We Were Happy
A songfic based on the Taylor Swift song
"…nobody knows and nobody cares."
"TRINI!"
"And nobody cares!"
I tear away from Nicholas and Kirsten and run home. The tears fall quickly from my face and blur my vision into a red mass of autumn leaves.
I probably get bewildered looks from the Dames and children walking home from mass, but I don't slow down enough to see. I'd be confused too. Brom Bones running up the street crying? I'm going to have to do something really immature to make up for this later.
I burst through the door of my house and run straight to my room. I slam the door and sink down folding my knees to my chest.
Who does Ichabod think he is!? He just swoops in and enchants Katrina with his stupid post mortem and his off-key singing. IT'S NOT FAIR! I've known her since we were kids. I've courted her since I was fourteen. We have history. We were happy….
As this runs through my head, I spot my guitar in the corner. The one Trini gave me for my birthday two years ago. She doesn't stop smiling when I play it for her….
I pick it up and start to strum, putting my thoughts and feelings into the chords. Slowly, I sing along with it.
We used to walk along the streets,
when the porch lights were shining bright
I remember previous weeks. How in the evenings she would laugh and grin at stupid jokes we made. Before she started hanging around Icahbod.
Slowly, it becomes a duet. I can almost hear her pretty alto when I hum the next part of the verse.
Before I had somewhere to be.
Back when we had all night.
My voice sings alone, though I imagine hers with me as I sing the next line.
And we were happy
It shifts back to me. I concentrate on a memory as a sing the next part.
I do recall a good while back, we snuck into the circus.
You threw your arms around my neck, back when I deserved it.
I remember when we were fifteen and there was a circus over the mountains in Sing-Sing. She wanted to go so badly, but her mother argued that "it wasn't pious to partake in such frivolities."
So on the last night the circus was there, I rode Daredevil over to the Van Tassels. I threw stones at Katrina's window, until she woke up and I told her to get dressed and come outside.
I wouldn't tell her where we were going. We rode Daredevil threw the mountains under a full moon. When she saw the lit up tents she was so happy, she kissed me.
The song merges back into two voices.
And we were happy
When it was good baby, it was good baby.
We showed 'em all up.
No one could touch the way we
Laughed in the dark,
Talkin' 'bout your daddy's farm we were gonna buy someday.
And we were happy
I remember the ride home. I kept picturing her smile and thinking about how I put it there. And I realized I never wanted to stop trying to make her happy.
"I love you," I blurted out.
"I love you too," she said back.
I stopped Daredevil, knowing I needed to see her face when I said what I did next.
"Trini, I'm never going to stop loving you or wanting to make you smile. I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
"I love you too, Brom. And I'll marry you and we'll have my family's farm, and you'll always make me smile just by being you."
I kicked Daredevil, and he galloped away. Katrina shrieked, and hugged me, scared.
"Brom that's not funny! Sleepy Hollow's a fair walk from here!"
"Well then aren't we lucky it's a full moon?"
I play a few more sad riffs.
We used to watch the sun go down on the boats on the water.
I remember taking Katrina rowing on the river. The sunlight at dusk made her hair glow. Now she's probably off rowing with Ichabod, not even thinking about me. I hope she is. I hope she cares as much as I do. I hope this is as hard for her as it is for me, and that she isn't completely happy with him.
The song fades back to her voice.
That's sort of how I feel right now. Made goodbye so much harder.
Our voices together.
'Cause we were happy.
When it was good baby, it was good baby.
We showed 'em all up.
No one could touch the way we
Laughed in the dark,
Talkin' 'bout your daddy's farm we were gonna buy someday.
And we were happy.
I imagine Katrina falling out of love. I let myself believe for a moment she regrets it as I write this line for her.
Oh, I hate those voices telling me I'm not in love anymore.
I think of how she's trapped me to be heart-broken and write myself a line.
But they don't give me choices, and that's what these tears are for.
Our voices together again.
'Cause we were happy.
'Cause we were happy.
When it was good baby, it was good baby.
We showed 'em all up.
No one could touch the way we
Laughed in the dark,
Talkin' 'bout your daddy's farm
And you were gonna marry me.
And we were happy.
Yeah, we were happy.
Oh_
We were happy.
I play the song a few more times before completely breaking down again. My thoughts become an endless stream of I miss her so much. I think about how now she'll marry Ichabod and the whole town will be invited to their wedding and I'll watch her say "I do" to him and watch them dance at their wedding reception.
He'll inherit her family's farm and I'll still be around town watching her raise their kids and they'll grow old together and do everything we were supposed to.
It's my own fault. If I could have just acted nicer to her…. Not like I would know how because my parents don't love each other. And now I'll be just like them and marry some girl I don't love and raise kids who don't know how to love and watch them be heart-broken because they messed up like I did.
No. I have to get Katrina back. I'll be a gentleman and she'll love me again. And even if she doesn't I won't stop loving her.