Chapter Seven - I Can Play The Guitar Until It Hurts Like Hell

Jessica texted me around 10:30 that morning. All right, I will hold the secret. I won't mention it to anybody, not even my parents. 

Billie said while poring over the text and relaxing on the couch, "Sounds marvelous, well, I would post some pictures and make a live stream, telling you to my followers, reporting about the tour. I'll maybe do that, uh... next month. Can your friend keep a secret for that long?" 

 I replied, "I guess she kept the secrets about Jason for years."

 Billie said a moment later, "Uh... I haven't heard you play guitar, ever. How long have you been playing?" 

I delivered under my breath, "Two years..." 

Billie smiled, "Two years? That's fantastic, how many songs do ya know how to play?" 

I announced, "well, uh... maybe 70 songs, particularly Green Day," 

Billie answered, "70? Dam, that's A LOT! Can you play one for me? I mean, it's fine if you don't want to."

 I said while plugging my Les Paul into the amp that Billie grabbed from the music room/ recording studio, "I realize, I might suck at it..."

 Billie said with reassurance, "Kid, look at me. If you were playing for two years, and ya know at least 70 f**king songs... I CAN ASSURE YOU, you DO NOT SUCK! Don't let your anxiety take influence on you like that, Emily. Ya see, I would declare if you suck, I would inform you the truth, "

"Well, here it goes... We're living in repetition, content in the same old shtick again Now the routine's turning to contention; like a production line going over and over and over roller coaster; Now I cannot speak, I lost my voice, I'm speechless and redundant; 'Cause I love you's not enough I'm lost for words, Billie looked at me and added, 

"Well, I will tell ya what I think about it... I'm at lost for words... that was a prodigious job, kid! You should make a record."

 About a few days later, it was my first day of school,

 "Kid. If anybody asks you if you're a part of our household, just say it's the last name, okay. It might lead to the paparazzi, media outlets would acknowledge, ya understand. I don't need ya to produce a pile of attention," Billie said while steering the car into the school parking lot, then he asked, "anyone around?"

 I looked around for a minuscule of time, "No." I answered.

"Emily, they asked for me to sign some papers, and to drop ya off," Billie acknowledged me. 

Billie and I sauntered into the office, I sat down into a chair,  whenever Billie left, there was a boy with stunning sea-blue eyes, chestnut hair, he was the most gorgeous boy I have ever encountered in my entire life right sat right next to me. 

"Oh hello, I'm Nick and I'm one of the office workers, are you new here?" the boy said. 

I said shyly, "Uh... My name is Emily. Today's my first day, I recently moved from Seattle. I'm a freshman, I played the flute and French horn in the school band," I told Nick, while my heart was beating quickly. The secretary handed me my schedule and a map of the school, then Nick gave me a tour, showing me to all of my classes. 

Whenever we stepped out of the office, "Hey, Emily can I see that," Nick said asking for my schedule. Then a few moments later he added, "AW...Nice! We have all the same classes. Oh, here ya go!"

"That's nice! Do you have Instagram?" I asked him.

"Yeah, I'll give it to you later," Nick said smiling.

By the time Nick has gotten done with the tour, it was the fifth and final period, which was a band. We entered the band hall, we entered there, which was nobody else in there, yet.

I noticed the band director walk over to me, he stopped and said, "Uh... Hello, welcome to the band... you must be Emily Armstrong. What instrument do you play, Mrs. Armstrong?" 

The band director instructed me into his office.

"I-I play the French horn and flute. I just started the French horn this year, however, I've been playing flute since sixth grade," I said while feeling awkward about all the instruments I've played, I was sitting down in the chair in front for his desk.

 "I'm Mr. Parsons, sorry I didn't mention that sooner, well, I'll have one of the assistant directors help with the band today. 'Cause I would like for you to do some scales on the flute and French horn, for chair placement. Which school did you come from?" Mr. Parsons said.

 "Seal Bay High School," I said shyly, then Mr. Parsons continued. 

"Oh, you're from Seattle, right? Mr. Shadler and I are great friends, anyhow, I'll go get you a flute," Mr. Parsons said while gripping a flute out of the instrument room.

Mr. Parsons grabbed a music stand from outside the office, he sat it right in the facade of me then asked, "Here, Emily, can you play these scales?"

 I played most of the scales two octaves, as I can identify, I flabbergasted him.

 "Wow, you played AMAZING! Just marvelous! I have HEARD no one play so marvelous." He said flabbergasted, then a moment afterward I said blushing.

"Oh... Uh... Thank you." 

Then a second later, the office called on the intercom, "Can you please send Emily Armstrong to the office for a second?" Mr. Parsons wrote me a hall pass, then I went to the office. 

The secretary noticed me, "Oh... Hello, again. Your dad just wanted to let you know that you are a will ride a car home for the year instead of riding a bus, okay?" 

"Oh okay," I answered. 

Then I reached back to class after the secretary signed my hall pass. About 20 minutes later the bell rang, and Nick showed me where the area was for me to get picked up.

"They don't care if we are on our phones, whenever we get out there." Whenever we got out there, Nick asked for my Instagram.

"Cool! YOU GOT A VERIFIED ACCOUNT! Nice!" he said while scanning through it. 

Nick said holding my phone, "Your dad is calling you, here's your phone," 

"Hey, hun. I will be about 15 minutes late," Billie said.

 "Oh, okay," I replied, then Billie hung up a moment later.

"My ride is here, bye Emily," Nick said.

"Oh yeah, I followed you on Instagram!" Nick added while entering his SUV. Then I noticed that Billie pulled up, I opened the passenger car door, then he sped off. 

The rest of the day, I texted Nick, to find out he was a HUGE fan of Green Day.