Wonderwall

by Soars, M. H.

  “Put me down, Mr. Harvard.”

  He complies and that’s when I see there’s something very different about him. “You cut your hair!”

  “Wow, it only took you three minutes to notice,” Saylor laughs.

  “But you loved your hair and swore you would never cut it. Did you cave to the Ivy League pressure?”

  “For your information, no everyone at Harvard dresses like they’ve sprung from a Polo ad.”

  “I’m just teasing. So what gives? Did you lose a bet or something?”

  Rodrigo looks sheepish and scratches the back of his neck. “Allana asked me to.”

  “Allana? Who’s Allana?”

  “Rodrigo’s gurlfriend. Can you believe it? Our baby boy has finally grown up,” Emma puts a hand over her chest and pretends to pat dry tears with a napkin.

  “Shut up, Em,” Rodrigo grumbles as crimson creeps up his neck.

  “Liv, would you like something to drink? Our table won’t be ready for another ten minutes,” Saylor says.

  “Sure, I’ll have a margarita.” I fish my brand new driver’s license from my mini purse. No more fake ID for me.

  “You already went to the DMV? When did that happen?” Saylor takes the plastic card from my hand.

  “This afternoon, my hermit days are ov─”

  “Excuse me.” A short brunette taps my shoulder. “Aren’t you Sebastian Coleman’s girl?”

  My mind turns blank and I stare at the stranger with what it can only be described as a dazed face.

  “It is you. Oh my God! That was the most amazing love declaration of all times. You’re so lucky.”

  Feeling more confused than ever, I look at Saylor, hoping she can make sense of what this girl is saying. Saylor averts my questioning gaze and chews her lower lip. What the hell?

  “Yeah, yeah. She’s very lucky. Now move along.” Emma puts herself between me and the girl and efficiently shoos her away.

  I whirl on my friends. “What’s going on?”

  “Oh, Liv. We thought you knew,” Kennedy says.

  My heartbeat picks up its pace and there’s a weird sensation in my belly. “Knew what?”

  “Sebastian dedicated a song to you during his last concert,” Mandy answers.

  “He did what?” It seems the only word left in my vocabulary is ‘what’.

  “You’ll have to see it for yourself. We won’t do it justice if we tell you. It was amazeballs,” Kennedy sighs.

  I’m beyond curious now, and I can’t wait to get home to search for the aforementioned dedication. I grab my phone with eager hands, only to discover there isn’t good coverage in the restaurant. I’m tempted to go outside for better reception, but our buzzer flashes. Our table is ready.

  Disappointed, I put the phone away, and we all follow the hostess. But then, doubt spears the little bubble of excitement that I allowed to take form, and I begin to wonder what Sebastian’s dedication truly means. Could it have just been his atonement, a way to make him feel better for the mess he created? I don’t dare to let my heart hope that he loves me still. He would have called me by now if that was true.

  The hostess stops in front of a round booth, close to the small stage at the far end of the restaurant. Surf Shack has live music every night from nine until the restaurant closes, and each time it’s a different performer or band. It’s early, so the stage is empty.

  We order our food and another round of drinks. As the dinner progresses, my mind stops obsessing about Sebastian. I pay attention to my friends, their stories, and let myself get lost in their lives. I’ve been submersed in my own misery for so long that I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed them. I don’t remember the last time I laughed so hard.

  “So, Liv. What are you going to do about your internship?” Emma asks.

  She’s a business major like me. DuBose College is famous for its arts programs, but the business school is one of the best in the country.

  My shoulders slump forward. “I don’t know. I have to find something quick otherwise I won’t earn the credits to graduate next year.”

  “Hey, there’s an open internship position in the marketing department at Reinhardt’s Headquarters. It’s not in events, but at least you won’t have to worry about not graduating.”

  “You can’t ask your mom to give me the position just because we’re friends. It won’t be fair.”

