Teardrops On My Guitar
Unrequited Love...
Nia tried hard to concentrate on the conversation she was having with a fellow guitarist and singer, but her gaze kept lingering on the man standing at the other side of the room, a big grin on his face.
He radiated happiness, smiling at everyone who passed and talking to everyone who greeted him.
Not able to take much more talk from the man standing in front of her and droning off in his loud, slightly nasal voice, she politely excused herself and walked toward the mini bar so she would get a drink. With all the things that were going on, she needed it.
On her way, she was intercepted by the object of her thoughts, and she masked her feelings as she smiled cheerfully into his face.
"So, quite a good turnout huh?" he asked, scanning the room.
"Yeah. But I expected that. I mean, who could resist the lure of the great Andrew Symonds?" Nia teased.
"Of course." Andrew replied, twinkling down at his best friend. "But I’m sure that the fact that Nia Daniels would be here also prompted a few to come."
"Maybe."
"Oh, come one, you know it." Andrew said lightly and chuckled when Nia shot him an exasperated look.
They both stood there in the middle of the large room, looking over at the large crowd of people assembled there. As Andrew glanced over the crowd as was his habit to make sure everything was okay, Nia was lost in her thoughts again.
Nia and Andrew were childhood friends who had started a band at 16. The years had been good to them, and both found themselves among the elite in the music scene, although they both drifted into two different genres.
Andrew was famous for his deep, rich voice and his amazing playing on the guitar as he beat out blues or jazz tunes and Nia was a well known country singer and guitarist.
They had still remained best friends though. And it was always to each other that they came when they needed to share their lives. They stuck by each other during all the good and bad times, and many, Nia included, hoped that they would finally get together, but that was just not meant to be.
Just then, the lights in the room went off and a single spotlight shone on the make-shift stage that was there in one corner of the room.
Andrew and Nia clapped enthusiastically with the others as ‘Thorne’ a band they were both well-acquainted with came onto stage. Soon, fast, jazzy music was flowing over them and they were totally enthralled, pulled in by the music. There was no denying it, Thorne was good.
When the band finished their first number, Nia had to shake herself a little to get back to reality. To enthusiastic applause, Thorne’s lead singer, Eddie, said, "And that ladies and gentlemen, is a wrap. Now, before we play anything else, I would like to call up onto stage my favorite singer of all time, Nia, to give us a little performance."
Nia shot Eddie a look that clearly wished him a very painful death but smiled at everyone else and made her way to the stage. Eddie handed her his guitar and stood back, leaving the entire stage to her.
"I’d like to start with a song that’s not mine, it’s by Taylor Swift, but it’s close to my heart." Nia said as she started softly strumming the opening chords. As she sang, she closed her eyes and let the song take over, reveling in the memories that it brought to the surface.
"Drew looks at me, I fake a smile so he won't see,
That I want and I'm needing, everything that we should be,
I'll bet she's beautiful, that girl he talks about,
And she's got everything that I have to live without...
Drew talks to me, I laugh 'cause it's so damn funny,
That I can't even see anyone when he's with me,
He says he's so in love, he's finally got it right,
I wonder if he knows he's all I think about at night..."
"Hey Nia!"
Nia stopped and turned, looking for Andrew.
"Over here." He called again, and Nia finally spotted him. He was calling to her from the window of the music room in their school, and she wondered what he wanted now.
She made her way to the music room, lugging her heavy bag behind her.
"What?" she asked him when she had walked in and taken a seat next to him. "What’s with the crowd?"
Andrew looked at her incredulously. "Don’t you remember?" he asked, sighing when her expression told him clearly that she didn’t.
"It’s the auditions. We were both supposed to try out remember?"
"Oh no!" Nia said, slapping her forehead. "I didn’t remember! What am I going to do now?"
"You’re going to audition duh." Andrew said, as if it was the obvious thing to do.
"Without any practice or preparation? You must be joking. I’m going to suck."
No, you’re not. Besides, I’ve already put your name down with mine. My turn’s in 15 minutes and then its yours."
Nia just buried her head in her hands, berating herself for being such a forgetful person. Not only would she have to audition without any practice, she would also have to do it on one of the dreadful school guitars.
