Oh, Baby! #Wattys2020

Chapter Four

Hale sighs, banging his head on his desk. He crumbles up yet another worthless song and tosses it aside. Nothing seems to be coming out right, no matter how hard he tries, none of the lyrics are right to match the music. All he can think about is Bella and how her entire being fell as he was forced to ask Jenna to homecoming. And he feels like shit knowing he did that. Luckily for him, Jinx asked Bella to homecoming so at least he knows she will have a good time. With or without him.

"Why is it so hard?" He mumbles to himself, rolling his desk chair across the hard wood floor of his room to the piano in the corner of his room.

He begins playing a verse, his mind churning as he listens to the notes. "I've never been in love," He sings, grimacing. "You pull me into your ocean eyes and let me drown."

His cheeks heat up at how stupid it sounds and he halts the verse. He takes a deep breath, calming himself of the frustration over writing this song. It will come. His fingers stroke the keys, strong notes filling the lonely air of his room. They flow over the black and white keys effortlessly, quickly making Hale lose himself within the music. This was his safe haven, nothing, no matter how hard and traumatic his life got, ever took his music. And that was the only thing that kept him going at times.

Soon music is all he feels and hears, he lets whatever flows from his fingers engulf him. He doesn't know when exactly he started loving music, but he doesn't remember a day before he did. It's as if the music gave him a life. And he uses it to feel closer to his dad, who loved music just as much or more than Hale does. He's the one who introduced Hale to music and taught him how to play the piano and guitar. In playing these instruments and writing music, Hale is with his dad again.

As the music dies down, the strong notes turning soft, Hale comes back down to earth, sighing with a heavy heart. He misses his dad every day, seeing him in everything he does. That's why he works so hard. He wants to make his dad proud.

"Where's your head at, boy?" Hale jumps slightly, spinning around to face his grandma sitting on his bed. He hadn't even noticed her come in.

"Nowhere." He mumbles, scooting back over to his desk. He hears his grandma suck her teeth, she doesn't believe him.

"You don't ever play like that. So, tell me about the girl." Hale straightens, stiffening at her assumption. He doesn't look at her as he begins fidgeting with his papers.

"There's no girl Gran." He denies, Bella's face popping into his head. His neck heats up a little, his body rejecting the lie as it leaves his mouth.

Gran chuckles, "Don't bullshit me. No one plays a melody like that without love on the brain."

"How do you know?" He turns then to face the older woman. Her hair has grayed over the years, but her face remains youthful. And her light gray eyes shine with suspicion, her lips pulling up into a smile.

"I didn't." She admits, grinning when he groans, running a hand through his hair. There's a moment of silence, with Gran Nathan looking at him expectantly and him contemplating telling her.

In the end he decides to tell her about Bella and now Jenna. Since he can't talk to the guys about her, because they already consider him whipped, and never stop teasing him. And his grandma is his best friend, more so than Omar. There's not a thing about him that she doesn't know. His mom works long hours, and always has, so Gran Nathan practically raised him. She's also been a big part of his life since the move, supporting his band and all he does with music.

"You're about as dumb as a box of rocks." She shakes her head, looking at him. "You've dug yourself a hole and the only way to get out is to..."

Hale smiles slightly, remembering the old phrase she has used since he was little. "Put the shovel down."