It took me a while to remember the real reason Lee started the band...the reason why I cheered him on the entire way

Sam's Memory

This entire memory is spoken in Japanese, anything in English will be put between these ()

If I remembered correctly we were around kindergarten...either that or first grade...maybe second...I was walking around the courtyard enjoying my free time when I heard someone singing. I didn't understand it, it seemed to be a language I didn't understand. I walked around the yard more until I found the voice. A kid sitting against a tree with an acoustic guitar, it seemed as though it was made exactly for him, it was small just like he was. His hair covered his right eye and yet it's not like it wasn't clean, just hadn't been cut for a while...his hair was tied up though...in a small ponytail in the back of his head, it suited him. Without knowing who he was, I sat in front of him, listening to him attempt to sing something in a language I didn't understand...I knew the language now...yet looking back at the memory, it still was like I didn't know. When he finally finished the song without messing up he looked up at me and jumped back a bit, hitting the back of the tree

("Y-yes?") I understood what he said now...maybe it was just because I didn't remember the lyrics...like I still don't.

"Umm, do you speak...err, do you understand me?" I pointed at myself, my younger self not knowing if the kid I was speaking to understood me.

"I do..."I don't know what was with me when I was younger but I could remember myself jumping up a bit in excitement, after all, i had never heard a bilingual person before

"Ahh, that's so cool! You gotta teach me that"

"W-what?"

"That language!"

"Ah, I do-don't think it's that easy..." It was weird seeing him being shy like this, he had really changed through the years

"Then you gotta tell me your name"

"What?

"If you don't teach me the language, you gotta tell me your name"

"I...don't think it works like that"

"Aww...come on, please?"

"...Lee"

"Eh?"

"My name is Lee...(Is that how they pronounced it?)"

"Mine is Sam! Sam Calstianas...err Calstionos...umm...how was it again...ahh! Sam Calstianos!"

"You don't even know your last name?" Oh kid Lee, if only you knew your future.

"Of course I do" I was standing up with my hands on my hips. "It's just hard to pronounce"

("Can you guys please stop being so loud?") A younger Nicholai walked up to us, If I remember, I don't become friends with her until next year...this school was pretty diverse with different languages and backgrounds. ("My brother has sensitive ears and he really needs to concentrate, he's gonna build a rocket for astronauts someday!") So Nicholai was hyping up her brother...I thought she was mad at us.

"I'm sorry" I bowed in apology, she just looked confused.

("She's sorry, she just doesn't understand") Lee spoke up for me...well translated me.

("Oh...no problems then, carry on") She walked away and sat beside her brother who was reading a book, one that was way too advanced for kids our age.

"She understands you're sorry" Lee stood up and adjusted the guitar. I sat beside him which once again caught him by surprise. I just looked at the guitar. "Do you wanna try it out?" He took the strap that was slung around his shoulder, and held his guitar out.

"Really? I dunno know how to play though" He put the strap around my shoulder.

"It's not hard, here" He sat the guitar on my lap and moved my hands onto the strings. "Put your index finger here" He pointed to one of the strings around the middle.

"Index finger?"

"This one" He moved his index finger to show me.

"ohhh, that's what it's called" I followed his teaching and put my finger on it.

"Now middle finger here" He pointed at one near the top. I moved my right hand over and he stopped me. "You can't play the guitar if you use both hands for the strings"

"I can't reach it though, my fingers can't go that far apart" he seemed hesitant before pressing his finger on the string he told me to.

"You can at least put your pinky here, press on it lightly, don't press on it hard" using his right hand he tapped one of the lower strings, it was a bit painful as my fingers weren't long, or built for this, but I made it. "Now strum" I strummed the guitar, it played a soft and quick note. I saw my face glow in excitement.

"Wahh! I did it!" I looked at Lee "I did it!"

"Yeah..."

"waaait, why do you have this?" I looked back down at the guitar

"...my dad writes songs for people...I wanna be like him someday"

"Can you write me a song!?"

"I...can't promise that"

"oh, okay...t-then! I'll write you one!"

"You don't have to, you barely know me"

"It's for teaching me gutar"

"It's a guitar...and I only taught you one note"

"Still! I'm gonna be a star! I wanna learn all types of guitars!"

"I have a long time ahead of me then" I clenched my hands together in excitement, which caused Lee to lunge forwards as the guitar's strap was about to swing the guitar at the tree.

"You're gonna teach me!?"

"Not if you get it broken" He took the guitar off me and set it in a case that lay beside him. He picked up the case and swung the strap on.

"Doesn't it hurt?"

"What does?"

"I was sitting and the gutar still felt heavy...the case must be heavy too"

"Guitar, and you get used to it." The bell rang, telling us to go back indoors. All of us kids waltzed back in, in different ways, I joyfully skipped back to class while I noticed Lee slowly walking, making sure his guitar was safe, even though it was already in a case. When we got to class it was the first time I realize that we had the same class together, more so we sat right next to each other. I laid my head on the desk and looked right, the direction Lee was in.

