Me or the Music?

Matt's POV

I had been trying, hard, very hard, for the past month, to find us a house. One that Marie liked, on that worked. But it wasn't happening. You could see something in her face every time we entered a new home. Almost fear. I couldn't understand it. But hearing her on the phone with Zack was definitely another good clue.

She was still unsure of us. After all this time she was still unsure. I don't know what she thought was going to happen. Perfection? Immediately finding a house? It took time. Everyone tried explaining that to her when we would hang out now, finally again, all together. Thankfully Zack had kept to himself the little secret Marie let out the other afternoon. Only Jackie and Zack knew about the divorce thing, thankfully. I don't think they would handle it very well as a group.

"So.." Marie walked in to our room from the bathroom, toweling off her hair, standing in a bra and panties. I bit my lip slightly at the sight.

"So what?" I asked as she stood there, her eyes upwards, her lips hardened, her eyebrows pushed together in thought.

"What are we doing again today?" She asked carefully, leaning against the door "I'm not sure what I want to wear."

I scoffed "That would be fine if we weren't going in public." I smirked as she rolled her eyes, becoming suddenly self conscience of her body lately "We're going to Jackie and Brians to help them with wedding stuff."

"Oh right." She nodded "I forgot.."

"You've been doing that a lot lately." I laughed as she nodded "I think normal clothes will work."

"Yah. I'm probably going to go with sweatpants and a tee... I'm not in the mood for real pants." She poked her flat stomach "They don't fit anyways."

"Right." I dragged it out as she stared at me "You just wore jeans Sunday at the house showing. Shut up."

"Whatever." She brushed my words off and grabbed a pair of grey sweatpants from her drawer "Just saying, I think we should move somewhere in close proximity to a gym... Or a good running area." She laughed "I really feel like I've just packed on a thousand pounds lately."

"Stop it, get dressed, and lets go have breakfast." She glared at me but I ignored it as my phone rang. "Hello?"

"Yo, fuck stick." Brian yelled "Aren't you two oh so happy people coming over?"

"Yah, at noon. It's only ten." I quickly looked at my phones clock "Everything ok?"

"Jackie said she reminded Marie yesterday that we were meeting at the wedding venue at ten to get everyone's opinions..." He trailed off "Is she ok? Zack said she was really weird on the phone the other day, and she's like.. always forgetting shit."

"Yah I don't know. We'll head over right now though, give us fifteen." I stood up and stretched.

"Ok, see you guys here." He laughed and hung up.

"Did Jackie talk to you yesterday?" I asked Marie as I grabbed a shirt and shorts from the closet "Because they wanted to meet at the venue for ten."

I heard something drop and turned around as Marie stared at the floor, her jewelry box in pieces on the floor "Oh shit.." She mumbled "What?" She looked up at me, trying to push hair out of her face.

"Are you ok?" I asked "Like... Marie, did you talk with Jackie yesterday?" I asked.

"I.. I don't think so." She paused nervously and picked up the pieces of glass off the floor "Fuck."

"So... you don't remember her saying anything about a time change?" I asked, bending down to help her "Stop, you'll cut your hands." I pushed her hands back and she stood up, crossing her arms.

"If I didn't talk to her, how could I remember that?" She asked, her voice distant.

"Just wondering.. So we have to go, now. They're waiting. Babe." I threw the glass in the trash bin next to the dresser "Are you ok?" I asked, staring in to her eyes as she adverted my eyes.

"I'm fine, I'm just tired. I haven't been sleeping well. Sorry." She shook her head and grabbed her shirt, pulling it over her bra as she adjusted her hair from under the collar "I'll put shorts on I guess then if we're going in to public." She grabbed her drawer and struggled to open it. I reached down and slid it open, her eyes flashed up at me. Embarrassment coated her eyes "Thank you.. I'm just out of it." She shrugged it off and grabbed a pair of khaki shorts.

"It's fine.. We'll have to go see the doctor about your sleep?" I asked, she brushed the air with her hand at me "We should.. it's really not good."

"I'm fine, I just need to take a bath before bed tonight and relax." She muttered to herself and finished getting dressed "I'm going to go make some coffee for the ride, want some?"

"Please." I smiled at her as she slowly left the room. I watched her gait and it faltered at the door, she paused and turned. I shook my head as she made her way down the hall. Brian's words ringing in my head, even Zack had said she was acting weird. I don't know. But I knew I would have help finding out.

