Take It All Away
Songs
“Food coma,” I groaned, stretched out on Adam’s old bed and yawning.
All the guys were gathered in there with me and Adam. Eric was still avoiding me but I really didn’t care; not after the way he talked to me. Mark, Jacob, and Eric were all playing cards while Adam played on his keyboard.
“So nap,” Adam laughed.
I rolled on my stomach and looked at him. “Play something?”
“What do you want me to play?”
I shrugged. “Whatever comes to you.”
He watched me for a second before starting up a song. I rested my head on my arms and watched him play. He pressed a few buttons on there to add special effects before singing.
There was a shot in the dark
I was caught by surprise
There was a hole in my heart
There were tears in your eyes
And there was nothing to say
'Cause you made up your mind
And so I guess what you meant
When you left was goodbye
So if you're gonna go
And leave me in a lonely grave
I won't let it show
Until you finally float away
You gotta know that you tear me up
When you say you wanna take it all away, take it all away
You tear it up when you say
You wanna take it all away, take it all away!
You were the one, and it was enough
To be the one you were dreaming of!
You were the one and we called it love
And now you take it away, take away!
I felt a pain in my chest with your kiss on my cheek
And as I tried to digest the words I couldn't believe
I'm left with nothing to say with my heart on my sleeve
Making it easy to hurt, and even harder to breathe
So if you're gonna go
And leave me in the lonely grave
I won't let it show
Until you finally float away
You gotta know that you tear me up
When you say you wanna take it away, take it away
You tear me up when you say
You wanna take it away, take it all away!
You were the one, and it was enough
To be the one you were dreaming of
You were the one and we called it love
And now you take it all away, take it all away!
You take it all away, you take it all away
He kept singing and I sighed a little, enjoying the sound of his voice. The other three were sitting as if in a trance as well. Adam’s eyes were closed as he sang, his fingers moving across the keys expertly. When he finished, he didn’t open his eyes right away.
“That was beautiful,” I whispered and he smiled shyly. “And sad.”
“Thanks,” he muttered. “I wrote it a few years ago.”
“It’s one of my favorites,” Jacob said.
Adam pursed his lips. “I don’t know. It’s not like my other stuff.”
“That’s what’s so appealing about it,” Eric assured him.
“What about you, Violet?” Mark asked. “Which one is your favorite?”
I thought for a minute or two. “Well, the first one I ever heard was ‘Fireflies’ just like everyone else. But the lyrics really spoke to me in more ways than one so I’d have to go with that one. I’m not jumping on any kind of bandwagon, of course.”
“Didn’t you write one about your ex?” Eric asked.
Adam nodded. “Yeah. It was called ‘Lonely Lullaby’.” He shot me a nervous glance as if afraid this would upset me. “It was a while ago.”
“I think it’s sweet,” I assured him with a smile. “I’d love to have a song written about me.”
“Maybe someday you will,” he whispered.
“Play ‘Good Times’!” Mark demanded and we laughed as he turned back to the keyboard.
-
My eyes blinked open and I looked around. I was still in Adam’s old room but I was alone. Someone had pulled the covers over me. I rubbed my eyes and looked at my phone. It was around 6 in the evening. I stretched and headed downstairs, brushing my hair with my fingers.
“There’s the Sleeping Beauty,” Randal said.
Everyone was gathered in the living room except for Sofia and her daughters.
“They had to leave,” Joan said with a said smile. “Molly fell and hurt herself.”
“I hope she’s okay!”
“Oh, she’ll be fine. Kids get hurt so much. You’ll find out when you have your own.”
I cleared my throat and sat between Adam and Mark. They were playing a racing video game on an old PlayStation. Joan passed me a slice of apple pie that I happily accepted. At the table, Eric, Jacob, and Randal were playing poker.
“You suck at this,” Jacob snorted, putting down his cards.
Eric grimaced. “I should’ve folded a long time ago.”
“When do you guys head back to the hotel?” Joan asked.
Adam shrugged, trying to maneuver around Mark’s car. “Whenever we go, I guess.”
“Well, I’m going to start on the dishes,” Joan said. “You guys have fun.”
“Let me help,” I said, jumping up quickly.
“Violet!” Jacob whined as I walked in front of him, causing him to crash into a tree.
I giggled. “Oops. Sorry.”
Adam whooped in celebration as he crossed the finish line.
“Rematch!” I heard Jacob yell as I followed Joan into the kitchen.
Joan was laughing. “When these boys get together it’s like dealing with children.”
