Sparks Fly: A Kaylor Love Story

Chapter 12: "Teardrops on My Guitar"

Taylor lay face down on her bed, her face buried in her pillow. Cross Me Off Your List by Hawthorne Heights was blasting from her stereo. She felt as though Hawthorne Heights were a symbol of the connection she and Karlie shared, and she had that particular song on repeat because of one specific lyric in it that summed up perfectly how she felt:

"She's everything you wanted
The mark you always missed."

She was starting to feel like that was what Karlie was to her. She'd never wanted anyone as much as she wanted Karlie in that moment. Hell, she'd never really wanted any of the boys she'd dated, she just dated them in the hopes that eventually Mister Right would turn up. But this was different. She wanted Karlie. She wanted to kiss Karlie again. To hold her. To tell her that she loved her. That's what this was, she knew it for certain now. She'd been dreading it since they'd kissed. She'd done her best to fight it, but there was no getting around it anymore. Taylor was in love with Karlie.

Karlie was everything Taylor wanted, but she missed her opportunity, and now it looked like they'd never be more than friends. Taylor couldn't really blame anyone but herself though. She'd known, even then, that Karlie meant more to her. She just hadn't had the courage to accept it.

Her phone buzzed. She didn't hear it over the music, but because it was sitting right next to her pillow she felt it vibrate. She looked up in time to see the screen illuminate her darkened room. She looked at it. It was Karlie:

Took ur advice and told Toni how I felt. I now have a gf :D

Taylor was overwhelmed. She felt as though she was drowning in a whirlpool of emotions. There was only one remedy for this. She got up from the bed, turned off the music, switched on her light, and picked up her guitar. She sat on the edge of the bed and started to strum. Playing music always made her feel better.

But this seemed to be the one time it didn't.

She felt tears well up, and then a single teardrop fell on her guitar. She stopped playing and picked up her phone again. She opened her photo gallery and found the picture she'd taken of Karlie that day at the mall, when they'd been trying on dresses. Suddenly, without even thinking, Taylor spoke.

"You're the reason there's teardrops on my guitar, I hope you know that." she said, directing it at the photo of Karlie. Suddenly she was struck by inspiration, as a tune came to her. She began to play and sing as the lyrics came to her:

"You look at me
I fake a smile so you won't see
That I want, and I'm needing
Everything that we should be,

I bet she's beautiful,
That girl you talk about,
And she's got everything
That I have to live without..."

There was a knock at her door. Dinner was ready. Taylor put her guitar down and went downstairs.

She was noticeably sullen at dinner, prompting her parents to quiz her about why she seemed so unhappy. She managed to convince them that she was fine, just a little tired. They seemed convinced at least. They may have just decided not to push it too much, and just to let their daughter deal with whatever was troubling her on her own. Either way, Taylor was glad she didn't have to have that conversation with them. Not yet at least.

After dinner she returned to her room with the intention of writing some more of her song, but was too emotionally exhausted. Instead she put on Hawthorne Heights again, and decided to get some sleep. Before she did, she decided she ought to reply to Karlie. She needed to keep up the charade that she wasn't totally devastated that Karlie liked someone else.

That's great Kar! :D Cant wait 2 meet her :P

In all honesty, Taylor wasn't in any hurry to meet this Toni person, but she figured that Karlie would probably want to introduce them as soon as possible. As she drifted off into sleep, a portion of her own lyrics ran through her head.

"I want, and I'm needing
Everything that we should be..."

It wasn't fair. She finally knew what she wanted, and it was gone. In fact, it took losing it to know that she wanted it. Why couldn't she have just told Karlie how she felt in the first place?