Back Into Your Arms

Chapter 12

We were sitting in my living room trying to think of something to do. It was already getting late and no one was coming up with any ideas.

“Let’s go on an adventure!” Melody suggested. The guys looked at her and started laughing.

“Melody, an adventure in the middle of the desert?” one of my friends Ryan asked sarcastically.

“Why not?”

“We want to live to make it to our senior year, you know?”

“Oh c’mon guys, she’s right though. We usually do the same things every weekend, we should try something new” I interjected.

“Well count me out, I’m going to go play video games at my house” Ryan said and stood up.

“We’ll see you around then” Alex said waving bye to Ryan. Ryan just shook his head and walked out.

“Was it really that bad of an idea?” Melody asked, she looked surprised that Ryan had actually left.

“He’s afraid of encountering a snake in the desert” I explained to Mel. Alex and Garrett laughed.

“Ah” she nodded.

“C’mon let’s go before the sun sets!” Garrett said standing up.

“We’ll go buy the food, you guys go and find a good spot!” Alex said grabbing his keys. Melody looked at me and then at them.

“We’re actually going to the desert? You guys are awesome!” she said super excited. She grabbed the keys to my pickup truck and pulled me outside.

“Don’t you want to let you parents know first?” I asked her as we got into the car. She shook her head and laughed.

“I lied to my parents for the first time John”

“You lied?”

“I lied. I told them I was going to hang out with Julie and we were going to go watch a movie at 9pm, so I wouldn’t be back home until 11” she said and grinned, so proud of herself.

“What if something happens” I said still not convinced. Her parents were terrible, if something were to happen to her they would lose their minds.

“What’s wrong Johno, you don’t usually worry about these things”

“I just want your parents to like me”

“I like you, is that not enough?”

“You live under their roof”

“I know, I know, relax John. C’mon let’s go!” she said putting on her seatbelt. I turned on the car and she turned on the radio.

Promiscuous started playing.
I tried to focus on the road as I watched Melody trying to dance to the song.

“This song has terrible lyrics, but Timbaland, he sure can produce some good songs huh?” she said laughing as she changed the station. It only got worse.

“Shakira, Shakira, oh baby when you talk like that you make a woman go mad, so be wise and keep on, reading the signs of my body” she sang to me and started dancing even more. I almost swerved the road.
She just laughed so hard and I couldn’t help but join in.

“Okay, okay. I’ll find a song we both like” she said searching for a good song.

I recognized the familiar beat.

“Everyone knows I’m in over my head, over my head with eight seconds left in overtime, she’s on your mind, she’s on your mind” we both sang as she raised the volume. We were finally in the desert and the sky was turning red.

As the song ended she turned the music off.
She smiled as she lowered the window.
The wind rushing through her hair as she looked out.
So happy, in my beat up car.
She looked over and smiled at me. I was lost in the moment. The moment was right.
She pointed towards a spot. I noticed it too, it looked perfect. She looked perfect I stopped the car, I remember her looking confused but I leaned over and kissed her.
She was surprised but kissed me back.

“I’m sorry, it just felt right” I said to her laughing lightly, feeling a bit embarrassed.

“You don’t need to apologize for that kind of thing” she said and smiled. She opened the door of the car and hoped out.

“Call the guys and tell them we found the spot” she said to me as she got on top of a large rock, she was looking at the sunset.

I did as she told me, when I walked over to her, she didn’t even look my way.

“Arizona has some of the most beautiful sunsets” she said to me.

“You got that right” I agreed.

“Did you bring the camera?” she asked finally looking at me again.

“It’s in the car”

“Bring it over will you?”

I nodded and went back to the truck to grab the camera.

“I got an idea!” she exclaimed as she took the camera from me and climbed up to the back of the truck.

“C’mon” she said to me.
I got on as well.

“Let’s take a photo together with the sunset in the background”
She pulled me closer and kissed me as she took the photo. It wasn’t a true kiss though; it was a fake quick kiss for the photo.
She turned the camera around and looked at the photo and squealed.

“Oh my gosh John, tell me this isn’t the best photo you’ve seen” she said handing the camera to me.

“You can’t even really see our faces, all that came out is our outline”

“But isn’t it beautiful, our outline and the red sky in the background? I love it!” she said turning the camera off.

She was so random sometimes. She was always taking pictures with her camera, I just wondered what she did with them because I had never seen any of them.

“Did you bring your guitar?”

I nodded.

“Are you guys going to jam out all night?”

I nodded and smiled.

“It’s going to be perfect then” she said clapping excitedly.

In a matter of time, the boys arrived.
They started a bonfire.

“We bought some jalapeño poppers, some premade sandwiches from Safeway, chips” Pat said taking the things out of their bags.

“I’m going to get the guitars” I said to them, they all nodded and I went over to the truck. I got the guitars out but I couldn’t find my capo anywhere, so I spent a couple of minutes looking for it in the mess, when I returned, I found melody chugging down some water.

“What happened?” I asked them.

They all looked like they wanted to laugh but were hiding it. Melody was still chugging water.

“The jalapeno poppers were too spicy for your girl” Garret said and snorted.

