Messed Up Vita

Chapter Forty-One

I enter the gymnasium just in time to see her start her song. She smiles at me, and introduces the song. "With Love, for somebody I do absolutely love."

   I bite my lip while smiling and lean up against the doorway. She plays the beginning of the song, and I just stare at her. The way she looks so concentrated on the guitar, strumming the chords makes me so cliche'-ly happy. That's only before she starts singing.

  "You called me out and taught me tough with love,

   You fought my flaws, my teeth my claws with love,

   Cause every time I'm slippin' away from myself,"

   She closes her eyes, and sings louder, clearer.

   "Cause when I'm down and I'm done,

   And I'm coming unplugged,

   When I'm ready to fall,

   You're the one always holding me up,

   With love. Ohh no no,

   Mmmm . . ." She plays a few chords, and I'm already hooked on the song. I walk up closer to the stage, closer to seeing her play standing up. She smiles down at me briefly before returning to her work.

   "Your tongue won't tie, you'll always find the truth,

   Yeah you do.

   But still you smile despite the lines I drew for you,

   Cause every time I'm slippin away from myself,

   You're the one that loves me like nobody else,

   Oh no,

   Cause when I'm down and under,

   And I'm coming unplugged,

   When I'm ready to fall,

   You're the one always holdin me up,

   With love." 

   The last word she plays out loud and long, with her clear voice. A few more notes on the guitar, and she's done. You know that feeling you get when you're completely happy and blissful, and you could just sit in the same place forever? I got that feeling listening to Eliot wonderfully sing. To me she was better than Beyonce'.

   I can't resist the urge, and I climb onstage with a quick hop. I embrace her tightly, guitar and all. I wrap my arms around her middle and find I can't let go. I don't want to let go of her sweet smell or her singing.

   "Joey," she says. She pushes me off, laughing. "Get off, will ya? It was only a song."

   "The best song I've ever heard come out of anybody's mouth," I say. "You sung it beautifully. Who's it by?"

   She smiles and brushes back her bangs as we make our way down the stage. Music resumes and people get out of their state of shock they seem to be in at her singing. A couple people move out of the way, and I nod to them as we pass, as if we're famous or something.

   "Christina Grimmie," she answers.

   "Who's that?"

   "A girl who got famous out of Youtube," she says, picking a chocolate covered strawberry and biting into it. "But she's really good."

   "Better than Justin Beiber?" I ask, grinning.

   She rolls her eyes. "Way."

   I scoop a handful of pretzels, popping one into my mouth. I chew, and watch as Eliot sorts through the food. Suddenly, an idea hits me. I smile, and lean down next to her ear.