Sweet and Innocent (Demi Lovato)

Chapter 43

Lilly's POV

I am excited when Demi comes back; I missed her a lot while she was gone. When she gets back, she asks Nevvy and me if we would like to learn a duet on piano for another one of her new songs. Nevvy has barely learned any piano yet, but Demi says that both parts are the perfect level for each of us to play.

Wilmer joins us in the music room because it is evening, and he has nothing better to do.

Demi makes us sit so that Nevvy is on the lower end of the piano, and I am at the higher end.

"Now, Neveah," Demi says, "I have a few different patterns for you to play. Is that alright?"

"Yeah," she replies.

Then Demi shows her three different repetitive patterns using only one or two notes at a time because she's still a beginner.

Once she gets her part down, Demi teaches me mine. I have some chords and simple melodies to play on the higher part of the piano, and once I can remember my parts, Demi shows us how to play them together. It is a bit hard, but once we get it, it sounds really pretty.

"Are you ready for me to sing?" Demi asks.

I nod, and Demi tells us to start playing. Her beautiful singing voice fills the room as we play, and it sounds wonderful. I love the music that Demi writes and performs because her voice makes anything sound good. Hearing her sing always makes me feel my emotions more strongly.

Once the song is finished, Demi congratulates us.

"This is the next song I'm planning on releasing," Demi says. "One day, I want you two to perform it with me."

Nevvy starts to play again, and I join in just before Demi starts singing. By the time the chorus comes around, Nevvy's voice quietly starts to sing the words along with Demi. I've always been too nervous to sing with Demi because her voice sounds so amazing on its own, but Nevvy and Demi sound great together.

"That was incredible, girls!" Demi exclaims once the song is done. "You have a very pretty voice, Neveah."

Nevvy smiles, Demi's comment giving her confidence. I wish I had enough confidence to sing with Demi. 

"Why don't you girls go get ready for bed," Wilmer says. "I'll be up to read with you soon."

---

The next day, Nevvy goes to school as usual, and Wilmer has to go to work. Demi says he's auditioning for some movie roles.

I am taught by my tutor at home for the morning, and Demi takes me to McDonald's for lunch. A few hours later, we go to pick up Nevvy from school. Demi brings us to a park that isn't inside the gates after Nevvy's school.

The playground is a lot bigger than any I've ever been on, and even though there are a lot of strange kids there, I join Nevvy on the monkey bars. I decide that I just won't talk to any of the other kids.

A girl just a bit taller than me comes to join us on the monkey bars, and, as previously decided, I do not talk to her, even when Nevvy welcomes her to join us.

"Hi," the girl says. "What's your name?"

I don't reply. In some ways, I want to, but I don't feel like I can.

"I'm Natalie." She doesn't seem fazed by my lack of conversation. "And I know who you are: you played piano for Demi Lovato on Good Morning America."

I am surprised that anyone young enough to play on a playground would even listen to Demi's music, let alone that they would recognize me from the performance.