“Hello, sweetheart, how are you?” 

         Brian had walked up the two steps which led to Lily’s door, his backpack bouncing behind him. As soon as his hazel eyes caught glimpse of the young woman, they lit up like candles, and the corner of his rosy lips rose in a broad grin. Lily’s arms encircled his thin yet warm body and pulled him closer, as her mouth landed repeatedly on the skin of his cheek, giving it soft pecks that made the young man turn a brighter shade of pink. 

         The two shared a smile, and before she even replied, Lily grabbed Brian’s hand to bring him in. The latter closed the door behind him and kicked his shoes off, carefully putting them in a corner, so they wouldn’t disturb Lily’s mother when she would get home. Lily ran a hand through her long chocolate hair, heaving a long sigh as she stretched her painful back. 

         “I forgot to answer your question, dear,” she softly chuckled. “Very well, thanks! How about you? How did your rehearsals go?” 

         “I’m fine, a bit tired, though. For the rehearsals, well, I’m quite proud of myself, if I have the right to feel so. I think we’re ready for the concert. I wrote a new song recently, and we rehearsed it a lot. Tim wanted to rip my head off with all the things I said to make it sound like I imagined it!”

         Lily laughed, imagining their friend Tim getting mad at Brian. It wouldn’t be the first time anyway, but she always found Tim so funny when he was in such a state, for he often lacked of words and started to yell incomprehensible things. It was even funnier when Chelsea, Winny and Rhys were there when it happened: Rhys would always stand behind Tim and imitate him. However, he got caught by the latter one day, and ended up being punched in the jaw.

         Crazy group of friends they were.

         Brian’s smile appeared on his face again, as Lily stepped forward to help him take off his coat and thin scarf, before she hung the whole to the coatrack. As she was about to step back and face her beloved friend, she felt a pair of arms imprisoning her in a tight embrace; yet, she wished she would never escape from this prison.

         The young man’s chin rested on the crook of her neck, as he buried his face in her hair, his eyelids sealed while he silently breathed her delicious scent. As for her, she tenderly took hold of his hands and with one of hers that was free, she explored his short straight dark hair. She giggled internally, remembering him trying to straighten them one day, but miserably failing. Although Brian seemed to be an ordinary straight-haired boy, only his family and Lily knew what his hair actually looked like: a bunch of wild curls he struggled to tame.

         Yet, no matter how he wore his hair, Lily still saw him as the most handsome young man she had ever seen.

         Minutes flew by, and both still hadn’t moved a finger. Like every time they found themselves alone, they simply enjoyed each other’s presence, their breaths as only background music. They didn’t even need to share words, they could tell each other stories without communicating this way. Smiles and facial expressions were enough to make each other understand what they had in mind. Even after all these years of friendship, they never got tired of it, and rarely argued. Actually, even if they entirely trusted and knew the other very well, when they met, it always felt like the first time, for they still admired and discovered something new about each other everyday. Brian felt blessed to be part of such a unique relationship, and wished everybody to experience a similar one.

         Eventually, Lily spun round to face her friend, cupping his face in her hands to peck the tip of his nose, which he hated because of its shape. Her smile made his heart leap inside his chest. “Let’s go to my room,” she whispered, “show me the new song you rehearsed!”

         “I can’t. It’s a surprise for you,” he responded, shaking his head. “And even if you beg me on your knees, I will never play it before you actually hear it at the concert!”

         “Bri, you’re not funny!” she pouted, making his heart melt inside. He took her hand and she led him to her bedroom, watching him putting down his bag on the rug and walking up to her electric guitar. He put it down and opened the case, grabbing the strap and adjusting it on his shoulder. Meanwhile, Lily brought her cheap amplifier to him, plugging it and turning it on. He thanked her with a wink, before she went up to her bass, tuning it up and plugging it on the amplifier, leaving the other slot for Brian. He tuned up the guitar and played with the buttons of the amplifier, frowning at the instrument he was holding, playing a few chords until he obtained the sound he wished for.

         “What would you like to play, love?” Lily’s sweet voice sounded next to him. Brian looked up to the ceiling, pouting and pondering about a song they could play. After a few seconds, he snapped his fingers and his eyes landed on her again.

         “I know! Do you remember the bass lines Dave taught you when we went to the rehearsal room two weeks ago?”

         “These of I Feel Fine?”

         “Exactly. Can you still play them?”

         “I think so, but I haven’t trained in a while, I warn you.”

         “It’s alright, I just want to hear you play, so I can cover it with the guitar riff. I’m always confused with the rhythm of this song.”

           “Alright. Would you like a pick, by the way?”

           “No, thanks. I found the perfect thing!”

           “What is it?”

           “A coin. It might sound stupid, I know, Dave and Tim made fun of me during the rehearsals, but when I played at home with my guitar, my last pick broke, and I found a coin. Actually, if you hold it in a certain angle and hit the strings like that, the sound is purely magical. Then, if you play with the coin perpendicular to the strings, it’s just incredible. I think that’s how I’m going to play in the future. Let’s just hope the shape of the coins won’t change, because if I lose this one, I’m dead.”

