Alright. So this one hasn't taken off as well as my other story,but I'm sticking with it. This chapter went fast,because I had thoughts about my other story...maybe I shouldn't write 2 at once?
The first couple of weeks had gone by,and it brought not only Wen and Emmy together,but Emmy together with the whole band. She'd become a part of them,filling in as kind of an assistant. They didn't call her that,but she was awesome at helping keep things in order and on track. It also gave them time to teach her whatever they could about their instruments. They discovered she had a great voice,but she was more timid than Olivia,and would only really sing when she thought no one was listening. It was a moment like that when Wen walked in on her as he walked down to their old studio,the former detention room.
He almost said hello,but he knew if he did she would stop singing,and he liked to hear her. She was listening to her iPod,but it was on an instrumental,and it seemed she knew the words by heart.
"Do you ever feel like breaking down?
Do you ever feel out of place?
Like somehow you just don't belong,and no one understands you?
Do you ever wanna run away?
Do you lock yourself in your room?
With the radio on turned up so loud,that no one hears you screaming?"
She started humming at this point,so he felt a little more safe walking in,but he did bring it up.
"How come you don't sing like that with Liv and Mo? Maybe something happier though?" He kidded,sitting next to her at the end of the stage.
"Why'd you pick down here to practice? I figured you more one for the window filled studio in the music area." He asked her. She looked down at the floor.
"You'll think I'm a baby." She pouted,her blue sneakers scuffing the carpet,as she pulled at the ends of her green polo. He put his hand on her shoulder.
"I won't. Promise."
"It's storming. I'm seriously scared of storms." He couldn't help but hide his smile,but he pulled her into a side hug.
"No big bad storm is gonna get you while I'm here,Emmy." She leaned into him,getting entranced by the smell of his cologne.
"Now,let's work on your piano skills before the girls get down here and do whatever they're planning today."
"Where's Charlie?"
"He's visiting his brother while he's in town." Emmy liked playing the drums,almost as much as she liked her times with Wen. He pulled up the bench seat,scooting over to make room for her to sit next to him.
"Center C,right?" They'd been working on that the past few days. He'd taught her to play Mary Had A Little Lamb almost one handed.
"Right. And then,I'll start teaching you a simple song."
"A current one,or another lullaby?"
"Turn Up the Music. The first song we all did,before we were even a band." She liked that song,he'd caught her dancing to it at a rehearsals. He watched her as her fingers danced around the keys,her face focused,determined to get it right. She finished it,and cheered herself.
"Awesome-sauce!" He laughed,before getting her started on the song.
"Okay. I figured out the easiest way to teach you is this." He got up,and got her to scoot dead center on the bench. He put his hands down on the keys.
"Put your hands on top of mine. We're gonna go through the first part of the song,see what you can get." She nodded,as he tried his best to remember the song,and not focus on his nerves exploding with him this close to touching her. He played all the way to where the chorus would pick up,and then stopped. He watched as she got confused a little,but was able to tinker out most of the song.
"You're getting good." She shrugged,straightening her hairband.
"Guess I have a good teacher." She beamed up at him,and he blushed. Lucky for him,the girls came in,and they spent the rest of the day trying to get Emmy singing a little more. She smiled at him,and he smiled back. It would be their secret.
Later that night,Wen was at home alone. His family was gone for the night,and he couldn't sleep due to the rain.
'Rain...' he thought to himself,as he pulled on his rain coat,and hopped on his bike.
The only car in her driveway was hers. Seems her dad was gone too. The door to the garage was open,and he parked his bike inside.
"Emmy?" He called,as he heard a sniffling sound. Wen raced up the stairs,finding Emmy on the couch,hiding under a blanket.
"Wen?" She asked,peeking out from under her hiding spot. He pulled his jacket off,heading over to the couch,sitting beside her.
"Come here." He told her,pulling her up into his arms,tucking the blanket around her legs. She'd changed from her school outfit,and was now in a burnt orange tee that had an old Davy Crockett saying, "You may all go to Hell,and I will go to Texas" and a pair of sweatpants. He himself was dressed the same,in sweats and a tee shirt. She held tightly to him,trying to stop crying.
"How'd you know I was up?" She asked dumbly.
"You told me you didn't like storms. I figured you might like the company." He pulled her a little closer to him as another thunder boomed its way through the garage.
"I told you,no storm was gonna get you while I'm here." He joked,and she smiled.
"There's that smile." He'd become a lot more forward since he almost lost Olivia from being too shy. Emmy sat herself up straighter to look at him,and ran her fingers through his messy damp hair.
"Did you come all the way over here to get me to smile Wen Gifford?" She asked,placing her arm around him.
"Maybe. Well that was the first part of the plan." He smiled back at her.
"And the other part?" She asked him,as he traced her cheek with his thumb.
"This." He leaned over and kissed Emmy. At first her adrenaline was pumping way too fast to realize what was going on,but it didn't take long before the kiss was mutual.
"Wow." Was all Wen could say when the kiss was broken. She was blushing hardcore,and buried her face next to him. He rubbed her back,kissing the top of her head.
"So how long can you stay?" She asked,breaking the silence.
"I dunno. My parents aren't getting back until sometime tomorrow. What time is your dad coming home?"
"Next week." She said easily,sitting up to look at him.
"Next week?"
"Yeah,he's away on business a lot. It happens." She shrugged it off,and he felt bad that she was so used to being alone.
"Would you be scared to spend the night with me?" She asked,coming back to him when lightning cracked the sky.
"I think it could be arranged. How would you like if I helped organize a sleepover one night with the band until your dad gets back?" He knew they'd be down. Getting away from parents was exactly what the band needed.
"That would be cool. But just you tonight. I don't want them knowing how much of a wimp I am." She laughed.
"It's alright. That just means more time to protect you. Now come here." He told her,pulling her close for another kiss. Her lips tasted like sweet tea and mint. Wen pulled her into his lap,as they talked the storm away. She told him about her dreams of becoming a journalist,maybe for music or sports. He told her about him wanting to become a rapper. It was well after midnight when the storm cleared out,and she yawned against his chest.
"Are we sleeping in here or in your room?"
"We'd be more comfortable in here,the couch is a futon,and it's bigger than my bed."
"Okay,but I'm gonna close the garage door,then be right back." She sleepily nodded as he got up. Wen locked it up,and came back up,just as she'd set up the futon. He laid her closest to the window,him closest to the edge, "In case someone tries to get us."
"Wen,are you my boyfriend?" She asked,barely awake.
"Only if you wanna be my girlfriend,Emmy." She smiled,looking up one last time at him.
"I think we can come to that agreement." She giggled as he kissed her nose.
"Go to sleep,girlfriend." He wrapped her tight in his arms,and they both fell asleep happy.