BOOKS BY CHANTAL GADOURY
The Songs in Our Hearts
The Songs We Remember
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual events or people, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
The author makes no claims to, but instead acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the word marks mentioned in this work of fiction.
The Songs We Remember. Copyright © 2018 by Chantal Gadoury.
Edited by C.K. Brooke. Cover by Ampersand Book Covers, www.ampersandbookcovers.com. Interior Book Design by Break Through Author, http://www.breakthroughauthor.com.
All rights reserved including the right to manufacture in any format, sell, or distribute copies of this book or portions of this book. For information, visit http://www.48fourteen.com.
ISBN-13: 978-1-937546-76-2
ISBN-10: 1-937546-76-4
For my Dad, who will always be my hero.
Paul Gadoury
5.12.1958 – 8.7.2015
“Here (In Your Arms)”
Hellogoodbye
IT WAS SNOWING IN NOVEMBER.
It was snowing and no one was paying any attention to Mrs. Tenner and the review of last night’s vocab homework. I caught myself staring out the window a few times, watching as snowflakes fell from the gray sky. Nothing compared to the scenery of Grand Lakes covered in snow. Not even the festive fall colors, with the changing leaves on our surrounding mountains. There was a quiet sort of beauty with the soft layer of white among the darkened and dying trees.
That’s when I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I was glad I didn’t jump out of my seat—Mrs. Tenner would have known something was up. I straightened, feeling my heart beating wildly from the mild scare. I moved my gaze to Micah, who was sitting across the room, with a small smirk on his lips as he pointed to his phone. I narrowed my eyes playfully and held up a finger, suggesting he wait. When I knew Mrs. Tenner wasn’t watching, I carefully pulled my phone out of my jeans pocket and into my lap to read his text.
MICAH: we still on for 2night?
I grinned at the text message and darted a glance in his direction before answering.
CHARLIE: You couldn’t wait to ask me after class? ;)
MICAH: u look about as bored as I am
MICAH: u still up for a movie?
CHARLIE: I AM bored.
CHARLIE: Sure, do you have a movie in mind?
CHARLIE: I was just thinking about being out in the snow
MICAH: we could do that if u want
MICAH: i guess i could let u choose the movie this time
CHARLIE: Don’t do me any favors LOL
I looked up and shoved my phone into my pocket just as Mrs. Tenner turned to face the class again. It was sometimes strange to call myself Micah’s girlfriend. We’d been asked so many times if we were “finally dating.” If Jennifer was with me, she’d answer with a loud, “YES!” It was still odd to hear, more so because it happened a little less than a month ago. I had first seen Micah Jacobs across the cafeteria, and was partnered with him in English for an intense project where we had to film our own version of Frankenstein. That’s when I kinda fell for him. I might have liked him the whole time, but I really didn’t want anyone to know that.
More times than not, in those awkward think-of-a-quick-answer situations, I’d just say, “We’re friends.” I didn’t know how I felt being someone’s girlfriend and I hadn’t learned how to respond as one either. Because of my lack of experience, I didn’t even know what it meant. Micah and I would hang out, watch movies, eat, listen to music in his car…. Nothing actually ever changed between the two of us. Except for the kissing.
The bell rang suddenly, dismissing the all-too-preoccupied class. Our eyes were still fixated on the windows and the falling snow outside as we gathered up our backpacks and books for our next period. Micah came to stand beside me, adjusting his backpack straps on his shoulders with a grin.
“Do you want to play in the snow after school?” he asked.
“Do you think there’ll be enough on the ground to play in?” I asked with amusement.
“No such thing as not enough snow. I only need enough to fit in my hands,” he teased and bumped me gently with his elbow. “Not scared of a little snowball fight, are you?”
“Me? Scared of you?” I laughed as I shook my head. “Dream on. I’m tough, remember?”
“How could I forget?” Micah joked as we left the classroom.
I was tough. I had faced Samantha Walters—one of the meanest girls in our grade. That had to mean something. Things were finally seeming to improve for us. Even Micah and my brother, Josh, were getting along better now. Micah had become a big hit with my family. He helped my mom with drying and putting away the dishes after dinner. He even helped out my dad with stacking wood in our backyard for our woodstove. Josh enjoyed having Micah over for horror films; they seemed to have found a common bond in that at least.
And I enjoyed Micah because of how he made me feel. He could just smile at me and my heart would race. He could curl up beside me while watching a movie, and I would feel so safe. There was something about being in the arms of Micah Jacobs that assured me each time that he would do whatever he could to protect me. There was no one in the world quite like him.
Jennifer was a huge fan of Micah and me, and had no problem expressing that to me anymore. Rachel, on the other hand, had become scarce since she and my brother’s friend, David, began dating. David was probably Josh’s closest, if not best friend. It had been a surprise to find out that David and Rachel liked each other. I missed my best friend, for sure, but I understood she wanted to be around David. After all, Micah sat at our table at lunch, and was always around me too.
“See you after class,” Micah said with a wink as he stopped by my classroom door.
