A Trip to Remember (Matt Espinosa)

19.

Once I was at the entrance of the garden I slow down to a walk catching my breath, I really need to hit the gym more often. I don't go to the gym at all to be completely honest. It's not long before I see who's holding my next note. With all the ROSEes, I think. Sure enough Arden Rose stands in front of me surrounded by purple roses and glowing, white candles.

"Rose," I say nodding. She laughs a little then hands me the note in exchange for the camera; I take a moment to admire her dress, exactly the same as Jenn's except hers is dark blue with purple accents.

"Dear Cora,
Your next clue isn't exactly a clue, it's directions. Take one of the candles, blow it out, and take it out to the front of the hotel following the candle walkway. Your ride will be waiting for you at the end of the trail, all you have to do is hand the driver the candle. Your one step closer, Cora, come find me.
Love, Matthew"

I look at Arden with raised eyebrows mentally asking her, 'What's going on?'

"I may have the answers, but I'm not going to give them to you." She says arms crossed, being sure the camera was still pointed in the right direction, looking at me all sassy-like.

I sigh and bend over grabbing a candle and blowing it out, I stick my tongue out at her before grabbing the camera and take a quick look around for the candle path. Once I find the path I walk down it, when I reached the front of the hotel I see fans being held back by dark blue velvet ropes and a white limo waiting for me to get inside. And all the concrete is covered by a dark purple velvet

I look around at all the fans, who cheer louder than ever at my arrival, there are many of them and they are all cheering and saying things I can't understand. I walk up to the limo and look at the driver standing by the car door, I slowly hand him the candle and he opens the door. I take a last look at all the fans and wonder, How is this all going to work out? Will I give in and say yes to the boy I love? Or will I say no and let this madness continue? Who am I kidding, as long as I love Matt, things will always be crazy. I slide into the limo and the driver closes the door, before I know it I'm on my way to an unknown place, and one step closer to Matthew.

On the seat next to me I find another one of Matts letters,

Dear Cora,
When you stop you'll follow a trail of purple and blue to a tree of memories. Waiting for you there you'll find a friend who'll play a video of history.
Love, Matthew
P.S. I'm getting good at this!

I smile a little at the letter, I wonder who's going to be waiting for me this time. And what could Matt have left for me at this tree of memories? I think of these things as I watch the buildings pass by my window. Slowly there are less street lights and more trees, which leads me to wonder how I'm ever going to find the 'tree of memories.' The only clue I have is 'follow a path of purple and blue,' but how am I ever going to find that with all these trees.

Once the driver stopped the vehicle He get's out and opens my door, I step out of the vehicle and look around me. I don't see anything at first, after a minute or two of looking around I finally see a white, wooden archway covered in, you guessed it, dark blue and purple flowers. And the 'trail of purple and blue' also flowers. If they weren't so beautiful I would probably be disappointed. It's a good thing I've been vloging because I want to remember every detail of this.

I walk down the path for a few minutes before reaching a small clearing with a large willow tree in the center. Hanging from the willow is a white sheet, with a laptop, and a projector. There was also two lawn chairs and a small table set up. But standing in front of it all was Lauren, in a matching dress to the other two girls. Purple and blue.

"Hello, Cora." She says walking closer.

We meet in the middle and hug before I say, "Hey, Laur."

"You ready?" She asks getting excited.

"I'm pretty sure I'll never be ready, so let's just do this." I say with a slight frown.

She gives me a small smile, "I think you'll like this surprise."

I give her my best are-you-kidding-me look before saying, "I doubt that." She set's up the vlog camera before we sit down then she picks up a bag of popcorn, which I could have sworn wasn't there three minutes ago, "Really! Popcorn!" I say throwing my hands up.

"What's a movie without popcorn!" She says waving it in my face.

"I doubt whatever we're watching is going to be a movie."

"Good point." She says starting it.

It starts off in blackness with Jack Edward talking, "We had all loved her since before we all met. But none of us ever loved her like Matthew did." Then actual video pops up of me dancing around with the Jacks at one of the stage events.

"We would all be hanging out in one of the guys rooms then all of a sudden he would start yelling that she had posted a new video." Finnegan says with a smile remembering the time, or possibly times.

Then it switches to a video of Cam, Matt, and I taking goofy pictures with fans outside the hotel, "Matt had been talking about meeting her for at least a week before actually meeting her," Cam says, "He was so excited, at one point his sister called Nash asking what was wrong with him." He smirks and says, "I told her he's just being a love-struck puppy."

Then Cam slowly faded away and then the video of Matt and I dancing by the Hollywood sign appeared. I know every move, every note of the song, and exactly when the kiss happens.

5...
4...
3...
2...
1.

You know those nights when you can't sleep because your thinking of that one person? Just imagining every second you've ever spent with them? Their smile, and the way it can light up your whole world? Those nights at four a.m.? Those are the nights I watch that part of the video on repeat wishing he was there to watch it over my shoulder and smile. But I'm the only thing standing in the way of that. And I just can't seem to give in and say that one simple, life changing, word. Only three letters, starting with Y and ending with S, but I can't.

I watch that kiss, I watch it as I feel tears slip down my face onto my lap. Then Matt is on the screen, "Everyone says I'm the type of guy that would only date a girl If I had full intentions of marrying her, and their right. Once she says yes I don't think I'll ever be able to let her go. It was truly love at first sight, like just seeing her smile could fix any problems that I could ever have." At this point he was staring at the ground and just smiling, unable to get a full thought out of his mouth.

Then the video shows pictures of our time together; the day we first met when my arms were wrapped around his neck tugging him tightly, then us laughing and walking down the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and then us playing piano as Shawn strummed on his guitar. And many other pictures, including ones I didn't know existed.

Then Carter pops up on the screen, "Matt as been driving us all insane," he says with a sigh, he then imitates Matts voice, "Do you think Cora will like the blue vans or the red vans better? Should I wear a beanie?"

Matt then comes out from behind the camera and says, "I do not! Cora, don't believe him!"

Shawn then pushes him back behind the camera and says, "Yeah, he's lying." before walking back behind the camera.

"See," Carter says, "It's annoying how love struck he is."

Then the video ends.

(A/N: I think I just gave myself the feels. Send help a.s.a.p. 😩)