Page 80 of Strum Me

“It’s nothing.”

“Nah, man, it’s something. Talk to me. I’ll half listen, I promise.”

We walk over to a quiet bench on the side of the stage. The field is filling up. It’s about two hours to the start time and about twenty thousand people are already there.

I’m excited about the Rock Chamber Boys headlining this year. Dennis worked hard to get us the gig, and we won’t let him down.

But right now, I’d be lying if I said the show was the first and foremost thing on my mind. And my friend and bandmate for twelve years knows this almost as well as I do.

“Come on, Brad. If something’s wrong we need to sort it out before tonight. You can’t have this weighing on your mind.”

“Ugh. Stop being all…ever since Cadence you’ve gotten all touchy-feely.”

“Hey, just feely. The touchy is reserved for Cadey.”

“Ew.”

He grins and I know if there’s anyone I can talk to about this, it’s him.

“It’s Emily.”

“You don’t say!”

“Shut up, do you want me to be feely or not?”

“Sorry. Go on…what’s going on between you two?”

“That’s just it, I don’t fucking know! You know ever since we met up again, all I can think about is her. She consumes me. She consumes my thoughts. I can’t play without dedicating every song to her, I can’t speak without wondering where she is at every moment...what’s she’s doing…who she’s with…how she’s feeling?”

“And how is she feeling? I mean…I thought after the other night, you guys would be like two peas in a steamy, sex saturated pod. Then boom! You’re like two north polar magnets repelling each other.”

“Silas.”

“Ah.”

“What ah?”

“Just ah… you still on that? Is this Silas shit from now or eight years ago?”

“He’s Ben’s dad.”

“So? Is he your dad?”

“No.”

“Then so what?”

I blink at him. Is he serious? So what?

“He’s Ben’s dad, that’s ‘so what.’”

“Dude. You seriously need to sort out what’s important and what’s not. You yourself have a stepfather who you love. Does who your biological dad is interfere with that in any way?”

“Make your point.”

“You’re an idiot, is my point. What does Emily have to say about all this?”

“Um…”