Andrew, sensing her apprehension, put a comforting arm around her and squeezed.
"You’ll do fine." He said, giving her a small smile when she turned her scared face to look up into his.
He kept smiling at her in that gentle way until she smiled back faintly.
"That’s my girl!" he said and ruffled her hair.
Just then, his name was called out and he went into the other room where the auditions were being held. Despite everything that Andrew had said, she was absolutely terrified. She sat there, almost shivering till Andrew came out a while later, smiling.
"I’m in." he told her. "So just make sure you make it too okay? And don’t worry, you’ll do great."
She nodded mutely and went in to give her audition.
It went better than she had expected, and when she walked out 20 minutes later, she was almost bursting with joy.
"I’m in too." She told Andrew, and yelped when he suddenly picked her up and twirled her around.
"That’s great!" he said, when he set her down.
"I know." Nia said as she smiled back at him. It was then that she knew that she loved him.
She opened her eyes briefly as she sang the chorus, only to see Andrew’s fiancée, Rita standing there with him, her head on his shoulder as they both watched her. Closing her eyes again so the tears would not rush out, she began the next verse.
"Drew walks by me, can he tell that I can't breathe?
And there he goes, so perfectly,
The kind of flawless I wish I could be,
She better hold him tight, give him all her love
Look in those beautiful eyes and know she's lucky 'cause...
He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar,
The only thing that keeps me wishin' on a wishin' star,
He's the song in the car I keep singin', don't know why I do..."
Nia walked off stage, her guitar slung across her shoulders to the wild applause and screams of the audience. Once she got backstage, she pushed her guitar off her shoulder and sank wearily into her chair.
"heya Nia." Said a familiar voice, and Nia found herself literally jumping off her chair into Andrew’s arms.
"I thought you were out of town." She said as she pulled away and took a sip from the glass of water her assistant had just pushed into her hands.
"I was. I came back for your concert." He replied, flashing his dimples at her.
"Really?" Nia asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Okay, no." he admitted, grinning sheepishly. "But hey, you were singing and I was in town. Wouldn’t have missed it for the world."
"Course." Nia said easily, and led him to the green room.
They went into her room and closed the door, so they could have some privacy. Andrew plopped himself into the sofa as Nia went to get changed.
When she emerged 10 minutes later in a comfortable pair of jeans and a t-shirt, Andrew had two cups of coffee waiting.
"Ahh…" Nia sighed in relief as she took a sip of the hot brew and sank into the comfortable couch. "So, go on, spill the beans. You have that ‘I want to tell you something’ look on your face."
Andrew grinned. "Am I that easy to read."
Nia shot him a cheeky grin in reply.
"Remember Rita?" Andrew asked, now leaning forward as he spoke, his eyes shining in excitement.
"Yeah." Nia replied, vaguely. Suddenly, she didn’t like the direction of the conversation.
"Well, we got engaged."
Nia just sat there for a moment, not able to say anything. Shock, anger and grief raced through her all at once, rendering her speechless.
"So..?" Andrew said, looking at her expectantly.
"That’s great!" Nia said, trying hard to put a smile on her face.
"I know!" Andrew said, and leaned forward to hug her. "I’m just so happy Nia."
Nia hugged him back. "I’m happy for you too." she replied.
It was at this moment, that Nia’s heart shattered, and the only person who could mend it was deeply in love with someone else.
"He’s the reason for the teardrops on my guitar,
The only one who's got enough of me to break my heart,
He's the song in the car I keep singing, don't know why I do...
He's the time taken up, but there's never enough,
And he's all that I need to fall into..
Drew looks at me, I fake a smile so he won't see..."
Nia let the last note trail softly before she opened her eyes to look at the sea of smiling faces before her. She played two other songs, her songs, before she handed the guitar back to Eddie and made her way back.
Eddie slung the guitar back on, and that night, everyone thought that Nia was the happiest girl on earth. The only person who knew otherwise was a man who, when he took the guitar from her, had seen a tear drop slide gently off his guitar. And that man, Nia’s friend, hummed the last verse of a song to himself before he started his performance.
"So I drive home alone, as I turn out the light, I'll put his picture down and maybe get some sleep tonight..."
