"Bluebird? Can you shed any light on why the fuck Ryan Banks is calling you at three in the morning?" Jason hissed, half annoyed at being woken up, but excitement still laced in his voice.

"How am I supposed to know?" I grumbled, rubbing my eyes before snatching my phone from his grasp.

"Hello?"

"Hi Adrian. Did I wake you?"

"I'd be more worried about the fact you woke up Jase." I chuckled, glancing at my best friend who was fighting to stay awake in order to see just where this conversation would lead.

"Is he not a morning person?"

"The furthest from it."

"I'll keep that in mind." He laughed, and I heard the strum of a guitar through the phone.

"Anyway, I didn't just call for a chat. I randomly got inspiration for a song and for some reason I thought of you."

"Because I'm such an awesome musician and you feel obliged to hear my opinion over your songs?" I joked, surprised at how easy it was to banter with this guy I had only known for less than 24 hours. I was a naturally sarcastic, sassy bitch, and it was almost second nature to make jokes and comments that could come across slightly rude or self centred - even though that couldn't be further from the truth. But never to a stranger. I was usually quite shy around people I didn't know too well, so it was strange how comfortable I felt around him.

"Definitely. So, if you're not too tired, how would you feel about coming down to my studio to have a late night - or early morning - jam session?"

I thought about his offer. Sure we were practically strangers and this could be one hell of an awkward night. But something was telling me to go for it. That it would be worth it in the long run. That I'd regret not taking the chance to get to know the guy a little better.

"I mean, if you can handle my slight grumpiness then I'm down." I replied, slowly getting dressed with Jason's eyes glued to me.

"I'm sure I'll manage. I'll text you the address."

"Okay. See you later."

As soon as the call ended, I was bombarded with questions.

"What did he say?"

"Where are you going?"

"Can I come too?"

And most importantly,

"How did he get your number?"

That last one proved to be the most sensible question of the lot, since even I couldn't work out the answer to it. I settled for comfortable silence, not allowing myself to ponder on such irrelevant details.

"I'll see you later." I spoke, grabbing my keys.

"I won't wait up!" He teased, causing me to flip him off before closing the door.

~~~

It didn't take long for me to find Ryan's studio, and I was impressed with what I saw. It was massive - much bigger than any studio I had ever worked in.

I headed inside, greeted by the soft melody of an acoustic guitar, and a voice just as soft as the music humming along.

"Hey." I smiled, closing the door behind me.

"Nice to see you again kid. Take a seat." He offered, gesturing towards the chair beside him.

"So, you said you're working on a new song?" I began, not wanting to leave any moment where a possible awkward conversation could occur.

"Yeah, it's not finished yet and I'm pretty sure it's crap." He sighed, playing a random note on the most beautiful guitar I had ever laid eyes on.

"I like your guitar." I commented.

He smiled, running his hand over the green body. "Had it specially designed."

"Why green?" I questioned, finding it an unusual colour to have such a precious object in, albeit struggling to keep my eyes off of it. It was rather gorgeous.

"Green is my favourite colour." He simply stated.

"Any reason why that is?" I pushed.

"Green is the colour of peace and hope. It settles emotions and conflicts, creating peace between ones mind and heart. It's the colour of nature, a means of escape. It reflects personality and character. But most importantly, green makes me feel safe."

I stared in awe as he practically poured his heart out, wondering if that was him really opening up or if there was more to the boy than meets the eye.

"What does it say along the side?" I finally asked after taking in all that he said, noticing a line of writing running up the body side.

"My favourite quote - 'the earth has music for those who listen'."

"That's beautiful." I whispered, tracing my finger over each word.

"Can I hear the song now?" I requested, settling myself as he began to play.

Each lyric was like a slap to the face, memories of him lacing my mind. Maybe it was me who let him go, not the other way around.

As I listened to him pour his heart and soul into each word, I knew I had badly misjudged him. He sang with so much passion, something that only people who have experienced the pain they sing about can really muster. It might not have been much, but I already felt closer to him, connected on a spiritual level that not many people could understand. Maybe I didn't even fully understand it. All I knew was that his heart was bigger than his body, and I was convinced that heart had been through some unspeakable times. It was not, however, my place to ask. So I instead settled on a slow clap and words of praise.

"That was insane, Ryan. Stunning song."

"Thanks. I'm not usually that honest in my music."

"It brings a special tone to your voice. I like it."

I couldn't let him go now. I found myself wanting to get to know every small detail about him, from which season he liked best to his favourite TV show host. I wanted to get to know his heart, hoping it was similar to mine. But it was all too much too fast, so I just carried on conversation.

And as soon as he looked towards me with those breathtaking brown orbs, I knew I was screwed.