Remember when, we never needed each other
The best of friends like
Sister and Brother
We understood, we'd never be,
Alone
Wilkie looked the pictures hanging up on the wall opposite of his bed. They were pictures of him, Bay, and Toby through the years, as they were growing up. The three were best friends, they had always been, Wilkie was practically part of the Kennish family. He and Toby, they were best friends, brothers really. But he and Bay… that was a different kind of relationship; closer than siblings, but not exactly anything else. When Bay was fourteen, they made a pact that if they were both unmarried by the time they were in their thirties, that they would get married so that they wouldn't have to end up being alone.
Those days are gone, and I want you so much
The night is long and I need your touch
Don't know what to say
I never meant to feel this way
Don't want to be
Alone tonight
But now, things had definitely changed. Bay was definitely not that same little girl. Now, she was a young woman and everything she did made him want her more. He could just sit for hours in her studio and watch her work on her art. She had the ability to mesmerize him in everything she did. He often found his eyes wondering to her. She always managed to catch his attention in the most unlikely of places; crowded rooms, across the hall, etc. She was his last thought at night and his first in the morning. He had it bad for Bay Kennish, but if he were asked, he was doing a good job at hiding it. Wilkie knew, though, that he would not be able to hide it for long. This was no longer just a crush. This was full blown love for his best friend's little sister.
"Hey, Toby," Wilkie greeted, approaching his best friend's garage, "Can I talk to you?"
"What's up?" Toby asked, setting his guitar down, concern covering his face when he saw the expression on Wilkie's face.
"I don't exactly know how to say this and you have to promise that you won't pummel me because I have been trying to think of how to tell you for years."
"What's wrong?"
"I never meant for this to happen, Toby."
"Wilkie, what's wrong? You're scaring me."
"I think I'm in love…with Bay."
Toby was silent for a moment, looking at Wilkie with an indiscernible expression before he smiled and said, "I know. I do have eyes. I've seen how you look at her."
"Should I tell her?"
"I think you have to."
Toby gave his best friend an encouraging smile and Wilkie headed over to Bay's studio.
What can I do, to make you mine
Falling so hard so fast this time
What did I say, what did you do?
How did I fall in love with you?
Wilkie entered the studio to see Bay working on her latest painting.
"That's really good." he said, making her jump. Laughing, he continued, "Sorry."
"GOD! Wilkie!" Bay exclaimed, trying to get her heart beat back to normal, "What's up?"
"Not much." Wilkie shrugged, "Just checking in on you; seeing how you're doing."
Emmett had broken up with Bay for Daphne a week ago and Bay had not taken it well. She only left her room to come down to her studio, she hadn't eaten, she hadn't slept well; Toby was the only person who had gotten her to smile, to sleep.
"Better." Bay replied shortly.
Her eyes focused on a sight over his shoulder and they slowly filled with tears. Turning around, he saw Emmett dropping Daphne back off, kissing her good night. Wilkie quickly closed the door and wrapped his arms around her in a comforting hug as she began crying.
Toby, who had seen Emmett and Daphne pull up, came in and immediately took Bay upstairs to her room, signaling to Wilkie to meet him in his room.
An hour later, Toby entered his room and saw Wilkie sitting on his bed, holding a picture of Bay that was taken of them on her birthday. Every year since Bay was little, a picture of the three of them had been taken; every year after the first, the picture was recreated, so that it was, essentially, the same picture.
"I'm guessing you didn't get the chance to tell her?" Toby asked after a moment, breaking Wilkie out of his trance.
"Yeah." Wilkie replied, "I hate seeing her like that."
"Me, too." Toby sat down next to Wilkie, "We should do something for her."
"Like what?"
"Oh, come on." Toby laughed, "You're James Wilkerson; you have to have some obscure idea that you could rope me into."
"There is something we could do…"
"Does it involve breaking the law?"
"If it did, would you still do it?"
"…Yeah…"
Wilkie smiled at Toby's inability to just sit by while Bay was hurting, "Well, it's completely legal."
Toby let out a sigh of relief and the two began their plan.
When Bay woke up the next morning, a bouquet of yellow and white roses, because pink and red where too cliché, were set in a vase on her nightstand. Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was one in the afternoon.
