Board Thread:Fun and Games/@comment-35775904-20190222213128/@comment-35828480-20190419222037

I finished it for you, Hictooth! Hope y'all like it!

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Vix-Edgar

Yes! YES YES YES YES! Rita’s out of the hospital! When I let her go back to chat with Aud, I went into my room. Then I pulled out from under my bed something I’ve never dared to touch in a long time. I pulled it out into the sunlight. My dad’s guitar. When he was alive, I got a few lessons from him. When my mom and dad first fell in love, he played that. I never wanted to try the guitar again. It reminded me too much of the songs he played me to sleep. Lullabies that sang me to sleep when I was lonely and scared. The one that helped me sleep after Grima… well… died.

I loved music. But it was too painful. It reminded me of dad. And it put the picture of an arrow in his chest, his face all pale and shocked. After a few shaky breaths, I brought myself to move my fingers around the fingerboard of the guitar. The strings were a ironey grey. The body of the guitar was blue and green, with yellows here and there.

I plucked the D string. It sounded so low and out of tune. Somehow, my hands knew what to do and found their way to the pegs. I turned the peg a little bit, and then plucked the string again. Better, but still not in tune. I hummed a D in the back of my throat and played with the peg until they matched. I started tuning the A and the E to my own tone. Then I tuned the G and the C. I plucked all the strings at once, and it sounded pretty good. I played the different notes, mixing it up and just practicing different notes at once. I found myself lost in the music. My fingers found their way across the fingerboard, making different tones. A little sad tune, and then happy. And one that would be used in a chase scene. I even played Glow Little Glowworm.

Then I somehow began playing longer pieces that I remembered. I hummed along to each tune, surprised by my voice. I never tried singing, thinking I’d fail. I never missed a note. I strummed the guitar playing new chords I invented. I found myself whispering the lyrics to a song.

“Loving can hurt, loving can hurt sometimes

But it's the only thing that I know

When it gets hard, you know it can get hard sometimes

It is the only thing makes us feel alive…”

I drifted off getting shy about my singing. I’d never ever sang like that before. What was the rest of the song? I hit my head to remember. Why can’t I remember this? My dad sang it all the time to my mom. They said it was their wedding song too. I slammed my head into the bedpost. Oww. Why do I do this to myself? Hey, at least I remembered more of the lyrics!

“We keep this love in a photograph

We made these memories for ourselves

Where our eyes are never closing

Hearts are never broken         

And time's forever frozen still

So you can keep me

Inside the pocket of your ripped jeans

Holding me closer 'til our eyes meet

You won't ever be alone, wait for me to come home

Loving can heal, loving can mend your soul”

“THAT’S AWESOME!” I heard the voice of doom.

I quickly stopped singing and put my hand on the strings of my dad’s guitar. Oh thor…

Aud was grinning. This can never be good.

“H-how m-much of that did you hear?” I stammered, my face red.

“All of it,” Aud said, walking through the door, more like skipping.

I muttered some words that would get me in trouble if I were at school. Aud walked over and plopped herself on my bed without asking. I glared at her, but her grin was not erasable.

I took a shaky breath and said,“If you tell anyone, I swear-“

“I’m not going to tell anyone,” Aud explained, “well, not directly anyway.”

“Wh-what do you mean by that??” I said, holding my guitar close.

“What do you think I mean?” Aud teased.

I pointed a finger at Aud and glared at her. “Aud, if you tell anyone, I will wring your neck!”

Aud looked shocked, but then she just grinned again. “No wonder Rita likes you.”

I clenched my fist so hard my knuckles were turning white. “You will tell no one.”

“Aghhh fine,” Aud pouted, “you’re no fun.”

I sighed with relief. Aud left, and shut the door behind her. I hope Aud doesn’t tell anyone. I took a breath, and looked back at my guitar. I peered out the window and made sure no one was near. Then I pulled my guitar back onto my lap and strummed it a few times before getting back into the song. For a little while, I just played it on the guitar before I sang. I played with the notes a little bit, making it sound sad and then super happy.

The lyrics came to my head.

“Loving can heal, loving can mend your soul

And it's the only thing that I know, know

I swear it will get easier

Remember that with every piece of you

 and it's the only thing we take with us when we die

Hm, we keep this love in this photograph

We made these memories for ourselves

Where our eyes are never closing

Hearts were never broken

And time's forever frozen still

So you can keep me

Inside the pocket of your ripped jeans

Holding me closer 'til our eyes meet”

I stopped to take a breath. I could’ve sworn I heard Aud’s voice from outside. Please just be her talking to Isla or someone… Please be that. Please be talking about anything but me singing. I closed my eyes and listened to the song in my head. Before I knew it I was singing it out loud, my fingers strumming the guitar.

“We keep this love in a photograph

We made these memories for ourselves

Where our eyes are never closing

Hearts are never broken

And time's forever frozen still”

I opened my eyes, to see Rita standing in the doorway. Oh thor oh thor… Her face was slightly red, and a smile was etching at the corners of her lips. I felt my face heat up. Aand of course, Aud was behind Rita, grinning like no other tomorrow. Honestly, Rita’s blush was pretty cute… Rita looked at my dad’s guitar, and then back at me. I’m sure I was a tomato now.

“Wow… Vix.. that was, that was really good,” Rita said.

I looked down. “T-thanks.”

Aud stepped next to Rita. “I toollldd you!”

My face turned to looke at Aud, “you told her?!??!”

Aud smiled like a Loki follower, “my fingers were crossed.”

I balled my fists. “Why I oughta!-“

Rita stepped in front of Aud. “Actually Vix, I’m glad she told me.”

I didn’t think my face could get any redder, but it did.

“I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone,” Aud said as she stepped out the door.