Tuning Heartstrings

Chapter 10

(Written August 1, 2014)

Liam steps closer to me with a stern face. For the first time, I see his face closely and find innocence in his appearance instead of the Wattpad bad boy vibes he seems to want to give off. I guess we're all just kids at the end of the day.

"Liz, I am so sorry for the way I acted earlier. I didn't know you or your story, and well, I took my anger at Jason out on you. You can stay with us as long as you need to. Oh, and guess what! Jason and I have been working on the bedroom for the past half hour to welcome you."

Grabbing my hand, Liam is about to take me towards the room, but Jason pops out of it and smiles.

"Ah, perfect timing, Liz, come see your new bedroom!"

We walk in, and I begin to look around. There are four cupboards and two bunk beds. The only wall that doesn't have a cupboard or bed in front of it has a huge hanging mirror, some photos and medals hung by it, and a desk placed in front of it with an old radio and phone on top. There's also a large brown rug in the middle of the room to hide the old wooden floor.

Jason puts my bag on the floor and walks over to my bunk bed.

"So here's your cupboard with four drawers and a closet rod for you to hang your clothes. It already has hangers, so all you need to do is hang your clothes. The bottom bunk is mine, so you can take the top bunk."

John then walks in and says, "Hey guys, *We are the Millers* is playing in a few minutes, so hurry up. And Liz, you can join if you want, but I'd suggest you rest now; it's been a long night."

Liam nods in agreement and walks out of the room with John, leaving Jason and me behind. I smile at Jason and thank him for everything he's done tonight. He looks surprised when I give him a quick hug and tries to hide a smile but fails. He then leaves the room to let me set up my space.

As I am left alone in my new bedroom, I stand still for a moment, grateful for a roof over my head. I can hear my three roommates bickering in the living room, and the sounds are a blessing. I'm grateful to not be alone.

I open my backpack and place my clothing in the cupboard. After hanging my shirts and jeans and putting the rest of the clothes in drawers, I decide to place my photos on the shelf underneath my hanging clothes. Once I'm finished, I put on a pair of sweatpants and climb into my bunk bed. I hide in the warmth of the comforter, turn off my phone, place it under my pillow, and finally drift off to sleep.

While I'm sleeping, I hear a knock and open my sleepy eyes to see Jason walk in. He climbs halfway up the bunk bed stairs, fixes my comforter to hide my cold feet, and smiles at me. He then moves a few strands of hair away from my face. As he begins to walk out of the room, I quietly whisper good night but hear him giggle and reply, "It's now 7 in the morning, but good night, Liz."

I smile goofily, shut my eyes, and fall into a deep slumber with a picture of his smiling face playing in my head.