I did my best to keep all swooning under wraps and only gave him a smile and a firm nod. “Right. See you.”
THE SNOW OUTSIDE HAD BEGUN to fall more heavily. There was already a good layer of snow covering the sidewalks and road. Micah met me on the bus, saving the seat beside him with his backpack. As I approached, he lifted his bag and grinned at me.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we didn’t have school tomorrow,” he remarked, offering a white earbud to me. I took it and slipped it into my ear. If we didn’t have school the next day, maybe that would be an opportunity for Micah and me to hang out all day. DNCE’s “Cake by the Ocean” began to play, and I gave Micah a look.
“You know how much I totally hate this song,” I said with a small laugh. He looked pleased with himself. “It makes no sense to have a song about eating cake by the ocean,” I continued.
“Who doesn’t like to eat actual cake by an ocean?” Micah asked as I tugged the earpiece away.
“Me, apparently. And that’s not what the song is about.”
“Spoil sport,” Micah joked. “I always knew something would come between us.” He slipped his phone into his pocket. Micah turned his attention to the snow-lain scenery as I heaved a book from my backpack.
It felt so natural, to sit there quietly and just be. His hand fell to rest on my knee as the bus began the journey home. I grinned a little as his fingers tapped to the beat against my jeans.
To my delight, Micah decided to get off the bus with
me at my stop. I walked ahead on the snow-covered road, when I suddenly felt a splat of cold burst against my shoulder. I turned with a small yelp.
“Really?”
Micah was already bending over for another fistful of snow and worked it into a ball with his hands.
“Come on, Blake. Bring it!” Micah said. I pursed my lips and slid my backpack to the ground, then lifted a handful of snow as quickly as I could before he threw another.
“Are you sure you can handle this?” I asked breathlessly. Micah responded by throwing another snowball at me. It whacked my leg. I tossed my ball and snow exploded against his sleeve. My bare hands turned a soft shade of red from the cold and I made a quick decision. Grabbing my backpack, I ran toward the house.
“Get back here, cheater!” Micah shouted, laughing as he chased me. I covered my head with my backpack as I raced to the front door. I pulled my house key from my pocket and unlocked the door, managing to slip inside before Micah could catch up. He came to a stop and stood in front of the glass-paneled storm door, pink-cheeked and huffing.
“Can I come in?” he asked, lifting his hand to the handle. I quickly clicked the lock into place, raising my eyebrow with a teasing challenge. Micah shook his head and shifted his weight from one foot to the other.
“Come on, babe. It’s cold out here.”
“I can’t hear you.” I laughed, pointing to my ear. “I think I have some snow in there.”
He yanked on the door handle again, this time with a look of determination.
“Can I please come in?”
“Magic words?” I tried, crossing my arms.
“Open sesame,” Micah said, rolling his eyes. I probably should have accepted that answer, no matter how unoriginal it was. But I shook my head.
“Nope. Try again.”
“Charlie is the most beautiful girl, and she would never let me freeze out here,” he said, leaning his hand against the door frame. Micah didn’t compliment me very often, so I supposed it would do. At least this once! I snorted and flicked the lock. As Micah came inside, I couldn’t stop myself from grinning.
“I wouldn’t have let you freeze, if that means anything.”
“Heartbeat Here”
Dashboard Confessional
GLNEWS27:
GRAND LAKES HIGH SCHOOL CLOSED
I GLANCED AT MICAH AS he devoured another forkful of my dad’s spaghetti.
“I guess you called it,” I said.
“It’s what I do.” Micah shrugged and set his plate down on the coffee table. My family was gathered in the living room, surrounding the TV as we watched the local news. It was mostly boring stuff about road construction and government issues. But Josh, Micah, and I all became more attentive as we heard the Winter Warning alarm, and the name of all the schools that were closing began to flash across the screen.
“Thank God.” Josh sighed, leaning back against the side of the sofa as soon as Grand Lakes High appeared. “I have an intense paper to write, and I’m nowhere near done with it.”
“Better get working on it,” my dad responded, giving him a look. Josh glanced at Dad and shrugged.
“I have more time now, thanks to the snow!”
“If you need help…” I began, but Josh quickly shook his head.
“Nah, I’m fine. Jackie has been helping me, since we’re in the same class.”
“Ohhhhhh! Jackie O!” I giggled, imitating his friends. I could hear David, J, and Ben in my mind. Josh glared at me.
“You all need to give up on that already. It’s getting old.”
“Why? It’s fun! Jackie OOOOO!” I giggled.
“It’s old news.” Josh crossed his arms against his chest. That part might have been partially true. Since Homecoming, Josh and Jackie seemed to hit it off, and had gone on a few dates together. I guess it wasn’t just Micah and I that were happy. My dad cleared his throat and gave me a warning look to stop. I could feel my cheeks burn so I turned my attention back to Micah, who was grinning at me.
“Do you want a ride home tonight, Micah?” my dad offered. His eyes drifted to Micah as he lifted his glass of Coke. Micah glanced at the weather report on the TV and then back to my dad.
