Princess
Memories Don't Fade Quite as Much as We'd Like Them to
Arianna's POV
Climbing in the car with Rian, I was just tired and confused. It had been a long day, and I just wasn't feeling like myself. Also, I had to work on the project with Alex later, and it was making me nervous. Nervous? I don't even know. I can't think straight right now, and thinking about Alex isn't making it better.
But do I like him? I mean he's been nothing but nice to me. And please, that boy is drop-dead gorgeous. Not that it matters, he acts like I'm some random girl who has nothing special. Maybe that's what is so intriguing about him, I don't seem to affect him like I affect everyone else but Rian.
It doesn't matter though. I'm kind of interested to see who Rian's playing with today, it's probably some kids from his grade. Silly seniors. But as we pull into an unfamiliar driveway, I get a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. This place seems familiar, but I can't place it. Then I see it. The skunk hair. We're at Jack's house.
"Rian, I think I'll just stay in the car."
"Ari, are you kidding me? It's freezing for October. Come inside. It's been years, can't you two even be around each other for a few hours?"
"Ri, I don't think he'd want me there."
"On the contrary, he told me he wished you two could work out your problems."
"I don't know if I believe that. But fine. As soon as he makes it clear he doesn't want me there, I'm out. By the way, I'm meeting my friend Alex at the library at 5 to work on a project."
"Alex, Ari? Alex Gaskarth, the new kid?"
"Well yeah, Ri. But how do you know him?"
We got out of the car and started to head up Jack's driveway to his front door, lugging all of Rian's equipment.
"Well I'm playing with him today. He plays guitar and sings. According to Jack he's pretty good. I didn't know you two were friends."
"I don't really know if we're friends....."
"That's how you said it earlier though. That you were meeting your FRIEND Alex at the library."
Did I really? What the hell is going on with me right now? "Oh okay." I shut up as we reached Jack's front door. I gave him a nod and a half smile, and followed Ri through the door.
"Down in the basement guys."
Just like always. I'm convinced Jack lives in his basement. I help Ri get his drumset set up, and go to sit down, realizing I left all my stuff up in the car.
"Hey Ri, I just have to run to the car quick. I'll be back." He just nods, fiddling with a cymbal.
I jog up the stairs, turning when I got to the top to head back out. Instead of finding open space, however, I run into what amounts to a brick wall. I fall down on the soft carpet, unhurt but quite startled. I feel two tree-trunk like arms reach down and basically lift me back up.
"Hey Ari, I'm so sorry. You okay?"
"Yeah, Zack. Sorry I wasn't looking where I was going. Is your bass okay?" Who is this girl? It's like the old me is back. He awkwardly pats me on the back and steps around me. I continue out to the car, and see Alex enter the house as I'm out there. Gosh, what is this today? Grabbing my bag, I head back up to the house. Mrs. Barakat is in the kitchen, so I stop by to say hi to her. I miss her.
"Hey, Mrs.B!"
"Ari? Oh sweetheart hi!" She says hugging me, "I've missed having you around here."
"I've missed it too." And it's not a lie, I don't think.
"Well, not to be rude, but what brings you here today? Are you and Jack..."
"Mom?" Jack walks in.
"Oh hi darling. I was just catching up with Arianna here. What's up?"
"We were just starting, and I wanted to know if you had seen Arianna actually."
"Hey, Jack. I'll be down in a few minutes, I just wanna talk to your mom for a bit."
"Oh okay." He walks away, looking taken aback.
"He and I aren't really anything, it's just Rian is playing drums with them."
"Oh," her face falling a little bit, "I was kind of hoping you two would at least be friends again."
It breaks my heart. "Maybe we can."
"Okay, sweetie. Nice to talk to you, see you later."
I head downstairs. What just happened? It was like I was 12 and Jack and I were best friends again. But everything was different then. Especially me.
Jack's POV
Arianna. Back in my life. Well, sort of. I don't know if I'm ready for this or not. I've missed her, for sure. And I still don't know why she left me in the first place. No, we weren't dating, but we were best friends. For what seemed like forever. Then something changed. All she told me was that her mom was sick, but that she was going to be okay. And that was the last thing she said to me, besides all the insults over the years.
Shaking my head, I walk back downstairs. We've got music to play.
"So hey guys." I said, walking in to see everyone with their instruments set up.
"Hey Jack." is the collective response.
"I was thinking we could start with some covers. Say, Blink-182 sound good?"
"Hell yeah!" Said Alex.
Both Zack and Rian nodded, and I started the intro to "All the Small Things" , my personal favorite. It didn't take long until we were all super absorbed in the music. So absorbed in fact, that it took us almost to the end of the song to realize that Arianna had come downstairs and was singing along, playing the chords on the dusty piano in the corner that no one had played but her in this house.
When the song was over, we all just sort of turned and looked at her. She blushed and closed the lid. "Sorry guys. I was just remembering...." And she looked at me. She really looked at me. With a sad smile. "I'll go upstairs now. See you later."
"No, wait Arianna." It was Alex. Which really surprised me, considering that I thought he had said they hated each other.
She stopped short at the sound of his voice and turned around. "Yeah?" She said in a small voice. I thought I saw tears in her eyes.
"Do you wanna play with us?" What?
"Would you guys be okay with that?" She chokes out.
"Uhm, sure." Said Rian and Zack. It took me a little longer to respond however, I had to shake myself from too many memories. I still couldn't bring myself to talk, so I just nodded. We played for a good two hours, all our favorite bands.
