Music First Love Second
Riley Parker
CopyrightRileyParker 2011
Published at Smashwords
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Music First Love Second
ONE
Tears streamed down her overly round and puffy cheeks. This had been the moment she'd been waiting for, for months now. Her insides were filled with joy, she couldnt believe it was finally here. No she wasn't sad, she really was enjoying herself.
Music blared, bouncing off the walls of the oversized building had been the only thing that kept her mind at ease. Removing all the bad things that had been in her life with just this one simple activity. Every so often she would go following her favorite bands, attending all shows that were close by. She was very passionate about every single one of them. She was a dedicated fan, and stood by the desicisons they made, when it came to their music.
Deep down inside she longed for the chance to be next to Eyes set to Kill, her favorite band of all time. The thought of it simply just blew her mind. It would be better than sex she always thought. Lacy Skies was an average person. When it came to school she wasnt a loner who sat by herself at lunch, but she wasnt the most popular one around. She was in the middle, average and not bad looking at that.
Average really was the word to explain her, it sumed everything up. Skies had kept her hair neatly brushed at all times, she never left her home without a little comb tucked away in her back pocket. Last year she dyed her hair from her natural blonde to a midnight blue. Her dark hair color really made her eyes standout, both chilling and beautiful. Light baby blue eyes always seemed to hold a secret inside. Most days her rough, chopped bangs covered her face, but on nights where she was feeling good about the day she pulled them back. Her sniffer was slim, slightly turning upwords. A few freckles covered the area and made there way over to her round cheeks. The previous year she wore braces, but luckily they were long gone.
Lacys' parents had been divorced for a couple years now, they talk to one another but decided it was time to stop living a lie. When she was thirteen, she knew she was going to be an only child. Mary Skies had found things to be a little strange when it came to her then husband Henry Skies. Mary loved kids and wanted to have a big family, her husband shared the same desire. As the years went by they grew farther apart leaving them with a lone daughter. What had happened to her family? Getting home from work early wasnt all to common for Mrs. Skies, but that very day it had turned her world upside down. Henry was engaged with another person. She didnt recognize who it was but was taken back when she started to question. Turns out Henry hadn't been happy for many years before that. His partner, who he is married to now, Jack Hill and him were in love. He had been hiding the fact that he wanted to be with men, and had used his then wife for cover up. He didnt think he could be taken serious being a gay detective. Lacy didnt care, she loved him unconditionally. Her mother did not and flew states away. Thats the last she seen of her.
Living with 'two dads' had been the best desicison she ever made. She loved them both, more than words could explain, they understood her. Jack was a musician and played at local clubs for the fun and attention. Lacy attended every chance she got. With a busy schedule, it wasnt as easy to get to where she rather have been at the time. Being in the band, was an escape from homework, she played the drums. She loved all the music she could make with just one instrument. She was in love.
TWO
School had been out for a week now, usually she would go away to band camp, but thought she was getting to old for that. She loved music , it was her first love and she dreamed of becoming known for it. Her name in lights. She didnt belong to a local band, so she was solo, just her and the drums. Man how she loved the vibrations that swam through her body.
This year she planned on doing something out of the ordinary, something she has been wanting to do but never actually got the chance. It was true music was her first and only love.
She never had been with a guy in such ways before, let alone a boyfriend. At times she would find herself heartsick, wanting to know the feeling of a guys touch. Tingles shot up her when she thought about it. Happiness was something that she wanted, not only from her music but from a partner. She knew by experience that things didnt last forever, but she wanted it, even if it was for a few months if that.
That was it, she was going to ger herself a boyfriend. Everyone has a soul mate and she wasted enough time. It was time for her to get on with her search, right after she played some music. She loved to play along with the best band ever. March of the Dead had been her favorite. Ah the sweet sounds of music.
THREE
Tonight was the night of all nights. The concert she had been waiting for to come around again. Skies lived in a small town out side of Boston. Her favorite band had come to play and she was so over joyed she cried uncontrolably. Sometimes she wondered if it was normal to act as she did, but of course it was when you were a dedicated true fan.
