Chapter 43 - The One

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3rd POV – At Home

"Well?" Mary looked at George as he returned to the bedroom.

"He's not there." George said as he sat on the bed. "He's at that party."

"....." Mary raised an eyebrow at him. "What are you doing? Let's go get him and bring him home."

"Why? Let him have a little fun." George replied, trying to take off his shoes again, but Mary's sharp glare stopped him. "Oh, come on! He's a teenager. Let him enjoy himself a little."

"…What if he drinks beer or alcohol there?" Mary said, her gaze piercing. Both of them had been young before, and they knew for sure that drinks could easily be spiked at parties like these.

"It's fine." George said, waving his hand dismissively. He just wanted to sleep. "...A couple of drinks aren't going to turn him into an alcoholic, Mary. We just need to trust him."

"....." Mary exhaled deeply, watching him carefully, "…Alright…"

"Phew…" George sighed in relief and finally lay back on the bed. He switched off the lights and closed his eyes. "Goodnight…"

"...Did you check on Sheldon and Missy?" Mary asked, but George ignored her.

"Ah, never mind. I think they're done with the party." Mary muttered after not hearing the sounds of the party from her room.

George didn't reply, but deep down, he knew that no party ever ended that early.

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3rd POV – At the Party

"TAM! Where's my big brother?!" Missy shouted at Tam, who was watching her but not stopping her own dance moves.

"I don't know! You two should go home!" Tam yelled back.

"No way!" Missy Yelled.

"PUT ME DOWN!!" Sheldon Begging.

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3rd POV – At the Backyard Party

"Why are they lying there?" a girl asked, pointing at the pair lying in the backyard.

"Pfft, that's Georgie and Veronica…" some people laughed when they noticed it was them.

They whispered and giggled, amused at the sight, but the chatter didn't seem to bother Georgie or Veronica. The two of them were entirely focused on the moment—lying down, stargazing, and talking about things that others would probably find meaningless.

"I don't know… but I kinda want to lay down like them." another girl said to her boyfriend beside her.

Her boyfriend looked at her strangely, "Really?". She nodded enthusiastically and walked toward the backyard.

"Alright…" Her boyfriend shrugged and followed her.

Unbeknownst to Georgie and Veronica, a small group of people had started gathering nearby. They brought blankets or whatever they could find to sit on. Most of the fabrics came from the house's owner, and anything could be used as a makeshift mat.

They chatted quietly with a peaceful vibe, even though the loud music from the party still echoed in the background. Some couples were even kissing, entirely unconcerned with anyone else around them.

It was a party, after all. No one cared what others did as long as they were having fun.

"You want me to be romantic?" Georgie asked, gazing at Veronica.

Veronica looked slightly flustered for a moment but quickly covered it up with a smirk. She stared back at him. "…I bet you can't do it!"

"Girl… all this talk we're having right now is not romantic at all." Georgie said with a teasing smirk. "But… since you want me to…" He reached for his guitar and placed it on his lap.

"…Not fair!" Veronica said, crossing her arms, but she didn't stop him. "...Are you really going to sing it here? My song?"

"Your song?! It's my song! All the money from it comes to me!" Georgie joked, earning a light punch from Veronica and a soft laugh.

"Alright, alright…" Georgie tuned his guitar.

The sound of the guitar tuned immediately caught the attention of others nearby.

"Georgie! Are you about to sing?" a guy's voice called out.

"Yeah, Ben! Don't bother me. I'm trying to woo this girl!" Georgie said, pointing at Veronica, whose face turned red at his words.

"Veronica? Sure! But we're going to listen, and if it's not good, we're definitely gossiping about it at school!" another guy chimed in, laughing along with the girls nearby.

"Dang! Should I stop then?" Georgie asked, glancing at Veronica.

"NO BACKSIES!" the other girls shouted back, laughing. The boys just chuckled along.

"Alright! Listen carefully" Georgie said. "All of you will get your first concert from Georgie Cooper."

"Wait, Georgie!" Ben interrupted, stopping him. "What song are you going to play?"

Georgie smiled confidently. "It's my original song." he said proudly.

"What? You wrote a song? Really?" Ben asked, and the others around him seemed even more interested after hearing that.

"Hey, wait a minute! I'll turn down the party music!" Ben said, running inside. "Oh, this is going to be tomorrow's big gossip for sure. You better be prepared, Georgie! Hahaha!"

The others laughed as well, but Georgie didn't mind and simply waved his hand dismissively.

If he sang poorly, there was a good chance he'd earn an embarrassing nickname.

It wasn't that Veronica didn't believe in Georgie.

"…Do you want to stop?" Veronica asked, her voice tinged with concern.

But she was worried about Georgie's reputation, especially since he was destined to become a famous singer one day.

She didn't want any bad stories or gossip to tarnish his career. If he sang a bad or awkward song, it would become a dark spot on his future.

"It's okay!" Georgie reassured her with a sincere smile. "This is a song I wrote for you… Listen carefully, my deepest possession."

