Over and Over- an Adam Gontier love story

Walking in Memphis- 8

Chapter Eight

"Welcome to Memphis guys and gals! If you look to your left you will see farmland, and if you look to your right, well-- oh look there's the city." Stu said over the intercom on the bus.

We all clambered over one another to try to get to a window to catch a glimpse of the city. It looked very large if you were to compare it to Greenville. I made a side note to always walk around with someone because I was notorious for getting lost in large places. Maybe I'd ask Adam. I turned to him and put on my begging face. "Adam?"

He tensed, I think he heard my tone of voice and knew what was coming next. "Yes?" he asked cautiously.

"While we're here, I get lost really easily in big places. So I was wondering if you would walk with me?" I asked sweetly.

He relaxed a bit. "Well I don't see why not-"

"Wherever I go?" I finished.

He tensed up again right away. "What."

"Please, please, please." I begged.

"Maybe we can work something out with the guys-" there was then an uproar of voices from the other members. Shouts of "there's no way!" and "she's your girlfriend!" and things like that.

"Guys!" I fought to be heard over all of the yelling. "GUYS!" they all stopped and looked at me.

"That hurt my ears." Neil complained.

"Yeah well your yelling hurt mine. I promise that I won't want to go many places. Can't we just all walk togeher?"

-----------------------------------------------------

"No, Brad we can't go into that adult store. Neil what are you doing? Ugh what have I done?" It had been about 40 minutes since we got off the bus and started walking around downtown Memphis and I already felt 5 years older. At first the guys thought that I was going to be the one wanting to go shopping and go in all of the stores. But they don't realize that that's not me. I'd much rather just walk around. They, on the other hand, seemed to want to go into every single store we pass.

We walked into the general store on Main Street. The upper level, which was the level we were on at the moment, was comprised of mostly clothes. However, the lower level, which is where the band migrated to, was made up of kid's toys and candy. Barrels full of different kinds of candy. Strawberry candies, caramel candies, soda candies, chocolate candies, and more. Each one of them grabbed a bag and started loading it down with their favorite types of candy. By the time we got up to the cashier and everybody weighed their bag, the total had climbed up to $28.00. My eyes widened.

"$28.00?! That's $7.00 per bag you guys! What the heck?"

They all looked at me with sheepish faces. "But, but- we like candy. We can pay!" Adam volunteered.

"You bet you're gonna pay! You really expected me to? Haha no." I said to him. "I'll be outside waiting."

I made my way up to the front of the store to wait. I stood around, waiting and watching all of the different people go by. While I was waiting, I thought I heard someone say my name. "Katie? Katie, is that you?" the voice asked. My face paled. I know that voice.

"Katie!" Reid called out, walking towards me with his arms wide open as if expecting a hug. I sighed and slapped on a smile as he came over.

"Hey Reid." I said, quickly hugging him. Reid was my ex whom I dated for a year in high school. We didn't end on a very good note after I broke up with him.

"Hey Katie wait up!" Reid yelled as he tried to catch up with me down the hall. "Where are you going? We're going to be late to class."

"I don't care Reid." I said harshly. He flinched.

"O-kayy. So why did you bring me down here?" he asked genuinely confused.

"We're done." I said simply.

"What?" oh no, here come the waterworks. "What do you mean?"

Don't get me wrong, Reid was one of the sweetest guys there is. But he just had this way about him that I didn't like. It's not that he was a bad kid, quite the opposite in fact, but he was almost too good. He was too polite, too good, too forgiving, too...sensitive. He was the guy that wouldn't like to tease for fear of hurting the other person's feelings. In short, he always tried to be perfect, which I didn't like. Trying to be perfect meant he always kept a short distance between us, emotionally. I never really knew that much about him and he never opened up to show me the real him. Which is why we broke up.

"But, Katie, I love you!" Reid exclaimed.

"No, Reid, you don't. You love your image and the image you have when you're with me. Stop trying to be perfect; just be you. I'm sorry, but we're over." I said sadly.

"I can change, change for you!" he said.

"No Reid, you can't change for me. If you want to change, you have to change for yourself." I said, then started walking away. He tried calling after me but I didn't look back.

After that happened, I suppose he felt so messed up about his "image" that he moved. I never knew where he moved to, until now.

"How are you? You look great. What are you doing in Memphis?" he asked all at once.

"Good, thanks, and I'm here with some of my friends." I answered. Thankfully, at that moment, the "friends" I spoke of came out of the store.

"Hey Katie we got you- oh, hello." Adam said, acknowledging Reid. Brad, Neil, and Barry followed him out of the store.

"Hi there. I'm Reid, Katie's ex. I don't think we've ever met before." Reid said as he held out his hand.

"Really? Well I'm Katie's now. Adam, nice to, uh, meet you too." Adam said proudly, shaking Adam's hand firmly. Quite firmly, in fact, I could see Reid's face trying not to convey the pain he felt.

"That's a...very firm grip you have." Reid commented, his voice a little bit strained.

"Thanks man. So, what were you and milady talking about if I may ask?" Adam asked curiously as he folded his arms over his chest, though I know he just wanted Reid to be intimidated. I looked over at Reid. Looks like it was working.

I butted in. "Reid was just leaving, right Reid?"

Reid gave me a somewhat scared look. "R-right. See you later!"

Adam spoke for me. "Probably not."

After Reid left, I let out a huge breath of air I didn't realize I had been holding in. The guys all gave me a look that said "what-the-hell-was-that-all-about". "Long story," was all I said. Changing the subject, I asked: "So, who's gonna share their candy with me?"

---------------------------------------------

I ended up sharing with all of them just because no one wanted to share with me. We ended up walking all the way back to the hotel we were staying in. After everyone got settled in, Brad called a "band-plus-Katie-meeting".

"So I talked with Stu, and I found out where we'll be performing. Cue dramatic drumroll please." Neil began drumming a beat on his legs. "We will be performing at..."

---------------------------------------------

A/N

Ah y'all are going to hate me for this because I ended it here.

Once again, I'll share my news with you.

I HAVE TO START SCHOOL ON WEDNESDAY! >:(

Which means, sparser updates. However, if the book isn't finished before next summer, than it will be over the next summer. So you know what to do!

Vote, comment, keep it real babes. :)

And message me anytime you want! I'll try to get back to you when I'm not swamped with homework! Hope to talk to you all sometime soon!

Toodles!!!