Memories of Love, a Romance fanfic

Jason Linder
Song story
March, 04

Don't Speak

The first time Melody Star heard, Don't Speak, by No Doubt, she was only ten years old at the time, and had just met her very first love.
It happened in the quiet little town of Green Hill Falls about six years ago. It was the beginning of spring, and the snow had not quite melted yet, it was just slush, the kind of slush that really splattered and went down your clothes if you were hit by a ball of it.
It was recess for the kids of Green Hill Falls Elementary, and of course, the kids were all throwing slush balls at one another, which was against school rules. The teachers that tried to put a stop to it were barraged shamelessly with slush balls.
Melody didn't have any friends, she was very shy. She sat down on a bench and watched SWII (Slushball War II, not to be confused with WWII World War II) progress. She felt really lonely, but would have rather been in the middle of the slushball war along with the teachers than go up to the kids. She sighed and put her head in her knees.
"LOOK OUT!" someone cried out, and she looked up. She saw with her hazel blue eyes, a red headed, green-eyed boy running towards her, pointing up. She looked up into the sky, SPLAT! A slushball hit her square in the face.
"I'm so sorry!" the boy stammered, "I was throwing it up in the air- I didn't realize- I did not mean to hit you!"
He truly did look like he was sorry, so she just looked at the ground shyly and muttered, "It's ok, really. It isn't that bad."
"Really?" the boy asked, also refusing to make any eye contact with her. Then he cleared his throat nervously and asked, " Um- Can I at least- sit over here-? By you? I mean you do look-awfully lonely sitting here- and I was just wondering-"
"Sure" she said, looking right at him for the first time. "He's as shy as I am", she thought. The boy's nervousness amused her a bit; "Still, I'm impressed that he actually had enough courage to ask me."
He sat down next to her on the ground, and pulled a tiny portable radio out of his coat pocket. He turned it on, Don't Speak began to play.
She glanced over at him, and he hastily questioned her, as if he was afraid that he had offended her, "I'm sorry, do you mind if I listen to my radio?"
She shook her head and smiled, "No, I don't mind at all."
He held onto his radio tightly as they both listened to the song, pretty soon he spoke up, "I usually like to listen to my radio. It was a gift from my sister who I really am close to and get along with. She had gone to Chicago, and gotten me this radio. It's my most treasured possession, I carry it with me everywhere." He suddenly cut himself off, "Will you listen to me just go on and on about myself. Tell me about you,"
Melody stopped him, "No first you tell me your name."
"My name?" He asked, thinking for a bit, "My name is Joe, Joe Momma." She started laughing. "What? You got a problem with my name?" He asked, annoyed a bit, but at the same time, he was amused.
"No," She laughed, "There's nothing wrong with your name."
"Hey! Come on now! Stop laughing." As Joe said this however, he began to laugh with her.
"I like your name," she giggled, "It's cute."
"So are you", she thought to herself, "real cute."
"So what's your name?" He asked, "No wait!" he interrupted, then began to speak in tune to the lyrics of the song,
"Don't speak,
I know what you're thinking,
So please stop explaining,
Don't tell me cause it hurts."
This only made her laugh more. Then Joe asked, "No seriously, what's you're name?"
"Melody," she answered, "Melody Star."
"That's a real pretty name," Joe said.
"Thank you." Melody responded.
"And you're a real pretty girl." He continued. When she blushed and looked away shyly Joe asked, "Did I say that out loud?" She nodded, and he blushed and looked away shyly.
"I like you Joe," She quietly said.
"And I like you Melody." Joe responded, risking a glance or two at her, "Your real nice. I bet you have a ton of friends."
She sadly looked at her feet and quietly answered, "No- I-Don't."
"Oh," Joe said, also looking down at his feet, "Well, just as much, I don't have any friends either."
She moved closer and put her hand over his, "I'll be your friend Joe"
He smiled at her in response; "I'd like that."