"Guess I really needed the sleep." she mumbled to herself as she got out of bed and put her robe on as she searched for a card by the vase.
When she got down to the kitchen, she saw Wilkie and Toby standing there with their guitars in hand.
The minute they saw her, they began playing, singing their version of 'I Won't Let Go' by Rascal Flatts.
Bay smiled softly and laughed lightly as the two began dancing around her.
Kathryn, John, and Regina smiled as they entered the room briefly, before quickly backing out, relieved to see Bay's smile once again.
I hear your voice
And I start to tremble
Brings back the child that, I resemble
"Wilkie, wait up!" Bay yelled, running through the halls to catch up to him.
"What's up, Kennish?" Wilkie asked with the usual smirk in place.
"I was invited to attend a black-tie event at the new gallery downtown and I need a date. Well, I don't need one, but I would like to not be the only person there that I know. They're thinking about buying some of my pieces, and I really need to make a good impression."
"Are you asking me to go with you?"
"I think I was…"
"Okay."
"Really?"
Wilkie got caught up in the sheer joy in her expression, reminding him of when he gave her a giant lollipop for Valentine's Day when she was five.
"Of course." Wilkie replied, snapping himself out of it.
"Great. It's on Friday. Pick me up at seven?"
"Sure thing."
Wilkie smiled softly to himself as he watched Bay walk away.
"I really need to tell her." he whispered to himself, shaking his head and heading to his next class.
I cannot pretend, that we can still be friends
Don't want to be,
Alone tonight
Wilkie walked into the Kennish house a little before seven, a corsage of blue orchids.
"Bay will be down soon." John told him, looking up from his book.
"Mom and Regina have been up there helping her get ready for a couple hours." Toby laughed.
The three men were rendered speechless when Bay, followed by Kathryn and Regina, came down the stairs in a flowing emerald dress that looked like it was made for a fairy princess, the small white flowers laced into her hair and the natural looking make-up completed the look.
"You look…" Toby tried to complement, but couldn't find the words.
"Wow." Wilkie breathed, his mouth hanging open.
"Thanks." Bay smiled, blushing lightly as she walked up to her date for the evening, closing his mouth with a finger.
Wilkie snapped himself out of it and slipped the corsage onto her hand, "I know I didn't have to get this, but I thought I should bring you some kind of flower."
"I love it." Bay smiled, kissing his cheek before leading him out of the house.
Toby laughed to himself as Wilkie followed her like a loyal puppy.
"Am I missing something?" John asked, noticing Toby's laugh, but the smiles on Kathryn and Regina's faces as well.
"I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually, dear." Kathryn replied before walking into the kitchen.
The night went by far too fast for Wilkie and, before he knew it, he was dropping Bay back off at her house.
"Thank you for coming with me tonight." Bay smiled softly, turning to face him.
"Hey, no problem." Wilkie smiled, "I'll always go with you."
Bay smiled softly, kissed his cheek, then left the car.
"I love you." Wilkie whispered once she was in the house.
What can I do, to make you mine
Falling so hard so fast this time
What did I say, what did you do?
How did I fall in love with you?
Toby and Wilkie walked through the halls of Buckner High, discussing their latest ideas for Guitar Face, when Wilkie stopped in mid-sentence when he spotted Bay at the far end of the hall, head thrown back as she laughed at something Clover said.
"Dude," Toby snapped him out of his revere, "did you hear what I just said?"
"What?" Wilkie asked, shaking his head.
"Clover's having a party on Friday, she's making Bay go, we're playing a set."
"Cool."
"That's how you can tell Bay."
Wilkie's eyes widened when he realized that Toby had come up with a brilliant idea.
"But what song? I mean, I don't want it to be too obvious…."
"You might want to go that route."
"I know what song we're doing."
Toby laughed, but followed Wilkie as the two headed out to the bleachers to talk about the set list for Friday night.
Oh I want to say this right
And it has to be tonight
Just need you to know, oh yeah
Wilkie and Toby walked onto the make-shift stage at Clover's house and began setting up. They were relieved to hear Bay's laughter floating down the stairs from her best friend's room.
Clover had taken Bay back to her house right after school let out so she could help get the house ready for that night.
