Status: Completed 6/19/2012
Forget Your Mistakes
Why Don't You Love Me?
Okay, let’s skip ahead, because the first few months of college just consisted of learning, taking pictures, and crying ourselves to sleep every night. And no one really wants to hear about that.
Six months later, Rebekah and I were working our part-time job as waitresses in a small local restaurant relatively close to our apartment. We had just started our shift when the doors opened. I was busy with another customer, but as soon as I heard Rebekah scream, “Rebekah? What-” I yelled, quickly turning around. When I did, I covered my mouth, almost in tears.
There aren’t really any words I could give you that would make you understand what the full extent of my feelings were at that moment, but I could barely move and I’m almost 100% certain I stopped breathing for a second.
I walked over to where Rebekah was hugging Ryan, and I threw my arms around Jamie. I felt him let out a deep breath as he wrapped his arms around my waist, almost like he was relieved. My knees almost gave out when he whispered in my ear, “I missed you, babe.” I couldn’t do anything else but hug him tighter. I knew if I tried to talk, nothing would come out of my mouth, and even if something did, he wouldn’t have been able to understand me.
Our manager, Amanda, ran out, seemingly in a panic. “I heard someone scream. What’s wrong?” Rebekah’s cheeks instantly turned red and she looked at me, obviously wanted me to talk for her. I just stared at her. I couldn’t speak, I was still in shock. Ryan spoke up, “Sorry. We just wanted to surprise them after not seeing them for six months, so we just decided to drop by without letting them know.” “Oh, so you’re the boys they’re always going on about,” Amanda smirked. Rebekah and I looked at each other wide-eyed as Jamie and Ryan grinned. She laughed again, “Why don’t you girls take the next couple of weeks off, yeah? You know, to catch up with your boyfriends.” Rebekah was finally able to speak, “But it’s Monday and our shift just started. We can’t just leave..” “Honey, has there ever been more than five people in here at a time? It’s okay. It’s been six months since you’ve seen these boys, I want to give you all the time off I can.” “A-are you sure?” I stuttered slightly, finally starting to catch my breath. “Yes,” Amanda laughed, “I’m as sure as I’ve ever been. I know what you’re going through. And if my boss had given me two weeks off to spend time with my now husband, he would have been the best boss I’d ever had the pleasure of working for. And I’ll call you if I need any help.” She smiled as she turned and walked back into her office.
Rebekah and I looked at Jamie and Ryan, then at each other, then back at Jamie and Ryan and smiled. They grabbed our hands and pulled us outside to Ryan’s car. “So, where do you beautiful ladies live?” Ryan asked. “Just down the road,” I replied, giving him the rest of the directions. Once Ryan parked his car, we led them to our apartment. “Alright,” Jamie finally spoke, “Go change your clothes. We’re taking you to the fair.” Rebekah and I looked at each other for a moment and basically ran toward our rooms.
The fair was the fair. Ryan and Jamie spent God know how much money trying to win us a stuffed animal they could have bought at a store for way cheaper, but I guess it’s some sort of male pride thing.
We laughed as we walked down the street back to our apartment, Rebekah and I carrying our little stuffed bears and holding Ryan and Jamie’s hands. “So,” Rebekah started, “Where are you guys staying?” Jamie was about to talk when I interrupted, “With us, I would hope.” They all looked at me and I frowned, “Or not…” “No, Alex. We would love to,” Ryan laughed. “Yeah. It sure as hell beats the motel we were going to stay at,” Jamie added. “Ew. People like Jamie and Ryan Follese should not have to be seen in such places as a motel.” I drug out the word ‘motel’, trying to act disgusted. Ryan, Jamie, and Rebekah almost instantly started cracking up. “I know I’m hilarious, but damn. Calm the heck down,” I said as I burst into a fit of giggles. “And that’s why we love you, Alex,” Ryan said, kissing my forehead. “Hey, bro.” Jamie tried to act offended, “Don’t you kiss my woman.” “Oh, yeah? What are you going to do about it?” Ryan smirked. Jamie ran over to Rebekah and kissed her forehead while she stood there, laughing like there was no tomorrow. “Oh, now it’s personal!” Ryan yelled. “OH, LOOK,” I yelled, grabbing Rebekah’s hand and running over to a driveway, “Pretty rocks! Let’s go have a look at them, Rebekah!” She laughed at my horribly sarcastic attempt to avoid Jamie and Ryan’s little “confrontation” in the middle of the street while the boys just pretended to beat each other up. “What the hell do you call that?” Rebekah yelled at them. “You guys hit like little girls!” I laughed. Jamie and Ryan gave each other a look and started walking toward us. I grabbed Rebekah’s hand again, running and screaming, “Oh, dear God. Run. They’re gonna beat us with their little girly punches!”
