Embers

         The firm grip half led me, half dragged me to one of the sport supply closets. As the tiny, dusty, fading lightbulb clicked on above us I whip-lashed around, turning to face my savior and my social murderer.

         "D****t Ollie! What was that for?" I questioned furiously, shoving about a dozen lacross sticks off my shoulder and into the corner. He looked at me and laughed. It was a slightly pained laugh, something you would not expect to hear from such a happy-go-lucky person.

        "I can't believe you!" He exclaimed joyfully, laughing furiously. I crossed my arms and frowned, very annoyed. " You just completely showed her up! For nearly no reason! I mean don't get me wrong, that was genuinely hilarious, but Jesus Eleahn!" He continued, some of the joy starting to leave his proclamations. "Your lucky I was there in time to save you." Oliver continued, his voice growing quieter.

        "I don't need a babysitter, I can handle myself. I always have, and as far as I know I always will!" I shouted, a little more forcefully then I intended. "Sorry, that didn't come out right." I added on, guilt roaring like a fire in my gut. Ollie turned away, staring intently at the stacked tennis rackets.

        I reached out my hand and barely managed to put it on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, sometimes I forget how much you've done for me. You've practically helped me out since my dad... since around third grade." I stated solemnly, too many memories for my taste flooding my mind. I lowered myself from my tip toes and turned to the lacrosse sticks I had shoved earlier as well. "And to you guys. I realize you get abused a lot, I shouldn't have done that just because I was angry." I sighed, trying to sound truly earnest. "This is hard to say, I wan't you to appreciate the effort here, but, I'm sorry." I stated jokingly, trying desperately to sound sincerely apologetic.

        A moment later, I felt Oliver's hand on my shoulder leading me out of the closet.

        "You Eleahn Davis, are the craziest girl I have ever met. And that's saying something. Thank you, for apologizing to Raul and his friends, it really means a lot to me." He played along, a common way for us to forgive each other. I smiled, preparing something else for our improved skit.

        "Now, you gotta apologize to Rhonda. She has never forgiven you for stealing me from her. I used to meet with her every sunday and whack her friend Trisha over the net during Tennis practice." I informed, sticking my arm out in a joint form, waiting for him to loop his arm in mine so we could skip idiotically around. He stroked his invisible (a.k.a nonexistent) leprechaun beard.

      "Alright, I will. IF!!" He began. Even before he looped his arm in mine I knew what he was going to say. "you come with my to the magic show!" He added on, jumping like a little boy who just got a new toy. "Please? Please? Please? With whip cream and rainbow sprinkles on top? Will yah? Will yah? Will yah?" He encouraged, jumping like a possessed frog. I sighed and started to skip away.

        "Fine! But if he calls for a volunteer to saw in half, I'm volunteering you!" I shouted, quickly getting out of his projectile range. I turned around and continued forward before he could jump up and down even more and scream with joy.

        I eventually slowed down to a walk, and headed toward the choir room. When I wasn't provoking the student body or hanging out with Oliver, I was here. Almost no one dared enter the choir room. It was nicknamed the "Nerd Hole" for a reason. Basically, the only normal human beings of the world ever visited the place. As  I shoved open the door, I was hit with the familiar sent of reed oil and aging books. The choir room also served as the practice room for the band, yet another group of talented and normal individuals.

        I sighed as I dropped my weighted wrecking-ball onto the floor by the door. The place was empty, which all though it was nice to escape the ever deafening noise of beautiful voices, flat notes, and honks from wind instruments, it was a depressing silence. The rest of my choir was at regionals without me, and the band kids were at a competition in Fresno. Leaving me all alone, to sing silently (well, not so silently considering I was alone) to myself.

       I strolled lazily into the far corner, only I knew about the booth as far as I knew. It was tucked away in the corner of the tech hallway, hidden behind boxes, and the door appeared to be locked  unless you knew to shove your shoulder against it. The lights flickered above me, the school didn't care much for the art, the chairmen of the board could care less if the choir room burned down along side the theater. If we won money from regionals or competitions, they would use it for sports, and not even take the time to rectify something even as minute as a dying lightbulb.

