Our awakening, on the other hand, was not so beautiful.

"Ethan. Ethan, get up. ETHAN!"

Archer shook me so violently I thought I was either going to roll off the roof or puke. Probably both at the same time had he not stopped. "Whathgfhgn?" I mumbled eloquently.

"It's five in the morning. We have to go-- you have to get up in half an hour!"

I put my hands over my eyes. My digestive system felt like it was jump roping and my head was aflame. "I am up. Let me sleep."

"No, you can't. Get up or I'll steam roll you off this fucking roof."

Reluctantly, I trudged behind Archer, who lead me through the back ways of the hotel to get to my room in the most discreet way possible. I crept through the door of the suite, being careful not to make any sound at all, even tiptoeing around Eric's bed. Then I ran into the bathroom and heaved chunks.

As soon as I flopped onto the bed belly-first, I felt the urge to puke again, because Eric was standing in the doorway.

"What happened now? Your grandma alright?"

I really didn't have the brain power to fabricate another lie. I couldn't sell a story on the spot to save my life. I was no Archer.

I let out a huge groan and closed my eyes. "Eric, please, cut me some slack. I made some friends who like to stay out late. Please, please, please don't rat me out." I sounded pathetic, but it was my only choice at this point. I was desperate not to have my parents find out, or worse- Jessica. Eric was quiet, so I continued. "There is no way I'm going to be able to go to the Word today. I feel disgusting and tired and... I just can't do it."

I curled up on the bed, holding my stomach and holding out for an answer from introvert extraordinaire. It seemed like hours that I laid there, wanting to wail in agony and set Eric on fire at the same time. Finally, he answered. "Okay." And with that, he went into the bathroom.

I was tempted to puke in his suitcase, but I fell asleep before I could follow through.

I woke up when the in-house nurse made a visit and loaded me up with over-the-counter medication, soda crackers, and carbonated water. She left within the hour, leaving me to the suite by myself.

So I fell back asleep.

I felt considerably better when I woke up, all that remained of my killer hangover was a cluster headache, a little nausea, and sullen eyes. I snacked on the crackers while evaluating my situation. It was almost 1:30 in the afternoon and all of the kids from the Word expected me to be sick in bed, so I could do anything I wanted.

Naturally, I called Archer.

After he was done working the kid's camp, he came over to my suite. "Hangover boy gets a day off," he scoffed. "You lucky fuck."

"No, definitely not lucky," I protested. "I felt like I was going to die this morning."

"It's the price you pay when you play Hatshepsut with me."

I noticed Archer didn't look much worse for the wear. Tired, but not beat up like me. "Why aren't you a sight for sore eyes?"


Archer laughed. "Please. I have such a high tolerance for alcohol, it's kind of stupid. But trust me, I did feel like you the first time I got wasted, so it's normal. Until you're a drinking champ like me, you have to suffer with the consequences."

I was worried about his drinking habits as much as it egged me on. "Well, then, I'll just have to become a drinking champ."

He laughed, showing all of his teeth, making me catch my breath for a second. He really was gorgeous. I just didn't like to remind myself of that fact. I felt like I should have been reserving the word gorgeous for girls. Still I couldn't ignore the fact that he was good looking.

"Come down to the hall with me today," said Archer. "Camp Amped got a nice piano put in for demonstrations this week. I wanna hear you play. Plus, I wanna sing with you again. Like last night." My stomach lurched at the thought of last night, but then I remembered he was thinking of our duet in the car. Scrutinizing our little rooftop cuddle session would have to wait until later. For now, I was going to enjoy the day.

We walked down to the hall where open mic was held every week. The Camp Amped teens were all off at lunch, so we had the room to ourselves. Every single utterance echoed off the walls. If anyone was in there, they'd be able to follow our conversation even if they were as far away as humanly possible.

On the stage was a glistening, black piano. Not at all like my plastic-covered, clackety keyboard. A legitimate, ivory-keyed, brass-pedaled beauty. I hadn't played one since my first recital when I was nine. I was actually a bit taken by the sight of it. I ran my hands over its top before plucking out a few scales. The keys felt like heaven under my fingertips, almost like there was an external force moving my fingers across the instrument and making my decent playing sound like an angelic chorus.

