Songs of the Heart (Ms_Muffintops and Josu_T

Alice looked up at him and laughed nervously. She hoped he hadn't seen her staring, the last thing she wanted him to think was that she was like Jade, a gawking fan. "Hey there" she said as she stood up and greeting him politely with a gentle hand shake, "What a coincidence to see you here". She pushed her hair behind her ears and looked up at him, "My name is Alice" she said with a smile, "And I already know your name."

She sat down back into her seat and gazed up at him, "I hope your evening is going better than last night" she said with a smirk and then a soft giggle. It was sort of refreshing to see a local celebrity in a relaxed location. She got to see a brief side of the person most never got to see or hear. He was just a normal guy, and if Jade had eventually realized that, she probably would have ditched the guy.

Luke shook her hand politely. He smiled as she introduced herself. It was a nice name. He let her sit again and leaned against the table. He chuckled at her comment. "Yes,tonight is better. However, last night was not too bad compared with some events I've been to. I've seen girls crazier than your friend. If I had a dollar for every time I've been flashed....well, you get the picture." He laughed and smiled at her. "Well anyway, I hope your night is going better than last night as well." He didn't know what else to say to her. He'd mostly just come over to say hello.

Alice giggled when he told her about his crazed fans. She was sure if Jade had been wearing a T shirt, she would have been willing to do the same.

"Uh, um, would you like to sit together?" she asked him quietly, feeling a bit shy over it. They were both here alone, it was the least she could do, give him decent company at the bar without trying to get into his pants. "I noticed we're both here alone. B-but, if you'd like to just sit alone, I understand."

She laughed nervously, feeling embarrassed about her proposal. She usually was not the type to make such offers, she typically kept to herself. If anyone came and sat with her at bars and clubs, they were mostly thanks to Jade. But so far this guy had been nothing but nice to her, having his company in the bar would be nice.

Luke smiled when he heard the giggle from the girl. He was glad he could make her laugh. Her suggestion came as a bit of a surprise to him. She seemed a little nervous and obviously felt she had to explain herself. He knew he could make people nervous, but wished he didn't. He smiled at her again, warmly. He nodded. "Sure, I think it would be nice to enjoy music with someone else." He pulled a chair out and took a seat. He sat back and looked over at her, hoping she wouldn't stay nervous.

Alice sat back in her chair. She slid her plate of fries closer to Luke and flashed a slight smile, "If you want some fries, help yourself" she said quietly. She was trying to be as friendly as possible, and her order of fries was much too big for her to finish on her own.

The lights in the place dimmed as the band returned to the stage. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table, and her chin in the palm of her hand as she watched the band set up once more. She quickly glanced over at Luke to see his expression, but then quickly looked back at the stage. She and Luke were just listening to a band, but it was nice to have company there at the bar. Perhaps she'd make a friend, aside from Jade who used her. But she didn't want to get ahead of herself, all that had happened was them running into each other after a previous encounter.

The lead singer introduced the song and and soon after the band started to play. Alice half-attentively started to sway her head side to side to the beat.

Luke glanced over at Alice and smiled. He then sat back in his chair and relax. He watched the band return and get ready for he second half of the show. Helked getting to know someone just for the sake of getting to know them. They were not really getting to know much about eachother, but it was still nice. The first song of the new set started up and his eyes shut. He simply got lost in the music, enjoying it.

Alice glanced over at Luke and watched him as his eyes shut. The look on his face was warm and calm, she assumed he must be enjoying the music. She smirked and after popping a french fry into her mouth, she sat back in her chair as well. She found herself wondering about him even more as she listened. She wanted to ask a few questions, get to know him, but she didn't want to bother him, he seemed to be enjoying himself.

She let out a soft content sigh as she looked over and watched the band play. Her eyes wandered back over to him.

"S-so.. you must really enjoy your job... you seem to really like music" she said softly, hoping her comment didn't distract him. She laughed nervously, feeling a bit embarrassed and awkward. It wasn't because he was a famous radio DJ, but the fact that she was trying to make conversation while a song was playing.

(Sorry for disappearing, Thanksgiving holiday and Christmas preparations x.x I'm back though)

Luke was really enjoying the music. He relaxed and listened to the flowing notes and voice of the singers. It wasn't the best band, but it was good. They would probably not get any record deals though, but they would get gigs to play at numerous local places. He could tell that much.

He was a little surprised to hear Alice ask him about his job. His eyes opened and he looked over at her. Her question told him she was not a superfan and that she didn;t seemt o know anything about him. That was nice for a change. However it also meant he got tough questions to answer and explain. He sighed. "I do like music. Music is something the whole world can understand. As for my job, well, that's complicated. I don't want to go into it right now." He frowned and turned his attention back to the band.