"Lee~"

"Hmm?" I patted my hands on the desk, looking back on the memory, I made a small rhythm that if you wanted, you could really go off with. Guess I had a natural talent.

"After school, can you teach me more?" It was small, but he smiled just a little bit.

"Sure"

When school ended I dragged Lee to my house, he met my mom and dad who gave him a warm welcome, my parents were weird and can be a bit overprotective, but they were sweet...I was sure of it now, in the morning after I get rest, I'm looking for mom and dad...Too bad that was one of the last memories that were peaceful, and one of the last times Lee could teach me guitar, before that illness kicked in.

Lee's Memory All in English

I had a dream, one where I wanted to sing my heart out for the ones I cared about, to make songs that inspired others...

It was my middle school years. I had begun living with the Calstianos family after they learned I lived alone, my parents weren't neglectful...at least what I remember, it's just...I never really remembered them. I sat in the living room where the phone rang, I walked over and picked it up, I heard Cali's, Sam's mom, voice.

"Sorry Lee...Sam is still sick, we had to go to a specialist...they were farther away though, it's alright, we'll be home before it's bedtime" My face was sorrowful, yet I shook my head and smiled.

"Can I talk to Sam?"

"Of course" I heard the phone fumble a bit, before I heard a weak voice speak.

"Lee."

"Sam!" I had my left hand on my chest, over my heart. "You need to get better! I have a song to teach you and I don't wanna forget it."

"hehe, of course, I'll try my hardest to recover" Is what she said...not like she could've predicted if she would get better or not.

2 days later...

Sam was back home, yet not for long, I was walking to the bathroom when I heard gagging from Sam's room.

"Sam!?" I knocked on her door, eventually letting myself in when I heard something break. Sam was leaning on her dresser, coughing up blood. "Cali! Baker!" I called for her parent who soon came rushing over.

"Sam!" Baker, who was Sam's father went rushing downstairs to start the car, while Cali picked Sam up. I stood by the doorway and when she came over she looked at me worried.

"Lee...are yo-

"It's fine! I'll wait as long as it takes until Sam recovers, I'll teach her that song one day!" Cali smiled at me and then hurried to the car. I could feel the pain that I did on that day...I was lying...every day they left...it only became more painful...in the back of my mind played that one thought...'one day, Sam won't return...one day...I won't be able to sing a song for her'

14 days later...

The phone rang again, only this time Sam was bubbling with energy.

"Lee! I got in!" Sam had taken entry tests for high school, we intended to get into the same ones as Kenneth and Nicholai.

"Amazing! I guess your countless days of studying paid off!" I was more outspoken back then, my voice louder and more apparent.

"Hm! The doc said you guys can come to visit tomorrow too!"

"Great! I'll call Kenneth and Nicholai, I'll buy you those sweets you love"

"Thank you~"

The Next Day

All of us were at the hospital...Sam was brimming with energy and joy yesterday...yet, when we all came to visit, she was unconscious, having coughed up blood a few minutes before we arrived...Kenneth and Nicholai were forced to leave, I on the other hand, was allowed to stay since I technically was part of the family...the only thing I did was live with them though, I had a different last name, different DNA...and it sure as hell felt like I didn't belong.

"...." Sam only breathed softly...it was so quiet, and in such brief intervals, you'd think she wasn't breathing at all. The doctor talked to Cali and Baker.

"This illness she has...it's rare, yet not incurable...this hospital doesn't have the necessary things to even aid it, however, going to a different prefecture really is the only option" She was going somewhere else...somewhere farther again...how long has it been, since she was home for more than a few days.

"sam" I spoke softly, just enough so that if she could...she'd hear me "why are you pushing yourself for our sake?...was it because you wanted to be in the same school as us?...but...you can't even do that if you're like this..." If there was such a thing as a god, I cursed it, I cursed them for taking away an innocent girl's childhood.

1 year later.

It was high school, I made this the last year where I would live in this household...I had begun to feel like a burden to Cali and Baker...they wanted Sam more than me...even if they didn't say it...I knew that's how they felt. Neither of them had been home for awhile, they had to go to hospitals so far away, that coming to check on me became impossible, they weren't neglecting me, they sent me money, postcards, mail, they called, they made sure I was okay...but that wasn't enough. This day I tried calling, hoping to hear Sam pick up, there was no answer, there was no message that came afterward.

"They must just be sleeping...right, it may be morning for me...but it might be night where they are...she has to be okay, they'll have to come back one day...Cali will bring some random food, Baker will bring some board game we don't know how to play...and Sam will come nagging me to play guitar...she'll come back, I just have to be strong...I just have to finish this song that can save her...I just have to wait...I just...need to hold on...a little while longer." I strummed my guitar...the melody had become terrible, horrid even, tainted by my sorrow...tainted by my naive emotions for a better tomorrow.