The Sound of Your Heart

by Laura Ward

  “Lucky me,” I said, reaching over to hug him with one arm. “How did I get so blessed?” He rubbed my back and I gave him a kiss on the cheek.

  “None of that,” he said, pushing me away. “Don’t think because I can see how pretty you are that you’ll get lucky with me. I have standards.”

  I flipped him the bird, and he chuckled.

  “Now get your necklace so we can eat.” Darren nodded toward the fountain and I reached into the water to fish out my jewelry. “Same goes for you, you know,” he said as he watched me lean precariously over the edge of the pool. “The whole losing one skill to strengthen another thing?”

  I looked over my shoulder. “Is that right? Enlighten me.”

  His grin was wicked. “Your mouth is completely disabled, but according to rumor, you have a tasty pink taco.”

  “Darren!” I splashed him and ended up soaking myself in the process. “Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?”

  He watched me in amusement as I nearly fell into the water because I was laughing so hard. When I met his gaze, his expression turned serious.

  “First things first, talk to bass boy and apologize for being an ass. And give him a chance to see the real you. You might be surprised. Underneath all that bad reputation and vulgar language, you might actually be lovable.”

  I reached to hook the chain around my neck again, feeling the familiar weight of my letters as I pushed up from the concrete wall that surrounded the fountain.

  “Lovable? Don’t get too far ahead of yourself,” I said, ruffling his crazy hair with my wet hand. “Let’s go, I’m starving. I hear the water with lemon is to die for at that new sandwich shop.”

  Darren reached for the control on his chair and turned himself back toward the path. “Want a ride?” he asked, gesturing toward his lap.

  “Nice try, Romeo.” I winked. “I’ve heard that one before. I dare you to find a pick-up line I haven’t heard a thousand times already.”

  I took his free hand as we headed down the path and I left my bad mood behind.

  “Ah... I do like a good challenge.” He was quiet for a moment. He looked up at me with the most innocent expression he could muster and said, “Now that we’re friends, when do the benefits kick in?”

  “Cad,” I accused with a laugh.

  “Tart,” he retorted, giving my hand a squeeze to let me know that he didn’t mean it one bit.

  “I’m glad we’re buddies.” I held onto his hand tightly as we moved side-by-side down the path, making it impossible for anyone to pass by. “You’re always there for me when things get too hard to handle on my own.”

  He chuckled and then muttered, “That’s what she said.”

  Damn. I totally walked into that one, but I loved that Darren wouldn’t let me take myself too seriously. Fucking twins separated at birth. I was sure of it.

  Chapter Four

  Ben

  Julie Prescott had a reputation.

  I asked around about her and it seemed everyone knew who she was. They’d either dated her or knew someone who’d been dumped by her. That alone should have made me let go of the hope that I’d run into her again, but she was like an itch I couldn’t quite scratch. Maybe that’s why she had a discard pile of guys that was the size of Texas. A discard pile that by their own admissions, wouldn’t mind another chance to scratch that itch with Julie Prescott.

  They said she was hilarious, and loud, and so fucking hot it turned most guys stupid right on the spot. She partied, and dated, and was the life of any gathering. She was the confident girl who was unattainable. I think that more than anything was what drove most of them crazy. They wanted what they couldn’t have.

  For me, it was her voice that drove me insane.

  Please don’t stop playing.

  The way her words trickled out, low and soft; I would have played for her until my fingers bled.

  You’ve seen me at The Shell before.

  I’d only known the darkness of my own imagination my entire life, so I’d honestly never missed my sight since I’d never had it to lose in the first place. But when she said those words, it was the first time in my life that I’d wished more than anything that I could see. If only to see her...the face that went with that voice.

  I think I could get drunk on the sound of your voice.

  Such a stupidly romantic thing to say to a complete stranger. No wonder Julie didn’t stick around. I shouldn’t be surprised she hightailed it out of my room like I was a serial killer. It was a pretty fucking creepy thing for me to say to her.

