a/n-ok, yet another sucky chapter. but a good parts coming up soon!

Chapter 11: First Talent

"You are everything I want, 'cause you are everything I'm not." I strummed my guitar and sang the lyrics to Taking Back Sunday's 'Make Damn Sure'. Just then, my older brother Owen appeared in the doorway of my room

"Dude!" Owen said.

"What?"

"Why don't you just plaster a big sign on your head that says 'Lilly, I love you'?"

I acted like I had no idea what he was talking about. "What the hell are you talking about, Owen?"

"Oliver, I know your kind of a loser so you haven't had experience with girls, but the O-Man has."

"Well, O-Man, apparently you know nothing."

"Will you stop denying how you feel about her?"

"About who?"

"Lilly Truscott! The only girl you've known your whole life besides Mom!"

"Owen, I don't like her."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really!"

"Oliver, even Mom and Dad know."

"What! There's nothing to know! Now get out of my room!"

"So I guess you don't want to hear what Mom and Mrs. T. were just talking about."

I put down my guitar and glared at him. "What were they saying?"

"Hey, I'm just your brother. And I'm getting out of your room now. See ya!" he grinned and left, leaving me to wonder.

"Mom!" I ran down the stairs to find my mom on the phone at the kitchen table.

"Shh! I'm on the phone!" she told me, and continued on with her conversation. "Yeah, I know." she said. "I don't even know! It would be so cute though." Then she laughed. I rolled my eyes and stared at her. "I know! Oliver's the same way!" I heard muffled laughing on the other end of the line. "Ok, I'll let you go. Yup, bye, Tori." Tori! That was Lilly's mom.

"Mom!"

"What?"

"What are you doing!"

"I'm about to start dinner…what are you doing?"

"Wondering why you're talking about me to Mrs. T!"

She laughed. "Oh, it was nothing!"

"Mom, tell me! What would be 'so cute' and what am I the same way about?"

"We were just talking about you and Lilly, it's no big deal."

I glared at her, and she just smiled and turned around, but I continued glaring. She must have felt me glaring, because she turned around and said "What?"

"What were you saying?"

"Oliver, it's none of your business."

"Ya know what? Fine, I don't even wanna know. I'm just gonna go upstairs and play my guitar. Call me when dinner's ready." I began to walk upstairs.

"Who ya singing for?" Mom smiled slyly.

"Oh my gosh I hate this house!" I yelled, stomping up the stairs while my mom laughed.

I slammed the door to my room and locked it. Why can't anyone just mind their own business? Why did they have to keep butting in to my love life? Actually…I don't really have a love life…but still, you know what I mean. I grabbed my guitar and began playing random songs that I wrote myself.

I have to admit, I'm not good at a lot of things. But I am really good at guitar. And I don't think I have a bad voice either. Lilly and Miley knew that I had a guitar, but they had never seen me play.

The only reason I picked it up was because in 6th grade Lilly said that guitar players were sexy, especially if they had a good voice. So I started because I wanted to impress Lilly, but I instantly fell in love with it.

I had never showed anyone, outside my family, my guitar and singing skills. I was too embarrassed of what Lilly would think. Maybe she'd think I was a wannabe. Maybe she'd think I was bad, and she'd make fun of me. That's why I kept the guitar to myself all these years.