I admit I am a sucker for a good song. I love music. All types. I can connect with pretty much anything. Do I have a preference? Sure, I love indie soft songs, but mostly all music is welcome to me. Music is something I give myself permission to get attached to. This is because songs never get old I could listen to the same song forever and no one can stop me.

So music has always been a sort of escape for me. When I get overwhelmed or feel particularly lonely I always turn to music. It helps me calm down and get my head back in order. I think that’s with everyone though, music is truly the language of love because no matter what language you speak, what the color of your skin, or what your gender or sexual orientation everyone understands music. Even if the music is in another language you can still connect to it. It’s about the notes, the instruments, the emotion in a singer's voice. It is a wonder of the world. A true art.

I could tell music was a sort of escape for Riff as well. It was as clear as night and day. Gone was that hidden caution and faux bravery, here was the real Riff. The girl under it all, the one she opens up and let's bleed all over that guitar. It was so much more to her than a guitar it was like a part of her, it was like another organ connected to her heart vital for her body to keep on functioning properly.

Here it was the final piece of the puzzle of Riff. I was seeing her, the real her. I had gotten what I wanted, I came in wanting to get to know this girl out of pure curiosity and boredom and now here I was seeing a side of her I am not sure many people got to see, or even wanted to see being as her band kicked her out.

How could they kick out something as beautiful as this? They must have been out of their minds. I can officially attest that those idiots don’t know talent when they see it.

The way her fingers glided down the guitar changing the tone as she strummed the strings. she was in a deep concentration it was obvious that she was no longer in my world, she was in her own and probably forgot I was even there.

She played a few warm-up chords and tweaked the tuning a bit. When she was satisfied she played a small little riff and smirked to herself at the sound. I felt all ticklish inside. I was so excited to see her play ever since I heard her passionately proclaim that running away to peruse music was a choice she loved and would never take back. Someone who loved music that much intrigued me, ever since then I wanted to know just how good she was so that I could selfishly judge her and decide whether or not she made the right choice.

Because that is the kind of person I am. I judge people and put them in categories. It helps me resist the urge to actually get to know people. If I trick myself into thinking everyone is basic and that they are all the same then I don’t feel the need to connect with them. It’s not a good way to live and it often means I misjudge books by their covers, such as I had done with Riff, but living like this has worked for me so far.

She cleared her throat and rolled her shoulders a bit before finally starting her song. Her voice has a nice rasp to it, probably because she is a smoker, but it sounds good, unique. She plays with ease and comfort the notes coming through crisp and clean. I don’t think I will ever forget that song she sang to me. These are the words. She sang them at a moderate pace not too slow, just a moderate pace the whole time her eyes stayed glued to the guitar.

Hey star

You’ve just crashed down

fallen far

But please don’t drown

They’ll make you cry

Tell you lies

But it’s alright.

Even if only tonight

Just a one night solo

One night alone

Together we will be so solo so happy

They’ll say you lost your shine

Shatter your dreams

Break your heart

You’re not so perfect anymore

Oh you’ll never shine as bright as you did before

But it’s alright

Just a one night solo

One night alone

So solo so happy

Fall into me

I’ll be here to catch you

Here is where we’ll be

Fall into me

My arms are reaching for you

Together you and me

Hold me up

I’m crashing down

Make me laugh so I can’t frown

We’ll be alright

Just for tonight

One night solo

just one night alone

Hey star

You’re shining now

You’ll go far

Please hold me now

You’ll open your arms

And there I’ll be

So solo so happy

By the time she strummed her last note, I was beside myself. I had never been serenaded before and I loved it. I could picture us together every day with her playing her music for me. Looking at me the way she was looking at me then, with such a vulnerability on her face that I just wanted to hug her and tell her how good that was. It touched something in me. Something I was afraid I was only feeling alone.

I thought I was blowing things out of proportions and getting to attached but hearing her sing that I got a feeling that she was feeling what I was. That this one-sided affair wasn’t so one-sided after all. And that just made me so freaking happy, and the drugs had nothing to do with it. Because I am pretty sure even in my right mind I would have been just as touched.

“Well, what do you think? Was it good?” her voice cracked a bit and she cleared her throat to cover it up.

“Riff that was amazing, just wow,” I said breathlessly.

“Yeah? You liked it?”

“I loved it!” I giggled.

She sighed in relief.

“Riff! You are really good.”

“I’m okay.” She shrugged and avoided my gaze.

“No! you are amazing, say it with me come on, I am amazing,” I shook her by the shoulders.

“What’s gotten into you?” she laughed.

“What’s gotten into me is you, that was awesome, it touched me.”

“Well thank you.” she rolled her eyes.

I watched her put the guitar back in the case and then stare it longingly for a moment.

“You should take it with you when we get out of the place. Not like the owner was putting it to good use anyways.” I shrug.

“Hmm…” she eyed it.

“You do need a new guitar.” I point out.

“Since when are you the lawbreaker?” she crossed her arms and smirked at me.

“Since I met you apparently.” I giggled.

I couldn’t help it I was just so happy. The drugs were taking my regular happy feelings and turning it up to like an eleven. My heart swelled and my insides soared. I just felt so alive. She made me feel like that.

“I’ll think about it.” she looked back at the guitar.

“What!”

“Hey, you got to connect with the instrument on a deeper level you know? Like bond with it. I’ll have to think about it when I am not tripping balls.” She laughed.

“How did you even play while you were tripping balls?” I used her words.

“I’ve done it before, plus the more you take acid the more of a resistant you get. I try not to take it too much only when I really need a pick me up. So my trip is definitely not as strong as yours.” She sat back on the bed.

“No fair so I have to see crazy shit and you get just slightly out of the ordinary?”

“No way, I see crazy shit too, just not as much as you. it’s hard to explain.” She laid on her back and put her arms under her head.

I eyed her before laying next to her and mocking her position. She smirked but didn’t say anything. For a moment we just stared at the ceiling.

“So…” she said.

My heart skipped a beat.

“So…” I said suddenly less confident then I was seconds ago.

“We doing this or what?”

I turned my head to look at her and she turned her head to look at me.

“You really want to? With someone like me?” I asked.

“Someone like you?” she raised an eyebrow.

“I just, I mean… well, no one has ever wanted to do that with me. People think I’m weird.” I admitted.

“You are weird, but so am I. We can be weirdos together.” She smiled.

“So… like you aren’t worried that I’m like a virgin or anything? Or that I might get the wrong idea?”

“What idea would that be?”

“That you… maybe like me… as I don’t know, just more?”

“That it’s not just sex?”

I turned my whole body towards her and nodded.

“Is that what you think, that I like you?”

“Do you?”

She turned her whole body towards me.

“Do you like me?”

“I think that’s pretty obvious.” I felt my face flush.

“Is it?”

“Would you be freaked out if maybe I did… like you… as more…”

She moved closer to me.

“Nah, drugs make you feel weird things.” She said.

“But… what if it’s not the drugs?” I moved closer to her.

She looked into my eyes and I looked into hers.

“Maybe I don’t want it to be the drugs.” She whispered against my lips.

My heart was racing and I was breathing hard. Before I could chicken out again I closed my eyes and leaned in and kissed her.

She grabbed my hand, interlocked our fingers and kissed me back.