  No matter how she felt about me, I couldn’t get her out of my thoughts. I was like every other Julie Prescott castoff...desperate for another round with her.

  “You want to eat here?” Marty asked, interrupting my thoughts as we walked along Route 1.

  “Here?” I repeated.

  “Yeah. I heard it’s good.”

  I chuckled. “Want to be a little more specific about where here is since I can’t see where you’re pointing?”

  Marty groaned. “Fuck. Sorry man. It’s the new place.”

  I shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”

  He opened the door and with a touch on my arm, led me inside.

  “I think there’s a table open on the other side of that pillar—” Marty’s voice faded as he walked away, I assumed to check on the table. He elbowed me in the arm when he returned. “Yeah, there’s one back here.” He lightly grasped my elbow and discreetly led me through the busy room. The noise and the unfamiliar place I’d never been before confused and overwhelmed me a little. I always felt disoriented in new surroundings because I couldn’t fully use my other senses. Unfamiliar places tended to make that worse. But my motto had always been that it was good to try new things, no matter how difficult they were.

  We found our table and sat down. Luckily, Marty offered to get our food for us once he’d given me an overview of the menu. He left to place our order and I leaned back in my chair, listening to the conversations around me.

  There was a girl who thought her boyfriend was cheating on her...an older man who was trying to convince his friend to go golfing with him the next day...and a guy who was trying to talk his buddy into letting him copy his homework.

  “Darren! I found a table over here!”

  All of the din and conversations fell away to silence in my head when I heard that voice.

  Julie Prescott.

  She was close enough that I could hear her speak, but her voice was coming from behind me, from the other side of the pillar that was at my back.

  “Can you move your chair please?” she said to someone testily. “Can’t you see he’s trying to get through?”

  There was a scraping of chair legs and more of Julie’s brash words accompanied by the hum of a small motor and a table being dragged across the floor. At least, that’s what it sounded like.

  “Here’s the meat lover’s sub you ordered,” she said, her laughter followed by the sound of a tray being dropped to the table.

  I listened intently, wondering who she was with, and curious what her response would be if she knew I was right around the corner. Would she care?

  “It’s a good thing you don’t wait tables,” a male voice answered. He talked in a way that was more difficult to understand than Julie, but I depended on my hearing more than the average person, so I understood him fine. “Your waitressing skills are subpar. I hope your bedside manner is better than this.”

  Bedside manner? It was clear by the way he said it that the guy wasn’t talking about her ability to nurse someone to health.

  I wondered if they were here together...as a couple. Their conversation certainly had the comfort level of people who knew each other well. Maybe they were dating and that’s why she bolted from my room like a cat shot in its ass.

  “My bedside manner is just fine,” she retaliated. “I’ve never had complaints before.” Julie’s voice had a confident purr to it as she teased back. “Are you seriously going to eat all
that meat?” she asked her companion, stressing the word meat way more than necessary.

  “Why? Do you want some of my hot meat?” He paused and when he spoke again, it was through a mouthful of food. “You know, since you didn’t get any last night.”

  Julie laughed, and I liked the way it sounded—unafraid, self-assured, and genuine. “I always want hot meat.”

  “That’s what she said,” he countered.

  “But,” Julie said loudly, stealing back the reins of the conversation, “I don’t need any of your meat, I’ve got my own.”

  There was a rustling of paper and then both of them were laughing again.

  “You got a corn dick?” he asked. “I can’t believe you ordered corn dick.”

  “Corn dog!” she corrected through her laughter.

  “That’s not what it looks like...” He groaned. “Oh...No, Jules...Don’t eat it like that...” The guy let out a sound of disgust. “Great. I think you maxed out the boner percentage in the room by like five thousand percent. Stop deep throating the corn wiener before every sausage in this place ends up at our table.”

