Breathless
Chapter 2
**DANNY’S POV**
It has only been a few days into college and its boring as fuck. I have Algebra 2, Biology, and English so my general ed. can be finished. I don’t pay much attention anyway. I just stare at the clock and fiddle with my fingers. But today, James and I had our first guitar meeting. I had to admit, I was kind of excited about that.
I tapped my foot and gripped my back pack, waiting for the bell to ring. I darted out the door and started walking towards the second dorm buildings. I remember Tony said something about the meeting being in the building’s basement. I met James at our room and we both grabbed our electrics we both packed, in case we needed an escape. We headed downstairs to the basement. From the top of the stairs we heard soft strumming and laughs.
We went entered to room to a big welcome from everyone.
“Hey, you showed up!” Jaime bounced over, smiling ear to ear. He grabbed our wrists pulling us to the front of the room. “Lemme introduce you!” He put a hand on each of our backs warmly. He nodded towards the tatted boy, fumbling with some rifts. “You know Tony. He’s a bit shy but when he opens up to you, he’s a funny guy. Then we have Jack over there,” A man with black and blonde spiked hair waved and smiled. “My best friend Vic is over there,” Another man with long, chocolate hair with headphones over his head was lost in this music, playing along with his guitar. “and Jesse and another Jack are here,” he dragged us over to two boys laughing to each other in front of the stair case.
“Hey, nice to meet you! Don’t be shy, you can hang with us!” Jack grinned.
“Yeah, we’ll be great friends!” Jesse chuckled invitingly. A smile tugged at my lips. I couldn’t help it, something about them is uplifting.
“And there’s one more person…where is-?” Jaime was cut off when I felt a sudden weight push me down onto my hands and knees. Someone was on top of me; Their hands on mine, their groin on my backside.
“Oh, so sorry.” I remembered that voice. Once he got up, I saw it was the boy I had spilt coffee over. My stomach started flipping. How wonderful that this is how we meet again. I felt my face get hot. “I tripped on the last step. Do you need help?” he reached a hand out. I started to get up and went to grab it when he retracted it and ran it thru his messy hair, smirking, causing me to fall back on my ass. “Syke.”
Jaime busted out laughing and I could hear James trying to hide a giggle. The man walked away and to the back corner, still smiling. Odd. You’d think he’d join the other guys, not sit alone.
“That’s Ben. He’s not very social and is kinda mysterious. But he’s cool. We respect his privacy,” Jaime explained, looking over in his direction and scratching his head.
I got up, leaving my friends, and grabbed a chair, and pulling it up next to him. “So what’s your deal?”
Ben looked up at me, almost confused. “What?”
“Why would you practically push me on my ass and not help me?” I frowned.
He smirked again, looking back to a folder he was taking out of his guitar case, not replying.
“Hello?” I grabbed his wrist, and he instantly pulled it out of my grip and shot me the darkest look.
“Don’t touch me.” He growled. Whoa. I started it get up and go when suddenly he pulled me back in. “I’m sorry, I just don’t like getting close,” he said shyly, looking around. Ben let go of my wrist and I sat back down. I could tell what he just said was out of his comfort zone by the shade on pink upon his cheeks. What he said was kind of weird, but I let it slip. I just sat and listened to him strum his guitar, writing TAB on music paper. I don’t know why he was so fascinating. But the silence wasn’t awkward. It was strangely comfortable. Every once in a while, he’d catch me staring into his pale eyes. He’d just look back, then look away, trying to hide a smile. Eventually after a few hours everyone, including James, who had left with Jaime, Jack, and Jesse, left, leaving me and Ben.
“Can I try?” I looked from him to the guitar as he was writing something down. He looked up at me before a second before saying anything. Neither of us had said a word for the past few hours, so it was almost strange hearing it.
Ben scribbled something on his paper before handing me the guitar silently. I made a G chord, plucking different strings, and I forgot he was there as I got lost in my own music.
One step too late.
And I never told you.
That I can’t take another disappointment.
Breathing and gasping now leads to another messing ending.
Breathing and gasping now leads to another messing ending.
I finished the small verse I had written before realizing Ben was staring at me. My gaze met with his and I felt my face heat up.
“What?” I tried to play it cool, but that shaking in my voice wasn’t helping my case. I cleared my throat while playing around with some other chords.
“I didn’t know you could sing,” he said softly. We both felt the need to stay silent since the room was once so quiet. I just shrugged.
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.” I set the instrument aside and grabbed my backpack and started packing up my guitar. I felt his gaze still on me as I started to leave. I was almost to the stair case when I felt him grab my wrist and practically slammed me to the wall, pinning my wrists against it.
“I wanna know more.” His eyes were slanted with intensity. I just chuckled. I escaped his grasp and threw up a peace sign as I marched up the stairs, leaving him in the basement.
I walked back to the second building with a foolish smile on my face. Why am I smiling? Am I attracted to this guy? The idea wasn’t starting to sound half bad. I started to open up to the idea as I inserted the key in our dorm to James playing video games. He paused it and looked up at me, frowning.
“Where were you? I’ve been waiting up for you for hours! You know its 11:30? What were you and Ben doing, anyways?” James continued his worried rambling as he always does as I set my guitar in my corner of the room and flopped on my bed again, falling asleep.
“Are you even listening to me??” he shouted.
“Uh-huh..” I groaned, my eyes shut.
“Ugh. Wanker,” he complained, returning to his video game as I passed out.
