All Those Things I Still Remember

“Well, what’s the problem?” I asked, scratching my head.

“She doesn’t know that I exist, ”he sighed.

“How does she not know that you exist? You are almost seven feet tall, and you are the lead singer of one of the most popular bands in the United States! If you ask me, she’s either blind or stupid. Have you tried to talk to her?”

“Well, not exactly, ”he said slowly.

“William, listen to me. If you want this girl, you have to talk to her! The fact that she hasn’t thrown herself at you has to be a good sign. Look, just… Where’d you meet her?” I asked, deciding on another route.

“She works at the coffee shop, ”he said simply. I nodded slowly. “Why?” I grabbed my phone and dialed Patrick’s number. “What are you doing?”

“Hey, Shay, ”Patrick answered.

“Can I bring Mel by? I have some things I need to take care of, ”I asked him.

“Well, duh!” He exclaimed.

“Thanks, Trick. We’ll be there in about five minutes, ”I smiled.

“Okie dokie. See ya!” I closed my phone and turned to William.

“Alright, go get Melody. We’ll take her to Patrick and then, we’ll go to meet this girl, ”I decided. He nodded and quickly ran to get her. I looked down at Frank who had yet to recover. I bent down and smiled innocently at him. “Maybe that will teach you to keep your mouth shut, you dick.” It was one thing that he even knew, but the fact that he thought it was funny was what pissed me off the most. William came back out with Melody on his shoulders. I could just see that going badly. He walked through the doorway and there was a thump as she hit her head on the frame. She fell backwards off his shoulders and into the arms of Jimmy.

“Munchkin, you gotta stop falling. One day, I won’t be able to catch you!” He laughed. She clung to his neck and William rubbed his neck nervously. “Where are you guys going anyways?”

“I’m going to Trick’s house!” She squealed. She loved Patrick like crazy. I laughed and pointed to Mel.

“What she said, ”I laughed. “I’m going to take William here to face his fears.” Jimmy raised a brow and laughed quietly.

“Well, that sounds fun. What fear is he facing today?” He asked.

“Well, he met this girl. Except, he didn’t actually meet her. He’s a stalker!” I laughed. William’s eyes widened in horror.

“No, I’m not!” He cried desperately. I laughed and poked him lightly.

“I’m just messing with you, Bill, ”I smiled at him. He laughed nervously and nodded. I turned to Jimmy and smiled. “So, I’m going to take him to meet her.” He laughed and nodded.

“Alright. I can take her to Patrick’s, if you’d like. I need to go see Matt and Johnny anyways, ”he offered. I smiled and looked at Mel, whose eyes were widened with excitement.

“Can. He. Take. Me?!” She asked, barely able to contain her excitement. I closed my eyes and laughed. “PLEASE?” I nodded. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I love you, Mommy!” I hugged her back as she threw her little arms around me.

“Go get your shoes on, ”Jimmy instructed. She nodded feverishly and took off running down the hall. I laughed and looked at Jimmy.

“I don’t know what it is about your car, but she loves being in it, ”I laughed. He just shrugged.

“I don’t know. I never questioned it, ”he smiled. I nodded slowly as Melody came running back through the house. She collide into Frank, who had just gotten up. He fell back to the floor and I laughed.

“You may just want to stay down until we leave, ”I suggested. He nodded, groaning quietly. William started laughing again. After Melody put her shoes on, Jimmy picked her up and positioned her so that she had a leg on either side of his hip.

“I’ll make sure she gets there safely, ”he smiled at me. I nodded and kissed her cheek.

“I love you, Mommy!” She whispered in my ear. I smiled.

“I love you too, baby. Thank you, Jimmy. You are so good to me, ”I said to him. He shrugged.

“You deserve it, ”he said simply. I shook my head, but he took off out the door before I could reply. I turned to William and smiled.

“So, are you ready to face your fears?” I asked, and he just nodded nervously. I took his hand and led him out the door. He got in the passenger seat and I started the car. The ride there was silent. He just fidgeted nervously and stared out of the window. When we pulled up, I unbuckled, but he remained frozen. I rolled my eyes and laughed. “William, it’s okay. I’m sure she’ll love you. You gotta try, son.”

“Son? What the fuck?” He asked, suddenly distracted from his pensive mood. He got out of the car and followed me inside. We went inside and claimed a booth near the back. I looked around, spotting three girls in a group.

“Which one is she?” I asked, unable to decide which one it was. He looked up and scanned the room. He smiled and pointed subtly.

“Her, ”he grinned. I looked and noticed a fourth girl. She wore a My Chemical Romance hoodie and a pair of ripped jeans. I smiled and turned back to him.

“Not what I expected, but she’s cute. Alright, I’ll be right back, ”I told him. His eyes widened in terror.

“Where are you going?” He asked quietly.

“You’ll see, ”I grinned. I walked over to the girl and smiled. “Hey there.” She looked up at me.

“Um, hey?” She replied questioningly. I smiled.

“I’m Ashlyn. What’s your name?” I asked, sticking my hand out.

“Um, Rachel?” She said, looking at my hand suspiciously. I rolled my eyes and decided to take another approach.

“You like My Chemical Romance?”

“They are amazing. Too bad the Ways are married, ”she said quietly.

“Oh, they are. Which one do you prefer?” I asked, now amusing myself.

“Well, I used to like Gerard more, but after he died his hair blonde, I decided I liked Mikey more. Although, I really wish he wouldn’t stuck with the glasses, ”she grinned.

“I know. I told him that, but he decided they were too much trouble.” Her eyes widened.

“Oh my god, you’re his wife, aren’t you?” She gasped. I laughed quietly and nodded. “I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you or anything.” I just shook my head.

“You didn’t. The reason I came over here though, is that my friend over there, likes you, ”I said, gesturing to William. Her eyes widened.

“Are you talking about William Beckett?” She asked softly. I nodded and grinned.

“He wanted to ask you out, but he’s too afraid of rejection, ”I explained. Her eyes widened even more so.

“He wanted to ask me out?” She asked in disbelief. I nodded.

“You should go talk to him. He’s really nice, ”I urged. She nodded and walked over to him. She sat down nervously across from him and they talked for a few minutes. I motioned to William that I was leaving, and he nodded, thanking me silently. I nodded and left the building. Maybe he won’t mess up this time.