Chapter Ten: Pen to Paper
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the songs in this chapter. All songs used in this and other chapters will be given credit, and are the property of their rightful owners, not me, nor any of my characters.
Warning: Language and some lightly suggested adult things. Not a huge deal.
Castiel's POV:
I was reminding myself of Lysander, carrying a red notebook with me, held tight to my chest. Unlike him, I wasn't going to up and lose it like he usually did- I couldn't risk anyone reading what I was writing.
I had never been much of a song writer, but last night had inspired me to put my pen to paper and vent out my feelings for Brooke there, hoping it would help clear my mind. My feelings in words just so happened to fall together to make songs. Maybe it was because I was drunk last night, but even sober and slightly hung over today I was still feeling the rush of inspiration.
I sat on the bench out in the courtyard and opened my notebook up, jotting down the newest thought I had.
'Everything that doesn't make sense about me, makes sense when I'm with you…' I wrote, tapping my pen to my chin to get my ideas flowing.
It was lunch time at Sweet Amoris, and although I knew that Lysander was in a classroom making up a test he had done poorly on, I didn't know where Brooke was. I decided to collect my things and go look for her. She was acting normal today, and I had no hard feelings towards her whatsoever. I just wanted to be a friend to her during her relationship with Leigh.
I walked down the empty halls, keeping my eyes and ears open for any signs of her. As I walked past the music room, I heard strong piano echoing out. I didn't know anyone at the school that played the piano like that, so I dipped my head through the slightly cracked door, and saw someone familiar sitting on the bench.
The music she was playing was absolutely beautiful, and I automatically recognized it as "A River Flows in You" by Yiruma. As I watched her play, I studied her delicate hands as they grazed the keys and her hair as it fell around her beautiful, focused face. She'd occasional toss her head with the transition of her fingers, and seemed absorbed inside the music. I starred at her with a smile, and felt smitten over her.
The song was played beautifully by her, unlike I had ever heard before. I had no idea that she even played music at all, so this was a shock to me. I slowly walked over to her as she sat and fingered the keys lightly and swiftly, making the piano hum and sing so perfectly.
When she finished the song, she sighed, and struck a bunch of keys at once, as if she wasn't happy with her performance.
"Brooke, I had no idea you played the piano…" I told her from behind her. She quickly whipped around and looked at me with wide eyes, starting to giggle.
"Oh, Cas- you scared me! That was atrocious. I haven't played since I left my last school…" She explained.
"It was beautiful, what are you talking about?" I huffed, sitting down next to her and looking at the keys.
I played a little piano myself, but of course it wasn't something I was went around telling everybody, since the piano was kind of a softy thing. I certainly did not look like a piano player.
"I used to be better. I shouldn't have stopped practicing." She complained, sighing.
"I didn't know you were into music." I said, raising an eyebrow.
"I sing and write too, or…I try to, anyway. I'm not very good." She shrugged.
"Really? Now that's something I'd like to see…" I teased. Why was she always telling me things that made me love her more?
"Maybe someday…" She spoke.
"That was really great though, Brooke. I never was able to get a hang of any Yiruma…" I told her.
"You play piano too?" She asked, tilting her head.
"I wouldn't say play…more like, experiment." I told her, snickering.
"Oh please, I'm in the midst of a musical genius here. Show me what you've got…" She teased, bumping me with her shoulder.
I sighed and shook my head, before cracking my knuckles and putting them on the keys. I decided to play a very well-known piece by Mozart, Sonata No. 11 in A major, 3rd movement. It was a quick, complicated piece that I hoped to impress her with. The classical nature sent me out of character completely, so I tried to have fun with it.
As my callused fingers moved up and down the keys, I looked over to her and smiled. Her eyes were wide as she watched my fingers go. I had some experience with moving my fingers rapidly by always strumming at my guitar, so I was easily able to keep up with the pace of the song. My head tossed instinctively with the emphasis of the song, and I held a smirk the entire time, hoping she was impressed, at least a little. Music was my thing, and it was one thing that Leigh didn't have on me, so I tried my best to play the entire song like a pro. When I ended it, I was almost out of breath from the exhilaration. I hadn't played in a while, so I was a little rusty, but thankfully finished the song with only a few very minor mistakes.
Brooke clapped fiercely, and giggled at my exaggerated bows that I took at the end of the song.
"That was brilliant, Castiel! I had no idea you could really play. You're better than me!" She squealed. I sneered at that remark, I had nothing on Brooke.
"Bullshit that was an easy piece; you are clearly the better pianist." I scoffed.
"Are you kidding me? If guitar is your best I'd truly love to see that." She chirped, eyeing the beat up old acoustic Fender FA-100 in the corner of the music room.
