Pretend (63 page)

             
"Yeah it is," I said as I felt a silly smile creep onto my face.

             
"I guess I can't take it back now since I already opened my big mouth but yes he has liked you for a very long time and talking to you now, I can honestly see why. Just don't tell him that I told you," she said as we both began to smile.

             
"Your secret's safe with me," I said as we giggled like a pair of kids.

             
"So
,
are you Aiden's music teacher then?" I asked.

             
"Oh gosh no, me and instruments do not get along. I'm Keith's wife, he's Aiden's teacher and the principal of the school. I just work here, you know
,
help out," she replied.

             
"Oh ok, well that makes two of us I was never gifted in the music department," I said as we both smiled.

* * *

             
After
about
fifteen minutes of eating and mingling with the rest of Aiden's friends from the music school
,
I finally got a moment alone with Aiden.

             
"Having fun?" He said as he smiled at me.

             
"Yeah, the people are great, especially Alison, I really like her," I replied.

             
"Yeah
,
she seems to like you too," he said as he smiled at me.

             
"So
,
what is happening here
tonig
-"

             
I was suddenly cut off by a voice coming from an intercom in the corner of the room we were now in.

             
"The show begins in ten minutes
. C
an e
veryone please make their way
to
performance
hall
hd7
? Thank you."

             
"Show?"
I asked Aiden once the voice had stopped speaking.

             
"Yeah there's a show tonight, I'm just going
to the
toilet
so go in with Ali
son and I'll meet you in there,”
he said before planting a soft kiss on my lips.

             
"Come on sweetheart you can sit with me," Alison said as she began walking in the direction of what I'm guessing was the performance hall.

* * *

             
Ten minutes had passed and the performance was already in full swing. There had already been two singers, a solo saxophone player and now a girl on a keyboard. There was everything there to make a good show except for Aiden. I shifted in my seat a few times to see if I could find him but I was disappointed to discover that I couldn't. I wanted to go and look for him but
Alison
had said that he may be sitting with a few friends in another section and will catch up
with us
soon and so I took her word for it even though I was
n’t
completely happy that he had practically left me alone.

             
One thing that I did notice was how amazing all of the performances had been so far. They were all doing pieces that they had put together themselves and I could only describe what I was hearing as beautiful.

             
The sound of clapping snapped me out of my thoughts as the girl on the keyboard bowed and walked towards the curtains at the side. Keith appeared on the stage again as he had each time a new performer was set to come on stage.

             
"Ok and next up ladies and gentleman is a talented young man who has been with the m
usic school for a total of six
years..."

I turned around again to see if I could see Aiden, I had to admit that I was a little worried now.

             
"When he first arrived he was eleven years old and had no previous experience of music but let me tell you that he soon started playing as though he were a professional..."

             
I know that Alison said that he may be sitting with friends but it wasn't like him to leave me alone.

             
"He kept his musical skills quiet and was never one to show off. Four years ago we discovered that he had what I can only describe as the voice of an angel. For the first time he has agreed to actually sing and play in
front of a live audience. So without further adieu, ladies and gentleman please put your hands together for..."

             
No this is definitely strange, I don't care what Alison says, I need to go and find him...

             
"Aiden Daniels."

             
Suddenly I froze, I knew that I was standing up but the words that just came out of Keith's mouth could not be real. Aiden was performing tonight, in
front of me...

             
"Hey lady, will you sit down you're blocking my view," a frustrated voice said from behind me.

             
"Sorry," I mumbled as I slowly sat down and kept my eyes fixated on the stage.

             
I watched closely as I realised that it really was Aiden who was on the stage as he walked on with a guitar in his hand and sat on a wood
en stool that was placed behind a
mic
.

             
"Good evening ladies and gentleman," he said after finally getting comfortable on his stool and placing the guitar in his hands ready to play.

             
"Tonight I'm going to be performing a song that I wrote myself. It was inspired by a very special person in my life and it's called Pretend," he said before taking his fingers to the guitar.

             
I watched as he gently brushed his fingers against the strings, checking that the guitar was in tune I guess. After a second he was playing what I can only describe as the most heavenly sounding tune. As the sound of the song hit the atmosphere I knew that it was the best thing that I would ever hea
r until he began to sing that is
...

"
Mmm
Mmm
Mmm
Now I know...

