I'm a real girl

“Ooh, have you got a new role up your sleeve?” Renee questioned, grin still on her face. As much as she personally knew all about the struggles in the limelight she had no idea about how large a scale Lilura’s current schedule was but the mention of the real life thing gave her a hint in the slightest. “Oh, are you kidding? Think I can stand it? Lilura, is that even a real question?” A laugh rolled off her lips as Renee rolled her eyes playfully at the other girl. “Rockford already got 10 times better and that’s because you’re here. Now, surely if you’re not doing anything we can go get a coffee or an ice-cream or something now? Without all the glaring faces and people trying to shove cameras in our faces?” Renee suggested, not willing to say goodbye just yet.

“I do indeed. Nothing nearly as long of a commitment as before but it could turn into it. I’m trying things out. In fact I was thinking of trying theater at some point,” she explained with a smile of her own. It was nice to finally have someone to speak to about it. “Not really a real question but I wanted to hear you say it,” Lilura answered teasingly. “See that’s the kind of adoration I want in my life. The real stuff. And it got 10 times better for me as well in case you were wondering! I can’t wait to have all the time in the world for us to just do normal things! And we can start with whichever you prefer,” she concluded as she placed her guitar back into its case and slung the bag over her shoulder. “Shall we my darling?”

Gerald was his neighbor’s dog, but Otto was always the one to take him out to get some exercise since he didn’t get out much. He was letting the dog lead him around like usual, not paying attention to much until he was spoken to. “No need to stay quiet. I don’t mind, but Gerald here hates Wonder Wall. Just a heads up. You take requests?”

“Well Gerald is a good boy with good taste,” Lilura answered attempting to keep her voice from going full baby toned as she saw the adorable dog. “I take requests but first I have to know who is requesting! Which one of you is it going to be?”

Zoey motioned as if she was zipping her lips, only to unzip them a second after to speak. “No no no, not a journalist. All incriminating stories stay here between us,” she promised, fanning the cards out for the brunette. “Do you want to do a quick scan of the questions? I’ll give you…maybe two cards to toss out outside of your three vetoes.”

“Oh no we can keep all cards in play! I was just messing with you a little bit. Your word is more than enough for me,” Lilura assured with a bright smile still on her face. "I may have been gone for awhile but I can’t be too jaded with the people of Rockford in general let alone someone as sweet as you! Now let’s see those cards,” she confirmed as she reached out to grab one for the first question. “Okay! What is your go-to song for the shower? I’m genuinely curious to hear this one!“

Roisin grinned, settling in for what felt like her own private concert. Sure a couple people passed them but she was the only one that had taken a seat to watch and listen. She smiled as she listened, clapping when the song was over. “That was wonderful dearie. So do you do this professionally or just in the park when the mood hits you?” She still couldn’t place where she had seen her before but she really didn’t care. Thinking about it, she shrugged. “Whatever you feel like playing is fine by me.”

The feeling of excitement bubbled up as the performance felt much more precious to her than the usual ones she was accustomed too. It made her heart soar to hear the light clapping and she beamed at the woman. “Thanks very much! Thus far I’ve kept this skill for myself and have mostly just started the park thing but it is nicer to be out in the open,” Lilura replied still smiling. “Let me first say I’m Lilura and I’m pleased to meet you,” she tacked on as she leaned forward to reach for the other woman’s hand.

“OKAY so, the name of the game is truth or drink. We’ll take turns asking each other questions and you can either choose to answer or take one of these mystery shots here,” her hand gestures to the round of shots placed between them, Vanna White style. “But, you can only skip three questions total. So be careful about what you pick.” Zoey gently pushed the stack of questions towards them. “You can even ask the first question.”

“I might have said I was up for a game before but now I’m pretty much required to ask, have you gone journalist on me,” Lilura prompted with a teasing smile. “You know this kind of information can be easily used against me and I have a reputation to uphold. Even if you aren’t a journalist I suppose you could be selling the information to them and I just think these stakes are far higher for me than they are for you, my dear!”

“It’s good to see you too!” There was excitement ringing in her voice as she wrapped Lilura up in a hug. Another familiar face in one full of strangers almost made Rockford feel just that more a little bit like home. Or so, that’s what it was now. “And to think all this time I thought I wouldn’t ever bump into a face I knew here.” She let out a laugh as she let go of the other woman and glanced down at her guitar. “You’re still playing, I see.” A smile crossed her lips before Renee shrugged. “I’ve been good! I can’t believe it’s almost been 5 months since Kane and I moved here but it’s great. And now that you’re here? Even better. Now, please tell me you’re here to stay a while and this isn’t going to be one of those once in a lifetime opportunities to bump into Lily Lorente in the middle of a random park.” She joked, waving a hand in the air with fake added flare at her stage name.

