That’s very generous of you.
mockingbird:
That’s just how I am. Now answer the question. Have you ever noticed that we’re both incredibly bad at answering questions directly without first beating around the bush for ages?
eastcoleman:
I’ve noticed. It’s part of our charm.
mockingbird:
Sweet of you to find us both charming. Now go on! No more putting it off. I want an answer!
eastcoleman:
Yes, ma’am. Gosh, I didn’t know you could be so bossy, Birdy.
mockingbird:
I’m impatient too.
eastcoleman:
I hadn’t noticed that before. But okay, I’ll answer your question. I wish we could be heard. Everywhere. I wish people knew our songs by heart. I wish our songs could be felt. That’s the modest part of the clichéd answer. But I also wish that our music would enable us to see the world. That we would earn enough money so that we wouldn’t need multiple part-time jobs and could concentrate completely on the music. I wish we could buy a big house somewhere with our own studio, so we could record our songs anytime we wanted. Do you want to hear the corny part too?
mockingbird:
I’m a little offended you even have to ask.
eastcoleman:
I hope that nothing changes between the guys and me. I hope we’ll always be more like brothers than friends, even if by some miracle we become successful and everything else changes. In our hearts, I want us to always remain the fourteen-year-old guys who started a band because they wanted to make music, and for us to still understand each other no matter what, even years from now.
mockingbird:
That’s really corny, but beautiful. Very beautiful. I wish the same for you guys. All of it. The honest, the humble, and the corny. Someday all those dreams will come true, I know it.
Chapter 28
Rayne
Black Hole (Acoustic Version)—Griff
I pace restlessly in Zoe’s room with my phone in my hand so I don’t miss Easton’s text. It’s almost nine thirty, and our studio booking starts in thirty-seven minutes. If the guys aren’t here to pick me up in the next seven minutes, we’ll definitely be late.
“Rayne, relax.” Mae sips from her cup with a straw. She’s lying on Zoe’s bed, totally chill, while I’m a bundle of nerves. Then again, for her, today is a day like any other. For me, it’s absolutely not.
“Why are you so nervous?” Zoe casts me a curious glance in the mirror, while her hands are busy in her hair creating a very complicated braided updo. It’s gorgeous.
“Because we haven’t seen each other all week and I’m pretty sure it’s going to be weird today,” I say, nibbling on my fingernails.
“You’ve seen each other every day.” Mae raises her eyebrows and tilts her head.
“Yes, during class. But that’s different. We don’t have a chanceto talk there. Before, we always used to spend time at his place. But not this week.”
That bothers me. I don’t know how we’re going to react to each other now. Will it only be a little strange, or fully awkward? Can we hug without it being weird?Please, God, I hope so.I need his hugs and closeness. I needus. Like we were before the kiss.
“Maybe you should have done that; then it wouldn’t be so awkward today.”
