"Clem! Clementine!"
I yelled as I ran right out of the admin building, passing by Rosie who was chilling on the stairs. I had my eyes fixated on the girl who was sitting on one of the couches in front of the dorms, and frantically waved some papers in my hand. I was so ridiculously excited about something that I just couldn't hold it in. As Clementine looked up, she saw me running towards her.
"What is it, Louis?"
she asked as I came to a full, hasty stop in front of her, having miscalculated the space I needed for slowing down, and fell down on the ground next to her feet. She seemed concerned.
"Well, okay, that was kind of uncharismatic and embarrassing,"
I said and heard Willy and Mitch laughing as they watched my performance. Then I started laughing too, a happy, bubbly laugh that I was unable to hold in.
"But, you can't believe what I found!"
I continued, talking so fast due to my excitement that it was a little hard to make out the words. Again I was waving the papers around right in front of Clem's face.
"Okay.."
she hummed, amused and tried to get a look at the papers, but couldn't do it because I failed to keep my hand still.
"What's this?"
she asked curiously.
"Well.. it's a song that I found. I forgot I still had it saved, and, uh.."
My sunny expression fluently changed into that of slight uneasiness. Clementine waited patiently while I tried to gather my pieces back together. I took a deep, shaky breath.
"I.. I was just thinking if.. i-if you could, you know, maybe.. sing it with me?"
I had started stuttering due to my mixed nervousness and excitement, and waited for Clementine to say something, still playing around with the papers.
"Sing?"
Clementine finally repeated and gently took the papers from my shaky hand. I forced myself to keep breathing while she went through the song lyrics. I was scared that for whatever silly reason she would reject my little suggestion. But then she said, causing my heart to almost jump out of my chest:
"Hey, I know this song!"
"You.. you do?"
I asked, wondering if my ears were failing me. I looked right at her once more, my expression showing real excitement and just pure, bubbly happiness. It was funny how I could so fluently go from discomfort to just being so excited about something.
"I do.. I used to listen to it like.. years ago, thinking it sounded pretty awesome. But never did I think that someday I'd be asked to sing it with someone,"
she said to me, smiling the familiar smile that I loved so much.
"So, uh.. do you?"
I asked her, of course referring to if she wanted to come and sing with me. I felt the butterflies take flight in my stomach when she said:
"I do."
She get up from the couch and walked with me across the courtyard and back towards the admin building.
"Louis, are you alright?"
she then asked me. I was quiet for a while, trying to connect the dots about what she meant.
"You just took that pretty impressive nose dive when you ran to me back there,"
she cleared out.
"Oh, yeah, that.. Yeah, I'm fine, Clem. I was just so excited to show you this,"
I calmed her down a little. She gave me that smile that just always made me a little weak in the knees.
"You know, Lou.. It's really good to see you like that. Your happiness is always overflowing, and I wouldn't want to have it any other way. Please don't ever change."
Hearing that made my heart skip a beat. But then I smiled again.
"I promise, Clem,"
I said and took her hand in my own. She squeezed it softly.
We walked hand in hand up the steps, into the building and then heades straight into the music room. All the way my heart kept bouncing around like it was about to break free from my chest.
"Clem, I'm.. really happy that you didn't turn me down,"
I said, showing for the first time how I'd felt a little insecure about it.
"Louis, I would never, ever do it,"
she swore to me and looked so serious that I believed her right on the spot.
As we got to the music room, she followed me right to the piano. I sat down and she settled right next to me, putting the notes where they belonged. I then started calmly playing with very little effort. Playing the piano just was in my blood, I thought. Clementine was slowly nodding her head to the sound of the piano, and then, right on cue, she started singing.
"Little do you know
How I'm breaking while you fall asleep
Little do you know
I'm still haunted by the memories
Little do you know
I'm trying to pick myself up piece by piece
Little do you know
I need a little more time"
I looked a little shocked when I heard her sing for the first time. It sounded so effortless and beautiful. She turned to look at me and I saw her expression change into that of concern. I then shook my head and nodded to her so she would keep singing. She smiled back at me and carried on with the song. Her voice sounded like it could belong to an angel.
