Heart Strings <3 ~Complete

Heart Strings Chapter Twelve

I searched around us for the young couple and their little girl with the blue eyes, but they'd left. That saddened me a little, I'd never see them again, and their family life would probably be great. No arguments. No divorces. No slamming of doors. No-

'Nathan.'

'Yeah?' I turned to Sephy. She was peering at me oddly.

'You seem to be really out of it today. You're mood has been changing, like, all the time. You okay?'

'Has it?' I asked surprised. And hers hadn't? That made me chuckle a little. 'I'm fine.'

Just thinking about swinging. And people. And you.

'Hmm. If you say so.' She began swinging again. Then stopped. 'Nathan, can I ask you something?'

'Yeah sure.' Sephy tugged her hair nervously.

'What would you do if you liked someone, and they were nice, but they started changing... And... You still liked them... But...' She paused, unwilling to continue. I winced slightly.

'Well, I guess...' I began, 'this might sound cheesy, but, you should let it go. You know. And if he, I mean, she, or, you know, they...' She giggled at my attempt to cover up my mistake. I smiled; glad she took it as a joke. 'If it likes you back, enough, they'll, I mean, it'll come back. Right?' Sephy looked up at me, her brown eyes trying to tell me something I wasn't understanding. I searched harder, trying to read her, and once again, we were caught in a staring game. The first person to look away loses.

Sephy lost. I coughed as we both sank into our swings.

'Thanks. It’s good advice. You're good at advice,' she said finally.

'Glad to help.'

'Yeah. Anyway, shouldn't we talk about the band thing?'

'Well, to be honest, I don't know what we're actually meant to be planning,' I admitted. 'When is it?'

'Two weeks on Saturday,' she said before adding with a wide smile and an excited clap, 'a day after my birthday!’ I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

'No way! You're older than me! Got anything planned for the big sixteen yet?'

Sephy laughed, 'big sixteen? You mean Sweet Sixteen, and no, the girls wanted to plan that for me, I think it has something to do with a hotel though! Besides, why is me being older than you such a shock?' I shook my head.

'Oh no reason. Anyway, I'm sure we'll all be able to do that.'

'Good,' she nodded. 'Have you got any good songs?' There was a pause. I looked at her, amused. 'You know what I mean! Like, really good ones! That people have liked loads and stuff...'

'Yeah, yeah, I know what you mean. I don't know. Well, I know... But... What songs are you guys thinking of singing?'

'Oh,' Sephy shrugged. 'The girls said I think I should write a new one for the show but I don't have any inspiration right now. If you know what I mean.' I looked at her quizzically.

'Not really.'

'Oh come on! What kinds of songs do you write?' If anything, I was more confused. Sephy sighed in mock exhaustion. 'You know, like, hippy stuff, or, I dunno, like,' for a moment she looked embarrassed. 'Love or something.' She looked cute when she was embarrassed...

'Well?'

'Yeah, okay, I get what you mean, but there's no inspiration. I just write a song depending on the mood I'm in.'

'That is inspiration!' Sephy said.

'Is it?'

'Hmm. Maybe.' We were silent for a moment, just thinking. 'What mood were you in when you wrote No Time?'

I turned to her, surprised. I'd forgotten she was there when we sang that. It was a new song, and I didn't think it was very good if I was honest, but the guys seemed to give it the thumbs up.

'I... I can't remember,' I told her truthfully.

'Oh,' She bit her lip. 'Will you sing it to me? I can't remember how it goes properly and it might be good for the show if you haven't got anything else at the moment-'

'Um...' I could feel my pulse picking up speed, suddenly feeling conscious of everything around me. The wind, the sun, the voices that seemed to have died down, the way my tie was flapping in the wind...

Sephy looked at me, batting her eyelashes without seeming to notice. 'I don't know...' I coughed. Her next trick was to push out her bottom lip... 'Okay, okay, okay...  But I don't remember it all-'

'Nathan, you performed it like, two or three days ago. I doubt you've forgotten it.'

'Whatever. One condition.'

'Which is?'

'I whisper?' Sephy looked confused but nodded. I took a deep breath in as I turned to her, leaning towards her slightly as she leaned in towards me.