I smiled. “I don’t think Adam gets to do this often even when he’s on the road, so it’s nice to see him like this.”
“He may be 29, but he’s still a teen at heart,” she agreed. “If I rinse, will you put them in the dishwasher?”
“Certainly,” I nodded and turned to the leftovers. “Do you want these in Tuperware or Ziploc?”
“Definitely Ziploc,” she said urgently. “Feel free to take some back to the hotel with you. Adam said you don’t leave for another week. Well, that’s assuming you didn’t already buy a ticket.”
I shook my head, spooning the potatoes into a bag and passing the bowl to her.
“No, Adam convinced me to stay.”
“I’m glad you are,” she said. “What happened earlier?”
I sighed. “It doesn’t really matter now,” I dodged her question. “Just drama.”
“I understand. So, do you want kids?”
I hesitated. “I can’t have kids,” I muttered. “When my ex…. Well, we went to the doctor to make sure I wasn’t pregnant and they did some tests.”
“I’m sorry, dear.”
I shrugged. “Frankly, I consider myself still a virgin. Is that weird?”
“Not at all,” she assured me. “It was taken from you. Next time, it will be your choice.”
I smiled. “My thoughts exactly.”
We finished the dishes in silence, both unaware that Adam was standing there with an empty glass, stunned.
--
Adam sat down on the couch heavily.
“Ready for a rematch?” Jacob asked, handing him the controller. “Dude, what’s wrong?”
Adam shook his head. “Give me a minute.”
He took a gulp of his water, trying to get the conversation out of his head. He didn’t want to think of someone doing that to Violet and he definitely didn’t want to think of what she had to go through. It explained why her father stopped her mother from pushing the topic when he met them months ago. He drained his drink, aware that Jacob was still watching him.
He glanced at the kitchen door where he could hear his mother’s voice and Violet’s laughing.
“We just need to remember to be careful around Violet,” he muttered.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“Remember how she jerked away from Eric?” Jacob nodded. “There’s a reason….”
Realization dawned on Jacob and he ran a hand through his hair. “Damn. Are you going to say anything to her?”
“No,” he said, “and you better not either.”
“My lips are sealed,” he promised.
Adam took the controller. “Let’s do this.”
Jacob grinned. “I’m so going to kick your ass.”
All the guys were gathered in there with me and Adam. Eric was still avoiding me but I really didn’t care; not after the way he talked to me. Mark, Jacob, and Eric were all playing cards while Adam played on his keyboard.
“So nap,” Adam laughed.
I rolled on my stomach and looked at him. “Play something?”
“What do you want me to play?”
I shrugged. “Whatever comes to you.”
He watched me for a second before starting up a song. I rested my head on my arms and watched him play. He pressed a few buttons on there to add special effects before singing.
There was a shot in the dark
I was caught by surprise
There was a hole in my heart
There were tears in your eyes
And there was nothing to say
'Cause you made up your mind
And so I guess what you meant
When you left was goodbye
So if you're gonna go
And leave me in a lonely grave
I won't let it show
Until you finally float away
You gotta know that you tear me up
When you say you wanna take it all away, take it all away
You tear it up when you say
You wanna take it all away, take it all away!
You were the one, and it was enough
To be the one you were dreaming of!
You were the one and we called it love
And now you take it away, take away!
I felt a pain in my chest with your kiss on my cheek
And as I tried to digest the words I couldn't believe
I'm left with nothing to say with my heart on my sleeve
Making it easy to hurt, and even harder to breathe
So if you're gonna go
And leave me in the lonely grave
I won't let it show
Until you finally float away
You gotta know that you tear me up
When you say you wanna take it away, take it away
You tear me up when you say
You wanna take it away, take it all away!
You were the one, and it was enough
To be the one you were dreaming of
You were the one and we called it love
And now you take it all away, take it all away!
You take it all away, you take it all away
He kept singing and I sighed a little, enjoying the sound of his voice. The other three were sitting as if in a trance as well. Adam’s eyes were closed as he sang, his fingers moving across the keys expertly. When he finished, he didn’t open his eyes right away.
“That was beautiful,” I whispered and he smiled shyly. “And sad.”
“Thanks,” he muttered. “I wrote it a few years ago.”
“It’s one of my favorites,” Jacob said.
Adam pursed his lips. “I don’t know. It’s not like my other stuff.”
“That’s what’s so appealing about it,” Eric assured him.
“What about you, Violet?” Mark asked. “Which one is your favorite?”
