Cheers to "Friends"

The alarm clock stated it was 8 o’clock proudly with the loud bell ringing along side to the faint ticking sound. Little did the alarm know; I have been up for the past hour, already eaten breakfast; and currently doodling in my green notebook.

Strictly speaking my notebook wasn’t a notebook; it had thicker sheets of paper and no lines. It was more of a sketchbook. And it meant everything to me, each page portrayed emotions that I drew, stuck in, or wrote. It was kind of like a scrapbook with diary entries; except no dates. I was never really good with dates. That was why I possessed a “Baby-G”.

Saturday; my favorite day of the week. Not because it’s the weekend, but because Anna and Sara were simply not there. They were weekly boarders so they usually went home on the weekends.

After getting tired of doodling, I spotted my teal colored electric guitar on the floor. Sudden thoughts of playing it hit me like a truck, and I was obliged to pick it up, plug in the cables to the amp, and play it. The body of the guitar was set comfortably on my cross-legged legs. My right hand was already snugly pressing on some of the strings of the fret board.

Playing the guitar pretty much came naturally for me. I remember on my 9th birthday my father gave me the guitar that was now perched on my lap. My half-brother’s friend had taught me the basics, such as how to read the notes on music sheets and basic chords. From then on I had learned how to play the guitar myself. Soon enough the guitar had been one of the three things that I resorted to when I needed to release my angst. The other two was the green notebook, and lying on my bed listening to the lyrics played on my I pod.

Now getting into the full swing of playing the guitar I closed my eyes and started strumming to a song that never failed to relax me:

“I dig my toes into the sand
The ocean looks like
A thousand diamonds strewn
Across a blue blanket
I lean against the wind
Pretend I am weightless
And in this moment
I am happy happy

I wish you were here
I wish you were here
I wish you were here
I wish you were here

I lay my head onto the sand
The sky resembles
A backlit canopy
With holes punched in it
I'm counting UFOs
I signal them with my lighter
And in this moment
I am happy happy

I wish you were here
I wish you were here”

Soon getting tired of the song I opened my formally shut eyes, and to my own shock I let out a little “eep” seeing Kane watching me with an amused smirk. I quickly glanced below me to see I was still wearing my pajamas; which were shorts boxers and a tight tank top. I wasn’t sure what made the edges of his lips curl upwards; but I sure as hell hope it wasn’t that I was close to naked. What was he doing here anyway?

“So you’re not only a singer, but a guitarist too, wow. Tara Simms, you impress me every day.” I could feel my cheeks heating up with every word he said.

“Um, thanks. Uhh; Why are you here, you know, in my room…” I stuttered

“Well, you see at first I was going to go at one o’clock, to try and find this history tutor at the library, but you see I didn’t know who he or she was so I asked my history teacher. She didn’t know who my tutor was either, but Mr, Mr-“

“Duff.”

“Yeah! Mr. Duff gave the room number to her and so she gave it to me; just in case. So I pondered on whether I should pick my tutor up; and in the end I decided to go up to her room ‘cause it was much more easier than searching twenty faces in the library embarrassing myself. Thus, here I am at room 63.” I was still silent slightly gob smacked at this situation: me in nothing but a tank top, probably see-through, and short boxer shorts, with a boy that I have been thinking about for more than three days. Formally singing my heart out; with a teal colored guitar on my messy bed.

“You are my history tutor, right? You’re not just some random person playing a guitar in room 63 in you’re, um, pajamas.”

“No, I am the current resident of room 63, but I thought I said 1 o’clock.” I replied stiffly

“It’s nearly 1 o’clock; doll face.” With the last comment I quickly snapped my head in his direction. Soon realizing what he had said to me; he added “I call a lot of girls, pet names.”

I wasn’t quite sure what to do with both remarks. I never really liked people calling me pet names. I usually ended up either screaming censored profanities at the dude or just walked off with random mumblings on my part. Although when he said those words it felt fine, like it was a compliment or something. I think it has some thing to do with the literal words that made me warm up to it; but when he said that he called “a lot of girls pet names”, I felt one of the strings in my heart tug. I decided not to touch upon that as that subject made us both equally uncomfortable.

“Ok, Ok, I just need to get changed and stuff.” I sighed.

I quickly sprang off of my bed and placed the guitar carefully to one side of my room. I pulled my duvet covers over my bed and beckoned for him to sit on it, whilst I rummaged through my already messy drawers and closet; looking for something decent enough to wear. After searching through my dirty laundry, pants closet, tops drawer, and underwear drawer; I finally found a decent pair of white skinnies, a scrunched up “Led Zeppelin” t-shirt, and a navy blue oversized jumper with a zip at one of the sides of my shoulder. I also grabbed my eyeliner, ready to go out to the bathroom.

“Um, stay here.” I said awkwardly. After several minutes of pondering what he could do in my room; I climbed up my desk to get one of the “Big Cheese” Magazines I had on my shelf. “Here” I said whilst flinging a limp glossy at him. With that I left my room contented that Kane wasn’t going to rummage through my things.

“Ok! Lets go.” I said as soon as I stormed into my room. I threw my clothes above Kane’s head while he ducked and placed the magazine on my desk.

--

The journey to the library was in comfortable silence. There I was with Kane Dawson, whom was holding books in one of his arms; I on the other hand had books recklessly shoved in my messenger bag with my pencil case sticking out of one of the outer compartments.

“So what’s with the make-up? Getting all dolled up for me?” he asked with a smirk.

I returned that comment with a matter of factly tone “Actually, I was going to go out to Brighton after this; if you must know.” He smirked again.

We went round the spiral stairs to the second floor. I tried hard not to slip and embarrass myself, which worked out very well. Soon enough we found a table for us both, and we were ready to hit the books.

“Ok, so let’s have a little history pop quiz, on Russia.” I started.

“Alright.”

“Who were the red army and who were the white army.”

Complete silence. This guy has an all rounder scholarship he better live up to it…

“-Um, the Russians were the red army people, and the White army were the people from Germany. Wait this isn’t during the First World War is it.”

I stared at Kane with utter shock, to show how wrong he was I slapped my hand on my head, and to add more to that effect I dropped my head on the table. The boy who possessed emerald green eyes; that was sitting in front of me just sat their confused with a grin playing across his tanned complexion.