       A bright, hot, flash of light blinded me temporarily as the door rushed open, the smell of the acquired dirt filling my nose, causing me to sneeze furiously. I sighed with pleasure and walked toward it. Even though I assumed it hadn't been used in years, the firetruck red paint didn't peel, the knobs didn't rust, and there was always my favorite songs on the player. Part of that was because of me, yet somehow, the paint decided stick around and didn't need constant polishing like the bronze knobs.

       Slowly walking in, I folded the bus style doors behind me, helping to sound proof the booth. The booth was almost intimidating, the now absent, but usual buzz of fellow "nerds" reminded me where I was, and that I was in fact not about to become a victim of the latest horror movie. The large, black, over-the-ear, headphones rested for me on their peg, just hanging. Unmoving, but I could hear its tiny shouts screaming pick me up! pick me up!

        I subjected to the orders of the object and shuffled toward it. As much as I loved the booth, it was a little small, barely 4X4 ft. I tucked my wavy brown hair behind my ears slowly, my body shivering with so much joy at the thought of hearing the music my hands shook. I gripped the plastic ends of the headphones, separating them from their resting place and slipping them over my ears. Instantaneously the ever present hum of the lights above me ceased, leaving nothing but simple, peaceful, golden, silence.

        I stared down at the tracks, there were dozens. Honestly it was a miracle I could find any of them in disc form, do to the fact aside from hunting for the hard copy albums, I hadn't seen a legit CD in years. I flipped through CD after CD, the silence shattering clack of the plastic covers banging against each other setting me slightly on edge. At last, I reached the bottom, where I kept my all time favorite. It wasn't a popular song, no one, not even Oliver, had heard it. It was something my grandmother used to sing to me, then my father, then it just became an old CD with their voices singing in beautiful unison. 

       I smiled as I brushed the dust off the hand-made cover I had had. It was slightly ridiculous, proof of how young I was when it all went bad. Just four stick figures, holding hands, in a fantasy land with green skies and orange grass. I fingered the CD inside gingerly, as if my mere touch would make it crumble to ash and all I had left of them would be gone. Shaking, I slowly slid it into the slot and waited for it to play. Moments later, the faint static from my old tape recorder began to fill the silence, and even though they both sang acepella, I could here the rhythmic beats and smooth melody that filled my dreams and entranced me as a child.

       Far away, in a land only you and I can see.

       I see the trees, blowing my dreams away.

       I know some day, they'll be coming back again,

       But until, that day. My time here will end.

       I know, you need me in your heart

       You know, I need you in mine.

       but until that day, there is no time

       I will find you again,

       and I know, you'll be waiting for me

       ' cause I have no fears, when your beside me.

       Then it came, the day that my dreams came back to me.

         And I saw you there, sitting there across from me.

        I knew that you were in my heart, 

        And you knew, that I was in yours. 

        And for one brief minute, nothing could be wrong.

        Then it came again.

        That light, that only you could see.

       It took you away, away from me.

       And for the rest of my days,

        I was looking for you.

       But then one day,I had to choose.

       Between the life you gave me

      and the life I needed for you.

       So I went my way,And I left our place.

        The thoughts of you, ever on my mind.

       And I knew that even if I never saw,Our place again.

       That you'd be with me, Until the very end.

        Far away, in a land only you and I could see.

        I knew you'd be, waiting for me.

       Even though I was gone

       I would return

       And we knew in our hearts

       The flame would forever burn

       So now, I wait

       For you, to find me

      Across the way,

      For all of our days

       Even when I die

       I'll be there for you

       Because you always knew

      That I'll be right here, for you.

       As the last haunting sounds of my past echoed off the speakers, I felt as single tear slide down my cheek. Because I knew, that as long as I lived, I would never no something so true.

Author's Note

not sure about the song, I think it could use some work. i may put together an audio track and do some work. opinions?