A Week In the Life

Band Practice? Okay.

Cliff's POV

I was nervous. Very nervous. Actually, nervous was an understatement. I fidgeted around for almost thirty minutes, constantly check and re-checking the amps and the mic. I almost had a heart attack when my bandmates didn't show up exactly at five o'clock.

See, I'd never performed in front of anyone other than my parents and my sister Kelly. I had utter stage-fright. Actually, I had utter fright while showing anyone anything. My essays, my music, etc. etc. I was just, I was terrified of what they thought.

I started to have a panic attack as the doorbell rang. What if I wasn't good enough? I'd heard Libby, she was amazing, and Ian was awesome at the guitar.

I opened the door and murmured, "Hey," meekly.

Sarah, Ian, and Libby were all there, Sarah holding a keyboard and Ian his electric guitar.

Ian smiled, all confidence. "Let's get this show on the road!"

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous of him.

As we set up, I felt sweat forming on my palms. I was so scared. What had I been thinking, saying yes to this?

Here was the playlist we decided on:

Tee Shirt by Birdy
I Got a Feelin' by Black Eyed Peas
Holiday by Green Day
Fireflies by Owl City
On Top of the World by Imagine Dragons
Ain't It Fun by Paramore
Counting Stars by One Republic
and Tonight Tonight by Hot Chelle Rae

It was actually a really good playlist. Now hopefully I didn't absolutely mess everything up!

"5 6 7 8," said Ian.

"I don't mind letting you down easy
But just give it time
If it don't hurt now then just wait, just wait a while

You're not the big fish in the pond no more
You are what they're feeding on

So what are you gonna do when the world don't orbit around you?
So what are you gonna do when the world don't orbit around you?

..."

sang Libby, tentative at first, but then stronger and clearer as we continued. Her voice really was beautiful.

Sarah and Ian were awesome.

And I pulled through.

By 8:30 PM, we had practiced the songs millions of times, and Ian and Libby had been picked up. Sarah was waiting in the living room, and I left her there and went to the bathroom.

I walked back into the living room, and saw her sitting on the couch, reading the Fault in Our Stars, which had been lying on the coffee table.

I was utterly shocked. Sarah? READING?!

She saw me looking at her, and her face grew red. Consequentially, I felt my face grew hot.

"I-I didn't know you read."

Sarah looked ashen, like I had caught her red-handed doing a crime. (Or should I say, read-handed. Get it? Get it? READ? Never mind.)

"We...yeah. But only in private. People used to bully me for it."

People used to bully her for it? People bully me for it now!

Wanting to change the topic I asked, "So you like The Fault in Our Stars?"

"It's AMAZING!" Sarah gushed, and then regained her composure. "I mean, yeah its good."

I laughed. "I was going to see it at the movies this weekend...do you want to come."

"ME?" asked Sarah, shocked.

"Um...yeah."

"Okay." she said.

"Okay."

"Okay."

That's when the doorbell rang.

"That's my mom!" said Sarah, putting the book down and leaving, leaving ME in a trance.

Vaguely I realized I had asked her out. And FLIRTED.

Had I done okay?

Okay.