Shining Hearts (A Garmau AU)

Chapter 11

[~WAIT FOR SONG'S CUE!~]

Aphmau's POV
I gasp as I wake up in a cold sweat.

Please. No. My mind whispers. Is it... True?

I look over at a small, muffled noise.

It was my laptop.

A call.

A Skype call.

Before I knew it, I had flung the laptop over to my lap and answered the call.

I sit, holding my breath as I see a girl. Her dark brown, almost black, hair hung over her shoulders in a way that looked like she was up all night. Her eyes had bags under them, and her black mascara was running down her cheeks. Her once sparkling sea-blue eyes, are now dull and filled with pity.

I must have looked the same way to her, except my expression displayed a different emotion.

"Oh. H-Hi Lily." I say, trying to force a smile.

She shakes her head, "I-I'm sorry Aphmau. I had no idea."

"It's okay, Lily. It isn't your fault. It isn't anyone's fault." I say, wiping my eyes with the backs of my hands.

"I-If I had known-"

"I said it's fine, really. It's okay." I reply, cutting her off.

"B-But you look-"

"Lily, I said it's alright. What's done is done and can't be undone without causing grief. Please remember that, my father told me that long ago." I cut her off again.

Her voice is no more than a whisper now, "I'm sorry."

At that moment, I hear the squeak of a door opening. I hear a quieter voice, but that is enough to make me want to burst into tears again.

"Lily? Are you alright? Please don't take it hard on yourself."

Lily looks away from the camera, "I'm fine, can you leave for a moment? I'm talking to a friend."

The door squeaks again.

"I need to get that thing oiled." She says with a small laugh. "Anyways, I think he knows that I'm talking to you now. I should probably go. Please, stay happy."

And with that, the call ends.

I take a deep breath, pushing my laptop to the side. I push my hands through my hair as I exhale.

Somehow, that conversation made me feel even worse.

I feel myself burst into tears. I can't hold it in anymore; I was hurting and just covering it up.

I hug my pillow, sniffling.

I pick up my laptop again; I'm going to do what I always do when I'm sad: Watch YouTube. I'll put my video up later.

As soon as I open up YouTube, the first video I see has a familiar face on the thumbnail.

A very familiar face.

My curiosity gets the better of me, and I end up clicking the video. At first, I feel like clicking off. The surroundings look like some kind of party that I would normally get forced to go to. What holds me back is the two men who walk up to the stage.

Garroth and Laurance?! My mind questions, I didn't know they sang!

Garroth has his guitar with him, which isn't unusual: He's good at it. He fumbles around with the microphone in front of him, shifting it up so that he is properly level with it.

I continue watching as Garroth sets down his guitar case and pulls out his acoustic guitar. He sits down on a stool and strums the guitar once. Taking a deep breath, he starts playing his guitar.

My hands are still delicately weaved over the pillow, but the corners of my mouth starts twitching.

[~CUE!~]

Shipwreck in a sea of faces
There's a dreamy world up there
Dear friends in higher places
Carry me away from here

Travel light, let the sun eclipse you
'Cause your flight is about to leave
And there's more to this brave adventure
Than you'd ever believe

Birds-eye view, awake the stars 'cause they're all around you
Wide eyes will always brighten the blue
Chase your dreams, and remember me, sweet bravery
'Cause after all those wings will take you, up so high
So bid the forest floor goodbye as you race the wind
And take to the sky
(You take to the sky)

On the hills of war and wonder
There's a stormy world up there
You can't whisper above the thunder
But you can fly anywhere

Purple burst of paper birds
This picture paints a thousand words
So take a breath of myth and mystery
And don't look back

Birds-eye view, awake the stars 'cause they're all around you
Wide eyes will always brighten the blue
Chase your dreams, and remember me, sweet bravery
'Cause after all those wings will take you, up so high
So bid the forest floor goodbye as you race the wind
And take to the sky
(You take to the sky)

There's a realm above the trees
Where the lost are finally found
So touch your feathers to the breeze
And leave the ground

Birds-eye view, awake the stars 'cause they're all around you
Wide eyes will always brighten the blue
Chase your dreams, and remember me, sweet bravery
'Cause after all those wings will take you, up so high
So bid the forest floor goodbye as you race the wind
And take to the sky
(you take to the sky)
(you take to the sky)
(you take to the sky)

Before I know it I was smiling, tears slowly falling. It wasn't because I was sad anymore, but because one song made me feel so much better.

I only know one instrument and that is piano.

I pick up the piano - that I keep under my bed - and place it on my lap. I smile as I pick a song off of the computer to play and fiddle with the keys as I try to learn it.

After learning about half the song, I wipe my eyes again. The tears had stopped, but my mind told my hand to swipe away invisable ones.

I think back to Garroth's song, Purple bursts of paper birds. Hm. That's a pretty thing to think of.

Did his song have a meaning?

~Song: To the Sky - Owl City💜~