Written to the tune of the song: Would You be so Kind by the amazing Dodie Clark
A/N: Hey, so I'm not really a regular writer here. I just thought I'd dabble a bit and this kinda came as a result of me not studying. I predict about 5 chapters, which hopefully I'll be able to get it out in as many days. I guess I'll keep going if people like it. If not, I might keep going anyways lol
I don't own anything. None of the characters are mine, neither are the lyrics to the song I use.
She tells herself it isn't a big deal. She's pacing her room; the only single in the house, wondering what to do now. I mean after all, seven years of being in the same place is a little excessive. It's not exactly something she planned on and definitely not a situation she expected herself to be in. People get stuck on small crushes all the time. That's what she tells herself at least. So yeah, it's not a big deal.
Still pacing, her crimson hair in a messy bun, she can't help but play with the strings of her hoodie. Well, its not hers per se, but she wears it often enough that true owner of said garment has stopped arguing at this point. She's been pacing for a solid twenty minutes now and she knows that Jessica and Ashley in the room below her are probably worried she's going to burn a Chloe-shaped hole right through the ground, but she can't help it. There's a lot on the line and she's running out of time. But again, she keeps telling herself its not a big deal.
Sighing for what seems like the tenth time in as many minutes, she finally walks over to the mostly empty desk next to her bed and picks up her phone. She types off a quick text and waits for a reply
Chlo: Hey, are you busy right now? xx
Waiting for an answer she glances around her room of three years. After finally winning the ICCA's, the Bella's were finally granted their own house, or for lack of a better word, a home for the family that they had become. It was strange now to look around and notice how empty it was. Most of her belongings at this point have been boxed up and are ready to be taken to her new apartment in New York City. Still, it was weird to see a blank wall where the polaroid pictures of her friends used to be. It's incredible how trapped such an empty room can make you feel. Before she has any more time to dwell on it however, her phone goes off.
Em: Nope! Did you need something? xoxo
Chloe shakes her head at how after the year they've had, Emily was still as excited and awkward as ever. She was going to miss her.
Chlo: Yeah, I was wondering if you could come up to mine for a bit if you have time? I just wanna talk to you about something?
She saw the three dots start blinking on her phone signaling an incoming reply but really, she should have known better. She could hear a door on the first floor of their house slam shut and hurried footsteps basically bounding up the steps to her own room. Her phone chimes a reply from the freshman at the same time an excited knock rings in her ears.
Em: Sure!
Laughing at the girl's antics, Chloe puts her phone down and opens her door to let her visitor in. Emily all but jumps into the room and takes a seat at the end of Chloe's bed, smiling at her. Chloe can't help but to smile at the girl as she closes the door and makes her way to her desk, sitting on the chair in a way that angles her body towards her visitor.
"Hey, so what did you need to talk about?" Emily asks.
"Actually –" Chloe starts but she's cut off.
"Is it the setlist? Or worlds? Or wait, did CR tell you because I asked her not to! I really didn't even mean anything by it, I mean I didn't even really know you guys back then!"
At this, Chloe's eyebrows raise in confusion but Emily seems to misinterpret it as a more questioning look seeing as she keeps rambling. If Chloe wasn't so confused and amused, she would be worried that the girl is forgetting to breathe.
"Can you really blame me though? It's not like I was totally in the wrong, after all it was always different with you guys. Well, not like different different, just not the same as everyo-"
"EMILY," Chloe finally cuts her off, "what on earth are you talking about?"
Emily can't help but gawk at her captain who's looking at her like she's grown a third head. Suddenly she's stuttering and trying to back track the conversation while her face turns crimson.
"Um, I mean, nothing?"
"Okaaaaay?" Chloe draws out. If she weren't so short on time she would totes look into this more, but honestly, she only has two days before graduation and she has other things to focus on. "I just wanted to talk to you about song writing. But if there's something you wanna talk about then that's fine too."
Emily can't hide her surprise at the request and decides that maybe she won't have to further embarrass herself.
"Oh really? What did you want to know?"
"I guess I just wanted to know how you go about writing a song?"
