worlds and time and music

Flames lick the rocks on the edge of our fire pit. Mac has the guitar, and she's playing for all she's worth. She's good, too. 

The chorus comes around, and we all -- Mac, Colin, Logan, Chase, and me -- start singing. 

We're good singers, too. When you're around music as much as we are, you get a feel for harmonies and timing and music stuff.

I love nights like this. All I need is friends, coffee, and a guitar or two. We seem separate from everyone else, from homework and drama and the crap of life. We're hidden, just us and the fire and music and lake and the occasional cricket.

Mac passes the guitar to Chase, who starts strumming a softer song. I like how all of listen to the same music, but we all have preferences within that music. Mac likes the rock, Chase likes acoustic, Logan like electronic, and for Colin and I it just depends on our moods. 

Mac curls up next to Logan. I pull my blanket tighter. Chase keeps strumming, but it's just background music. 

"Remember, in The Perks of Being a Wallflower, when Charlie say he felt infinite?" Logan asks. "I think it was the tunnel part."

"Yes," I say softly. "This is like that."

"Nah," Chase switches to a minor chord. "This is like being in a parallel universe. We're outside of time here."

Colin wraps his arm around me. "I agree with Chase. I don't think that this will last forever. But I also don't think believe is actually passing right now. Once we get back in the car and go home, then we're back in the real world."

"I like this world," Mac says. "Chase, play something we can sing."

He switches the guitar for his ukulele and starts us out.

She asked me "son, when I grow old,

will you buy me a house of gold?"

It sounds really good, until we get to the "become someone" part. We all yell it, and then start laughing too hard to continue. 

I don't want to leave our little haven. We're safe here, hidden, unnoticed. Nothing required. 

Just us and the music of our world.