Sketch

55 - Sam

                                                                           ***

Friday night and Vince has got Ollie in a head-lock.  I'm totally entranced with watching them fight; Ollie tugging at Vince's shirt and Vince ruffling Ollie's hair so it stands up with static, that it takes me a good moment to realise that my phone's ringing.

I glance to the breakfast bar where my phone is set next to my empty dinner plate, to see the caller ID.  I pick up when I realise it's Tanya.

"Turn the TV onto 'LZ music'."

She puts the phone down just as I open my mouth to reply.  I listen to the dial tone for a second before Ollie's grunts and Vince's cussing pulls me back to the lounge.  I get up and head over to the TV, switching it off of the music channels and flicking through until I find the right program.

My eyes widen when I see who's on the screen.  "Guys!" I shout, shoving them out of the way as I sit down on the sofa, my mouth open and my eyes still wide.  "Guys!"

I don't even know what they're fighting about, probably something juvenile and petty, but right now I don't care.  I just want to make sure that I'm not seeing things.

"Holy mackerel," Ollie exclaims as he pushes Vince off of him.  He straightens up and pats down his hair but like me his eyes are on the TV screen where Emmy's smiling and waving from a sofa.

"Is that?"

"Why's Emmy on TV?" Ollie cuts across Vince.  "And how come we didn't know about it?"

"How come we weren't invited?" Vince adds.  "That TV host is cute."

I point the remote at the TV, checking the program information as the camera pans to a group of guys sitting on another sofa.  The program only started five minutes ago so we haven't missed much.  I stare at the screen, hoping it'll return to Emmy.  The presenters are back in view for a few moments but I don't hear what they're saying.  The flat is silent as we all watch, waiting to see what happens next.

We let out a collective breath when Emmy appears again.  She looks stunning in a pair of ripped jeans, the sight of her legs making my head pound, and she's wearing a red shirt that's open to show off a cropped white t-shirt underneath. Her bare midriff makes my heart thump into my ribs with longing and I feel my fingers curling into the cushion I'm hugging to myself.

"I think she's going to sing."

Ollie's words pull my attention from the TV for a second, having been the first one to speak for a good five minutes, and when I look back to the screen I see that he's right.  Emmy's heading over to a small stage where an audience of teenagers have gathered.  She waves enthusiastically from her place behind a microphone and then, after a small introduction from the blonde host, she starts to sing accompanied by a guy playing an acoustic guitar beside her. 

She's hypnotising.  I can't look away as she sways softly from side to side, her eyes closing every now and again as she sings the song that we sang together almost a week and a half ago.  It had been the moment that had changed everything.  The moment where I finally accepted that ignoring and hating Emmy wasn't going to be possible.

I'm singing along under my breath, a slight smile breaking out on my face as the audience starts waving their hands in the air.  They love her. 

Her voice fills me up, making me whole for the first time in a week.  I wish I could be there with her, standing beside her and harmonising with her like I'm supposed to.  It's the perfect song to describe everything that happened between us and, even though I still regret everything bad I've said to her, seeing her singing on that stage on live TV makes it all seem okay.  She belongs on stage.  She belongs with Sketch.  I've never been so sure of anything in my life.

Emmy bows dramatically when she's finished, a huge beam stretching across her red lips.  It makes me want to kiss her so badly.  She looks and sounds incredible.

"She's so amazing!" Ollie announces as she disappears from the screen so the program can take a short ad break.

I smile and nod. "Yeah."

"What the hell?" Vince says, shaking his head.  "How come we weren't there too?  I mean, it's not fair."

I'm about to answer when my phone rings.  I leap up from the sofa to snatch it from the breakfast bar.

"Hello?"

"So, how was she?"

I blink.  "Where are you?"

Tanya laughs.  "I'm at the studio with Emmy.  She was brilliant, right?"

"Yeah," I reply.  "She was unbelievable."

Ollie taps my shoulder and I turn around, mouthing Tanya's name to let him know who it is.  He nods.

"So you see what you're missing?"

"Don't rub salt in an open wound, Tanya."

"Now do you believe me that she's coming back?"

I nod to myself.  "Yeah.  When do I get to see her?  I feel like I need to congratulate her."

"Is that before or after you apologise for being a dick?"

I flip the bird at Vince as he pipes up from the sofa.

"It's not over yet, though," Tanya continues. "There's an interview section after the break.  They're going to be discussing Sketch."

"What if they ask why we're not there?" I ask, nerves shooting around my body.  "Will they mention the fight?"

"No, Sam.  They think Emmy's come alone to promote the fact that she's the newest member.  I guess it's the truth without going into things.  Anyway, they're back in now.  I've got to go."

I glance to the TV to see that she's right.  The presenters are back on the screen, sitting alongside Emmy on the same orange couch as before.  I end the call, knowing Tanya will have hung up anyway, before I go back to the sofa to watch with bated breath.  I just hope Emmy doesn't say something that'll have the whole world hating on me as much as I've been hating on myself.