Page 10 of Our Final Encore

“What am I doing? What areyoudoing? Shouldn’t you be fast asleep by now?”

I shrug. “Couldn’t sleep.”

He studies my eyes for a second. “You too?”

“Yeah,” I say.

He sighs and sets his guitar in the grass beside him.

“Wanna hang out?” I ask.

“I don’t want to get you in trouble.”

“I’m not worried about that. I just snuck out all by myself, no bad influence needed.”

“What a rebel.” He smirks, and his perfect dimple appears. “So, why couldn’t you sleep?”

I blink a few times. No one’s ever asked me this question, I’ve never had to come up with an answer. “I just can’t. It’s always hard for me to fall asleep.”

His brow wrinkles, and it makes his face look even cuter than normal. “That sounds shitty. I stay up late on purpose, I can’t imagine wanting to sleep and not being able to.”

“Why do you stay up late?” I ask.

He shrugs. “I like nighttime. Everything is quiet, I can be alone with my thoughts.”

It’s weird, because even though I wish I could sleep better, I sort of feel the same. “I get that.”

He picks up the guitar again, fumbling with the strings. “Want me to play you something?”

“Sure,” I nod.

“Tell me your favorite song.”

“I don’t have one. Any song is good.”

He shoots me a skeptical look. “I know that isn’t true. Come on. Favorite artist?”

I shrug and a blush starts to creep up my neck. “It’s stupid, I don’t know.”

“No it isn’t.” His eyes are serious, honest. He always looks like that, like he wants me to know that he means what he says. It’s weird, I’m not used to guys acting that way.

“I like Owl City.” If he thought I was cool at all, that probably just did the trick in changing his mind.

“Oh yeah, I like Owl City, too.”

I look up at him, surprised. “Really? I kind of thought it was girly music, I figured you wouldn’t.”

“What makes music girly?” One of his brows is arched.

“Uh,” I sputter awkwardly, not knowing the answer. “I don’t know.”

He starts strumming a few chords, and I think it takes him a couple tries before he figures out what he’s doing. Then he starts humming along and I recognize the melody immediately.

After the intro, he starts singing the lyrics to Fireflies, but it’s a slowed down acoustic version that’s all his own. His honey smooth voice sends chills up my arms, and my mouth drops open involuntarily.

I already knew he was talented, but I had no idea he could sing likethis. I sit there in shock until he finishes the song, enjoying every second of it. It feels like I’m listening to a professional musician, rather than a twelve year old kid with a beat up guitar that his brother gave him.

“Wow,” I say after the last note is played.

---