Slowly Getting…16A

What's the point of anything anymore? Days passed and each passing day, Sawyer was losing the strength and mood to leave his room. It took him longer and longer. Thanks to his recordings, he got away with not paying attention. To be exact, he did pay attention. But his mind drifted away more and more. He didn't even notice it. The desire to not do anything. The anger crawling it's way through him like a burst pipe in a basement slowly filling up the dark room and going unnoticed.

On a day when he'd settled down to focus on the school work he'd been recording, Hannah knocked on his door. He didn't set down his pen, or pause the playing record even though he could hear the knocking. By the third knock he raised his head slowly and glared at the door. After the fourth, he was up and ready to open. He raised his eyebrows when he saw Hannah. He hadn't even tried to guess who it might be at the door. He turned around and went back to his chair without a word.

"Hi." Hannah greeted with a smile. She looked over at his desk and gasped. "I'm sorry. You're busy."

"Just a bit." For a brief moment he thought she would leave. Hoped it even. But then again he wanted her here… somehow, he can't explain it.

"I'll just be over here, reading. I have a test next week and the work load is…" she trailed off, letting out a sigh of exhaustion. "You think you could help me when you're done?" His head was bent over his book. Hand hovering over the play icon on his phone. Something was strange, she noticed. Perhaps he was just tired. She pushed whatever she was getting off of him aside. "You know what, never mind." She waved her hand.

"A little later okay? I'll help." He got up, deciding he needed his headphones for this. For another brief moment, he wondered when he would really get his room to himself. And yet he wanted her to stay. There was no reasonable explanation for that. Maybe Richard can help him figure it out during his next session.

Hours later, they'd both left their school work and settled down to watch a movie. Sawyer leaning so low, his back was barely on the head board, his left ear very close to Hannah's stomach. Her laptop between his long legs and her knees. Her feet slightly out of the bed. A comfortable silence between them as they enjoyed the movie. Half way through it, Hannah remembered something. "A friend of a friend is throwing a party in a few days or so. It's off campus. We should go."

He looked up at her. "We? I thought you have a test soon?"

"Yeah. But all work and no play… you know? Plus, I'm not sure when it is exactly yet. It might be after."

He dragged in a breath and let it out. "I'm not in the mood for a party Hannah."

"It's not today or tomorrow. You could be by then. And it could be fun. We always hang out on campus. We barely even eat out."

"Is that a bad thing?" His words sounded as disinterested as he is.

"It's not. But I'd like to go out with my boyfriend a few times. You go out with Noelle and Otto."

On the off chance that this turns into a contest about who does what with who for whatever reason. "Sure." It's not exactly a bad idea. "We could go to a restaurant first. Or after."

"First." She sat up with a smile.

"The first of many." He looked up at her with a smile.

Ahhh! The eyes shielded by glasses, the smile… she could melt. And he's all hers. She bit part of her lower lip. "I so can not wait."

He chuckled. His hand stretched out over the laptop, sending the movie back almost five minutes. He could feel her looking at him.

"You're all mine aren't you?"

"What?" He looked up at her. Her eyelashes fluttered. He was more amused than anything else. "Hannah Barbra, that's creepy." He started to laugh. "On so many levels."

"No. I just meant that- I was thinking about how you're my boyfriend and it's kinda unbelievable cause you're like" His eyebrow was raised. "You."

"Me?"

"Yes you." Her left hand went into his hair. "Words cannot describe. A little over four weeks. I love being with you. You make me so happy. Sometimes it's hard to believe."

"You have no idea." He pushed up his glasses. "You're all mine aren't you? Cause I'm all yours." That was such a cringe thing to say, he admitted to himself. But since she liked it.

Oh hell she could die. She nodded, an uncontainable smile on her face, her eyes locked with his. "I'm all yours." She leaned in for a kiss. Very intense… very different.

More days passed. And after a real struggle with his body and his mind, both split on whether to go out or not, he was out with Noelle. Not sure why he was doing it. To keep his friends from worrying or for himself. Plus, it could be fun.

Noelle had asked for his and Otto's help setting up instruments for her new friends. Their new friends at this point. Otto was too busy to help and Sawyer didn't have a good enough excuse to give. Even now he couldn't think of one. They'd picked up the instruments from the music department, put it in the lead singer's rented van and taken it off campus for an event that naturally, he wouldn't have attended or thought about attending. In fact, neither Noelle orhim had a clue what was going on. And why they had to bring their own instruments. But they helped anyway.

An evening of music and booze and snacks and screaming people and all the things in between. Which could involve chaos. With Noelle by his side through out, pictures were taken, posts were made and drinks were had. As they enjoyed the loud music, much to his realization, he really was enjoying the music. Some weren't half bad. Only one band during the course of the evening turned night were unfortunate to be booed off stage. Sawyer found himself laughing at the crowdsbehavior. He laughed harder than he should have. His shoulders back, his head back, he laughed like it was the funniest thing to ever happen. It was a sight for Noelle. Not that it was rare. While she did laugh, she didn't laugh that hard.

And then their new friends were up. The strumming of the guitars, the beating of the drums, the voice bringing it all together. It was magic. The crowd went wild. Including Noelle who was doing more than showing her support. And Sawyer who was very impressed, Just as impressed as the crowd. "They're really good." He commented over the swallowing music.

"I told you didn't I?" She looked up at him as he nodded, watching the fingers on the guitars, the drumsticks go up and down in a weird place between violent and calm and the lead singer moving like the stage was hers and only hers. "You're really into it aren't you?"

"More than I thought I would be." He said to her with a smile.

And then it was over. The crowd called for an encore that never came. Mostly because it wasn't allowed. More performances and the night was over. The band spent a little over thirty minutes being congratulated and complimented for their beautiful performance. They too, consumed in pure excitement for what they'd been able to give out. Ready to celebrate.