Chapter 2: Won't go Home Without You (Maroon 5)
A/N: there is a tiny reference that I make to Mayberry, I hope you like it.
On the Corner of Danforth Avenue, which is a suburb of Riverdale is a reasonably sized seven room, three-bathroom house, not too small in the sightless but not big enough either to be consider a mansion. There is the master bedroom which when you look outside the window you see a spacious park. Then there is a room, which has been converted into a pretty big studio, and four other unoccupied rooms. This house belongs to Craig Manning, and His Ten Year Old Son Joseph Marco Manning, Who is named after the only man he could ever consider to be his Father, and the one male friend that has always been there for him, and ultimately became the godfather to his son.
Craig sits in the Kitchen, eating some cereal that has been covered with eggnog. At the same time he strums away at his acoustic guitar looking into the living room where on top of the fire place is adorned with pictures of little Joey throughout the years, his birth, at 3, him in his soccer uniform, and one that always make Craig laugh, he stops and looks at a picture of his son dressing like him for Halloween two years ago, complete with a leather jacket, faded jeans, chucks, and a tiny guitar.
He continues to practice for the upcoming show, even after over a decade of this he still gets nervous.
I asked her to stay but she wouldn't listen
She left before I had the chance to say
Oh
The words that would mend the things that were broken
But now it's far too late, she's gone away
Every night you cry yourself to sleep
Thinking: "Why does this happen to me?
Why does every moment have to be so hard?"
Hard to believe that
It's not over tonight
Just give me one more chance to make it right
I may not make it through the night
I won't go home without you
He stop as he sees three familiar faces come through the door
"Daddy, Daddy. I beat grandpa and uncle Marco at soccer" says little Joey as he walks through the door
"That's awesome. Go upstairs and get cleaned up and I'll make you some breakfast, Okay?" says Craig
"Do I have to Dad, oh ok fine, can you make me some pancakes with chocolate and wipe cream" says little Joey
"Ok, I will. Now get" say Craig as gets up and starts to make the food
"Dude your son is getting to good for me" says Marco as he comes through the door exhausted
"Maybe it's because you suck and the fact that you have no athletic bone your body. I Thought being married to Dylan would have had some effect on you, I guess wrong" says Craig as he smiles at Joey who is coming through the door
"Very funny Manning. Do you have any Juice? Wait, Is that eggnog in you cereal, disgusting man" Marco says as he sits down and pour himself some Orange juice in a cup.
Joey sees that Craig had begun making breakfast.
"Craig let me do that for you, you have a show to prepare for, remember it's the home town show for all your loyal fans" Joey says as he takes over for Craig and sends him back to his guitar.
"So how are you feeling, Mr. Big Rockstar? It must be weird doing a small little club instead some those big arenas that you are use to?" says Marco as he reads the New York Times.
"I'm alright, I guess it is just strange, I mean I haven't played a show in Toronto in the last 10 years" says Craig while looking at the sheet music in front of him
"I cant believe Sydney gave such a deal for this place, I mean you practically stole it, then again with the housing market the way it is, I'm sure they were to sell this place for two peanuts and a cracker" Joey says all while laughing at the joke he made.
Craig & Marco look at each and then they just shrug and continue doing what they were doing. Marco drinking his juice and Craig continuing to play the song that he didn't get to finish
The taste of your breath, I'll never get over
The noises that you made kept me awake
Oh
The weight of things that remained unspoken
Built up so much it crushed us everyday
Every night you cry yourself to sleep
Thinking: "Why does this happen to me?
Why does every moment have to be so hard?"
Hard to believe that
It's not over tonight
Just give me one more chance to make it right
I may not make it through the night
I won't go home without you
It's not over tonight
Just give me one more chance to make it right
I may not make it through the night
I won't go home without you
Of all the things I felt but never really shown
Perhaps the worst is that I ever let you go
I should not ever let you go, oh oh oh
It's not over tonight
Just give me one more chance to make it right
I may not make it through the night
I won't go home without you
It's not over tonight
Just give me one more chance to make it right
I may not make it through the night
I won't go home without you
And I won't go home without you
And I won't go home without you
And I won't go home without you
"I wonder whom that was about?" says Marco who is grinning at Joey
"Shut Up Del Rossi, I don't know what you're talking about" Craig says angrily
"Come on Craig, you know gorgeous, tall, long beautiful hair, soulful eyes, can write and sing her own music, oh did I forget the love of your life. I mean Joey back me up on this, you've been in Love with her for more than 15 years and your telling me that song wasn't about her, please." Marco says this all while putting a hand on Craig shoulder.
"Look Craig it's obvious to everyone, you guys are one of those "going to be love with each other for the rest of your lives" couple, even when your not together, your still together. I mean lets get real this is a really bad and horrible world. Wars, Famine, Hatred, and destruction; and yet you still found soulmates in each other, how often does that happen. And lets face it you guys are not those couple you see in fairly tales, far from it. You cheated on her, she left you from another continent and yet through the ups and the definite downs, the two of you will never fall out of love. Even people who don't even know you know this; they can tell by the lyrics that you write" Joey says this while he puts the pancakes on the table so little Joey can eat.
"Look I'm not saying that a part of my heart will always belong to Ash". Craig points at his Heart and continues "But she turned me down when I asked here to marry me her at the end of her freshman year at NYU. She made it brutally known that she wouldn't be ready to marry anyone for a long time and so I had to move on for my own good" Craig says this all while Marco and Joey can detect a wave of sadness in his eyes.
"Look dude, this will always be the "Craig & Ashley" Show, and were all just the supporting characters" says Marco
"Whose Ashley, Daddy and I didn't know you were on a T.V Show. Wow my dad is a Rock star and now a T.V star" Little Joey says this all while sitting down and waits for Joey to put his food on the table.
Everyone laughs. "Ashley is someone that daddy knew a LONG time ago, and no I'm not on a T.V show" says Craig in his best semi-serious face.
"Okay daddy, but if she makes you happy then you should be with her" little Joey says this while drinking some milk.
Marco & Joey look at little Joey then back at Craig and they both him a slight grin
Craig looks down and strums away at his guitar