"Well it really depends on the song y'know?"
"What do you mean?"
"Sometimes the lyrics come first and I just start writing them down and find the notes to go with them later. Sometimes it's the other way around where there's a melody in my head and it's the lyrics that I have trouble developing. Why do you ask?"
"I don't really know, I'm just feeling a lot of things right now and for once, I can't find a song that really encompasses what I need it to you know?" Chloe sighs exasperatedly and Emily can't help but feel a twinge in her heart at how distraught her captain looks. She can't help but notice that since she's sat down, Chloe has been tapping the same rhythm with her leg. Each laboured breath that leaves the redhead's mouth is almost in rhythm. Emily's eyes bug out as she basically sees music waiting to burst out of her friend.
"Emily? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Emily snaps out of her awkward staring and jumps to her feet, quickly running out of the room.
"Wait right there! I have an idea!" Emily calls over her shoulder.
Chloe sits there, confused an frustrated, but she waits nonetheless. Eventually, Emily bounds back through the doors holding a ukulele with a bright grin on her face. Chloe quirks an eyebrow as the younger girl perched herself back on Chloe's bed and sets her hone next to her while holding the ukulele up.
"Ok this is going to sound crazy, but do you know how to play?"
"A little bit, yeah" comes from the confused redhead. Emily almost jumps in triumph as she hands Chloe the instrument.
"Okay, here I want you to just start playing a rhythm. No notes yet ok?"
Chloe nods. Although she may have no clue what's going on, she trusts her Bella sisters more than anything. It takes her a second but pretty quickly she's strumming out a rhythm on a muted instrument. Emily starts nodding along to the rhythm, not so subtly pressing record on her phone.
"Okay, keep doing that but see if you can add some notes to it."
It's strange how Chloe feels compelled to just do what Emily tells her to. Almost like music is just bursting out of her. She can't help but let her mind wander a bit as she considers if this is what her favourite little DJ feels like. That feeling of music encompassing your body without your control, because soon enough, Chloe is strumming out a proper set of notes on the ukulele. Emily smile basically reaches her eyes when Chloe starts singing without needing to be prompted.
Chloe will have to admit that this is so not what she expected to happen when she called Emily to her room. She only wanted a way to vent and music always seemed to be her outlet for that. She had gone through her entire music library and even called Aubrey but she couldn't find a single song that truly helped her vocalize what she was feeling. To be completely honest, she wasn't really sure what she was feeling. It could have something to do with the tiny DJ who should be on her way home from her internship any moment now, but she didn't want to think about that right now.
It was strange. Chloe could hear herself singing along to the melody she was playing, but its almost as if she couldn't hear anything she was singing. Actually, if it weren't for Emily who was watching her and bobbing her head, she would have been convinced she wasn't singing at all. You would think that as a person who essentially falls into any melody she hears, Chloe would be melting into the music she's creating right now, but no. Instead, her mind drifts off to her. The one person who Chloe hasn't managed to stop thinking about since they first met four years ago.
Her hands are strumming, her mouth is moving, but all her mind registers is tattoos, piercings, and an incredibly unique half-smirk. She thinks of that first time she saw her at the activities fair. She knew she probably shouldn't have even approached her, knew that Aubrey wouldn't approve, but something had drawn Chloe to her. She knew something was different after the second time they met. Chloe knew better than to just burst into people's showers. She really did. Hearing that voice though, it drew her in. Something about her always drew Chloe in.
Before she realizes it, Chloe's hands slow to a stop as her voice finally stops. She looks up at Emily who's just looking at her with a soft smile and glassy eyes. She looks like Chloe has just entrusted her with the most precious secret in the world. One that she is willing to take to her grave.
It takes Chloe a moment to take in the situation. The words that had come out of her mouth haven't quite caught up to her yet but for some reason, she feels as though she's gone years underwater and only now can she taste the fresh air. She barely registers Emily stop recording on her phone and sending her the recording, signified by the harsh vibration of her phone in the otherwise silent room. Eventually, Emily nods at Chloe before standing up and leaving the room, leaving nothing but four words hanging in the air.
"You should tell her."