Chapter Thirty
Raven
The guys are practicing in the music room and I’m sitting on one of the chairs on the side, pen poised over my lyrics notebook.
I’ve been at it for a few minutes, since I got here, but so far I haven’t come up with a single decent lyric.
Ugh. I know I have it in me. I think I’m nervous that the next song the guys perform won’t be as good as “Better With You.”
A voice in my head urges me to let them play “I Don’t Need Your Kisses,” but I push that to the back of my mind. I’m in no way ready for that.
“Hey.” Kylen pulls a chair over and sits down. “The guys wanted to murder each other, so I suggested we take a break.”
The others are in different areas of the room, looking at their phones or playing their instruments.
He eyes my notebook. “Writing lyrics?”
“Yeah, I’m trying to write a new song for you guys, but I’m stuck.”
He bends forward, intrigued, but when he sees I only have one line, his eyebrows furrow. “What kind of song are you thinking about this time?”
I rub the pen against my bottom lip. “A love song. I know I said I wouldn’t, but I kind of want to.”
“Okay, cool. That sounds neat.”
I nod. “Well, usually love songs do well. I think I’m having problems because I’m nervous it won’t be as good as the others.”
He places his hand on mine and a tingle zaps down my back. My instinct is to pull away, but I don’t want him to think I don’t like him touching me. Because I really, really do like it.
Did he feel the zap? It’s hard to tell because he’s wearing his usual sweet smile.
“Everything you write is amazing,” he says. “I believe in you.”
I let his words enter my brain and heart. “That’s really nice of you to say. Thanks.”
He nods. “It’s the truth. I’d offer to help, but I’m really bad at that sort of thing. Also, don’t feel pressured or anything to finish. Take as long as you need.”
“Okay.”
He scrolls through his phone while I continue racking my brain. I manage to write two more lines before he says, “Our views have slowed down, but that’s okay. I’m glad we’re not going super viral. I don’t want to be famous.”
I lift a brow. “Not yet, you mean.”
He chuckles. “I’m not even sure I want this career path.”
“That’s okay. You don’t have to make any decisions now. Just have fun and everything will fall into place.”
He smiles. “Thanks. You always give good advice.”
I smile back, my cheeks heating up.
We’re quiet as we resume doing what we were doing.
As I read over my lyrics, I get this odd thought. “You know, writing these lyrics makes me think about Romeo and Juliet.”
“Yeah?”
“So far, I have the guy singing romantic words to the girl. Can you imagine Romeo living nowadays and singing to Juliet?”
He laughs. “That would be funny.” He starts singing in his bad British accent and a modern tune, “‘O, that I were a glove upon that hand. That I might touch that cheek.’”
I burst out laughing. Then I stop. “Wait a minute. Why don’t we do that?”
His eyebrows rise. “Do what?”
“Turn the balcony scene we were going to act out as a music video. The guys can play the music and I’ll put the lyrics together. And we’ll present it to the class. We can ask my friends and their boyfriends to be dancers or extras.”
He thinks about it, then smiles. “Yeah. I mean, just acting out the scene has been done, like, a million times. We can turn the music room into the balcony scene and perform it as a music video. That’ll get us an A for sure.”
We both stare at each other as we think about it, running the possibilities in our heads. Then Kylen says, “You think we could do it?”
“Why not? I bet the class and Mr. Lewis will love it. We’ll basically be fulfilling the requirements of the assignment. How Shakespeare’s play still affects us today. It’s perfect.”
“Sounds awesome. Let’s see if the guys are on board. Hey, guys? Can you come here?”
Jasper and Beck make their way over, but we have to wait a bit for Leo to get his butt here. He’s busy with his phone.
When he finally joins us, Kylen tells them about our idea. They love it, too, and can’t wait to get started.
“Hold on. Raven needs to put the lyrics together,” Kylen tells them. “And we need to buy props and costumes.” He turns to me. “Want to go to the mall after school tomorrow?”
“Sure.”
“Let’s make a list of things we’ll need.”
We spend a few minutes doing that, then their break is over and they resume practicing. I start rewriting the balcony scene to fit a music video.
I can’t help but smile with giddiness. This is going to be so much fun.
But the thing that has me most excited? Going shopping with Kylen tomorrow, just the two of us.
***
The time moves so slowly. It’s the last class of the day, but it feels like the first one. Kylen and I are going to the mall after school and I can’t wait any longer. It’s not the first time we’re spending alone time together, but I feel like each time is better than the last.
