Amy

Is your heart singing out of tune?
Are you eyes just singing the blues?
Dirty records from another time
Some bloodstains on your shoes

It was a dark and stormy night. The rain was coming down in buckets, the thunder roared mercilessly, and the lightning lit up the sky.

Jack was just driving home after work when he saw the girl, she looked lonely and sad, her dress dirty with mud and what looked like bloodstains.

No one really knows about your soul
And I barely really know your name
Burning rhythms and posting lies
And a bunch of fools drown in shame

For a minute, Jack was reminded of a girl who went to his high school, she was shy, timid, and kept to herself. Many of the other kids saw her as an easy target, and they were terribly cruel.
Scarcely a day went by without her being bullied by the other girls,who would destroy her homework, post insulting things about her online, and sometimes outright hit her.
Jack always felt sorry for her, would comfort her and even tried to report her tormentors, but it didn't seem to do any good, because then the kids would hang up on him, he was brutally beaten for being a "tattletale". The whole fiasco ended in him spending a few weeks in the emergency room.

Back in the present, the strange girl put her right thumb up, signaling that she needed a ride.
Jack hesitated for a few minutes, then pulled over.

Amy, don't you go
I want you around
Singing, whoa, please don't go
Do you wanna be a friend of mine?
Do you wanna be a friend of mine?

Jack saw that the girl was shivering from the cold rain, and gave her his jacket.

"So, where do you need to go" asked Jack
"Home" the girl responded
" Well, can you give me your address?"

Did you tattoo a lucky charm
To keep you out of harm's way?
Warding off all evil signs
But never really kept you safe.

After the girl gave her address, Jack noticed a tattoo on her forearm
"What is that?"said Jack
"Oh, it's a shooting star, I had this tattoo after my father died, he always called me his "shooting star". I thought it would bring me good luck, didn't do me any good." the girl sighed
"Well, I think it's a great tattoo, because it means something to you."Jack said.

Well, you're too young for the golden age
'Cause the record bin's been replaced
27, gone without a trace
And you walked away from your drink


"Can I turn up the radio?"she asked
"You may." Jack answered
The song that played was 'Mr. Blue Sky'by Electric Light Orchestra
"I love this song" the girl said
"So do I" said Jack
"I've always liked the classics, every day, after school, I used to put on a record, and dance to the music."
But everyone else didn't like that, they all thought I was weird, they would say I lived under a rock, that I lived in the wrong century, they would always make fun of me for being who I am."the girl said
"People can be assholes." said Jack in sympathy.

Soon, they arrived at their destination.
"Thanks for helping me." said the girl as she exited the car and walked to her front porch.
"No problem." said Jack.
Amy don't you go
I want you around
Singing whoa, please don't go
Do you wanna be a friend of mine
Do you wanna be a friend of mine

"Wait!" Jack called to the girl
"I never got your name!"
A flash of sadness appeared on her face, then she responded, " Amy"

Amy please, don't go...
Amy please, don't go...

A week later, Jack drove back to that house to reclaim his jacket.
He knocked on the door, but instead of Amy, an elderly woman answered the door.

"Good afternoon, ma'am, do you know where Amy is?" asked Jack

" You must be mistaken, no one named Amy lives here" the old woman declared with a sad look on her face.

Jack then told her about the week before, and his car ride with Amy.

"Come inside, young man" the old lady told Jack

As soon as he was inside, the old lady brought out a framed photo of Amy.

"This is my daughter, she was such a sweet, funny girl, she had ADD and always needed help focusing, the other kids would always pick on her for being different, and she would always come home upset.
Things got worse after her father died, I had to work at the thrift shop full time, and I couldn't be there for my daughter."

"Then, one day, I got a call from the police station, they told me my little girl was dead! She walked into heavy traffic, they couldn't save her!" the old woman broke into sobs.

Jack didn't want to believe her story was true, because what would explain him actually meeting her?

"Where is she now?" said Jack

"She was buried in Old Vineyard Cemetery" the woman wept.

Jack left before he could upset the old woman further.
As he sat in his car, he thought about the previous week's events, what the old woman said, and about his own high school days.

Then he remembered.
It was at the Homecoming dance, he was chatting and laughing with his girlfriend when the King and Queen of Homecoming were announced, but the kids had something very nasty planned.

Amy was crowned Homecoming Queen, and she was ecstatic, but they had only let her have happiness for a few minutes until someone threw a cup of punch at her, then all hell broke loose.

After ten minutes of being belittled, laughed at, and pelted with food and paper, Amy ran crying from the gymnasium, Jack wanted to console her, but out of fear, he decided not to.

The next morning, it was announced that Amy was found dead in the streets, having deliberately walked into heavy traffic.

Is your heart singing out of tune
Are your eyes just singing the blues
Dirty records from another time
Some bloodstains on your shoes

Back in the present, Jack knew what he had to do next, he drove to Old Vineyard Cemetery with a bouquet of roses in hand, he walked and walked until he found Amy's grave, with his jacket draped over the headstone.
May I have this last dance
By chance if we should meet
Can I write you a lullaby
So we can sing you to sleep

Jack fell to his knees and cried
"I'm so sorry, Amy, I should have been brave enough to stop those guys, I should have saved you, I should have stayed by your side. No matter what anyone else said about you, you were the best person I ever knew, I love you, Amy."
Amy don't you go
I want you around
Singing whoa please don't go
Do you wanna be a friend of mine
Do you wanna be a friend of mine
Do you wanna be a friend of mine

Then, by answer, Jack felt the soft touch of Amy's arms embrace him, and heard Amy's voice whisper
"It's okay, I forgive you"

Song:Amy by Green Day
Additional Notes- I know this song was originally meant for Amy Winehouse, but I personally interpret this song as about a boy befriending an unpopular girl.