"Oh" Alice said quietly and simply. Her cheeks instantly turned beet red. She had obviously pressed a wrong button. She looked back at the back and shifted in her chair, away from his direction. He obviously did not like his job, and perhaps he did not want to talk.

She sighed softly, feeling stupid for having said anything. But she still found herself wondering about him. Why didn't he like it? Was it the fans? The type of music? His work place? She couldn't ask him. Another fry went into her mouth as she tensely watched the band play. She enjoyed the music, but at the moment, she found herself distracted by the stranger sitting next to her.

She jumped as her purse started to vibrate. On her phone, there was a text from Jade.

Do u wnt 2 go out 2nite? i got a grp 2gether n we got 3 guyz n 2 girlz

Alice shook her head and dropped her phone into her purse. Jade was certainly two faced. Just that morning, they had fought. Alice was certain Jade was just looking for someone to occupy the guy, and she was a last resort.

Luke tried to stay focused on the band, but from the sounds he heard next to him, he felt he might have upset Alice. He had at least made her feel embarrased. He sighed and looked over at her. He watched her look at her phone. Once she put it away he spoke up. "I'm sorry. I just don't really like talking about my job. I should not have just brushed off your question though. If you must know, I don't like my job. I do it because I got into it while I did enjoy it. I got too good to stop after...well......" He didn't know why he had started explaining. It just got him thinking about his wife again, which just made him sad. He turned away from Alice again, trying to hide a tear in his eye. He tried to get his mind off of what had happened.

Alice listened quietly as he spoke, and remained quiet once he stopped speaking and looked the other way. It seemed she certainly had asked the wrong question, but she still wasn't so sure why it upset him so. He liked the music and the job, but apparently something about it upset him. She continued to gaze in his direction a little while longer, afraid to say or ask anything.

She sat there silently for some time. She felt like unnecessary company now. Quietly, she reached into her purse, pulling out a note pad and a pen. On the piece of paper, she wrote her number and discreetly slid it over in his direction, hoping not to disturb him. She hoped he would eventually notice the paper, if not, some stranger would probably end up prank calling her.

"I.. have to go, bye" she whispered as she quickly got up and made her way for the exit to the bar. She wanted to be long gone before he found the paper, she had never given a guy her number before. She could tell he was an interesting person despite barely talking to him. The gesture wasn't meant to be flirtatious, but she hoped he'd call.

The music no longer seemed to be playing. It was, but Luke didn't hear it. He didn't hear anything. He didn't see anything. All he saw and heard were things that had happened years ago. A few tears started to trickle down his face as the memories would not go away. He was reliving all the pain and heartache that he had gone through that day. He sensed movement next to him, but didn't really register what Alice was doing. He barely even knew when she was gone. He stared blankly at the stage.

After a while he cleared his head and looked down at the table. He saw the paper with the phone number. He placed it in his pocket. He then gathered his things and went home. He wanted to blame Alice for how he felt, but knew he couldn't. She had no idea what she had brought up and had not done it on purpose. that didn't matter though. He still couldn't get the images out of his head. He went to bed and had horrible dreams, reliving that day over and over.

In the morning he called the station and told them he couldn't work that day. He arranged someone to replace him on the show for the day. He then spent a large part of that day at the cemetary. He knelt in front of his wife's gave, tears flowing from his eyes as he told her how much he missed her.

Alice enjoyed the rest of her evening. Jade had gone out with friends, and it was evident that she was not going to be home that night, at least not until the very early hours of the morning. That made no difference to Alice, she'd be asleep and her door would be locked. She did her evening rituals, such as cleaning the house, Jade never seemed to bother to do so, and Alice didn't feel at home unless everything was where it was intended to be at the end of the day.

She fixed herself some comfort food and sat down watching movies all night. This was her ideal night, although she didn't deny wishing she had someone to spend the evenings with. And she couldn't shake her feeling of guilt after upsetting Luke earlier. A little part of her wished he had called. If she had his number, she would have called him to apologize.

The rest of her evening went as smooth. She got a peaceful night of sleep, she didn't even hear Jade stumbling in at 5AM. She got up early the next day to go to a park where she planned to spend the entire afternoon painting.

She sat herself down in the center of a field. She laid down a sheet and set up her tools before pulling out a large white canvas and laying it onto the ground. There were a few families, couples, and individuals with their dogs out that day. The sky was bright and there was not a cloud in the sky, it was perfect.

Luke spent the entire morning at the cemetary. It was a nice day, but he would have been there even if it had been raining heavily. He only took a break once at around noon to go get some food. He passed through a park, not caring who saw the tears in his eyes. He made it to a fast food place on the other side. He got food and ate quickly before leaving. He started to cross the park once more so he could get to the cemetary. He didn't look at anyone there, he was lost in his own world.

