12/27/07 Who: Ophelia and Simon Where: Simon's room When: eveningish What: Ophelia comes back from vacation.
Ophelia stepped out of the taxi and entered through the front doors of the school. Plane flights sapped her energy although she had no inclination of going back to her room before she visited Simon. She missed him after only several days, not surprising considering she had spent her vacation with just her parents or by herself. It was so nice to be with people her own age who liked her company and so she rolled her suitcase as well as lugging her carry-on bag down to Simon's room. She knocked on the door and waited for an answer, excited.
She had t-shirts to show him and a couple more surprises that he might find overwhelming. He just had to accept her generosity because that was what best friends did - she and Aya gave each other little presents all the time, as much as they could when they were only twelve. Ophelia's mother was happy to know her daughter had a friend, even willing to look past her green hair because he made her happy. As soon as Simon was able to leave the school, she would bring him over to Chicago and drive him to places she liked. "Hi!" Ophelia said when the door opened.
---
Ophelia was coming home today, and Simon could not be contained. he missed her, because she was the only friend he really had and they had become close. Plus she was a great friend, and he liked having her around. He spent the day pacing around his room, cleaning, organizing, finishing her latest letter. Each one had been slipped under her bedroom door, so she would have a stack of suprises awaiting her when she got home. Maybe she would see them and be so happy that she'd come right to his room before even unpacking and say hello.
He hadn't expected her to come before going back to her room, so as he was licking the last envelope closed he heard the knock on the door. Dropping the letter onto his desk, he went to the door and opened it, curious as to who it could be. It took half a second after Ophelia greeted him for him to grin widely and wrap his arms around her, lifting her clear off the floor. "You're back!" he cried out, spinning her around. "I missed you, I wrote you letters, you look exhausted!" Finally plopping her back on her feet, Simon took hold of her shoulders and looked her over. "Hey," he grinned, hugging her again (civilly this time). "Welcome back."
---
She dropped her bag as he lifted her up and gasped when he spun her, but hugged him back tightly. Good to know he missed her just as much as she missed him. Letters! Oh, that excited her even more and she shone him a large grin. "I can't wait to read them! I got here as soon as I arrived at the school," she told him. "I have so much to show you!" Ophelia dragged her luggage into his room and knelt by her suitcase to unzip it, removing the t-shirts she bought. There was also his other surprise that she wanted to show him first, or next, depending on where his attention went.
"Here are the shirts and I have something else." Ophelia retrieved something from her large handbag and held it out to him. It was a black cell phone. "I put like twenty dollars on it and my number so we can keep in touch, and it's pay as you go." She seemed to be rambling to no end right now. "I know it's probably too much but you deserve it. And you can't say otherwise." To cover her embarrassment, she returned to the t-shirts and spread the five out on his bed. They either had a logo or a pattern, faded, mostly in blacks and blues (to match his hair). They could wear bright shirts during times when they weren't trying to create an awesome band.
---
She had come to see him before even going back to her room? Oh, she was the best! He stepped aside to let her come into his room, almost bouncing with excitement. It had been very lonely without her here and he was addicted to her friendship. Watching her open her suitcase, Simon looked over her shoulder at what she had for him. "You didn't have to get me anything," he reminded her, though he was no less pleased with what she pulled out. The shirts looked very awesome, and he couldn't wait to see them properly. But what she pulled out next left him stunned. "You..." he said, staring at her. "Ophelia, you... it's... this is too much. I mean, thank you, but... I can't accept this." Not that he had a choice, it seemed. So he grabbed her away from the bed and hugged her again, still in shock. "You're the best," he whispered. He didn't know how he was going to repay her, but when he did it was going to be the most awesome thing ever.
Stepping away, he looked over the t-shirts, his new phone still grasped in his hand. "These are so cool," he told her, very proud of her for having such awesome taste. "They kinda look like something Fisher would wear." Fisher was probably the best reference they had to what the 'punk' scene looked like, so anything closely resembling him was bound to be good.
---
Changing their images was something they both agreed on and she wanted to get it started otherwise it might never happen. She smiled at him, hoping he'd like all the shirts she got (and there were skirts her mother bought for her, to her embarrassment). Simon reacted very positively and she returned the hug, holding him close for longer after it was finished. "Si, it's only a cell phone," Ophelia said, cheeks warm with embarrassment and pleasure. "But yes you can accept it. It's for the numbers of all the friends you're going to make." He didn't have to repay her at all! Just his company was good enough for her.