  Rodrigo peers at me with a frown. “First of all, I won’t be asking Mom anything. Do you think she cares who is interning at her company? Second, you’ll be doing the Marketing Director a favor. His last intern quit yesterday in the middle of a very important project. He doesn’t have time to interview candidates and go through all that bullshit.”

  “Are you sure?” It seems too good to be true.

  “Stop playing hard to get and accept it already,” Saylor says, exasperated.

  I stick my tongue out to her, and then I turn to Rodrigo. “If you’re sure, I’ll accept the internship. Gladly.”

  Rodrigo claps his hands. “It’s settled then. I’ll talk to Samuel tomorrow.”

  From the corner of my eye, I see movement on the little stage. A couple of guys begin to set up the sound equipment. There’s a lonely chair on the stage now. I glance at my watch and realize it’s almost nine o’clock. “I wonder what kind of music we’ll hear tonight.”

  “I’m willing to bet it will be something unforgettable,” Saylor says as she fights the smirk trying to peek through. She’s up to something.

  I narrow my eyes at her. “How do you know?”

  She shrugs and eats a tortilla chip. “Just a hunch.”

  There’s a high-pitched noise as someone tests the mic. Suddenly, the loud conversation in the restaurant stops, and it’s replaced by a low buzzing. I glance at the stage again and my heart almost leaps out of my chest. Sebastian is standing there, in the flesh, with a guitar strapped across his chest.

  “Good evening, everyone.” His voice is loud and sure, a complete opposite of what my voice would sound like right now. “I hope you’re enjoying your dinner. My name is Sebastian and I’ll be your entertainment for the night.”

  The buzzing becomes more animated and flashes go off. Sebastian seems unaffected by it all, completely at ease on that stage. But then he looks my way and when our gazes collide, I see his cool manner is just a façade. There’s fear in his eyes. Of what I don’t know.

  “A couple of days ago, I dedicated a song to someone very special to me. But unfortunately, I believe she missed that performance. So tonight, I made sure she would be in attendance. I even bribed her friends to drag her here, kicking and screaming if necessary.”

  I look around the table and everyone sitting there has the word ‘guilty’ flashing on their foreheads.

  “This is the first song I learned to play on the guitar. It was the song you picked, Liv.”

  My breath catches as he addresses me, his eyes never wavering from mine.

  “Who knew that so many years later, that particular clichéd song would fit our story like a glove?”

  My vision becomes blurry as my heart breaks free from the chains that have been squeezing it tight for the past weeks. I mouth to him, “What’s wrong with cliché?”

  He smiles slowly, a smile that’s meant only for me. “Olivia Marie Dawson, this song is for you.”

  Sebastian takes his seat and his fingers begin to strum the guitar. The familiar intro to Wonderwall fills the restaurant and the tears flow. Saylor squeezes my hand and I smile at her in gratitude. I know she’s the mastermind behind this surprise. I face the stage again and drink in the sight of Sebastian. I almost want to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming. I can’t believe he’s here, mere feet away from me.

  The entire place explodes in a cacophony of applauses, whistles, and cheers once Sebastian finishes the song. He removes his
guitar and places it on the floor, next to the chair.

  “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must attend to something first before I continue with my set.”

  Sebastian strides to our table and kneels in front of me. He clasps my hands in his and stares at me with his intense and soulful eyes. They are filled with tears, just like mine.

  “Liv, I know I can never take back the hurt I caused you. My only hope is that you give me the chance to make it up to you for the rest of my life. Please say you will.” His voice is strained, filled with longing.

  There is whooshing in my ears and all the people around us have ceased to exist. A slow grin unfurls on my lips until it becomes a full blown smile. Sebastian takes that as a sign. He stands up and pulls me along with him. His strong hands cup my cheeks and then he kisses me. I hear clapping and more whistles. I know that this moment will be plastered all over the internet in a few hours. But videos and words can’t capture or steal the essence of it. This long time coming reconciliation of our souls is ours only. No media, photos, or fans can take it away from us.

