Only You Make Me Happy
Rita couldn't believe what Cassie had just told her. "W-what?" she asked.
"I said, 'Roddy heard a rumor about you dating someone else. He's really down about it. And now he thinks he didn't make you happy, which is all you wanted from him.'" Cassie repeated.
Those words ate through Rita like acid. Whoever started the rumor out of fun wouldn't be laughing at the end. How would she make Roddy believe her that she wasn't dating another? Well, she couldn't MAKE him believe her. She could give him proof that she wasn't. Hopefully she wouldn't end up being the girl in that one Carrie Underwood song.
I dug my key into the side
Of his pretty little souped-up four wheel drive,
I carved my name into the leather seat.
Took a Louisville slugger to both headlights.
Punched a hole in all four tires.
Maybe next time he'll think before he cheats…
No! She couldn't be thinking that. She just barely found out. It was too early to worry.
"Cass, do you know if he hates me now?" Rita asked, her voice trembling.
"I dunno. All I heard was the rumor, and then I went and talked to him for roughly 10 seconds. Poor dude looked driven to tears."
Rita's heart shattered into a billion pieces. This wasn't gonna be pretty.
--
The next day Rita went to Roddy's dorm room. Rodders, PLEASE forgive me! She prayed.
Roddy opened the door with a smile, but his eyes became sad when he saw her outside. "Oh. Hi." He greeted her.
The entire time she tried to tell him the rumor wasn't true, he wouldn't look her in the eye, nor would he speak much.
This is ludicrous! He could at least have the common courtesy to talk more than two words while I'm here. Here I am, doing everything in my power to tell him what he fears the most isn't happening, and he won't even look me in the face! Not for a second.
Rita couldn't control her frustration anymore. "Oh my gosh, Roddy." She got up from her place on the couch and stomped out past his roommate, Christian. "What was that all about?" he questioned.
"Nothing, I hope," Roddy whispered.
Rita tried not to cry as she hailed a taxi. What happened to the Roddy she'd gone out with countless times before? It's like he just, disappeared into thin air and was replaced by a drone or something.
"How can this happen?" she asked herself when she got back to the house she shared with three other girls from college. Everyone had someone to go have a blast with but her. Cassie was out with Skylar, Lindsay was with John, and Kumi with Kei. She walked into her room and dropped onto her bed.
"How could I be such a dipstick?" she hissed at herself angrily. She slammed her fist onto her nightstand, knocking off her journal. She sighed and picked it up. She was about to close it when a paper fell out. She picked it up and out of curiosity, unfolded it. It was a song she had written when she was in high school with her garage band! And the song was perfect for what she had gotten into.
Rita immediately picked up the phone and dialed Trixie Tucson's number.
"Hello?" Trixie asked.
"Trixie, its Ri."
Rita! Haven't heard from you in a while."
"Yeah, I know. Listen. I need you to call Jason, Brittney, Jadis, and Danni. Tell them to come here with their band equipment. We're getting back together for a while."
"Fine, but what's this about, Ri?"
"You'll see. I've got the song here, so don't worry about the sheet music."
"Got it."
--
Rita answered the door when the doorbell rang. All five of the other band members stood on the porch.
"Come on in! We can set up right here." She said, gesturing to the large space she had cleared out. Altogether they had one bass guitar, two electric, drums, two background vocalists, and one lead.
Rita plugged her guitar into Jason's speaker system. She strummed once and was startled. Her guitar wasn't tuned.
"Augh!" she yelped.
"Well, THAT sounded good," Brittney laughed.
"Yeah, I know! Maybe we should keep it like this!" Rita joked, playing it like she knew what she was doing. Brittney covered her ears.
"Uh, let's leave the notes alone, shall we?"
"Lets." Rita replied. "Okay…." She sat down on the couch to tune her instrument.
When everything was plugged in and rigged together, the six began the song. They had to practice it multiple times, due to the fact that they hadn't played it in years.
Eventually, they had it right, and all gave high-fives to one another. This was probably the best song they had ever played. Now the only question was, how would Chase respond to it?
--
The time came for when the band set up in Roddy's dorm room. Christian and Michael(Mee-ky-el) had rearranged and cleared space in the front room, so that when Roddy came home, the first thing he would see was the band. Then they could begin the song.
Rita began working on the cables and mikes, her hands trembling. She was so nervous!
Christian walked into the room. "Need any help? I had a garage band once."
"Sure. There's so much to get ready for. The song, the response, the heartbreak or smiles, whichever it may be…I'm totally engulfed in this."
Rita had to stop and close her eyes for a moment when her head began spinning. She was too stressed. 'A massage would be good right now,' she thought
--
Rita had calmed down and was fine by the time Michael excitedly reported that Roddy had just pulled into the tenant parking lot. She felt excited, yet at the same time, like she could burst into tears. But now she focused on meeting her goal; convincing Roddy that he WAS making her happy, and that what he had heard was merely gossip.
"Okay! Set up! He's in the hallway!" Christian told Rita, who nodded. Her heart rate sped up.
The door opened, and Roddy walked in. His eyes opened wide when they began playing. He flushed and started to back out, but Michael closed the door before he could. "Just listen to them," he whispered was he pulled over a chair for Roddy to sit on.
Rita began the lyrics.
"I was chasing my dreams, with a Coke and a smile
Only you make me happy!"
"If that was the real thing, them I'm in denial
Only you make me happy!"
"Now my heart's on my sleeve. Don't care if I'm not in style.
Only you make me happy!"
"Superficial, Fake and fleeting
Fashion statements have no meaning!"
"Only you make me happy, only you make me happy
Everything will change, but you remain the same,
Only you make me happy!"
"I had it under control, I had it right where it wants me.
Only you make me happy!"
"I had the rock and the roll! It made me one of the posse.
Only you make me happy!"
Fame and fortune, blind ambition
Can't replace the love you've given!"
"Only you make me happy, only you make me happy
Everything will change, but you remain the same,
Only you make me happy!"
The music went on for a few seconds, and Rita saw an opportunity to glance at Roddy. He looked astounded.
"Like a song in my head, it lives and it dies
Only you make me happy!"
"Elvis is dead, but my love is alive
Only you make me happy!"
"Only you make me happy, only you make me happy
Everything will change, but you remain the same,
Only you make me happy
Everything can go, cuz the one one thing I know is
Only you make me happy!"
Rita searched Roddy's eyes for an answer. What she got back from him was incredible. She saw forgiveness, mercy, and a second shot at their relationship in his eyes alone. What she felt in his embrace brought tears of happiness to her eyes. He whispered in her ear, "That was beautiful. Telling from the way you sang it, you meant what you were singing."
"S-so you've dropped the rumor?"
"Absolutely."
When their lips came together seconds later, not only were they putting back together what had been obliterated, but were creating a whole new meaning for the phrase 'I love you."
5 YEARS LATER
The dew covered ground began to be warmed by the morning's first lights one beautiful Thursday morning. Rita got up and stretched, then walked out of the bedroom and into another room, which was decorated like a nursery, for that's what it was. She walked over to the crib and reached in, gently whispering 'Good morning' to the newborn baby sleeping inside. A bubbly baby's laugh filled the room, just like the sunlight. Rita smiled as she looked into the eyes of her son.
"I had dreamed of you for years, Bryce. You're a dream come true," she whispered. Rita then walked over to the window with her baby and looked out over the city, seeing a new generation beginning to unfold.
The End