Night Moves

[Cougar Farmer R7]

"I was a little too tall, could've used a few pounds. Tight pants points hardly reknown. She was a black haired beauty with big dark eyes, and points all her own sitting way up high, way up firm and high," Cougar sang out the opening lines to Bob Seger's Night Moves. He was gently rocking on a bench in London Park with his old Washburn acoustic guitar in the deep, cool, night, physically, but mentally he was in a musical Ecstasy. He had his guitar case open in front of him inviting loose change and small bills to it's soft velvety lining. It had somewhere around $30 in it. It wasn't like Cougar was broke or anything it's just that he liked the experience of playing music for anyone who came by. He let his long blond hair hang loose, but kept it behind his shoulders so it wouldn't interfere with his playing. The G, G G, G G, G F, C C, C C, C C, C F, G G, G G chord progression was controlling his life at that moment because at that moment his life was rocking gently as the sweet music wrote down his life.

"Workin' on our night moves, trying' to make some front page drive-in news. workin' on our night moves. In the summertime, in the sweet summertime." Cougar continued the chorus. Cougar could feel the music touching him inside. Cougar was glad they didn't make GPA (Guitar Player's Anonymous) because he would definitely be in it. But that was the beauty of it. It was worse than alcohol or drugs in that it was so inviting, and when Cougar was in the music that's where he dwelt until the last note rang out and he finally let out a long drawn out breath satisfied at the success of the song. Then, the trance that was laid upon Cougar was broken. He wasn't much of a stage performer though. Because he didn't play to or for the crowd. If the crowd liked it it was great, an added bonus, but if they didn't he didn't care because he played for himself. He never did much moving around or jumping around like the rock-stars of the day, he usually just got a stool and sat and played well after his set was over he would still be playing.

On this sweet, calm night, Cougar was going to play his heart out.

[Maryn Livley]

"Aren't you gonna ask where I've been?" Mercy asked hands of her hips entering their bedroom. Maryn shook her head reading her books about water creatures. She looked up and eyes her eleven year old sister over. Mercy was wearing a short, tight black dress, gold jewelry, and black pumps." Maryn shook her head looking back to her book. "Nope." She said sighing still looking into her book and pretending to read, but not actually reading a word. "The fact that mum and dad even let you out of the house like that amazes me. As you've told me many times," Maryn looked her sister in the eye. "I'm not your baby sitter." A slight mean streak was detected in her voice. Maryn then looked back to her book and shook her head. "I barely know who you are anymore Mercy." She said eying her sister again. Maryn knew her words were cruel, but how else was she supposed to get to her young sister. Mercy walked closer to Maryn's bed. "Is that how you really feel?" She asked seriously. Maryn closed her book and looked to her older sister. A painful expression was seen in her eyes. "Is that how you really feel?" She asked with tears nearly forming in her eyes. But, Maryn didn't cave. "Yes."

After Maryn's cruel words to Mercy, she couldn't stand to stay in the house. She didn't really mean what she said, but tough love seemed like the only thing that would work. Maryn shook her red pig tales as she walked through the London Park. Maryn lived in Liverpool, but every now and then she took the Floo to London. She liked to see her old house and she loved visiting the park. She loved seeing all the many people. She loved looking around and just enjoying everything. Maryn's life had been weird lately. She knew that she couldn't calm Kia who had just lost her father and her sister was in coma. No, Kia wanted to face it alone it seemed. And Nate was so concentrated on leaving the recovery center that he didn't want visitors. Maryn was left taking care of Mercy, who wasn't the same, and Tommy, who was crazier than ever while her parents worked in their books stores. Maryn needed this. She needed this time to herself. Just then, Maryn noticed a boy playing his guitar and singing his heart out. As she walked closer, she realized who it was. A smile formed on her face. She waited until his song ended. "Cougar Farmer, it has been forever." She said brightly. "Wow, I didn't even knew you played." She said pointing to his guitar. "I'm learning how now, teaching myself actually. I needed a new hobby since I quite ballet and softball." She said thinking back for a moment. "So, what's been up with you?"

[Cougar Farmer R7]

Cougar exhaled. He exhaled al the tension that he had been storing up since the last time he played. He let out all his emotions and pent up and and jealousy and all that would slow him down. He let it all out with a song and a breath. He sat there with his eyes closed a few minutes before, he was out of breath again. This time it wasn't from therapeutic techniques, but from a familiar voice that was near him. He jumped a little and looked up to see a very old friend, Maryn Lively. He smiled. "Well, you know how it is just trying to get by... And you, how have YOU been? You play a little? Well you know," Cougar added with a nod towards the back of the bench, "I have another one with me. It'd be nice to have a duet." Cougar added with a smile.