She giggled at his comment. Looked like he discovered her secret. "Okay, I kinda used him as an example because he's very punk and cool." Now that she had them all out for him, she needed a visual demonstration. "Can you put one of them on? Maybe the black one with the checkered pattern?" Ophelia looked at him with hopeful eyes and lifted it up to him. "Please?" She hoped he could be persuaded by her expression and pleading voice. If not, she'd have to resort to other measures. "Oh and I also brought hair gel." She knelt over her suitcase for a little while and withdrew it. "Let's make mohawks in our hair!"
---
Ophelia smelled good. It was something he always noticed about her, something that comforted him. She smelled like springtime roses. She may have thought her gesture was small and insignificant, but it wasn't. It meant someone wanted to be in touch with him at all times, that someone care enough to want to send him text messages like a normal teenager. He wasn't as confident as her that he was going to make a cell phone's worth of friends, but he would try.
Simon grabbed a grey and black checkered shirt and held it up, inspecting it. "I bet it looks really weird on me," he told her, putting it down a second so he could pull his t-shirt over his head. He didn't really mind if Ophelia saw him shirtless- he was a boy after all, and she wasn't going to be attracted to him anyway. Shrugging into the shirt, he started slipping the buttons together, the familiar pang of heartache striking in his chest when he saw the tattoo over his heart. It was hard to forget someone when you had a constant reminder of them permenently etched into your skin.
--
She liked the thought of being able to contact him via text or calling at any time, to hear from them even when they were not together. Having him as her friend was so incredible! Even if he made one or two more friends, they could keep in touch with him as well and vice versa so he had no excuse to be alone. He rewarded her by accepting her kindness readily and encouraged her to pour more of her heart out to him.
Simon may have had doubts about the shirt looking good on him, but he was handsome enough to pull anything off. Ophelia did not expect him to change right in front of her and thought it only meant he was comfortable with her. Then he slipped it on, buttoned it, and she liked how it looked on him. "You look good!" she exclaimed and smiled. With the hair gel in hand, she squirted some of it into her hand and smeared it on both to run her fingers through his hair. She added more gel and began to make his hair spiky, just to see how it looked before she made a mohawk on him. The new hairstyle changed the way he appeared a lot. "See if you like it." If not, he could always wash his hair.
---
Simon looked down at the shirt he was wearing, studying himself. He didn't look bad, maybe. Though his faux-faded jeans from American Eagle didn't exactly fit with the shirt. Neither did his sneakers. But they could work on that. "It's not bad," he said, and then he noticed her squirting gel into her hands. He giggled, ducking his head down to Ophelia could reach his hair. He'd only used gel before to look nice for church services, and that had been to plaster his unruly tresses into place. But now they were going for the exact opposite effect.
Simon hummed a little, loving the feeling of her fingers in his hair. Who didn't like their head to be rubbed? He was saddened a bit when she finished, but he also wanted to know what his hair looked like. He checked the mirror above his dresser, inspecting himself carefully. "This is so neat!" he beamed. His hair was getting a little long, so the spikes were really tall. He turned to Ophelia, moving carefully in fear he'd make his hair fall over. "What could we do with your hair, I wonder? I bet if we had enough gel we could make your hair into a really huge mohawk. That'd be really fun, but probably really hard." He studied her, thinking. "I don't think you'd look right in it anyway. Your hair is really pretty when it's down." Ophelia was a simple girl, and her hair kind of suited her. It was simple, but also amazingly bright and impossible to ignore once you noticed it.
---
This shirt did not match his jeans, but Ophelia was sure that a blue one she also got would work with those. If not, she was tempted to get him punkish jeans - once she started to give, it was difficult for her to stop! Simon not being so hard on himself was good to hear and she rewarded him another smile before she used the gel. Spiky hair was no doubt cliche, though they had never done it before and that was what counted. She had no experience gelling another person's hair so she hoped it would turn out all right.
