Taylor [Theo // Lost & Found Music Studios] ✓

Chapter 9: Unreal

"It was like everything was building up and up - the dance, not being able to talk to you, Mr T getting mad at me, John cheating - and I kind of just exploded. I couldn't keep it in anymore. You know?"

I looked at Taylor, who was staring out at the ocean, nodding along to what I was saying. I smiled and took a bite of my ice cream; peace.

"How long have you been feeling like this? Like it was all building up?" Taylor asked. 

I sighed and looked back out at the waves crashing over the shore, my bare feet digging into the cold sand. "If I'm being honest, ever since Mr T started this whole stupid assignment for us," I admitted. "If there was no threat of being kicked out of Lost & Found, I would have still been the same laid back, no-worries Theo."

"But then you wouldn't have a sense of responsibility," Taylor pointed out.

"I still don't think I have one. Crying about stress is hardly being responsible," I replied.

Taylor laughed. "That sounds like an appropriate reaction to responsibility, if you ask me." 

I laughed, taking another bite of my ice cream. 

"You know what I think?" Taylor asked after a moment of comfortable silence. She didn't wait for me to reply. "I think you should write a song about this new experience."

"I don't know, it might be relatable to thirteen year olds, but most kids our age have had their fair share of responsibility already I feel," I admitted, still feeling a little stupid for taking so long to experience how bad stress can get.

Taylor pointed her ice cream at me. "Yes, but, stress is something all people can relate to. Especially high school students."

She did have a point.

"Yeah, okay, I'll see what I can do," I told her.

She smiled at me and took a bite of her ice cream. We continued to sit in silence as I thought about all the different ways I could write the song - how I would start it, what structure it would follow, what key it would be in.

The silence broke after a few minutes, when Taylor said, "I'm sorry."

I looked at her, confused. She was already looking back at me.

"For what happened Saturday night," she clarified. "And also, thank you, for trying to defend me with my mother."

I smiled and nodded. "It's all in the past now," I told her, then remembered another issue I had faced that night. "Also, can I have your number? So if my car ever breaks down again, I have a way of letting you know I haven't stood you up."

Taylor laughed and pulled her phone out of her pocket. My smile widened; this was signifying that we were going to hang out more. That Taylor wanted to.

It still felt unreal.

Taylor relayed the digits to her phone number to me. I then called her, making sure she gave me the right number as I had seen in a movie once. 

"You're a loser," she said into the phone, laughing.

"But you love it," I replied.

Taylor paused for a moment and then nodded. "Yeah, I do." She hung up after that.

"So, what's your favourite colour?" I asked, realising I had no idea what the answer was. "Actually, wait, let me guess - white?"

"How'd you know?" Taylor asked, looking surprised and slightly amazed.

I shrugged. "You wear it a lot," I pointed out.

"Fair enough," she said and then went to take another bite of her ice cream. She pulled back immediately and let out a small, barely audible squeal. "Cold," she said through a mouthful of creamy goodness.

I started laughing as Taylor wiped her mouth with her sleeve, getting most of the ice cream off, but leaving a small dot at the top of her lip.

I didn't even think before reaching over and wiping it off, but I clearly caught Taylor by surprise because she stared at my hand with her eyes wide. I froze, my hand still on her face as I processed what I had just done and why I did it, instead of just telling her she had ice cream on her face.

Taylor's eyes met mine and we stared at each other for a moment before I retracted my hand, the two of us looking away.

I don't know why I broke the moment we were sharing, or why I even started it in the first place. All I knew was that this girl could have been the death of me.

+++

Taylor and I sat in my parked car out the front of her house. I was a little cautious to go there, in case her mother came out again, but Taylor had reassured me that her mother wasn't ever home before 9.

"That's inconvenient, seeing as you have to go to school," I said.

Taylor laughed. "Yeah, I guess home just isn't the place for." She shrugged.

I felt bad. I couldn't imagine what it must have felt like to not have a real home. I mean, sure, maybe Lost & Found was Taylor's second home, but still. There were no parents at Lost & Found, no home-cooked meals, no unconditional love. 

"I'll see you tomorrow," Taylor said, leaning in to hug me. Hugging had become a thing we just did with one another. Like friends. 

When we pulled apart, she gave my arm a small, reassuring squeeze.

"Everything's going to be okay," she said.

I nodded; I believed her.

+++

It was ten o'clock and I was bored out of my brain, but I couldn't fall asleep. My mind was still running; there was still so much for me to get out before I could shut down for the night.

I turned my lamp on. Attempting to get some sleep was proving to be useless. Instead, I grabbed my phone from my bedside table and sent a text to Taylor.

Theo: Hey, it's Theo. Are you up?

Almost immediately I got a reply.

Taylor: Yeah

Theo: Can I call you?

Taylor: Yeah

I pressed the call button and after half a ring, Taylor answered.

"Hi," she said, and I could hear the smile in her voice. It made me smile, too.

"Hi," I replied.

We spent the rest of the night writing a song together, over the phone.

+++

My hand found Taylor's as we stood up on the stage, everybody applauding us. We had just performed our song about distractions. That was two songs we had finally finished, and one song in editing. We had one more week to write two songs, but I wasn't scared anymore. I believed we could do it.

Mr T was grinning, and when he got up after we got off the stage, he said, "That was wonderful, guys. I'm excited to see where you two go in your next songs."

It was what I had wanted to hear all month. Some praise from Mr T; congratulations on being awesome songwriters. 

But really, in that moment, all I cared about was the fact that Taylor and I were accomplishing this. Together.

A/N: They finally performed a song together and hugged like normal people and held hands (!!!!!).

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Question of the Chapter: What are some shows you guys like, other than Lost & Found? I wanna see if we're part of any similar fandoms!

Updates are back to twice a week, since I'm nearly finished, so next update on Friday!

Love you,

-C xx