I Wanna Run, But Only Far Enough To Make You Miss Me

~Two Weeks Later~
October 21st
(Hanna’s POV)

“Hello and welcome to Becker Surfboards how can I help,” I smiled sweetly at the young boy, about fifteen.

“Hey, erm I was just wondering if my board was done, they said I could pick it up today,” he said excitedly, obviously his first board.

“Ok, I’ll just go ask, be back in a second can I get you name,” I asked

“It’s Kevin,”

I nodded and hurried off to the back of the shop, were the surfboards were made scanning the darkened room for Dave.

“Dave!” I shouted walking amongst the racks of surfboards.

“Over here,” Dave shouted back and I made my way in the direction of his voice.

“Some kid called Kevin stopped by and asked if his board was ready,” I said down to Dave, who was busy knelling on the floor attaching some fins to a new board.

“Funny you should ask, voila!” he smiled proudly finishing putting the new fins on the short board.

“Sweet, I’ll grab a cover I go give it to him.” I walked quickly over to the shelves with a number of cotton covers to protect the boards. Power walking back I grabbed the board and shoved it in the cover, hoping that this was my last customer.

“Hey Dave, can I get out of here early if this is the last customer? I asked, smiling sweetly and the tanned man.

“Sure Han, you’ve worked really hard today and I don’t think we’ll be getting any more customers.” He said fiddling with another board,

“Thanks!” I replied happily realizing that I could now pick up Eric from school on time, maybe I’d even be early and then we could hit the waves together.

I walked back out to the front of the shop, with the board under one arm.

“Here you are,” I said hading it over to Kevin, “have fun with it!”

“Sweet dude, it’s sick!” he said enthusiastically as he ran his hands along the perfectly smooth rails. With one more word of thanks he excited the store and headed for his car, must’ve been sixteen then.

I ducked under the counter and began to take off my back before I heard the door open again; I groaned inwardly and rose from my position seeing it was a bunch of guys.

“Hey, I’m Hanna. Welcome to Becker surfboards, how can I help you guys?” I smiled sweetly, resisting the urge to say we were closed and through them out.

“Hey!” The one up front said with a smirk on his face, “we all need new shoes,” he said pointing to all of their beaten up lace up Vans.

“Alright then, this way,” I beckoned the group of loud boys, smiling as they reminded me of everyone from ATL.

I pointed to the display of shoes that lined the walls before stepping back to let them pick.

“Guys did you hear how well their tour went.” A small kid with quite a large nose said happily.

“Yer I know, I’m so pleased. Apparently they found her too, hopefully we call all see her again, I miss her.” The tall boy that had spoken to me said sadly.

That’s when it clicked, five boys, five skinny boys with skinny jeans and lace up vans. I searched each of their faces realizing who it was. Nobody could mistake Pat’s huge brown eyes, Garret’s cheeky smirk, Kenny’s loving smile, Jared’s fiery hair and John’s angelic face. I slapped myself mentally not understanding how I didn’t recognize The Maine. I giggled to myself quietly, but obviously not quiet enough because each of their head snapped round and I felt 5 pairs of eyes bore in to me.

“What’cha chuckling about?” Garret asked with an amused look upon his face.

“Oh nothing,” I said smirking knowing that they had no idea who I was. In a way I was hurt but I shook it off seeing as to be honest we hadn’t seen each other in five years and I had changed, quiet a lot.

Suddenly a loud voice erupted from my back pocket.

“PICK UP YOU PHONE OR ELSE LIL’ SIS! BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID!” Alex’s personal ring tone screamed and I blushed furiously as I grabbed it out of my pocket and slide the cell up to answer the call.

“Hello you little shit!” I seethed in to the phone, mad at him for calling me while I was at work.

“Oh! Who’s a little tetchy, woke up on the wrong side of bed this morning!” his annoying voice said in my ear and I could picture the infuriating smirk that would be plastered across his face.

“Alexander William Gaskarth I swear if you call me again at work I will jump on a plane and maim your ass!”

“Chill out lil’ sis!” he said calmly

“Don’t you lil’ sis me! You poor excuse for a brother!” I said raising my voice, “I have to go, unlike you I don’t do absolutely fuck all for a living, I have to work to earn my millions, I’ll call you later!” with that I snapped my cell shut cutting out the sound of Alex’s voice saying how hard work it was being a musician blah blah blah.

I turned around to see shocked looks on everyone’s faces.

“Sorry about that, my brother’s mildly annoying, he doesn’t understand what normally working hours are,” I explained blushing slightly.

My old friends looked at one another in slow motion before huge smiles spread across their faces! Pat was the first one to launch himself at me, the others followed shortly tackling my small frame to the ground.

“OH MY GOD HANNA!” Kenny screamed enthusiastically and kissed my face multiple times, the others deemed this as a good plan and I was left with a wet face covered in slobbery kisses.

“You A-Hole! Where have you been for the last five years” Pat asked still clinging on to me for dear life, as if I was going to disappear.

I didn’t’ have a chance to answer before John started madly ranting about how I didn’t say goodbye and had him worried sick wondering if I was still alive. I chuckled slightly and shook my head at his exasperated look.