She laughed happily when he told her he liked it and admired how long his spikes of hair were. "I think we need a lot more gel to make sure your hair doesn't get ruined." Good thing she brought another two tubes with her! Turning her hair into one large mohawk would use all the rest of it up, she was sure, but she loved the sound of it. "That would be fun. It might be too much work to do every day." Maybe Ophelia needed more of a change to her hairstyle. Or not. "Thanks." She smiled at Simon and wondered if just making it messier was the best option. "My hair is green and already messy enough to make me stand out after all." For experimentation's sake, she bent down, ruffled her hair as it fell over her face, and threw her hair back. "It's kind of 80's big now, isn't it?"
Ophelia reached into her handbag and dug around for her black eyeliner (new!). She looked at herself in the mirror and started to put on her right eyelid. "I won't ask you to put this on. You look great now! Maybe this will make me look older. I just remembered that Kindle invited us to a college party for New Year's... and I won't go if you don't want to. It sounds much too scary. I know we're changing things about ourselves, but this is like diving into the deep end for me."
---
"Maybe," he agreed, feeling like his spikes were delicate when in fact they would hold pretty well. "Or I can just cut my hair, since it's too long anyway." His mother would have been so ashamed of him, letting it get that shaggy looking! He had to talk to Ophelia about his mom, but not right now. Right now they were in a good mood and he wanted that feeling to last.
Ophelia's hair was bushy and crazy when she mussed it up, and it just looked crazy. Simon laughed out loud, shaking his head. "That's just too much," he told her. "The 80s are coming back, but I don't think this is what they had in mind!" He was sure they could find a hundred and one great things to do with Ophelia's hair, if they put some thought into it. Girls were easy to dress. Simon sat at his computer desk and watched Ophelia put on her eyeliner. How could she get a pencil that close to her eye and not flinch? It must be in the girl DNA. He was so interested in her makeup tactics that he almost missed what she was telling him. "A college party? That actually sound kind of fun," he confessed. "It'll be a lot easier to act like new people if we don't know anyone. And I'll be there with you, so it won't be so scary. And besides, you can look at cute college girls all night." He grinned at her, teasing her. Of course he would be looking at cute college girls all night too.
---
Was he really going to cut his hair? "But... I like your hair this long," she said quietly. It was silly for him to listen to her because of course it was his decision and not fair of her to pressure him. "Sorry. It's your hair." She smiled at him and hoped he wouldn't take offense, as he did not have to pay any attention to her opinion. "This is the longest I've ever had my hair and it's great. A few years ago I had it a little longer than my chin because it is so curly." She could have been mistaken for a duster, to be honest, and now it was much more feminine.
Ophelia grinned. Her hair had no need for volume; it was up to the max already! There was big and then there was too big, and boy did her hair cross the line on more than one occasion. "You're right." She continued to put eyeliner on her eyelids, though with some difficulty and wobby lines and turned to him when she was done. "What do you think?" Perhaps it was enough to make her look at least eighteen or twenty one, if she was lucky. Lipstick might be needed as well to complete the look. Going to an New Year's party where older people were daunted her even if Simon was there. "I don't know... but it's true, we will be able to act like different people. How would you act?" Just out of curiosity. Ophelia's cheeks warmed as she wondered how many attractive college girls might be there. "Cute girls are a very good reason to go. But I'm afraid."
---
It might have been Simon's hair, but her opinion was appreciated. More than she realised. She was a girl, after all, and he was trying to attract girls. Btu then again, she was a girl who liked other girls. But Simon didn't think he could look feminine even if he tried. "Maybe I'll keep it long," he thought aloud, poking at one of his spikes. "The spikes I can make are pretty cool." He couldn't imagine Ophelia's hair being shorter than it was now. It would just be too... poofy. It looked perfect now, and the eyeliner looked pretty damn nice too. "You look older," he said truthfully. "Hey, I wonder... you know what would probably make you look older too? If we straightened your hair." He liked the curls and frizz, but she could probably pass for 20 if she was sleek and polished. Add makeup onto that and she could definitely fit into a college party.
"I dunno how much different I could act," he said, thinking it over. "I'd still be kind of afraid being around all those strange people. But, maybe since I wouldn't have to talk to any of them after that night, I wouldn't be so afraid to talk to some of them." It was a good theory, though he didn't know how well it would go over in practice. Still, it would be a good start for them to branch out. "Maybe if I just pretended like I was cool from the minute I walked in, everyone would think I was and then I wouldn't have to fake it. I'd just be cool." Maybe that was the great secret to it.