I smirked at her, and got up to grab it.
"You're feeding into my big headedness, you know that right?" I sighed, picking up the guitar and bringing it back to the bench.
"With the talent you have, you've earned that right." She told me, smiling.
I felt my cheeks start to get warm and blush and I placed the guitar in my lap, and gently ran my fingers over the strings to make sure it was in tune. Ick…not at all.
I quickly self-tuned it by ear only, and Brooke looked on in amazement.
"You tune without a tuner?" She asked me. I snickered at her, and continued to tune the guitar.
When the guitar was finally in tune, I decided to play one of the better guitar solos I knew, Europa, by Santana, and began plucking at the keys and swaying with the song as I played it to her. The thing I liked about the acoustic was that it was so relaxing. Playing an acoustic always calmed me down, and mellowed me out, especially this song. I looked to the neck and moved my fingers to each chord. As I played, Brooke just starred on, and listened.
As I got to the end of the song, I looked over at her and smiled as I plucked the strings to the last chord, ending off with a strum, and then sighing.
"Not my best, I can play a mean electric solo." I sighed. She clapped over my complaints.
"You are truly amazing, Castiel." She cooed, nodding to me. I hated my cheeks for blushing so much.
"I've always wanted to learn to play the guitar…" She admitted.
"Why didn't you ever say so? Here…" I said, placing the bulky guitar in her lap.
"Oh, th-thanks…you could teach me?" She said her eyes wide with excitement.
"Here, put your fingers here…" I said, taking her delicate hand in mine and stretching her fingers across the boards on each fret.
"Okay…" she hummed, pressing them down.
"Now strum." I whispered with a smile.
She strummed a perfect C, and then glanced up at me.
"There's your C." I told her.
She smiled, and looked to me for more.
I picked up her fingers and put them to the next set of frets. She pressed them down and I told her to strum again.
"That was D." I spoke, softly.
She played C, and then D again and again.
I showed her a few more basic chords, and my heart fluttered at how intimate the moment was between us. Sure, there wasn't any tension or romance or anything, but it felt amazing to be so close to her.
"Now, put all of those together…" I told her. As she went to place her fingers on the first chord, the school bell rang, and it was time for class again.
"Can we do this again tomorrow?" She asked me.
"Of course we can. I'll have you rocking out in no time, little girl." I said, confidently.
She smiled and wrapped her arms around me for a hug.
"Thanks Cas." She whispered. I wrapped my arms around her waist and held her close.
"Anytime." I sighed, never wanting to let go.
We walked back to our classes side by side, and said our goodbyes when we came to them.
Instead of taking notes in class, I was writing down the lyrics to the songs I sang in my head when I was with Brooke. Lys would be proud when I showed him that I had put my tormenting thoughts on paper, as it was his philosophy in the first place. When the cherished tune of the school bell rang, signifying the end of the day, I was out of my chair and headed for the hallways. My stride was soon casually being matched by Lysander, who peered at my notebook and immediately recognized that it was a book for lyrics, not for school work. How he could tell the difference, I would never understand.
"Trying to steal my job?" He sneered, playfully teasing me and pointing at the notebook.
"Nah, this thing is full of gag-worthy love ballads. You stick with the rock and alternative, buddy." I told him.
"Finally putting those troubling thoughts to good use?" He asked me. He always knew, I swear.
"Bingo, and so far it's helping a lot." I admitted.
"I'm proud of you. I'll have to take a look later." He said, nodding his head.
"Of course, what would good lyrics be without the approval and constructive criticism of Lysander the great?" I told him, honest but with a singe of sarcasm as to not sound too sentimental.
He smiled at the recognition and we kept walking until we were met with Brooke, who was waiting at our lockers.
"Lysander, did Cas tell you that I'm going to be stealing his spot as lead guitar in the band soon?" She snickered, jokingly.
"No, he didn't! Is he teaching you to play?" He asked. I had taught Lys too, and although he was a pretty decent back-up player, he still loved to sing more than anything.
"Yep!" She said, proudly putting her hands on her hips.
"Psht, I'd like to see you try to take my spot." I sneered, teasingly.
"But, if we ever need an incredible pianist or keyboard player, here's our girl." I added, putting my arm around her.
"You play the piano? Why didn't I know this?" Lysander asked, intrigued.
"I just found out today, only because I caught her. Apparently little miss Mozart over here also sings and writes songs, but refuses to show it." I told him. She turned bright pink.
"Sounds like someone I know…" Lysander mocked.
Okay, so maybe I could sing too…but that was something I was not comfortable sharing with the world. Only Lysander has heard me, and he compared me to Martin Johnson of Boys Like Girls…but who could really take the compliments of their best friend?