Mmm
Mmm
Mmm
Now I know...

Mmm
Mmm
Mmm
Now I know...

I will never let you
go...

I wish I could say the words

The ones that she deserves

Explaining how I feel

It's so crazy, is it real?

Don't want to waste this time

Pretending she's not mine

Pretending she's not mine,
ohhhhh
...

Don't want to play pretend

Acting like we're friends

I want you to be mine

Not pretend but all the time

Don't want to play pretend

Acting like we're friends

I want you to be mine

Not pretend but all the time

I know this feeling
’
s real

Never been here before

Always lost for time

Always on my mind

She makes everything seem fine

Don't want to waste this time

Pretending she's not mine

Pretending she's not mine,
ohhhhh
...

Don't want to play pretend

Acting like we're friends

I want you to be mine

Not pretend but all the time

Don't want to play pretend

Acting like we're friends

I want you to be mine

Not pretend but all the time

I want you all the time...."

             
Suddenly everyone jumped to their feet, clapping their hands and screaming Aiden's name whilst I sat frozen in my seat as I locked eyes with the one person that I wanted more than anything else right now.

* * *

             
"So what did you think?" Aiden asked as w
e started to drive back home to
get ready for the party.

             
We hadn't really had much of a chance to speak after the show due to the fact that he was swarmed by people who wanted to congratulate him all evening.

             
"It was beautiful, I didn't even know that you could sing," I said as
I
looked over at him.

             
"Well you never asked," he said with a playful smile on his lips.

             
"Well you're always so secretive when it co
mes to music school that's why."

             
"That's because I don't want everyone to see that side of me
.
"

             
"What do you mean?" I asked, confused by his statement.

             
"When I'm in that mode it's different. Like
,
I zone out. I suppose when I speak through music it's from the soul, it's real, you know?"

             
"Yeah I think I understand. Music is your way of bearing your soul, being and expressing who you really are, right?"

             
"Well
,
that's a very girl way to put it but something like that," he said as a smirk spread across his face.

             
"Funny," I said as I hit his arm playfully.

             
"The song was beautiful though, the lyrics were...
Amazing."

             
"It isn't actually finished yet," he said in a more serious voice as he kept his eyes on the road.

             
"Oh, so can I hear it when it's done?" I asked, hoping that he'd say yes.

"
I’m not the one that needs to finish it
," he said as he
stared at me before continuing to drive when the lights changed.

             
“Oh,” I said. A
s we continued home I sat in silence and smiled to myself.

*
*
*

             
We seemed to move pretty
quick
and we're dressed, ready and standing outside of Murphy's door by half ten.

             
"Hey sexy friends," Anthony said as Murphy's front door swung open.

             
"
You been
drinking?" Aiden said as he raised an eyebrow at him.

             
"Dude, have you met Murphy's dad?
He’s laid back but not in that area.
The guy probably has the cops circling the place every hour not even I'm dumb enough to break that guys rules, plus he scares me," he said as both Aiden and I burst out laughing before walking through the door.

             
"Hey kiddo, looking mighty fine," Anthony said as he slung his arm around my shoulders.

             
"Thanks," I said as I looked at Aiden who looked amused by his friends 'happy' attitude.

             
"Drunk on love," he mouthed to me as we both started laughing.

             
"Hey," Jess beamed as she seen me and Aiden approaching her.

             
I spotted Rachel from across the room and threw her a smile to show that I was happy that she came. She returned the smile and waved her hand at me before Jess dragged me away towards Jinnie, Erica and Crystal, leaving the guys to 'do their thing'.

* * *

             
It wasn't long before we were all enjoying the party. Everyone was dancing and just having a good time. Aiden had been giving me looks all night and I couldn't help but smile as I kept replaying the words of his song in my head. I knew exactly what that song meant and it was beautiful but it also meant that I really needed to tell Crystal so that we could stop pretending. Maybe that's what he was waiting for before he finished the song, an ending.

I knew that it was now or never so I left the kitchen where I had been chatting with Jess and Anthony to go and find Crystal. I said that I would tell her tonight and it was time to stop backing out.
             
As I approached the l
iving room, I had
to push through the crowd in order to spot Crystal, it wasn't too hard since she was wearing a bright pink dress. As I went to head over to where she was stood
I was suddenly stopped by a hand
gently grabbing hold of my wrist.