---
She was still able to recognize attractiveness in boys, even if she was not attracted to them herself. Besides, with Simon's long hair it was almost possible for her to pretend... Ophelia reached for one of his spikes and touched it experimentally. "Very cool. You could have clip on eyebrow piercings and then be really intimidating! Or just really attitude heavy," she said with a grin. It was good to know she looked older with eyeliner and mused his suggestion of straightening her hair. "I don't really know how to straighten my hair by myself. My mom helped me last time." Was that pathetic or what? "I think that's a good idea!" This made her more eager by the moment, but New Year's was a while from now.
"Me too. You won't have to talk to them afterwards unless you get one of their numbers," Ophelia teased. "So we both pretend we're cool? I think I can try that." She straightened her posture, closed her eyelids ever so slightly and smiled at him. Her actions were an imitation of someone she had seen in the hallway. "We're the coolest things around, aren't we?" Ophelia put her hand on one of her hips and leaned her weight somewhat on her other foot. "Since it's all about the attitude and we have lots of that." Being sleepy made her sillier than usual, added to her happiness of seeing him again. She really needed to go to her room and unpack, which she would do... later. Much later. "And then it's about the walk. I've seen a couple of really pretty girls walk like this." Ophelia attempted to sashay across his room, turning to face him and blowing him a kiss. "It was incredibly confident. I don't know how she did it!"
--- Simon rolled his eyes at the suggestion of a piercing, even a fake one. "I don't think I'd look good with a piercing. I don't really like them." Putting metal in your face seemed pretty silly. But then again, he had a tattoo, and drilling needles into your skin was pretty dumb too. Especially since tattoos were forever. "But attitude... I was born with attitude." That was totally untrue, and he blushed just saying it.
"I don't think I could ask anyone for their number," he admitted, looking embarassed. "But I can act like I might!" And who knew? He'd met Cissy though total chance, and she had pursued him. Myabe he could get lucky twice. He watched as Ophelia changed her posture, stood with a hand on her hip, and at first Simon giggled at her. It was just so unlike her. She was like his Hermione Granger- smart, sweet, and almost tomboyish. But the more he watched her, and the more she pretended to be someone else, the more natural it almost seemed. She swished her hips just like a girl, and when she blew him a kiss he actually blushed a little, smiling. "Actually, that was... that was pretty good," he informed her. "You looked like one of the girls I've seen with the really nice clothing. See, you can pull this off no problem!" She could be very beautiful when she wanted to be. Not that she wasn't beautiful all the time anyway, because she was. But now she could be beautiful and confident about it.
---
Oh. If he didn't like it... "I kind of wanted a belly button piercing, but I don't think I would have the confidence to show it off." Holes in the skin could grow back, right? Piercings in non-crazy places were not as daring as a tattoo or anything. Simon was born with attitude, no question about that! "Oh yes!" She grinned at him. "It would be so great to be able to walk with attitude and not feel self conscious about it." Self consciousness added weight to the shoulders and made her want to hide underneath her wealth of hair a lot of the time.
"They would give you their numbers because you're so charming." Ophelia was more sure that might happen to him than to her, but if that didn't happen, at least they could pretend they were all that. Practicing in front of Simon like this was all right; he was not going to make fun of her... right? Almost a hundred percent certain. She returned to his bed and flopped on it with a sigh, looking at him. "I don't know. I can walk with only you watching, but I don't know about anyone else. And Kindle is so much cooler than me. I don't want to embarrass her if I act silly like this." Her hands covered her eyes for a few moments. "Maybe I need to try in one of the hallway... a longer distance so I can get used to it." Ophelia's cheeks reddened. "Do you know what my mother got me? A white sleeveless dress and it's above my knees! My mother! She is so supportive it's almost scary. I guess the no possibility of pregnancy makes me being a lesbian so much better or something, I don't know."
Lying like this made her sleepy and her eyes fluttered shut. "I don't wanna go back to my room and unpack." Ophelia reached for another t-shirt she got him and draped it over her torso. "Do you like this one? I think there's something really cool about skulls."