They chased us until we got to the park down the road where Rebekah and I split up, her running toward the jungle gym, me making a break for the swings. When I got closer, I noticed Jamie wasn’t following me so I sat down on one of the swings, breathing heavily. “Damn, I’m out of shape.” I looked down, laughing quietly to myself. When I looked back up, Jamie was standing there and I jumped and screamed, “When the hell did you get there?” “About half a second ago,” he smiled down at me. I stood up, and he grabbed the swing’s chains, knowing I wouldn’t be able to get away. “Hey,” I pouted, “That’s not fair.” “Life isn’t fair,” he said as he leaned in and kissed me. I smiled and interlocked my fingers around him, resting them on the back of his neck.
I’m going to skip to Friday, because Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday were pretty much like Monday.
“We really are sorry we can’t go to the party with you guys.” Ryan said. “I’ve told you a million times, guys,” I said, “It’s okay. Go make beautiful music now, party later! We’ll see you there when you’re done. Make us proud!” The boys gave us hugs and kisses before they left with Nash and Ian to work on their new album. We waved to all of them and when the door closed, I looked at Rebekah and practically screamed, “Let’s go party!” She laughed as we ran to our rooms to get dressed.
The party was one of those typical college parties you hear about. Drunk idiots, stupid party games, couples going upstairs to be stereotypical. Blah, blah, blah.
“Hey,” I yelled over the music, turning toward Rebekah, “I’m gonna go look for the bathroom. I’ll be right back.” She nodded and kept dancing. That girl, I swear. She can outparty anyone I know. I laughed to myself as I walked up the stairs and opened some doors, only to find makeout sessions.
Okay, so finding a bathroom would be harder than I thought. “Why the hell does this house have to be so big?” I wondered outloud.
You know when people say that something took their breath away, but in a bad way? Yeah, that happened when I opened the next door. I guess I didn’t really know what I was expecting when I turned the doorknob. Well, I was expecting to see what resembled a bathroom, sure. But what I found certainly wasn’t that.
Six months later, Rebekah and I were working our part-time job as waitresses in a small local restaurant relatively close to our apartment. We had just started our shift when the doors opened. I was busy with another customer, but as soon as I heard Rebekah scream, “Rebekah? What-” I yelled, quickly turning around. When I did, I covered my mouth, almost in tears.
There aren’t really any words I could give you that would make you understand what the full extent of my feelings were at that moment, but I could barely move and I’m almost 100% certain I stopped breathing for a second.
I walked over to where Rebekah was hugging Ryan, and I threw my arms around Jamie. I felt him let out a deep breath as he wrapped his arms around my waist, almost like he was relieved. My knees almost gave out when he whispered in my ear, “I missed you, babe.” I couldn’t do anything else but hug him tighter. I knew if I tried to talk, nothing would come out of my mouth, and even if something did, he wouldn’t have been able to understand me.
Our manager, Amanda, ran out, seemingly in a panic. “I heard someone scream. What’s wrong?” Rebekah’s cheeks instantly turned red and she looked at me, obviously wanted me to talk for her. I just stared at her. I couldn’t speak, I was still in shock. Ryan spoke up, “Sorry. We just wanted to surprise them after not seeing them for six months, so we just decided to drop by without letting them know.” “Oh, so you’re the boys they’re always going on about,” Amanda smirked. Rebekah and I looked at each other wide-eyed as Jamie and Ryan grinned. She laughed again, “Why don’t you girls take the next couple of weeks off, yeah? You know, to catch up with your boyfriends.” Rebekah was finally able to speak, “But it’s Monday and our shift just started. We can’t just leave..” “Honey, has there ever been more than five people in here at a time? It’s okay. It’s been six months since you’ve seen these boys, I want to give you all the time off I can.” “A-are you sure?” I stuttered slightly, finally starting to catch my breath. “Yes,” Amanda laughed, “I’m as sure as I’ve ever been. I know what you’re going through. And if my boss had given me two weeks off to spend time with my now husband, he would have been the best boss I’d ever had the pleasure of working for. And I’ll call you if I need any help.” She smiled as she turned and walked back into her office.