Alice was busy painting. Most would assume she was doing a scenery painting, but she was doing an abstract painting. It was full of eclectic swirls with flowers and vines strategically hidden within them. She was unaware of Luke walking past her to go to lunch. The man's back was to her, and she was stuck in a deep spell of concentration and thought.

"Gosh that was a stupid move.." she thought to herself as she painted away. She was still feeling embarrassed about giving him her number. Her intentions were not flirtatious, and the fact that he hadn't called made her feel even worse. "He must think I was trying to hook up with him or something..."

A sigh came from her lips as she sat back, letting the canvas drop onto her blanket. She rubbed her eyes and stretched before glancing around the park. Her vision was blurry for a bit from having her eyes glued to her painting which was only inches away from her face. But soon a blurry figure walked along a trail in the distance came clear. It was Luke. Her jaw dropped slightly. This was the third day in a row she had ran into him. She held her canvas up peaking at him, but hiding herself. Her eyes watched him closely as he approached her. As he got close, she noticed something about him, he was crying. Why was he crying? What happened to him? She became concerned and curious.

She frowned slightly as she watched him pass. Here she was wondering why he hadn't called her but apparently he had more important issues at hand. As their distance grew longer, she decided to confront him. Perhaps if he needed to rant or just needed someone to talk to, maybe a stranger would be the right person.

Quickly, she started to throw her materials into her tool case. She put her painting in her portfolio case, and rolled up her blanket. She scooped up her things, struggling to hold onto them and began to follow him. "Hey!" she called out as she went from a quick walk to a sprint, "Hey!" she got louder.

Unfortunately, she hadn't effectively sealed her tool case. She fell to her knees as her case flew open, sending sketching pencils, charcoal, paint brushes, paint and other necessary tools of her trade went dropping to the ground, startling and tripping her.

Luke was surprised to hear someone yelling. The first time he ignored it, assuming they were not talking to him. Even if they were, he really didn't feel like talking to anyone. When they called out louder and closer he felt they were trying to get his attention. He simply ignored them, hoping they would think he was not who they thought he was.

He was content with ignoring them before he heard something happen behind him. It sounded like stuff falling to the ground and then a person following it all. He stopped and turned, wiping the tears from his eyes. He was surprised to see Alice there. He went over to her and leaned down, extending a hand to help her up. "Are you ok? I hope you are not hurt at all." He took a good look at her, trying to make sure she was not injured.

Alice was on her hands and knees when it became apparent that her efforts to gain his attention hadn't failed her. She looked up and saw Luke coming her way. She fell back onto her bum and wiped her knees and then rubbed her hands. Her hands were a bit scraped from catching her fall, but she didn't want to make a big deal over it, "Yeah, I'm okay" she said with a nervous laugh. She had made a fool of herself in front of Luke, she hoped she didn't look like a desperate fan.

Alice pulled herself back onto her knees and quickly began gathering up her materials and tools. "I-- I'm sorry for that.." she mumbled softly. She didn't want to admit to chasing him down. She looked up at him in the eyes, "I-- I think I'm fine. I got it, you.. uh.." she started to talk, but stopped. She didn't want to speak of him crying. She didn't want to pry anymore.

Once her case was properly shut, she stood up once more and filled her arms with her things, "Thank you though" she said softly with pink cheeks.

Luke watched as Alice knelt and picked up her things. He was glad she was ok. He would have felt bad for ignoring her since that was probably why she had tripped. He was still wondering why she had called out to him. Once she got up he looked at her carefully. She seemed to be wondering something, but he didn't know what. He couldn't think of anything until he realised she might have seen him crying. That was probably what she was wondering about.

He sighed. "I'm glad you're ok. Now, I am guessing you called out to me because you were wondering about the tears. Well, I guess I should tell you since it explains last night as well." He paused, questioning himself in his decision to tell her, but after a moment he continued. "I'm....I'm a widower. I lost my wife. I am here today visiting her grave. Sometimes I just need to spend time here letting my emotions out so they don't build up inside and break me down. Anyway, I need to go." He turned away from her and started to move toward the cemetary again. At least now she understood what was going on with him.

Alice sat there with her hands full, watching him as he walked off. "Um.. uh..." she mumbled as he left her there. She felt she should have said something, but she was unsure of what to say and it seemed he wouldn't have even cared. It was clear he was not in a good mood, and nothing she could do could fix that.. She let out a soft sigh and watched until he was out of sight.

Alice had half hoped the man wanted some company. She disliked leaving someone who was feeling so down, on their own. With her things in her hands still, she decided to make her way to her car. The distance wasn't far. When she got to her car, she placed everything in the trunk. She was about to get in and head home when her eyes headed in the direction that Luke had walked. She sighed at the thought of going to check on him, she was almost certain he wouldn't want her company, and he may even become irritated at her persistence. But she truly did not like the idea of leaving someone alone when they were in such a sensitive state.

