Services And Symphonies ✔

//T h e G a m e//

Rayna got up the next day feeling tired. She felt like skipping college and staying in to watch old home videos of her parents. It was Rayna's experience that tiredness could quickly turn into a fever if not looked into properly. But Rayna knew this had nothing to do with actual tiredness. She was still upset about the note from the guy at the restaurant. she knew it was stupid to miss someone she hadn't actually ever met, or seen for that matter but the slight feeling of pinch in her heart reminded her that it didn't matter if she thought it was stupid; her heart clearly didn't think it was. 

she reluctantly got out of bed and got ready for college. She woke Joey up and whipped up scrambled eggs for them. Joey hated scrambled eggs but one look at  Rayna's face and joey knew not to protest.

"Do you want to talk about it, Ray?" said Joey, finishing off her breakfast and placing her dish in the dishwasher.

"Talk about what? I am completely fine." said Rayna gulping down her glass of milk in one go. 

"Clearly." said Joey, raising an eyebrow.

Rayna shot her a look that made Joey crack a smile. "Okay, sorry. So I'll be walking home with Tessa and what time will we be leaving for Jesse's match?"

Rayna groaned loudly as she remembered her promise to her friend. "I really don't want to go. Joey. I don't feel good."

“Absolutely not. We’re going out and we’ll have fun. And I know Rayna you’re sad about your admirer” Rayna gave out another groan at Joey’s choice of words “but he left, okay? He’s gone and Chester isn’t. I don’t know why you won’t give him a chance; not that its any of my business. But we’re going out. You’ll see.” With those last words, Joey walked over to where Rayna was sitting and pulled her into a hug. And so Rayna hugged her back with everything she had.

“You know what, you are right. Lets do this.” With that Rayna’s face lit up with a small smile and they both left the house.
---
College turned out to be pretty uneventful. While having lunch with Tamara and Lana; Chester had a project to complete, she talked to them about her ‘admirer’ and the pinching pain in her heart. “I know how stupid it is, you guys. I mean how can you miss someone you never knew in the first place, right? But that note; no one’s ever said things like that to me. I hate feeling like this.” said Rayna.
“You can miss someone you never knew. I miss my dad, it doesn’t matter that I never really knew him. I miss him everyday.” said Tamara quietly.

Tamara's dad had passed away when she was two. She didn't remember him, just bits and pieces of some memories but not really.

“I am sorry, Tamara. I didn’t mean to…” Rayna started to apologise but Tamara waved a hand, dismissing her apology and instead asked “Hate feeling like what?” asked Tamara, popping in a grape.

“I hate not knowing why I feel like this. I want to know why my emotions are all over the place. Oh my god, Joey was right. I did like him.” said Rayna, smacking her forehead.

“This feeling you keep talking about, its called being actually interested in a person. Which you obviously never have been before. This guy comes being all poetic about how beautiful your voice is, which it is, and you are all intrigued. And he’s gone now and you’re sad. Its okay, Rayna. Its not called being stupid, its called being human.” said Tamara with a smile.

Rayna cracked a smile. “only you can mange to be smart, philosophical and sassy at the same time.”

Hearing this, Tamara tips an imaginary hat, a smile appearing on her face.

“I know I don’t say this often but Tamara is right.” said Lana, looking up from her phone. “Give it a couple of days and you’ll be alright. You know what, lets go out this evening. Shopping, maybe?”