Days To Remember ch 1 & 2

                   Chapter 1



The final school bell for the week had rung an hour ago. But for Rachel the weekend had not started yet. It was only a few weeks into the new marking period but she was having trouble understanding her math work. She needed a good grade for the upcoming test to keep her average up. So she made arrangements with the teacher to get some extra help. Now she was leaving that meeting. It was making a little more sense, but it wasn’t crystal clear yet.

She threw her books into her locker. The day and the week were finally over. All she wanted to do was get home so she could relax. After slamming the door, she headed for the exit.

As she stood in the school’s main doorway she saw the rain pouring down. She pulled her jacket up over her head. It would be the best she could to do and try to stay dry.

Walking out into the rain she complained to nobody, “This wasn’t predicted. What else could go wrong today?”

When she got to the school’s parking lot, that question was answered for her. The parking lot was almost empty, but when she looked at her car she saw something was wrong from a distance.

Approaching the car closer she saw why the car was leaning; the right front tire was flat. Now what would she do? She’d have to get back into the school and call her parents for help. Getting wet didn’t matter anymore. She let the jacket come back down around her. She stomped in frustration and got wet from the puddle.



John was running late for his weekend also. He was working in the school’s carpentry shop, finishing up one last coat of stain on the project he had been working on all week. He wanted it to dry over the weekend.

In the shops, the students had to wear uniforms, underneath though; John always wore a concert shirt from one of his favorite bands. He went to the locker room and hung up his shirt in his locker. He washed up to get the stain off his hands as best he could. Then he grabbed his jacket before slamming the locker door shut. He headed back through the quiet but dusty shop for the exit.

When he saw the rain coming down he just flipped up his hood. Calmly he walked to the parking lot to where his red Chevy pickup was parked. Instead of a car, he had bought the truck because of his trade. It was already over ten years old but ran great. It was perfect for him.

As he started up the truck he spotted a girl running across the parking lot. She had a jacket over her head to shield her from the rain. He couldn’t see much of her but what he saw didn’t remind him of anyone he knew. When she reached her destination she found something wrong with her car. John watched as she stomped around and threw her arm up in disgust.

“I think I better go find out if she could use some help.” John said aloud. She kicked the car as he shifted into drive. “Before someone gets hurt.”

John pulled up and rolled down his window. He asked, “Are you all right? Do you need some help?”

Rachel thought she was alone and felt a little embarrassed now.

“No, I’m ok.” She started but reconsidered. “Maybe.”

John got out of the truck but left it running. He pulled his hood up once again. He saw that the car had a flat tire. That was easy enough to fix, even on a rainy day.

“Let me have your keys.” John said reaching out. “I can fix this. You can wait in my truck where it’s dry.”

Still with reluctance she handed them over. She was too wet and frustrated to put up a fight. And by the time her father would arrive to help, she gave in. She proceeded to get in the truck and dry off. The heater was on and felt good on this late winter day.

John went to the trunk and found all the things he needed, spare tire, jack and lug wrench. He gathered them up and brought them over to the front of the car.

He loosened the lug nuts a little and proceeded to jack up the car. That was slow going with this kind of jack.

Rachel rolled the window down fully in the truck. “What’s your name?” she called out to her hero.

“John Storm.” He answered back as he continued to turn the jack.

“How appropriate,” she answered. “My name is Rachel. Rachel Myers. I don’t know how to thank you for this.”

“It’s fine.” he answered as he worked on getting the tire off. “I couldn’t just leave you stranded. And when I saw you kick the car, I was afraid you were going to hurt yourself.”

Now she was feeling foolish again. Was she making a bad first impression on John? She hoped not. She couldn’t see much of him with his hood up. But maybe she could get to know him.

John continued to work and got the job done as they made small talk. He put all the things back into her trunk were he had found them.

He wiped his dirty hands on his shop pants as he walked over to the truck. It took a little longer than he expected, but she was all set.

He opened the door and told her, “You’re all set. Just don’t forget to get that flat replaced.”

“I still don’t know how to thank you for this.” she said biting her lip.

“It’s fine I told you.” John answered. Now they were getting their first real good look at each other. “Are you in a hurry?”

“No, why?” Rachel blurted out. Her plans were changing now.

“How about we stop at the burger joint down the street,’’ John said. “You can buy me a soda and we’ll call it even.”

“OK,” she agreed as she slid out of the truck. “I’ll follow you.”

Rachel grabbed her keys as she walked by and started it up. John got into his truck and together they drove off.

As John pulled into the parking lot, he watched his rearview mirror. Sure enough, she pulled in after him. He had his doubts but this was a good sign.