“Ooo I feel dizzy” she said trying to put the water bottle cap back on the water bottle, but she was missing it every time.

“Wait, what else happened”

“Well we told Melody there was water in the coolers right?”

“Right”

“But the bottle she first opened had vodka instead” Alex explained to me. She burst out laughing.

“Why is everything spinning” she said laughing even harder. Her face flushed.

“What, did she drink the whole bottle of vodka or what?”

“She only had a sip, I really don’t know why she’s acting like that” Garret said showing me the bottle. The bottle was practically full.
She stood up and looked at me.

“I really like this guy” she said pointing at me. She began to walk towards me. She wasn’t walking in a straight line.

“Melody, are you alright?”

“John O John O, John O” was all she said to me, the guys couldn’t help but laugh. I sat her down on a chair. I looked at the guys.

“Okay, so who brought the damn vodka?”

They all looked at each other.

“Dude, I think it was already in the cooler”

“Who’s cooler is this?” I asked them.

Pat looked down.

“It’s my dad’s” he confessed.

“I thought your dad quit alcohol” Garett asked Pat, he just shrugged.

“I guess not”

“Gosh, I’m screwed” I said wiping the sweat off of my forehead.

“She only had a sip, she should sober up as soon as she eats something” Garrett said trying to comfort me but I could already imagine how angry her parents would be if they found out that while she was out with us she had alcohol. They would break us up. They would find a way to send me to jail or something crazy like that. I looked over at the sandwiches and unwrapped one and handed it to her.

“Eat”

“Play some music!” she demanded as she began eating her sandwich. She was giggling and playing with her food.
The alcohol was making her act like a child.
I sat next to her and began to tune my guitar, so did Alex.

“What shall we play?” I asked him. He just shrugged.

“Til Kingdom Come!” Melody yelled out.

“What’s your girl talking about?” Alex asked confused.

“Coldplay”

“Ah, she likes the British”

“Yeah”

“Let’s play it then”

I told Alex the chords.
He nodded and we began playing.
She was smiling, swaying from side to side. We played a couple other songs and then I handed the guitar over to Garret.

“Are you feeling better?” I asked her. She shook her head.

“Head hurts” is all she said but she smiled. I put my hand to her forehead, she was burning up.

“I’m getting really sleepy too” she added.

“Go to sleep, I’ll wake you up when it’s time to go, okay?”

She nodded and quickly fell asleep.
The rest of the time, the guys and I roasted marshmallows by the fire and played a couple of songs. We talked about our future, we talked about making music. It was a great night for sure, regardless of the vodka incident. Melody made us do something new, and new was good.
It was already 10:30 when I carried her into the car and woke her up. We had already packed everything back in to the cars.
I shook her gently.
She woke up alarmed.

“Gosh my head hurts” she said as she yanked on her hair. She looked around startled.

“Those stupid jalapeños” she muttered under her breath, then started laughing.

“Does that count as my first drink?” she asked me.

I started laughing as I fixed her hair.

“Melody, I don’t how but you got drunk with a sip of vodka. So yes, it does”

“That was weird huh?”

“Very” I said turning on the car.

“Take me to Julie’s she’s dropping me off home so it doesn’t look suspicious”

I sighed. I hated that she had to do this. Her parents shouldn’t be so distrusting of me.

“Will your parents ever like me?”

“They will, they will…just give them time”

“Is it my hair?” I asked. She laughed.

“Maybe?” she giggled as she ran her fingers through it.

“I’ll cut it”

“No John, don’t change yourself for them. They have to like you for who you are”

Her parents didn’t really like anyone to begin with, I wasn’t sure how I was going to do it.

“Fine” I said giving up on the subject. I turned on the radio. I was hoping Shakira would play again because I really wanted to see her dance again but to my dismay, it wasn’t on any station. Waiting On The World To Change started playing.

“Oh I love this song! Have you heard it?” she said raising the volume.

“You like this fool?” I said making a face.

“Yeah, I mean he’s hot and plays the guitar and writes these amazing songs” she went on.

“You know I’m hot too and play the guitar and I write songs too, who’s better me or him?”

“When you’re in a successful band, call me and then well discuss who’s better” she teased.

“You watch me”

“I mean c’mon John, you can’t compare yourself to John Mayer”

“I’m a better John”

“You’re the fifth John”

“That hurts”

“Fine, John Cornelius O’Callaghan the fifth, you’re my favorite John for life” she said grabbing my hand and kissing it.

“That better be right” I said and changed the song. She just laughed.

“Thank you for dropping me off, I’ll call you when I’m home” she said to me as she opened the door of the car.

“Oh wait, before you go” I said to her grabbing a CD.

“Listen to these and let me know what you think” I said handing her the CD. She smiled and blew me a kiss.

“Goodnight O’Callaghan”

“Goodnight Melody”

I watched her as she knocked on the door was greeted by her friend Julie.
I couldn’t wait until she listened to the songs.
I had written them all and couldn’t wait for someone to hear them. To tell me if I was any good and if I even stood a chance.
♠ ♠ ♠
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