Logging on to her SpaceHome account she tapped down what she was infor that night. SpaceHome was a popular website that allowed classmates, friends, and random people to talk about what was going on with them. She lodded on several times a week just to keep others updated. She really didnt know who was actually reading what she wrote, but she liked to think they did. Noticing that some fellow classmates were going out to college partys and getting wasted. She wasnt into things like that, they were over rated to her.
Having a passion for music was one thing, but she couldnt wait til she was finally eighteen. For sometime now she wanted to get her nose pierced to some what complete her look, and get some tattoos as well. Once she had brought up the subject up to her parents.
"Dad,
um..m.. can I ask you something?"
"What is it honey, I
have to get ready for my meeting soon."
"Well.. what do
you think about me getting my nose pierced?"
A little frown
washed over Henrys face. "You know I dont like holes in the
face, but for you we might be able to make a deal." Grinning
from ear to ear she left the room.
Of course at that time it had been the begining of her junior year, she was entering senior year in the fall. She knew her father well and knew he wouldnt be mad if she showed up one night with a little diamond on her nose. It would go great with her look.
FOUR
Music roared out of the speakers, and shook the collisium's walls. This is where she wanted to be, front row. There was a mosh pit to her right, but she didnt let that ruin her time as she belt out the lyrics to all their songs. Getting pushed around everytime the chorus came back around. The lights were dimmed, so she couldnt really see who was surrounded by her to fight back. As the night went on she found herself nearly trampled on by the crowd. True fans, thats all she could think and a smile spread across her face. The show was nearly over and she longed for the chance to be pulled on stage alongside Alexia.
Stepping over some people to climb onto the stage, this was the moment she waited for. Rocking out with her idols had been a dream come true. It had seemed to good to be true, quickly she pinched herself, it was to good to be true.
Her face was drenched in sweat when she awoke the next morning, that was awesome she thought to herself, to bad it was just a dream. She had attended the concert last night but didnt get on stage.
The mosh pit was growing by the minute, annoying her but she eventually chimed in. Rough housing a bunch a strangers was a stress reliever in a way, a great experience. Through the darkness, all she could really see were peoples eyes and teeth as they sang along. Strangely, there was someone that kept looking at her, she could feel their eyes on her. Brushing it off was the easiest thing to do at the time, besides there were thousands of people around and it was overly crowded. Leaving it at the she enjoyed the rest of her night. When the concert was done she caught a ride from a classmate. Matthew Mathis. She didnt even know they enjoyed the same music, although they never really hungout.
The ride home was interesting. Lacy thought it would of been akward considering freshmen year they had a couple classes together and that was that. It amazed her how much they got along, it was like she made a new best friend. Getting a little ahead of herself at the moment but hey it was going on two in the morning, and she was beat.
"I
had no idea you were going to be here tonight."
"Yea, me
neither, its funny how you run into people you dont expect to."
Giving a little nervous laugh was the best she could do. It was the
first thing that came in to Skies head.
There was a brief moment of silence, then Matt spoke again.
"Your telling me, I havent seen you in ages, how have you been?" It was weird that he said that, even though they had classes long ago, she seen him in the halls al the time. Maybe it was just a figure out speech.
"Oh yeah I know, I'm great you know. Just trying to enjoy the summer with my favorite band." He nodded agreeing. He seemed to have had a great time at the concert as well.
"Agreed."
He pulled up to my residency, I thanked him for the ride and preceed to get out the car.
"Hey
Lace?"
"Yea?" No one ever called her that, this was
new, she couldnt figure out if she like it or not.
"It was
nice talking with you tonight, maybe i'll SpaceHome you later
on."
"That..er.. well..yea... that.. sounds great."
That came out horrid, they said their byes and she went into her
home with a beam upon her lips. What a way to end a perfect night.
FIVe
Rising out of bed, Lacy stumbled down the stairs to the smell of bacon drifting through the house. Jack, her fathers' partner, was fixing his famous bacon, steak and cheese breakfast sandwhich. Her mouth watered.
"Greetings,
how was the concert?"
"It was amazing, just how I knew
it would be!"
"Thats good to hear sweetheart, but what
I'm more interested in is what you want to do for the big one
eight!"
"I dont know, I was thinking maybe a tiny
piercing."
"You will be an adult soon, so the decisions
are you to you." Just what she wanted to hear, she swung her
arms around her second father.
"Thank you, thank you, thank
you, I love you your the best."
