“Just as well,” I say, inspecting my left middle finger. “I’m starting to rub away my callous.”
Leaning forward, his chair creaks as he flicks off the recording equipment and closes his MacBook. “You need to learn your limits. You can’t work without rest.”
“Is that what you were doing that day when you were banging out a song in your underwear? You looked like you’d been up all night.”
He rubs a hand over the growing stubble on his face. “Point taken.”
“Looks like we’re as bad as each other. How is that song coming along, anyway?”
Meeting my eyes for a moment, he sighs as he checks his watch. “It’s past midnight, Naomi. I’m tired.”
“So answer the question and I’ll leave.”
“Is that how this is works now?”
I give my violin a quick wipe over before I place it in my case. “We used to be friends, Theo. I just want you to stop being so pigheaded and remember what that was like.”
He looks at me for a moment before he rests his elbows on his knees and clasps his hands in front of him. “Um… it’s coming along. I’ve been working on the lyrics since you helped me get the melody down.”
I smile. “See? That wasn’t so hard.” He sits back and rolls his eyes. “Do you think… I could hear it?”
“Jesus. You like pushing your luck.” I like pushing him. I like seeing that spark light up in the back of his eyes. I like sharing music with him.
“Remember how you and I would ditch class and hide out in the old auditorium? We’d work on writing new music together and talk about how one day our creations would mean something? Those are my favourite memories of high school, and until recently, I thought I’d completely lost the person I made those memories with. I really miss that guy, Theo. I miss watching him play. I miss hearing him sing. I miss making music together.”
“That guy doesn’t exist anymore.”
“Maybe. But his talent had only grown. I want to hear what you have.”
“Fine. I’ll show you,” he concedes, making my heart do a cheer when he picks up an acoustic guitar before sitting back down. “Now, don’t laugh. The lyrics are a work in progress.” He gives me a ghost of a smile, positioning himself before plucking along the strings, his fingers dancing as he weaves his magic. I need to press my teeth into my bottom lip to stop myself from smiling too much. I feel like I’m being jetted back in time—minus the makeup—and it’s wonderful.
“Woke up this morning, and I realised you were gone.
This house feels so empty I never thought our time was done.”
His voice flows through me like a gentle warmth that tickles my spine and ends with the small hairs on my body standing on end. It’s beautiful, his voice, the lyrics, the music. Him…
“I know you asked me to write you a special song
You were my muse, writing without you seems wrong”
He stops singing then looks up at me, his fingers still playing the music. “I want another verse to go in here. Something about windows being open and cold coming in. I’ll work it all out, but this part here is the chorus.” I can’t help but smile as he plays without fault and talks out his thoughts like doing the two together is the easiest thing in the world. It’s not. And I hum along as he sings the chorus to the bars of music I helped him with.
“Oh, please know I loved you,
Even though I was unfair
Please know I still want you
I’ll show you that I care.”
Placing his hand over the top of the strings, he stops the music. “And that’s all I have so far. But I like that hum you just did. We’ll have to incorporate that when we work it into our set list.”
“Does that mean you’re definitely staying with the band?” I can’t even try to hide my smile now as he pulls out his notepad and jots his thoughts down.
“It’s not like you’re giving me a choice, ” he says, flashing me a tight smile.
“For what it’s worth, we’re doing exactly what we dreamed about in high school. We’re making people feel with our music. And you have a such a beautiful voice. Seems a shame to hide it behind a drum kit.”
He shrugs. “Drummers are unreliable. And honestly, Marcus needs the limelight far more than I do. I’m happy with my role.”
“And yet you were willing to give it up.”
“I was willing to give my brother up. Not music. I would’ve found something else.”
“Well, I guess you two will just have to find a way to become friends again. For the sake of the band.”
He scoffs. “Not even a time machine could fix me and Marcus. It goes way deeper than what happened at that party. You’re forcing us all together when we’re better off apart.”
