The Girl with the Guitar

The Song: Amelia

He introduces me as walk towards the stage. As I walk up the stairs to the stage and he's walking down all he does is puts his hand on my arm and squeezes it. The look in his eyes as he looks at me is full of so much care and kindness in the world. We both take a deep breath in and it feels like the world has stopped completely in these few moments with John. I begin to walk towards the mic and see a stool sitting in the middle of the stage waiting for me. I sit on the stool in front of the mic and I search for Emma's face in the crowd and I find it almost instantly. I don't introduce myself or tell them about the song, I just start playing.

Has I start picking at that strings of my guitar it's almost like everyone else in the room disappeared. My mum said that is a sign of a great musician, when you can block out the whole world and just open up and share stories through the songs that you play, that you wouldn't have been able to tell through words. The familiar sound of the guitar and the vibrations on the tips of my fingers calms me in a way nothing else could. Without even thinking about it my instincts kick in and I start singing. I'm looking down at the neck of the guitar and look up to see so many unfamiliar faces in the crowd. I start to search for Emma and finally find here in the second row smiling as I keep singing. I look back at my guitar and adjust my fingers for a new chord. I look back into the crowd a see a really hot guy sitting in the front row almost right in front of Emma. I want to know who he is. He seems very familiar, almost like I've seen him before but I don't know from where.

As the song I'm singing comes to an end everyone stands up and starts cheering. The high feeling that you get from all the adrenaline from being on stage is so strong and i'm smiling uncontrollably. For just a split second is almost like my life was just like it was before my mum died, happy. But then I remember everything as I start to walk down the stage steps and remember the last time I performed. As my high comes crashing down and I start to remember details from almost a year ago I rush through the door and go back to the back room. I open the door throwing my guitar on the couch and quickly shutting the door behind me a start to cry uncontrollably.

Has I start to calm down I take a tissue from the vanity that sits right across from the couch and wipe away the running mascara. I look in the mirror and see that my eyes are bloodshot red and swollen. I've completely calmed down and I put my guitar into the case and grab my phone from the stand that sits right next to the couch with what looks like an ancient lamp on it. I text Emma and tell her that I headed to the back room and that I would be back out soon. Right I hit the send button I hear a knock on the door I sit my phone back down on the stand and open the door. It John and he hands me a cold wet rag, I look at him very confused. He response, "Put it on your eyes it helps with the redness and swelling. I saw you rush back he almost in tears." He looks at me with the most caring eyes in the world, "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm fine, just all of my emotions rushing back to me from the last time I was up on that stage."

"Is there anything you need."

"No I just need some time to fix my face." I look at him and I am almost full on laughing, "I look like a bunch of bees just stung my right in my eyes."

As he laughs he gives me a huge. I love when John gives me hugs because he so much bigger than me it's almost like his body swallows mine. "Okay well if you need anything. Anything at all you just tell me and I will get it for you. You know I'm always here for you."
"Thanks John, your the best."

"Okay well, i gotta get back out there before this person finishes. I'll see you in a bit."

As John leaves the room I reach into my guitar case and pull out a little black pouch and grab a pair of earbuds from them. I plug them into my phone and unlock my phone to turn on my music. I turn on my classical music and lay down on the couch. I put the rag over my eyes and just lay there.

The next thing I know I hear another knock on the door. I sit up and realize that I had fallen asleep. I check my phone and exhale seeing that it was only for 15 minutes. I get up and open the door finding that Emma was on the other side. She gave me a very sad look has she put together that I had cried not to long ago. Before I could say anything she just engulfs me in a hug. Has she steps back she says, "wow you look like shit, but there are a lot of cute guys out there so you need to go sit in the chair so I can fix you up"

"I don't look that bad do I?"

"Oh honey, you look horrible," She says has we both start to laugh hysterically.

"Well, at least your being honest," I do has she says and I go sit in the chair in front of the vanity has she starts to pull all of her makeup out of her bag. "I'm scared," I say I stare up at her in hopes that she will know what to do and say to make me feels batter.

"Of what? You just went on that stage an rocked it. You should be happy and jumping around."

"I'm scared that the next time I walk out of that door everything will change again. I don't want to be sad anymore. I want to live my life and forget everything that happened last time but I can't no matter what I do I can't forget."

"Amelia, what happened to you last time was the only time that will happen to you. Yes you will remember it but it can't happen again. And for awhile you will be sad or angry or frustrated but you can't let that get in the way of living your life. You have to keep going and get a job and get married and have kids." She looks down at me with the most emotion filled eyes I've ever seen. "You may not be my blood sister but you are my sister and that is better than a normal sister because I choose YOU to be my sister; I need you to be my sister. We've gone through so much together and I'm not letting you ruin your career as a singer because you've you lost way. I will keep pushing you to be better. I love you."

There are now more tears in my eyes and I stand up to give her a hug. We just stand there for a few minutes and hug there. "Thank you. I really needed that. Oh, and I love you too."

"Okay great, now that we've got that taken care of sit your ass back down in that chair so I can finish your makeup." I sit back down in the chair and let Emma work her magic. Has she is doing my makeup all I can think about is my future. I have so many questions like. When am I going to meet the right guy? Will I have kids? What kind of job will I have? Will my job be something I enjoy or just something that I have to do?

Has my brain is finding more and more unanswered questions Emma says, "There all done, now it looks like there was never one tear shed."

"Thanks Emma, I don't know what I would ever do without you."
"You know, you would probably die from forgetting to eat while you are in of your many inspiring moments of consistent writing songs. Or you could just be so overwhelmed with emotions that you forget how to live like a normal person. Or you could die from never socializing with anyone because I'm your only friend because everyone is scared of you."

I quickly interrupt her before she can go on and tell me more reason why we should never be apart for too long because I am incapable of being an adult without her, "Okay, I get it. I don't know how to be an actually person without you."

We both just start laughing and laughing. We don't stop laughing until we hear a knock on the door. I shot my head straight towards Emma and she just has her stop evil smile on her face. I get very confused and just mouth the words "Who is it?" to Emma. All she does is just shrugged her shoulders and laughs.

I finally decide to stand up and answer the door. At first thought I just think that it might just be John coming back to check on me. But then I hear his voice announcing another artist on stage. Who else could it be? I have other friends. I put my hand on the knob of the door and turn it slowly opening the door. The only person at the door was this handsome guy. He has amazing dirty blond hair and the greenest eyes you could ever imagine. It's the same guy that I saw when I was on stage. The one that was sitting in front of Emma.