Chapter Twenty-Two
"You guys… how did you even know that song, or what to play, or when to change keys, or like…?" I drown out mid-sentence, out of breath.
"Madoka, we didn't know, we just…" Miku starts.
"…We just felt it," finishes Len. Gumi smiles, hugging her guitar.
"I've never played that well with anyone before! You guys… We five are like…" she pauses, looking for the right word.
"Perfect together," Yuma suggests. Gumi shrugs.
"I was going to say magic," she says. Yuma smiles anyway. Len takes my hand. Miku stands up from the piano bench. Yuma grabs hold of his hi-hat. Gumi swings her guitar over her shoulder.
"Gumi is right. We're obviously meant to play together," Len says. Everyone exchanges glances, thinking about the idea.
"I guess it is pretty crazy," Len sighs.
"No, dude, you're right," Yuma says, standing up and putting his drumsticks on the seat. Gumi puts her hand on her hip and nods.
"But Madoka… it was your song, is that how you wanted it to sound?" Miku asks me, pushing her teal bangs out of her eye, and stepping forward.
"Only better," I say. Gumi squeals and puts her hands to her mouth. Len gives a sideways smile and looks me in the eye. This time, I don't tear from his gaze. Yuma leans against the drum set and smiles at Miku, who smiles too and rocks back and forth on her heels. "I didn't even know how I wanted it to sound, but this… this was amazing!" I say breathlessly.
"Better yet, the lyrics… Really mean something to me," Len says, blushing. I nod my head, understanding. Gumi smiles at me, winking.
"Yeah, me too, I've gone through a lot regarding Kaito in the last week, and you've been really supportive," Miku acknowledges.
"I'm not really too close with you yet, but you sound like you really know what you're singing about," says Yuma. I smile warmly.
"I thought Ten Faced was by far the best until I heard this," Gumi admits. I laugh to myself.
"Wait! Madoka, do you finally understand the lyrics?" asks Len. Four pairs of eyes wait patiently for an answer. I smile to myself, closing my eyes.
"I think I do. Yeah, you guys. I finally understand," I whisper. Miku claps, smiling proudly. Len wraps me in another big hug, surrounding me with solid, affectionate strength. I close my eyes, giving into his warmth.
"Aww," Gumi swoons, giggling. "You guys hug at the weirdest times."
"Shut up," I laugh, breaking apart from Len. Gumi giggles even harder.
"So, like, are you guys dating?" asks Yuma. Miku clasps her hand to her mouth. Len and I awkwardly exchange a glace.
"Uh…" I stammer.
"I dunno," Len shrugs. "Are we?" he asks me.
My eyes widen. "Yeah," I smile, "I guess." My face softens and a blush appears on my rosy cheeks.
"They are now," Gumi laughs. Miku jabs her in the ribs.
"Gumi, shut up!" both Len and Miku yell at the same time. She snorts. Some kind of illegible expression comes across Yuma's face- a mixture between discomfort and laughter.
"Sorry, I didn't know you guys were unofficial," Yuma says. Len looks down at me. I hold his gaze awkwardly for a second.
"They are now," Gumi repeats. Len runs over and thrust his fingers into her ribs, tickling her wildly. Gumi lets out a helpless scream. Miku joins in, tickling her with no mercy. It's not long before I climb on Len's back and we're attacking Gumi together. "Stop! Please!" Gumi begs in between hysterical laughs. "The tickling… it's too much!" she gasps. Yuma shrugs and joins in too. When we step back, Gumi is a crazy, spastic mess on the floor, her green hair now raised with static. Len chuckles, smirking.
"Was that too much, Len?" Miku asks, with a painted nail on her carved chin.
"I don't think it was enough," answers Yuma.
"That's only because you tickled her last!" Len points out.
"Hello? Does anybody see that I'm dying here?" Gumi breathes, still giggling uncontrollably. We all laugh together. Suddenly, the phone rings in the corner of the room. I pick it up.
"I'll be home in five minutes, Madoka," says my mother's voice. My eyes suddenly widen. She'll kill me if she knows I have friends over. "Okay, mom," I say. I hold the phone away from my mouth.
"Guys, you have to get out of here," I whisper, "Mom is coming home!"
"I rode my bike," says Gumi, "I can leave pretty easily."
"I live just down the street, so I could jog home," says Miku.
"Luka just got her driver's license, so she could drive me home," Yuma says.
"I kind of um… told my dad that five-thirty was the time for him to pick me up," says Len, rubbing the back of his neck. I sigh.
"Go home with Gumi!" I suggest.
