Remembering Taylor Mason (Rewritten, 2020)

Chapter Fourteen: Samara

Memories. They are what keep us warm when everything around us freezes over. Or maybe, it's the other way around. Maybe the whole point of a memory is to have something, a perfect moment, frozen in time. Something to hold on to, when everything crumbles down around us.
Today, I can't get the first day of 9th grade out of my mind. Three short, sunny autumns ago; the day I met Taylor.
I was heading down the hall to my first class, Biology with Mr. Peters, when I saw him; a guy who looked around my age, tall with a slim build, dark blonde hair and dark brown eyes. He was standing outside of our biology classroom, arguing with someone on his cellphone.
"You said you'd be home for my show!" he had yelled. I don't think he knew how loud he was being. I would later learn that the people on the other end of the phone that day where none other than his parents ; and this was just another example of them bailing on him for work.
"Fine, whatever," he had said, "no, it's fine, whatever, I gotta go. Class is starting." As he hung up, I walked past him and into class. As I was walking, I caught another glimpse of him. His eyes, they held that raw, dark pain. That pain that I know so well. The pain of someone, just screaming to be free.
"Excuse me," he had said, rushing past me, and into the classroom towards Liam.
"Oh yeah, sorry, " I had mumbled, but he was already at Liam's desk, placing all his weight on it, as he spoke.
"Dude, battle of the bands is in a month, and we lost Declan Donahue, you know, our keyboard player, to this fancy boarding school. And, of course, my parents just called, they're in Europe for like the millionth time the day we perform. . And to make matters worse, they JUST finalized their trip! They've known about this for months! Ah! I don't get them... anyway, any chance you can help a buddy out?"
"Taylor, you know I'm shit at music, man."
"Well, no, you'd be fin-"
"No Taylor, I'd suck bad. Trust me, you guys don't want me if ya wanna win."
I stepped closer, interested in hearing how this conversation was gonna play out, but what I didn't realize was, I was standing right on the foot of a Skelton model. I tripped, dropping all my books out in front of me.
Great, now they are totally gonna know I was listening in, I thought to myself, as I started picking up my books. Suddenly I saw him, Taylor, he was bending down across from me, picking up a good handful. I looked up and our eyes met, his brown eyes reflecting speks of gold.
"Thank you," I had said, reaching out to take the books from him.
"It's fine, I got 'em" he had said, turning to walk back to his desk.
"Why don't you come sit with us?" he asked. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm Taylor. Taylor Mason."
"S-Samara Jacobs," I said, "and um.. I couldn't help but overhear you need a keyboard player. I don't know how good I'd be, but I've taken piano for almost 9 years now and.-"
"What? Are you serious? Yes! Why don't you come by my place this weekend, meet the rest of the band, show us your stuff."
"Okay," I accepted, smiling to myself as I followed him to an empty desk beside his and Liam's.
—
In present time, I go sit at my family's grand piano, admiring the black and white keys with an intense sense of gratitude. Music had been a piece of Taylor. maybe one of the biggest pieces of him. A piece that had brought us together; and although he's gone, it's still here. And I know, he'd want me to use it. So, I position myself on the piano bench, and the melody flows out.
—