If Luck Is on My Side Tonight
Oh Oh Oh, How Was I Supposed To Know?
My name’s Holly Johnson. I’m nineteen years old, wishing to be sixteen again. Why? Because those were some of the best years of my life. I live in New Jersey now, and I keep wanting to go back to Florida, but I just can’t. My reasons aren’t lame like ‘I’m pregnant’ or ‘I needed a new change of scenery’. Nope. They are probably the most generic and over used excuses for running away from they only place you know to call home.
She felt the pressure building behind her eyelids as she slowly let them shut. She struggled to write the rest of her story with the pen in her hand, but every time she tried, a tear slipped down her cheek and crashed onto the paper.
He may have used me, to get whatever he wanted from me, but I fell in love with him. I really fell for him.
She took a deep breath and gripped the pen tighter, hoping no more tears would fall, but that didn’t happen.
And that’s why I left for New Jersey.
She put down the pen and stared down at the notebook on her kitchen table. This was the first time in months she had tried to explain what had happened. Her best friend Lauren sat next to her as she pushed the notebook in her direction. Lauren’s eyes scanned the page, trying to comprehend every word that Holly tried so desperately to speak.
“Holls……” Lauren sighed and looked up at Holly who had more tears in her eyes than a river.
There were no words spoken, but Lauren leaned over to Holly and wrapped her arms around her, giving her some sort of safe place to be. Holly’s breath became shallow and her cheeks slowly turned into a light shade of black from the mascara rivers flowing freely.
---
“Derek, what are you doing?” Jeremy asked standing in the doorway of the bathroom.
“Nothing,” Derek muttered and closed his red notebook, sliding his guitar off the bed and putting it back in its case.
“You’ve been like this all weekend!” He complained.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Derek said throwing the covers off his hotel bed and laying in it, facing away from Jeremy on the other bed in the room.
“Ever since we came to Jersey for this acoustic set, you’ve been like fucking PMSing,” Jeremy said sitting on the edge of his bed.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Derek repeated with anger in his voice.
“Whatever dude,” He said and shut his eyes, trying to ignore the fact that he was sharing a room.
Derek rolled over in his bed and checked his phone. No new messages. He groaned when he looked at the clock that displayed three thirty am. Frustrated he sat up in bed and quietly slid open the door to the balcony of the hotel room. He grabbed his guitar and sat down in the uncomfortable wicker chair, letting out a heavy sigh as he did so. He strummed a few chords and hummed a few tunes before actually settling on something to play.
He sang the first line and instantly he stopped.
This was her song.
Today was her birthday.
He walked back inside, trying not to wake Jeremy, grabbing his phone and walking back outside. He scrolled through his contact list and smiled when he found her number. He waited impatiently for her to pick up.
“Hello?” She answered groggily.
“Hey,” he smiled.
“Why are you calling me at,” She paused at looked at the clock beside her bed, “Four in the morning?”
“I couldn’t sleep,” He shrugged.
“That’s why you called?” She said sounding unenthused.
“Alright, I called to tell you Happy Birthday Holly.”
She smiled wide, “Thanks Derek.”
“Go back to bed,” He instructed after a long moment of silence.
“Night,” She said and hit the end button on her phone.
He put his phone down on the table next to him and picked up his guitar again.
Softly he began to sing.
“I'll sing a melody, and hope to God she's listening, sleeping softly while I sing. And I'll be your memories, your lullaby for all the times, hoping that my voice can get it right.”
He felt the cool breeze off the Jersey shore on his face and decided to call it a night.
---
“Holly wake up!” Lauren screamed, standing above her on the side of her bed.
“What?” Holly moaned as she opened her eyes to see a grinning Lauren fully dressed next to her.
“We’re going somewhere,” Lauren said grabbing her hand and yanking her out of bed.
“I still have to get dressed!” Holly said and Lauren stopped pulling.
“Alright well hurry up!” She said and walked out of the room. Holly yawned and reached her arms up in the air in attempt to stretch. She stepped into her closet and decided on looking pretty today, rather than just throwing on a hoodie and jeans.
She stood in front of the mirror on her dresser, toying with her hair, trying to make the brighter parts of her dark blonde hair stand out. She reached for her phone on the table beside her bed and walked out of her room to go find Lauren.
“Took ya long enough!” Lauren exclaimed, standing up from their navy blue over stuffed couch.
“It’s my birthday,” Holly said innocently, “I wanted to look nice.”
“You always do hun,” Lauren smiled and grabbed Holly’s wrist, “Now come on or we won’t be able to get in!”
--
“There are already a lot of kids out there,” Jake said poking his head around the corner, causing a few screams from some of the kids.
“The more fun this will be then!” Jeremy said walking by with a bottle of water. Derek sat away from his friends, humming the same tune from last night to himself.
“Seriously,” Jake said as he stood in front of him.
“What?” Derek said looking up from his hands.
“There is something going through you head right now,” Jake stated and shook his head.
“Okay?” Derek said scrunching his eyebrows together.
