Same Old Song

by Brenda Dorantes

  "Do you like them?" I ask her.

  "I love them." She looks at me and says, "I used to believe that every star contained a story that's never been told. It was something my dad used to tell me when I was a little girl, it became a thing between us that used to drive my mom crazy. Every night before bed, dad would take me out to our backyard and makeup stories and tell them to me. I guess that's how my love for storytelling started, but I was never as good as him."

  I look at the sky, imagining a little girl with big brown round eyes listening to made-up stories her father told her. It was a sweet image that kind of reminded me of my own. It was my mother who bestowed the art of music to me. To this day, the only clear memory I have from my childhood is sitting next to my mother on the piano bench, listening to her play My Immortal.

  "So, there's billions of untold stories." I look back at Katherine, who kept her attention to the sky and ask, "what's yours?"

  She looks back at me with surprise in her eyes and her brows raise. "My story?" I can see my question catches her with her guard down. Our conversation was nowhere near finished. "Um, I don't have one."

  "Come on, not even like a sneak peek or something?" I ask, making her laugh. She refuses to say anything. "Come on, just tell me something about you? Whatever you can think of."

  Katherine sighs, stretching her arms out in front of her, cracking her fingers in the process.

  "Music."

  I grin. "Okay. What about music?"

  "I love music and everything about it. Every time I write I need to have my music on. It's like an inspiration for me to continue." She stands up and grabs the swing. "Like, listening to any kind of music. It's the tone and the feeling that I get from it that sets me on this crazy rampage and I get all these ideas I have no idea what to do with. Thoughts, stories, characters, dialogue and even sometimes I find myself speaking to myself out loud in a room filled with people." Her voice begins to pick up pace as she explains the adrenaline she feels right now just talking about it. She finishes with a deep breath and when she notices me staring, her cheeks take a deeper shade of red. "Does it sound weird?" She asks shyly, pulling her hair behind her ear.

  I stand up, pulling her hair away from her face. This girl is amazing. How could something so cute be weird?

  "No. Not at all." I take my hand back and hide it in my pocket. "Literature and music, huh?" Not bad, they could be a good combination.

  She nods with a wide smile. So wide I could see the small dimples on her chubby-ish cheeks.

  "They make the perfect love story."

  Then, we just smile at each other. It was almost the perfect setting, all we needed was the cheesy background music and the spotlight centered on us. My brother, after all, did do something to my benefit.

  Unfortunately, my phone rings and interrupts the moment. It just had to be Alex.

  "Yes, Alex," I answer.

  "Hey, if you're hooking up with Kathy, put it on hold, we need you back here." I roll my eyes at his stupid comment. "The police are on their way here so come back. Now!" The line goes dead.

  "Fuck," I hiss, tucking my phone back in my pocket.

  "What happened?" Katherine asked, concerned.

  "Yeah, the police are on their way to the party and it seems like you and I are going to have to save their ass," I said. Katherine nods, biting her lower lip. "We're gonna run, ready?”

  "Ready." She gets in a running position and waits for me to say go. I mock her and look at her with a wide grin. "Go!" I shout and we start running back to the house.

  The house is about a mile down the street. By the time we reach the corner I can hear that she is running out of breath beside me. I laugh thinking I'm going to win our little race, but as soon as I slow down my pace, she picks up and flies by me. She's laughing at me now. I push myself faster, ignoring the burn inside my lungs until we reach the house at the same time. People are running out with panic faces and holding onto their alcohol as if their lives depended on it.

  I look around between the multitude of people making their escapes out the windows until I find Alex, Leila, Matthew and Jessie running out from the backyard. Katherine and I catch up to them. They don't seem to be drunk, but scared, yes. Very scared.

  "Bro, we need to go." Alex lays his head on my shoulder and wraps his arms around me, panting heavily against my ear.

  "What the hell happened?" I shove him away and wipe his sweat off me. Fucking gross. People keep on running past us to their cars.

  "I might have punched a couple of guys, no biggie," he said with a laugh. The police sirens caught us with our guard down and Alex immediately yelled, "Run!" And we all take off toward our cars.

