Lullaby (A Chase Coy Love Story)

"GET OUT!" My dad screamed as I ran out of the house. Of course, I was happy to leave.

My dad and I have never really gotten along. We're polar opposites. I'm a Democrat, he's a Republican. I'm right brained (more artsy, random, 'whole picture' kind of thought process) and he's totally left brained (scholar, rational, taking each problem one step at a time kind of thinking). So, of course, we're in a fight at the moment.

What was the fight about? My curfew. I'm an insomniac, so I roam the town at night and sleep all day, basically. Ninety percent of the nights, my dad gets home at 3 a.m. from the University he teaches at. But today, we was back at midnight, 2 hours before I got home. And of course, as soon as I walk in the house, the screaming begins. This is the 4th time he's told me to 'get out' this week, and it's only Wednesday. I hopped in my car and drove to the recording studio my mom works at.

My parents were never really together. He got her pregnant their senior year of high school. My mother, who doesn't believe in marriage and regretted ever even talking to my dad, told my father that she could take care of me on her own. My dad thought the two of them were soul mates, so they worked out this custody thing where I spend the week days at dad's and weekend and vacation at mom's.

I pulled up to the studio and parked next to her pickup. I loved my mom. She was totally like me. We both loved music, lived on coffee and did spontaneous things. The red light above the door of the recording room was off, so I quietly pushed the door open to see my mom hunched over a pile of papers. "Hey mom." She turned and smiled. "Hey hun. Another fight with your dad?" I dropped my bag and sat on the couch, nodding. She sighed and said, "I'm sorry. Things will be better soon." "I hope so." She stood up and poured two cups of coffee and said, handing one to me, "I'm sorry but I can't talk for too long. I have a client coming in." I took a sip of my mostly-cream-and-sugar-with-a-hint-of-coffee mixture and said, "Who?" She shook her head and said, "You don't know him. He's a newbie." I smiled and said, "Is he cute?" She shrugged. "He's okay." I nodded and took another sip when someone knocked on the door. "It's open!" Mom yelled. "Hey, is everything set?" I turned to see the most gorgeous boy I've ever seen carrying a guitar case. He had brown skater-boy hair, was wearing jeans with holes in the knees and a shirt with a guitar pick on it. I smiled and mom said, "Yup. The mic is all set up. You can go right in." He smiled and walked into the recording room. When the door closed, I said, "Is that the new client?!" Mom nodded and smiled, taking a sip of coffee. "He is better than 'okay'! He's hot! He's... he's..." I looked up to see him taking his guitar out of it's case, smiling and blushing. I looked at my mom, who was trying to hold back a laugh and I said, "Oh my god, can he hear me?" "Yes, I can." I looked back at him to see him smiling at me. I blushed and said, "Okay, well I'm just gonna go crawl under a rock now." This was my mom's breaking point. She let out a laugh and so did the new guy. "Okay Chase, let's try it from the top." Mom put her coffee down and adjusted a few knobs on the sound board. He sat on the stool that was set up in front of two microphones; one reached his face and the other was at the height of the guitar. "Any time?" He said. Mom nodded and he started to play a few chords, then he started to sing;

This summer is coming to a close
And I'm starting to figure out
That I cannot live without you
Ooh, I hope you're thinking of me
'Cause all the stars above me sing your name
I'll never be the same again...

My mouth dropped as he continued singing. His voice was amazing. It was so soft and it just flowed out. When he finished singing, my mom did a thumbs up and he came out. He looekd at me and smiled, saying, "I'm guessing you liked it?" I blushed and said, "It was amazing." He smiled and my mom said, "Well, I'm gonna go get... something... from the gas station... either of you want anything?" I sighed. This was SO like my mom. She obviously wanted this guy, did she say his name was Chase?, and I to get to know each other better. Not that I mind or anything...