I’ve thought about us a lot this past night as I lay in bed and I felt all gooey inside.
Kylen and the guys decided to cancel practice today so we can go to the mall.
It works out for the best anyway, since Beck is swamped in homework and needs to catch up.
Jasper and Leo are going to spend most of the afternoon in the rec room.
I hope they challenge Richie and own him just like Kylen and I did.
The bell finally rings. I rush out of the room along with the other kids and nearly collide with Kylen, who’s waiting outside.
“Sorry!” I say.
He shrugs. “It’s okay. You’re not the only one who almost crashed into me.” He gestures toward the exit. “Ready to go?”
“Yeah.”
We head for the doors.
Kylen shoves his hands into his pants pockets. “I meant to ask, are you okay with singing in public? You have a beautiful voice, Raven, but you told me the other day that you weren’t ready to share it with the world.”
“Wow. I totally didn’t consider that. I was so caught up in the excitement. Um…” I tuck some hair behind my ear. “I am nervous, but I also want to do it. The thought of it doesn’t make me want to run and hide.”
He smiles. “That’s great. You’ll totally steal the show.”
I snort. “Yeah, right. Sexy Romeo totally will.”
As soon as the words are out, my face and entire body feel like they fell into a furnace. Why couldn’t I keep that to myself?
We’re outside the building now and the strong winter wind does nothing to cool off my cheeks.
Kylen shakes his head. “The opposite. All eyes will be on the beautiful Juliet. And when she sings, she’ll sound like an angel.”
I gaze into his eyes as his words wrap around my heart. I don’t know how much time passes before the laughing and shouting of our fellow students breaks us from this trance.
Kylen smiles, motioning toward the parking lot. “Is it okay if we take my car?”
“That’s fine.”
Once we’re inside and he turns on the heating, he pulls out of the lot and drives toward the mall. He puts on music, then sings along with it. I listen to his beautiful voice before I find myself singing along with him. Then we make it our own, changing the lyrics a little and the beat of the song.
It’s so much fun letting loose and goofing off with him.
I feel like I’m completely myself when we’re together.
Even the love songs don’t make me feel weird.
Okay, maybe a little, but it’s not that bad.
And when Kylen smiles at me, his face shining, I can’t stop the butterflies from attacking my stomach from every corner.
I love this feeling. I wish we could stay in this bubble forever. But we unfortunately reach the mall and have to leave the car.
“That was fun,” Kylen says as he holds the door open for me.
“Yeah, totally fun.”
He looks like he wants to say something else, but someone hands him a flyer from one of the shops here. I think it’s from a jewelry store.
He winks at Kylen. “Maybe something for your pretty girlfriend?” He walks off to bombard another customer.
Kylen stares down at the paper. “Doesn’t he see I’m a high school student?”
I pat his shoulder. “One day when you’re rich and famous, you’ll buy your wife or girlfriend all the jewelry in the world. And whatever else she wants.”
“I would totally buy her the world.”
“Yeah, because you have a huge heart.”
He glances down at his chest. “Hmm. I don’t know. It looks like a normal size to me.”
I playfully roll my eyes and jab him in the ribs with my elbow. “You know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I’m just being funny. You have a huge heart, too. Figuratively, of course.”
“Thanks.”
As we walk further into the mall, I say, “By the way, I finished the song for our project and I’m mostly finished the love song for the band. I just need to tweak a few things.”
“Nice! Thanks. You’re amazing at multitasking.”
I pat myself on the back. “It’s a gift.”
He chuckles. “Sure is.”
We reach the first store and spend some time getting what we need. We don’t find everything and are forced to go to another store.
It takes an hour and a half before we’re satisfied with everything we have. We buy slushies from one of the shops and sit down on benches to drink them.
He has blueberry and I have watermelon. As I sip mine, we chat about many topics, mostly movies. I catch him staring at my slushie every so often.
I hold it out to him. “Want to taste it?”
“You sure you don’t mind?”
“Not at all.”
He thanks me before removing his straw from his slushie, placing it in mine, and taking a sip. His eyes light up and he takes an even longer sip.
“Hey!”
“Sorry. It’s just so good. Do you want to taste mine?”
I stick my straw in his and suck it up. It’s good, but not as good as the watermelon. Kylen quickly finishes his, complaining when it gets too cold and gives him brain freeze, then hurries to the shop to buy his own watermelon slushie.
When he returns, he grins at me. “Got two straws in case you finish yours and decide you want more.”
