t w e n t y - t w o
"To a successful tour!" We cheer, holding up our glasses. A giggle escapes my mouth before we tip our glasses, pouring the contents down our throats.
"Oof, I love you guys," Christina says, smiling ecstatically. "This was truly the best tour I've been on."
"Aww, thanks Christina!" We chorus, leaning over to give her a hug.
We'd grown unusually close in the last few days as we traveled back from the last stop on tour. Everything seemed like it was magically repaired. Everything. Including you-know-what. We decided to go out for dinner upon our arrival into New York again.
After an hour of random conversation, we simultaneously decided to make a toast. My heart was overflowing with gratefulness, thankful for everything that's happened in the last year of my life. Coming to New York May have been the best thing I've ever done. Sure, more drama has found its way into my life, but it's been better.
Giggling, I rock side to side, bobbing my head to an unheard beat of a song. My eyes twinkle with a youthful excitement, like I just went on the biggest adventure of my life and I'm gonna go on a new one.
"She seems unusually happy," Daniel laughs, looking at me.
"She does," Jonah exclaims, poking my cheek, "is this real?"
Swatting his hand away, I reply, "I'm in a good mood! Birds are chirping, and the sun is shining."
"It's night," Zach whispers to Jack not-so-discreetly.
"Just let her be," Jack responds, an amused smile contorting his lips.
We continue our dinner, laughing and screaming at times. Our smiles never dim, and the creases around our eyes never disappear even as we start to leave.
"Isn't it kind of funny that we all live in the same building?" Christina asks, giggling and wobbling on her feet.
Corbyn rushes to her, letting her lean on him, as he says, "Yeah, it is."
I find myself laughing boisterously for some reason. My laughs echo around the still-busy street, making me laugh more. I start clutching my stomach and nearly falling to my feet before two arms grip mine, pulling me up.
"Okay, so you're not walking home without a crutch," Jonah says, pulling my arm around his shoulder so I have support as I sloppily put my feet in front of each other. He's like my rock. Always there for me. That's kind of funny, I think with a giggle. I mean, it's so much harder with him around. Although I did get jobs when I come here.
"I can walk fine!" I protest like a child. "Although, I doooooo like doing less work." Quinn chuckles at my childish behavior, intertwining her fingers with Daniel's who has a smile on his face. "Ooh, they're in llooooooooovvvveeeeee."
"Oh that brings back memories," Corbyn breathes, letting out a small chuckle.
"Why?" Jack asks, the curiosity present in his voice.
"The first time she got drunk," Corbyn says, grunting as he helps Christina stand up again, "I drove her an Christina to Christina's place. After Christina got out of the car, she," he explains, pointing his head towards me, "said that I'm in love with Christina."
"And she was right!" Christina shouts, pointing up to the stars.
"Wow, seems like I gave you magical powers," Jonah says, nudging me with his shoulder.
"That was before. It was the party where you sucked face with that bitch-ass snake you call a girlfriend," I giggle, not knowing the severity of my words.
"Oh," he says, a frown etching itself on his face.
"Don't frown! You're prettier when you smile," I say, putting my index finger on each cheek and pulling them apart to stretch his lips like he's smiling.
"After you," Jack gestures, holding the door open as Jonah's lips are reclaimed by a genuine smile.
We all wait for the elevator to come down to us as I start tapping my foot to the same unheard beat as before. An old song starts to come back into my mind.
"And we could give it a minute," I mutter to the tune, humming a little. "But what's the fun in a minute? When you can push all the limits." They all turn their heads towards me, but I don't pay attention. I'm lost in my world now and nothing can take me out. "Shirt hanging off my shoulders. Both hands wanna hold you."
"I remember this song," Quinn says with a chuckle.
"So sing with me!" I shout, pulling her close to me.
"How about later?" She offers as we walk into the elevator.
"NO! Now!" I shout like a child, stamping my foot.
"Fine," she gives in as Daniel starts pressing the buttons for the levels.
"Can you feel the tension rising? Now you're now you're getting it close, no more no more takin in slow. Speed this up cause I'm excited," we shout as the boys share confused looks.
"Do you remember this song?" Zach asks Jack who shakes his head.
