★ kimberly lewis, known to many as the lead singer of kimberly's dew drops. she was thriving, at the top of her game, living her best life. until june 8th 2004. an unfateful tumble off a stage, left her living the rest of her days as a ghost. quite...
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☆ ━━ 【 how to feel alive again 】 ━━ ☆
Kimberly didn't want to go to the beach. She had watched the neighborhood that was once there be torn down and replaced by a strip mall. She didn't have the heart to tell Reggie or the boys and didn't want to be there when they found out.
She instead decided to visit her sister. She had popped into the living room, finding her sister and her family there. They looked cozy. Maggie was cuddled up to AJ and their son, Ross, sat at the other end of the couch. They were watching TV and Kimberly could hear a piano playing.
The girl turned around to see what they were watching. She realized it was a video of herself, one Maggie had taken just days before The Roxy gig. The video was of her playing piano, so into the music she didn't even realize her sister filming.
"Your aunt was playing a new song in this video. Wanna know who it's about?" Ross nodded at Maggie. "You." AJ nodded in agreement. "She was writing to her future niece or nephew." Kim smiled. She remembered that night. Maggie had just told her she was pregnant, she had been scared out of her mind; at the time, Kim was unaware AJ was the father - but she didn't disapprove.
Her voice came out through the speakers, a soft melody she had taken only two hours to write. She called it 'Never Grow Up.' She hadn't even met Maggie's baby yet and was already in love. She was so supportive of her sister. Maggie hummed along to the music, rocking slightly with AJ.
"She told me that she was going to gift you this song when you turned 8. Said it would be a happy reminder that she was always there, even when Mom or I told you no." Kimberly laughed, tears welling up in her eyes. She moved to sit on the couch, next to Ross, who smiled at the screen.
"I wish I could've met her." Kimberly nodded, "I wish I could've met you too. I would've been the coolest aunt. All your friends would've been so jealous when I pulled up to your school, my own band blaring out of the speakers, all of them wanting a ride home with The Kimberly Lewis."
She knew he couldn't hear her, but she was still going to speak. She had missed her family so dearly. "Your mom would tell you that I was a bad influence, that you couldn't go on tour with me and your dad, but AJ and I would talk her into it. You'd both come along. You'd be roadie and she'd be our manager." She laughed at her own dream. They had it all planned out. The two of them had stayed up all night when Maggie found out she was having a baby.
Maggie got up and joined Ross on his side of the couch, wrapping her arms around her son. Making herself at home right next to Kimberly. "She would've loved you. Spoiled you half to death, joke about being the favorite in our family." Ross looked at Maggie, "Grandpa is my favorite, though." Kimberly laughed. "Fair enough, kid. Dad was always my favorite, too."
She had heard the others pop in and turned to look at them. They saw the video first. Luke moved to stand right in front of the TV as the song stopped. In the video, Kimberly finally looked up. Laughing at Maggie. "Oh my God, Mags. You can't save that. That was so rough!" The video ended with Kimberly grabbing the camera, shouting something about needing to delete it. She was glad neither of them had.
AJ stood up to grab another video. "You wanna see your mom shred it on a guitar?" Ross nodded enthusiastically. Luke finally turned to Kimberly when she stood up, wiping her face, then wiping her hands on her jeans.
"You didn't tell us you were the lead singer in your band." Alex pointed out, clearly picking up on the photos around Maggie and AJ's house.
Kimberly turned to the blonde boy and smiled. "Yeah, it was called Kimberly's Dew Drops. Shortened when crowds chanted our name." Reggie's jaw dropped. "'They chanted for you!? You were chanted at!? Kim! What the heck!?" Kimberly laughed. "I've got more stuff in her garage if you're interested." The boys nodded.
The guys followed her, heading towards Maggie's garage. In the garage, there sat Kim's piano. It wasn't in the best shape, clearly hadn't been touched in a while. It didn't stop her from sitting down at the bench and placing her hands on the keys.
She took a deep breath, ignoring the boys who leaned on the instrument, anticipation on their faces. They never got to hear her play, they didn't know she had picked up on music, though, they were still the inspiration for everything in her lifetime.
Her fingers danced and the piano was clearly off key by a little, but it still worked. She was rusty, but picked it back up like it was nothing. The tune she had written but rarely ever got to preform came out, sounding heavenly to her own ears.
"I dare you to love me. The pretty and the ugly." Her voice came out sweetly, like a lullaby. It had been a while since she had sang out loud and she had missed it. "If you're alone, I'll make it better. We could be alone together." The piano soundly better with her voice accompanying it. The boys watched her, Luke practically melting, almost like he was falling asleep.
"Oh, I could really like it. Maybe we could carve it in the woods. Oh, Florence in the spring time. Love me in the meantime, wish you would." The song was written in a heartbroken moment. A sad love song she had written when she fell for a straight girl.
She glanced up, meeting Luke's eyes before looking to the other boys. Reggie was in awe, completely unaware that little Kimberly had this in her. Alex was smiling, like he knew. He sort of did, he had heard her humming when she was younger, seen the poem books, watched her take an interest in Sunset Curve's instruments; he had an idea she'd do something geared towards music.
"If we're all alone in a crowded room, maybe we could be alone, just me and you. Baby, if you jump, then I'll jump, too." The song held so many memories for her. It was the first song Dew Drops played. They were outside a small café in Nashville, on a road trip. They needed a little extra money. People gave them money on the streets, used to the casual musicians that lined the sidewalks. "I dare you to love me. The pretty and the ugly. If you're alone, I'll make it better. We could be alone together."
She ended the song in the middle with a few more notes and sat back, hands placed in her lap now.
Alex stood up fully, not sure what to say. "I - wow. Kimberly, I didn't know you could sing like that." Reggie nodded. "Neither did I, or I would've convinced the boys to let you join Sunset Curve." Kimberly laughed, looking down at her hands.
It felt great to play again. She had forgotten how alive music was. Luke moved to sit next to her on the piano bench. Reggie and Alex took that as their cue to leave and popped out. Most likely back to Julie's.
"Who was that about?" Luke asked, looking at her.
Kimberly shrugged. "Uh - at first it was about this girl I had a crush on, but now. . ." she looked up at him, "But now that I've played it again, after years. I honestly think it was about someone else." Luke furrowed his brows. "Who?"
She smiled, "You wouldn't know him. He was older than me by a few years, was a major dork and killed it on guitar." Luke's eyebrows furrowed; "I know a couple guys like that." Kimberly shrugged, "'Play the guessing game, Luke. It's always fun." And with that she popped out. Leaving Luke alone with his thoughts.