"I may have said I sing and write, but I never said I was any good." She smirked.
"That's what we all think. It takes letting others judge you to truly recognize your talent." Lysander told her…and me.
As we walked outside, continuing small talk about music, Brooke gasped, and Lysander and I looked her way. I cringed when I saw what had made her so happy.
Mr. Perfect himself (Leigh) stood there, leaning up against his black Mustang, which was just another thing in the long list of things I envied of his. He smiled when he saw Brooke walk out.
He had ditched the ruffles today, and instead was wearing a still very Victorian collared white button up undershirt which was covered with a brown collared vest with gold buttons. Tied around his collar was a black embroidered ascot that was tucked into the front of the vest. With that he wore tight, black trousers and boiler-man boots.
I rolled my eyes and snarled as Brooke ran to his arms and hugged him, looked up at him and received a longing kiss from his undeserving lips. My heart sank down into my stomach and I felt bile in the back of my throat when I saw that.
Lysander elbowed my side and signaled me to look around. The entire student body, so it seemed, was staring at them.
"Since when was new-girl dating the guy from the clothes shop?" I heard being whispered behind me, along with a series of comments from girls envying her.
"Lucky her…" I heard one girl say.
"Wow, she's not even here a full six months and she's already tangled up with that hottie from the clothes shop. Skank…" I caught Amber Wood saying.
"C'mon, obviously she's not planning on saying goodbye…let's go." I said, tugging on Lysander's coat sleeve.
"Why don't we crash, instead?" He asked me. I donned a devious grin and we started for the Mustang.
"Hey Leigh! Coming back to school to finish that pesky senior year?" I chirped, as we interrupted their oh-so nauseating embrace.
Leigh chuckled and rolled his eyes at my jab at him dropping out of school a year early.
"You dropped out?" Brooke asked, curiously beaming up at the tall and lanky jackass.
"To focus on making clothes and opening up the shop. Hasn't held me back yet!" He expressed, intercepting my shot.
"What are you two up to this evening?" Lysander asked, trying to get the details.
"Well, I figured I'd take Brooke out for something to eat, and then maybe we'd take a walk when it got a little darker, if that's okay with you?" He said, turning to Brooke for her approval. I hoped she'd reject it, but I knew she wouldn't.
"Of course! That sounds amazing." She cooed. I rolled my eyes and clenched my fists together.
"Sounds like fun…" I said with faked excitement for them.
"Well, I guess maybe I'll see you guys sometime this weekend!" Brooke uttered, hugging the both of us before turning to Leigh.
"See you around, little girl." I sighed. Lysander said his goodbyes and we walked off to my car.
I looked over my shoulder and watched Leigh open the door for her, before getting in and driving away.
I heaved yet another groan, and Lysander turned to me.
"Write about it." He said.
"Oh, I will." I told him, watching her drive off with him.
Brooke's POV:
I was glowing like a star struck kid when Leigh showed up at the school to pick me up. My stomach was infested with butterflies that I swear threatened to come fluttering out of my chest any second.
He drove me to a cute little Italian restaurant for dinner, and it was magical; just talking about everything. We told each other our life stories, and he laughed as hard as I did about my parents abandoning me here for their stupid birds. I listened to him about his parents up and leaving for a lavish retirement in a more tropical place. I told him about my favorite foods, bands, and books, and he told me more about clothes, as well as about his dreams of becoming a well-known designer. The food was delicious, and it was the perfect date because not only did he treat me like I was the only girl on earth, but we also really took the time to get to know each other.
After spending around 3 hours chatting, eating and starring into each other's eyes over a small table in the corner, we left for our next destination. It was already starting to get dark, and Leigh grabbed my hand on the way to the car and pulled me close. I was constantly becoming short of breath at his adorable gestures.
"Did I surprise you showing up at the school?" Leigh asked when we started down the road, looking over at me as he drove.
"I practically gasped like I had seen a ghost, if that answers your question." I admitted. I always felt like everything I said to him sounded stupid and childish. He always seemed so much older than me, even though I was seventeen and he was nineteen.
"Hey, you know what I just realized?" I chirped, taking that thought I just had.
"What?" He asked with a grin.
"It's technically illegal for me to be seeing you…" I laughed.
"You're seventeen, right?" He asked me, collecting information for his response.
"No, I'm fourteen...You didn't know that?" I said with a smirk, trying to trick him.
"Seriously?" He asked me, with an almost terror-stricken face.
"No, loser! Do I look fourteen? I'm seventeen…and a half." I said, feeling a little bit older by throwing in the extra six months.
