Hear You Me

“Hey man, you doing okay?”

Joel looked up to see all three of his band members looking at him with concerned looks on their faces.

“Yeah, I’m good. Why?” Joel directed his answer at Ryan, who had posed the question.

“You just seemed a little distracted during the show which isn’t like you.” Alex answered after Ryan seemed to hesitate.

“Just a headache.” Joel shrugged. “I’ll just go to bed soon and sleep it off. Should be good tomorrow.”

“Ok. Well we’re going to go out with the other guys, but call us if you need anything,” Ryan said before he and Alex both turned around and walked off the bus.

Sean stayed behind. “So what’s really wrong?”

“Nothing. Like I said, just the headache.”

Sean sighed. “Joel, why did Lila really leave?”

“She missed home and got that opportunity for the internship.”

“What’s the real reason she left?” Sean let some anger creep into his voice.

“I kissed her.”

“What?! Why didn’t you tell us?”

“Because I freaked out. I have no business kissing her. I’m just some boy in a band while she’s in college working towards being a family counselor. Basically, she has her shit together and I’m just some vagabond. She deserves so much better. And don’t even get me started on the fact that I dated her best friend for over five years…her best friend who died of cancer. So I told her we should just stay friends thinking that would make things better and go back to normal, but she left anyway.”

“First of all, you are not just some vagabond and you know Lila doesn’t think that. You’re going after your dreams and succeeding which is more than most people,” Sean argued. “Secondly, do you think she left because she was upset that you kissed her, or upset because you just wanted to be friends after that?”

“I’m sure it’s the first reason. We’re friends and I crossed that line.”

Sean rolled his eyes. “Joel, sometimes you are completely oblivious. Delilah is in love with you. She has been for years, but of course she had to hide it because of you and Holland dating. I’m not saying Holland dying was a good thing, because in no way was it, but now you and Lila have a chance to see what could happen between the two of you. And, in all fairness, you and Holland did break up before she got her diagnosis, so do you think you two would have truly gotten married and been together forever?”

“Probably not,” Joel shook his head. “We did love each other, but we ended up growing apart and wanting different things.”

“See! This is your chance for you and Lila. Don’t lose it.”

“I don’t know, man.”

“Just text her.” Alex said as he walked off the bus.

Joel let Sean’s words go through his head. There was no way Lila had those kinds of feelings for him, but then again Joel could sometimes be oblivious to things.

Joel laid down in his bunk and began to craft out a text message.

Hey, I know we already talked about the kiss, but I wasn’t honest when I said I wanted to remain just friends. I have feelings for you, but have been ignoring them because they scare me. You’re one of my best friends and I don’t want to mess that up. I think I love you though, Delilah. I know this is probably a lot to take in and I have no clue if you feel the same, but can you call me sometime so we could talk?

Joel read the message again and then decided it would be better to talk to her in person when tour ended in a month, so he deleted it and went to sleep.



“So was Joel upset that you came home early?”

Delilah had been home from tour for a week and was adjusting back to normal life. She was at the Farmer’s Market with her mom and had hoped to avoid talking about the boy she couldn’t get out of her mind, but realized that wasn’t going to happen.

“I guess,” Delilah shrugged. “He has the guys to hang out with though and he’s playing shows every night, so I’m sure he’s not really thinking about me.”

“I’m sure that’s not true, honey,” Julia Reed argued. “You’re his best friend.”

Delilah flinched slightly at that word. The pain of Joel just wanting to be friends after their kiss was still fresh, but she was trying not to show it. She didn’t want people knowing about what really went down and why she left the tour.

“Delilah? Julia?”

The two women turned around to see a familiar boy standing behind them.

“Hunter. Where have you been?” Julia exclaimed. “I haven’t seen you in forever. You need to come over for dinner sometime. I’m sure a bachelor like you mostly just eats TV dinners.”

“Actually it’s mostly take-out,” Hunter sheepishly admitted as Julia rolled her eyes.

“That’s it, young man. You’re coming over for Sunday dinner after church tomorrow. Ok?”