----
Well... a belly piercing would actually be kind of cute. Sexy. Simon looked at Ophelia seriously. "You should definitely do it," he told her. "I'll go with you. And I'll buy you shirts that show off your belly." Ophelia having a belly button ring would be extremely cute, like an unexpected suprise beneath her unassuming exterior.
Simon was charming, but completely without his knowledge. He had a naive charm to him that women, especially older women, found irresistable. "I dunno," he mumbled. "I guess we'll see." He liked how Ophelia boosted his confidence. He also liked how comfortable she was with him, because that meant he got to see her swish her hips across his room and flop on his bed so close to him. It was good practice for him to be in such close proximity to a girl. He was getting more comfortable around the female species, which would help him actually talk to them. And he liked to cuddle and flirt and tease, but Ophelia wasn't going to be someone he'd become attracted to and he'd never have to worry about another mess like the one with Cissy again.
"I think that you're not giving yourself enough credit," he scolded her, scooting closer to her to play with her hair. "Kindle wouldn't have invited you to come if she didn't think you were cool. And besides, you weren't acting silly. You looked good." He was sure that if she just went with it and didn't think so much, she would be turning heads as she walked by. Especially in the dress her mom had gotten her. "Ooh, white. So virginal."
He didn't really want her to go unpack either, so after she draped the t-shirt across her torso, he draped his arm over her. "I think it's a cool shirt," he said. "Probably looks better on you, though. Girls always look better in guys' clothing."
---
Ophelia had not expected him to support her crazy wish! Her eyes widened and a flash of embarrassment crossed her face. "You're such a bad influence!" Really she did not mean it because she liked the thought of someone persuading her to do things that crossed her comfort zone. And then Simon would buy her shirts... "You don't have to do that..." It was silly of her to say so when she had just bought him shirts and showed them to him. Imagining how a piercing would look on her occupied her mind for now, thinking of what kind of tops to wear. Halter tops? She always wanted to try one but never thought she had the right figure for it. Having a friend improved her opinion of herself little by little.
"We'll see. Somehow we'll pull it off together." Ophelia originally thought boys were scary and icky (her opinion was an old one) and that had changed. She never imagined how easy it was to befriend guys and it was so wonderful. Simon had a quality about him that made her feel comfortable, more comfortable than she felt with anyone her age - and even her parents, actually. Their friendship was mutually beneficial for more ways than one. She may not have had a lot to teach him, but she could show him the extent of her friendship. Oh, he could scold her and yet he didn't give himself enough credit as well. Ophelia didn't think she was cool at all, but at least according to Simon, she was able to act like it. What did he mean by virginal? She blushed. "Si, I am! But it's beautiful and I actually kind of look good in it." Now she was really embarrassed.
"Mm, you smell good." Ophelia reached her arms up to wrap around his waist and snuggle her head against his chest. "Nah, you're wearing it," she murmured and closed her eyes sleepily. She had not any intention of falling asleep, yet the journey took it out of her and she was back with her friend. Simon made her feel so safe that she fell half asleep within the next couple of minutes.
---
He was absolutely a bad influence, which was really funny because he had never really influenced someone before in his life. Normally he had always been the one needing to be coerced to try new things, to push himself out of his comfort zone. And in a way he still did, though since Cissy and him were through, he was acting a little more recklessly. But he had all this independence he'd never had while living with his mom, and thanks to Cissy he knew that there was so much more in the world to experience. So he would corrupt and be corrupted!
He knew she was a virgin. But he also liked to tease her, and make her blush. She was pretty cute when she blushed. "I demand to see this dress at some point," he informed her. "Maybe I'll take you out someplace nice, where you need to look beautiful. Of course I need a job first so I can have money, but... it'll happen." He decided that she was so nice to him and he needed to repay her. It would be nice to buy her things like she did for him.
He didn't expect her to cuddle up next to him, or to tell him he smelled good. He flushed deeply, very aware of the fact that her boobs were pretty much pressed against him. He felt a little bad, because he was noticing her boobs without her consent, but she was a cute girl and he couldn't help himself. And it wasn't like he was fantasizing about her, or picturing her naked. He just noticed. Simon let her lay there, snuggled against him. he didn't move, because she looked like she was falling asleep and he didn't want to wake her. She looked exhausted, too, and in need of sleep. So he tucked his arm under his head and settled himself, closing his eyes even though he wasn't tired. It was either that or stare at her like a creep.