“Do you really believe that?” I lean down and pick up my violin case. “He’s your brother, Theo. You have to make this work.”
“You sound like my mother.”
“Your mum sounds like a smart woman.” That actually gets a laugh out of him.
“You know this is a disaster waiting to happen?”
“Not if we keep our focus on the music.” I reach for the door. “Good night, Theo.”
“Good night, Naomi.”
I offer him one last smile as I head out into the cool night air, hopeful that this is our turning point, and that we can all move forward together. This band isn’t just about me, Theo and Marcus. It’s about Lachlan and Jack too. It’s about Erica and Amy, and the fans who are rooting for us to succeed. If we fall apart now over an immature misunderstanding, then what the hell are we even doing? I’ll make those brothers friends again if it’s the last thing I do. I’ve helped people together when they were too stubborn to see reason before. I can do it again now. I have to.
Eighteen
Naomi
“You have to tell me everything.” Stephanie sits opposite me, breathless and running late to meet me for coffee the next afternoon.
“Well, hello to you too.” I laugh, indicating the coffee and cake I’ve already ordered for her. “It’s chocolate torte.” I slide my sunglasses on top of my head while she settles into her seat.
“Hello? Whatever,” she says, waving her hand dismissively. “What’s a hello? I haven’t seen my best friend—the godmother of my child—in months. You’ve been so busy with this band stuff that I hardly even get to talk to you, and on top of that, do you know what I saw posted on Facebook today? A YouTube video of you, looking smoking hot on stage next to lover-boy-Bailey. And do you know who posted that video, Naomi? Fucking Radio Silence. Not their fan page. Their page. They’re saying you’re touring with them when they come out here. Is that true? Are you actually going to get to meet Dan Stolle? You have to introduce me. You know how much I love them. I mean, I already have tickets. I ordered them the moment they went on sale. Fuck, Nomes. Do you know what this means?”
I laugh at her constant barrage as I take a sip of my coffee. “It means I’m going away for a while.”
“It means you’re going to be famous.” She holds her hands out like she’d rather be shaking me, but she’s too far away.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. We’re just supporting. We’re not the headlining act.”
“Yes, but do you understand how many other bands would have been going for that?”
“I know. Honestly, this is all happening so fast I’m struggling to wrap my head around it. Tell me something normal. Tell me about what you’ve been doing lately.”
“Me? Are you fucking serious? I stay at home all day and watch a one-year-old walk around the house and throw tantrums because her chubby little fingers won’t let her pick up a piece of lint from the carpet. I don’t want to talk about me. Tell me about the boys in the band. Are you and Marcus sleeping together yet? God, I bet he’s great in bed—when you can remember it—he’s got that I’m-gonna-make-you-scream vibe about him.” I giggle at the way she shimmies in her seat.
“I’ll let Gary know you’re into lead guitarists
now,” I tease.
“Married girls can still fantasise. Gary is the dream, but being a stay at home mum is hardly the vision I had for myself back in the day. I was going to be on stage, remember? Broadway. But my talent didn’t really extend past community theatre.” She sighs and shoves her fork into her cake. “Just tell me you’re having wild spontaneous sex. I need someone to be.”
“Sorry to burst your bubble, but no.” She shovels cake into her mouth and groans. “And you’re not going to believe this; I haven’t slept with either of them. Ever.”
Her eyes widen as she holds her hand in front of her cake-filled mouth. “What do you mean?”
I recount the ridiculous sibling rivalry Marcus and Theo had over me back in high school and how Marcus allowed Theo to think he’d slept with me just to make sure he stayed away.
“That’s bloody ridiculous,” she says, cutting off more cake and popping it into her mouth. “Thanks for ordering for me by the way.”
“No worries,” I tell her. “But, what’s even weirder is we actually did know Theo in high school. He just went by a different name back then.”
“What was it?”
“Aramis.”
Stephanie sits forward so quickly, she sprays cake out of her mouth in surprise.