"Its time to let go, Nia. Its time to let go." he said softly, and struck the opening chords on his guitar.
He radiated happiness, smiling at everyone who passed and talking to everyone who greeted him.
Not able to take much more talk from the man standing in front of her and droning off in his loud, slightly nasal voice, she politely excused herself and walked toward the mini bar so she would get a drink. With all the things that were going on, she needed it.
On her way, she was intercepted by the object of her thoughts, and she masked her feelings as she smiled cheerfully into his face.
"So, quite a good turnout huh?" he asked, scanning the room.
"Yeah. But I expected that. I mean, who could resist the lure of the great Andrew Symonds?" Nia teased.
"Of course." Andrew replied, twinkling down at his best friend. "But I’m sure that the fact that Nia Daniels would be here also prompted a few to come."
"Maybe."
"Oh, come one, you know it." Andrew said lightly and chuckled when Nia shot him an exasperated look.
They both stood there in the middle of the large room, looking over at the large crowd of people assembled there. As Andrew glanced over the crowd as was his habit to make sure everything was okay, Nia was lost in her thoughts again.
Nia and Andrew were childhood friends who had started a band at 16. The years had been good to them, and both found themselves among the elite in the music scene, although they both drifted into two different genres.
Andrew was famous for his deep, rich voice and his amazing playing on the guitar as he beat out blues or jazz tunes and Nia was a well known country singer and guitarist.
They had still remained best friends though. And it was always to each other that they came when they needed to share their lives. They stuck by each other during all the good and bad times, and many, Nia included, hoped that they would finally get together, but that was just not meant to be.
Just then, the lights in the room went off and a single spotlight shone on the make-shift stage that was there in one corner of the room.
Andrew and Nia clapped enthusiastically with the others as ‘Thorne’ a band they were both well-acquainted with came onto stage. Soon, fast, jazzy music was flowing over them and they were totally enthralled, pulled in by the music. There was no denying it, Thorne was good.
When the band finished their first number, Nia had to shake herself a little to get back to reality. To enthusiastic applause, Thorne’s lead singer, Eddie, said, "And that ladies and gentlemen, is a wrap. Now, before we play anything else, I would like to call up onto stage my favorite singer of all time, Nia, to give us a little performance."
Nia shot Eddie a look that clearly wished him a very painful death but smiled at everyone else and made her way to the stage. Eddie handed her his guitar and stood back, leaving the entire stage to her.
"I’d like to start with a song that’s not mine, it’s by Taylor Swift, but it’s close to my heart." Nia said as she started softly strumming the opening chords. As she sang, she closed her eyes and let the song take over, reveling in the memories that it brought to the surface.
"Drew looks at me, I fake a smile so he won't see,
That I want and I'm needing, everything that we should be,
I'll bet she's beautiful, that girl he talks about,
And she's got everything that I have to live without...
Drew talks to me, I laugh 'cause it's so damn funny,
That I can't even see anyone when he's with me,
He says he's so in love, he's finally got it right,
I wonder if he knows he's all I think about at night..."
"Hey Nia!"
Nia stopped and turned, looking for Andrew.
"Over here." He called again, and Nia finally spotted him. He was calling to her from the window of the music room in their school, and she wondered what he wanted now.
She made her way to the music room, lugging her heavy bag behind her.
"What?" she asked him when she had walked in and taken a seat next to him. "What’s with the crowd?"
Andrew looked at her incredulously. "Don’t you remember?" he asked, sighing when her expression told him clearly that she didn’t.
"It’s the auditions. We were both supposed to try out remember?"
"Oh no!" Nia said, slapping her forehead. "I didn’t remember! What am I going to do now?"
"You’re going to audition duh." Andrew said, as if it was the obvious thing to do.
"Without any practice or preparation? You must be joking. I’m going to suck."
No, you’re not. Besides, I’ve already put your name down with mine. My turn’s in 15 minutes and then its yours."
Nia just buried her head in her hands, berating herself for being such a forgetful person. Not only would she have to audition without any practice, she would also have to do it on one of the dreadful school guitars.
Andrew, sensing her apprehension, put a comforting arm around her and squeezed.