---
Given how close they were becoming, Simon was probably a decent bad influence on her. Ophelia started to plan how she might be able to do this. What age was legal for getting a piercing like this done in this state? Could Simon pass off as older or should she bring Fisher along as well? How well would her two friends get along? She wanted to get them both in a room one day in the future and maybe talk about Vodka Spirit Fire because Fisher had to be a part of this too. If not actually in the band, then at least a cheerleader metaphorically speaking!
Teasing her was not that difficult as he no doubt realized by now. "Well, okay, I'll wear it then..." The idea of wearing it in public made her nervous, but Simon seeing it, as the only person she knew, might make it all right. "Are you going to look for a job after the holidays?" Ophelia wanted to help although she wasn't sure how to with job searching, exactly. "It would be nice to have some pocket money. I went way over my alloted pocket money for presents, but it was worth it. I really wanted to give you the guitar because you deserve nice things." They filled a void in each other's lives and he saved Ophelia from more depression.
Ophelia was not able to help it, he happened to be a life sized cuddleable pillow. Sooner or later, she might be addicted - yet all sleep encompassed her mind and blocked most coherent thoughts. She thought nothing of her body being noticeable to him because she didn't think she was attractive or cute. Before she knew it, she was asleep and her arms slowly slid from around him. If it hadn't been for something poking her in the side, she would have continued to sleep. Fingers reached under her to find it was her keys, totally forgotten in the excitement. She opened her eyes. "Sorry," she said quietly. "I didn't mean to fall asleep." Her hand touched his arm. "I guess I didn't get a lot of sleep last night because I was looking forward to coming back." Ophelia had missed him more than she could say - it meant so, so much to be with someone who wanted her company. "I was going to sing for you one of these days. Want to hear now or later?"
---
Simon did not know what it required to get a job either, but people did it every day so it probably wasn't that hard. In fact, Vinnie had just starte working in the restaurant where Kindle worked, and he didn't seem to hate the place. So hopefully finding a place that hired teenagers wouldn't be so tough either. "Oh, speaking of money," he said, suddenly remembering, "James gave me a hundred dollars for American Eagle. So I need you to help me pick stuff out." It wasn't the most hardcore store Simon could think of, but he wasn't going to complain about it. And besides, he really needed some jeans that fit.
The two of them stayed there for awhile, Simon didn't know how long. But it was nice to hold someone again, to just lay there with them and not do anything else. He missed doing that with Cissy, and he hated that he missed it. So he tried just thinking about being with Ophelia, his first real, true best friend who knew his secrets. Someone he didn't have to hide anything from. Hell, he had burned a pillow in front of her and she hadn't run off screaming. And she had bought him a guitar just because she thought he deserved it. He opened his eyes to look at her sleeping face, her hands slipping off of his waist. She looked peaceful when she slept, like an angel. He was about to stroke her hair when suddenly she stirred, grabbing a set of keys out from underneath herself. "It's ok," he said, knowing that she was exhasuted. He would have let her nap all day if she'd wanted. Her fingers on his arm sent goosebumps all over his skin. Her hands were cool and soft, like girl hands were supposed to be. Of course he was kind of a furnace anyway, so most people felt cool to him.
Sitting up, Simon smiled at Ophelia eagerly. "Now!" he declared. "And then I can show you what I can do on my guitar. I've had a bit of time to practice, so I've gotten pretty good. Well, for a new beginner, anyway."
---
He probably had lots of skills she didn't know about to help him get whatever he wanted. Ophelia listened as he told her he had a hundred dollar gift certificate for American Eagle? She tried to remember what that store was like. "Okay," she said with a smile. "I don't have a lot of experience with cool guy style, though." As that's what she assumed he wanted her help. "We'll go when there's a new year's sale or something so you can get a lot more clothing." If nothing else, she was a bargin hunter, so much so it was almost an art (it helped being good with adding sums in her head).