This whole time Cougar never stopped playing, he merely fingered the different scales and ran through them, more from habit and memory than him actually meaning to. "So I haven't seen you around as much. Where'd ya move to? You've changed a little as well." Cougar added trying to keep the conversation going. "By the way do you like my hair?" Cougar added, swishing his head so his long blonde hair fell out into clear view. He eagerly awaited her reply. One, for the duet. Two, for the hair.

[Maryn Livley]

She laughed nodding. "Hmm, I've been okay I guess. Life is a weird thing, you know?" She asked sighing and sifting a bit as she stood. She didn't feel like dumping all of her thoughts out on the poor boy, no not now. But, Maryn did need someone that she could talk to. Usually, that someone was Kia, but Kia was in a bad place. Her father had just died and her sister was in icoma. No, she didn't need to be bothered with Maryn's problems at all. In fact, Kia just needed her space. Maryn didn't really have many other friends now a days. Rosaliz was barely around. Actually, Maryn hadn't talked to her in about a year. A year? When Maryn thought about it, it had been nearly a year since one of her bestfriends died. Leon died the summer before. Maryn was pretty much over it, but she had distanced herself from Flo and May through the grieving process. Things were just easier that way she guessed. Well, atleast they were for her. Maryn couldn't bare tell them that she as nearly over Leon's death, because she was sure that they wouldn't feel the same. Leon was Flo's very best-friend and May's brother. They couldn't be over his death, but Maryn was moving on. She really was. That girl a year before, she seemed like she was from a different life. She was a different girl.

Maryn shook her head as Cougar talked about a duet. "Oh, no, no no." She said smiling a bit. "I just got my guitar a few weeks ago and basically all I've been doing is staring at it." She said laughing. "Well, you know. Things got in the way to keep me from playing it. Friends stuff, family stuff, life stuff." She said sighing. Maryn shrugged her shoulders a a bit. "I've been around, just kind of busy I guess. Well, I've lived in Liverpool for years, I just spend so much time in London that people think I still live here." She said smiling. "Just not lately is all." The Livley Family moved from London to Liverpool when Maryn turned seven. She missed London, yes, but Liverpool wasn't so bad. "I've change?" She asked looking at her more red hair. "I bit, really my hair has always been red, I just used to cover it up with dye." She smiled. "Now I don't. Just don't care too much anymore." She said shrugging. Maryn laughed at Cougar. "I love the blonde." She said smiling. "It's very Cougar Farmer." She joked not making any since at all. "So, what song shall you play next?" She asked.

[Cougar Farmer R7]

Cougar sat and stared at Maryn. He couldn't get over how long it had been. Cougar thought that the last time he remembered being with her was when the whole drama in the Hogwarts Express had been with the Slytherin girl. Cougar couldn't remember her name. But he relished that they had a chance to catch up now. He sat playing through scales as he listened to her talk, and thought as he went of things he would ask and things that he would learn. He wondered how much had happened to her since he last saw her.

"You say life is strange... I thought that that was kinda a gimme," Cougar said with a smile. "So how have things been so wierd with you since I last saw you?" Cougar was anxious to hear this tale be told. Knowing Maryn, there was no telling what could've happened, but, then again, there could have been nothing major happen. It was hard for Cougar to make up his mind which it could be. Maryn was very un-predictable.

"Oh," Cougar expressed after Maryn had told him how busy she had been. He knew now that something HAD been going on and maybe still could be. "So, just staring at it, huh? You know that there is a muscician over here who can never have too many instruments," Cougar said with a drawn out tone, trying to make a smile appear upon her face. "Anyway. So, feel free not to answer, but what exactly has kept the normally playful and good-natured, one and only, Maryn so busy?" Cougar asked hoping to find a answer in return she had gotten him curious. After her telling him about moving he knew some of the answer, but Cougar didn't really feel like that was all of it. He could be wrong, but he had a hunch.

"Yeah, well I think the red suits you. I like it." Cougar added, referring to Maryn's hair "I wasn't talking so much of the blonde as the length. It's always been blonde, silly." Cougar reminded her as if it had been so long she forgot what it looked like. "But, however, it was decisively shorter." Cougar added.

"Um... Play next? Um... I dunno. Any requests?" Cougar asked with a smile looking up at her. He was anxious to she what Maryn Lively had on her mind.