Lingering Melody

My cheeks ting pink and I can’t believe I just told him everything. I barely know this guy! “I- I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have said…” I drifted off, ashamed of myself.

He shakes his head and puts his hands over mine. “Hey, I told you to tell me, because I wanted to hear, understand?” He makes me look in his eyes. “I don’t judge you. I’m sorry you went through all that, but you’re stronger because of it, and I know that someday you’ll see your sister again, all right?” He gives me a smile and I see that it’s a really nice smile. “Don’t let people push you around either, because you don’t deserve it.”

I nod hesitantly. “Thanks,” I say quietly. “That means a lot to me.” I snort after a minute. “I probably look a mess.” I run my fingers through my hair… and realize it’s extremely curly, where Lait’s never seen it like that. “Um…” I try to think of an excuse.

He grins. “It’s nice. Messy, but I can see how it looks when it first dries. Very nice. Maybe someday you’ll let the world see you with it.” He looks me in the eye again and it makes me feel more assured and confidant around him. “It’s Sky, right? Sky Hampton?”

I open my mouth in surprise. “How…. Who?”

He shrugs. “I’m a brilliant eavesdropper.” He holds a finger to his lips and gives a small smile. “But no worries. I won’t tell a soul.” He then proceeds to eat one of my donut holes.

It’s glazed with a few sprinkles. “Hey, that’s my favorite!” I exclaim. But it’s too late. He shrugs his apology and so I take the next sprinkled one and slowly bite in, loving every crumb of it.

He finds a new subject for us to talk on. “That song of yours, called Hate?” He says. “It’s my favorite. Where did you get the inspiration for it?” I look at him in surprise. Many people don’t understand, because it’s a little deeper than most can think of, and all.

“Honestly?” I mumble shyly. “I don’t really know. Empathy and compassion, I think. I watch the news very often, so I could pick lines from that, and I thought it might be something that everyone could relate to,” I shrug and sip my hot cocoa. Hate was one of my favorites, too. It’s not about hating a person, but hate in general, how it does awful things and how it affects everyone around us.

He nods. “That’s really neat. It’s why I don’t write all of our songs, because I’m so stubborn,” he grinned. I raised an eyebrow. He didn’t act it that much. “Did you like any of our songs?”

I nod. “Last Hello and My Dying Rainbow are amazing.”

He beams. “Those are my songs! You seriously liked them?” He asks doubtfully. I smile and assure him. We talk for the next hour about music. I was stunned we found so much in common- and he was a little different than I had expected.

He’s actually a very nice guy who has two sisters he actually has pictures of in his wallet, though they aren’t that far apart in age. They look just like him, except more hair and no lip ring. He laughed at that and informed me that his lip ring is fake and took it off to prove me wrong. Which is nice, cause I’m not the biggest fan of cutting holes into my lip.

Finally I glance out the window. “I think I better be going. I have to finish my schoolwork.” We both stood.

“I’ll walk you home,” he left no room for argument, but I didn’t mind now. “So you go to school nearby?” He asked curiously as he held the door open for me.

I give a shy smile in thanks. I thought a moment about my school and not wanting anyone to know where I go. I shrug and respond in an off-hand attitude. “Around.”

He accepts that, thank goodness. I wouldn’t have answered anything more about my school, of course. He seems a nice guy, but it doesn’t mean he’s not about to go tell the band everything… it would be a disaster if everything in my life as Sky was found out as Shy. “Neat,” he comments. “So when are you finishing? Soon?”

“Believe it or not, I’m still a senior. But I’m hoping to do some extra home studies or something before I go all big in my career,” I use air quotes for the last word.

He chuckles at that. “I know how you feel.” I look in surprise. “What, is it so hard to believe I have to finish school, too? Well, Pete’s done. He got accepted into Yale, we have no idea how, but he plans to go next spring and take a few courses before that, across the Internet. Brac’s a junior. Liam, Sebastian and I, however, are…” he actually goes a little pink. “Well, we left school last year, but we didn’t finish, so we’ll be doing personal study to finish or something, you know? Soon, as a senior.”

I nod. “I remember something like that, you guys stopping and all…” I think for a minute. “But don’t tours take… you know, a long time?” I bite my lip. “I’ll probably have to do my own studies too, won’t I?”

He thinks a minute. “Probably. At least for a while. We plan to leave in May, right before schools are over so our fans will be more eager and all. We’re thinking about going to Europe for it- a small world tour, and that would take until October, we’re thinking.”

I stare at him. “World tour? I can’t do that!” I tell him appalled.

We cross the street and he looks at me curiously. “Why not? It’s not so bad… I think,” he grins. He notices I’m shivering and pulls off his black leather jacket. “Wear this,” he instructs so I don’t have much of a choice.

It smells like wood shavings and fresh air, very natural, in a very nice comforting way. I’m still thinking about world tours. “Well, you know… different countries and more people and languages and…” my cheeks tinge pink. I still can’t get out how terrifying that is. I’m called Shy in public for a reason, you know.

He chuckles. “No worries, really. We’ll take care of you.”

I pause as we reach the other street and it’s my block. A shabby place, too. “You know…” I begin hesitantly. “You don’t need to take me all the way home. I’ll be fine now.”

I don’t look as his lips turn into a slight frown and his brow furrows. “I know,” he begins slowly. “But that’s the guy I am. I’m not going to leave you on the street.” We’re quite for a minute. I see he’s glancing down in my street. “It’s not that bad,” he says in an honest voice and I glance up in shock. “I grew up poorer than this,” he says grimly. “Come on, which building?”

I bite my lip and reluctantly continue leading. I walk really slowly, as I always do. But he’s nice about it and slows his pace to mine so he’s not walking ahead. It’s really nice of him. “Um…” I can’t figure out how to put it in words. “Well, it’s this building,” I mutter and he holds the door open again for me. I lead him to the stairs. But I have to say what’s on my mind. “You… you won’t tell anyone, will you?” I finally ask when we reach my floor and to my door.

He glances around, taking it in. “No, I told you- Sky,” he grins. “I won’t tell a soul. I have no need to and you deserve your privacy.” He shrugs. “You can talk to me anytime. I’ll always be here,” he says it looking straight into my eyes and I know he’s telling the truth.