Archer took a seat beside me on the piano bench, giving me a smile. "I can tell you like it."

I nodded without looking up from the keys. "It's beautiful. Thank you so much for telling me about this."

"Well, there's a price you have to pay you know." I furrowed my brow. He chuckled. "You have to sing with me, you dolt!"

"Oh. Right." I stopped playing. "That's not really a price. It's more like an added bonus." I returned his grin, trying not to flash back to the previous night on the car roof, because I knew that if I did I'd want to run away in embarrassment. I wanted to savor the moment, every second, letting nothing escape through the cracks. In the grand scheme of things, we didn't have much more time together.

"So what do you want to sing?" Archer asked, snapping me back to the present.

"Well, uh, I don't know much on the piano by heart... so we have limited choices."


Archer leaned his elbow on the side of the piano, looking into my eyes. "What do you know?"

"Heart and Soul. Over the Rainbow. The beginning of Piano Man. Keep Holding On. Hello." I paused, trying to scrape up a few more for my repertoire. "And that's it."

Archer was quick to answer. "Well, if you're not sick of it, would you mind doing Hello? I think I know how to do the harmonies. Plus, you guys sang it like they do on Glee, which is how I know the song anyway."

"It's from Glee? Ah, geeze..." I scratched the back of my head ashamedly. "Jessica told me it was from a TV show but I really didn't listen to what it was from. That show is so... so... I don't know, girly?"

"Hush up, it's fantastic," Archer warned through a smirk, giving me a playful shove.

I smiled back. "I'll play it though. Don't think you're special, though. Relatives from near and far make the same request."

"Alright. I'm nothing special." Archer chuckled. His gaze, however, was somewhere far in the distance, as though he knew it was just the opposite. He was something special, he was Archer fucking Ferdinand.

The opening chords rang throughout the hall and resonated somewhere in my chest, stimulating the flow of blood throughout my body. I started to sing.

I've been alone with you inside my mind

And in my dreams, I've kissed your lips

A thousand times

The awkward lyrics prompted me to steal a peek at Archer as I continued singing. His eyes were closed, lips slightly parted. It distracted me. I stumbled into the next few lines.

I sometimes see you pass outside my door

Hello, is it me you're looking for?

Archer joined in. His pure voice contrasted greatly with Jessica's airy tone. I wasn't used to it at all. In fact, it sounded so much better than when I sang with Jessica that I felt more comfortable playing than ever. Our voices together were unstoppable. We pushed into the second verse, almost invincible.

I long to see the sunlight in your hair

And tell you time and time again

How much I care

Out of the corner of my eye, I knew Archer's gaze was on me, and that his expression was either one of awe or epiphany. I didn't understand why either one fit the situation.

I wonder where you are

And I wonder what you do

Are you somewhere feeling lonely

Or is someone loving you?

Our voices were intertwined like two twist ties coiling around one another. I put forth every ounce of emotion I could, not able to tell if I was trying to impress Archer, or because my subconscious was trying to tell me something. Something important.

Tell me how to win your heart

For I haven't got a clue

I was getting teary-eyed. I had never been this emotional while singing. Maybe it was because Archer's full-bodied voice was stirring up a sentimental tsunami. Every gush of his voice seemed to reveal secrets and speak unsaid words, things he wanted to tell me. Me. Because I thought I knew, even though I really didn't know.

I didn't get it. I didn't get how much he wanted to let himself go, forget morals and ethics and just dive in without warning, to scratch and tear at me without discretion. But he wouldn't let himself.

Why can't he let go?

Why can't I let go?

But let me start by saying...

At the fermata I paused longer than necessary. Tears vibrated in my eyes. My heart was telling me something my mind couldn't grasp. It was something I never thought could happen to me. A thought I couldn't think, a line I couldn't cross, a word I couldn't say. I needed to let go of my phobia of risks, of touch-and-go situations, of uncertainty; I needed to make a change. A life-altering change.

I have to let go.

I love you.

The final notes finished themselves; I wasn't concerned with the song anymore.


We didn't talk. I touched his hands without looking at him. He lifted them up and cradled my face in his palms.

I knew exactly what was about to happen. The anticipation made my heart speed up.

I closed my eyes and let go.

He kissed me.

I kissed him.

Nothing in the world mattered.