“You mother fucker! We missed you so much!” Jared pouted resting his head on my shoulder. Garret stood there silently watching me with a broad grin across his face looking like a kid that’s realized Christmas had come early.

“Alright that’s enough get off me you brutes!” I shouted, amused as they all stood up quickly grinning like idiots. “If you give me a minute I’ll attempt to explain, but I have to warn you, it’s a long story.”

“Don’t worry we’ve got all day,” John said happily, before looking down at his watch, “Well like an hour but meh who’s counting,”

With that I told the guys everything that I’d done over the past five years. About Colin’s funeral, me moving out to LA, fate-bringing ATL and I back together again but I managed to leave ou the parts about Eric. They sat contently for an hour all seeming thoroughly enthralled with my story; all the while John was absentmindedly playing with my hand. I grinned in to his eyes as I finished speaking and he when he smiled right back I remembered the amazing time we’d had together on tour. What great friends we’d become, John had always been there for me when I needed to vent about Jack or Colin, he’d been so understanding. Suddenly I realized how much I’d missed them over the years, Pat had never been there in the moments when I’d been so down and I needed his retardedness to cheer me up, it was my fault though. When I cut all the ties with All Time Low, I cut all the ties with all the other bands I’d met along the way.

“So what are you guys doing in LA then? I swore you live in Arizona?” I asked confused as to why they were so far from home.

“We finished tour yesterday, and our lame bus broke down so basically we have to wait here in LA for another week until it’s fixed,” Pat huffed, frowning. I nodded and them smiled realizing maybe we could hang out and catch up for the few days that they were in town.

Just then the door to the store opened and I furrowed my eyebrows wondering who would come in to the store so late on a Friday, it closed like half an hour ago.

“Dude that kid looks like a mini version of Jack Barakat!” John exclaimed and all the guys nodded enthusiastically.

I looked up and smiled to see my son scanning the store, obviously looking for me, his mother who hadn’t picked him up from school, again. Thankfully Tess had picked him up today, she had an internship at his middle school, and she was training to be a teacher.

“Mommy!” Eric screamed and cam barrelling towards me at full speed, his arms outstretched.

“Hey Eric!” I exclaimed grabbing him and engulfing his tiny body in a bear hug. He squirmed and giggled as I planted and excessive amount of kisses on his face.

“Ewww! Yuki!” he cried and I laughed at his perfect features that were all scrunched up.

“How’d you get here little man? I’m so sorry I couldn’t pick you up from school, I had some late customers” I said indicating to the five shell-shocked boys that were gaping at us with open mouths.

“It’s okay mom, aunt Tess brought me here but she had to rush off real quick, had some kind of appointment. She said to say hey though,”

I grinned happily, thinking to call Tess later tonight and thank her for saving my butt for the billionth time. I’d forgotten all about The Maine when Jared suddenly started speaking.

“Hold up, this is your son?”

“Erm yes,” I smiled proudly, “Eric this is Pat, Jared, Garret, Kenny and John,”

“Hello!” he beamed and smiled broadly.

“No way,” John whispered, shaking his head slowly.

“What dude, why are you acting like you’ve seen a ghost.” Garret asked.

“Guys, can’t you see. Come one you can’t be blind, look at the nose, look at the way he smiled!” John said in frustration.

I bit my lip and heard them all gasp in surprise, noticing the resemblance.

“That’s another thing to add to the list of things you haven’t told us and we’re mad about!” Pat screamed,

“Ah yes about that...” I trailed off Eric made his way towards them all with a concentrated look about him.

“I’ve seen you before,” he stated plainly to John, “There’s a picture of you and mommy in her room, you’re kissing her right there” he said poking at John’s cheek, millimetres away from his lip.

It was true, I did still have a picture of John and I in my room, I tried to chuck it out, when I was trying to cut all the ties, but I couldn’t bring myself to. We looked so cute, it had been taken after one of the shows and we were both pretty drunk. Matt had come round with a camera taking random snaps of everyone, John had immediately thrown his arm around my shoulder and attempted to kiss my cheek. He failed and managed to kiss the edge of my mouth, John was SO embarrassed and started trying to make all these stupid excuses when really I couldn’t of cared less, I was too drunk to notice the tingling felling his lips on mine gave me.

I blushed furiously as the guys all smirked at me and John cocked his eyebrow.

“It was cute,” I whined

“The one after a show?” John asked breaking in to a smirk

“Maybe,” I giggled

“Ah ha, I knew you always thought I was sexy,” he screamed and wrapped me in a hug.

“Urgh! Get off, when will you people learn to stop sexually harassing me.” I said attempting to peel John’s strong arms off me, no such luck he clung on.

“Mommy I want supper!” Eric cried from Kenny’s lap, he’d already introduced himself to everyone and, as usual, they love my son, such a charmer just like his father.

Jared suddenly looked down at his watch and grimaced.

“Argh, I hate to break it to you guys but we have to jet, Wet Seal in store in an hour!”