  Katherine grabs Jessie's arm as they ran to their car and jump in. Leila - who is already there - starts the engine and takes off after blowing a kiss to Alex. I can see Katherine in the back seat of the car laughing with Jessie before Leila turns the car around and disappears in the distance. Alex shoves me in the car and jumps in the passenger seat as Matthew takes off in the same direction the girls went.

  I sit up on my seat and smack Alex hard across the head. "Why the hell would you punch a bunch of guys?" I snap.

  "Four to be exact," Matthew points out driving over the speed limit, like that won’t get us pulled over. "One of them is the son of the chief of police."

  "Even worse! What the fuck happened?" The nerve my brother has to be punching people around.

  Alex laughs. "Those assholes were looking at our girls, Aidan. You will know that no one can mess with the Callahan girls, Jess and Kathy included. We're family."

  "So what if they were looking at them? They didn't touch them! Fuck, Alex." I bury my face in my hands and take deep breaths to calm my anger or else I’ll murder him.

  Matthew speaks this time. "Actually, they did grab Leila. That's what made Alex snap. They're lucky that I didn't join in because they'd be dead at this time."

  "Goddammit, no one can leave you two alone for five minutes because then the entire SWAT team is looking for you!" I sit back and take a deep breath. That's when I notice we're over the speed limit, no one is wearing a seatbelt and we're in an urban area. "Dammit, drive slower! You're going to get us in more trouble."

  I put on my seatbelt and lay back. Alex and Matthew look like they're having the time of their lives. Well, they better enjoy it while it lasts. They won't be laughing when we're sitting in the police station waiting for our parents to bail us out and that's if they want to.

  I lean back in my seat and close my eyes, shutting their laughter out, the horrible music they're listening to and pay more attention to zoning out. My head is filled with notes and melodies, bouncing off one another, forming the sweetest of sounds.

  A new song.

  What surprises me is that for the first time since I ever wrote a melody, I actually start thinking about lyrics that goes with the music. A lullaby. A smooth, quiet lullaby that made everything else go away.

  Chapter Four

  Aidan

  I'm gone. My mind wanders into another dimension where there is no reality. It's only me in my own little world. My chest almost hurts, my heart is hammering my ribs so hard, I’m afraid it might burst. My subconscious is long gone. Adrenaline runs through my veins and through my fingers as they play each note.

  I'm in the zone.

  I'm bewitched and I don't want to let go. My breathing becomes heavier as I reach the last notes of the song and it ends. I'm practically panting like someone who just ran a marathon. It's not unusual to me anymore, I'm used to the adrenaline and losing myself in such a way. I look down at my fingers which haven't moved an inch since I've stopped and noticed the slight tremor.

  The door to the rehearsal room opens and Mr. Garner walks in with his eyebrows raised to the point where they could reach his hairline. He lets his briefcase down next to the door and crosses his arms over his chest without saying a word.

  "I... I was about to leave," I stammer. I grab my notes with shaky hands and
neatly, as neat as I can, put them in my backpack.

  "It's okay," he said, walking up to me. He stops next to the piano with a thoughtful look. "That's new, did you write it?" He asks, pointing to my notes.

  "Um, yeah." I take off my glasses and rub my tiredness from my eyes. "I-I mean, yes, sir."

  "What is it called?"

  "I haven't thought of a name, Mr. Garner. I don't usually name my songs."

  "May I see the sheets?" I nod, taking them out and handing them to him. He studies the sheets with a scrunch and four perfect horizontal lines form across his forehead. "I see it comes with lyrics. Is it a lullaby?”

  "Yes, sir."

  "How long did it take you to write this?"

  "Overnight," I said without a second thought.

  As soon as we arrived at the dorm after dinner at Denny's last night, I took my book out and wrote every single note that came to mind, making sure I didn't lose a single detail. I've been having these notes stuck in my head for two days after the party Saturday night. I needed to get them out. The lyrics were something new, but I feel like they fit well with the music.

  "I see… Ever thought of perhaps attending Juilliard instead of here?" He asks, handing me the notes back.