"Underneath it all I'm held captive by the hole inside
I've been holding back for the fear that you might change your mind
I'm ready to forgive you but forgetting is a harder fight
Little do you know
I need a little more time"
Then she went quiet and I took over. It was so seamless one could have sworn that we'd been practising. But that wasn't it, this was our first time doing anything like this together.
"I'll wait, I'll wait
I love you like you've never felt the pain
I'll wait
I promise you don't have to be afraid
I'll wait
The love is here and here to stay
So lay your head on me"
I sang while still playing the piano. My fingers were running on the keys without me even having to look at them. This was like my second nature. And while I thought that my voice didn't sound quite as beautiful as hers did, it still resonated nicely with the tunes of the piano. From the corner of my eye I could see Clementine swaying lightly from side to side, living in the moment. It warmed my heart to see her getting so into this.
As I moved on to the next verse I relaxed a little and started being more confident with my singing again, which sounded really damn good for someone who had never actually been taking singing lessons. I guessed there was just some natural talent mixed up in all of this.
"Little do you know
I know you're hurting while I'm sound asleep
Little do you know
All my mistakes are slowly drowning me
Little do you know
I'm trying to make it better piece by piece
Little do you know
I, I love you 'til the sun dies"
The smile on my face faded away a little. This verse in particular spoke to me on a personal level. I knew I'd made mistakes, a lot of them, and while I always kept a brave face on, acting like nothing could faze me, it was only half of the truth. I was quite insecure of myself at times, and was worried that one day my inability to take care of something would be that one last mistake, the one to cost someone their life. But I was trying to be better, even though not everyone could see it. But Clementine did, I believed so. She gave me a reassuring smile, and I smiled brightly right back at her.
And then we started singing together in harmony.
"Oh wait, just wait
I love you like I've never felt the pain
Just wait
I love you like I've never been afraid
Just wait
Our love is here and here to stay
So lay your head on me"
I felt like my heart was beating so loud that it would soon burst out of my chest. I heard my own voice perfectly blend in with Clementine's own, almost like it was meant to be this way. The song was a duet of course, but in my mind I felt like it had never sounded this good before. Clementine closed her eyes, letting this moment carry her away completely. I soon followed her example, seeing how open and comfortable she felt, and let my eyes close as well.
"I'll wait (I'll wait), I'll wait (I'll wait)
I love you like you've never felt the pain
I'll wait (I'll wait)
I promise you/I don't have to be afraid
I'll wait
The love is here and here to stay
So lay your head on me
Lay your head on me
So lay your head on me"
We continued singing in perfect unison, our voices growing even louder as we let all our happiness burst free. Due to being so caught up in the song we didn't even notice how we had some audience looking and listening near the music room doorway. Willy and Violet had snuck in and stood there for some time. Willy seemed a little mesmerized by what he was witnessing. Violet was speechless as well by how two people could sound so good together, like it really was meant to be just like that. Eventually, before we could end the song, she touched Willy's shoulder and gestured to him that they should leave before we were able to notice anything. And after taking one last look at us they left. Just in time too, because the song was coming to an end.
"'Cause little do you know
I, I love you 'til the sun dies..."
I finished the song and slowly opened my eyes. Clementine did the same, too. And for some time we just sat there, looking at each other. I felt greatly out of breath by this one of a kind experience. Clementine looked straight into my eyes.
"Are you alright?"
she quietly mouthed the words, and I nodded. Then she got a little closer to me and gently pressed her lips against my own, and kissed me. I felt my face turn a little red as I put my arms over her shoulders, looking at her affectionately. The kiss lasted for a while, and after we slowly, reluctantly pulled away from each other, I just didn't want this moment to end yet. I tried looking for some courage from those beautiful eyes of hers.
"I love you, Clem.."
I whispered and, with my heart still beating like crazy, I kissed her again.