“Thanks, but I’m so freezing. I don’t think I’ll take another sip.”
Shrugging, he stabs his straw into the lid and drinks. “Ahh. So darn good.”
We hang out at the mall for a bit longer, going into shops for the heck of it and trying on things we know we won’t buy.
Then it’s time for us to go back to campus and do our homework.
When we’re outside his car and standing in the school parking lot, he wraps his arms around me. “I had a good time today.”
“Me, too. Thanks for the slushies. I’ll pay you back.”
He waves his hand. “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. Think of it as payment for the new song.”
I don’t like that, but I know he won’t let me pay him back. So I have no choice but to accept it and wish him a good night.
He wishes me the same and we separate to our dorms.
***
The music room is in chaos. My friends, their boyfriends, and the band are all here getting ready to shoot the music video.
Carly and Ryder have choreographed a spectacular dance routine.
Addie and Caleb will be dancers as well.
Damian and Sophie will have different roles in the video, and the guys are taking care of the music.
Damian will also be manning the cameras to make sure every angle is perfect.
I’m a little nervous, but the important thing is that we’re going to have fun. Even if the music video doesn’t turn out perfect, I hope Mr. Lewis will appreciate our effort.
I stand in the center of the room. “Guys? Guys!” The place is so noisy, but they stop and turn to me. I direct everyone to where they need to go. And then it’s time to begin.
Kylen sings in his terrible British accent, and I can’t handle it, I burst out laughing. We need to shoot a few takes before I calm down and sing properly.
I’m a little sad when it’s over because I was having a very good time.
Kylen and I will go over the footage, probably next week because our ski trip is this weekend and we need to focus on that.
After we thank our friends for coming and being part of this, all of us clean up and leave the music room.
My friends and their boyfriends wander away to spend time together, while Beck, Jasper, and Leo head for the rec room. Kylen and I tell them we’ll join them soon.
Kylen pulls at his Romeo costume. “I think I was born in the wrong time period. I make a good Romeo, don’t I?”
“The best. And I make a good Juliet. But no way in heck am I living in that time period. There are no phones or plumbing.”
He chuckles. “Yeah, and women weren’t allowed to perform. I can’t imagine you not being my Juliet.”
I don’t exactly know what he means by that, but my cheeks feel as hot as a desert under the beating sun.
He smiles, holding his arm out as he bows his head. “May I escort you to the rec room, m’lady? Or do you want to change out of your costume?”
I laugh. “I think I want to be Juliet for a bit longer.”
“Same with me and Romeo. And I don’t want to part from my Juliet yet. It’s such sweet sorrow.”
“Dork,” I tease. He has no idea just how much I love his dorkiness. Or maybe he does because he smiles widely.
“Off to participate in the activity known as entertainment,” he says. “Also known as the rec room.” He holds out his hand. “May I escort the fair maiden?”
I place my hand in his. “You may.”
It feels so natural to hold his hand, like our hands were made to hold each other’s.
I don’t want to let go, not even when we make it to the game room and meet up with the guys.
It seems like Kylen doesn’t want to let go either because he keeps his hold on my hand until he’s forced to drop it in order to play. As soon as he does that, I get cold.
Kylen and I team up against Leo and Jasper. Beck decides to sit this game out because he has an economics quiz to study for. He doesn’t go to his room, though. He sits on the couch and pretends to be studying when he’s really watching me and Kylen smoke Leo and Jasper.
Kylen cheers, pulling me into his arms. “No one holds a candle to my Juliet.”
“Just kiss already!” Beck calls from the couch, eyes on his textbook.
Kylen freezes before backing away from me and giving me a sheepish smile.
“You know, Romeo and Juliet don’t kiss during the balcony scene,” I tell Beck.
“They don’t?”
I shake my head. If they did, then Kylen and I would be forced to kiss during the music video and I think both of us are relieved we didn’t have to.
But honestly, I wouldn’t mind kissing him again.
I mean, I know it would bring so many emotions to the surface, emotions we’re not ready to deal with, but I’d still like to kiss him again.
My face burns at the thought.
He shrugs. “So kiss during a different scene.”
“Stop talking about kisses and let’s play,” Jasper says. “Best of three, guys.”
Kylen and I pretend that Beck didn’t say the “K” word, and we concentrate on defeating the enemy. We end up beating Jasper and Leo again.
Kylen’s arms come around me, and this time, he presses his cheek to mine.