Her father didnt join them for breakfast, he had been out of town for a business trip. It didnt bother her though, she enjoyed Jacks' company just as much a her fathers. She devoured her food down in minutes, she hadnt realised how empty her stomach had been. She finished off with a tall glass of orange juice, and headed back up stairs to get ready for the day.
Heading for the shower, she hopped in. She headed to her closet, wrapped in a towel, she rumaged through her close to find a good outfit. Nothing was planned for the day, but she doubted she would spend her saturday indoors. Finally, Lacy selected a pair of black skinny jeans that hugged her lower half in all the right places. A hint of curve could be seen, she wasn't very shapely. A yellow and green shirt, with a pink heart and orange headphones across the front. It was one of her most beloved items she owned.
After she threw her clothes on, she remembered Matthew Mathis, she wondered if he looked for her on SpaceHome. A delighted look appeared across her face, it wouldnt hurt to look would it? Loggin on, her expression immediately turned stern. He hadn't added her, maybe he was still sleeping. What was wrong with her, she was obviously over thinking this. Besides it was only eleven.
To pass the time she headed to her music room. It was conviently attached to her room. The room was small but it was A-OK for what she used it for. Her drums sat right smack dabbed in the middle leaving just enough space to walk around from both sides. Music was her passion, she played for hours on end, never getting tired. On the front corner of the room sat a stero already loaded with her favorite melodies. It was apart of her daily routine, especially in the summer. First the drums, and then the stero; a perfect way to start the day.
After all was said and done, she gazed up at the clock on her bedroom wall. It had been almost four, where did the time go.
SIX
It had felt great to get out of the house for a bit, there was so much running through her mind. Last night kept popping in and out of her head. She pondered what Matt was up to, she hadnt checked her SpaceHome page since this morning. For some reason everytime she thought of him she got eager.
His hair was shaggy, dark, and black. He had a slight hunch but it was only noticeable if you stared, but then again more when he walked. He had some charm to him, if he hadnt she wouldnt be thinking of him this often. Matts' eyes were also dark, but not in a scary way, it was just the way he was made. He wasnt weird or anything, in her eyes, there was something that she seen that some didnt. Right above his right eye he sported a piercing. Lacy liked it and thought it suited him well, his ears were gaged but not over the top, about the size of a regular stud earring. His left forearm had ink, 'OUR OWN DESTINY', it didnt sound complete, she wondered what it meant.
Arriving back home around six she stormed up to her room to see if there was any new updates on her page. New message IM, it was from him! She could barely contain her excitement.
5:44:23
Matthew Mathis: Hey, I told you I would find you
5:56:12 Matthew
Mathis: You must not be home, so I guess I'll see you around
sometime.
6:05:56 Matthew Mathis has signed out.
She looked down at the time on her laptop screen. 6:10 p.m. Damn she just missed him.
SEVEN
Slumped over she headed over to her hallowed space. The sadness that she felt was pushed to the back of her mind as soon as she took a seat behind her drums. Slowly beating, she paced herself into an all out jam session for herself. She loved times like this, whenever she was down, this was the one thing that kept her at ease.
There was a few knocks and then the door flew open. It was her second father.
"Hey,
you have company downstairs."
Puzzled, she stood and walked out of the room. Arriving downstairs she seen a familiar face, he was here. Skies straightened up her face and approached him slowly.
"Hey"
"Hey"
Silence.
It was her time, she gathered up some courage to speak before sitting in the chair opposite the sofa he was lounging on.
"So..
um...er.. what brings you here?"
"I just wanted to see
what you were doing, I IMed you but.. yea."
"Oh yea, I
was out for a bit I came back a few minutes after you got off, sorry
about that."
He
chuckled. "You dont have to apologize, if anything I should, do
I get you at a bad time?"
"Not at all, I was just
upstairs playing my drums."
"No way, you play? how
long?"
He was interested, another thing that they had in common.
"Almost
five years."
"Do you mind, if I.. you know, watch,
listen?"
"Come on it will be fun."
Leading the way she headed for the stairs and jogged half way to the top. At the top of the stairs she hung a left and down a small hall. Past the bathroom, into her room, and threw the door. It was a small room yes, but it wasnt cramped.
"So
what do you think?"