“Sometimes playing is the only thing that keeps me grounded,” Lilura answered knowing Renee would understand the need for that. The mention of Kane was expected but still made her tense up slightly. She didn’t really care for him but it was hard to feel that way when Renee seemed happy to be with him. Lilura didn’t have many friends but Renee was one of the few and extremely important to her. The dramatic mention of her stage name prompted a fake gag from her and distracted her from thoughts of Kane. “No once in a lifetime opportunities today. I’ve moved back home to stay until further notice. I’m working out of Chicago now and just trying to see what this whole real life thing is all about. Think you can stand having me around for extended periods of time for once? I have to tell you it’s Lilura or nothing though. Lily doesn’t exist in Rockford.”

Roisin knew she spent way too much time at work and at home but she really couldn’t help it. They were in the same building. Her resolution for the new year had been to get out more though so she forced herself to go for a walk at least once a week no matter the weather. Walking through the park, she paused when she heard the music before following it. Spotting the woman playing guitar, she took a seat so she could listen, frowning a bit when she stopped. “Don’t stop on my account dearie. I was actually enjoying that.” She looked familiar but she couldn’t say from where.

Seeing the the woman had taken a seat was comforting and when she spoke up Lilura was only too pleased to hear it. She let her fingers glide across the strings on their own accord as she started back on the familiar song. “I certainly can’t refuse,” Lilura replied softly as she let the music fall over her once more. The comfort she felt performing led her through the entire song and then she glanced up to the woman with a smile. “Any requests for the next one?”

“Well for just a hobby you are really good.” He said laughing. “Oh yeah I know exactly what you are talking about. It’s like being bothered is kind of something that happens daily.”

The additional compliment had her ducking her head down for a moment as she felt a slight heat in her cheeks. It didn’t last long though because her curiosity won out. “Oh yeah? Are you about to tell me a story about how all the girls just can’t get enough of you,” she prompted holding back a smile as she joked with him. “Seriously though, what do you do that makes it happen so often?”

“Oh no, you’re fine,” Colin nodded, breath heavy from the run he’d been on. “You can play as loud as you’d like, sounded good,” he gave another nod, settling into the grass. “You play here often?” He found himself asking, beginning to stretch out.

“Well thank you very much! I used to play here pretty often but this in the first time in awhile,” Lilura replied as her fingertips strummed at the strings lightly. “I’m trying to get back into it being a bit more habitual though. And do you run here often,” she inquired with a silly smile before letting the guitar rest on her lap and reaching over into her bag. “Water,” she offered as she held out an extra bottle after pulling out one for herself.

“No, no need. Play as loud as you want. It was sounding nice,” Rhett offered a smile. “I just came here to read and music never bothers me.”

“Thank you! But now I have to know what you’re reading because I’m thinking I could probably play the perfect background music.”

“Lilura Lorente?” Renee had been out on her own, strolling through the local park as she waited for a friend to arrive when the singing had caught her attention. It was a voice so familiar yet she couldn’t quite put her finger on it until she’d followed the path of it and eventually saw the other girl sitting by the bushes. “Now, this is a sight for sore eyes. You almost had me convinced that I’d actually found a doppelganger. What the heck are you doing in Rockford?” A smile lit up her face, unsure of when the last time she’d actually seen the other woman in person had been.

The call of her name almost caused her to freeze in place but it only took a moment for her to realize that the voice was familiar and her full name had actually been used. “Renee,” Lilura called back excitedly as she moved to place the guitar back into the case at her side. She was up and moving towards her as the other spoke. “Did I never mention I grew up here? Well that’s my bad,” she replied as she bounded over to Renee for a hug. “And I know you said you were moving near Chicago but what are the odds you picked my hometown! Come here it’s so good to see you. Tell me how you’ve been!”

After signing the deal for the Chicago Cubs, being anywhere near Chicago was hard. Anytime Bryce walked out the door someone stopped him, to sign their jersey, or take a picture. So living in Rockford was great, because yeah a lot of people cheered for the Cubs the amount of fanatics weren’t as high in Rockford, or they just didn’t care. So taking a stroll through the park was awesome because he didn’t have to bother about the media, or fans. Noticing someone playing the guitar, he came to a full stop and listened. “Oh my bad, you are really good” he said looking at her smiling. “Didn’t mean to bother you.”

Seeing as he spoke without the usual addressing of knowing who she was Lilura felt far more at ease. “Thank you. It’s just a hobby but I do love it. And for the record you aren’t bothering me at all,” Lilura assured as she beamed. “Honestly it’s hard to bother me. I’m used to dealing with a lot of bothering. It could even be considered a job in some ways,” she admitted after a moment of thought.