It has only been a few days into college and its boring as fuck. I have Algebra 2, Biology, and English so my general ed. can be finished. I don’t pay much attention anyway. I just stare at the clock and fiddle with my fingers. But today, James and I had our first guitar meeting. I had to admit, I was kind of excited about that.
I tapped my foot and gripped my back pack, waiting for the bell to ring. I darted out the door and started walking towards the second dorm buildings. I remember Tony said something about the meeting being in the building’s basement. I met James at our room and we both grabbed our electrics we both packed, in case we needed an escape. We headed downstairs to the basement. From the top of the stairs we heard soft strumming and laughs.
We went entered to room to a big welcome from everyone.
“Hey, you showed up!” Jaime bounced over, smiling ear to ear. He grabbed our wrists pulling us to the front of the room. “Lemme introduce you!” He put a hand on each of our backs warmly. He nodded towards the tatted boy, fumbling with some rifts. “You know Tony. He’s a bit shy but when he opens up to you, he’s a funny guy. Then we have Jack over there,” A man with black and blonde spiked hair waved and smiled. “My best friend Vic is over there,” Another man with long, chocolate hair with headphones over his head was lost in this music, playing along with his guitar. “and Jesse and another Jack are here,” he dragged us over to two boys laughing to each other in front of the stair case.
“Hey, nice to meet you! Don’t be shy, you can hang with us!” Jack grinned.
“Yeah, we’ll be great friends!” Jesse chuckled invitingly. A smile tugged at my lips. I couldn’t help it, something about them is uplifting.
“And there’s one more person…where is-?” Jaime was cut off when I felt a sudden weight push me down onto my hands and knees. Someone was on top of me; Their hands on mine, their groin on my backside.
“Oh, so sorry.” I remembered that voice. Once he got up, I saw it was the boy I had spilt coffee over. My stomach started flipping. How wonderful that this is how we meet again. I felt my face get hot. “I tripped on the last step. Do you need help?” he reached a hand out. I started to get up and went to grab it when he retracted it and ran it thru his messy hair, smirking, causing me to fall back on my ass. “Syke.”
Jaime busted out laughing and I could hear James trying to hide a giggle. The man walked away and to the back corner, still smiling. Odd. You’d think he’d join the other guys, not sit alone.
“That’s Ben. He’s not very social and is kinda mysterious. But he’s cool. We respect his privacy,” Jaime explained, looking over in his direction and scratching his head.
I got up, leaving my friends, and grabbed a chair, and pulling it up next to him. “So what’s your deal?”
Ben looked up at me, almost confused. “What?”
“Why would you practically push me on my ass and not help me?” I frowned.
He smirked again, looking back to a folder he was taking out of his guitar case, not replying.
“Hello?” I grabbed his wrist, and he instantly pulled it out of my grip and shot me the darkest look.
“Don’t touch me.” He growled. Whoa. I started it get up and go when suddenly he pulled me back in. “I’m sorry, I just don’t like getting close,” he said shyly, looking around. Ben let go of my wrist and I sat back down. I could tell what he just said was out of his comfort zone by the shade on pink upon his cheeks. What he said was kind of weird, but I let it slip. I just sat and listened to him strum his guitar, writing TAB on music paper. I don’t know why he was so fascinating. But the silence wasn’t awkward. It was strangely comfortable. Every once in a while, he’d catch me staring into his pale eyes. He’d just look back, then look away, trying to hide a smile. Eventually after a few hours everyone, including James, who had left with Jaime, Jack, and Jesse, left, leaving me and Ben.
“Can I try?” I looked from him to the guitar as he was writing something down. He looked up at me before a second before saying anything. Neither of us had said a word for the past few hours, so it was almost strange hearing it.
Ben scribbled something on his paper before handing me the guitar silently. I made a G chord, plucking different strings, and I forgot he was there as I got lost in my own music.
One step too late.
And I never told you.
That I can’t take another disappointment.
Breathing and gasping now leads to another messing ending.
Breathing and gasping now leads to another messing ending.
I finished the small verse I had written before realizing Ben was staring at me. My gaze met with his and I felt my face heat up.
“What?” I tried to play it cool, but that shaking in my voice wasn’t helping my case. I cleared my throat while playing around with some other chords.
“I didn’t know you could sing,” he said softly. We both felt the need to stay silent since the room was once so quiet. I just shrugged.
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.” I set the instrument aside and grabbed my backpack and started packing up my guitar. I felt his gaze still on me as I started to leave. I was almost to the stair case when I felt him grab my wrist and practically slammed me to the wall, pinning my wrists against it.
“I wanna know more.” His eyes were slanted with intensity. I just chuckled. I escaped his grasp and threw up a peace sign as I marched up the stairs, leaving him in the basement.
I walked back to the second building with a foolish smile on my face. Why am I smiling? Am I attracted to this guy? The idea wasn’t starting to sound half bad. I started to open up to the idea as I inserted the key in our dorm to James playing video games. He paused it and looked up at me, frowning.
“Where were you? I’ve been waiting up for you for hours! You know its 11:30? What were you and Ben doing, anyways?” James continued his worried rambling as he always does as I set my guitar in my corner of the room and flopped on my bed again, falling asleep.
“Are you even listening to me??” he shouted.
“Uh-huh..” I groaned, my eyes shut.
“Ugh. Wanker,” he complained, returning to his video game as I passed out.