My Imagine

Chapter 12

For the rest of the night, you and Sawyer chat and play games with each other. It's getting late, and you bring two sleeping bags into the living room. You two are playing Would You Rather on top of the sleeping bags when you suddenly remember something.
"Stay here and don't move!" you order him as you sprint to your room. You find the huge box you were looking for and you lug it into the living room.
"I was saving it for a special occasion, but I want you to have it now." you explain grinning. "Open it!"
He eyes you mischievously as he opens the lid a crack. He gasps, then flings it open. He reaches in and lifts the beautiful guitar out of it's package. He strums it softly, and the notes come pouring gracefully from his fingertips. He looks at you with wonder and awe.
"Where did you get this?" he says incredulously. You just giggle. "Flip it over doofus."
On the back of the guitar is a note and a signature. Sawyer takes it off and reads it out loud.

Dear Sawyer,

When I gave you my song Please, I expected you to do it justice. What you did went above and beyond my wildest dreams. I wasn't quite sure how to thank you, but then I got a very convincing letter from a friend of yours. She had sent a package with it, which contained a gorgeous guitar, one of the finest in the world. She wanted my signature so she could present it to you as a gift. She must have, or else you wouldn't be reading this. She had the kindest soul imaginable and her heart is in the right place.

Just remember this: You may have many friends, but this one's a keeper.

Thanks for doing me justice. I'm your biggest fan.

-Ray LaMontagne

Sawyer mouths the signature on the back of the guitar silently. His gaze of delight settles upon you, and he springs to his feet to give you a bone-crushing tackle/hug.
You both laugh hysterically.
"HOW DID YOU DO THIS!!!" Sawyer yells, and you collapse in a fit of giggles.
"I started saving for the guitar about two years ago. Once I finally got it, I had to contact Ray. It wasn't easy, but it eventually went through." you explain, still laughing in Sawyer's embrace. "Do you like it?"
His eyes wild, he picks you up and swings you around. "I love it!" he shouts happily as he sets you back on the ground. He pulls you into another hug, still laughing. You drink in the sweet scent of his honey-colored hair, and you can also hear his heart thumping in his chest. It aches to be this close, but at least you aren't crying this time. You step back from a very cheerful Sawyer.
"Well? Go on, try it out!"
He excitedly scampers over to the guitar and begins playing some chords. The notes have a certain tone to them that echoes in your heart when you listen to them. It's a beautiful sound. Sawyer must feel it too, because he looks excitedly back and forth between you and the strings with a dumb smile on his face. You sit down next to him on the floor as he fiddles with the tuning knobs. "Whatcha doin?" you ask. He smirks. "Playing you a song. Be patient."
You roll your eyes. "You know that's not my specialty." He ignores you and finishes with the knobs. He strums another chord, and this time he starts to sing softly to you. This time, it's Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls, and it's even more beautiful than his last performance for you.

And I'd give up forever to touch you
'Cause I know that you feel me somehow
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
And I don't wanna go home right now

And all I can taste is this moment
And all I can breathe is your life
When sooner or later it's over
I just don't wanna miss you tonight

And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that there's understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am

And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming
Or the moment of truth in your lies
When everything feels like the movies
And you bleed just to know you're alive

And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
And when everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am

You blush as he hums the last few notes gently, and you can't help but feel a surge of pride. Sawyer's gazing off into space again, and suddenly he gets his I-just-got-an-idea face. You laugh. "What this time?" you tease. He shrugs like nothing happened. "What are you talking about?" he says. You playfully push him. "Stop that! Tell me!"
"Nope. In the morning."
"Ugh! Why are you so difficult?"
This makes him laugh. "I guess it's my specialty." he jokes.
"Shut up."
"That's not my specialty either."
"I give up!"
"Neither is that."
"Sawyer!"
"That one is!"
"I'm just going to go to sleep now."
He sighs. "Fine..." You settle into your sleeping bag next to his, and as you drift off to sleep, Sawyer quietly begins humming and playing his new guitar. You fall asleep to the sweet sounds of music, but you wake up to something much different. You can hear voices, so you open your eyes slightly. The first thing you notice is that Sawyer's not in the room, then you look outside. It's still dark out, and Sawyer's nowhere to be seen, when you look at your driveway.
He's in his car, and it looks like he's shouting into a phone. He sees you standing there worriedly, and he grimly hangs up the phone. He walks up the driveway towards you.
"Sorry about that," he mutters darkly.
"Sawyer, there's something you're not telling me. Spit it out."
"C'mon. It's 3:30 in the morning, and you need rest as much as I do."
He steers you to your house, and you both clamber back in your sleeping bags. You start to wonder who he could've been calling in LA, but you fall asleep again before you can figure it out. Your dreams are again filled with Sawyer, but this time it's the shy Sawyer who had a meltdown on your couch because he was trying too hard to make others happy instead of himself.