"Music to my ears." Toby smiled as Bay laughed again, causing he and Wilkie to chuckle.
"I know." Wilkie grinned, "it's been so long."
"So, you ready for tonight?"
"No, but it's now or never, right?"
"Right?"
Toby laughed as Wilkie's response came out as a question.
A couple hours later, the few guest arrived; and hour after that Clover's house was full and Toby and Wilkie walked onto the stage, "Everybody having a good time?!"
The party-goers cheered and they began playing, relieved to have their old drummer back.
"We're going to slow things down a bit now." Wilkie said, halfway through the set, he and Toby setting their guitars down and their drummer, Keith, started a back-track CD, "This song goes out to a very special girl in my life."
When the music started, Wilkie softly came in, "Yeah, ooooh... We started as friends, but something happened inside me. Now I'm reading into everything, but there's no sign you hear the lightning, baby. You don't ever notice me turning on my charm, or wonder why I'm always where you are."
Wilkie jumped off the stage, walking through the group of teenagers, back to where Bay was sitting with Clover at a small iron table on the patio by the back door, "I've made it obvious done everything but sing it.
"I've crushed on you so long, but on and on you get me wrong." Toby sang from the stage, sitting on a stool, with a small smile on his face.
"I'm not so good with words, and since you never notice the way that we belong, I'll say it in a love song." Wilkie stopped in front of Bay, who smiled shyly up at him.
"I've heard you talk about," Wilkie circled her chair.
"Heard you talk about." Toby and Keith echoed.
"How you want someone just like me." Wilkie stopped at the back of her chair.
"Just like me."
"But every time I ask you out."
"Time I ask you out."
"We never move pass friendly, no no." Wilkie circled back around Bay chair and took her hand, kneeling down, "And you don't ever notice how I stare when we're alone, or wonder why I keep you on the phone."
"I've made it obvious, done everything but sing it."Wilkie stood back up.
"I've crushed on you so long but on and on you get me wrong." his bandmates echoed, Toby grinning at the deep blush covering his little sister's face.
"I'm not so good with words, and since you never notice the way that we belong, I'll say it in a love song, yeah..." Wilkie pulled Bay up, and spun her around.
"You are my very first thought in the morning," Wilkie sang, pushing her hair out of her face, keeping his hands in place, cupping her face, "And my last at nightfall. You are the love that came without warning. I need you, I want you to know. I've made it obvious, so finally I'll sing it."
"I've crushed on you so long." Toby and Keith echoed, softer than the previous times.
"I'm not so good with words." Wilkie sang softer, his eyes not leaving hers, "And since you never notice the way that we belong, I'll say it in a love song."
"And sing it until the day you're holding me. I've wanted you so long but on and on you get me wrong. I more than adore you but since you never seem to see."Toby and Keith sang as Wilkie and Bay swayed.
"But you never seem to see, I'll say it in this love song." Wilkie finished softly, pressing a soft kiss to Bay's lips.
The party-goers cheered as they pulled apart and Bay grabbed his hand, pulling him into the house and up to Clover's room, closing the door behind them.
I don't want to live this life
I don't want to say goodbye
With you I wanna spend
The rest of my life
"What-!" Bay started, but was quickly cut off by Wilkie.
"I like you, Bay." Wilkie told her, "I love you and I have for a while. I figured that I should tell you soon and Toby said to do it tonight."
"So you sang me a song?"
"Not just A song, but you're guilty pleasure song."
"Thank you," Bay smiled.
"Do you have a response for me? Because I just beared my soul to you and everyone else down there-" Wilkie was cut off as Bay kissed him gently.
Before he could respond, Bay walked out of the room and back down to Clover, both girls giggling like mad when Wilkie came back outside.
What can I do, to make you mine
Falling so hard so fast this time
What did I say, what did you do?
How did I fall in love with you?
Wilkie smiled at Bay as he put his bass back on and Guitar Face finished out their set. His smile brightened as she danced in her chair, his eyes never leaving hers as they finished out their set. When the DJ took over, he headed straight over to her and pulled her onto the lawn to dance.
What can I do, to make you mine
Falling so hard so fast this time
Everything's changed, we never knew
How did I fall,
in love ,
with you?