~**~

"So?" Jackie nudged my shoulder as I got out of the car, Marie said she had to make a phone call really quick so she stayed in the car for a minute.

"What?" I asked as her eyes went from me to Marie "I don't know. She said she didn't even talk to you.."

"We definitely talked." Jackie pursed her lips "Literally have the call in my phone log-"

"Oh I believe you." I shrugged "She's just been really out of it... Where's Brian?"

"This way."

Jackie lead the way as we walked away from the car towards the venue doors, she was silent. Normally she wouldn't shut up about the colors, flowers, dresses, food, bands playing, all of the typical wedding stuff women gushed about. But she was dead silent.

"Hey." Brian smacked my arm "Where's Marie?" He looked behind me and then back at me.

"In the car, she had to make a quick phone call." I shook my head and shrugged "She doesn't even remember talking to Jackie yesterday. It's so weird, and right as I asked her she dropped her jewelry box off the dresser."

"Weird." Brian mumbled "Is she ok? Has she seen a doctor? Zack said she sounded really off.."

"Zack did what?" He walked over, Hannah on his arm "What'd I do?"

"Said Marie was off on the phone." I chimed in "Which I can totally see. She's been... weird ever since a few weeks ago when we decided to look for houses."

Jackie and Zack both nodded, knowing what I meant. Everyone else was just assuming it was stress, or lack of sleep, but... Well it was probably stress, but definitely more.

"So, is she coming in or?" Zack asked "She was sitting in the car on the phone when we walked up."

"Yah, she kind of didn't even look like she was talking." Hannah added "I don't know. Should one of us go check on her? I mean, we walked by like half an hour ago, we've been looking around here.."

"I will." Jackie smiled. "Come with?" She looked at Hannah, who nodded and they disappeared outside.

I took a seat in one of the randomly scattered chairs, resting my head in my hands "You ok dude? Whats' going on?" Brian put his hand on my shoulder.

"Nothing." I shook my head "Just... tired.." Yah, that made two of us who were lying then.

"Are you sure? You seem really stressed out." Zack asked.

"Just worried I guess. She's been weird, I don't know how to explain it. She says she's not getting enough sleep, that she's constantly tired. She literally goes to bed at the same time as me and wakes up after me, and I know she sleeps the night through because I literally wake up with every small noise. She's been making noises in her sleep."

"Noises?" Zack laughed "Awkward."

"Not like that." I shot at him "Like... Whimpering almost? It's weird, but she wakes up and tells me about her dreams every morning. Like, they're weird but normal. I don't understand."

All three of our heads shot towards the door as Jackie ran in "Matt!" She shouted, quietly, but shouted.

"What?" I asked as she quickly looked behind her, slowing her pace to a hurried walk as she approached. "What's wrong?" I got nervous as she caught her breath.

"So, she wasn't in the car." She shook her head as we heard voices outside "She was walking down the street?" She squinted her eyes, confused "She thought she drove herself here. She didn't know we were going to be here. She thought she went out shopping. Matt..." She looked concerned.

"Wait... What?!" Brian asked.

"Yah, what?" I crossed my arms "She didn't remember me driving us here? The fact she read me the directions? The whole time she yelled I was driving too recklessly?" I raised an eyebrow "Where is she?"

"With Hannah. She's stalling her, I explained what was going on and she started crying. She didn't want me to tell you so I said I had to pee and we would tour the outside first and say we were out there the whole time... She's not ok." Her eyes darkened "Like... not ok."

"Obviously." Zack muttered "Matt could this be from.."

"Probably." Brian interjected "The accident? Coming home from that meeting?"

"Fuck." I tossed my head back "I told her to see a doctor and she refused." I slammed my fist in to my leg "I don't.. I don't know."

"Well I have to go out there before she finds out I told all of you... don't say anything ok? Just get her to a doctor today?" Jackie asked me as she turned to go outside "We'll be back in a few, I'll get her in here."

"Thanks." I sighed as I looked at Brian and Zack.

"Dude." Brian put his hand on my shoulder "It'll be ok. I swear... She probably has, like, minor memory issues. I mean she was pretty banged up."

"But now? All of a sudden? Not before?" I asked "That's not how that works.."