Scream

He and Cathy were staring at each other with serious expressions so he didn’t notice my surprise. I heard Max chuckle beside me causing me to look back at him. He smiled before pushing the pad back at me.

Wanna play a game? I looked up at him and nodded with a wide smile. He chuckled again before pulling the pad back over to himself.

Ok this game is called; ‘Guess the song’, all you have to do is guess what song I write a lyric for, got it? I looked up at him and nodded.

“What do you mean relationship?” Cathy asked; this time I didn’t bother looking at them, just focused on Max.

He looked down at the pad and scribbled down some words before passing me the pad again.

And that’s about the time she walked away from me, nobody likes you when your 23… I read the lyric over and over and the voice in my head started to sing it. Damn it what song is that? I sang it again until I got it right and bounce a little in my seat and I quickly wrote the answer.

What’s My Age Again?. He chuckled and looked over my answer before nodding. He squinted his eyes before they brightened with a thought and he jotted another lyric down. He pushed the pad over to me again.

“I mean what it means; you can’t take care of her and…”

You and me baby ain’t nothing but mammals; so let’s do it like they do it on the discovery channel. I smiled and stifled a laugh as I wrote down the answer; easy one.

Discovery Channel

“…she can live with me.” My eyes widened as I looked up at Johnny.

This time he was looking right at me with an expression of deep thought etched in his features. At the corner of my eye I seen Cathy wore the same expression. I felt the notepad in my hands being taken away causing me to break the eye contact with Johnny and look at Max who’s head was faced down; writing another lyric. Did he not just hear that?!

My breathing got faster as I tried to calm myself, my legs started to shake as they urged me to run, and my vision got cloudy. I was just about to make a bolt for it when a hand was placed on my arm. My head snapped towards Max; he wore a soft smile and his eyes read: everything will be alright. Suddenly I felt like everything would be alright. My nerves calmed so much I could have fell asleep right there.

He pushed the notepad towards me and I looked down at the lyrics to continue our game like our world was never disturbed.

To finger paint is not a sin. I grabbed the pen and just like before jotted down the answer.

Purple Stain. He read it and smiled before nodding.

“Are you guys ready to order?” I looked up at another lady with brown straight hair tied up in a ponytail.

Everyone started to order as I pushed the paper with my order on it to Cathy before looking back to Max.

He had gone back to the notepad and was writing another lyric.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Cathy sighed.

“Why not?” I could hear the slight defense in Johnny’s voice. “You can’t raise her and I’m her father,” He argued back quietly.

I like pleasure spiked with pain… I read it over a few times because I couldn’t quite place it before it finally came to me.

Aeroplane. I smiled before pushing it back to him. He smiled and nodded again.

“I-I,” Cathy stuttered. “She doesn’t know you…” She sighed.

“She can get to know me,” Johnny reasoned.

This time Max took longer; he looked at me a moment deep in thought before finally writing something down. He chewed on his bottom lip as he pushed it over and I tilted my head to the side at his strange actions. I shrugged it off and looked down at the lyrics.

Jealousy is an ugly word but you don’t seem to care. I read and re-read the lyric over and over. My brows furrowed tightly together and my bottom lip in my mouth. Finally I huffed giving up and jotted down my answer.

I don’t know.

He looked over my answer then looked up at me with raised eyebrows, there was a hint of amusement in his eyes but I ignored it as victory and looked over at Cathy.

“You were going to drop her off with me 3 weeks ago without a second thought, what’s the difference now?” He had got her there, my bags were packed and everything because we thought he was expecting me.

His parents had said everything would work out and I could live with him.

“You rejected her,” I jumped a little at the phrase.

We had known it but never said it out loud. The suddenness of the truth caused me to suck in some air and it stung my lungs.

“I did not, she just…” Johnny’s eyes searched the room as if the answer hung in the air. “Surprised me, that’s all.”

I looked over at Max who had already pushed the notepad back at me.

I don’t believe in fairy tales and no one wants to go to hell, you’ve made the wrong decision and it’s easy to see. Now if you wanna serve above or be a king below with us your welcome to the city where your future is set forever. My eyes widen at the length but I ignored that and read it again.

I’ve heard that before but where? Chris! I remember Chris had showed me some songs he liked form this band called… What was the name?!

Avenge Seven…? I pushed the pad over to him. It was something close to that. He smiled at my answer and chuckled before writing something down.

Avenged Sevenfold. The pen darkened the areas where I had left out part of the name and I rolled my eyes.

Close enough, now where the other lyrics them too? He looked at my question and nodded.

“You don’t really know them?” It shocked me slightly when he started to speak but I shrugged it off and shook my head.

I noticed Johnny and Cathy grew quiet; they must have been paying attention to us now.

“I’m guessing you’ve never seen a music video by them either?” Max chuckled and I shook my head again.

I grabbed the notepad and wrote down a question.

Why? Max looked it over before shaking his head.

“No reason,” he smirked, a mischievous glint in his eye.

“Here’s your food.”

There was a plate sat in front of each of us and we started to eat.

“So…” Johnny started and I looked up at him.

He wore a slight smile and he looked over at me.

“How are you?” I just shrugged and he nodded as he looked through the air for another question.

“Don’t you start school soon?” I shook my head and Cathy spoke up.

“She’s gonna do home school because she can’t speak…” He nodded and opened his mouth again before shutting it.

He sighed and shook his head thinking against it. I grabbed the notepad and jotted a few words down quickly before pushing the pad over to Johnny.

You can ask me anything. He smiled softly at the message as he looked back at me.

“Why can’t you speak? Are you mute or something?” He asked softly with a curious expression in his eyes.

I grabbed the notebook back and wrote my answer waving Cathy off as she tried to answer for me.

The doctors say there’s something in my brain not allowing me to use my voice. I haven’t spoken in almost 2 months… couldn’t if I wanted to. It’s a traumatizing thing having to do with my mother’s death not a choice. He read it over and nodded before smiling sadly at me.

We went back to our food again.