Love Songs (Secret Songbook #1) (14 page)

Chapter 13

The music filtering through the audience from the stage was so melodic that Kaley could get lost in it. The piano keys tinkled with the notes, all perfectly in order and harmonious.

Mr. Doherty’s fingers were dancing across the ivories like they were on fire and had to run away from the flames. Even
he
was lost in the music, the audience did not exist in his reality. The only thing in his world was the piano and the sounds it made.

Listening to her music teacher, Kaley was lost too. She could barely believe how lucky she was that the man playing on stage was the one that had taught her everything she knew about the piano.

No wonder she could play so well when she had to live up to his talent. But still, she had nothing on Mr. Doherty. He would always be a million times better than her, especially in her eyes.

Kaley was at the piano concert by herself, there by personal invitation from Mr. Doherty. He was also invited to be there, by the Sandyridge Classical Music Hall Society. They encouraged him to put on a performance at least twice a year. If they had their way, he would do it once a month.

Once, he would have done. However being seventy-three years old, he couldn’t afford to exert himself too much. He didn’t even teach anymore, having given that up many years ago.

Looking around at the other audience members, Kaley could see the happiness on their faces. Listening to Mr. Doherty playing the piano was like listening to the kind of music she imagined they would play in heaven. If he had a harp to accompany him, it would probably be spot on.

The way the notes carried and echoed through the music hall reverberated with perfect pitch. Kaley was in awe of his performance, hoping she could be even half as good as him one day.

She closed her eyes and let the music overtake her. She imagined what it would be like to be the one on stage. She wondered if she would be able to move the audience like he could, if the songs she wrote would make them so happy.

It would be absolutely awesome if she could.

Kaley instantly dismissed the idea. As good as it would be, she could never perform in front of others. And her songs would never be that good either, they were for her ears only.

The final note sounded, lingering in the air. As Mr. Doherty stood and took his bow, the silence was replaced with the sound of a hearty applause. People leaped to their feet as they showed their appreciation for the music. Kaley did too, her hands clapping harder than any of them.

Mr. Doherty gave one final bow, a wave, and then exited the stage. The audience started to shuffle off toward the doors, too. Kaley headed for the stage entrance.

There was no security at the Sandyridge Music Hall. They had never had anyone important enough to need protecting. Classical music fans didn’t tend to want to rip their idols to shred, they much preferred a nice cold champagne afterwards.

Kaley went right on through, meeting Mr. Doherty in his dressing room where he was waiting for her.

“There you are, Miss Kaley.” He stood and gave her a hug. “How did you enjoy the show?”

“It was fantastic, Mr. Doherty. I could listen to you play all day.”

“Liar,” he admonished and grinned, his face creasing into a million wrinkles. “Sit down, sit down. I haven’t seen you in so long, I need to know what you’re up to these days.”

They both took a seat in front of the makeup mirror that was surrounded by light globes – just like in the movies. It added a glamorous feel to the otherwise boring beige room with two chairs and a dusty sofa.

“I’ve just had school stuff to do, nothing interesting.” Kaley shrugged, she wasn’t about to bother him with all her boy troubles. She would never talk about them with Mr. Doherty, they were too trivial.

“What about your music then? I hope you have been practicing like you promised?”

Kaley nodded, happy to be able to report the truth. “All the time. I alternate between the piano and the guitar.”

“That’s what I want to hear. And how about your songwriting? Last time we spoke you said you had a whole book full of songs.”

“It’s going well. I’ve added quite a few lately.”

Mr. Doherty looked pleased, proud of his little protégé. Music was his gift to the world and there was no-one more deserving than Kaley. He was so glad he had the opportunity to teach her. He bragged to all his friends about his sixteen year old mini-me. “What’s inspired you so?”

“Life, I guess. It’s not easy being a teenager, you know,” she joked. “I have a lot of ups and downs.”

“Every moment in life is an inspiration, be it good or be it bad. You should be thankful for each and every one of them. If you didn’t experience the rollercoaster of life, you wouldn’t be the person you are today. And the beautiful young woman sitting in front of me is definitely someone to be proud of.”

Kaley beamed, she had this inexplicable need for his approval. It was what pushed her so hard to learn the piano. She would practice for hours every day until she could play the week’s homework perfectly before their next lesson. She never could work out why she tried so hard, but she couldn’t disappoint Mr. Doherty.

“Thank you.” She blushed. “But it was really your lessons that got me started.”

“So when am I going to hear all these wonderful songs?”

“Never. I don’t write them to perform for people, I just have to get them out of my head.”

Mr. Doherty pursed his lips, not having a bar of it. “That’s not the right answer, Miss Kaley. You have a talent, a gift, you should be sharing it with others. If you are feeling these emotions and you play them in your songs, you will connect with people. They will find themselves in your lyrics. You can’t keep them hidden.”

“I can’t perform them, they’re too personal. It’s just a way for me to vent what’s going on in my life. That’s all.”

“That’s what has inspired every song ever written,” Mr. Doherty sighed. “That’s the beauty of music, it resonates between us all. When I play the piano, I’m not speaking a language only we can understand. I’m speaking a language that every person in the world can understand. The piano is my voice. You need to find yours too.”

