A Change Of Heart

18

October 23rd, 1967

7:32 p.m.

"That's the wrong chord." His gentle laugh filling the space we sat in. Mike had invited me over to hang out for a bit and this had resulted in an impromptu guitar lesson.

"Maybe if you turned the light on instead of making me try to do this in the dark it'd be a little easier!" I joked, setting the guitar down next to me. The only thing visible in the dark room being the tiny red beam of light that was glowing on the amp across from the bed.

"There's always something..." he huffed playfully, stumbling across the room to the light switch, "better?"

"Very much so..." I grinned, watching him shyly look down at his feet and cross the floor, his cheeks saturated in a heavy blush.

"H-here..." he picked up the same cheap two dollar guitar he had been playing when I first met him, placing it in my lap, "this one is the right one..." murmuring shyly, taking my hand in his and placing my finger on the correct string.

"Good..." he encouraged, smiling at my attempt to play what he had tried to teach me.

"I'm not as good as you!"

"It's not like I'm that great."

"Yes you are!"

Blushing he shook his head at me with a coy little grin, "there are people far better than me."

"Stop being so humble all the time! Tom isn't even this bad..."

Tom

I instantly bit down on my lip, I had tried not to speak his name all day and now I'd blown it. Mike just smiled, a chuckle leaving his mouth, "How is Tom?"

I wouldn't know we don't talk anymore...

Instead I shrugged, that's all I could muster was a shrug. I didn't really understand these current goings on, we used to be over at each others houses everyday and now all communication had come to a screeching halt. And with how I treated him at Tuesday's show, I wouldn't blame him if he wanted to keep it this way.

"I'm sorry..." Mike paused, moving closer to me and carefully wrapping one of his arms around me, "I-I didn't mean to upset you."

"What makes you think I'm upset?" All I'd done is shrug, I couldn't understand how he read I was upset from a shrug.

"Y-your eyes..."

Looking up at his warm brown ones I partially forgot about Tom. Who needed Tom when I had Mike, right? At least that's what I tried telling myself.

Silence and blushing cheeks filled the air, neither one of us bothering to move. Ben's words suddenly coming back to flood my mind, "have you guys kissed yet?"

Maybe that's what needed to happen? Uneasiness flooded my system, I'd only ever kissed Tom. If I kissed Mike though maybe, just maybe that would outweigh the memories of Tom teaching me how smooch on the couch.

But did I really want to? Was I willing to take a risk like that? The conclusion I drew was no, not quite yet. I liked Mike, but I felt it wasn't yet time for that, I mean I kissed him on the cheek days ago and we still blushed thinking about it. I watched him exhale a shaky breath as his hand slid over to rest on top of mine, making a timid grin spread across my face.

He blinked down at me, quickly glancing at the clock over my head and nodding to himself.

"I should probably um, drive you home it's getting late." 

I stood up, nodding as I followed him out the door and down the driveway to his car still hand in hand. The drive home filled with giggles and the sound of the music that lightly filtered through the radio.