  "No, I..." I put them back in my binder and stood up, pulling my backpack over my shoulder. He is not the first one to tell me that, but it's not something I ever considered. "I'm not good enough for that school. Plus, my brother and I always planned on coming here ever since we started high school and… it just seemed like the right thing to do."

  Mr. Garner frowns, taking off his glasses and crosses his arms over his chest again. His lips form a straight line as he studies my words.

  "Not good enough?"

  "Yep." I tap my thumbs to the straps of my backpack. "Well, um, I have to go. My brother may be waiting for me."

  I walk to the door when he calls my name.

  "Aidan?"

  "Yeah?" I turn around.

  He's standing in the same spot I left him, only now he's facing me. He drops his arms and says, "Just so you know, I've never seen anyone play an instrument like you do. Never heard a song that was well written overnight. You, out of all my students, have the most potential I've seen in years."

  "Mr. Garner, it's not potential what motivates people to do what I do."

  My response takes him aback. He leans on the piano and asks, "Then, what is it?"

  "Passion," I simply answer. "Why would anyone want to do anything if they're not passionate about it?"

  He chuckles with a slight shake of his head and nods. "Well, let me tell you this: that passion you have for music is going to take you to some great places. Never say you're not good enough, son, because you are. Amazing, actually. You just have to believe in yourself."

  "Thank you, Mr. Garner. I'll see you tomorrow."

  I walk out of the classroom deep in thought. I'm already happy where I am right now. My only need is that audition and it's only a week and a half away. That is what is going to get me to great places. It may sound ambitious, I don't know, but I have to get in the Annual Orchestra Foundation. Otherwise, what was the point of this last year I’ve spent busting my ass for it?

  When I walk in my dorm, I find Alex and Matthew dressing up again. Great, another one of their adventures, I suppose.

  "Please, don't tell me you're going to another party," I said, dropping my backpack on the floor.

  "Nope," Alex answers. "We're going to dinner with the girls."

  I roll my eyes. That’s even worse than a party. "I'm not sitting at a dinner table with you two sucking on their faces." I lay on my bed and close my eyes. "I'm exhausted and staying here."

  "Oh, well," Matthew said, grabbing his car keys from the nightstand between our beds. "It’s a shame Kathy is not gonna have any company."

  My eyes pop open.

  Alex laughs and replies, "Yup, she really was looking forward to seeing my brother again. Too bad he's not in the mood."

  "Kathy?" I ask, sitting up on the bed.

  Alex rolls his eyes at me while putting on his jacket. "She likes to be called Kathy, short for Katherine." Kathy. That fits her so much better than Katherine. "Well, if you don't want to go I guess we can ask Derek if he wants to go, he'll definitely like her."

  No! Not Derek. Derek is an asshole. I stand up immediately and grab my shoes. I'm not letting Kathy hang out with Derek, he's obviously not good for her. A sweet girl like her shouldn't be around a pothead like him. I should probably go with them.

  "No, I'm going." I grab my jacket under the weird looks these two give me.

  "Well, I thought you weren't in the mood to go out to eat," Alex said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Or is it because Kathy is going?"

  I laugh, nervously. "What? No, not at all. I just remembered that I haven't eaten anything all day so I'm hungry."

  Matthew’s forehead scrunched together. "You just remembered?"

  "Yeah. So, where are we going?" I ask.

  "Olive Garden," Alex said, tossing me the keys to my car. "We're picking up the girls, we’ll see you there."

  We leave in two different cars. As I drive to the nearest restaurant, I notice the clouds are darker than usual and heavy, clear signs that a severe rainstorm is about to hit. By the time I get to Olive Garden, I see Katherine, or Kathy, standing next to the entrance, arms wrapped herself and shaking from the cold. Why didn’t she walk in and wait inside?

  I wrap my jacket tighter around me and get out of the car. It's freezing this time of the year, colder than December for some reason which makes no sense why she would stand outside.

  "Kathy," I call out her name when I'm close enough for her to hear me.

  "A-Aidan," she stuttered. Her entire body is shaking from the cold. "H-hi.”

