Calum Hood
I go to school again on Monday with my morale up and my anxiety down. I feel like I can handle the world again, like I can do everything and anything I want. The love of my life loves me back and even though I can't kiss her yet and can't actually call her my girlfriend, it still does a lot. It takes away a lot too. Mostly the anxiety and sadness that had been building up inside me. Mostly the darkness I only saw.
"Morning," says a chirpy voice when I'm standing at my locker to grab the books I need. I turn my head to see who's talking to me, even though I already recognized the voice. I just need to be sure it's her. And it is. She's standing next to me with a smile on her face.
"Morning?" I greet back, but it comes out as a question as I don't really know what's going on. Naomi giggles, making my toes curl up.
"Wanted to ask if we're still on for music sessions today," she then tells me.
"Oh, yeah, yeah. Of course!" I reply, a smile forming on my face. This is actually real. She actually wants to talk to me, even at school. Even around all these people who consider me low-class and Naomi high-class. Even when her friends could see it.
"Good, see you in an hour then," she says and touches my shoulder before passing me to get to her first class. Something as simply as touching my shoulder is enough to send shivers down my spine and make me a little dizzy.
"Did Naomi just talk to you again?" asks Michael who had just past her on his way to me.
"Yeah, we're friends again. Talked everything out and stuff," I tell him, not wanting to go too deep in the reasons why we broke up. I'm not going to force Naomi out of the closet. That's her job, not mine. She'll do it when she's ready.
"That's amazing, man! I'm really happy for you," Michael pats me on the shoulder as I close my locker and follow him to our first class of the day.
We talk about reuniting the Three Musketeers of Riverstone soon too, and it makes me realize that everything might be fine after all. I'm crawling out of my depression-hole, Michael's working towards that too, and so is Naomi. Maybe we'll all be happy together at last. Maybe everything will work out soon.
Naomi and I find ourselves at the music hall again during our free period. We find new basslines, guitar riffs, drum bits and beautiful melodies along with some really nice flowing words. None of them really went well together, until I realized the bassline we were constantly doing would sound great with something I was working on a couple weeks ago.
"Wait, listen to this," I say and do the bassline again before starting to sing.
"I love the light in your eyes and the dark in your heart
You love our permanent chase and the bite of our bark
We know we're classic together like Egyptian Gold
We love us,"
I look up to Naomi to see what she's thinking. She seems to be deep in thought, as if she's trying to find something else to go with that. The girl gets up from the piano chair she was sitting on and goes to sit behind the drum kit in the room.
"Play that again, please," she commands me sweetly and I do so. I play the bassline again, only to have her come in with her drums to give more rhythm to the song.
"It don't matter be combative or be sweet cherry pie
It don't matter just as long as I get all you tonight"
She sings, filling up the pre-chorus. I smile at her, and she smiles back, but we keep on going. There's going to be something good coming from this.
"I can take you out oh-oh
We can kill some time, stay home"
I come up with that part, mainly just telling Naomi what I would do if we do decide to get into this relationship. If she decides she's ready for something new. If she forgives herself from moving on from Grace.
"Throw balloons, teddy bears and something, something away
Got nothing but love for you, fall more in love every day"
