I Should've Known

Chapter Eight - Memories.

Chapter Eight: Memories.

“Hey, are you crying?”

“No. There was something on my eye.”

“Like the back of my own hand, I know you, Ed. You’re absolutely crying!”

“I told you already, there was just something on my eye.”

“Uh-huh. Say whatever you want to say, but I still don’t believe you.”

Alice.

Ed stared at the book on his hands, reading the two words at the top part cover: “The Notebook”. Instantly, just by reading the words, he was brought back about four years ago. He remembered the first girl that he loved so much; the girl who had changed his outlook in life and had encouraged him in his music career; the girl who had inspired him to write all those love songs and the person who he had dedicated “+” for. He recalled the numerous memories that he had shared with his very first girlfriend.

“Promise me that we’d be together, forever and always.”

“I promise you that.”

“Really?”                        

“Really.”

“I will be anticipating that. I love you, Ed.”

“I love you too, Alice.”

He had always loved her blonde hair, the way she flicks it off her shoulder, the way she pushes it behind her ear whenever she reads or writes. He loved her emerald green eyes, the way they change into light grey when winter comes. He loved her off-key singing and awkward dancing. He loved her slightly high-pitched laughs and wide smiles. He loved their long walks on the beach, their talks in hushed tones, their sweet text messages, their private quick glances, their slow kisses. He loved them all.

“What movie do you want to watch?”

“Can we watch ‘Shrek’? Please, pretty please?”

“But we’ve watched that for, like, a dozen times already. Can we watch something else?”

“Oh, I’ve got something else in mind! I’ve read the book of it as well, though, but have you seen the movie version of ‘The Notebook’ yet? It’s really beautiful.”

That was one of the few movies that made him tear up, and he didn’t even mind.

She was funny, happy-go-lucky, very optimistic and sweet. Those were some of her qualities that made Ed fall in love with her. Alice was actually the one who had always encouraged Ed to continue singing and write songs, and sometimes, she even attends his gigs for moral support.

Alice didn’t care much about her looks, but there were times when she admits to him that she feels insecure. She didn’t like her recorded voice and she thought that she was fat, but he remembered telling her that he loved everything about her. Alice also told him before to stop smoking because she hates the smell of smoke. Ed tried to stop – he really did – but he just couldn’t.

She was the kind of girl who gets easily afraid of the littlest of things. She was also the kind of girl who’s very loving and caring, like that one time when they were sitting together underneath an oak tree in her backyard and they saw a chicken with a broken leg. Alice wanted to be a veterinarian someday, which was why she took care of that said little chicken which they called “Eric”.

Alice was also a carefree type of person, but at times, she just wanted to hang-out with Ed with the company of a book, Ed’s guitar and some food in a quiet place. They used to have picnics on the beach, sometimes on the park or at the rooftop of their school.