I thought for a minute or two. “Well, the first one I ever heard was ‘Fireflies’ just like everyone else. But the lyrics really spoke to me in more ways than one so I’d have to go with that one. I’m not jumping on any kind of bandwagon, of course.”
“Didn’t you write one about your ex?” Eric asked.
Adam nodded. “Yeah. It was called ‘Lonely Lullaby’.” He shot me a nervous glance as if afraid this would upset me. “It was a while ago.”
“I think it’s sweet,” I assured him with a smile. “I’d love to have a song written about me.”
“Maybe someday you will,” he whispered.
“Play ‘Good Times’!” Mark demanded and we laughed as he turned back to the keyboard.
-
My eyes blinked open and I looked around. I was still in Adam’s old room but I was alone. Someone had pulled the covers over me. I rubbed my eyes and looked at my phone. It was around 6 in the evening. I stretched and headed downstairs, brushing my hair with my fingers.
“There’s the Sleeping Beauty,” Randal said.
Everyone was gathered in the living room except for Sofia and her daughters.
“They had to leave,” Joan said with a said smile. “Molly fell and hurt herself.”
“I hope she’s okay!”
“Oh, she’ll be fine. Kids get hurt so much. You’ll find out when you have your own.”
I cleared my throat and sat between Adam and Mark. They were playing a racing video game on an old PlayStation. Joan passed me a slice of apple pie that I happily accepted. At the table, Eric, Jacob, and Randal were playing poker.
“You suck at this,” Jacob snorted, putting down his cards.
Eric grimaced. “I should’ve folded a long time ago.”
“When do you guys head back to the hotel?” Joan asked.
Adam shrugged, trying to maneuver around Mark’s car. “Whenever we go, I guess.”
“Well, I’m going to start on the dishes,” Joan said. “You guys have fun.”
“Let me help,” I said, jumping up quickly.
“Violet!” Jacob whined as I walked in front of him, causing him to crash into a tree.
I giggled. “Oops. Sorry.”
Adam whooped in celebration as he crossed the finish line.
“Rematch!” I heard Jacob yell as I followed Joan into the kitchen.
Joan was laughing. “When these boys get together it’s like dealing with children.”
I smiled. “I don’t think Adam gets to do this often even when he’s on the road, so it’s nice to see him like this.”
“He may be 29, but he’s still a teen at heart,” she agreed. “If I rinse, will you put them in the dishwasher?”
“Certainly,” I nodded and turned to the leftovers. “Do you want these in Tuperware or Ziploc?”
“Definitely Ziploc,” she said urgently. “Feel free to take some back to the hotel with you. Adam said you don’t leave for another week. Well, that’s assuming you didn’t already buy a ticket.”
I shook my head, spooning the potatoes into a bag and passing the bowl to her.
“No, Adam convinced me to stay.”
“I’m glad you are,” she said. “What happened earlier?”
I sighed. “It doesn’t really matter now,” I dodged her question. “Just drama.”
“I understand. So, do you want kids?”
I hesitated. “I can’t have kids,” I muttered. “When my ex…. Well, we went to the doctor to make sure I wasn’t pregnant and they did some tests.”
“I’m sorry, dear.”
I shrugged. “Frankly, I consider myself still a virgin. Is that weird?”
“Not at all,” she assured me. “It was taken from you. Next time, it will be your choice.”
I smiled. “My thoughts exactly.”
We finished the dishes in silence, both unaware that Adam was standing there with an empty glass, stunned.
--
Adam sat down on the couch heavily.
“Ready for a rematch?” Jacob asked, handing him the controller. “Dude, what’s wrong?”
Adam shook his head. “Give me a minute.”
He took a gulp of his water, trying to get the conversation out of his head. He didn’t want to think of someone doing that to Violet and he definitely didn’t want to think of what she had to go through. It explained why her father stopped her mother from pushing the topic when he met them months ago. He drained his drink, aware that Jacob was still watching him.
He glanced at the kitchen door where he could hear his mother’s voice and Violet’s laughing.
“We just need to remember to be careful around Violet,” he muttered.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“Remember how she jerked away from Eric?” Jacob nodded. “There’s a reason….”
Realization dawned on Jacob and he ran a hand through his hair. “Damn. Are you going to say anything to her?”
“No,” he said, “and you better not either.”
“My lips are sealed,” he promised.
Adam took the controller. “Let’s do this.”
Jacob grinned. “I’m so going to kick your ass.”