This chapter is dedicated to JhoSuyoc7 :).... Keep reading!!

You break my Best Friends heart, I'll break your ugly face.....

Chapter 13: Breaking A Layer

After gossiping for what felt like hours, we lied down on my bed, sighing deeply.

"That was one big and long gossip session," Sam exclaimed from beside me.

"Yup," I agreed.

"So what next?" she said, getting up.

"Hmm, let's think." I said as I began to search my mind for something to do.

"Hey why don't w-," I was cut off as Sam spoke.

"What is that?" she asked, looking at something behind me.

I turned my confused gaze to where her eyes stopped and I froze.

Standing there in all it's silver glory was my guitar. The same guitar that my parents gifted me on my 7th birthday. That was when I started singing all the time. I still remember, I never used to leave my guitar, never. It used to be my all-time buddy. I used to carry everywhere, and I do mean everywhere. Heck I even carried it to my washroom. I never stopped singing ever.

But just after that little incident, everything changed. It had been my first time performing in front of a large crowd and I had felt really nervous. So nervous that I even forgot to take my guitar with me on stage.

Its funny how just one little incident in one's life can scar the future. I've tried a lot to keep the fear of people watching me away from me but it keeps coming back to dig its claws even deeper. And I'm helpless as to what I can do.

"That's a guitar, duh!" I tried to sound casual but even I didn't believe the casualty in my own voice.

"Yeah, I can see that very well. But what I mean is whose is it?"

"Uh-mine," I replied meekly, dreading her next words.

"Wow, can you play it for me?"

There they were. Six simple words that sent my nerves into a frenzy.

"Uh-I, let's get something to eat," I replied quickly to change the subject. But my attempt seemed to have failed.

"Ali? What's wrong?" Sam asked, carefully studying me.

"It-It's just that I don't like to sing and play the guitar," I spoke, which was a big, fat, tremendous, humongous lie.

I loved to sing more than anything in the world. Even now, I sung at night, when everyone slept. No one knew about it, though. Everyone assumed that I had left singing entirely.

But that was too tough for me to do. I couldn't go a day without singing. It would be torture for me to know that I couldn't sing.

That is how much the songs, my voice and music mattered to me.

"Ali, is everything alright?" she asked slowly.

I nodded, blinking away the tears which threatened to stream down my face.

"Okay," she said, half hesitating.

I looked at the beautiful piece of my soul. My guitar was silver in colour. The glittered part came down in swirls with beautiful black outlines.

I just wanted to grab it and run my fingers through the chords.

Sam must've noticed my shaky sight as she kept one hand on my shoulder to comfort me. Just this small gesture made me break down into tears.

All my struggle to keep them inside went away as they freely streamed down my face. Sam immediately hugged me and I hugged her back.

I held her tightly as she returned the hug with same intensity.

"I w-was nine years o-old....," I started.

There was no need for me to hide this from her. I have no idea what kind of magic she worked, but the things I couldn't bring myself to tell Kinsy, I told her within a month of our friendship.

Maybe it was because, even though I said that Kinsy was my good friend, I couldn't bring myself to call her my best friend.

I told Sam about the whole incident and how it affected me.

"Is that why you had a panic attack in front of the cafeteria?" she asked.

I nodded.

I was about to say something when my phone rang.

I let go of Sam and wiped my tears away, before picking up the phone.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Agent Jerry?"

"Oh hey Agent Tom. What's up?" I felt a lift in my mood instantly.

"By the way I checked out the video you sent me," she said referring to the video of Candy's reaction to the superman video," and let me tell you... It was AWESOME!"

I laughed," So that's the reason you called me?

"No. I just wanted to tell you that you made me cry a lot today."

I scrunched up my brows in confusion. "How?"

"Well, I just saw my son entering with a Minie mouse t-shirt which made me laugh. But what made tears sprout out of my eyes was when he told me that you kicked him out of your house," she began laughing again.

I let out a chuckle. Aaron's parents and I were quite close. We had nicknames for each other. I called Candy's mom. Agent Tom and she called me Agent Jerry

"Oh God. You just made my day," she said after sobering up.

I heard some shuffling on the other side of the line before a new voice spoke up.

"Hey Cupcake, I swear, the things you make my son do, those are almost impossible for me to make him do too," Candy's dad said with a chuckle.

"It's not that big of a deal, Daddy-bear," I replied.

"You don't know that-," he was cut off when the phone was taken away from him.

"Thanks a lot muffin. You just made me the laughing stock of my own home," Candy's voice came through the phone. I knew that he was pouting right now.

"Awww. And here I thought I did you a favor by making your parents laugh," I said faking a hurt tone.

"Yeah right. Anyway, you owe me."

"Nuh-uh. I don't owe you anything."

"Yes you do."

"No, I don't," I argued.

"Yes, you do."