"Way to give me a heart attack…not that I wouldn't completely and utterly break the law if you were fourteen…" He snickered.
"I can almost see your face on the jail bulletin board now, you creep." I scoffed. I knew he was just trying to be nice; no way would he ever date a fourteen year old.
"I knew you at least had to be seventeen; besides, it's only illegal if we have sex." He stated, shrugging his shoulders.
"Keep dreaming!" I giggled.
"Hey, don't get too excited, I'm just stating facts here!" He defended himself, playfully.
"I would gladly go to jail for you, though. Yet again just stating facts." He added, blushing and looking over to me with a sideways smirk.
I blushed hard, before laughing it off.
"Way to make a girl feel special, Leigh." I joked, still giggling.
"That's my specialty." He added, snickering along with my laughter.
We soon pulled in to a quaint little parking lot, connected to what looked like a park.
"I don't think I've ever been here before." I said, looking out my window and reading the sign at the entrance, 'Amoris Recreational Park'.
"It's the park! There's an awesome walking trail that goes around the whole thing. Hope you're not scared of the dark!" He said, opening his car door. I opened mine as well and climbed out.
"Nah, I consider myself nocturnal." I told him.
"Me too! I love walking at night and letting the moon light the path. It's so much more exciting." He said, grabbing my hand.
As we strolled through the park, we made small talk about this and that, and I mostly just lingered on his words and studied his amazing face.
"Oh! Swings!" I squeaked, all at once, letting go of his hand and running to a swing set hopping on a swing and pushing my feet off the ground.
Leigh snickered and walked over to me.
"Are you sure you aren't fourteen?" He laughed as he walked behind me and started to push me.
I laughed out loud and enjoyed the wind in my face, and after giving my push a little momentum, he came around to meet me as I swung at him. I wrapped my legs around his waist and he pulled me in for a kiss.
As we kissed, I felt a rain drop hit my cheek. I kept kissing him, hoping to fulfill one of my stupid girly dreams of being kissed in the rain. I think Mother Nature must have read my mind, because all at once, the rain started to pour, and I mean, pour.
As I kissed him back, suddenly I felt him pull away and yell "Fuck!" as he took off running for the car. So much for my kiss in the rain.
Puzzled, I ran behind him to the car. We were far off already, so we had a little ways to go, and Leigh ran faster than a racehorse. It was raining so heavily now that I could barely make out his silhouette in front of me, but I kept running to try to keep up. He dove into the car, and I quickly followed.
When we got inside, Leigh was fidgeting with his vest, looking very pissed off.
"A-are you okay?" I stuttered.
"No…this vest is not supposed to get wet. It's dry clean only..." He grumbled, unbuttoning it and taking it off. He held it up and sighed.
"It's completely ruined." He scoffed, throwing it into the back seat. As serious as he was I couldn't help but to stare at him in his white, soaking wet, and see-through long sleeved button up shirt.
"I'm…I'm sorry…" I muttered, putting my head down.
"No, no…I'm sorry. I'm totally freaking out. It's not your fault. I don't know why I make things that can't handle a little rain. I can just make another…even though the material is so expensive…and it's such a difficult design…and…god, I must sound like a real nutcase right about now…" He said, his anger turning into laughter.
He untied his ascot and hung it on the mirror, sulking down into his seat. I couldn't help but to notice how amazing he looked, as now that the ascot was out of the way, his chiseled chest peaked through the top of the shirt, and his long black hair was wet and messy.
"No, it's okay. I understand. You're sexually attracted to clothes, aren't you?" I giggled, trying to add some comic relief to the situation. He cracked a smile.
"So what if I am?" He snickered, adding in to my poke at his obsession.
"You're right, it's completely normal. Considering clothes have complex emotional feelings and all…" I added, still laughing.
"They do! That vest is devastated. Its days of making me look good are over forever!" He chuckled, beating the joke into the ground.
"I must look like a mess..." I sighed, opening up the mirror in front of me. I hadn't even realized that my long, straight hair was now wet and wavy. I was thankful my make-up was still intact, but completely embarrassed when I noticed that my light pink dress was entirely soaked and see through. My pink, lacey bra was visible, and I could bet that Mr. Peeper over here had stolen a look or two.
"Oh my god…you think you're having wardrobe malfunctions?" I gasped at the realization, looking down at my dress.
"I wouldn't call that a malfunction. It's actually more of an enhancement, and that's coming from a fashion professional." He said, eyeing me.
"You are absolutely awful, Leigh!" I screeched at him, playfully tugging on a strand of his hair.
"Just being honest!" He said, throwing his hands up in the air.
The beating of the rain was deafening now, and I could hardly even see out of the windows of the car.
