Hey guise. Haven't written in a while but here's a little one shot. Inspired by when Colton Dixon from American Idol sang Piano Man. Hope you like it. =)
Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly, Coldplay, Billy Joel and a piano.
"Wow, he's really good for an 8 year old kid"
"Better than anyone I know."
"So true."
Carly and Sam were currently watching a little kid play the piano for the 2th times and by their compliments, you could've thought they wanted to date him. It was sickening especially, when your girlfriend totally ignores you even when you mention going to her favorite restaurant.
"Oh come on, he's not that good." I say, clearly annoyed.
"Oh shut up, Fredlame, you're just jealous of him." Sam says with a cocky smirk.
"Am not." I mumble. But, I admit it, that little kid was really good but I'm not going to admit that out loud.
"Like you can do better." Sam says with a smile on her face.
I know what this is. She's challenging me. "It's on, Puckett."
"Fine then, let's go to my house. There's a piano in my basement." She says standing up.
"Let go." I say grabbing hold of her hand.
"Don't kill each other." Carly says with a wave as we walk out the door.
You guys might be wondering if I really can play the piano. Well, yes I can. Not to brag, but I'm actually kind of good. My mom forced me into taking lessons when I was younger and since I barely had friends it's all I did other than my tech stuff.
Sam is currently playing with the car radio now, groaning at nearly every song that plays.
"Sam, if you don't like any of the songs, you could just turn it off." I say.
"There's always a good song, Freddie. Patience." Sam says as she makes a face at a K-Pop song that plays. I roll my eyes at her.
Suddenly "Piano Man" by Billy Joel comes on. I love this song but Sam changes it quickly.
"Go back to that, Sam. That song's really good." I tell her.
"No." She says, quite sternly.
I reach over myself to put the song back on but Sam swats my hand away and looks at me with a glare. "I said no." She says.
I know Sam. Either she really doesn't like the song or there's something in her past about it. I'm guessing the latter. And to ask her questions right now is not the right thing to do. She'll let her walls down when she knows she can't keep them up any longer and it's my job to build them up again.
We finally reach her house and we go down to the basement to see an old piano. It's covered with dust and some cobwebs. It's obvious it hasn't been played in a long time. My mom would kill me if she knows I've been close to so much dirt.
Sam gestures to the piano. "Well, show me your magic." She says with a small smirk on her face.
I give her a cocky grin that I know she hates but loves. I sit down at the dusty old chair and start playing "Paradise" by Coldplay. I can feel her eyes on me and I look up and see a smile on her face.
I continue playing and when I reach the chorus, Sam does something I would have never expected her to do. Sam starts to sing. I have only heard Sam sing about 3 times and those 3 times, I just stumbled upon her. But this time, she willingly sings. I look at her with a surprised face and she just closes her eyes and gets lost in the song.
Sam's voice is heaven. Her voice was of an angel's. God naturally gave her this gift. Her voice is as smooth as silk and yet has this rasp that you can't resist. Her voice is better than anyone's I know. Better than Carly's. I don't know why she doesn't show it off, though. I guess, her voice is like a shooting star. It only shows once in rare moments but when it does show, you get entranced by it. The whole world pauses and that's the only thing that you care for right now. It's something you want to watch forever but it has to go and you just have to wait for the right moment until that beautiful moment happens again.
I play the last notes as Sam opens her eyes. I look into those perfect blue eyes that never fail to make my heart skip a beat.
"Wow."I breathe out.
Sam smiles and starts clapping. "Well, Benson, you exceeded my expectations. Good job." She says with a smile but I'm still too busy living in that moment when she was singing to even realize she was complimenting me.
Sam waves her hand in front of my face. "Hello, Earth to Benson."
"Wow." I say again.
"Okay, I get it. My voice is amazing. Bla bla bla. Save the cheesy comments." She says as she sits down beside me.
I give her a peck on her lips then look into her eyes. "Your voice is perfect." I say. I chuckle as she tries to hard a blush.
"So, tell me why you have a dusty piano in your basement?" I ask.
That's when I know this subject is something personal. Her walls have taken an extra barrier that will probably bother her after conversation if she doesn't let down those walls.
"You could always tell me. I'll be here for you no matter what."I say, letting her know it's time for the walls to crumble.
She knows this so she lets them fall, slowly first. "My dad." She whispers.
"Your dad?" I ask confused.
"He loved playing the piano. That's what he always does. He sits here and brings music and happiness to the family. His hands would swiftly move through these keys as he shows off his skills." She gives a small smile. Sam's father died. I know that and that's why talking about her dad is a tough subject for her.
"He would teach me all the songs he knows and then when I learn them, he'd treat me to dinner or to a movie." She says, longingly. I did not know Sam could play the piano and that information caught me off guard. That would be added to my list of things on why I love her.
"Those were the moments that I miss the most. The moments I loved so much and wish I could go back to. He never thought Melanie. When I asked him why, he told me that the gift of playing the piano was only given to me. He knew when he first held my fingers." She said and a tear slowly falls down her cheeks. I grab hold of her hands and intertwine them with mine.
"Piano Man." She suddenly says. "Piano Man was the song that he tried to teach me how to play but I never got it. I tried and tried but I always mixed up the keys. Every day I would go home from school, thinking that I can finally do this. I can play Piano Man today but then I would mess up and my dad would laugh at put me in his lap and say 'Only the Piano Man can play Piano Man.' And then he would teach me another song that I would perfect." She lets another tear fall down. That's why she didn't want to listen to the song. I've never seen her like this, so vulnerable, so open, she did let go of all the walls that have been caging her.
"Then he died, and I stopped trying. I stopped playing the piano. I gave up." She said and I knew she regretted not trying.
"Why don't you make him proud, Sam? Why don't you show your father that you can live up to his expectations? Don't throw everything he thought you, all those moments you had together way. Everything he thought you doesn't need to be a waste. I'm pretty sure he wants you to play." I tell her softly as I put her fingers on the keys. "Maybe you might get lost in the music and feel his presence."
She sighs and nods her head. She slowly plays the first note then the second and then she plays the whole song and gets lost in it. She closes her eyes and her hands move swiftly across the keys. She's perfect. Everything else vanishes and she's the only one occupying everything. She's not pretty. She's not adorable. She's beautiful. I see that this is where she belongs. With music. With her dad laughing and applauding in the background as she finishes the song without a mistake. She opens her eyes as she hits the last notes. A tear hits a key and a smile appears on her face.
"I did it." She whispers. "I did it" she says louder this time. "I did it, Freddie. I did it! I played Piano Man." She says with a huge smile on her face. "Thank you, Freddie." She hugs me.
"It's your dad you should thank, Princess." I say as I hug her back.
Sam lets go and looks up. "Did you hear that, Dad? Did you hear it? I played Piano Man! I knew I could do it! Everything you ever thought will not go to waste, Dad. I will play the piano more. I'll make you proud." She says, happily.
As if in response, a wind chime tinkles and I swear, Sam's smile lit up the whole room. "I love you, Dad." She whispers then gives me a big hug.
"I love you, Freddie." Sam says and I know she means it.
"I love you too, Sam" I say with all my heart.
And that's when I knew, that no matter how rambunctious and rude and aggressive Sam is. Deep down, there's a gentle, loving, soft-spoken star in her. The one that will always make me love her more.
_So, did you like it? Why don't you go click that button that says review and give me a comment. =)