Another High School Romance

seven

We sat and just talked for a while, watching as people got up to sing their chosen songs. I loved the music, and I loved everything about this place and this night, but the thought of getting up there myself had me a little nervous. I hadn't sung properly in so, so many years and I wasn't sure I remembered how. 

"You're not going up there?" Travis asked half an hour later, and I shrugged. "You've been on the edge of your seat this whole time; I know you want to."

"I haven't sung in years." I mumbled. "What if I suck?" Travis laughed at me like he thought I was being ridiculous. "I'm serious!"

"Alright, I'm intervening." He got up, grabbing my hand and turning to lift his other hand in response to the band asking for volunteers to go next.

"What are you doing?" I asked nervously.

"Come on, your audience is waiting." He gave my hand a light tug and I blushed, following him as he led me through the bar. 

"Alright!" The guitarist clapped me up onto the stage as Travis stayed back, and I shot him a look. He winked at me, motioning for me to go ahead. Still red, I turned to the stage. "You play?" He asked me as he noticed the way my eyes caught on his guitar. It was beautiful.

"I used to."

"Well by all means." He lifted the strap over his head and handed it to me. I blinked at him, surprised, but then took it and slung it over my head. What the hell. "Alright ladies and gentlemen, give it up!" He called out, and the bar cheered. "What can you play?" The guitarist asked, and then he frowned at me, doing a double take. "Wait...are you...are you Alison Swift?"

"What?" I laughed nervously, shocked that he knew who I was.

"You are!" He held out a hand, which I shook. "Your album was my inspiration; I can't believe you never made another." He turned to his band. "Our Song, from the top."

I watched, a little open mouthed as he took a step back, leaving me by the microphone alone. God, was this really happening to me? I'd made that album when I was a kid, had never performed it live except for a few radio stations. But then the band started playing, and somehow, my fingers automatically moved. I smiled to myself as the crowd clapped, cheering me on as I started to play. Yeah, I could do this.

"I was ridin' shotgun with my hair undone
In the front seat of his car
He's got a one-hand feel on the steering wheel
The other on my heart"

I started to sing, surprised at how well I remembered this song. It had easily been the top hit of the album, and to my surprise, a few people in the crowd started to sing along. Excitement bubbling inside me at the feeling of performing, I threw myself into the song. The guitarist from the band joined me halfway through, having found another guitar. He sang with me and we played around with each other, giving a real performance to the song. It was the most alive I had ever felt. 

"I've heard every album, listened to the radio
Waited for something to come along
That was as good as our song"

The note lingered in the bar and everyone cheered in the drawn out silence as the guitarist and I looked at each other, silently counting it out until we jumped back into the song. When we finished, the bar went wild, clapping and cheering as I laughed, a little in shock at what I'd just done as I passed the guitar back.

"Look, if you ever want to get back into it, I know our agent would love to have you." The guitarist held out a card, but I shook my head.

"I don't write anymore." I told him. "But thank you." He nodded, understanding.

"Is it too inappropriate to ask if you can sign my guitar?" He asked, and I laughed.

"Sure." I agreed, and he pulled a sharpie from his pocket. Carefully, I signed my name with a little heart just like I'd used to.

The guitarist thanked me over and over and I smiled, thanking him for singing with me before I turned to get off the stage. Travis was standing off to the side, the biggest smile on his face as I walked down the steps. The way he was looking at me made me nervous, and I was about to make a bashful comment when he moved. To my immense surprise, he took a step forwards, taking my face in his hands and tilting it up to kiss me. My body locked down in surprise as the sound of the bar faded around us, but I didn't have time to do anything before it was over and Travis let me go.

"What..." I blinked. "What was that for?"

"Do you have any idea how happy you looked up there?" Travis motioned to the stage. "Why don't you want to do that again? I saw you turn the offer away."

"That's not me anymore." I shrugged, still a little dazed by the kiss I hadn't seen coming. "And don't change the subject."

"Are you going to let me get away with it if I say that was a strictly friendship based kiss?"

"Not more than once." I mumbled, and he smiled.

But I'd be lying if I said I hadn't like it. I wasn't going to let him do it again, but the taste of him lingered on my lips long after we'd had a few more drinks. We found a quieter spot at the back of the bar, leaning over an intimate booth as we talked the hours away. I learnt about his family, how he grew up, his short career in the NFL, how it all came crumbling down.

"I tried for a few months to convince them there was some way for me to get back in." He sighed. "It's not an injury that affects me much now; I just can't play football or do anything super active." I smiled sympathetically, resting my hand on top of his.

"It sounds like you had a really good run though." I tried to lighten the conversation just a little.

"Yeah, I did." He smiled, a faraway twinkle appearing in his eyes. "The years I spent on the field were the best years of my life even though it didn't last long. It sucks that it had to end, but I'm happy where I am now. The boys make up a real good team to have the pleasure to coach."

"When's the first game?" I asked, sure it was soon but not sure of the exact date.

"Next Friday night, you should come." Travis offered. "It's a big deal, a whole school event. They've got a cheerleading team and everything. Everyone goes." He winked at me. "You can be my cheerleader." I laughed, smacking his wrist.

"Watch your mouth Mr Kelce." I warned him, but I was only kidding and he knew it. Maybe we weren't on a date, maybe we weren't a couple, but I knew it was heading that way. Travis smiled, and it lingered for a long moment before dropping slightly. Then he sighed.

"I understand if you don't want to talk about this." He said, and I swallowed. "But I wanted to ask you about the guy who cheated on you."

"Oh?" My voice pitched and my hand balled into a fist. Travis nodded. "O...kay. What about?"

"You told me you're scared of trusting someone again, which is completely expected. I know you might need some time to get used to something, or to decide whether you want to take the risk again." He said, and I nodded tentatively. "I just want to know if there's anything I should know. I know you don't stop loving someone just because they did a bad thing, even though you obviously chose to leave."

"I don't love him anymore." I said quietly. "I used to. I hated him at the same time for a while, but now I just..." I sighed. "There's nothing. I couldn't forgive what he did, and he's tried to reach out a few times, but I don't do second chances. There's nothing about what happened that's a part of my life now. He's..." My gaze flickered over Travis' shoulder at a movement and my breath caught in my throat. "He's right there." I whispered.

I stared past Travis as he turned to look. Turned to look at the man I'd walked away from and hadn't seen in almost seven months. Turned to look at the man who'd cheated on me and ruined my life so that I hadn't been able to stand the town I'd grown up in. The one who stood just inside the bar, his eyes scanning the crowd until they landed on me.

"Joe." I whispered, a chill rushing through me. 

What the hell was he doing here?