  "Let’s go to my car," I tell her. Her eyes widened. "To keep warm, the guys are taking longer than expected," I explain, trying not to make her think I'm some pervert or something, but it does humor me. "Come on, it's better than standing out here in the cold."

  "O-okay." We walk back to my car and I turn on the heater. We let out a sigh of relief when the heat starts coming out of the AC. Kathy takes off her gloves and puts her hands in front of the AC for the warm air. "Now, this is warmth," she sighs happily.

  "What were you doing out there?" I ask, rubbing my hands together for warmth. "Why aren't you with the girls?"

  "I went to the bookstore. I need to stock up on my bookshelf," she said. "But my car broke down and a tow-truck took it. I can't get it until tomorrow and then I remembered we were meeting here and Jessie said they would be here in a minute. That was twenty minutes ago.” She shrugs. "So I took the bus here."

  "Why didn't you walk inside instead of waiting out here?" I ask, turning the heat higher.

  She groans and says, "There are too many people in there and this old guy kept staring at me." She shivers, either at the thought of an old man staring at her or she's still cold. She eyes my radio and asks, "Were you listening to something?" Before I have a chance to answer, she turns the radio on and River Flows In You starts playing. Her eyebrows raise and she asks, "Who is it?"

  "Yiruma," I answer.

  The song begins to pick up speed making me smile as the notes fill the car. It took them approximately twenty minutes to get here. By that time, Kathy and I were starving. When I saw the car park, I told Kathy we should catch up to them. The clouds were lower when we got out of the car which meant the storm was going to hit any minute.

  "Where were you?" I ask as we rush inside the restaurant.

  "The girls took longer than expected to get ready," Matthew said, annoyed. Jessie rolls her eyes and elbows him on the ribs.

  We are given a table as soon as we walk in. Of course, Jess, Matthew, Alex and Leila sat cuddly together leaving me and Kathy awkwardly sitting next to each other.

  During dinner we talked like any other group of teenagers in college. Alex made disgusting noises with his food because apparently our mother d
idn’t teach him proper etiquette, the girls talked amongst each other and planned for a shopping day Kathy didn't look excited about, but she did say she needed new clothes for school. I noticed Kathy was tense throughout our time here, perhaps still cold by the way she hid her hands between her legs and her body occasionally shivered.

  "Are you cold?”

  "Just a little,” she admits, sheepishly. I take my jacket off and offer it to her. "Oh, no that’s not necessary.”

  "No, trust me, it’s totally necessary. Take it," I said, bringing my Pepsi up to my lips. Kathy takes my jacket, but I’m pretty sure the heat in her cheeks could also warm her up. The others weren't paying any attention so I lean in and whisper to her, "You can thank me later when you survive from the cold."

  Kathy chuckles. "Well, thank you for the totally unnecessary jacket."

  "You're welcome for the totally necessary jacket." Kathy looks at me with her cute smiles and shakes her head, wrapping herself in my jacket as we continued to eat.

  The rain had already started when we made our way out of the restaurant and it isn’t some minor thing, no. The sky is literally falling. Jessie and Leila leave with Alex and Matthew on purpose with the excuse that there is no room in Alex’s car, so Kathy would have a ride with me. I know what those four are up to, like I haven't spent the last four years of college with them.

  "Come on, I'll give you a ride," I say to Kathy after they leave. We’re still inside the restaurant and Kathy looks outside to the rain with a terrified look.

  "No… It's okay, the bus stop is right across the street," she said, taking my jacket off and handing it over to me.

  Is she insane or something? I glare unintentionally and say, "Kathy, it's pouring outside. My car works perfectly fine so I can drop you off."

  She says no, again. "It's okay, Aidan, it's just water. I'll see you later." With that said, she runs off into the rain with her backpack over her head without giving me the chance to stop her.

  "Goddammit," I curse, rushing out to my car. As soon as I get in, I turn on the engine and take off following Kathy to wherever she’s going. I slow down until I'm driving at her pace when I see her walking down the street with her backpack over her head. "Kathy, get in the car!" I yell over the rain.