Kaley let the words sink in. The way he described his music was something so beautiful that he brought a smile to her lips. She understood perfectly what he meant.

Music broke down all barriers, it was something anyone in the world could enjoy be they rich, poor, black, white, Christian, Muslim, old or young. When people played music, they didn’t have accents.

All these words however, did not mean she could perform her songs in front of others. She couldn’t even play them for her parents or friends, let alone complete strangers.

“Find your voice, Kaley. When you do, you’ll be able to share your songs with the world.”

“Thanks, Mr. Doherty. I’ll keep that in mind.” It certainly gave her something to think about, anyway. Perhaps in the future, way into the future, she would find her voice and have the confidence to perform. But not yet and definitely not now. “So are we going to get some dinner or what?”

“Only if it’s a burger. I could really use a burger right now.”

“Burger it is.”

Kaley stood and looped her arm through Mr. Doherty’s. They left the beige dressing room and walked through the labyrinth of hallways to reach the street.

She noticed Mr. Doherty was walking with a limp and he seemed to be a bit breathless as they moved. She slowed her pace, hoping he wasn’t overdoing it. He was a difficult man to keep still.

Chapter 14

Kaley could feel eyes on her, despite the fact she was lying in bed and apparently asleep. She wondered who was in her bedroom so early in the morning, it had to be only about six o’clock.

She hoped it wasn’t Mother Barbie with some big plan for the day, a family outing that would be sure to be boring and long. She kept her eyes closed, hoping they would go away, whoever they were.

The eyes still bore into her, she could hear them moving about the room. They were trying to be quiet but not succeeding. Perhaps they were waiting for her to wake up so they could spring on her.

She didn’t think it would be Strom, he didn’t tend to linger in her bedroom. Her father was more to the point, he probably would have shaken her awake if he needed her for something.

The curiosity was getting the best of her, Kaley opened one eye. She did it slowly, hoping to be able to get a glimpse and then decide whether she wanted to continue pretending to be asleep or not.

She risked the glance.

It wasn’t just one person in her room, it was two. And they had seen her peek, it was too late.

“What are you two doing here?” she moaned. Harper and Harvey looked down at her, one on either side of the bed.

Harper was way too excited for such an early hour. “We’re taking you out for the day, we have everything planned.”

“We’re going to cheer you up,” Harvey added.

“What’s the time?”

“Nine.” Harper tapped her watch to reinforce the point. “Time you were getting up. You don’t want to waste the day in bed, sleepyhead.”

Kaley pulled the covers over her head, Harvey promptly pulled them down again. “Go away, it’s too early,” she groaned. “I don’t want to go out today.”

“Well you don’t have a say in the matter,” Harper said matter of factly. “We have spent a great deal of time making plans and you’re not going to ruin them. Come on.”

They each grabbed an arm and pulled her into a sitting position. She let herself go freely, not having the will to fight.

She would prefer to hide in her room and brood about Eli all day, she didn’t particularly need company for that. However she knew Harper wouldn’t be changing her mind anytime soon. Plus, she had Harvey for backup. When the two forces combined, they were near unstoppable.

“How did you even get in here? You didn’t climb through the window again, did you?”

“Your mom let us in,” Harvey explained. “She said you needed to get out of the house.”

“I went out yesterday, to Mr. Doherty’s piano concert.”

“That doesn’t count.” Harper started going through her closet and throwing clothes her way as she spoke. “Mr. Doherty is like your security blanket. We’ll give you ten minutes to get ready and then you are going to have a day of fun. Eli will be a distant memory.”

Kaley shot Harper a look, to even mention his name when Harvey was there, was wrong. Had Harper told him the whole story of her horrible day at school? She didn’t want anyone to know of her humiliation, especially not Harvey. She had kept it a secret from him for a reason. Harper just shrugged, revealing nothing.

“Fine, get out then,” Kaley ordered. She didn’t need a full ten minutes to get ready, but she did need a few minutes to finish waking up.

She took a shower, letting the water awaken her body. She wondered what they had in store for her, hoping it wasn’t anything that required a lot of energy. Worrying about Eli and wondering what was going on with him was tiring enough.

She got dressed and went downstairs. Georgie had a bowl of cereal out and ready for her. Whatever the plan, she was obviously in on it too. At least it shouldn’t be dangerous, she would never have agreed to it then.

Perhaps it would be fun, the perfect thing to take her mind off that certain someone. If only she could forget about him. If she had the choice, she would. That almost-kiss and the horrible yearning she had for the real thing was practically painful.

The three of them, Harper, Harvey, and Georgie, kept staring at her with a grin on their faces. Kaley found it difficult to eat with such a disarming audience. She did her best, the sooner she got through her breakfast the sooner they would stop looking at her. She took the last mouthful and handed herself over – come what may.

Georgie drove them over to the beach and left them by the roadside. People were soaking up the sun as they dotted the sand. Some brave surfers were riding the waves out to sea.