  When Julie laughed again, I couldn’t resist smiling as I chuckled to myself. I didn’t have to see what was going on to imagine the scene. The guy was clearly enjoying the show, even if he pretended not to be. The question was, did he enjoy more than just the show on a regular basis? Exactly who was Darren? And if Julie was this crazy and fun-loving normally, why had she been so different last night? Why had she been so serious and emotional...so unsure? Was it because of me, or my limitations?

  “Hey,” Marty said. “I got our food.” The sound of trays being set on the table in front of me was followed by the unmistakable scent of cheesesteak. I heard his chair move as he settled into it. “These look really good.”

  I carefully reached out, my fingers skimming the top of the sub as I tried to avoid knocking anything over.

  “Drink is at ten o’clock,” Marty added, using the same system my brother and our friend, Caz, designed to help navigate the world without treating me like an invalid.

  “Thanks.”

  “No problem,” he said through a mouthful of food. “By the way,” he lowered his voice, “that girl you were asking about this morning? Julie Prescott? She’s sitting a few tables away.”

  “Yeah, I heard.” I took a bite of my sandwich and chewed, trying to eavesdrop on Julie and her friend some more.

  “You gonna talk to her?”

  I shook my head. “She’s here with another guy.”

  “Yeah, but it’s not like they’re dating. He’s her buddy.” The table tilted a little as Marty shifted across from me.

  I swallowed my mouthful of food and drank my soda before leaning back in my chair. “You mean like a fuck buddy?”

  Marty laughed. “I don’t think so. He’s part of the Good Buddies program. The girl Beth that I dated last month is a member of Tri-Gam, the same sorority as Julie. She told me that as part of their outreach program, they spend time with people who have special needs. Beth was always busy on Friday afternoons because that’s when the sorority would meet up with their buddies.”

  The idea that perhaps Julie was with a friend comforted me more than it should have. It’s not like I had any claim on her at all but believing briefly that she was already taken was bumming me out. If this guy Darren was only a friend, there was still a chance for me.

  Jesus. Was I another hopeless dude in Julie’s discard pile, hoping for another chance? I hung out with her for all of ten minutes. The level of my obsession with her made no sense.

  “It’s not Friday,” I pointed out. “How do you know he’s from the Good Buddy program?” There was no way I was going to get up in this crowded restaurant and make an ass of myself trying to talk to a girl who’d bolted from my room less than a day ago. Especially if she was with another guy.

  “I don’t know,” Marty said through another mouthful of food. “I’m pretty sure they’re not dating though. Or anything else. It looks like they’re just friends.” He was quiet for a few minutes and I heard a slurp as he took a drink. “Jesus,” he cursed. I felt him lean in closer as he lowered his voice. “She’s licking that corndog like she’s a porn star.” There was a bout of whistling and cheers behind us followed by Julie’s laughter. “No wonder ninety percent of Frat Row has the hots for her.”

  “You part of that ninety percent?” I asked.

  Marty chuckled. “No way. Don’t get me wrong, she’s hot as fuck. But I like the quiet ones.” Everyone knew Marty’s fondness for the girl next door. Unfortunately, that type of girl didn’t normally hang out at bars and go for guys who were covered in tattoos and played in a band. He might like the innocent ones, but he always ended up with the experienced ones. He elbowed me in the ribs. “Lady in the streets and a vixen between the sheets, right?”

  “You’re a jackass,” I told him. I continued to eat my lunch, desperate to hear more of Julie’s conversation.

  “And you’d be a jackass if you didn’t at least go over and talk to the girl you’ve been gathering dirt on all morning.”

  I shrugged. “I wasn’t gathering dirt, only curious. That’s all.”

  Marty huffed. “Whatever dude.” But he dropped the subject anyway.

  I concentrated my attention on hearing what was being said on the other side of the wall only to discover my eavesdropping was coming to an end.

  “You about done blowing that thing yet?” Darren asked. “You haven’t eaten a single bite.”

  Something smacked down onto the crinkly paper the sandwiches were served on. The sound of a chair scraping across the floor followed.