Climbing in the car with Rian, I was just tired and confused. It had been a long day, and I just wasn't feeling like myself. Also, I had to work on the project with Alex later, and it was making me nervous. Nervous? I don't even know. I can't think straight right now, and thinking about Alex isn't making it better.
But do I like him? I mean he's been nothing but nice to me. And please, that boy is drop-dead gorgeous. Not that it matters, he acts like I'm some random girl who has nothing special. Maybe that's what is so intriguing about him, I don't seem to affect him like I affect everyone else but Rian.
It doesn't matter though. I'm kind of interested to see who Rian's playing with today, it's probably some kids from his grade. Silly seniors. But as we pull into an unfamiliar driveway, I get a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. This place seems familiar, but I can't place it. Then I see it. The skunk hair. We're at Jack's house.
"Rian, I think I'll just stay in the car."
"Ari, are you kidding me? It's freezing for October. Come inside. It's been years, can't you two even be around each other for a few hours?"
"Ri, I don't think he'd want me there."
"On the contrary, he told me he wished you two could work out your problems."
"I don't know if I believe that. But fine. As soon as he makes it clear he doesn't want me there, I'm out. By the way, I'm meeting my friend Alex at the library at 5 to work on a project."
"Alex, Ari? Alex Gaskarth, the new kid?"
"Well yeah, Ri. But how do you know him?"
We got out of the car and started to head up Jack's driveway to his front door, lugging all of Rian's equipment.
"Well I'm playing with him today. He plays guitar and sings. According to Jack he's pretty good. I didn't know you two were friends."
"I don't really know if we're friends....."
"That's how you said it earlier though. That you were meeting your FRIEND Alex at the library."
Did I really? What the hell is going on with me right now? "Oh okay." I shut up as we reached Jack's front door. I gave him a nod and a half smile, and followed Ri through the door.
"Down in the basement guys."
Just like always. I'm convinced Jack lives in his basement. I help Ri get his drumset set up, and go to sit down, realizing I left all my stuff up in the car.
"Hey Ri, I just have to run to the car quick. I'll be back." He just nods, fiddling with a cymbal.
I jog up the stairs, turning when I got to the top to head back out. Instead of finding open space, however, I run into what amounts to a brick wall. I fall down on the soft carpet, unhurt but quite startled. I feel two tree-trunk like arms reach down and basically lift me back up.
"Hey Ari, I'm so sorry. You okay?"
"Yeah, Zack. Sorry I wasn't looking where I was going. Is your bass okay?" Who is this girl? It's like the old me is back. He awkwardly pats me on the back and steps around me. I continue out to the car, and see Alex enter the house as I'm out there. Gosh, what is this today? Grabbing my bag, I head back up to the house. Mrs. Barakat is in the kitchen, so I stop by to say hi to her. I miss her.
"Hey, Mrs.B!"
"Ari? Oh sweetheart hi!" She says hugging me, "I've missed having you around here."
"I've missed it too." And it's not a lie, I don't think.
"Well, not to be rude, but what brings you here today? Are you and Jack..."
"Mom?" Jack walks in.
"Oh hi darling. I was just catching up with Arianna here. What's up?"
"We were just starting, and I wanted to know if you had seen Arianna actually."
"Hey, Jack. I'll be down in a few minutes, I just wanna talk to your mom for a bit."
"Oh okay." He walks away, looking taken aback.
"He and I aren't really anything, it's just Rian is playing drums with them."
"Oh," her face falling a little bit, "I was kind of hoping you two would at least be friends again."
It breaks my heart. "Maybe we can."
"Okay, sweetie. Nice to talk to you, see you later."
I head downstairs. What just happened? It was like I was 12 and Jack and I were best friends again. But everything was different then. Especially me.
Jack's POV
Arianna. Back in my life. Well, sort of. I don't know if I'm ready for this or not. I've missed her, for sure. And I still don't know why she left me in the first place. No, we weren't dating, but we were best friends. For what seemed like forever. Then something changed. All she told me was that her mom was sick, but that she was going to be okay. And that was the last thing she said to me, besides all the insults over the years.
Shaking my head, I walk back downstairs. We've got music to play.
"So hey guys." I said, walking in to see everyone with their instruments set up.
"Hey Jack." is the collective response.
"I was thinking we could start with some covers. Say, Blink-182 sound good?"
"Hell yeah!" Said Alex.
Both Zack and Rian nodded, and I started the intro to "All the Small Things" , my personal favorite. It didn't take long until we were all super absorbed in the music. So absorbed in fact, that it took us almost to the end of the song to realize that Arianna had come downstairs and was singing along, playing the chords on the dusty piano in the corner that no one had played but her in this house.
When the song was over, we all just sort of turned and looked at her. She blushed and closed the lid. "Sorry guys. I was just remembering...." And she looked at me. She really looked at me. With a sad smile. "I'll go upstairs now. See you later."
"No, wait Arianna." It was Alex. Which really surprised me, considering that I thought he had said they hated each other.
She stopped short at the sound of his voice and turned around. "Yeah?" She said in a small voice. I thought I saw tears in her eyes.
"Do you wanna play with us?" What?
"Would you guys be okay with that?" She chokes out.
"Uhm, sure." Said Rian and Zack. It took me a little longer to respond however, I had to shake myself from too many memories. I still couldn't bring myself to talk, so I just nodded. We played for a good two hours, all our favorite bands.
Notes
Sorry for the insane amount of dialogue in this chapter.So thanks for reading, and hope you're following Newbie too! I like that one better. Anywhale, shoutouts to:
gamble with desire. and Breaking Jessie_x
Because they're both amazing and so are their stories. So read them.
Ah thank you so much! <3 You are amazing.
4/21/13