“Yeah, I guess I’d better accept. If you don’t mind…” The meteorologist was calling for several inches of snow overnight and ice in the morning. I knew my dad didn’t want Micah to walk in the snowy mess, in the dark, and neither did I. Preferably, I’d have Micah stay the night again, but with my parents awake, there wasn’t time to make a plan to sneak him back inside.
“Of course not,” my dad answered as he got up from his recliner. My dad was an experienced driver. Not only did he have a CDL license, which meant he could maneuver larger vehicles, he also knew how to handle them safely in all types of weather. Rain and snow were a specialty. He became frustrated when the weather got bad, because other drivers never knew how to drive to his standards. There had been a few times he’d taken us out into the snow in his Dodge truck, just to spin in circles. While my mom and I would cling to our seats, my dad would laugh like a little boy.
“I’ll come too,” I volunteered and pushed myself up to my feet. Grabbing Micah’s plate and mine, I followed my mom into the kitchen, where she started to wash the dishes.
“Guess I don’t get to keep my dish-dryer,” she teased as she took the plates.
“Not this time, Mrs. Blake,” Micah said from behind me. “Sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it, Micah. Be safe,” my mom replied with a kind smile.
My dad was waiting for us in his workshop, where he tinkered around with a few of his train pieces. He had already pulled his heavy, brown winter jacket on and had slipped on his bi-focal glasses for the night drive.
“Got everything?” he asked as we approached, sliding his hands into his pant’s pockets.
Micah nodded.
“Thanks again, Mr. Blake,” Micah said as we climbed into the truck. I took the back seat, leaving Micah the front. I wanted Micah and my dad to have more opportunities to connect; to really develop one of those manly father-son bonds that my dad and Josh shared. It was important to me for my dad and Micah to like each other. What girl doesn’t want her father to get along with her boyfriend?
Boyfriend. It was still such a strange concept—this thing between Micah and me. My dad turned on the radio, filling the truck cab with country music. If there was a type of music I really didn’t enjoy, it was country. I always wondered why my dad was into it. He had been young in the seventies and eighties; the time of Van Halen and Journey, Pink Floyd and Queen. And while my dad enjoyed Cat Stevens and ABBA, he had somehow also become a huge fan of Kenny Rogers. Go figure.
It was slightly awkward as we drove in silence. Micah didn’t seem to know what to say; I could tell from the soft sigh that escaped him. My dad peered back at me through the rearview mirror. I darted my gaze between the two of them. Just talk! Say something! I wanted to shake them, but even I had no idea how to initiate a conversation.
“It’s really snowing out here,” I finally murmured. My dad nodded in agreement and tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. Micah cleared his throat and turned to peer over his shoulder at me.
“Do you want to hang out tomorrow, Charlie?” Micah asked. “I bet we could all go sledding up on the big hill across the street from you.”
There was a hill on the other side of the neighborhood that Josh and I used to sled down when we were younger. It belonged to a farmer, and was difficult to get to. We’d have to trample through broken corn stalks in the snow just to get to the hill. The last time I had gone sledding there, I’d been twelve. Josh slid the two of us right into a huge thorn patch.
“I guess we could,” I said.
I saw my dad’s eyes on me again through the rearview mirror as he said, “Just make sure you’re not getting in trouble with the f
armer again.”
Again. He still hadn’t forgotten the time the neighborhood kids and I had trespassed through the cornfield, resulting in the farmer chasing us away with his hounds and shotgun. It actually had been a terrifying experience. Micah looked at him questioningly, but neither my dad nor I explained. Finally, we drove past Sully’s and into Greensboro Trax. The roads in the trailer park were covered, untouched by any passing vehicles.
“You can just drop me off here,” Micah offered, lifting his backpack into his lap. My dad shook his head, turning the music down.
“Trust me, I can get you to your home, Micah,” he said with certainty. A few seconds later, the truck came to a stop outside Micah’s trailer, as promised. Micah gave a nod of thanks to my dad and winked at me.
“See you tomorrow, C. Be ready!” He opened the truck door, allowing a cold breeze to filter inside. He was quick to wave at us and shut the door behind him. Dad waited until Micah had gone into his house before he pulled away.
“He’s a good kid,” my dad murmured. I nodded in agreement. Micah was a good guy; he was my guy.
My phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out, swiping my finger against the touch screen.
MICAH: <3
I felt the smile on my face grow and I quickly texted back with a heart of my own.
I leaned back in my seat, knowing I was the luckiest girl in the world.
“Way Back When”
Kodaline
BEN, DAVID, AND J WERE first to arrive to my house the next day. As I opened the front door to greet them, I couldn’t help but lift an eyebrow at their over-the-top snow gear. They were dressed in heavy winter coats, thick snow pants, and oversized snow boots. Ben and J wore skiing goggles with scarves and hats.
The Songs We Remember: A Young Adult Romance (The Songs in Our Hearts Book 2) Page 1
