It All Started With A Smile
Chapter 16
Chapter 16: It All Started With A Smile
I tried calling John the day after. He didn’t pick up the phone nor did he reply to any of my text messages. As much as I wanted to show up in his apartment and ask what was wrong, I can’t. I found out from Garrett that John wasn’t home when he tried to check on him at his apartment. Turns out, John went to some random bar and got drunk. If we were in good terms right now, I would tease him about crying last night. But that didn’t seem like a good idea. I talked to Patricia to ask for some advice. All she told me was to let John cool off then maybe, just maybe, he’ll be the one to approach me. I decided to stick to her advice.
“You know, I think I know why John’s like that”, Patricia said.
“Really? Why?”, I asked curiously.
“I can’t tell you yet. He promised me he’d tell you sometime soon but I guess all his plans of doing so are cancelled. And yes, I do know what it is and why”, she said giving out clues that made me want her to tell me even more.
“You know it’s a bad idea to make me so curious, right?”, I said.
“Why, of course I do. But don’t be too curious or it’ll kill you”, she warned.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”, I replied.
“You’ll find out in the near future. Meanwhile, I will go shopping for food. Goodbye”, she said as she got her car keys and left.
She left me hanging right there. What was it that John has wanted to tell me? I honestly feel dumb for not knowing the reason why. I lay in bed since there was nothing left to do. We don’t have gigs or tours this month so I guess we’re all just relaxing. I didn’t notice but I soon drifted off to sleep.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
I woke up when my phone rang. Right when I was about to answer it, my phone stopped ringing. I checked my phone and there were about 5 missed calls and 1 message.
John O’Callaghan:
Hey Julia. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to pick up any of your calls. I was trying to sort things out in my mind. I don’t know if I should still tell you what I have always wanted to but I guess it’s too late now.
I honestly did not know what to reply to his text. It (kind of) matched what Patricia told me earlier.
Me:
It’s alright. Go ahead and tell me. It will be “too late” if you don’t tell me now.
I don’t know why I was so nervous about what he was going to tell me. I had this feeling that it’s going to change my mind about everything. I don’t quite understand why but…
John O’Callaghan:
I wrote you a song. Open your front door.
I got up and walked to the front door to open it. There he was standing carrying a guitar.
“I guess I should apologize for walking out and ignoring you for about a day. This isn’t just an apology, though. It’s also what I was supposed to tell you. I decided to just serenade you with this song cause it suits what I feel right now”, John said as he started to strum the first chords on his guitar.
I’m fucked up again
I shouldn’t drive tonight
But I keep thinking of you
I hurt you again, I shouldn’t lie tonight
So the next few words are true
He sang passionately with his eyes closed. He meant every single word he sang. Tears were starting to well up in my eyes but I tried to stop it cause this perfect moment might just end sooner that it should.
Never again, never again, no
Will I leave you high and
Never again, never again, no
Will I leave you high and dry
This time, I more than mean it
I’m sorry
I’m not what you wanted
I’m sorry
I’m sorry I let you down
I could use some poor excuse
Because the hardest thing to say
Oh it’s the hardest thing to say in the world
I’m sorry
He stopped there. I was in the verge of tears. It was a very beautiful song. I can’t believe he sang it for me. But that isn’t the point of it all. It was the words in the song that mattered the most. Now I knew why he walked out. It all made sense to me now.
“Wait… I was supposed to sing another one”, he said.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know. Go ahead, then”, I smiled.
He smiled back and started playing the next song. It felt nice to have someone serenade you with songs just to ask for forgiveness or to tell you how they feel about you. I don’t know with you but I guess music speaks for those who can’t.
Then I remembered something. John had confessed his feelings for me already. That was back when Garrett and I were in a happy relationship… then we broke up. And now we’re picking up the pieces. I don’t know if I really do want to get back with Garrett but then some part of me wanted John too.
Right at the second he finished singing the song, I pressed my lips on his. Even I was shocked with my own gesture. But he kissed me back.
“Julia?”, John said.
“Yeah?”, I replied.
“Remember when I told you I was in love with you? The feelings are still here. They were never gone. Never.”, he said.
I smiled at him before responding. “I didn’t really see it coming, John. And I do remember it”, I said.
