Plains

Chapter 13: Music To My Ears

June 24th 1:00pm Bailey's POV

Thirty minutes after our crying session we finally arrived at Douglas's house. I had loaded up my bicycle in the back of the truck when Douglas said we needed to leave since neither of us have a drivers license, as we thought it to be useless, seeing as we live within biking distance.

The thirty minutes it took to get here made my two hour marathon seem wildly erratic, which it was. I also realize how stupid it is neither of us have a license, since we're both seventeen. 

"Why were you in Preston? Please, you know you can tell me anything you love me remember?" he said desperation in his voice, he was nothing if not nosy.

"I'll tell you later. Thank you for picking me up by the way." I say, avoiding eye contact. 

"No problem. Hey, have you had lunch yet? I think my dad went out to get pizza from Little Caesars , I know he'd be thrilled to know you want some." he said unlocking the door and throwing his keys into a little orange bowl shaped like a leaf.

"Sure, sounds good. Are you excited for the Summer Shin Dig?" The Summer Shin Dig, despite its very red neck name is a formal event at the home of Crosby Wellington, the richest person in the immediate area. Every year he hosts the Summer Shin Dig at his million dollar lake house. Of course everyone is invited, and anyone who anyone will be there. It stars at around five in the afternoon with a seafood dinner, then eventually everyone goes outside onto the beach and parties around the biggest bonfire south of the Mason Dixon Line. (Which is shockingly in Pennsylvania.) The richest people wear evening gowns and tuxedos, but us commoners usually wear day dresses and slacks.

"I guess so. It's no fun in the beginning though, just stuffy people eating shrimp." he sighed

"Free shrimp though." I chimed, remembering the jumbo shrimp longer than my thumb that they had last year.

"Yeah, that is a plus, and after the posh people filter out and they light the bonfire it's cool I suppose. So to answer your question I am. Slightly." he smiled sitting on the couch as he started to search through his DVD collection, looking for our favorite show, ICarly.

Douglas has never been a party person. I can understand why. A couple years ago, I talked him into going to a High School party with me, and five minutes into it Allen Grogs the quarterback beat him up while I was in the bathroom. He was curled into a ball in the living room floor crying while people laughed at him. We haven't been back to a High Schools party since then.

I was the most popular girl in my high school (I still am.) even after I quit partying. I don't even really know why I was so popular, now that I think of it, I never did anything impressive in school other than dating the whole football team, (except Allen Grogs) and getting straight A's that I'm not entirely sure I earned. Hmm.

It always broke my heart to see Douglas so mistreated, but every time I tried to help it only made it worse. So eventually I shut everyone out at school except Douglas. Not that it mattered much, seeing as people still tried to talk to me in school not noticing I was distant, or either not caring. But it did help Douglas a miniscule amount, and that was all that mattered. 

Twenty minutes later Douglas's dad arrives home with an armful of pizzas, even though there are only three of us, Mr. Thomson always made sure we were stuffed beyond belief.  

Douglas's dad was always super nice. It was like I was the daughter he never had. Well, almost had.

His wife dying was hard on him, but it would be hard on anyone who lost someone they loved. That day, he didn't just lose his wife, he also lost two childern that he was so excited about. 

He told me a story years ago about how he and his wife fussed for weeks deciding on names, but he also said he cherished that time the most. The time that almost was. The time he was so looking forward to and he'll never get back. He told me "never let life pass you by, lest you find yourself looking at a world that no longer exists."

Mr. Thompson was tall with brown hair streaked with gray, his face adorned with laugh lines and his blue eyes identical to those of his son's. 

He walked over and sat the pizzas on the dark counters, glancing over at the piano in the corner of the same color. "Any requests on the piano? I've been itching for some inspiration lately." He spoke, a smile on his face.

Mr. Thompson, or as I call him, Charlie, works at the college GSW as a music teacher. He can play the piano, violin, guitar, saxophone, flute and trumpet. He was a musical prodigy and got a music scholarship two years before everyone else in his grade graduated, he went on to play at many famous places before meting Douglas's mom and moving back home to start a family, but he still enjoys playing for his students. I would love to be one of them if I had a drop of musical blood in my veins. 

"What about Little Talks?" I ask, casting my eyes in Douglas's direction for the briefest of seconds to see his reaction which was surprisingly blank as he grabbed us some paper plates. Little Talks by Of Monsters And Men, is basically mine and Douglas's theme song. When we were twelve we made a terrible cover of the song and begged our parents to let us post it on YouTube. Thank goodness they refused. 

Mr. Thompson's face lit up in recognition. "Isn't that the song you and Douglas sang when you were younger?" 

I smiled about to respond but Douglas beat me to it. "Yeah, I'm sure I still remember most of the words. Gosh we were tragic." he laughed in memory. 

Mr. Thompson walked over to the piano and sat, running his fingers over the keys thinking about something I couldn't be sure of.  

I didn't have to wait long to find out. "Well, if you both can remember the words I think I should be able to string together a few cords. I mean it was drilled into my brain by you two." Mr. Thompson smiled turning to look at his son who was looking very skeptical.

"No way." Douglas said, sounding determined, though I could see the amusement in his eyes. "You're not doing that are you?" his gaze shifted toward mine and for a split second I forgot what was happening. 

I blinked trying to get the thought of his eyes out of my mind. I looked at Mr. Thompson and giggled. "Yeah I think I am." 

The look on Douglas's face was worth the pure embarrassment I knew was coming as soon as  started singing. 

"No pizza unless you sing Doug." Mr. Thompson gave his son a pointed look.

Scoffing, Douglas made his way to my side to sing, making Mr. Thompson and I smile.

Mr. Thompson began playing the song on the piano and it was like he had been rehearsing this moment for ages as every note was flawless. Eventually it came time for me and Douglas to sing, and I have to say, we've improved -although slightly- since we were twelve.

The notes seemingly flowed around us and every breath was precisely placed. It genuinely felt like time had reversed five years and we were still the same little kids trying to make it big on a platform the we definitely were not ready for. 

It made my heart ache to feel the past so close yet the farthest it has ever been. To hear the same voices once so full of love now brokenly beautiful in perfect harmony. The notes landing perfectly in tune and working so well with the words drifting from our mouths based on pure memory alone. 

I'm sure if I had a recording of it I would say differently, but in the moment, when everything felt so together when the world outside was anything but, it was the most breath taking sound I'd ever heard, because no matter what, I always had Douglas, even when everyone turns their back on me and the walls fall in to reveal a shattered version of my former self, I know I will always have my best friend, the only one who could ever see through the popular girl exterior and love me for who I truly am. 

And it was lovely.

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