The List
#13 Learn to Play Guitar
“Tony, can I give up?” I asked desperately.
“No, you can’t,” he shook his head firmly.
“But it’s too complicated,” I complained. Tony frowned at me and passed me the pick again. I sighed and picked up the acoustic guitar and placed it on my lap. I glared at the strings. Tony nudged me and I looked over at him.
“You know what I did when I felt like giving up?” he asked.
“You did and hired a double who can play the guitar?” I offered.
“No,” he laughed. “I carried on. It might have taken me months,”
“But I don’t have months, Tone. I have a few more days at the most,” I reminded him.
“You said if you play one song through without any mistakes, pauses or drops it counts. You were so close last time,”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Is it about guitar?”
“Erm . . . no,”
“Then no, you can’t,” he replied, causing me to roll my eyes.
“Please,”
“Go on then,” he smiled.
“Why is Mike pissed off with me?” I asked and Tony sighed deeply.
“He isn’t,”
“Don’t lie to me,”
“You remember when you got your tattoo? Then you showed us afterwards,”
“Yeah,” I nodded.
“He’s pissed that Jaime got to see you with no pants on,”
“Is that it?”
“He saw you hug Jaime. He thinks there may be something happening,”
“But Jaime has a girlfriend,” I said.
“I know. So does Mike. He’s just a little jealous,” Tony replied.
“Does Mike . . . you know,”
“What?”
“Does he like me?”
“I can’t answer that. That’s between you and him,” he said. “Do you like Mike?” Tony asked.
“It’s between me and Mike,” I teased.
“Shall we try again?”
“Sure,” I nodded. “By the way all of your songs are too complicated,”
“Meaning?” he raised an eyebrow.
“That you taught me basic chords and your songs don’t involve one of them,” I joked.
“Go,” he smiled. I got my fingers ready and started to strum. I changed chords and then changed again. Tony watched me closely and half way through when I went to form the wrong chord he started coughing. I corrected myself and finished.
“Okay?” I asked.
“Good,” Tony grinned. I smiled and put the guitar down.
“Thanks,” I told him.
“You did it, not me,” he replied. I went to hug him and Tony squeezed me softly.
“No, you can’t,” he shook his head firmly.
“But it’s too complicated,” I complained. Tony frowned at me and passed me the pick again. I sighed and picked up the acoustic guitar and placed it on my lap. I glared at the strings. Tony nudged me and I looked over at him.
“You know what I did when I felt like giving up?” he asked.
“You did and hired a double who can play the guitar?” I offered.
“No,” he laughed. “I carried on. It might have taken me months,”
“But I don’t have months, Tone. I have a few more days at the most,” I reminded him.
“You said if you play one song through without any mistakes, pauses or drops it counts. You were so close last time,”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Is it about guitar?”
“Erm . . . no,”
“Then no, you can’t,” he replied, causing me to roll my eyes.
“Please,”
“Go on then,” he smiled.
“Why is Mike pissed off with me?” I asked and Tony sighed deeply.
“He isn’t,”
“Don’t lie to me,”
“You remember when you got your tattoo? Then you showed us afterwards,”
“Yeah,” I nodded.
“He’s pissed that Jaime got to see you with no pants on,”
“Is that it?”
“He saw you hug Jaime. He thinks there may be something happening,”
“But Jaime has a girlfriend,” I said.
“I know. So does Mike. He’s just a little jealous,” Tony replied.
“Does Mike . . . you know,”
“What?”
“Does he like me?”
“I can’t answer that. That’s between you and him,” he said. “Do you like Mike?” Tony asked.
“It’s between me and Mike,” I teased.
“Shall we try again?”
“Sure,” I nodded. “By the way all of your songs are too complicated,”
“Meaning?” he raised an eyebrow.
“That you taught me basic chords and your songs don’t involve one of them,” I joked.
“Go,” he smiled. I got my fingers ready and started to strum. I changed chords and then changed again. Tony watched me closely and half way through when I went to form the wrong chord he started coughing. I corrected myself and finished.
“Okay?” I asked.
“Good,” Tony grinned. I smiled and put the guitar down.
“Thanks,” I told him.
“You did it, not me,” he replied. I went to hug him and Tony squeezed me softly.
@jessiewallflower
Thank you so much! :)
5/20/14