The party music began to fade, giving Georgie the space to perform.

Ben returned and sat beside his girlfriend, a wide grin on his face.

"…You're really enjoying this, huh?" his girlfriend asked, nudging him with her elbow.

When Ben was about to respond, he heard the sound of a guitar playing a mellow melody. He looked over at Georgie, who was playing gently, his fingers moving from one chord to another until he finished with a string-skipping technique.

Everyone else who had been laughing also stopped, and the backyard fell silent. All eyes turned to Georgie, who was lost in the music.

(Gary Allan – The One, "Play Like Terry Fouty Cover")

"No rush…"

Georgie began to sing, looking at Veronica. "though I need your touch."

"I won't rush your… heart..."

Veronica smiled shyly. Georgie's voice captured everyone's attention, including Ben, who said nothing and was completely absorbed by the song.

"Until you feel on solid ground

Until your strength is found, girl..."

Georgie played the guitar skillfully, singing with deep emotion, as if every note and lyric were meant for Veronica. Everyone felt it; they were like shadows among these two people, Georgie and Veronica, who were completely engrossed in each other, ignoring everything around them.

"I'll fill those canyons in your soul

Like a river lead you home

And I'll walk a step behind

In the shadows so you shine..."

Georgie sang as if he knew what Veronica had been through, gazing into her eyes and seeing into her soul.

"Just ask, it will be done

And I will prove my love

Until you're sure that I'm the one..."

Veronica smiled as though Georgie understood her struggles, the burdens she had carried, and that he was patiently waiting for her. Without realizing it, tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Somebody else was here before

He treated you unkind

And broken wings need time to heal

Before a heart can fly, girl..."

Yes, Veronica heard the words and saw Georgie's comforting smile. She liked him—no, she love him. Unlike others, he didn't treat her with disdain or look down on her like the rest did.

"I'll fill those canyons in your soul

Like a river lead you home

And I'll walk a step behind

In the shadows so you shine

Just ask, it will be done

And I will prove my love

Until you're sure that I'm the one..."

"...Damn…" Ben muttered, snapping out of the trance Georgie's performance had put him in. He turned to look at his girlfriend, whose mellow expression showed she was gazing longingly at Georgie and Veronica. Her face betrayed a wish that Ben could have sung this song to her instead.

"Trust in me…" Georgie raised his voice slightly, drawing even more attention. "And you'll find a heart… so true."

Veronica looked at Georgie with loving eyes. Georgie paused his guitar briefly, singing the next lines a capella, his raw voice resonating with everyone.

"All I want to do is… give the best of me to you..." His voice was vulnerable yet strong. "And stand beside you."

After finishing the verse, he resumed playing his guitar.

"Just ask, it will be done

And I will prove my love..."

Georgie stopped playing and set the guitar aside. His hand gently reached for Veronica's cheek, wiping away her tears. In a soft whisper, he finished, "...Until you're sure that I'm 'the one.'"

Veronica leaned into his hand, gazing at him with deep, loving eyes. She knew in that moment that she had fallen for him even deeper than before. She realized that the boy—the man—sitting before her was the one she had been waiting for. She felt it.

It was a feeling so powerful, so overwhelming. Love. So complicated to explain, yet so easy to feel.

Looking into Georgie's deep blue eyes, Veronica spoke with absolute certainty. "...I love you." she said. This time, her voice was steady and confident, as if declaring to the universe that this was love.

Georgie smiled and leaned closer to Veronica. He kissed her passionately. In that moment, nothing could stop them—or rather, they didn't care about anything else but their lips and the connection between them.

The others, who were still 'recovering' from Georgie's impromptu concert, watched awkwardly as the couple kissed, completely oblivious to their surroundings.

"Damn…" Ben cursed under his breath again, feeling goosebumps as he watched the romantic scene unfold in front of him. "...What?" he mumbled when he caught his girlfriend glaring at him with a disappointed expression.

He gave her an awkward smile as his lips twitched. He hadn't realized Georgie could sing so well! He had only planned to spread rumors about Georgie being a terrible singer and songwriter.

But now, even he couldn't deny it. "...That's really a good song." Ben muttered. And if anyone else heard him, they would have nodded in agreement.

Georgie and Veronica finally broke their kiss, their foreheads resting against each other as they both tried to catch their breath, especially Veronica. "...You are mine." Georgie said between breaths, gazing into Veronica's eyes.

Veronica, hearing those words, smiled and nodded.

"...Is it a bad time?" Tam's voice interrupted them as he appeared, searching for Georgie and Veronica.

"BROTHER!" Missy's voice shouted from behind Tam.

Georgie turned to the direction of the voice. "Hey! What are you two doing here? Especially you, young lady!" he said, pointing at Missy.

"What are you doing?" Missy shot back, her tone accusatory.

"...Uhm... nothing?" Georgie tried to play it off, but no one believed him. Well, it didn't help that Veronica was still clinging tightly to him, her face buried in his neck with no intention of letting go anytime soon.

"..."