"It's great, actually I came over
here to tell you something."
She hesitated in fear he would
turn away and walk out for some odd reason.
"I came over because, last night was really great and I thought about hanging out with you almost immediately after I dropped you off." She could feel herself blushing, quickly she turned to sit on the stool hidden behind the drums.
"Oh" That was the only thing she could manage to get out.
"Sorry,
I didnt mean to-"
"No, no, its fine, I was actually
thinking alot about last night too."
A smirk flashed on his
lips.
"Wanna grab a bite to eat?"
"Burger
Shack?"
With a nod they headed out.
EIGHT
On the way to their destination, Matt turned up the stero. Her favorite band was comming out of the speakers. They must be his favorite band as well. Turning down the music just enough to get a conversation going he started chatting with her.
"They
are the best, my favorite."
"Mine too." Well that
was out of the way.
"I
noticed that you have a tattoo, what does it say."
"It
says, 'ONLY WE CAN HOLD OUR OWN DESTINY'" She knew exactly
where she heard that from instantly, why hadnt she put that together.
"ESTK,
hmm you must be a huge fan."
He laughed. "Of course."
His laugh was quiet, but deep, something that she would replay in her head later on. They arrived at the Burger Shack and order a couple of burgers, and shakes.
They had laughed and joked, talked about ninth grade classes. It seemed that each sentence came with another thing that they had in common. Times were good. They agreed to meet up early next week for lunch. Upon dropping her back home, he pecked her on the cheek. Lacy was pretty sure that it wasnt his intentions, that he was just caught up in the moment. She blushed and thanked him for the dinner, and headed to her front door. Nearly tripping over herself, she couldnt be in love, especially not this soon. They had been out for hours and she was beyond tired. She was out before her head hit the pillow.
nine
June had came then went. Matthew and her continued to hangout since their meeting at the concert. Things were looking abled for the pair, she knew that he enjoyed her company. She loved the feeling she got when he was around her. They were like two peas in a pod.
Searching the net to pass the time, he stumbled upon an upcomming concert in New York. Without thinking he quickly booked two tickets. Perfect, he thought to himself. Reaching for his phone he tapped out her number.
"Hello?"
"Hey,
what are you doing Saturday night?"
"Nothing, unless you
have something planned for us." Letting out a little laugh.
"I
think I may have found something that might interest you, but its
going to be a surprise.
This had been the moment that Matt has been waiting for. It was the perfect timing, and place to finally ask her out. For thr past few weeks he has been planning how to ask her. He couldnt wait.
"Come
on, thats not fair."
"Sorry little lady but you are just
going to have to wait, I'll see you tomorrow for the movie."
"K.
See you then, and dont be late."
After the ending the call, Lacy clutched the phone to her chest, man he really got to her. What could he have planned for them, that was so secret. Numerous thoughts bounced about in her brain. She had feelings for her friend, and it seemed that he had mutual feelings towards her. Confussing herself, she finally let the phone hit her sheets and settled into bed, with a grin covering her face.
TEN
Waking up that morning was refreshing. It was still early so she decided to take a few more minutes to lay in bed, taking in the dream she had last night.
It had been a romantic evening. Matt had tooken her out to dinner. They ordered their maib dishes, and then a dessert, which they planned on sharing. A banana split. Yum! Lacy thought it would be interesting to feed him her favorite dessert. A smile appeared across his face, he was enjoying it.
It wasnt much of a great dream, but to her little things such as that made her da. She learned at a young age to appreciate the little things in life, her father had taught her that. Just the thought of her father made her realise that she hadnt been spending much time with him lately, saddening her. Maybe after the movie, she thought she would have dinner and another movie later on. The movie that Matt had wanted to see was in the afternoon, since it was cheaper, and plus gave her the opportunity to make the plans with her father.
The smell of sausage found its way into her room, and with that she nearly ran out of her room. Dashing down the stairs, skipping two at a time, she tripped and tumbled the rest of the way. With a quick shake, she was back on her feet and headed for the kitchen. Breakfast had to be her favorite part of the day, the smells that filled the house, and the taste was to die for. With Jacks work schedule, it had been the one meal that he had time to make for the family.
"Smells
good in here, I think I'll have two helpings this morning."
Jack
let out a laugh, and piled the food one.