"We have to get out anyway, let's not stop them," Jack says, walking out as the door opens with Zach right behind him. Corbyn and Christina walk away as Christina shouts a goodbye. Quinn and I stop singing and the elevator is plunged into silence.
The elevator opens with a chime as Quinn bids goodbye, following Daniel and giving him support.
The elevator is plunged into a more awkward silence, causing words to come spewing out of my mouth.
"I'm sorry. I know I've just complicated your life by coming here, and it's totally all my fault," I say, words coming out faster each second. "I just feel bad that we said that stuff just cause we were mad. Why can't we just be normal? Like normal friends? Ones that don't have all this..." I say, looking for the word.
"Tension?" He asks, chuckling lightly at my flustered state.
"Right! And it really sucks cause I really like you! I always did and I never really stopped, I guess. That's probably why I never loved anyone else cause I—," I say exuberantly, throwing my hands up in the air for emphasis as two hands cup my face.
"You don't know what you're saying," he says, glaring at my eyes, "so you should stop saying stuff."
"Drunk people speak sober thoughts," I say, giggling slightly. "How weird. But it does suck! I mean, I really really really like you. I mean, I knew that from the moment I bumped into you my first day! Or was it my second? It always seemed like fate pulled us together," I say, a funny smile on my face as if I'm talking about whoopie cushions or pranks.
The elevator doors part with a ding again. Grabbing his hand, I start walking to the apartment.
"Let's meet Kara!" I chirp enthusiastically, suddenly being able to walk well.
"Okay?" He says, knowing it's better to not leave me alone.
Struggling to put the key in the hole, I start muttering gibberish before Jonah takes the key and opens the door for me.
"Thank you," I chirp, walking in.
"No problem, I guess," he says uncertainty, "I should go."
"No! Come in," I protest, dragging him in but forgetting to take the key. "Go sit in my room. I'll be back in a sec. I need to change and find Kara."
"I can find Kara," he offers.
"It's fine," I respond, pushing him in the direction he has to go.
I quickly change and run into Kara on my way out.
"Kara! I brought Jonah! You have to meet each other!" I say happily.
"I'm kind of tired," she replies, rubbing her eyes. I could see in her slouched figure that she had a long day.
"Oh, okay, then," I say, worried about her. "I'll introduce you next time!" I was acting too much like a five-year-old, but I couldn't stop. She often dived into her work, not paying attention to other things.
I walked back into my room, deep in my thoughts when I notice Jonah flipping through loose sheets on my desk. I was never a very clean person, but those were there for a reason. I left them like that before tour. They were extra songs that were extremely personal.
I rush to pull him away from the papers but he turns around with a wide smile on his face. It was weird. Most of the songs are extremely sad and depressing. How he has a smile on his face is a mystery.
"Hey," he says softly.
"Hi," I reply. "Could you sing me a song?"
"Sure," he says, looking around the room for an instrument before he finds the small piano in the corner. I shut off the lights, but the room is sufficiently lit by light from the hallway. I sit on the bed, cocooned in blankets, when he starts.
"That's pretty," I sigh. I had sunk down and I was practically sleeping.
"Yeah. I'll go now," he says, noticing me almost asleep.
"Don't go," I mumble. "Stay."
I feel the bed tip a little to the side, and a warmth surrounds me. A reassuring hand sits on my shoulder.
"Darling, I wish I could," a pair of lips whisper on my forehead before leaving a quick kiss there, too. Tingles darted throughout my skin, electrifying it. Even though my senses aren't completely there, I know I don't want anything to change.
But we never get what we want. He gets up and goes back home to her.
I felt myself longing for a warmth I hadn't felt in a long time.
Dang that was 1500+ words! That's a lot longe than usual. I hope you guys enjoyed it, though! Just thinking of how this story will have to end sometime makes me feel sad. I've been writing the story of Amber Thompson so long now, I don't want to leave her.
I love you all so much! Thank you for reading. Btw the song they were singing was "Almost Love" by Sabrina Carpenter.
Vote and comment, loves.
Q. Will she remember?
QOTD: Fav fruit?
AOTD: Watermelon probably.
June 18, 2018
P.S. can you believe Jonah is 20 now?!