  “Yeah. I only ordered it to fuck around with you. I wasn’t that hungry,” Julie replied.

  “Let’s make our exit now and beat the mad rush back to campus. We’ll have a head start since every dude in here will need at least ten minutes to recover.”

  “Mad dash for what?”

  “Tailgating. Isn’t there a football game today?”

  “Oh, that’s right. Wanna go?” Julie asked. From the tone of her voice, I could almost imagine the look of disgust on her face.

  “Nah. It would be a pain in the ass because of my chair.”

  “You shouldn’t have to miss out on any college experience because of that stupid wheelchair,” she said, a protective edge to her voice. “I can talk to someone in charge and get you special seating. Hell, I’ll carry you up into the student section myself if you want,” Julie offered

  Darren laughed. “You’re barely bigger than a toddler, Jules. Are you sure you can walk up the stadium steps on your own?”

  There was a pause and I imagined her crossing her arms. “I’ll call Alec and Caz and have them carry both of us up the steps. They’re always running the stairs anyway—” Julie’s voice faded as they left the restaurant.

  Caz? Could we both have friends named Caz? That’s odd.

  The door to the restaurant opened letting in the sounds of the traffic outside and when it whooshed shut, Julie’s and Darren’s voices were long gone.

  I took a bite of my sub, turning thoughts over and over in my mind.

  Julie might have a bad reputation, sassy personality, witty mouth, and sultry voice, but she was also a walking contradiction. The girl I’d met last night wasn’t at all like the girl everyone else seemed to know. Besides, I could tell by the way she jumped to Darren’s aid that she had a sweet, generous side.

  The rumors I’d heard, her banter with Darren, and my interaction with her last night did nothing to scare me off. Now I was even more obsessed with the mystery of Julie Prescott.

  Chapter Five

  Julie

  I should probably check my temperature. There was a good chance I’d contracted a deadly disease. Otherwise, why was I sitting in my room on a Saturday wearing sweatpants and a stained T-shirt, doing homework, with no plans of leaving for the rest of the day?

  It wasn’t because I was afraid of seeing Ben at The Shell. Certainly
not. I’d promised Darren I would apologize and I would. But...not tonight. Because I wasn’t feeling well. I hadn’t felt well enough to go to The Shell all week.

  Pressing my hand to my forehead, I tested for a fever. When I couldn’t find one, I slid my fingers along my neck. I swallowed, trying to detect if I had a sore throat. There had to be some reason why I couldn’t muster the energy to brave my closet and makeup kit. Choosing to do homework instead of partying was a definite sign that something wasn’t right.

  Pulling my textbook in front of me, I opened it and I could hear the telltale sounds of the spine cracking for the first time. A month into the semester and this was the first time I’d ever opened my book. Not too bad considering in years past there were books that never got cracked open at all.

  A knock sounded on my door and was followed by a tentative, “Jules?”

  I cleared my throat. Nope. Not sore. “Come on in, Lex.”

  She pushed the door open and stood outside in the hall for a moment, looking around as if she didn’t recognize my room or me. Usually there were clothes and shoes discarded all over the floor. Today, it was tidy.

  “So it’s true,” she said, pushing her light blonde hair away from her face. “You’re doing homework.”

  “Is that weird?”

  “Virtually unheard of.” She stepped inside and took a good look at me before turning to my closet and flinging the doors open. She rummaged through my hangers, mumbling to herself.

  “What did you say?” I asked.

  She spun around with a pair of jeans, cute shoes, and a slinky green top hanging from her fingertips. “I said that I wasn’t very good at this, but even my style choices are better than the vagabond thing you’ve got going on.” She crossed the room and dropped the clothes in my lap. “We’re leaving in twenty minutes so do whatever you have to do to...” She waved her hands around me as if she couldn’t find the right words to describe the epic transformation I’d need to become presentable. “This is for your own good, so unless you want me to drag you out of here in that outfit with your slept-on hair and yesterday’s makeup still smudged under your eyes, get ready.”