“That’s disgusting, Steph,” I grimace, handing her a napkin.
“I’m sorry, but oh my god. Theo is Aramis?”
“Yep.”
“What the hell? Why didn’t we know his real name?”
“I always thought it really was Aramis,” I say. “Even the teachers called him that. How were we supposed to know?”
“See, that’s the problem with performing arts schools. At a public school a teacher would never go for some teenage boy going all goth and changing his name.”
“Perhaps,” I say, laughing.
“So, you made out with both Theo and Marcus. But no threesome, or sex of any kind happened?”
“That’s right.”
“Huh. I gotta say, I’m kinda disappointed. It would have been cool if you were in the middle of a rock star brother sandwich. I’m getting all warm just thinking about it.”
“Yeah, well, Theo barely tolerates Marcus. When he thought Marcus slept with me, he’d look at me like I had the scarlet letter carved into my forehead. It’s been really unsettling.”
“And how is he now you’ve uncovered the truth? He knows nothing happened, right?”
I nod. “I made Marcus tell him. Oddly, I think it made him even more angry. He was seriously talking about leaving the band.”
“Holy shit.”
“I know. I’ve convinced him to stay, but I don’t know, tensions are high. I’ll need to be really careful with how I interact with them.”
She picks up her coffee and holds it between both her hands. “You’re not gonna sleep with either of them are you?”
Offering an amused but emphatic smile, I shake my head. “Bands break up when members get involved. Just ask Lachlan, he’ll tell you all about it.” I remember back to my first session when he went on a rant about ABBA.
“Which one’s Lachlan?”
“The bassist.”
“Shaggy blond?”
“That’s him.” I scoop some cake into my mouth.
“So…if you can’t sleep with the guys in your band, where are you getting sex?”
I almost spit cake myself. “Uh, I haven't really had time.”
“But you can sleep with any other guy around the band, right?”
“Of course.”
“Great. Because Dan Stolle is single.” She wiggles her eyebrows comically.
“Ooh nooo. That would be a terrible idea. I'd be no better than a glorified groupie.”
“Who cares? Its Dan Stolle. Just promise that if the opportunity presents itself, you'll seriously consider it.” She clasps her hands together like she’s begging.
“You realise you’re making plans for my vagina for your own personal enjoyment, right?”
“All I have is the ability to live vicariously through you. Please.”
I sit back in my chair and laugh. “Fine. If Dan Stolle tries to get in my pants, I'll let him so I can tell you all about it.”
She claps her hands and laughs while bouncing on her chair. “You’re the best friend ever.”
“So I’ve heard.” I chuckle while I roll my eyes.
“Oh, and if it's not too much trouble, take photos. Oh! And get his autograph.”
“How about I get him to FaceTime you the moment we’ve finished having sex?” I tease, trying not to laugh.
Her eyes go wide. “Oh, my God. Could you do that? I would love it.”
“No!” I cackle so hard, I almost can’t breathe. “Can you imagine? That would be crazy.”
Stephanie pouts. “I think it would be awesome.”
Picking up my bag, I stand. “I’ve got to get to practice.”
“So soon?”
I lean down and give her a brief hug. “I’ll call you soon OK? We’ll catch up before I go on tour.”
“Tour.” She grins. “Oh, Nomes. I’m so fucking excited for you.”
Sliding my glasses back over my eyes, release a happy sigh. “So am I.”
Nineteen
Marcus
“Give it back!” Naomi squeals, chasing Lachlan who’s successfully evading her by putting Theo’s drum kit between them.
“No way. I want to see what girly crap you’re going to end up making us all play,” he teases as he holds a journal out of Naomi’s reach.
“Don’t think those drums are going to save you. I can still whip you with my bow from this distance,” she warns, flicking her arm out and getting him in the shoulder.
“Ow.” He laughs, flinching away from her as she hits him repeatedly. “Ow. Stop it. All right, all right, I’ll give it back. Stop whipping me.”