  Epilogue

  Sebastian - Six months later

  My legs can’t stop bouncing and I fidget under my suit jacket. The air is cool and oddly stifling. I don’t know why I’m so nervous. I receive a light elbow shove against my arm and turn to see Owen’s impassive profile. I will my legs to stop and the corner of his lips twitch up.

  My gaze lowers until I’m staring at the most angelic face in the world. Mass of curly, strawberry blonde hair, rosy cheeks, and a button nose, Grace is the perfect image of a cherub, at least when she’s sleeping peacefully against her dad’s shoulders.

  I glance around and see that every seat is taken in the grand theater of the DuBose College. We arrived early to guarantee a prime spot, and our group takes up almost an entire row. Besides Liv’s parents, Jeremy, Kimmy, and Owen, her friends Saylor, Kennedy, and Mandy are also here. Liv is graduating today, and despite my lack of faith, I’ve sent a little prayer to the heavens for allowing me to be here for this moment. I know I’ve missed many firsts in her life in the years we’ve spent apart, but I vowed to never let that happen again. And if everything goes according to plan today, I’ll have my wish.

  A few minutes later, the crowd settles and the graduation ceremony begins. Less than an hour into it, Liv, the girl of my dreams, takes the stage to receive her diploma. She looks absolutely breathtaking even wearing her shapeless gown. The dean hands her a rolled up parchment and she shakes hands with him. Then she faces the audience and shifts her cap’s tassel from right to left. Her eyes search the audience, and a few seconds later she finds us. She beams even more and when her gaze connects with mine, she winks at me. My heart swells and it feels like it’s going to explode from happiness. I blow her a kiss and Owen mumbles next to me. “Whipped.”

  Moments later, Emma, Liv’s roommate goes up on the stage to accept her diploma, but my mind is no longer paying attention to what’s going on. My thoughts have gone inward, and I run through the details of what’s going to happen later tonight again and again.

  The past six months Liv and I have been together, as a real couple out in the open, have been the best days of my life. After my performance at the Surf Shack, I only went back to London one more time to tie up loose ends. I sold my apartment, said goodbye to my family properly, and most importantly, dealt with the aftermath of my quitting Boys Future. The fans were devastated, and in the UK, where we were most popular, many of them blamed Liv for my departure. They compared her to Yoko Ono, and Liv said it was an honor.

  Michael Schutz was set on suing me, but when my candid interview ran in the U.S. coupled with his condemning video, it was game over for him. No, he’s not by far done with show business. A shark will always be a shark. But he has no grounds to sue me anymore. My leaving of the band was more than justified. Plus, he wanted the scandal of his tape to disappear from the tabloids as fast as possible, so it was on his best interests to let me go without a fight. The band still exists, and it has so many hits already, Michael will be able to milk that cow for years to come. That is, if he doesn’t lose another member. I have a feeling Oliver is ready to say goodbye, too.

  I moved back to California and I can finally say I’m at peace. I don’t know yet what I’ll do with the rest of my life, but I decided attending college is a good way to start. So I’ve enrolled at UCLA and I’ll start next fall.

  I got an apartment not a minute away from Liv’s place. I almost begged her to move in with me, but she wouldn’t have it. She wanted our relationship to progress naturally. And it did, for us anyway. She spends most of her time there with me, so I got my wish in the end. But today, I’m tired of waiting. Today I’m taking the giant and most decisive step of my life. My only hope is that she agrees to come with me.

  The ceremony finally ends and we all herd out of the theater. The graduates are already outside, and I want to leap over everyone, fly if I could, to reach Liv faster. I still receive glances of recognition from strangers now and then, but no one approaches me asking for autographs or pictures anymore. My life is almost back to normal and being anonymous never felt so good.

  I spot her before she sees me. She’s with a group of friends, talking and laughing. I increase my pace, I’m almost running really. She only notices me when I’m upon her. I scoop her up in my arms and twirl her around.

  “Bas, put me down,” she says through giggles.

  I spin a couple of more times before setting her down, but my hands remain locked tight around her waist. I smile at her. “Congratulations, Liv.”

