The Only Difference Between Brent Wilson and Jon Walker Is the Name

”Hi, this is Tom, leave a message and I’ll get back to you. Eventually.”

Jon hung up, sighing. He wouldn’t bother leaving a message. This was something he needed to do in person, or at least voice to voice. He tried ringing William next.

”Hey, this is the sexy motherfucker that is William Beckett. I’m having amazingly hot sex with the amazingly hot and talented Gabe Saporta right now, so leave a message and I’ll call you later.”

Jon had to smirk at that message, even if William didn’t actually pick up. He wondered if William even knew that Gabe had changed his voicemail message?

He walked back into the cabin and made himself some coffee, trying to think about what he should do. Then he saw Spencer walk in.

“Hey, how you doing today?” He asked.

“I tried calling them, but they wouldn’t answer.” Jon told him. “I just don’t know what I’m going to do.”

Spencer put his hand on Jon’s shoulder, rubbing gently. “Keep trying, that’s all you can do.” He told the bassist in a calm voice.

“They’ll come round eventually.” Patrick’s voice added just before he walked into the kitchen with Brendon and Ryan in tow. Ryan looked like he was limping still.

“Ry, how’s your ankle?” Jon asked. Ryan shrugged. “And that means what exactly?”

“That it’ll be ok.” Ryan said. “I’ll just rest it and I’ll be fine in a few days.”

The five of them took their morning coffees into the lounge and sat down. Patrick started talking about the new record, how they were doing with songs. It took Jon’s mind off of William and Tom, at least for a few hours. When everyone started to get showers and get into their normal morning routine that he thought about them again.

When he walked back into the lounge, he lit a cigarette, exhaling the smoke towards the ceiling as he closed his eyes. How the fuck was he going to be able to look at William or Tom the same way again? They knew who he used to be, something he hated.

He wished, not for the first time since this had happened, that Brent had never existed. That he had always been Jon, without a single memory of being Brent. They’d be perfectly fine then, everything would be good again.

“Not true Jon.” Ryan’s soft voice shocked him, almost making him drop the cigarette in his lap. Jon looked up at the guitarist.

“What do you mean?”

“You know talking to yourself is the first sign of madness.” Ryan smiled as he sat on the couch next to him, plucking the cigarette out of Jon’s hand and taking a long drag before giving it back.

Jon winced. He’d said all that out loud? Man, he should really keep things in his head, or at least make sure he knows what he’s saying out loud. “What did you mean then?”

“I think that this has been good for us all. I mean, you’re Brent still, you’re the person we’ve known for years and have had great times with-”

“I must have discarded those amongst the times where you wanted to maim me.” Jon muttered, taking another drag.

“Quiet.” Ryan told him. “Anyway, we did have good times, remember hanging out after rehearsals? We had fun then, but now you’re also Jon. And I think that, ok, since this happened there haven’t been fights, but you’re like a new you. Still Brent, but with perks.” Ryan bumped their shoulders together. “Don’t worry about Bill and Tom right now, everything will turn out fine.”

“How do you know?” Jon asked in an almost whisper.

“Because I said so.” Ryan smirked, stealing the last pull on Jon’s cigarette. “Got it?”

Before Jon said anything else, there was a knock at the door and they heard it open. The two of them couldn’t see who it was, but they soon found out who it was.

“You’ve got some fucking nerve coming back here, Wentz.” They heard Spencer growl. He sounded really angry, more angry than he had been in a few weeks.

“I’ve got a reason-”

“We don’t care what you have to say, Pete.” Brendon interrupted, sounding just as mad as Spencer did. It was unusual to hear Brendon that angry, it was a rare event, or something that usually happened when he was having a fight with someone, it used to be Brent. “Just fuck off back to Chicago and try again next year.” He hissed.

They didn’t hear anything for a moment, then Pete appeared in front of them. “Jon, I-”

“Pete, fuck off!” Spencer shouted. “Don’t you think you’ve done quite enough in the last 24 hours?”

“No, because I’m trying to make this right again.” Pete shouted back.

“Maybe he doesn’t want to talk to you!”

Ryan winced at all the shouting. Jon knew he hated seeing Spencer shouting at people, and especially at a friend.

“Get over yourself Smith, you think that you’re all happy families again, but I know that you flipped out completely when Jon told you.”

Spencer shook his head angrily, fury radiating from his body. “Oh no, you do not even get to go there!”

“Why, because it’s true?” Pete shouted back.

“I can’t do this.” Jon quietly told Ryan. He didn’t want to see two of his friends fighting about him, he just couldn’t deal with it. Ryan nodded, knowing what he must feel like right now. Jon stood up quickly and left the room. He grabbed the keys to the car, slipped on some flip flops and walked outside.

He reached the car and was about to unlock it, when he heard two car doors slam. Curiosity over taking him, he looked around and froze. He was completely frozen to the spot as the two figures approached him.

No, no, no, what the fuck were Tom and William doing here?