Rebekah and I looked at Jamie and Ryan, then at each other, then back at Jamie and Ryan and smiled. They grabbed our hands and pulled us outside to Ryan’s car. “So, where do you beautiful ladies live?” Ryan asked. “Just down the road,” I replied, giving him the rest of the directions. Once Ryan parked his car, we led them to our apartment. “Alright,” Jamie finally spoke, “Go change your clothes. We’re taking you to the fair.” Rebekah and I looked at each other for a moment and basically ran toward our rooms.
The fair was the fair. Ryan and Jamie spent God know how much money trying to win us a stuffed animal they could have bought at a store for way cheaper, but I guess it’s some sort of male pride thing.
We laughed as we walked down the street back to our apartment, Rebekah and I carrying our little stuffed bears and holding Ryan and Jamie’s hands. “So,” Rebekah started, “Where are you guys staying?” Jamie was about to talk when I interrupted, “With us, I would hope.” They all looked at me and I frowned, “Or not…” “No, Alex. We would love to,” Ryan laughed. “Yeah. It sure as hell beats the motel we were going to stay at,” Jamie added. “Ew. People like Jamie and Ryan Follese should not have to be seen in such places as a motel.” I drug out the word ‘motel’, trying to act disgusted. Ryan, Jamie, and Rebekah almost instantly started cracking up. “I know I’m hilarious, but damn. Calm the heck down,” I said as I burst into a fit of giggles. “And that’s why we love you, Alex,” Ryan said, kissing my forehead. “Hey, bro.” Jamie tried to act offended, “Don’t you kiss my woman.” “Oh, yeah? What are you going to do about it?” Ryan smirked. Jamie ran over to Rebekah and kissed her forehead while she stood there, laughing like there was no tomorrow. “Oh, now it’s personal!” Ryan yelled. “OH, LOOK,” I yelled, grabbing Rebekah’s hand and running over to a driveway, “Pretty rocks! Let’s go have a look at them, Rebekah!” She laughed at my horribly sarcastic attempt to avoid Jamie and Ryan’s little “confrontation” in the middle of the street while the boys just pretended to beat each other up. “What the hell do you call that?” Rebekah yelled at them. “You guys hit like little girls!” I laughed. Jamie and Ryan gave each other a look and started walking toward us. I grabbed Rebekah’s hand again, running and screaming, “Oh, dear God. Run. They’re gonna beat us with their little girly punches!”
They chased us until we got to the park down the road where Rebekah and I split up, her running toward the jungle gym, me making a break for the swings. When I got closer, I noticed Jamie wasn’t following me so I sat down on one of the swings, breathing heavily. “Damn, I’m out of shape.” I looked down, laughing quietly to myself. When I looked back up, Jamie was standing there and I jumped and screamed, “When the hell did you get there?” “About half a second ago,” he smiled down at me. I stood up, and he grabbed the swing’s chains, knowing I wouldn’t be able to get away. “Hey,” I pouted, “That’s not fair.” “Life isn’t fair,” he said as he leaned in and kissed me. I smiled and interlocked my fingers around him, resting them on the back of his neck.
I’m going to skip to Friday, because Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday were pretty much like Monday.
“We really are sorry we can’t go to the party with you guys.” Ryan said. “I’ve told you a million times, guys,” I said, “It’s okay. Go make beautiful music now, party later! We’ll see you there when you’re done. Make us proud!” The boys gave us hugs and kisses before they left with Nash and Ian to work on their new album. We waved to all of them and when the door closed, I looked at Rebekah and practically screamed, “Let’s go party!” She laughed as we ran to our rooms to get dressed.
The party was one of those typical college parties you hear about. Drunk idiots, stupid party games, couples going upstairs to be stereotypical. Blah, blah, blah.
“Hey,” I yelled over the music, turning toward Rebekah, “I’m gonna go look for the bathroom. I’ll be right back.” She nodded and kept dancing. That girl, I swear. She can outparty anyone I know. I laughed to myself as I walked up the stairs and opened some doors, only to find makeout sessions.
Okay, so finding a bathroom would be harder than I thought. “Why the hell does this house have to be so big?” I wondered outloud.
You know when people say that something took their breath away, but in a bad way? Yeah, that happened when I opened the next door. I guess I didn’t really know what I was expecting when I turned the doorknob. Well, I was expecting to see what resembled a bathroom, sure. But what I found certainly wasn’t that.