“That would be great. Thanks Julia,” Hunter smiled.

Delilah’s mom and dad had always been like a second set of parents to both Holland and Hunter, especially since their own parents were out of the country for ten months out of the year.

“Well, I’m going to go and see what vegetables Farmer Dan has today, but you can stay and talk to Hunter, Lila. I’ll meet back up with you in a little bit,” Julia said before turning and walking away.

Delilah turned back towards Hunter and willed herself to think of something to say. She still found herself a bit flustered whenever she was around Hunter Vanderson.

“Mom’s right, you know, we haven’t seen you in forever. Everything ok?” Lila finally said.

“Yeah. Don’t worry, I’m not doing anything bad. The MBA program at ASU just kicked my butt this semester and then I have an internship with the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce this summer, hence why I’m here at the Farmer’s Market.”

“That’s awesome, Hunter. I’m proud of you…and Holland would be too.”

“Thanks,” Hunter smiled. “That means a lot. So you know how we talked way back around Christmas and I mentioned something about how Holland’s death taught me that you should always say what you want because you don’t know if you’ll get a second chance?”

“Yeah…” Delilah trailed off.

“Well…I…you see…” Hunter blushed.

“Oh my gosh, is THE Hunter Vanderson blushing?”

“What?! No. I just… Would you want to go out sometime?” Hunter finally got the words out.

Now it was Delilah’s turn to blush. She’d always had a small crush on Hunter, but things felt complicated in her life at the moment and Hunter definitely had a past that Delilah had seen firsthand.

“You’re supposed to be picking me up,” Holland snapped into the phone.

Holland and Delilah were standing outside after cheerleading practice. Delilah hated cheerleading because there was so much attention directed on her during games, but Holland had convinced her that it was a good way for them to get involved, make friends, and become popular which was crucial now that they were freshmen in high school. They couldn’t drive though, so it was usually up to Hunter to pick them up after practice since he’d just gotten his license a few months prior.

“Well you better figure something out because I’m not walking. If you don’t figure out a way to get me home within 30 minutes I’m going to tell Aunt Teresa exactly why you couldn’t pick me up today.”

“Is everything ok?” Delilah asked as Holland threw her phone into her purse.

“No,” Holland rolled her eyes. “Hunter is high as a kite again.”

“He’s still smoking pot?”

“Yeah, except he’s now added prescription pills to the lineup because ‘weed just wasn’t cutting it anymore.’”

“I’m sorry, Holl. Maybe it’s time to tell your parents.” Delilah suggested.

“NO!” Holland quickly said. “It’s partly their fault that Hunter is into drugs since he’s all moody and bitter that they’re always gone. Plus I’m not going to rat him out. They’ll lecture him from Africa, but they won’t actually come home which will just piss him off even more.”

“But Holland, prescription pills are dangerous.”

“You don’t get it, okay Delilah? You have the perfect life with the perfect family and you think everyone else’s life is perfect. But it’s not. I can handle this myself and I will.”

“You shouldn’t have this pressure on you though, Holland. You’re just 14. Hunter needs help.”

“Delilah, just shut up. Gosh, you’re so naïve.”

“You know Holland, sometimes you can be a real bitch. Talk to me once you decide to be nice again.” Delilah turned and walked away before Holland could see the tears in her eyes.

Holland apologized a week later and the girls’ friendship was as strong as ever. They didn’t talk about Hunter’s drug problem again until two years later when they found him passed out on the bathroom floor. He’d nearly OD’d and was put into rehab by his parents.

“By your silence I take that to mean you don’t want to go out with me and are thinking of a nice way to tell me. It’s totally cool though…” Hunter rambled.

Delilah quickly put her hand on Hunter’s arm to reassure him. “No, Hunter, I would love to go on a date with you. Sorry, I just zoned out for a second.”

“Great. Well I guess I’ll see you at Sunday dinner at your house tomorrow and we can decide what we’ll do for our date then?”

“Perfect. See you tomorrow, Hunter,” Delilah smiled.

At least one Phoenix boy liked Lila. She just hoped he could help her get over the one who didn’t.