“It’s okay!” his cousin yelled from somewhere up front, and a few people laughed.
“All right then.” Grey shifted the guitar strap in an attempt to get comfortable. “This song is called ‘Just Friends.’”
My jaw dropped as the first few notes came from the guitar. “Just Friends.” I had a feeling the song could only be about one thing—us. It felt like staring down the barrel of a gun as the notes flew from the guitar. I held my breath, waiting for him to sing.
“Friends. That’s all you say we are.
Things can’t ever get too far.
We’ve got to play it safe.
Just Friends. But you look at me like a falling star,
Like a mystery coming from afar.
I don’t want to play it safe.”
“He’s very talented,” someone said in a familiar voice from my side.
I looked over to see Grey’s mom looking straight ahead. Pride shone in her eyes.
“He is,” I agreed.
It seemed, from the corner of my eye, that she had glanced at me, but the movement was so faint I couldn’t be sure withouttearing my eyes off of Grey. And right now, I couldn’t seem to do that.
Grey continued to sing.
“Didn’t I give staying away a try?
But I can’t stop seeing you when I close my eyes,
And then you kiss, and there go all my plans.
I don’t want this thing to end,
But it’s clear that we’re not just friends.”
My heart beat loudly in my chest, in my throat, in my ears. Grey wasn’t looking at me, but the song was clearly about what we’d gone through over the past few weeks. I wondered when he’d written it. And why he hadn’t shown it to me yet.Why is he playing it now, in front of all of these people?
“I’m glad you were the one who came with Grey,” his mom said.
“Really?” I blinked at her in surprise.
Most mothers I knew would rather their sons bring their girlfriends over some random guy who they then proceeded to dance with like it was a date.
“He’s happier when he’s with you,” she said simply. “I like seeing my son happy.”
“I do too.” I could only muster those three words, but my mind was running a million miles a second.Is Grey’s mom really giving me her approval? What did I do to earn it other than crack a few jokes that made Grey laugh? Is Carina really that bad?
“You know, Grey’s been writing music his whole life,” she said. “But something about his new songs is different. I wondered what changed.”
She sounded like she knew the answer, but I didn’t have time to ask for clarification because, with that, she left. A second later, Grey hit the last chord on his guitar. His song was over. I kicked myself for not listening to it closer. But then, I went to a lot of Dreamscape concerts at this point. I was likely to hear it again.
Something about his new songs is different,she’d said.The only thing that’s changed recently is our friendship,I thought dully as the crowd applauded, and I joined in.What else could she be referring to?Especially since this new song was definitely about our so-called friendship.
I was still reeling from my conversation with Grey’s mom when he approached me.
“Well, that was embarrassing,” he said, his cheeks flushed in the way they did after his performances.