"Hello? I'm riding a bike!" Gumi half-yells. Miku nods along with her.
"I would take you home, but we live practically an hour away," shrugs Yuma, "I don't have that kind of time tonight," he says with a flip of his pearl hair.
Len bites his lip. I sigh. "You guys head home. We'll figure this out," I say. Gumi, Miku, and Yuma all run out of the room and up the steps. My heart beats quicker as Len and I are the only ones left in the basement music room.
"You okay, Madoka?" Len asks, "You look kind of pale."
"I sigh. I've never had a boy over, and if my mom finds out I invited you over, especially without permission, I'll be dead for sure," I admit. "Do you live close?" I ask. Len shakes his head. "Are you sure you couldn't run home?" I ask.
"Too dark out."
"Could you call someone to pick you up?"
"Everyone is at sports practice."
"You could hide in the closet."
"Too sketchy."
"I could make something up?"
"You sure that's gonna work?" Len asks. "Madoka, maybe you should just tell the truth and say we're dating," he suggests.
"Did I not just say I'll be dead for sure?"
Len sighs. "Madoka, you're not helping here."
"You could always hide."
"Your mom would let me over here if we were doing homework, right?" he asks. I slowly nod my head. "Hurry, grab your notebook and stuff!" he half-yells. I quickly dig in my bag for my history textbook, but can't find it. Instead, I find an old script from a play I did years ago.
"This is all I could find!" I shriek, fumbling with the script and my messy bag. Through the floorboards, I can hear the sound of my mother unlocking the door and stepping into the house. Just in time, Len and I scramble out onto the floor, opening up the script and reading lines.
"You're Scarecrow!" I whisper, flipping to a random page. Len clears his throat.
"Looks like we came a long way for nothing," Len sighs, reading from page forty-two.
"And I thought I was on my way home!" I say. Len stops me.
"Hold on, you don't want to say your lines like that," he teases. I roll my eyes and read all the lines up until the middle of page forty-three. "What happened?" Len fills in, reading the Scarecrow's line.
"Somebody pulled my tail," I say in my awful cowardly lion voice.
"Oh, you did it yourself," Len says, after laughing.
"Len, why am I such a bad actor?" I ask him. He chuckles.
"I don't know. Why am I such a good actor?" he asks. I punch him in the shoulder and laugh. Suddenly, the door creaks open and my mom stands in the doorway. As soon as she sees Len lying down next to me, her eyes begin to widen.
"Madoka, who is this?" she asks, eyes narrowing.
"Oh, hi Mom, this is just Len. We're practicing lines," I say.
"You're not in the school play, honey," my mom points out.
"I know, but Len is," I say. Len gives a reassuring smile and nod. My mother raises an eyebrow and leans down at the script.
"Didn't you do that play two years ago?" she asks, eyeing me distrustfully.
"Yes, Mom, but they're doing the same one this year," I answer. She breathes a hesitant sigh.
"Next time you have a boy over, I need to meet him and his parents before he sets foot in this house, Madoka," my mom affirms, with a creased forehead.
"I know, but I-"
"No, buts Madoka. Len, did you know about our rules?" my mom asks. I cringe.
"No, ma'am," Len answers, sitting up. I sit up as well and bite my lip.
"Alright. Fine. Just make sure you're only practicing lines," my mom warns, keeping her eye dubiously on the two of us as she closes the door behind her.
"Thank goodness," I sigh heavily. Len scoots closer to me.
"So, um…" Len starts. I look up at him. "Do you think she likes me?"
"Well, you did call her ma'am, and she's not making you leave… so I think that's a good sign," I say, poking his solid arm.
"Yeah, that's all true," Len says. "You think she'll still let us date?"
"She doesn't know we're dating," I point out.
"Well, she's going to find out soon enough. Let's go make things right." I stop him, holding his shoulder before he can make a move.
"Len, no, I can't. We'll have to tell her later, or she'll know I was lying."
"I guess you're right," Len sighs. His eyes look hollow and troubled.
"Len, your eyes…" I start, holding up a finger, but dropping it with a sigh.
"I wasn't even looking at you."
"No, that's not it, Len, it's just… they're… is something wrong?" I ask. Len takes a moment to adjust the zipper on his hoodie.
"I just don't want you to be… I don't know… ashamed of us," he respires.
"I swear, Len, sometimes I feel like I'm trapped in some kind of romantic movie when I'm around you," I laugh. Soon, he catches my laugh and joins in.
"Hey, the feeling's mutual," he admits. I laugh and lean on is shoulder.
"So, Scarecrow," I say, "What do you think about Dorothy?"