He moves around the drum kit and holds the book out to her, his other hand held up in surrender. She snatches the book back and gives him one last whip for good measure.
“Hey.” He winces while rubbing his arm. “I gave it back.”
“Dude, you totally deserved that,” Jack says, laughing over the whole altercation. “You don’t mess with other people’s music journals. They’re personal.”
“It’s true, mate,” I say, not even bothering to hide my amusement. “Those things are sacred. You never look inside unless you’re invited.” Lachlan doesn’t write his own music, so he can be forgiven for not understanding. But he needs to learn.
“I get it,” he whines, still rubbing his arm as he turns to Naomi. “You’ve given me welts.”
She pokes her tongue out and shoves the book deep into her oversized bag.
“You’re writing lyrics?” I ask, moving to stand beside her.
She looks up and bounces a shoulder before she looks down at her hand, inspects one of the many callouses she’s developed from playing. Her dark lashes hide her eyes from me. She seems so small and delicate that I have to fight the urge to scoop her up in my arms and protect her from the world. How do you stop wanting a person you never got to have?
“It’s nothing. I’m just playing around.”
“Now you’ve got me interested.” I lean down a little so I can speak quietly. “I’ll show you mine, if you show me yours.” My mouth turns up in a grin. I know I’m teasing, but I can’t help it, I love making her blush. Besides, we’ll need to start collaborating since Theo’s planning on cutting us off.
“You’re incorrigible.” She laughs, glancing back up at me. But it’s there; that blush I was after is blooming across her cheeks. I guess this is what I’ve always liked about Naomi. She has this innocence about her that other girls don’t have. And I know she’s not innocent by any stretch of the imagination. It just feels that way, like she needs my protection…I don’t know. She’s special. Different.
“Seriously though, I’d love to hear what you’ve got.” I grin before nodding towards her bag.
She leans ag
ainst the low shelving and tucks her hair behind ear. “Oh, they’re really nothing special. I’ve just had the melody to the song Theo’s been working on in my head and I jotted a few things down. The rest of it is all old stuff I’ve been playing around with since school, and there’s some classical themed stuff from my uni days. Normal stuff… you know?”
“Theo’s working on new music?” I try to ask without letting a frown etch my face. Why would he be writing new music if he’s leaving the band? “Is that why you stayed back last night?”
“I stayed back to make sure we were cool after our misunderstanding. And to work on my timing like I told you. Don’t doubt me, Marcus. I’ve given you no reason to.”
I lift my hand in a show of acquiescence. “My bad.” I guess I trust Theo around Naomi as much as I trust myself—not very much. “Why don’t you tell me about this song.”
“It’s from a couple weeks back. He was playing it when I got here one day, and it got caught in my head so I wrote some things down that might help.”
I nod as I press my lips together, trying to decide how much I should tell her. I’d hate for her to spend time working on a song only to have it all wasted when he leaves and refuses to hand it over. But at the same time, I don’t want to upset her balance before we go on tour. We need everyone happy and positive if we’re going to make a good impression out there.
“Maybe just focus on the tour for now?” I say instead. “There’ll be plenty of time for us to work on new music once we’re back and in the studio.” I look around and realise I’m going to need to find us a new rehearsal space. Theo won’t want us in his garage anymore. Fuck. I hadn’t thought about all this.
“I am focusing on the tour. There were just some lyrics in my head and I jotted them down. It’s no big deal.” Shit. I’ve offended her.
“They’ll be a huge deal,” I say, leaning back on the shelving next to her. “You’ve always been incredibly talented. I can’t wait to hear this new song. I bet it’ll be a fan favourite on our next EP.” When she smiles and looks down, I can tell I’ve flattered her enough to save myself. Phew. I don’t need her pissed at me too. “Hey, you never said why you left ANU. Why didn’t you finish?” I need to change the subject.
Melody: Beautiful Series, book three Page 13
