Will's Story by Jaye Robin Brown

Author:Jaye Robin Brown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2016-03-05T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

Nerves strung tight

Things I must do

A boy’s confession

Never meant to hurt you

My fingers drum out of synch with the song blaring from my speakers as I drive home from school. My thoughts won’t settle. I told Amber Rose to come about an hour early so I could talk to her and let her know that our dating wasn’t going to work out. What I didn’t expect was to find Amber Vaughn in my den.

I hesitate for a second and glance at the clock in the kitchen. A good hour or so to kill. My heart is beating hard but I play it cool. Besides, I found some interesting banjo arrangements she might use for her audition.

I grab some of their popcorn. “Hey, Devon, do you mind if I borrow Amber for a sec? I want to show her what I found.” I lift up the arm holding my laptop and the CD she’d given me Thursday morning.

Devon groans and shoos us away. He’s playing some Lana Del Rey song on his guitar. “Go somewhere in the back where I can’t hear the twang.”

Not sure Amber’s going to follow me when I motion for her to come down the hall to my room, but she does, her crutches pushing along the hardwood floors.

I put the laptop on my desk and turn it on. “Is your ankle going to be okay?”

“Kind of. Pretty sure it’s just a sprain but Mom insists I use these for a few more days. I fell over a stupid root in the trail when I was hiking.”

Another cool thing about Amber Vaughn. She likes to get outdoors as much as I do.

She leans her crutches by the door. “What’d you think of the CD?”

“Let me show you something.” I get to one of the videos I’d bookmarked. It’s a banjo version of “Ave Maria,” one of the songs she’d mentioned as a favorite. She’s leaning in my door frame and as she realizes what the guy’s playing, her face lights with a smile.

I grin. “Right? But that’s not all. Here’s the ‘Red, Red Rose’ song you liked.” I turn to the computer and click through my favorites, pulling up another video.

Amber’s watching the screen. “You could do those arrangements?”

“Yeah, sure.” I don’t want to come across as cocky. “I mean, we can learn together. Would it be too weird if you hung out with me, though?” I’m testing the Amber Vaughn waters.

She cocks an eyebrow.

“To practice,” I add. “Instead of hanging out with Devon.”

“We’ve played together before at your house. Remember? Nirvana?”

I choose not to feel small even though her voice is “put me in my place” contemptuous. “Right.” I skip past my embarrassment. “You want to start tonight? Now?” I know I have a deadline but playing music will be a good thing to keep my mind off Amber Rose’s imminent arrival.

Amber Vaughn blushes.

She blushes!

“Yeah. That’d be good.”

I motion for her to sit on the foot of my bed, while I take the swivel chair. It’s all I can do to keep my hands from shaking.

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