𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗩𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 (𝙵𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝙱𝚡𝙱)

Track 32 | 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗠𝗲 𝗔𝘁 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁

➤ ➤ ➤

"So, you both just decided to stay friends?" Rian whispered to me as I packed my dad's guitar into the case snugly, folding the lid down and sealing it by the zipper.

We got about two hours into rehearsal before we had to call it. Rian needed us all out of his apartment by seven so he could head over to his job at the corner store on Washington street to start his nighttime shift. Everyone was now packing up and getting ready to go home.

"Yeah," I nodded in response to Rian's question, which gave him the context he so desperately desired over the situation between Eden and me. "Nothing came out of it."

"That's too bad," Rian patted my back, giving me a look that was basically the ':/' face visualized. "But, honestly, I wouldn't beat myself up over it, man. Eden's always been one to avoid anything romantic."

"I wonder why..." My voice trailed off.

I hadn't told Rian of what really became of that night; how the date had turned into a coming-out session for the two of us—Eden, asexual, me, undecided—and eventually ended with me locking lips with her male best friend. All I really said was that it didn't work out, and thankfully, that was enough for him to chew on.

Fitting my arm through the strap of the heavy guitar case, I stood up from the floor and watched as Levi and Torrence elbow-wrapped amp wires into tight, stable coils. Arizona, on the other hand, was busy putting on his jacket, shoving his arms through the sleeves.

"Hey, Ari," Rian called out to the Australian Shephard, resting his paws on the high and mid toms of the drumset. "Harley needs this kit back, so if you want, you can bring yours here. That way, you don't have to move them every time we rehearse or set up for a gig."

"Oh," Ari's face lit up, seemingly touched by the generous offer. "Thanks, um, how would that work—?"

"I'd just stop by your place whenever you're available, then we'd load it into my van and bring it here. Again, only if you want."

"That would be great, actually," Ari smiled, nodding his head thankfully as if a weight had been lifted off his back. "I think my foster family's getting sick of hearing me play them over and over, so they'd be delighted to see them go somewhere else for a while."

"Alright, just shoot me a text whenever," Rian concluded, snapping and pointing at Ari with a finger gun. Ari just nodded and went back to packing his things, shoving his drumsticks inside of his school backpack.

As Rian made his way over to Levi and Torrence, taking the wound-up cords off of their hands, I took the opportunity to approach Ari while he was alone.

"Hey," I called, the two of us standing only a drumset-length away from one another. Ari picked his head up and laid his eyes on me, his smile growing.

"...Hey?" Ari chuckled, something about me coming off as funny to him. It's probably the way I'm always acting overly excited or stupidly eager every time I get the chance to talk to him alone. My wagging tail was enough to prove it.

"Um, what are you doing after this?" I asked, awkwardly teetering my balance from one foot to the other.

Ari stood up straight and tossed his backpack over his shoulders, contemplating my ask. "Uh, I don't know. What are you doing after this?"

"...I don't know," I shrugged, chuckling awkwardly. 

Ari just stared at me like I was the cutest thing. He knew that I obviously wanted to hang out, but was teasing me of an affirmative answer. After a few strange, fleeting seconds of silence, Ari shut his eyes and scoffed faintly, giving in.