Nearly snatching the plate from his hand she gave a big smirk, just so he knew it was not intended to offend him, and scarfted it down in record time. She strolled to the fridge, feeling accomplished and poured a huge glass of chocolate milk. Dropping the glass in the sink she scurried off back to her room to pick an outfit out for the day.
Deciding on something casual she selected her favorite pair of hip hugging jeans, with a black shirt framed with a white tiger drinking from a river. She thought a shower was much needed aand her hair could use a good wash and comb.
Twenty some minutes later she emerged from the steam that filled the room, she wrapped herself in a pink towel and headed back to her room to get dressed. After that was all said and done she headed to her second room to practice her drums.
The next few hours flew by and the days til her birthday were only weeks away. July 29. Exactly eighteen days to go. She couldnt wait, she wanted to do something exciting, like her piercing or maybe her first tattoo. Lacy had been feeling daring lately. With a half hour to spare, she sat outside on her front stoop to wait for Mr. Mathis.
"You
couldnt wait for me to ring your bell?" he chuckled.
"Somerthing
like that, you ready?" laughing back at his little joke.
"After
you my lady."
He always played around with her calling her this little names that were a bit corny but she still loved them. She took his hand as he led the way to his awaiting car.
Eleven
Finding a parking spot was wasy since it was mid afternoon and the crowd didnt start to come until dusk. He parked in the very first row, and toddled to the passenger side to open it for his date.
They found a seat in the fifth row, and waited for the lights to dim down. Matthew let Lacy pick the movie, a romantic comedy. It had been no surprise to him though, she had been talking about the movie since she first seen the previews. A Day to Remember, A Life to Live was the title. He wrapped his arm around her an gave her a small peck.
Surprisingly the flick wasnt that bad, infact it touched him on a deeper level. Wiping some stray tears from her eyes she looked up at her date.
"Thanks
for letting me pick this time."
"No problem, but next
time its going to be something with guts and blood."
"Gross."
He
stiffed her on her arm and he escorted her to the car.
When she arrived home she once again thanked him for the date and strolled in the house.
It
seemed quite and undisturbed. She checked all the rooms before
comming to the conclusion that her parents must of went out. Maybe to
the grocery store since things were looking pretty bare in the
cabinets. She flipped out her phone to text her father.
'Where
are you?' she tapped without even looking at her smart phone. A few
minutes passed and she got a new message. 'Tonight was great I'm glad
you came out.' Well she knew that hadnt been grom her father, but it
was Matt. Everytime she thought about him a smile found its way
across her face, she couldnt help it. She quickly responded 'Me too,
I enjoy spending time with you, you're a true friend.' Yes they were
friends, she longed for it to be more, but didnt want to pressure
him, besides it has only been a month and some weeks since they
started hanging out. There was plenty of time if he felt something
there.
"Dad,
hey.. where did you go? I thought we could spend sometime together
you know watch a movie."
"Oh I'm sorry honey, I should
of left a note letting you know that Jack and I arent going to be
home for a few days, with my job and all the new things that have
been popping up lately, we havent been able to spend any quality time
together."
"Oh, I see well you two kids stay out of
trouble. When will you be back?"
"Sunday, at the latest,
and I promise that when I return we can do whatever you would like so
we can catch up on things. Jack says hi."
"Tell him I
said Hi and I miss him very much, I love you both, have a good time I
can take care of myself."
As soon as she hung up with her father she got another message. It was from him. 'Friends, huh, Iol, well I hope your up for tomorrow night.'
She gazed up at the kitchen clock, it was almost six o'clock. What to do for the rest of the night? The thought passed her mind to invite Matthew over but thought it might not be that great of an idea at this point in time.
Plopping down on the couch she searched on demand for a movie to watch. There went her night, lonely but peaceful.
Twelve
She woke up with her face plasted to the leather couch, the television was on, she had dozed off. Unsticking her face wasnt as bad as she thought it was going to be. Sitting up a sadden look crossed her face, no breakfast. She would have to take on the task to make her own. Maybe Matt would like to join her. It was a half past nine, she didnt know if he had been awake at this hour but it was worth a try.
