Sunsets to Sunrises

My eyes slowly fluttered open. Everything was black around me as it was still night. I turned my head around to see that I was at home. Still in the van. The vehicle was empty, in my parent’s driveway, except for me and a note stuck to the seat in front of me.

Hope you had a nice sleep, Brock.

Maddie

A big of an electric surge pumped in my heart as I read the note, and a rush of memories flowed into my head of my dream. As scary as it had been, it was true. I couldn’t deny my feelings for Maddie any more. Even if she didn’t want me back, I would somehow make this work.

I groggily stumbled out of the white Suburban and into my house, taking the stairs up to my room. Hastily, I flicked on the light and searched for a pen and paper. I didn’t even notice the time; 2:16 am. I eventually found a notebook and an old pencil and sat down on my bed, staring at the white page. I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples. I knew what I wanted to say, but not how. Oh, course. I gave myself a bit of a mental slap before rushing back out to the van and retrieving my guitar. I strummed it a bit, for tune, before quietly mouthing the words I wanted to say in rhythm with my new melody.

My eyes were growing heavy once again. Papers were scattered over my floor, a large jug of water sat beside me on the floor; my shirt cast away. My eyes diverted to the clock; 5:30 am. I put down my guitar and ripped off my final copy and put it on my desk, completely satisfied with what I had just accomplished.

{–two weeks later–}

[MADDIE’S POV]

My heart raced. My palms were sweaty. I sat on a single, lonely, stool in the middle of a badly lit stage. Just me and my guitar.

“Alright. So thanks, everyone, for coming out!” I had just finished playing a few cover songs at an old venue across from the In ‘N Out in Scottsdale; the same one I had last been with Jake. But strangely enough I wasn’t thinking of him. I was thinking of Kennedy, who was standing off to my right. We hadn’t done anything together since tour had been over. But we’d been hanging out by ourselves, talking on the phone. Everyone said that we liked each other. I knew I did. But after what I’d seen at tour, I still wasn’t sure that Kennedy did.

I got up, as my set was over, to see Kennedy run up onto the stage with me and whisper into me ear, “great job, hun.” I smiled; I loved it when he called me that. I pulled him into a warm hug, one of Kennedy’s arms wrapped around me. The other reached for the mic.

“Excuse me.” he said. Everyone was in the middle of getting up, walking out. “Sorry. But we still have one more song to go.” Everyone broke into applause as they walked back to their seats. I was beyond confused. Did Kennedy expect me to sing something else? Was The Maine going to play something?

Before I could ask him anything Aaron was ushering me off the stage. I stood with him behind me, Daisy to my left and Lauren; Pat’s new girlfriend; to my right. I bit down on my bottom lip, trying to figure out what was going on. I turned first to Daisy, then Lauren. I looked over to the other side of the stage where Garrett stood, his hand in Rachael’s. Obviously I wasn’t the only one confused.

“So, this song,” Kennedy adjusted the position of the mic stand nervously, “I wrote a few weeks ago. At like, 2 in the morning. Sorry if it sucks, but it gets my point across. Hope you like it.”

Kennedy strummed a few notes on his guitar before turning his head to the side, towards me. Our eyes met and he gave me a little smile. “Oh,” he added, “this is for my friend. Maddie.”

Then, he began to sing.I fell asleep last night
But I woke up too late
And everything I loved,
Oh begin to hate.

I know I sound repetitive,
Cause I'm repeating myself.
And I'm competitive,
I want you all by yourself.
And that alone is just the problem,
I've got these woes,
I just can't solve them.
If I could gather up the nerve,
I'd put my feelings into words.
And if I weren't so young, or stupid, or restless,
I might be able to just soon forget this.
Just forget this.

Please just forget me,
When I'm out all alone on the east coast.
And please don't forgive me,
When you're home all alone and you need me most.

Oh if I only had the heart,
To find out exactly who you are,
You know I'd try now.
But it's just fine,
No you can't save me,
It's no fault but mine,
Please just blame me.
If I could gather up the nerve,
I'd put my feelings into words.
And if I weren't so young, or stupid, or restless,
I might be able to just soon forget this.
Just forget this.

Please just forget me,
When I'm out all alone on the east coast.
And please don't forgive me,
When your home all alone and you need me the most

Oh if I only had the heart.

Please just forget me,
When I'm out all alone on the east coast.
And please don't forget me,
When your home all alone and you need me most.
Oh when you need me most

I stood on the side of the stage, still, my mouth agape. I knew that I should go out on stage with him, clap; something. But I was just in too much sock to do much of anything, as a matter of fact. I brought my hand up to my forehead, unsure what else to do. Everything sounded echoed. Like I was under water. My vision was a little blurred. Clapping; I heard lots of that. Daisy was telling me something, her hand on my arm. She was leaning around me, saying something to Lauren, but Lauren was just shaking her head, confused.

Kennedy was standing up, and putting his guitar down. “Maddie,” he said. Or at least that is what I thought he’d said. I guess it was, because I had Lauren and Daisy pushing me onto the stage from either side of myself. My feet moved awkwardly underneath me, towards Kenny, meeting each other just off the stage. There was so much echoed noise of people bustling about, leaving the venue. Their minds racing about what they were doing next. What they had to get done, needed to do, should be doing, wanted to do. But right then, my mind wasn’t wandering. It was here, in this perfect moment.

“Maddie. I love you.” At that instant my vision became focussed. My hearing was alert once again. I took in a small, sharp and sudden breath of air. I ran my fingers through his hair, twisting the ends.

Slowly, Kennedy’s eyes dropped closed. My upper lids came in contact with the lower ones; my eyes fully shut. My lips parted a little and I reached my face up to Kennedy’s, not knowing when our lips would make contact. When they did, it was electric. His lips were so soft under mine, his callused hands fixated themselves on my lower back. I brought my hands up to the back of his neck, a place they hadn’t been for too long. I forgotten how much I loved this. Not kissing. But kissing Kennedy; someone I truly cared about with all of my heart.

Kennedy pulled away, too soon for my liking. “Maddie?”

I looked at him. I raised my eyebrows and my mouth formed an O in surprise when I realized what he was after.

“Of course I love you too, silly,” I gave his arm a tap, whilst giving myself a mental kick for not answering him.

“Really, and truly love me?” His hands were on my shoulders, his eyes looking directly into mine.

“Y-y-yes?” I answered. I did, of course. But why was he asking me?

“Maddie.” Kennedy took a nervous swallow and he reached into his back pocket. “I know that we are young. But I love you, and I don’t think it will ever stop. And I don’t want it to. Promise we’ll get married one day?”

“Oh, Kennedy! Yes! Yes, yes. I love you” I repeated, putting my arms around him, and grabbing the box from him at the same time, and flipped it open to reveal a beautiful ring. Simple; a thin silver band with a pearl embedded in the middle. Very vintage. Very me. Kennedy knew me too well. “Oh my goodness! Where did you find this? It’s amazing!”

“At that vintage store you loved.”

“But that place closed ages ago.”

“Yea. I sort of got it for you ages ago. That night, you know what one I mean, I’d had it in my back pocket. I had it all planned out. I was going to tell you that I loved you and then give you this promise ring. But you beat me to it and, I don’t know. I guess that wasn’t in my ‘plan’. I got scared, Maddie. I was just a kid. But I was right about you then and still am. I don’t want to be with anyone else. I tried, on tour, to get over you! It didn’t feel right, though. You are the only person I can see myself spending the rest of my life with. I love you, Maddie West.”

Tears filled in my eyes. He really did love me.