"What a storm…" Leigh said, taking the words out of my mouth.
"You could say that…" I added.
"My house is just a minute down the road. I'm sure I can make it." He said, turning his keys to start the car.
"Don't kill me, please!" I sneered, facetiously.
"I've got this, don't worry." He said, turning on his windshield wipers, and backing out.
With the help of the street lights, we managed to get to his house in one piece. He pulled into the garage, and parked the car, turning it off and looking to me.
"See, told you!" He said, planting a quick peck on my lips.
I rolled my eyes and giggled, following his lead and getting out of the car and walking into his house. When we walked in, Lysander glanced to us from the kitchen table, where he was writing in his notebook.
"Oh, hello!" He said, seeming surprised.
"Hi Lys!" I chirped, waving to him.
"Looks like you just missed the rain…" He said sarcastically, starting to laugh at our disheveled appearances.
"Yeah, good thing we didn't get wet or anything…" I added, snickering.
"C'mon, let me find something for you to change into before my eyes pop out of my head." Leigh said, tugging at my hand. Lysander waved a goodbye to me, and I followed Leigh up the stairs to his bedroom.
"I should have some pajamas for you." He said, looking back at me as we made our way to the room.
"Pajamas?" I asked.
"Yeah…you don't expect me to risk your life again by driving you home in this storm, do you? I promise I don't bite. You should really stay the night here." He told me. I hadn't even ever thought about staying the night with a boy before, as prude as it sounded.
"Oh…okay." I said, a little nervous, and yet a little excited too. It's not like we were about to get it on or anything; it wasn't a big deal.
We walked into his room, and he threw off his undershirt and into a hamper. My eyes were now the ones popping out of my head at his lean yet toned torso. I hoped he wouldn't put a shirt back on.
He went into his closet, and I just stood and looked around while I listened to him fish through the hangers.
"Here it is!" He exclaimed, before coming out, holding up a gorgeous night gown. It was short, with thin shoulder straps, and a dark purple on the sides with a thick black strip going up the middle and a black bow at the top.
"Ah! I love it!" I squealed, holding out my hands for it. Leigh smiled and laughed.
"I love that you love my clothes…or are you just saying that to make me feel good?" He said, holding back the dress to make me answer truthfully.
"Leigh, you are so talented. I love everything you make, everything you wear, everything!" I told him, throwing my arms around his neck and kissing his cheek.
He smiled, seeming satisfied with that answer and handing me the night gown.
"Yours, of course." He grinned.
"I feel like I should be paying you, are you sure?" I asked him, cautiously taking the night gown.
"I told you…I love doing things like this for you." He said with a warm smile.
"Thank you…" I said, sincerely smiling.
"Don't thank me, just change into that before I change you myself. And,-" He started,
"There aren't any laces on this, Leigh." I told him before he said it.
"Darn it, you got me." He said, snapping his fingers.
I laughed as I walked into his bathroom. This time, the picture that had been on his counter before was gone and replaced with a picture of him and Lysander. It was adorable, and they were both smiling wide. I threw off my wet dress, and quickly slid on the night gown while still admiring the picture.
As I walked out, I stopped and stared when I saw Leigh in his pajamas. He had beige, cotton pants on, and no shirt. I couldn't help but bite my lip, and he stared at me too.
"Ah, that was made for you…" He sighed.
"Isn't everything?" I mocked at his overused line.
"Pretty much!" He laughed.
We sat on his bed and he showed me the sketches for his winter line that he had been working on, and asked me to be a critic to all of them. I pretty much loved everything, which made me a really bad critic.
"You have to at least have some constructive criticism for me!" He said, astonished.
"But I really love them all!" I whined.
He sighed, grabbing the stack of drawings and placing them on the nightstand, and laying back onto his pillow. I didn't know whether to lay down with him so I just stayed sitting up and looking over at him with a smile. Suddenly, he pulled me down with him and my head landed down on his bare chest. I could feel his heart beating and I smiled as he leaned down and kissed my forehead and wrapped his arm around me. My eyelids started to grow heavy, and I blinked a few times, trying to pry them open, but before I knew it, I was falling fast asleep.
As always, thanks for the reviews, and I'm glad to see everyone enjoying the story. More to come soon, XOXO.
Songs Used:
A River Runs in You – Yiruma (Brooke's piano solo)
Sonata No. 11 in A major – Mozart (Castiel's piano solo)
Europa (acoustic cover) – Santana (Castiel's guitar solo)
I do NOT own or take credit for any of these songs! No copy write infringement intended!
I suggest looking each up and listening to them while you read the parts they are being played in, it helps with the visualization!