The Three C's

“They’re so pretty!” Maggie breathed against me as we looked up towards the sky, watching as the fireworks exploded into pretty colors.

It was early at night, Maggie and I were sitting on the ground, she was in-between my legs and leaning against my chest, my arms around her. The fireworks had just started and we had just gotten comfortable when we heard Maggie’s name being called. She turned and I saw Nick running over saying that it was about to start.

“Already?” Maggie groaned and Nick smirked and nodded his head.

“You doing something this year?”

“Probably not,” she said sadly and he nodded his head, “You?”

“Conner, Ian, Jeff and I are first,” he laughed and Maggie giggled.

“Good luck with that.”

“Ok, hold up- I’m confused,” I said and Maggie laughed and turned her body.

“Well, you know that my mom’s side of the family is musically talented?” Maggie asked and I nodded my head slowly, vaguely knowing that, “Well every time we have a party or get together- Notice the stage when we were sitting with everyone?”

“Now that you mention it,” I chuckled.

“Everyone in our family performs something,” Nick said and I looked at him, “Mags and Mikey used to do something all the time- Or even the three of us- It’s been a while since you’ve done something on your own, Mags.”

“Not really in the mood,” she said and Nick nodded his head, looking down at her sadly.

“You know, I never saw you perform- Other than All Star, I never really heard you sing either,” I told her and she looked at me, “You can sing something.”

“Pat, I really don’t wanna,” she said and I sighed and nodded my head, “I’m sorry, I just-“

“It’s all right,” I said and kissed her head, she leaned back on my chest and looked at the fireworks, I looked up at Nick and he sighed and just turned around, heading back towards the direction he came in. I looked back down at Maggie, “It’s because you miss Mike, isn’t it- You won’t sing without him.”

“Pat-“

“I know you miss him, Mags, but-“

“It’s not just that,” she said and I looked down at her, “Singing was something that we did together- I’m not good without him-“

“You thought that about hockey too- Remember? You’re just as good- Maybe better than before,” I told her and she sighed, “Will you think about it?”

“I’ll think about it,” she said and I smiled.

‘…At least it’s not a no…’ I thought and we watched the fireworks for a little bit longer until people started to yell for us to head over towards the stage. Maggie and I headed over, Nick and three others, I found out to be three of Maggie’s cousins, were on the stage with hm.

Someone strummed the electric guitar and then music started to play. Maggie leaned against me and smiled, watching her little brother looking like he was having fun up there, “…You look so perfect standing there, In my American Apparel Underwear, And I know now, that I’m so down, Your lipstick stain is a work of art, I got your name tattooed in an arrow heart, And I know now, that I’m so down…”

“Go Nicky!” Maggie laughed and cheered for her brother; I smirked and felt Maggie jump up and down happily.

“You gunna do something, Mags?” her mother asked her and Maggie sighed and shook her head, “Aw, why not Maggie, I haven’t heard your voice since Christmas-“

“With Mikey,” Maggie said and I looked at Mrs. Marshall, she sighed and placed her hand on Maggie’s shoulder.

“You can do it, Maggie,” her mom said and winked towards her, “I really want to hear something.”

“I don’t have anything-“

“You didn’t have anything last time, use an old song,” her mom said and I smiled towards Maggie.

“Please,” I said and Maggie looked at me and sighed.

“You are not to record it and put it on youtube, got it!”

“Scouts honor,” I laughed and she smirked and shook her head, “You’re gunna sing?”

“Later I will.”

“Yes!” Maggie’s mom and I yelled and then we laughed.

-Maggie-
A lot more of my family performed after Nick and my cousins. It was getting late and I was hoping that Pat and my mom were going to forget about me going up there to sing, they didn’t forget. Mom went onto stage and said that after my Aunt was going to sing something, I was going to go up. Nick pulled me away from Pat and over towards the stage.

“What are you going to sing?” he asked and I sighed.

“I have no clue, I don’t have any of my music prerecorded with me and-“

“I’ve got something,” he said and I looked at him confused, “Macy texted me before we left, wanting to use an empty disc so she could hurry up and download her song for today. I was in a hurry and just grabbed your whole shoebox.”

“So you have all of my stuff?” I asked surprised and he nodded his head, “All right, let’s see what I’ve got,” I said and then Nick and I hurried over towards his car and went through all of my discs. When I picked the tenth disc up, looking at the title, “Replay?” I read out loud, “What song is this?” I asked myself and then told Nick to turn his car on so that I could put the disc in the CD player and figure out what song this was. The music started to play and it was coming back to me.

“The case said it’s from 2005,” Nick said and I looked at him, “It’s an old one.”

“I’ve probably played it before.”

“They’re not going to remember it if it’s almost ten years old,” he said and I nodded my head, “You remember the words.”

“I remember all of the words to my songs,” I said and he nodded his head.

“Good luck.”

“Thanks,” I said as I grabbed the disc, case and then headed for the stage, still not believing that I was doing this.

“You ready, Maggie?” mom asked as she saw me coming over.

“No,” I laughed and then handed her the disc, “But I don’t really have a choice in this,” I said and then headed onto the stage, but stopped when I heard my name, turning around and smiling brightly when I saw Emma and Troy, I hadn’t seen them in so long.

“You think you were going on there without me saying good luck,” Emma laughed and I hugged her and then kissed Troy’s head.

“I’m happy you’re here- Where have you been?” I asked and she giggled.

“You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you,” she said and I rolled my eyes, “Get up there! I wanna hear what song you picked!”

“All right,” I said and then turned around and headed back onto the stage and over towards the mic. I took a deep breath and then looked towards my mom and nodded my head, the music started and I bit my lip, “Make it stop, Sound so good I just can’t take no more, Turn it down, turn it up, I don’t know, I don’t know. But don’t stop, don’t move, just keep it there, Keep it right there, keep it right there. I wanna put you on repeat, play you everywhere I go, e-e-everywhere I go, play you everywhere I go. Put you on repeat; play you everywhere I go, e-e-everywhere I go, play you everywhere I go. Yeah, Wanna put this song on replay, I can listen to it all day, I can listen to you all day, Hear you all day, yeah. Wann put this song on replay, We can start all over again and again, yeah, Wanna put this song on replay…”

I finished and then looked towards Pat, he was smirking towards me and holding Troy, I smiled towards him and saw that Emma was next to him, because shock me the most, was that Jon was with her. I smiled brightly towards that and then skipped off of the stage and headed over towards them.

“Jonny!” I squealed and then jumped him, “You’re here! In Texas! With Emma! What are you doing in Texas with Emma?” I teased, poking his stomach, hearing Pat laugh and watched as Jon rolled his eyes and tried to get me to stop poking, “I knew there was something going on with you two!”

“There’s nothing going on,” Emma laughed and Pat scoffed.

“Lies!” he said and I laughed and then walked looked at Jon.

“Tell the truth, Captain.”

He looked at me and smiled brightly, “Yeah, that’s right! So be nice to your, Captain!”

“We’re on the offseason, so you’re not the boss of me.”

“Yet!” he said and I laughed.

“Still not the boss of me,” I teased, poking him a few more times.

“Ah, you’re gunna be giving me a hard time, eh?” Jon said and Pat and Emma laughed.

“Yes sir! Captain, sir!” I saluted towards him and then hugged him.

I heard Jon chuckle and then felt his arm slip around my waist, “The things I put up with for you. Kaner!”