"You’ll do fine." He said, giving her a small smile when she turned her scared face to look up into his.
He kept smiling at her in that gentle way until she smiled back faintly.
"That’s my girl!" he said and ruffled her hair.
Just then, his name was called out and he went into the other room where the auditions were being held. Despite everything that Andrew had said, she was absolutely terrified. She sat there, almost shivering till Andrew came out a while later, smiling.
"I’m in." he told her. "So just make sure you make it too okay? And don’t worry, you’ll do great."
She nodded mutely and went in to give her audition.
It went better than she had expected, and when she walked out 20 minutes later, she was almost bursting with joy.
"I’m in too." She told Andrew, and yelped when he suddenly picked her up and twirled her around.
"That’s great!" he said, when he set her down.
"I know." Nia said as she smiled back at him. It was then that she knew that she loved him.
She opened her eyes briefly as she sang the chorus, only to see Andrew’s fiancée, Rita standing there with him, her head on his shoulder as they both watched her. Closing her eyes again so the tears would not rush out, she began the next verse.
"Drew walks by me, can he tell that I can't breathe?
And there he goes, so perfectly,
The kind of flawless I wish I could be,
She better hold him tight, give him all her love
Look in those beautiful eyes and know she's lucky 'cause...
He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar,
The only thing that keeps me wishin' on a wishin' star,
He's the song in the car I keep singin', don't know why I do..."
Nia walked off stage, her guitar slung across her shoulders to the wild applause and screams of the audience. Once she got backstage, she pushed her guitar off her shoulder and sank wearily into her chair.
"heya Nia." Said a familiar voice, and Nia found herself literally jumping off her chair into Andrew’s arms.
"I thought you were out of town." She said as she pulled away and took a sip from the glass of water her assistant had just pushed into her hands.
"I was. I came back for your concert." He replied, flashing his dimples at her.
"Really?" Nia asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Okay, no." he admitted, grinning sheepishly. "But hey, you were singing and I was in town. Wouldn’t have missed it for the world."
"Course." Nia said easily, and led him to the green room.
They went into her room and closed the door, so they could have some privacy. Andrew plopped himself into the sofa as Nia went to get changed.
When she emerged 10 minutes later in a comfortable pair of jeans and a t-shirt, Andrew had two cups of coffee waiting.
"Ahh…" Nia sighed in relief as she took a sip of the hot brew and sank into the comfortable couch. "So, go on, spill the beans. You have that ‘I want to tell you something’ look on your face."
Andrew grinned. "Am I that easy to read."
Nia shot him a cheeky grin in reply.
"Remember Rita?" Andrew asked, now leaning forward as he spoke, his eyes shining in excitement.
"Yeah." Nia replied, vaguely. Suddenly, she didn’t like the direction of the conversation.
"Well, we got engaged."
Nia just sat there for a moment, not able to say anything. Shock, anger and grief raced through her all at once, rendering her speechless.
"So..?" Andrew said, looking at her expectantly.
"That’s great!" Nia said, trying hard to put a smile on her face.
"I know!" Andrew said, and leaned forward to hug her. "I’m just so happy Nia."
Nia hugged him back. "I’m happy for you too." she replied.
It was at this moment, that Nia’s heart shattered, and the only person who could mend it was deeply in love with someone else.
"He’s the reason for the teardrops on my guitar,
The only one who's got enough of me to break my heart,
He's the song in the car I keep singing, don't know why I do...
He's the time taken up, but there's never enough,
And he's all that I need to fall into..
Drew looks at me, I fake a smile so he won't see..."
Nia let the last note trail softly before she opened her eyes to look at the sea of smiling faces before her. She played two other songs, her songs, before she handed the guitar back to Eddie and made her way back.
Eddie slung the guitar back on, and that night, everyone thought that Nia was the happiest girl on earth. The only person who knew otherwise was a man who, when he took the guitar from her, had seen a tear drop slide gently off his guitar. And that man, Nia’s friend, hummed the last verse of a song to himself before he started his performance.
"So I drive home alone, as I turn out the light, I'll put his picture down and maybe get some sleep tonight..."
"Its time to let go, Nia. Its time to let go." he said softly, and struck the opening chords on his guitar.
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