Three years later, Joe and Melody were still best friends. It was wintertime, they were thirteen and in Middle school.
It happened during lunch recess. Joe and Melody were both sitting at a bench outside the school, talking to each-other like always. Joe had his portable radio out and was listening to it.
"I'm telling you, that's what their names really are." Joe was insisting.
"Come one Joe," Melody argued, "You expect me to believe that you met two guys named Dude and Homey? Those just are not normal names."
"Well if they have different names, then they don't know them Melody." Joe insisted.
Melody just shrugged, "Whatever."
They silently sat for a while. Pretty soon, Don't Speak began to play on the radio. "Hey, it's our favorite song," Joe noticed, glancing at the radio. When he looked back up, Melody was gone. "Huh? Where did she go?" he wondered. As if answering his question, a snowball came flying out of nowhere, and hit him in the back of the head.
He turned around to confront his attacker, and saw Melody, tossing a snowball to herself and laughing at him.
A michevious grin crept across his face. He quickly made up a snowball and ran after her. He threw it at her and missed.
"I'm gonna get you!" He called to her with a laugh.
She threw her snowball at him, which hit him right in the face, and she called back, "Bring it on Joe Blow!"
Joe chased Melody all around the playground. She ran to the top of the playground's hill, and he tackled her, playfully, he wasn't trying to hurt her. They both landed in a pile of soft cold snow.
They wrestled around in the snow for awhile, Melody smearing snow in Joe's face. Then she pinned him down and triumphantly shouted, "I am the winner! Tremble before your queen!" They both laughed.
Just then, the ball rang over their playful laughter. All the students began to head back inside the building. "Hey, Melody?" Joe asked with a final laugh, "Can you get off me now? I've got to go to class."
"In a second," Melody said, "There's just something else I need to do before I go in."
"What?"
"This," and with that, she kissed him right on the lips. When she pulled away from him, he had a look of frozen shock on his face.
She leaned in again and whispered into his ear, "I love you Joe." He didn't respond, he was in a state of total and complete shock. She slapped him in the face and when he came back to reality she whispered again into his ear, "I love you Joe"
After a seconds hesitation, Joe whispered, "I love you too Melody."
They final bell rang, Joe and Melody were just lying in the snow, embracing each other in a hug, and sharing a long passionate kiss.

A year later, on the last day of school, Joe was waiting by his locker for Melody. He was listening to his radio and was jamming. When Melody didn't show up, he began to get a little worried, and went looking for her.
He found her sitting on the floor in front of her locker, her face in her hands. She's crying! Joe realized. He quickly went over to her and sat down beside her.
"Melody," he sweetly asked, putting his arm around her, "What's wrong sweety?"
She looked at him, tears just streaming from her eyes, "Last night, my parents told me that we are moving. Dad got a new job in Domain City."
Her words hit Joe like a ton of bricks. "Isn't that all the way across the state?" He quietly asked.
"Yes." She sobbed.
"So that means that means that you have to move? And we can't be together anymore?"
"ye-ye-yes"
He didn't say anything more; his heart ached too much. He just quietly took hold of her hand and gently stroked it.
Then he handed her the radio, still on. She looked up and blinked, "What?" she asked.
"I want you to have this." He said.
"No, I can't Joe, that's your most treasured possision."
Joe shook his head, "No, you are my most treasured possesion." Joe said, "If I'm going to lose the thing I care the most about, I want you to at least have the thing I care the second most about."
She accepted the radio, cried even harder, embraced him in a hug, and cried on his shoulder. He held her tight, softly stroking her brown hair.
"I promise Joe," She sobbed, " I'll come back to you someday." He didn't say a word. He just silently took in her promise.
As she held on to Joe, Melody heard Don't Speak play on the radio;

You and me
We used to be together
Everyday together always
I really feel
That I'm losing my best friend
I can't believe
This could be the end
It looks as though you're letting go
And if it's real
Well I don't want to know

Don't speak
I know just what you're saying
So please stop explaining
Don't tell me cause it hurts
Don't speak
I know what you're thinking
I don't need your reasons
Don't tell me cause it hurts

Our memories
Well, they can be inviting
But some are altogether frightening
Mighty frightening
As we die, both you and I
With my head in my hands
I sit and cry.

It's all ending
I gotta stop pretending who we are.
You and me I can see us dying.are we?

Melody just held on to Joe, and continued to cry more. "I promise Joe," she repeated in a whisper, "I will come back to you-someday."