--
“I love you Lauren!” Holly said hugging her best friend.
“I knew you’d like this,” Lauren grinned.
They were standing front row at Vintage Vinyl and their favorite band was going to perform an acoustic set for them. Holly’s birthday couldn’t get any more better.
He walked on to the stage they had set up and his eyes were immediately drawn to the one girl with the dark blonde hair and the brightest blue eyes you had ever seen. His heart did flips on stage as well as hers.
“So how are you guys?” He asked trying to go on with the show. The crowd gave a scream.
“That’s good,” He laughed into the microphone, “Alright well this one’s called Miserable At Best.”
The whole set, his eyes never left hers. She kept avoiding eye contact by looking at Lauren or staring down at the ground. Three songs down and Derek had stopped to take a little break.
“Alright, so this next song I’m going to play no one has heard it before,” He said and the crowd gave a little holler, “You guys are the first to hear it,” He said taking a sip of his water, “And the first person to figure out who it’s about gets to come hang out with us after this.”
His fingers pressed against the strings and soon the words flowed out of him.
“Will Florida please be still tonight, you don't deserve this love of mine. And how she's so serene, you've got to help me out. And count the stars to form a line, and find the words we sing in time. I want to keep her dreaming, it's my one wish..I won't forget this.
I'm outdated, over-rated; Morning seems so far away. So I'll sing a melody, and hope to God she's listening; Sleeping softly while I sing. And I'll be your memories, your lullaby for all the times; Hoping that my voice can get it right.
If luck is on my side tonight, my clumsy tongue will make it right. And with this touch, it isn't much.. But it's enough, to form imaginary lines; Forget your scars, I'll forget mine. The hours changed so fast, oh God please make this last..
Cause I'm outdated, over-rated; Morning seems so far away. So I'll sing a melody, and hope to God she's listening; Sleeping softly while I sing. And I'll be your memories, your lullaby for all the times; Hoping that my voice can get it right. You could crush me, but please don't crush me; Cause baby I'm a dreamer. I'm sure, and I won't let you down. I swear this time I mean it.
And I'll sing a melody, and hope to God she's listening, sleeping softly while I sing. And I'll be your memories, your lullaby for all the times, hoping that my voice can get it right.”
The room stayed silent as people whispered among themselves, trying to figure out who it was about.
“Jamie!” One girl shouted.
“No,” Derek chuckled.
“A girl from high school?” A guy asked.
“Close,” Derek smirked.
“Rachel?”
Derek looked at that person, almost as if her were disgusted, “No!”
He looked down at her; her eyes glanced up at him. They were filled with tears, yet again.
“Me?” She choked out so quietly that barely anyone heard. He took another sip of his water and then nodded his head, “Yeah.”
She felt the pressure building behind her eyelids as she slowly let them shut. She struggled to write the rest of her story with the pen in her hand, but every time she tried, a tear slipped down her cheek and crashed onto the paper.
He may have used me, to get whatever he wanted from me, but I fell in love with him. I really fell for him.
She took a deep breath and gripped the pen tighter, hoping no more tears would fall, but that didn’t happen.
And that’s why I left for New Jersey.
She put down the pen and stared down at the notebook on her kitchen table. This was the first time in months she had tried to explain what had happened. Her best friend Lauren sat next to her as she pushed the notebook in her direction. Lauren’s eyes scanned the page, trying to comprehend every word that Holly tried so desperately to speak.
“Holls……” Lauren sighed and looked up at Holly who had more tears in her eyes than a river.
There were no words spoken, but Lauren leaned over to Holly and wrapped her arms around her, giving her some sort of safe place to be. Holly’s breath became shallow and her cheeks slowly turned into a light shade of black from the mascara rivers flowing freely.
---
“Derek, what are you doing?” Jeremy asked standing in the doorway of the bathroom.
“Nothing,” Derek muttered and closed his red notebook, sliding his guitar off the bed and putting it back in its case.
“You’ve been like this all weekend!” He complained.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Derek said throwing the covers off his hotel bed and laying in it, facing away from Jeremy on the other bed in the room.
“Ever since we came to Jersey for this acoustic set, you’ve been like fucking PMSing,” Jeremy said sitting on the edge of his bed.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Derek repeated with anger in his voice.
“Whatever dude,” He said and shut his eyes, trying to ignore the fact that he was sharing a room.
Derek rolled over in his bed and checked his phone. No new messages. He groaned when he looked at the clock that displayed three thirty am. Frustrated he sat up in bed and quietly slid open the door to the balcony of the hotel room. He grabbed his guitar and sat down in the uncomfortable wicker chair, letting out a heavy sigh as he did so. He strummed a few chords and hummed a few tunes before actually settling on something to play.
He sang the first line and instantly he stopped.
This was her song.
Today was her birthday.
He walked back inside, trying not to wake Jeremy, grabbing his phone and walking back outside. He scrolled through his contact list and smiled when he found her number. He waited impatiently for her to pick up.
“Hello?” She answered groggily.