When they arrived, they found spots near the door. They were both wet enough so this helped. As they walked in John held the door for her.

“What do you want?” she asked.

“Just get me a Pepsi.” He answered holding up his dirty hands. “I’m going to the rest room to wash up.”

She watched him go and stepped up to the counter to order. She got one for him and one for herself. Grabbing them from the counter she followed him and found a booth near the back. She put the cups and straws on the table. She ran her hand though her hair. It was still wet in spots. She picked up the shiny napkin dispenser and used it as a mirror. She wasn’t looking too bad but she was far from her best.

John exited the rest room and looked for Rachel. He spotted her in a booth not far away. He was trying to come up with a game plan in his head. He definitely wanted to get to know her better. Even today when she wasn’t at her best she was hot! She was the type of girl he would’ve admired from a distance thinking there was no chance. Well, here goes nothing.

John walked over and sat in the booth across from her.

“All clean.” She teased.

John showed her his hands before grabbing his soda. It hit the spot as he took the first sip.

“So how come I’ve never seen you in school before?” John asked starting off.

“I don’t know.” Rachel replied. “I don’t remember seeing you either. Maybe we were just faces in the crowd as we passed each other,”

“I don’t think so. Your face I would’ve remembered.” John wanted to see how she handled his flirting.

“Maybe now, I usually don’t look this bad, but the rain.” She smiled back. “So where do you live?”

“Not too far from here, up on Oak Hill Road by the park. We moved in over last summer.”

Rachel’s face lit up. “That’s where I live! I’m just down the road a couple of houses.”

Things were getting interesting. For a meeting of chance, they should have known each other already. They talked as their drinks slowly went down. People came and went but none bothered them.

Rachel looked up at the clock on the wall. She didn’t know it was getting late already. Time was flying by. She was supposed to go out with her parents tonight for pizza.

“I’m sorry.” She said. “I have to get going. I didn’t realize the time.”

“When will we be able to talk again?” John asked hoping he wasn’t making a mistake and seeming desperate. He had been enjoying getting to know Rachel.

Rachel grabbed a pen from her purse. She grabbed his hand and wrote down her phone number. “Call me over the weekend.”

“Do you want mine?” John asked.

Rachel was already getting up. “I’ll get it when you call me. Thanks again.”

John watched as she hurried down the aisle. She turned and smiled as she opened the door and left. John looked at the numbers written on his hand. He smiled and clenched his fist in triumph. It was a start. He was getting what he wanted from her already. Staying late at school was paying off.

John finished his soda and headed home. But before he got there, he drove up the road a little further. Sure enough, there was Rachel’s car in the driveway. He smiled as he turned around and drove home. At least he knew he could trust her. But now he had to figure out when to call her. He didn’t want to rush things and seem too eager. He would figure it out somehow.

The weekend had kept John busy. But on Sunday night John made the call. Even though he had talked to her before, John was still nervous when he decided to call Rachel. Maybe that’s why he waited so long also. With his heart beating faster, he dialed the phone, one ring, two rings, and then the familiar voice on the other side of the line, “Hello?”

“Hello, Rachel? It’s John.” He announced feeling a little more at ease.

“Oh, John I’m glad you called. I wondered when you would,” she said.

Well this is a good start John thought. I just hope I don’t blow it.

“So what have you been up to?” Rachel asked.

Slowly John began to build confidence as they talked. Even though she wasn’t showing it, Rachel was nervous too. But the ice was broken and they each took it from there. Since John was newer to town Rachel was able to fill him in on some things. They figured out why they had never met before in school. John was in shop class and she was in the academic subjects’ part. In a couple of weeks they would switch. At lunch she was leaving from one door as he was coming in the other. So their paths were not crossing at any time.

He also told her how he became friends with some of the other kids in the neighborhood. He was hanging out with two guys and a pair of sisters. Rachel knew of them but didn’t know them.

As they talked, the time seemed to fly by again. Rachel did take John’s number and without actually announcing it, they were starting a friendship together.

They started talking on the phone regularly. Since they weren’t seeing each other during school, they would meet in the parking lot at the beginning of the day to hang out a little. Together they became more comfortable with each other.





                          Chapter 2



Rachel was riding in John’s truck as they were coming home one day from school. They had been taking turns driving each other. Today it was his turn to drive. John felt more comfortable and more in control this way anyway.

The stereo was blasting as usual. John had it tuned to the local rock station. When the song finished, a commercial came on. It was an announcement that the band Starlight was performing at a club in the city down the road. This caught their attention. It was one of their favorite bands.

“So, what do you think?” John asked. “You’ll go with me right?”