Simon's body warmth made him that much more comfortable and she wished she had something this warm to cuddle with every night. She stretched a little to get the sleepiness from her limbs and smoothened down her hair so it looked less crazy. He wanted to hear her sing now and she tried not to feel so flustered by the request. "All right but, um, I don't think I am very good." With that, she launched into Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, the first song that popped into her mind, and her sweet soprano voice filled the room. Ophelia finished the song and her face was flushed with embarrassment; she'd never sung in front of an audience! "So, yeah..." She played with the ends of her hair for a few moments. "May I hear you play now?"
Maybe if she drew his attention away from her singing as quickly as possible, he wouldn't have time to comment on it.
---
He didn't need someone with cool guy clothing experience, he needed someone who would be able to tell him if he looked stupid or not. And Ophelia could most certainly do that. He needed someone with some kind of shopping smarts. Case and point, he never would have thought to look for things that were on sale.
Simon listened to her without making a sound, because he knew that she was nervous and he didn't want to call attention to that fact. When she finished she didn't even give him enough time to give her feedback before she was requesting him to play. He smiled at her, letting her off the hook for the moment. Sliding off the bed, he grabbed his guitar from beside his desk and set himself up in his computer chair, flexing his fingers to warm them up. "I only know the one song," he warned her, having watched and practiced it on Youtube about a hundred times. He was a fast learner, so he'd managed to pick it up pretty well.
Simon's fingers were made for music- they were long, spindly and strong. He looked down at his guitar, concentrating. This was tough to do without having a screen to reference. Still, he knew what he was doing, so he should be okay. "Fifth position," he murmured, adjusting his fingers. He strummed a few times, getting it to sound right, then started playing the only thing he knew how to play so far- Stairway to heaven. With a few minor mistakes, of course.
---
Ophelia did not want to know if she stunk and she was sure she had, but this was out of nerves than anything else. Watching her friend was better and she did so with fascination. One song was fine because he could learn many more in the future, and he was only beginning to learn. It took a moment or two for her to recognize the song and she lit up when she did. What a beautiful song! She was so proud he played it well although she had a feeling he would. "You're great!" she exclaimed with a grin. "It's only been a few days and you can play that really well. It won't be long before we can write songs together - and I have to start learning the drums, oh, and I thought of a song but it's not so good."
Now she lost all sleepiness, excitement at the prospect of actually starting their band shining brightly on her face. "I think we need to try it together. You playing and me singing along. I think I know all the words to it," she said. "Can we?" It might be nice, even if they never practiced it before. Better now than later!
---
She was writing songs already?? Being able to copy someone's music was one thing, even if he was pretty good at it, but writing her own stuff was way more impressive. "I've had a lot of time to work on it," he admitted, and didn't add the obvious 'since you weren't around and I was lonely'. "But you wrote something? That's awesome! I demand you let me see it later!" He was sure making a lot of demands today, but only because he knew Ophelia wouldn't mind.
Simon grinned as well, thinking to himself that they were going to "jam". Jam! Like a real band! Setting his fingers up again, he strummed out the first few notes, letting Ophelia get into the melody before she started singing. He'd never heard a girl sing it before, and he imagined it would be very pretty. He certainly wasn't disappointed. They carried along well for awhile, Simon fumbling a few times but recovering fairly quickly. But he didn't know all the song so he had to stop a good way into it. "That was great," he said, looking up at her with pride in his eyes. "Your voice is really pretty, Ophie," he said honestly. "I'm suprised you've kept it hidden for so long. You should be taking music classes and getting record deals and all that."
---
The song started as a poem and the tune was still in the works, so it was all shaky and in the air at the moment. Simon still had time now she was back, but she did want to spend some time with him in between the times he practiced. "It's still unfinished," she told him. "The tune's really simple and I was kind of depressed when I wrote the poem it started as." Ophelia would show him anyway because she needed the feedback, as nervous as she was.
She waited until he started to play, thinking of what the lyrics were and then remembered them just in time. She sang and he played and it was wonderful, for what part of the song they did together. Her opinion was as enthusiastic as his and she smiled with satisfaction. His barrage of compliments was almost too much for her to handle at once. When she blushed this time, Ophelia blushed hard, her whole face reddening. "I... haven't really tried to sing before now. So, um, thank you." She could barely get the words out of her mouth. "You're too kind. It's nothing special..." She looked at her hands - obviously her confidence still needed a major shock in some respects.
