched, a blunt in one hand and his other hand found his fingers twisting around Topher's hair.
i will never not think about you
Casey watched until he felt he couldn't anymore, and instead prompted on staring at the sky.
from the moment i laughed
i knew you were the one
and no matter what ever i do
i will never not think about you
He sat and watched the sky until it melted into a tropical pastel fusion of emotions. Maybe they were his own emotions, or maybe like Pierce had hinted at - they were everybody's.
He looked around a final time, watching all his friends. They all looked so content. It was crazy, he thought, how unbothered they looked even though he knew all the things tearing them apart from the inside. Love, heartbreak, abuse, loneliness.
They sure did a good job hiding everything. He could only wish he looked as happy as them.
