Promise Me (Book One of the Kirkland Family)

Promise Me: Chapter 8

 *****

 “I wrote a song,” Josie said that afternoon after lunch with Kim.  She and Hannah sat outside in the backyard, playing with Teddy and Lady and the rest of the guinea pig babies, and goofing off with their guitars.  Hannah had broken down and dusted hers off when she realized how serious Josie was about learning the instrument.  It still pained Hannah to play, but she kept that inside.  However, the amazement of Josie’s musical talent continually baffled her.  The girl was a natural. In less than twenty-four hours, she was strumming simple chords with perplexing skill...until Josie admitted that she’d been trying to teach herself to play for the past year using rubber bands stretched over a cardboard box and YouTube tutorial videos.  Hannah laughed whenever she pictured that.  Oh, if her dad only knew...

“Oh, really?” Hannah asked, raising an eyebrow with interest.  “You gonna let me hear it or tease me all day?”

“It’s not very good, but it’s my first song,” Josie said, smiling as she absently strummed various chords and humming along to a tune Hannah wasn’t familiar with.

Hannah waved her hands with eagerness.  “Lay it on me, girl.  I won’t judge you.”

The adoration and love shining in Josie’s eyes just about soaked the summer air around them.  The blond girl had become too attached to Hannah, and that made Hannah squirm.  Her dad would reappear in a week, and that would be the end of this friendship.  Some nights, Hannah cursed Justin Kirkland.  The man should see how much his daughter had changed these last two weeks.  Gone were the skimpy clothes and make-up.  The rebellious attitude had just about disappeared, too.  Josie was the image of the perfect, maturing young lady now, dressed in a pair of cotton capris and a turquoise polo shirt.  That morning, though Teddy’s babies had yet to be completely weened, and Hannah had gifted Josie with Lady, the tri-colored female which she’d fallen in love with on first sight.  Now the question weighing on Hannah’s mind -- and probably Josie’s, too -- was what would happen to Lady when Mr. Justin Kirkland came to claim his daughter and take her home?  Would he allow Josie to keep Lady?  Or would he yell at her and deny her this pleasure, too?

These thoughts distracted Hannah for a second or two, then she shoved them to a dark corner of her mind and focused on Josie.  With increasingly proficient fingers, Josie began the introduction to her song.

“Maybe I’m selfish
Maybe I’m a fool
Maybe I think too much
But maybe you’re too cruel

‘Cuz I give you all I have inside
And you throw it right back
‘Cuz I loved you even though
You’re the fool with a black...

Heart and soul,
That’s you, my pain
You are my blood
You are my family
But you say you don’t want me
And that’s a shame

‘Cuz I give you all I have inside
And I know I’m worth more
‘Cuz I loved you even though
You made it very clear...

My heart and soul
Is worth nothing to you
You are my blood
You are my family
But you say you don’t care
And that’s when I knew...

Maybe I’m selfish
Maybe I’m a fool
Maybe I love too much
But you are...

You are...
You are spoiled.”

Josie concentrated on her finger placement as she sang softly, growing more confident as the chorus approached, and Hannah sat back on the grass with Teddy in her lap and listened.  My god...this is what this girl was meant to do.  Her voice was sweet and pure, reminding Hannah of her father’s favorite singer, Allison Krauss, and the words of Josie’s song awakened long-forgotten emotions in her, though the music was simple, only six repeating chords.  Those lines of sadness and abandonment should not have to come from a thirteen-year-old’s mouth.  This girl should not even know the kind of life in which inspired her song.  It just plain broke Hannah’s heart.

The last chord melted away, and Josie raised her head.  “Well?  What do you think?”

Hannah grinned as wide as her trembling lips would go and applauded.  She wouldn’t comment on the lyrics, since that would only make them both suffer more sadness, but she did say, “That was awesome!  I can’t believe you did that in a day!”

“You really like it?”

“I loved it!” Hannah assured her -- but probably a little too earnestly, because Josie’s face fell as she looked down.

“You’re just saying that.”

“I am not!” Hannah exclaimed.  “I really, truly, honestly, undeniably loved it, and I know lots of other people would love it, too.”

“I told you it wasn’t very good,” Josie insisted, plucking at the strings of her guitar mournfully.  Hannah considered how she could perk up the girl.  An idea came to her immediately, and if for some reason they got caught...well, I’ll deal with that when it happens.

Hannah jumped to her feet, cradling Teddy to her chest.  “Hang on a sec.  Give me two minutes, and then I want you to sing it again.”  Josie gazed at her curiously, but Hannah dashed into her house to get her video camera.  

YouTube, meet Josie Kirkland.  

Three hours later, they sat with silly grins as Josie’s debut into the singing world got it’s first thumbs-up.  The pretty blond was fast becoming an internet success.  Hannah knew the girl's talent was mind-blowing, but neither expected to see the viewing shoot skyward like it did.  Josie rode the high all afternoon...until she quietly asked Hannah if it was possible her dad might see it.