She shut the door to her care, looked around as if there would be strangers there who knew what she was up to, and then made her way to the trail that led to the cemetary.

The walk wasn't long. She soon found herself at one end of the trail that connected the park and the cemetary. The place was quite large, possibly even larger than the park. Her eyes scanned the area in an attempt to spot Luke.

"Why am I doing this again?" she mumbled to herself, "I barely know the guy... I'm just going to piss him off..." She hugged her arms to herself as a cool breeze ran through. The area was much more quieter than the park. The only sounds in the place were the chirping of birds and the rustle of the trees in the wind.

Luke walked back to his wife's grave and knelt in front of it again. Once again tears trickled down his face as he started to speak with her. He let out his emotions and his troubles. He knew that he would be feeling much better the next day after doing this. It was a good cleansing experience. He didn't hear anyone moving behind him. His senses were not really working. He found himself telling his wife how he felt like joining her, that there was nothing as good as her on earth and that he may as well go be with her where she was. There was part of him that felt that, but he would never kill himself. He knew that she would not want him to do that.

Alice crept through the quiet cemetary until she heard the quiet confessions of a voice in the distance. It sounded distraught and rather depressed. Alice knew it was Luke. She followed the voice. Soon she found him sitting next to a grave, speaking words that gave her butterflies to hear. She had never heard someone speak such words, and she wished she could help him. Alice always thrived to look on the bright side of life and she felt everyone else should as well.

She sat down behind a tree so that she was out of view, but close enough to listen. Her knees were pulled up to her chest so that she was in a ball, as if it were going to hide her even more.

Soon, she heard him talking about joining his wife. He'd be happier and it'd be easier. But to do that... he'd have to kill himself. Alice's jaw dropped slowly. She didn't like hearing this one bit. Was it her obligation to step in? She would never know, but once she heard him saying such things, she blurted out, "Don't talk like that!"

She gasped, placed her hands on her mouth and closed her eyes. Hopefully he didn't hear her, but in this silent place, there was probably no missing it.

Luke was completely surprised when he heard a female voice yelling out for him not to talk like that. He spun around to see Alice there. He had no idea why she was there. He had thought she had left. He wasn't sure why she had returned. He looked at her carefully. She was covering her mouth. He sighed. "So you're telling me you've never once considered ending it all? I must say I have thought about it on occasion, but I am not suicidal. She would not want me to kill myself just to join her, so I never will. Now, why did you come back and sneak up on me? I'm starting to wonder who you are and why you seem to be everywhere I am these days."

Alice laughed nervously. He had caught her and she was guilty. "I really don't know how to explain it" she said with pink cheeks. She clasped her hands together in front of her and looked his way, "I haven't been following you honest!" she quickly said. She bit her lip and then corrected herself, "I-I mean, I was following you.. but just this once! I swear! You just seemed very sad and I wanted to make sure you were okay... but then you started talking, and the things you said..."

She glared at him in the eyes, her tone becoming serious, "Don't you ever talk in such a way. I don't care if I don't know. You are the world to someone, you may not know who, you may not know them yet, but you are, and by killing yourself, you're ruining their life as well. "

Alice took a deep breath and looked away. Preparing for the anger she was sure to hear after talking to him like that. It was none of her business. This was out of character for her, but she felt she needed to take a stand just this once.

Luke frowned and stared at the strange woman. He listened as she first tried to claim she wasn't following him, the said she was, but only this one time. She claimed she just wanted to make sure he was ok, but she had snuck up on him. Why had she not announced herself? It felt like she was spying on him.

He was surprised when she started to lecture him on the way he was talking. He raised his eyebrows at her. When she stopped he cleared his throat. "As I already said, I do not intend to kill myself. My wife would have never wanted me to do that, even if it was to join her. As for me being the world to someone, I already was. I met the love of my life and married her. She is dead now, gone, and I'm left all alone with no one. Me not being around wouldn't ruin anyone's life, except maybe anyone that makes money off of my work. However, you are right, and I should not talk in that way. It is just hard not to sometimes." He sighed and stared at the ground. He didn't know what to say.

"Fine then. I'll leave" she said. She didn't believe him though. He was still young, clearly had a lot going for him, so many girls went for him he was bound to find a nice one.

She turned away from him, first her gaze, then her body. Without saying anything else, she started to walk away. This guy obviously did not want to get to know anyone, or at the very least, her. She cursed herself for trying to show some compassion for a stranger. She had never done it before, or as openly to an individual, and the first time she tried it, she made a fool of herself.

She made her way down the trail back to the park where at the end was her car. By that time, the sun was starting to go down. "So much for that" she mumbled to herself.

(I see its your birthday. Happy Birthday! <3 )