Forgotten Memories

Chapter 4

Roslyn woke the next morning in a good mood. She looked at the text message from Joe she had received before falling asleep.

I’m glad. Sweet dreams, butterfly ;)

She wondered if butterfly had meant something. Just one more thing she couldn’t remember…

She stood from the bed.

Butterfly? she questioned again. And then suddenly she knew.

She and Joe had been hanging out that morning before the small party she and Jordan were throwing to celebrate the boys’ recent CD release. It may have been small, with only the boys, the band, Frankie, Denise, and Kevin Sr. invited, but there was a lot to do before the party started. The apartment needed cleaning, decorations needed picked up, and groceries needed bought. Roslyn opted to pick up the decorations and Kevin the food, leaving Nick and Jordan to clean up. Roslyn frowned.

“I’m going to need a hand, guys.”

“I’ll go,” Joe offered.

“Weren’t you going with Kevin?”

“Well that’s okay,” Kevin spoke up, “I don’t need the help and you do. It makes sense.”

“Okay, I’ll see you back here.” She placed a quick kiss on his cheek before walking out the door with Joe.

She and Joe had been to three of the several major party stores to pick out streamers, plates, tablecloths, and balloons. They walked passed a tattoo parlor when she turned to Joe.

“I’ve thought about getting one before.” Hands full, she gave an indicating nod to the shop.

“Really?” he was surprised by her statement.

“Yeah. I talked myself out of that one pretty fast,” she gave a little laugh. “I thought it
would be something fun to do, but I can’t bring myself to put a permanent mark on my body.”

Joe nodded; he understood. “What would you get? My name on your ass?”

She pushed him lightly, “Shut up. Probably a butterfly. I think they’re beautiful and there’s something very spiritual about them.”

He laughed.

“Joe!” she gasped. Her cheeks turned bright pink with embarrassment.

“Ah, Ross, I’m sorry,” he threw an arm around her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. She looked unconvinced.

The two continued to talk until they reached the apartment.

“I’ll help you bring these things in, but I’m gonna go so I can get ready,” Joe said, “I have some things to take care of before anyways.

“Okay, thanks for your help,” she smiled.

“Anytime,” he promised, returning her smile with one of his own.

~//~

The doorbell rang and Roslyn glanced at the clock. Whoever it was was early.

“Coming!” she yelled. She opened the door to Joe.

He stood with a small, plastic bag in his hands, grinning madly.

“I got you something!”

“I don’t want it,” she said wearily.

“Yes you do. Trust me.”

“No way, last time I trusted you I ended up lost and in Ohio.”

He chuckled at the incident. “Seriously, take the bag.” Roslyn took it carefully, slowing removing the content of the bag. She laughed and Joe beamed.

“Temporary butterfly tattoos. Thanks, Joe.” She gave him a quick, one armed hug. He gently squeezed her back. “I’m gonna go put one on right now.” Joe watched her sprint away.

She returned smiling. His eyes roamed over her, searching for the tattoo. He gave her a puzzled look.

She reached for the hem of her shirt, pulling it up a few inches. Then she tugged her jeans down a bit, exposing more skin and her left hip. A blue, shimmering butterfly tattoo had been placed there. She grinned.

“What do you think?” she questioned brightly.

“It looks good on you, Ross.” His eyes lingered on the exposed skin.

Roslyn smiled- finally a memory. She grabbed a tee shirt and a pair of jeans to change into before heading downstairs. She found Jordan sitting at the kitchen table with a bowl of cereal even though it was past noon. Roslyn grabbed a bowl for herself before sitting down. She glanced over at her friend.

“Have a good time last night?”

Jordan looked up from her breakfast, “As a matter of fact, I did,” she smiled, “Where did Kevin take you?”

“Um, some Italian restaurant. It was the same place we had our first date.”

“How romantic,” Jordan gushed. Roslyn nodded, launching into the other details of the date.

“It sounds like you had a really nice time. Oh, Nick called about fifteen minutes ago. They have the whole day off, so the boys and the band wanted to come over here later. I told him yes, but that I would check with you. It’s a lot of people to have come over and I wasn’t sure how that would make you feel.”

“It sounds like fun. Maybe I’ll even remember something else.”

“Else?” Jordan’s eyes grew big at Roslyn’s word choice.