“Poo!” John said whilst burrowing his head in my shoulder. “Right that’s it we’re seeing you tomorrow no matter what! Give me you cell.”

I silently gave John my phone and he pulled his out, fiddling with them both before handing the devices back to me we a triumphant smirk.

“I put my number in yours and your number in mine,” John stated matter of factly as if I was so retarded that I didn’t know what he was doing, stupid ass.

“Sweet!” I smiled pulling Eric off Kenny’s lap, much to the dismay of both as they were in the middle of a thumb war, “Call me tomorrow and we’ll me up, beach or something?”

“Yes defiantly!!!!” Garret screamed, I forgot he live for the beach, everyone else nodded in agreement and I ushered them out of the store.

We all exchanged hugs before I made my way to my car, Eric’s hand in my own.

“Do you like the tall boy?” my son asked with a smile, looking up at me.

“Erm, yes, we’re old friends,” I answered quickly opening the car door, wondering what brought on this question.

“Ok, he likes you too, didn’t stop staring at you all that time, he smiled a lot.” Eric stated as I pulled out of the parking lot and headed for home. I chuckled quietly to myself, letting my thoughts wonder to the great times John and I had had on tour, we’d been such amazing friends. Sometimes it has felt like something more, when he’d held my hand or we’d stared in to each other’s eyes for longer that normal friends do. But the thoughts of John and I had been right at the back of my brain, at that time I had Colin and Jack pounding inside my head, fighting relentlessly for the main stage in my head. I silently shook my head and banished thoughts of John and I from my brain, he was a friend that was all, but still when he’d hugged me today I got butterflies, butterflies I shouldn’t get when the love of my live is just a plane ride away, in Maryland.

The next day I woke with a smile of my face and a text on my phone. Glancing down I furrowed my eyebrows as I wondered whom it could’ve been from, ‘SEXGOD’ was not a contact I was familiar with. Quickly I grabbed the phone and open-end the message.

Hanna!!!!
Meet us at Venice Beach, 12 pm, not later poo face!
Can’t wait to see you.
I love you <3
“John Oh Oh Oh Oh” (that’s you screaming my name whilst we’re having much sexy time!”

I giggled softly before closing the phone and dragging myself in to the shower. It took about half an hour to make myself look presentable, barely. I grabbed my bathing suit and ran downstairs to find Eric watching TV on the couch already in his swim shorts.

“How did you know we were going to the beach?’ I asked

“It’s a Saturday mom, duh,” he replied looking at me like I’d grown another head.

“Oh yer, special treat we’re headed for Venice!”

‘Score!” Eric screamed as he jumped up and ran out the front door, grabbing his board on the way out.

I smiled and quickly shit off the lights before grabbing some towels and locking the door. I made my way over to the car, Eric already sitting shotgun fiddling with the radio stations. Luckily it was 11:15, and it took half an hour to get down to Venice, so we’d be there on time. I pulled slowly out of the our drive and headed for the freeway, singing along with Eric to and old Blink-182 that I hadn’t heard in years with a smile plastered across my face.

Amongst the many body builders and tanned people, I’d managed to locate five lanky pale boys lounging on the sand. Eric and I both ran over to them quickly eager to dump our stuff and get it the water, the heat was unbearable, how could it be this hot in October? Ah now I remember LA and it’s weird microclimate.

“We’ve arrived,” I shouted which caused the group to look up and smile at us.

“Just in time,” John said with a sly smile.

“For what?” I asked, confused as to what he was planning.

“FOR A DUNK AND DASH!” they all yelled before I felt John pick me up, whilst Jared got a hold of Eric, and they ran in to the ocean. The cold water tingled against my warm skin and I laughed in delight as John dunked me in to the blue ocean and I frantically swiped the heavy water to keep a hold of him, I found his arm within seconds. He wrapped his strong arms around my waist and lifted us both up and out of the dark confinements of the sea. I turned around to see the others a fair bit away from us splashing each other like there was no tomorrow, Eric sat on Garrets shoulders laughing in exhilaration.

“I like it under da sea,” John sang in a fake Jamaican accent moving the hair out of my face with his fingers.

“And why is that?” I asked

“Because I can do this with out anyone seeing.” He smirked, before dunking us both back under before I could protest. As soon as my head was submerged he pressed his cold lips to mine and to my surprise, I kissed back. We let our tongue dance around each others mouths before we were shortened of breath only then did we resurface to grab more air.

“Wow!” he said in amazement

“What?”

“I’m surprised!” John answered with a shocked look on his face.

“What, am I that much of a bad kisser?” I pouted.

“No, not at all, far from it. I just thought you’d be repulsed and push me away, but you kissed back!” he exclaimed, grinning like an idiot.

“Why does this surprise you?” I asked, looking up at him through my eyelashes.

“I thought you always believed that we were just friends,” he smiled

“What can I say, I can’t resist your sexy ways, you’ve got to me John O'Callaghan, and I like it,”

With that he dunked me under again and we continued our passionate make out session. All throughout I barely had any though towards Jack, he obviously hated me and it wasn’t healthy to dwell on the past at beat my self up about it. I needed to move on from Jack Bassam Barakat.