            Lily chuckled and tousled his hair, pulling him closer to kiss his cheek. Then, she went up to her record shelf, on which her picks rested, all gathered in a tiny box. She took one and got back to the amplifier, handing it to Brian. “Just in case,” she winked.

            Then, she tried to remember how Dave played I Feel Fine by the Beatles, and let her fingers wander on the neck, stroking the thick strings of her bass guitar, while these of her other hand snapped them, producing the low notes she was fond of. Brian was slightly frowning – it was his way to focus on something – and prepared himself to hit a chord. He did, and both started to play one of their favourite songs, nodding at each other in approval from time to time. In the middle of the song, Lily sat on the edge of her bed, still playing. Sometimes, one of them would say “Okay, slow down here”, “You can speed up a little in this part”, “The upper string”, before smiling and nodding again, punctuating their music with compliments, like “You got it!”, “Alright!” or even “Perfect!”

            They played the song twice, making sure they fixed the mistakes they made during their first try. On the second one, Brian improvised a solo on it, and Lily watched him, her jaw dropped a little. She skilfully followed him with her bass lines, though she absolutely couldn’t foresee what he would play. Brian was impressed. Then, the young woman stood up and playfully hit his hip with hers, as she started a quick bass solo, not even knowing what she was doing. She let her heart rule her head and her fingers, which snapped the strings to play the improvised solo.

            To her, this was one of the most magical things about music: sometimes, it can be hard to be into it, but once you’re in and just let go of your overwhelming thoughts, it’s your heart that plays, and no longer your head. Then, the only overwhelming thing that’s in you is music.

            And the most beautiful tunes are these played with the heart.

            Lily ended her solo, and winked at Brian. They kept playing the song, and both started to sing the last chorus, though they couldn’t really hear themselves with the sound of the amplifier. Brian hit the last notes, and Lily took her hands off her bass. Their eyes were shining, and they felt like they had just watched the most gorgeous firework ever… or that they were this firework. 

            They both put the instruments aside, and jumped in each other’s arms. They shared a stare, full of compliments, and couldn’t help but chuckle. “Damn, that was worth being recorded!” Lily squealed. “Your solo was divine, Bri! I mean, just… the way you played it, you were lost in it, and… wow!”

            “My solo was just okay compared to yours! You were so into it, it was magical! And this part when you started to speed up, but still managed to keep the sound very elegant, it was mind-blowing! I felt like I had the one and only John Entwistle right before me!”

            “Wow, look how my hands are shaking!” she laughed, holding out her hands before her. “We were so good! I’m so proud of us!”

            “I’m so excited right now, I feel like I’ve just emptied four bottles of beer at once, without the sick part! I love it when music does that to me. I feel high and stoned, when actually I’m none of them.”

            Lily nodded, cocking her eyebrows, as she tried to recover from this incredible moment. Somebody who would have watched the scene would think it was the first time they found themselves in such a state, according to their candid reactions, when actually, it was not. When they played together, it would almost always happen, though the intensity of this exaltation was different each time. They simply felt impressed to a very high level.

            As if a bee had just stung him, Brian raised a finger, shaking it a little. “I almost forgot something! I have something of yours!” he exclaimed, going to his bag and opening it. He took out a tape recorder and two tapes.

            “Oh, my tape recorder! I needed it earlier, and I wondered whether I’d left it at the rehearsal room or in your bedroom.”

            “You left it at home. I found it this morning. Did you want to record something, today? You wrote a new track?”

            “Oh, no, my neighbour came over and he wanted to listen to what we recorded. He records things too but he forgot his recorder as well.”

            “Your neighbour?” he frowned. “I thought you didn’t know any of your neighbours?”

            “It’s the guy I met yesterday during our door-to-door thingy, remember? He lives in the flat at the other side of the road.”

            “Oh, him! I completely forgot. So, did he try to hit on you?” Brian added, winking and smirking. Lily gasped and playfully hit him in the arm.

            “Brian! Of course not! What did you expect? We barely know each other!”

            “If you really believe the fact that barely knowing each other can stop guys from flirting with girls, then, you must be really naïve!” he laughed. “He didn’t even try anything?”

            “Brian!” she repeated in a fit of laughter. “He isn’t one of the wrong kind, I’m sure about that. I mean, no, I’m not sure, but he respected me and was very polite.”

            “Guys can hide their purpose quite well, believe me.”

            "Why? Are you one of this kind?”

            Brian stared at the ceiling for a few seconds, before shrugging and looking back at her. “I hope not. Anyway, I’m too shy to ask a girl out.”

            “Did you ask this girl you liked if she liked you back?”

            “No, and I won’t. I realised she’s really dumb and only date guys who have money. It’s not my case, and I hate when girls do that.”

            "Oh, shit. What was her name again?”

            “Alice. It’s not a great loss, to be honest.”

            “What do you mean?”

            Brian took a deep breath and sighed dreamily, sitting on the edge of Lily’s bed. She joined him, their knees touching. He played with his fingers, a shy grin on his lips. “Can I tell you a secret?” he whispered.

