Feelings Into Words

“So why don’t we runaway,” sang Erin into a microphone. She turned to her friend, Amber, playing out the beats on her guitar.

Both girls were in a group together, along with two other guys, to form a band yet to decide upon a name.

“Ugh,” Amber said as she limped off stage once the set was finished. She sat down on Billy’s lap, her band mate. She extended her right, bare foot up, it throbbing from her new tattoo.

“I told you not to get it so close to our next show.” Tyler, the bassist, scolded her, only being partially serious. The tattoo was still fresh - the surrounding skin bruised a little.

“But you do like it?” Amber said, asking every one in the band. She flaunted her foot around, showing off her new peace sign permanently embedded into the skin of her foot.

All three other band mate nodded in mutual agreement, causing Amber to throw her hands up in the air in an over-dramatized display of happiness, something she always was like - overly happy or overly sad.

Amber was a tall girl. Her blond hair showed off her blue eyes, something guys couldn’t seem to take their eyes off of. She had her ears pierced as well as her nose and cartilage. Apart from her newly acquired foot tattoo, Amber had hope written on one wrist and Unus Amor on the other, matching her boyfriend’s.

“So, um, has anyone seen John?” Amber looked around the venue, still sitting on Billy’s lap. He fiddled with her hair, Amber slapping his hand away every so often.

“Er, no, sorry Amber,” Erin told her. She hadn’t seen John anywhere in the crowd, despite how hard she’d looked for him.

You see, Amber and John had a strange relationship. One minute they were on, the next off. What with both of them being in separate bands, they didn’t see each other too often. And Amber was, well, sensitive. The times the opportunity arose for them to be together, John either showed late or not at all. You could call him a bad boyfriend, but that would be a lie. He called Amber every night. He tried so hard to be there for Amber, but it never seemed to work out. Amber, luckily, understood this, even if her friends didn’t.

“Fuck,” she muttered, crossing her arms and leaning onto Billy’s chest. He put his arm around her, in a brotherly, comforting way. “Just once,” her voice getting a little shaky, “I’d like to see him come on time.”

“Yo!” Amber looked up to see John running towards her, looking out of breath. “Amber! FUCK! Did I miss your show?” John looked horrified with himself. “Damn. Arg! I’m so sorry!” John pulled Amber into a one arm hug, his other hand holding a foggy container.

“Oh, here,” he gave Amber the package, “I brought you this.”

Amber opened the container and looked inside; inside was Maccaroni and Cheese with two forks wrapped up in tin foil sitting on top.

“Awesome - my favourite.”

“I know,” John winked at her, before linking his arm through hers.

“See you guys later! Band practice tomorrow?” Amber called back to the rest of her band, not waiting for a response before limping out of the venue and onto the street with John.

The two walked slowly down the streets of Arizona, their fingers laced together, towards no where in particular.

“So,” Amber swung their hands back and forth, together, in the small space between them.

John smiled at her, placing a kiss on her lips. It took a moment for her to recover - her heart was fluttering and her abdomen in a fit of tingles.

“Let’s, um, sit here,” John hastily pointed to a bench on the side walk, leading Amber towards it.

Amber opened the container John had brought her and unwrapped the two forks; one for her, one for John.

“Did you make this?” she asked between chews.

“Yea,” John said, covering his mouth with his hand without a brace on it. “That’s why I didn’t make it to your show. I’m so sorry,” he added, kissing her cheek.

“Oh, hunny,” Amber, comforted him, “it’s alright,” thinking that was positively the sweetest thing John had done for her. “Thank you.”

“Word. Well, lets get outta here then, shall we?”

“Mhm!” Amber jumped up, tossed the remainder of their dinner into a trash can, and walked home with John.

John unlocked the door to her apartment, handed the keys to Amber, giving her a look reaking Can I come in?

“So,” Amber started nonchalantly, “are you off?”

John brushed his feet against ground, confirming her suspicion. “Or can you stay a little longer?”

“Yea,” was all John said before leaning his face in close to hers.

Their lips moved in perfect rhythm to each other, no teeth, tongues tracing along each other’s. John picked up her legs, bridal style, and carried Amber into her flat, kicking the door closed behind him, their lips never parting.

Once they reached her room, John lay Amber down on her bed and looked at her. “I’ve missed you so Goddamn much.” John fell on top of Amber, sending her into a fit of giggles.

“John!” Amber squealed, “get off, your crushing me!” Not meaning a word of it.

“Bull shit!” he responded, pressing his body harder into hers. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled off her shirt. “I love you, Amber Ohh.”

“I love it when you call me that.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too,” she sighed, her lips diving into the crook of John’s neck.

At this point all their clothes were cast away, their bodies moving together as one. John’s hands were on the small of Amber’s back, pulling her in closer to him. She opened her mouth, letting out a silent moan.

“John,” her hands searched all over his body, eventually finding their way to his neck. She lowered her head to his.

“Yes, Amber?” he didn’t wait to hear her response though, because he’d already fixated his lips on hers. It was one of the most passionate kisses that he’d given and she’d received. His lips were soft, careful, on hers. Like the first time he’d ever kissed her. Shy, timid. His lips eventually parted, his teeth biting a little at Amber’s bottom lip. The tip of his tongue tasted the corners of her mouth, scared to enter. Amber’s eyes fell closed, her mouth opened against his, allowing John’s tongue to hesitantly enter hers. He built up confidence at he kissed her more, longer, fuller. His lips moved gracefully on Amber's, their tongues tying knots in one anther’s. His hands cupped her face, her hands on the back of his neck, playing with the scruffs of his hair. It took Amber a full moment to gather her wits once John had pulled, reluctantly, away.

“What?” Amber giggled. John was looking at her a little funny. He cocked his head to the side and held up a hand, “I’ll be right back.”

John dashed out of Amber's room, stark naked. “John!” Amber pulled a sheet up to cover her chest and ran after him. “John! You haven’t anything on!” she managed to say amidst her giggles.

Amber found him rummaging around in his coat pocket in her kitchen. “What the hell John?” a smile still over her face.

“HEY!” He yelled at her, “I thought I said stay in your room!”

“What?”

“Ah, well.” John finally found what he was looking for, and pulled it out, keeping it hidden behind his back. “I was going to wait until your birthday, but I couldn’t. What...we...”

“John,” Amber walked up to him, wrapping herself more in her thin sheet.

John walked up to Amber. “Amber, we’ve been dating for a while now. Two years, actually. I could go on for hours about all the things about you that I love. But that would be a waste of your time. Amber, I’ll leave it at this - you amaze me. Utterly and completely.” He put his hands on Amber’s shoulders before pulling her into a hug.

“So, um,” John stuttered, his hands still on Amber’s shoulders, “Want to be Amber Ohh, officially?”

Amber stepped out of John’s arms. “What are you implying, O’Callaghan,” her face radiant with the thought of what was, possibly, happening.

“Shit, woman!” he teased her, “are you going to make me do this the official way?” John knelt down on one knee and pulled a black velvet box out from behind his naked body.

“Amby.”

“Johnny.”

“Will -”

“Yes,” Amber interrupted him, looking at John like he was an utter fool before kneeling down on both her legs, level with John, and kissing him.

“You didn’t even have to ask.”