I lift my shoulders. “Maybe.”
Sophie rubs my back again. “Do you remember it by heart so you can write it down again?”
“I have another copy, so I’m not worried about that. I just hate the idea of a stranger holding something that’s so close to my heart.”
Sophie and Addie nod in understanding.
We sit in silence. My friends don’t have to say anything to try to make me feel better. Just having them here with me helps. It almost feels like I’m grieving over a lost family member and they’re here for support.
After a short while, Carly returns with a disappointed look on her face. “No luck. Sorry.”
I give her a grateful smile. “Thanks. I guess I’ll just have to let this go. Let’s head back to the dorm. I have tons of homework.”
The universe or God really does have a sense of humor. Why, out of all the songs that were in my folder, did I have to losethatone?
Chapter Fourteen
Kylen
Leo, Jasper, Beck, and I leave the music room after a good practice. The hallways are pretty much empty since most kids are busy with homework or after-school activities. There are some students lingering around, a few couples giggling together.
Leo and Jasper are arguing about a TV show they watched last night. The argument started before band practice, but Beck and I shut them down so we could focus on practice. Now that that’s over, they’re back at it again.
“Dude, you’ve got no idea what you’re talking about.” Leo playfully shoves him.
“Oh heck, I do.” Jasper shoves him back, a bit too strongly that he crashes into the garbage bin at the corner of the hallway. It tips over and mountains of trash tumble to the floor.
“Sorry, man,” Jasper says. “Was an accident.”
“It’s cool.”
The guys continue arguing as all of us bend down to pick up the disgusting trash. I snatch a piece of paper off the floor and am about to dump it in with the rest, but the words written on it catch my attention.
“What is that?” Beck asks.
I study the paper closely. It’s titled, “I Don’t Need Your Kisses” and there are a few paragraphs of text underneath. Some words are crossed off and are replaced with different ones.
“Dude, this is a song,” I say, my eyes slightly wide as I drink it in. It’s a love story. There are verses like “You were perfect when we were together,” and “Your kisses made my head spin.” But the middle of the song takes a sad turn, because this perfect person shattered everything. And the writer says he or she doesn’t need anything from them, and “I don’t need your kisses,”hence the title of the song. And at the end, there’s hope that the writer can live a great life despite the pain.
Beck reads along with me, his face crashing into mine. “Boys, this is a goldmine,” he says as he also consumes the words. “Love songs always hit hard, you know?”
Jasper and Leo have finally stopped arguing, snatch the paper from my hand, and take a look. “A love song called ‘I Don’t Need Your Kisses,’” Leo says. “I like it.”
“These lyrics, man,” Jasper says. “They’re awesome. Why would someone throw out such a masterpiece?”
I take the paper from him and scan the words. No matter how many times I read them, I can’t get enough of them. I relate to this so much. “You think it was a mistake?”
The guys shrug like they have no idea.
Beck grins. “I want to perform this song, dudes. Like, it’s calling my name.”
“Me, too,” Leo agrees.
“We need to find the person who wrote this,” I say. “And ask them if we can play it.”
Jasper pulls out his phone. “I’ll post a message on the school app and website and we’ll see if anyone comes forward. There’s no way someone purposely threw it out.”
We talk more about the song and Leo has already come up with a tune we can play it to, once the writer gives us permission. I hope they will because this song deserves to be shared with the world.