Roslyn grinned, “I woke up this morning and remembered a conversation I had with Joe about me wanting a butterfly tattoo. I told him that even though I wanted one, I could never go through with it. The next day he showed up with a pack of temporary butterfly tattoos for me.”

Jordan gave a small smile, “That’s great. I’m really glad you remembered something.”

About two hours later, Kevin, Nick, and Joe arrived with Greg, John, and Jack. Quick hellos, hugs, and reintroductions were given.

“Hey, Roslyn. It’s good to see you again,” Greg said. John and Jack stood at his side.

“Hi guys I don’t know,” she waved. They guys laughed.

“I’m glad to see you in good spirits. We’re all sorry about your accident,” John told her.

An hour has passed when Joe interrupted everyone’s conversations.

“Let’s play charades,” Joe said holding paper and pencils.

“You mean Pictionary, Joe?” Kevin corrected.

“Yeah, whatever. Are you playing?”

“Sure as long as I’m not on your team.”

Joe frowned, “I don’t want you on my team. Nick you in?”

“Yeah, but I’m with Jordan,” he wrapped his arms around her waist. Joe focused his attention to John.

“I call John!” Kevin said quickly. Joe stuck his tongue out at his older brother.

“Aw, I’ll play with you, Joe” Roslyn said. The group smirked. “What?” she asked.

“It’s not her fault she doesn’t remember,” Greg said, “Maybe we should tell her.”

“Tell me what?”

“You wanna be on his team?” countered Jack.

“It’s nothing!” Greg told her in a rush.

“Ignore them,” said Joe, “There all jealous cause we’re gonna win.”

“Right.” Roslyn rolled her eyes, “I can’t believe I’m hanging out with the world famous Jonas
Brothers and their band and we’re playing Pictionary. This is lame.”

“Shut up and draw, woman.”

~//~

“And go!” The minute glass was turned upside down.

She and Joe made the perfect team. They both lacked any true artistic ability, but more importantly, they were able to ignore the shouts from the opposing teams.

Roslyn stared as Joe drew a circle and then short lines all around it.

“Sun!” she blurted out. He nodded and began drawing another shape. She supposed it resembled a water glass.

Sun, water, glass, glasses, sun, sunglasses

“Sunglasses!"

“Yes!” Joe threw his hands in the air, victoriously.

“Ugh!” Nick groaned. He hated losing, especially to Joe and at Pictionary. Joe could hardly draw anything recognizable.

“I don’t believe this,” John said, “How are they winning?”

“Cause we’re team awesome, that’s how!” Roslyn boasted.

“Heck yeah!” Joe gave her a high five, while everyone else just rolled their eyes.

The next card was drawn and the timer was flipped.

Roslyn began drawing a rectangle and stopped suddenly.

God, I can’t draw.

Joe was shouting all kinds of answers at her and she began to draw again. This time she added a sitting stick person onto the rectangle.

“Relaxing, uh, couch, um,” Joe stammered hurriedly.

“Yes, couch!”

“Yessss!”

“What the hell?” Jordan pouted.

“Let me see.” Kevin reached for the piece of paper. “You got couch from this?”

“Hey!” Roslyn shouted.

“Uh, sorry babe,” he said quickly.

This time Joe drew a large rectangle and placed a small square in the upper right corner. He half-heartily added an arrow pointing to the square.

“Stamp!”

“Woo, we rock at this.”

Greg stared at them, “I don’t want to play with you two.”

“Garbo, man, you sound like Nick,” Joe laughed.

Again Roslyn and Joe traded places. And again Roslyn was drawing a stick figure. Joe choked back his laughter and watched carefully as she drew.

“Cowboy! Chaps! Boots!”

“Hold on,” she hissed. She added spikes to the boots and pointed to them.

Joe groaned, “I don’t know what those are called!” Just then Kevin yelled, “spurs”.

“You would get that, Kev,” Joe called bitterly in reference to his brother’s liking for cowboy boots.

“It’s okay, we’re still winning,” Roslyn reminded him. “Here,” she shoved the pencil into his hand.

As she watched Joe draw, she said the first thing that came to her mind.

“Penis!” She yelled.

It was as if the room froze, everyone went silent, and she instantly felt seven pairs of eyes on her. And then, everyone erupted in to laughter.

Jordan choked back her giggles, “And on that note, game over.”