Page 82 of Places I've Never Been

Cooper snorted. “We knew what we were doing next.”

Mattie pointed at them. “Yes, that’s exactly what we’re trying to say. That feeling of excitement, or anticipation. But it’s not just high school graduation.”

“It’s everything,” Adam said. “Every change. Every next step.”

“Like marriage?” Brandon asked. He stared at Adam when he said it.

“Not exactly,” Mattie brushed past the obvious hint. “Marriage isn’t an end like graduation is. It’s a beginning.”

“Sure it is,” Flynn said. “It’s the end of single life. Bachelorhood. Stagville.”

“It’s not a wedding song,” Adam said. He sounded a little abrupt. “It’s about retirement.”

“I agree, it’s not something people will play at weddings. At least, I don’t think they will,” Mattie said. “This isn’t a love song. It’s a rage against the dying of the light song.”

“Rage?” Flynn frowned. “You want an angry beat on this?”

Cooper laughed. “No, you savage. She’s talking about the Dylan Thomas poem. ‘Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night’? Something like that? Remember?”

Brandon tossed a chip at Flynn. “Fifth period English. We had to recite the damn thing. You acted it out by using the board as a drum.”

Flynn shrugged. “I do that a lot.”

“Guys,” Adam said. “The point is this song is about life, not love.”

“Well, not exactly. It’s about loving life.” Mattie grinned. “All the phases of it.”

LT nodded. “I get it. It’s like when Johnny J left. Learning to move on. Embracing the new.”

Mattie beamed at him. “That’s it exactly.”

“Okay, so what’s the bridge?” LT asked.

She glanced at Adam. “I don’t know yet. Any ideas?”

They tossed words around all afternoon. Mattie finished one notebook and started another, but after a few hours trying to force it all to come together, she had to admit defeat for the day.

Adam took her hand as the session broke up. “We’ll try again tomorrow.”

“We’re running out of tomorrows,” Mattie said. A tiny dagger of pressure poked at her, like it always did when she was on deadline.

“Hey, that’s not what you’ve been saying all afternoon,” Brandon said.

“Yeah,” Flynn chimed in. “You said life’s not over. Don’t let those negative voices in your head tell you different now.”

“Truth.” LT nodded.

Mattie stilled. “Don’t let those voices…”

“I know that face,” Adam said. “Quick, hide her notebook.”

Mattie stuck her tongue out at him as she fished her notebook and pen out of her bag. “Let me get this down.”

“I know, before you forget,” Adam finished. He sounded patiently exasperated. “This could take a while, guys.”

Mattie sat on the sofa and wrote the line down, then studied it.

Don’t let those negative voices in your head tell you different now.

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