“Hey,” he smiled.
“Why are you calling me at,” She paused at looked at the clock beside her bed, “Four in the morning?”
“I couldn’t sleep,” He shrugged.
“That’s why you called?” She said sounding unenthused.
“Alright, I called to tell you Happy Birthday Holly.”
She smiled wide, “Thanks Derek.”
“Go back to bed,” He instructed after a long moment of silence.
“Night,” She said and hit the end button on her phone.
He put his phone down on the table next to him and picked up his guitar again.
Softly he began to sing.
“I'll sing a melody, and hope to God she's listening, sleeping softly while I sing. And I'll be your memories, your lullaby for all the times, hoping that my voice can get it right.”
He felt the cool breeze off the Jersey shore on his face and decided to call it a night.
---
“Holly wake up!” Lauren screamed, standing above her on the side of her bed.
“What?” Holly moaned as she opened her eyes to see a grinning Lauren fully dressed next to her.
“We’re going somewhere,” Lauren said grabbing her hand and yanking her out of bed.
“I still have to get dressed!” Holly said and Lauren stopped pulling.
“Alright well hurry up!” She said and walked out of the room. Holly yawned and reached her arms up in the air in attempt to stretch. She stepped into her closet and decided on looking pretty today, rather than just throwing on a hoodie and jeans.
She stood in front of the mirror on her dresser, toying with her hair, trying to make the brighter parts of her dark blonde hair stand out. She reached for her phone on the table beside her bed and walked out of her room to go find Lauren.
“Took ya long enough!” Lauren exclaimed, standing up from their navy blue over stuffed couch.
“It’s my birthday,” Holly said innocently, “I wanted to look nice.”
“You always do hun,” Lauren smiled and grabbed Holly’s wrist, “Now come on or we won’t be able to get in!”
--
“There are already a lot of kids out there,” Jake said poking his head around the corner, causing a few screams from some of the kids.
“The more fun this will be then!” Jeremy said walking by with a bottle of water. Derek sat away from his friends, humming the same tune from last night to himself.
“Seriously,” Jake said as he stood in front of him.
“What?” Derek said looking up from his hands.
“There is something going through you head right now,” Jake stated and shook his head.
“Okay?” Derek said scrunching his eyebrows together.
--
“I love you Lauren!” Holly said hugging her best friend.
“I knew you’d like this,” Lauren grinned.
They were standing front row at Vintage Vinyl and their favorite band was going to perform an acoustic set for them. Holly’s birthday couldn’t get any more better.
He walked on to the stage they had set up and his eyes were immediately drawn to the one girl with the dark blonde hair and the brightest blue eyes you had ever seen. His heart did flips on stage as well as hers.
“So how are you guys?” He asked trying to go on with the show. The crowd gave a scream.
“That’s good,” He laughed into the microphone, “Alright well this one’s called Miserable At Best.”
The whole set, his eyes never left hers. She kept avoiding eye contact by looking at Lauren or staring down at the ground. Three songs down and Derek had stopped to take a little break.
“Alright, so this next song I’m going to play no one has heard it before,” He said and the crowd gave a little holler, “You guys are the first to hear it,” He said taking a sip of his water, “And the first person to figure out who it’s about gets to come hang out with us after this.”
His fingers pressed against the strings and soon the words flowed out of him.
“Will Florida please be still tonight, you don't deserve this love of mine. And how she's so serene, you've got to help me out. And count the stars to form a line, and find the words we sing in time. I want to keep her dreaming, it's my one wish..I won't forget this.
I'm outdated, over-rated; Morning seems so far away. So I'll sing a melody, and hope to God she's listening; Sleeping softly while I sing. And I'll be your memories, your lullaby for all the times; Hoping that my voice can get it right.
If luck is on my side tonight, my clumsy tongue will make it right. And with this touch, it isn't much.. But it's enough, to form imaginary lines; Forget your scars, I'll forget mine. The hours changed so fast, oh God please make this last..
Cause I'm outdated, over-rated; Morning seems so far away. So I'll sing a melody, and hope to God she's listening; Sleeping softly while I sing. And I'll be your memories, your lullaby for all the times; Hoping that my voice can get it right. You could crush me, but please don't crush me; Cause baby I'm a dreamer. I'm sure, and I won't let you down. I swear this time I mean it.
And I'll sing a melody, and hope to God she's listening, sleeping softly while I sing. And I'll be your memories, your lullaby for all the times, hoping that my voice can get it right.”
The room stayed silent as people whispered among themselves, trying to figure out who it was about.
“Jamie!” One girl shouted.
“No,” Derek chuckled.
“A girl from high school?” A guy asked.
“Close,” Derek smirked.
“Rachel?”
Derek looked at that person, almost as if her were disgusted, “No!”
He looked down at her; her eyes glanced up at him. They were filled with tears, yet again.
“Me?” She choked out so quietly that barely anyone heard. He took another sip of his water and then nodded his head, “Yeah.”
♠ ♠ ♠