Døn't Førget Abøut Me

Part 5

(Tyler's PØV)

After a few days, some of the music starts coming back to me. Jenna and Josh bring my ukulele, and after strumming it awkwardly a few times, I actually start playing a song Josh identifies as We Don't Believe What's on TV. I still can't remember either Josh or Jenna, or basically anything. Just the music for some reason. The doctor watches as I try to play song after song. I feel like I'm making progress, and both Jenna and Josh are happy for me. But I still can't remember them. I can't remember what's most important.

I can remember a song I wrote, but I can't remember my best friend or my wife. Jenna and I have tried kissing and, though I like it, I don't know anything.

I do know I love them both. I know I'd die for them. I'd live for them too.

"Josh?"

"Yeah?"

"Is there a song about dying and living for people?"

"Yeah. Ride." He smiles and scrolls through his phone. In a few seconds, an upbeat tune is playing, then my voice starts singing.

The song feels good, like a wave of water flowing over me. It's definitely familiar. I start anticipating the words by the time some rapping starts. I end up mouthing the last line in the rap along with the voice, "Would you ever kill?" I smile widely. I actually remembered it.

I end up listening to all the songs I've written, even the ones from when I was seventeen.

"Fast food, greasy, taco, I love." Josh is already smiling, while I hear the song for the first time. "Nacho bell grande, cheesy gordita, I like your nachos, like diarrhea. Man, I really like Taco Bell. I like how I can't watch you make my food. Drop it on the floor, I think it's rude. Man, I really like Taco Bell."

By the end of the six-minute-long song, I'm laughing with Josh. "I wrote that?"

He nods.

"Were you there?"

He bites his lip, making me regret asking. "No. I didn't know you then. I wish I did though."

"Do I like Taco Bell?"

"You love Taco Bell," Jenna tells me.

"Can we go get Taco Bell?"

"Um... Maybe in a few days when they let you out of the hospital," Josh replies.

"Okay. When's our next show supposed to be?"

"In a week."

"Can we still do it?"

Both of them look surprised. "But... you don't remember all the songs and..." Josh starts.

"I'm staring to remember. And maybe doing a concert will make me remember everything else." I glance between both of their faces for a few agonizing seconds before Josh shrugs.

"Sure. We'll try. But we'll have to practice the set a lot."

"Awesome!" I smile. I really want to do it, as long as I know all the songs and all the words.

Two days later, I'm discharged from the hospital. Immediately, Josh, Jenna, and I go to Taco Bell. Then we go to a studio to work on some songs. We start at the beginning of the set. I listen to the song, and then try to remember how to play it on whatever instrument I normally play it on. Josh also tells me the extra things I do, like climb a platform during Car Radio.

"I go out in a hamster ball?" I ask incredulously.

"Yeah. But we can cut that out if you want-"

"No. I want to do it. That sounds cool."

We practice song after song after song. The concert date draws closer and closer, but I feel relatively confident. The only song I can't remember, for some reason, is Trees. There aren't any good tutorials on YouTube, and Josh is concerned about it. We always close with that one. He even re-teaches me the drum part we apparently do at the end. I just can't remember. I listen to it and memorize the words, but none of the chords I try to play match.

The opening acts are over, and so many people are screaming "TOP!" I take a deep breath.

"If you need to stop, we can. Alright?" Josh asks.

"Alright." I'm afraid I'll actually have to cut the concert short.

Now it's time for us to go out. I'm walking practically blind, and I'm afraid I'm going to fall off a cliff.

*******

This part isn't as well written as the others, but whatever. Thanks for reading :D