Jumping out of the shower he headed to his closet to get some clothes to wear. The concert was tonight and he wanted it to be perfect. He planned the day out in his head. He would pick her up around three in the afternoon and from there they would head to New York. Once they got there he would stop at a resturant and have a little romantic bite to eat. From there he would place a blindfold to her eyes so she didnt know where they were going. He could just see the look in her eyes when she finally took off her blindfold. This was going to be perfect.
"My parents are gone til sunday, would you liek to join me for breakfast?"
He stared at it, trying to figure out what to say back. It wasnt like he didnt want to go, it just threw him off, surprised thats all.
"Yea, I'll be there quarter of." A smiley face tagged along with the text.
A knock was at the front door. She opened it without looking through the peephole since she already knew it was him. She greeted him with a hug, hugging him tighter then she intended to, blushing she invited him inside leading him into the kitchen. He had been to the house once before but never really got a full tour of the place yet.
"I'm
not really the cook around here so I can see what I can whip up."
"I
can help, I cook occassionally."
"We can do it together
then, sound good?"
"Sounds great!"
They found a few eggs amd bread for toast, agreeing that they werent that hungry to make anything else. While leaving Matt to the cooking she went to the family room and popped in a disc. Just what she needed some music to tie the morning in, it relaxed her. She skipped through the songs until she hit Two Letter Sins. Just then Matt peered around in the doorway.
"Foods
ready."
She followed his lead into the kitchen leaving the
music playing. It was the perfect song for the two of them. The eggs
were great, but she had to admit they werent as good as Jacks.
The next few hours they watched some tv and went out for a quick lunch around one. They decided to go the Olive Garden.
"I
hope your ready for tonight, right after this we are going to head
out for your surprise."
"Should I go home to
change?"
"Your fine just as you are."
Everytime she spoke he knew she was right for him. He couldnt wait to get on the road, it will take a couple hours but he knew she wasnt aware of what was going to happen that evening. They finished up there meals, Matt picked up the bill, and started on their trip.
Hours later they entered New York, the concert was at eight, it was only half past six. What to do to pass the time? Lacy had been blindfolded for the last half hour, just incase she figured out what was going on. He chatted with her as he drove along, not once revealing where they were headed too. Of course she pushed for a hint or two but one word would spoil the whole event.
Seven thirty came around quick. He drove to the parking garage hoping to get a good spot. It was packed, he didnt want to have his date walking far. It was loud and everyone waiting for the concert was cheering. He wondered if she got the clue.
"How
you holding up?"
"Good I suppose, but I would like to
get this blindfold off."
"Soon."
He gave a quick kiss on the cheek and held her hand. After all this time they never kissed anywhere else besides the cheek. He nor she never understood why, maybe because it was respectful, and besides they werent an item.
He opened her door and took her hand. Still blindfolded she tried to feel her way around the car, trying not to stumble over anything. He had a tight grip on her so she wasnt going anywhere. The walk from where they parked was about a fifteen minute walk. The night was still young and it was rather warm, so the occasional breeze was inviting. The concert was indoors, he couldnt figure out why there was a ton of space to have it outside. He found there row and sat her on a seat. It was loud and the crowd was cheering.
"Are
we at-"
"Shush just watch"
He unblindfolded her and her eyes lit up. She couldnt believe that this was really happening. There seats were great.
"How did you get such good seats?" She yelled, it was so loud she could barely hear herself talk.
"I
have my sources, I hope you enjoyed the wait!"
"Yea,
this is really great, you really surprised me, whats the
occasion?"
"None really I just-"
The band came out to hype the crowd. There was his moment, he stood and tuned in with the crowd.
The night was going well. Once the concert ended it was nearly eleven.
"Did
you enjoy the concert?"
"I did, very much, thanks for
bringing me all the way out here."
"Your very welcome.
But there was something that I have been wanting to ask you."
"Yeah,
sure whats up?"
"I really enjoyed your company since the
last concert."
"I have to"
"Well.. er.. I
was wondering since we been friends.. umm ..."
"Yes?"
"You
will?"
"I will what?"
He could feel his face
flushing. Idiot.
"Would you like to be my girlfriend?" He turned his back towards her for fear she might laugh in his face.
"YES! of course, I'd be honored!"
Spining around he pulled her close and gave her the kiss that she'd been waiting for. Finally love found her, second.