"No I do- wait a minute. Listen here AARON JAMES PELT, YOU STILL OWE ME MY CARTON OF CHOCLATE SHAKE! AND IF I DON'T GET IT WITHIN HALF AN HOUR, YOU ARE AS GOOD AS DEAD. DO YOU HEAR ME?" I yelled.

"Y-Yes ma'am. Right away," he said cutting off the call.

I laughed.

I turned around to see a dumbfounded Sam on my bed.

I laughed a bit more. All my sad mood vanished and that's when I decided something.

"Hey, come on, let's wash our faces and freshen up. I have something I want to do today. She wiped her tears too.

I didn't know that she had cried with me. That just made my decision even stronger. I was going to start forgetting the incident from today itself.

I quickly led her too the washroom and we freshened up in twenty minutes. She quietly studied my every move but complied with whatever I made her do.

I led her down and made her sit in the living room. She stared at me confused as to what I was doing. I just winked at her and gave her a huge smile.

The doorbell rang and I ran towards the door.

"Hey, I brought your choco-," he began, but I cut him off with a hug.

I could sense his confusion but he returned the hug.

"And here I thought you were going to murder me," he sighed dramatically.

I chuckled and let go of him.

"What was that for?" he asked.

I just pulled him by his hand and took him to the living room. He had a confused expression on his face. His confusion increased upon seeing Sam sitting there with an equally puzzled expression.

I made him sit beside Sam and quickly ran upstairs before they could question my sanity. I was determined to do something today.

I went into my room and spotted my guitar. I went and grabbed it. A sense of panic washed over me and I quickly left it.

'I can't do it' i thought.

'You can do it and you will' a voice spoke inside my head.

'But what if I make a fool of myself?'

'They're your best friends. They won't do anything to degrade you.'

"I can do this. I can do this."

I grabbed my guitar again.

'This is it' I thought.

I took a deep breath and made my way to the stairs. I slowly descended the staircase and reached the door of the living room.

'I can't do it'

I felt myself losing control over my thoughts. What was I thinking? I couldn't get over my fear in just one day! It was irrational and stupid.

I turned around to keep my guitar back when something on the wall caught my eye. It was a my dad's Nike bag. But what caught my eye were the three words: Just Do It.

I took a deep breath. Do it.

I turned back and faced the living room door. I entered the room and stood near the door. Both Sam and Candy had their backs facing me. They hadn't noticed me yet.

'Good' I thought. This way I could imagine that no one was there.

I took another deep breath and slowly let it out. I closed my eyes and helf the guitar in place.

"Heart beats fast, colours and promises," I began. I can do it. I will do it. I can't back out now.

"How to be brave, how can I love,

when I'm afraid to fall,

Watching you stand alone,

All of my doubt,

Suddenly goes away somehow.

One step closer."

I got lost in the melody of the song. I let myself get carried away by the tune. It had been so long since I let myself out completely. So long since I let my singing echo in the walls of my house.

And now, there was no stopping me.

"I have died everyday waiting for you,

Darling don't be afraid, I have loved you,

For a thousand years, I'll love you for a thousand more."

I continued singing.

Time stand still,

Beauty in all she is,

I will be brave,

I will not let it take away,

standing in front of me,

Every breath, every hour has come to daze"

I sang, letting my voice roam the corners of the room. I let my spirit free. I'd never felt so good in a long time.

I sang the chorus once more before stopping. There was utter silence in the room, as if there was only me.

I took in a deep breath and slowly opened my eyes.

I saw Candy and Sam gaping at me with awe-stuck expressions. They had changed their sitting positions in order to have a better look at me.

I started squirming under their gazes which never wavered.

I cleared my throat which made them snap out of their daze. They blinked a few times before realizing the situation.

If I wasn't anxious, I would've laughed at their comical expressions.

"Uh--," I began, not knowing what to say.

What could I say? I had just sung a song, something which no one had heard me do in eight long years.

"Do you have ANY IDEA HOW FREAKING AWESOME THAT WAS?" Candy yelled.

"Are you hiding a recorder somewhere?" Sam asked, still dazed.

I felt my cheeks go red. I hadn't received a compliment for my singing since ages.

"What made you change your decision about singing? I mean I begged you to sing for three continuous years and you didn't budge," Aaron exclaimed, his eyes wide.

"N-No. I-uh-don't know why-uh-I just felt like it" I answered.

"Well, you should 'feel like it' more often, 'cause that was amazing."

"S-Shut up. You've heard me sing before," I replied.

"Yeah. Like eight years ago. Do you realize how much your voice has changed since then?" he countered

"Woah, honestly, now you're my new favorite singer. I mean you sing better than any of those auto-tuned freaks. You should really sing more often," Sam complimented.

Maybe singing in front of my best friends was a great decision after all.

But I still think that I can't sing in front of anyone else.

*********

Hey Guys....

Song on the side---->

Hope you enjoyed.

Vote

Comment

Share