            “Obviously you can, Brian, I can’t believe you still need to ask me that.”

            “Oh… Well. I have another girl in mind, and it’s been the case for a long while, now. I know her well, and you do too, but I don’t know how to ask her out.”

            “Who’s it?” Lily smiled heartily, linking her arm with his.

            “I can’t tell you, otherwise you will tell her and she’ll see me differently. Then the whole atmosphere of the group will change.”

            “Of the group?” she repeated, trying to guess who he was talking about. “And you really think I will tell the girl? I mean, have I ever betrayed you?”

            “Yes, when one day you told Peter I tried his shoes!”

            “Brian, we were six.”

            “I was six! You were eight already!”

            “You know what I mean!” she laughed. “Okay, so if you mention the group, it means the girl you fancy is either Chelsea or Winny. Mmh… I don’t know why, but I picture you with Chelsea better. Don’t ask me why, I really have no idea.”

            “Nope, it’s not Chelsea. I mean, she’s really nice, and she’s pretty, but no, it’s not her I fancy.”

            “Don’t tell me it’s Winny! I don’t know, I never imagined you two together. But after all, why not? Winny is adorable as well.”

            “Not Winny either”

            “But there aren’t any other girls hanging out with us! There are Chelsea and Winny only!”

            “I didn’t know you considered a sex change.”

            Lily frowned and suddenly it hit her like a lorry. Brian fancied her. It suddenly made sense, though she couldn’t see what she had that could make him fancy her. There were things she knew he liked, like some of her qualities, or some details of her physical appearance, but never had she imagined it would have come to this point.

            Unconsciously, she had been staring at him with a shocked expression for minutes. Brian was looking away, feeling embarrassed by this look she was giving him. He immediately regretted telling her. “I knew I should’ve kept it for myself, I TOLD HER I would keep the secret.”

            Lily cleared her throat and shook her head. “Wow” was the only thing she felt capable of saying. Brian shyly looked at her, fearing the words that would obviously follow. The young woman gazed at her best friend for a second, before leaning in and gently pressing her lip against his.

            With trembling hands, Brian cupped her face and closed his eyes, feeling a sort of electric charge crossing his veins, and his heart pumping his blood faster than usual. His cheeks felt like they had been set on fire, and his mind was all blurry. Yet, in spite of this sudden euphoria that took hold of him, he felt like something was wrong. He didn’t know whether it was something missing or too present. There was just a detail of it all that made this moment not fully enjoyable.

            Lily ran a hand through Brian’s hair, and softly moaned into the kiss. She was in the same state as him, and in her heart, she could also feel this mysterious something that was either missing or imposing itself too much. She pulled away very slowly, keeping her eyelids shut, and held her breath, trying to recover from the roller coaster of feelings she had been through. Brian was tenderly stroking her cheek, without opening his eyes either.

            A few seconds after, both dared to look at each other in the eye. As soon as they did, they burst out laughing, hiding their faces in their hands, as their cheeks turned red. Lily collapsed in Brian’s arms and tried to calm herself, wiping a tear that formed at the corner of her eye.

            “That was weird, wasn’t it?” Brian panted, still chuckling.

            “It was! Oh my, I can’t believe we… We kissed.”

            “Oh fuck, we kissed. It never happened before!” he laughed harder, rolling on his side to face her. “This doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it.”

            “I enjoyed it, but I felt something disturbing at the same time.”

            “I did too.”

            “What was it?”

           “I have no idea.” They both stared at the ceiling, trying to put their finger on what it could possibly be. After a while, they still hadn’t found what this odd feeling was. Lily’s hand shyly looked for Brian’s, and the latter pulled her closer to him, encircling her with his thin arms. “What conclusion can we draw?” he whispered.

            “That… uh… Oh, I don’t know at all. What does that make us? I mean… Does that mean we’re a couple? Like boyfriend and girlfriend?”

            “Only if you wish to.”

            Lily remained silent for a moment, staring at their locked fingers. She gulped a few times and felt like her brain was smoking like a pot, for the thoughts inside it collapsed onto one another. She blinked and took a deep breath.

            “I’m not too sure.” 

            "Then let’s not be a couple.”

             “That’d be better.”

             “Definitely.”

             “But… Won’t it be weird for you? I mean… I kissed you, and I wasn’t smart on that point, because you have these certain… feelings for me, don’t you? Won’t it be painful?”

              “As long as I don’t fully lose you, everything’s alright to me. And don’t worry about these feelings, I still love being with you. And I don’t want our precious friendship to come to an end.”

             “Neither do I.” Lily paused and gulped, before turning to Brian once again. “But I wouldn’t mind experiencing it once again.”

             “What?”

             “Kissing you.”

             Brian’s lips stretched into a broad grin, revealing his perfectly white teeth, especially these sort of small fangs Lily cherished so much. He closed his eyes and pecked her on the lips. Then, he snuggled up to her and whispered in her ear:

             “After all, we’re doing nothing wrong, are we?”