---
It made Simon happy when Ophelia blushed. He didn't know why. Maybe because he knew that he was giving her the attention and praise she so desperately needed. Maybe it was because, since she was blushing, a part of her believed him and was grateful. Or maybe it was because she just looked so endearingly cute. Whatever the reason, her face was redder than ever and it made him laugh out loud. Placing his guitar gently on his bed, Simon scooped her up in his arms, spinning her in circles, hugging her tightly. "You're fantastic!" he cried out, grinning from ear to ear. Her hair swirled around them, a bright red blur. It was as if they were dancing inside a flame.
Ophelia was light as anything, and he could have carried her around all day. "Your voice is beautiful and this band is going to be great!" He was still spinning with her, moving as fast as he could without losing his balance. "And your songs are going to be perfect. Now say it! Say that your voice is amazing!" He was still grinning, giggling a little. "Say it or I'll spin you around until you throw up!"
---
Part of her believed him, but he flustered her to no end. It was difficult to wrap her mind around the fact that someone really liked her voice. Ophelia shrieked as Simon stepped forward to spin her and her face remained as red as ever. "Simon!" She had to bury her face into his shirt to avoid being too dizzy and it also helped with the embarrassment. Her voice was not beautiful - she'd be lying if she said she didn't like hearing him say it. He spoiled her with these compliments; he was too nice!
"But it's - " The threat to keep on spinning worked well, except she had a naughty plan in mind. Ophelia grinned and slipped her hands to his sides to tickle him. "My voice is amazing and so is your guitar playing. And your shirt looks good on you!" Just after she stopped tickling him, she wrapped her arms around Simon for a tight hug. "Thank you." Any moment she would start crying, and she already felt a couple of tears escaping her eyes. She leaned against him, arms wrapped around him as she hid her face in the crook of his neck. He was a so much better friend than she ever imagined with all the confidence boosting. Ophelia hugged him longer than a normal hug lasted and didn't let go. "We need Vodka Spirit Fire t-shirts to inspire us to continue practicing."
---
Simon had never had a close girl friend before, but it felt more natural than having boy friends. He always felt awkward around them, like he wasn't being masculine enough, like he was too needy or weak and he just ended up feelign stupid and awkward. But girls were a lot more forgiving on this kind of thing. And besides, he could pick girls up and carry them around and cuddle with them, and he liked that. Unfortunately, great persk also come with great downfalls, and tickling was one of them. Simon squeaked as Ophelia started to tickle him, and he almost dropped her. "Hey!" he shouted, ceasing spinning and falling back onto the bed, Ophelia landing on top of him. He hugged her back, letting her hold it as long as she wanted. Eventually, he gently rolled her off his chest and laid on the bed beside her.
"What you need is to go to sleep!" he scolded her. "You look exhausted and you still need to unpack. Come on." Sitting up, Simon grabbed Ophelia's wrists and pulled her to her feet. "I'll carry your suitcases, we'll go to your room, and then you can take a nap. And I'll look through your stuff and find things I can blackmail you with later." He grinned at her, obviously joking.
---
She half expected him to resist the tickling and was somewhat surprised when he reacted so much (and the falling on the bed was a definite shock). She stayed hugging Simon for a little while before he moved her and she smiled sleepily. Sleep was on her to do list and she hated to unpack but it was necessary as well. As Simon helped her up, Ophelia sighed at the prospect of moving. His offer to carry things was sweet and she gave him a grateful look. "Thank you," she said, a brief laugh sounding from her. "I think I'm worried now." They both gathered her luggage and headed towards Ophelia's room, where they placed them at her side of the room. The room she shared with Kindle often looked like a disaster zone, but that was okay, because it was her second home away from home.
Ophelia unzipped her large suitcase and started to place clothing into her dresser - the suitcase was only neatly packed because her mother had helped her. This meant she was able to fit more into it, such as a very important photograph. A picture of herself and Aya swordfighting, framed in a wooden frame. "The picture was taken a month before she died," Ophelia said and placed the frame on the dresser. It was hard to believe she was only twelve when that happened because she felt much older now. Surely more years than four had passed. More clothes went into her dresser drawer and then she found DVDs she packed, hoping she could watch them with either Fisher or Simon. She liked comedies and for some odd, odd reason, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Ophelia showed it to Simon and laughed. They were going to have some strange fun times in the future, she was sure about that.