Kaley couldn’t work out what they were doing there, it wasn’t like she was told to wear her bathers or dress for the beach. The weather was nice enough, but the water would be on the chilly side. Looking at her conspirators, they didn’t look dressed for a day at the beach either. Whatever they were doing, it wasn’t going to be to laze on the sand all day.

“I give up.” Kaley threw her hands in the air. “What are we doing here?”

Harper smiled knowingly, keeping her secret a little longer. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

They started walking, Kaley waiting a moment to see where they were headed before catching up to them. They casually strolled along the path that followed the curve of the beach. It slowly climbed upwards, eventually straying from the sand and leading up to a park that overlooked the beach.

At the top of the incline, and catching a glimpse of the park for the first time, Kaley finally understood what they were going to do.

At the edge of the green, overlooking the beach, was a large movie screen. People were starting to lay out blankets and beanbags on the grass, ready to watch the feature.

The park normally showed movies once a month and held a short film festival once a year. Being sheltered on one side by a mountain and the beach below, it was the perfect spot to spend a lazy Sunday.

“Well?” Harvey started. “Are you up for watching a movie?”

“It’s perfect, thank you, guys. What’s showing?”

“Only your favorite movie,” Harper said. “
The Sound of Music
.” She pulled out a blanket from her oversized handbag and went to find the perfect spot. Kaley and Harvey trotted after her, not arguing.

She spread out the blanket and they each claimed their spot on it. According to the screen, it would only be fifteen minutes before the movie would be starting.

The longer they sat there, enjoying the warming sun, the more people started to arrive and find a comfortable place to watch. It was a popular attraction, it wasn’t like they had a whole lot to do in Sandyridge – especially since the ice skating rink closed down.

When the first scene opened and Julie Andrews ran across the green hills of Austria, Kaley tried to relax. It
was
her favorite movie and should be enough to keep her mind off Eli. She knew all the words by heart and could play all the music on both the guitar and the piano.

Normally she would be able to focus on nothing except the movie. But that morning she couldn’t do it. Eli was playing on her mind, a plague that would not go away or have any known cure.

She danced between thinking him a manipulative soulless creature and a nice guy whom she had misjudged because of something overheard. She had thought about it so much that she didn’t know what was reality anymore. Even the Von Trapp family couldn’t help her make sense of it.

The only thing that cheered her up were the two people either side of her. She knew Harvey hated the movie, he had told her on countless occasions that he considered it a form of torture to sit through the three-hour long film. Yet, there he was, studiously watching the screen and appearing to have a good time.

On the other side was Harper. She loved the movie just as much as Kaley did. They watched it every opportunity they could get – girls’ nights, sleepovers, when they both had measles, and when they were so bored they couldn’t think of anything else to do. She knew it would be comforting for Kaley to see it now. It was so familiar to her that it was like being wrapped in a security blanket.

Kaley considered having the two of them was worth a thousand Elis. She never had to wonder how they felt or whether they were using her for their own motives. They were true friends that would always be there for her, through thick and thin.

They were what life was about, not some stupid boyfriend that made her feel terrible about everything. Kaley decided, as she looked between her friends watching the big screen, that she didn’t need him.

She didn’t need all the drama that came with Eli. When she got home and had some privacy, she would text him and formally decline the invitation for a second date.

Having finally made the decision, Kaley instantly started to feel better. Giving up anything she may have had with Eli didn’t feel as bad as she thought it would.

She may have been waiting sixteen years for one guy to see her, but surely he wouldn’t be the only one. Perhaps within the next sixteen years, there would be another man who saw her when she was invisible to everyone else. She could wait, the pain from Eli was enough to remind her.

She leaned back onto the blanket and lost herself in the movie, finally giving over to the screen. Any time Eli started creeping into her thoughts again, she flicked them away like a bug. She had made her decision and she had every intention of sticking with it.

After the movie, the trio wandered down to the kiosk on the beach. They each grabbed an ice cream and sat on the sand. The beach had filled considerably with families running amuck and bronzed bodies lazing around.

“Thanks for today, guys.” Kaley wrapped her free arm around Harper and gave her a hug. “It’s just what I needed.”

“We just want you to be happy again,” she managed to choke out from the stranglehold around her neck.

“Yeah, I need you to focus on our science project,” Harvey added. “I’m not building a rocket on my own.”

Kaley still didn’t know how much Harper had told Harvey about Eli. Knowing her big mouth, she probably gave him a blow by blow account of everything she herself had been told. She didn’t know why it bothered her so much, but it did. And she would rather talk about any other subject except Eli with him.

“So… what’s next?” She changed the subject, not wanting to let them dwell on the topic. She would rather talk about anything other than a certain someone right now – or ever again.

“We’re going to the pier and riding the rollercoaster until Harper throws up,” Harvey said proudly.

“Sounds like fun.” Kaley tried to sound enthusiastic. The rollercoaster wasn’t exactly her thing, she was more likely to vomit before Harper. Then they would eat a hundred corndogs and ride again. It was a vicious circle she couldn’t escape until they closed the amusement park. At least it would definitely keep her mind occupied.

They finished their ice creams and started the walk to the pier – located at the far end of the beach. It almost felt like it used to when they hung out, just the three of them against the world. They didn’t need anyone or anything else.