It's A Secret (A Hunter Hayes Fanfiction)

Chapter 3:

Colorful lights illuminating the whole place. There's a stage with various performers of ladies that looked like in their thirties. They're singing a soul uplifting music but it's pretty much different from the pop music in the modern days. It sounds like they are covering songs from the 80's. I can tell because I used to be impacted by their music in my childhood when my mom was listening to that kind of music. My dad enjoys it as well and he even taught me how to play A-Ha's Take On Me on piano. By now I probably have forgotten how to play it already. It had been a while ever since I was asked to play the piano in a family gathering. I have a lot of cousins who appeared to be a lot more talented than I am because they play hard instruments like violin. Some of them even made a band and I was convincing my brother to form a duo with me but he refused. I cried on my mom for almost two days and he told me I was overreacting for the shallowest reason there is. I was jealous of them, honestly, that's why. I just told them eight years after, when I turned sixteen and they were laughing at me as I realized what happened.

I've conceived that Cherry's dress wasn't appropriate for the place. You were supposed to wear semi classy outfits and she whispered to me that she looked like a baby doll prostitute. I chuckled.

"I told you so."

"God, I feel like everyone's looking at me!"

"I'm not going to convince you that they are jealous of you and your looks anymore, sorry."

It's something I usually do. She wears something weird on a casual day like the next Lady GaGa and worry that people will give her a look when we arrive at the destination we're supposed to go so I just convinced her that nothing's wrong and that people are just jealous because she appears gorgeous. In this situation, Cherry and I both know what her appearance seemed to on the people around us today and she felt extremely awkward.

"Wow, I can't believe you actually lie about that most of the time!" She pushes me roughly but not in an angry way.

"Yeah you had to find out the hard way, right?"

"You are mean."

I glanced at my left and saw my high school batch mates-I wouldn't call them as "friends" because I never were friends with them. I just talk to them in the halls or in the classes sometimes but I don't think they're my friends. I bet they don't consider me as a friend also. Maybe acquaintance will work.

Some of them pointed at me and this guy named Rick Summers gestured me to come to the table.

"They recognize me?" I asked quietly.

"Of course they do! They wouldn't want to invite anyone they don't know from the batch. That would seem weird that someone would bother to show up and say hi and maybe drink a little bit and then they'd be all 'Who's this fellow?'"

"You've a point" I laughed.

We walked towards the table and they both gave us a warm welcome. As I greet back, the majority of my brain is scanning through the area to look for him. Him.

We sat down and Rick asked a question firstly. "You live in the same apartment building as the Country Music superstar Hunter Hayes?"

My mind was blank. It was all focused on someone I was looking forward to see in here. "What now?"

"You live in the same apartment building as Hunter Hayes?" He questioned again.

"I'm not quite sure."

I have an idea who the hell this guy appears to be, I've listened to his music a lot since, aside from those famous 80's music I have also been exposed into listening to Country music all my life. His song comes on the radio every once in a while-sometimes even everyday if he drops a new single.

But I couldn't care less. I was too psyched to end up with the guy I've been desperately willing to get. I've no time for this guy they're talking about and as if I have a chance on him just because he lives in the same apartment-

"Reese Ashton!" Another guy named Tyler, screamed.

My stomach flipped, my heart skipped a beat. There he is, he's finally here!

I cleared my throat as he sat beside me. I smiled at him and he grinned back. "Wow...that's...a lot," he said.

"A lot of what?" I replied back, intimidated.

"A lot of changes-but in a good way! Like...you're...just different."

He's noticing it. Just what I've planned him to do.

"Umm...thank you."

"Yeah, Miller...you're not that baby girl we used to know anymore. You've grown!" Tyler butted in the conversation. I'm guessing everybody was eavesdropping the whole time. They all laughed.

"It only had been seven months since we had all seen each other and you've already changed as fast as that" this girl, Kendra, commented.

"Well I've prepared for this" I stated half honestly. "I have been looking forward into seeing you guys once again since dealing with college is such a stress. I missed seeing you guys in the halls everyday."

Okay, I think I was a little popular back in high school.

"By the way, where's Mikayla?" Rick asked me and Cherry.

"Mikayla moved to New Jersey four months ago, I'm guessing. Cherry here, just asked to stay in my apartment for the rest of the week since she heard the gathering will be held in Nashville" I explained.

"And where are you from?"

"Memphis. I should be in Germany by now but my dad forced me to."

"You can go to Germany by yourself anytime now anyway why did you choose to stay? Just asking" Reese asked and my heart skips a beat yet again.

"For some reasons, I actually fear my father. No further explanations."

All of us in the table talked and drank wine. We also shared and asked questions about our lives and so far we're having a great time, but I noticed that Reese wasn't on my side four minutes ago.

Suddenly, my phone beeped. There was a text message.

Hey Egan! I can't help but noticed you looked really beautiful tonight. It seemed as though you've changed a lot. I am willing to catch up. Can we go somewhere and spend time together alone sharing stories? I'm just not that comfortable on talking to you around all of them. All of the sudden people just interrupts your conversation because they'd like to hear something from yours, or they were eavesdropping, or they want everybody to shut up because they're about to hit the whole table with a great sense of humor. Anyways, can we?

That was a long message! Haha!

-Reese :)

Oh. My. God. That did not just happened.

I gripped on Cherry's arm, asking for her attention.

"What?" She looked calm.

"I think I might not be going home already after this. You go without me."

"What the hell is happening?"

I broke out the news and her eyes widened. It seemed as though she could not believe what just happened too.

"That's a damn lie."

"It is not!"

I showed her his text message for full proof.

"I'll also be heading to Memphis after this. I have already packed my bags while you're in the shower. Do you have a duplicate key?"

I didn't reply. I threw a poker face and reached for a duplicate key for my apartment and handed it over to her.

"Promise nothing will go missing on your apartment."

"Except if you don't lock it" I joked, but with a little bit of reminder. She chortled.

As the gathering lasted for God knows how long, my mind had been set just for me and Reese hanging out tonight. I also felt like I've been waiting for forever and the clock slowed down just to mock me.