“Yeah, I would love to see them. I haven’t yet.” Rachel agreed. “I wonder how much the tickets are.”

“Don’t worry about it. They’re probably under twenty bucks.” John answered. “I’ll go to the box office Saturday and pick up a pair for us.”

“I should be able to scrounge up the money by then.” Rachel said knowing what was in her purse.

“Don’t worry about that either.” John told her. “I’ve seen them before. This time you can be my guest. So what do you think? Do we have a date?”

Rachel didn’t know how she felt about the word “date”. She liked John and they had been getting along. “Ok. You have yourself a date.”

“Good.” John answered with a smile. “And being on next Friday makes things even better.”



Next Friday came quickly. John dropped Rachel off after school at her house. Before she opened the door to leave he told her, “I’ll be back around seven to pick you up.”

“I’ll be waiting. I’m looking forward to the show.” She smiled. She got out and waved as she climbed the porch stairs.

John beeped the horn as he pulled out.

Rachel went in. She was a little nervous about tonight. She ate supper with her parents as usual, and then retreated upstairs to her room. She had to get ready. This would be her first concert. But she knew John would take care of her. What she was nervous about, was John.

John had been dropping hints to her that he was thinking about more of a relationship. She liked John but she had never had a boyfriend before, so she was being a little hesitant. She didn’t want to mess up what she already had with John. For now she wouldn’t worry about it. She was going to have a good time.

She went to her closet. She pulled out the tightest pair of jeans she had. After a few minutes and with some work she was able to finally get them on. John gave her a concert shirt to wear for the night. She put it on over her head and pulled it down. It fit her good, but she liked it tighter so she tied a knot in the back. She zipped up a pair of black boots over the legs of her jeans.

Then she went to work on her hair. The style of the day was to have it puffy and a lot of hair spray. This look took some work but she was used to it. Adding a little makeup she finished the look. Even though she had never been to a concert, she knew how to dress for one. Now she just had to wait for John to pick her up.



A few hours later he was back. He pulled back into the driveway. He grabbed the flower bouquet from the seat and headed for the door. He was wearing his Starlight t-shirt from the last tour with jeans and sneakers. For right now his shoulder length brown hair was well kept. Later on with the sweat and head banging, that would be a different story.

John wanted to treat Rachel tonight. That was the reason for the flowers and the ticket. They had been friends for a little over a month. It seemed that they grew closer each day. He was hoping that maybe tonight they could become more. Maybe take the next step in their relationship. He wasn’t receiving any signs from her that she didn’t want that too. Let’s see how the night turns out.

John climbed up to the porch and rang the doorbell.

Rachel’s mother opened the door and invited John in. They had met briefly one day when John dropped Rachel off. This time he was able to meet her father also.

Rachel’s mom called up the stairs for her. As John waited in the front hall, he held the flowers behind his back. In a few moments she emerged and started her way down the stairs. John watched as she came down.

When their eyes met, her smile was almost as big as his.

“Wow you look great!” he complimented her. “That shirt definitely looks better on you than me.”

She couldn’t help but giggle. “What’s behind your back?”

He pulled out the flowers and presented them to her. “I got these for you.”

“You shouldn’t have.” She said, accepting them. “Taking me tonight was more than enough. But thank you anyway. They are beautiful.”

“I think you got them beat tonight though,” John flirted.

“Well then, I think we should remember this day. Dad, can you get your camera and take a few pictures?” Rachel asked.

“Sure.” Mr. Myers said. “It’s over here in the drawer.”

So together, John and Rachel stood in the hallway together to pose for the pictures as they flashed. Her mother even commented that they looked good together as she took Rachel’s flowers. This made them both blush, but that wasn’t a bad thing.

After a few more flashes, John asked, “Are you ready?”

Rachel grabbed her purse from the table. “Now I am.”

The couple said their good byes and headed for the door.

As they walked John commented to her. “If there were that many pictures for tonight, I can’t wait until our prom night.”

That caught Rachel a little off guard. She was surprised didn’t know quite what to say. She gave a little laugh “Yeah.”

He helped her into the truck before getting in himself. As he started it up, Starlight came blasting through the speakers. Rachel gave a yell as they took off down the street. Tonight was going to be fun.



The club was in the city not too far away. John had never been there but knew where it was. As he drove past the club he saw a line was forming at the front door already. The doors would be opening soon to let the audience in.

John pulled into the parking lot around the corner. He backed his truck into a spot as close as he could get to the exit. If his plan for getting out quick and easy was going to work, he would find out later.

Rachel was excited as she walked the street with John. This was her first concert. She was happy to be with John for it. As they walked the city street, she spotted some homeless people on the sidewalk. This concerned her.