  She stands on her tiptoes and rewards me with one of her sweet kisses. I tuck her closer and I have to refrain from devouring her mouth right here in front of her family and friends. I hear a throat clear behind us, and reluctantly I step back.

  Murphy is staring at us with arms crossed and the worst impression of a pissed off father I’ve ever seen. I remember what his true glare looks like and that ain’t it. Liv goes to him and he opens his arms for her. I stand back and let Liv spend time with her family, let her bask in all their love. Grace is awake now, and when Liv takes her in her arms, another chip falls into place in my heart.

  ☂ ☂ ☂

  Liv’s graduation party is at her parent’s house, in their backyard. It’s seems the entire neighborhood was invited. I see many familiar faces, people who used to be my parents’ friends as well. They all say how good it is to see me, they’re beyond happy I’ve finally found my way back home. I peer at Liv when I hear those words, because it’s the absolute truth. Liv is my home.

  Little monsters take over my stomach as the moment of truth approaches. My guitar is tucked away in a corner, ready for when I need it. The party is in full swing now, and I know it’s now or never. I search for Murphy in the crowd and when I catch his attention, I nod to him. He nods back, and like we’ve planned, he turns off the background music. He knows I’ve prepared a special performance for his daughter tonight. He knows what I’m about to do because I’ve asked for his blessing first. I pick my guitar up and move to the middle of the makeshift dance floor in the yard. My heart has fled the confines of my chest to lodge itself in my throat.

  “Sorry to interrupt, folks.” Murphy’s voice booms through the open space, commanding everyone’s attention. “Our very own in-house soprano asked me if he could sing a few songs tonight.” Murphy looks at me with mischief in his eyes. “And I said, sure, as long as it was free.”

  People laugh but I remain as tense as a coiled spring. Liv is right in front of me and she must be wondering what I’m up to. I haven’t sung in public since the Surf Shack.

  “Hey, I still have to put one more kid through college,” Murphy continues and then he turns to me. “Break a leg, son.”

  I take a deep breath and try to steady my heart. “When I first started learning to play the guitar, Liv asked me why there were only music sheets o
f angst-ridden nineties songs in my room. Why wasn’t I playing something for this century?”

  I hear a couple of chuckles and I relax a fraction.

  “I told her that I would get to them eventually, but the truth is, there wasn’t a single current song at the time that spoke to me. Yeah, I’m a traitor to my generation.”

  I pause and stare at Liv while I gather my courage. “Well, Liv. I’ve finally found a song from this century good enough to sing to you. Here is Photograph.”

  Liv gasps and puts a hand over her throat. She probably never dreamed in a million years I would choose an Ed Sheeran song. I tease her to no end when she listens to him, and I even say she must be secretly in love with him. I pretend I loathe him, just to get a rise out of her. But the truth is, I like his music, and the one I’m singing right now is by far my favorite, because it talks about the perfect imperfection of love.

  I don’t break my gaze from hers as I sing those lyrics, trying to pour all of my feelings in those words. I hope that she knows, I hope that she understands that what we have is infinite, it’s forever. When the song ends, there’s only stunned silence around us. I place my guitar down and walk to her. I take her hands in mine, and like I did at the Surf Shack, go down on my knees.

  “Once upon a time, the most beautiful girl in the world asked me to teach her how to kiss. She thought she was being clever, tricking me into kissing her. Little did she know that kissing her was my recurring dream. That’s right. You were the girl of my dreams, Liv, and that kiss sealed my fate, sealed our fate. “

  I trace the promise bracelet on her wrist. “When I gave you this bracelet I made a vow to never abandon you again. I said it was just a place holder until we were ready for the next step, but that was a lie. I was ready for the next step then, I think I’ve always been ready, from the moment you turned a silly Valentine’s Day teddy bear into a badass.”

  She laughs and her eyes are bright, swimming in a pool of unshed tears. I feel the prickle behind my own, but I can’t let them fall yet, not until I say everything that I want to say.