“Well… do I stand a chance?”, he asked.
I tried calling John the day after. He didn’t pick up the phone nor did he reply to any of my text messages. As much as I wanted to show up in his apartment and ask what was wrong, I can’t. I found out from Garrett that John wasn’t home when he tried to check on him at his apartment. Turns out, John went to some random bar and got drunk. If we were in good terms right now, I would tease him about crying last night. But that didn’t seem like a good idea. I talked to Patricia to ask for some advice. All she told me was to let John cool off then maybe, just maybe, he’ll be the one to approach me. I decided to stick to her advice.
“You know, I think I know why John’s like that”, Patricia said.
“Really? Why?”, I asked curiously.
“I can’t tell you yet. He promised me he’d tell you sometime soon but I guess all his plans of doing so are cancelled. And yes, I do know what it is and why”, she said giving out clues that made me want her to tell me even more.
“You know it’s a bad idea to make me so curious, right?”, I said.
“Why, of course I do. But don’t be too curious or it’ll kill you”, she warned.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”, I replied.
“You’ll find out in the near future. Meanwhile, I will go shopping for food. Goodbye”, she said as she got her car keys and left.
She left me hanging right there. What was it that John has wanted to tell me? I honestly feel dumb for not knowing the reason why. I lay in bed since there was nothing left to do. We don’t have gigs or tours this month so I guess we’re all just relaxing. I didn’t notice but I soon drifted off to sleep.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
I woke up when my phone rang. Right when I was about to answer it, my phone stopped ringing. I checked my phone and there were about 5 missed calls and 1 message.
John O’Callaghan:
Hey Julia. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to pick up any of your calls. I was trying to sort things out in my mind. I don’t know if I should still tell you what I have always wanted to but I guess it’s too late now.
I honestly did not know what to reply to his text. It (kind of) matched what Patricia told me earlier.
Me:
It’s alright. Go ahead and tell me. It will be “too late” if you don’t tell me now.
I don’t know why I was so nervous about what he was going to tell me. I had this feeling that it’s going to change my mind about everything. I don’t quite understand why but…
John O’Callaghan:
I wrote you a song. Open your front door.
I got up and walked to the front door to open it. There he was standing carrying a guitar.
“I guess I should apologize for walking out and ignoring you for about a day. This isn’t just an apology, though. It’s also what I was supposed to tell you. I decided to just serenade you with this song cause it suits what I feel right now”, John said as he started to strum the first chords on his guitar.
I’m fucked up again
I shouldn’t drive tonight
But I keep thinking of you
I hurt you again, I shouldn’t lie tonight
So the next few words are true
He sang passionately with his eyes closed. He meant every single word he sang. Tears were starting to well up in my eyes but I tried to stop it cause this perfect moment might just end sooner that it should.
Never again, never again, no
Will I leave you high and
Never again, never again, no
Will I leave you high and dry
This time, I more than mean it
I’m sorry
I’m not what you wanted
I’m sorry
I’m sorry I let you down
I could use some poor excuse
Because the hardest thing to say
Oh it’s the hardest thing to say in the world
I’m sorry
He stopped there. I was in the verge of tears. It was a very beautiful song. I can’t believe he sang it for me. But that isn’t the point of it all. It was the words in the song that mattered the most. Now I knew why he walked out. It all made sense to me now.
“Wait… I was supposed to sing another one”, he said.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know. Go ahead, then”, I smiled.
He smiled back and started playing the next song. It felt nice to have someone serenade you with songs just to ask for forgiveness or to tell you how they feel about you. I don’t know with you but I guess music speaks for those who can’t.
Then I remembered something. John had confessed his feelings for me already. That was back when Garrett and I were in a happy relationship… then we broke up. And now we’re picking up the pieces. I don’t know if I really do want to get back with Garrett but then some part of me wanted John too.
Right at the second he finished singing the song, I pressed my lips on his. Even I was shocked with my own gesture. But he kissed me back.
“Julia?”, John said.
“Yeah?”, I replied.
“Remember when I told you I was in love with you? The feelings are still here. They were never gone. Never.”, he said.
I smiled at him before responding. “I didn’t really see it coming, John. And I do remember it”, I said.
“Well… do I stand a chance?”, he asked.