“Can you spare some change?” the homeless man called as he sat on the sidewalk. He was wearing layers of old dirty clothes. An odor was emitting from him.

Rachel felt sorry and was making a move for her purse. But John stopped her.

“Just ignore them,” he instructed her. “You give any money to them; the whole bunch will flock to you like sea gulls to beg for more.”

So instead of going into her purse she grabbed his hand as they continued to walk.  John liked the feeling. Their loss was becoming his gain. This made her feel more secure also.

When they reached the club they took their place in the long line. It turned out that there were in fact two lines to get in. One was for anyone under 21 and the other for above. The above had access to the bars of the club. Security would stop anyone without a wrist band from getting by them. With the opening of the doors the lines slowly moved into the club.

Once through the door, the club opened up into a cavern. It had been an old movie theater back in its day but had been converted to have concerts. The bars were up at the top of the room. The floor sloped down to where the stage was. The equipment for the band was already on the stage under covers. Rachel pulled John toward the stage. She wanted to get as close as she could. They got to where only a few people were ahead of them. John stood behind Rachel. He wanted to make sure she wouldn’t get hurt with the crowd. He would try to take any crowd surge.

They were talking loudly to each other when the lights went out. Under darkness the covers were removed from the gear. A spot light focused on a banner behind the drum kit with the band’s latest cover artwork on it. Then colored spot lights lit the stage. The members of Starlight took the stage and without introduction they started into the music. The show was on.

As the first song started, Rachel threw her arm up into the air with excitement. With her fingers she made the so called devil’s horns symbol. She shouted at the top her lungs. It was a metal show after all. And John was right behind her doing the same thing.

During the show, the lead singer reached out into the crowd. Rachel was able to stretch and touch his hand. This made her night. She knew the songs so well, that she knew what they were playing as the first notes started. She was that big a fan of the band.

When all was said and done, the band had played close to two hours with an encore. Rachel wasn’t expecting that but John made sure they stayed for the encore.  That was also when her favorite song was played.

The house lights lit up to tell everyone the show was officially over. The couple filed through the crowd to the exits.

Outside they walked to the truck in the parking lot. Rachel held his hand as they walked past the same homeless people on their way. They were still in their same spots. John thought they were here because of the crowd at the show.

They each had a slight ringing in their ears from the music. That would go away eventually. On the way home John turned the stereo down for a change. They spoke of the show they had just seen. Rachel was still speaking of it excitedly as they arrived at her house.

Together they got out of the truck and walked to her front porch. The porch light had been left on. Together they stood facing each other to say good night. After having such a great evening together, John decided it was his time to make a move.

“I’m glad you had such a good time tonight,” he said. Slowly he started to lean in for a kiss.

Before he got too close, Rachel put her hands against his chest. “Wait, not yet John.”

He was taken aback by this. He thought he read all her signs she was giving correctly.

His face and mood changed from the happiness they were sharing. He asked, “Why?”

“Sit down with me.” She instructed, taking a seat on the stairs. “Let me try to explain.”

John was hesitant but after a moment he joined her on the stairs. He kept a bigger distance from her than he normally was doing. She knew whatever she would tell him, it wouldn’t make things better tonight.

“I like you. I like you a lot,” she started to explain.

“I know, not in that way.” He butted in, sounding dejected.

“You’re wrong. I like you in that way.”

John’s demeanor changed once again.

“But you don’t want to be my girlfriend now?” he asked, being confused.

“I do, but things are making this complicated.” She continued with a lie she had rehearsed. “Right now things with my father’s work aren’t good. There’s talk of moving his job to another state or closing the plant down. I’m afraid to start a relationship with you, fall in love and have to hurt you for something I can’t control.”

John saw her point but he still didn’t like it. “So what do we do now?”

“That’s up to you, I guess,” she sighed. “We can continue like we are, we can end our friendship or whatever else you want. I’ll let you make the choice.” 

This was the last thing John expected for the outcome of the day. He didn’t have to think long on his decision.

“My feelings for you haven’t changed. I still want a relationship with you.” John answered. “If I have to wait, I’ll wait. I hope it won’t be too long.”

Rachel’s face brightened. She had been expecting the worst. But tonight John was showing another side of himself. It had been the choice she was waiting for.

“I hope so also.” She reached over and gave him a hug. In his ear she said, “Thank you.”

As he let her go he knew he made the correct decision.

“I hope I didn’t spoil the evening for us,” she said with concern.

“No, but I think it will be a day we both remember.”

The couple departed that night not as they had both hoped but still with hope.