The Only Difference Between Brent Wilson and Jon Walker Is the Name
Chapter 16.
They kept walking towards him but stopped about 10 feet away as Jon turned around fully and kept his back in contact with the car door.
“Hi Jon.” Tom said, trying to get eye contact with the bassist.
“What are you guys doing here?” Jon asked, staring at their feet. He didn’t want to look in their eyes, see the hatred.
“Pete called us yesterday, he told us what happened.” William’s voice was gentle. There was a crash from inside and the three of them all looked towards the cabin. “Let me guess, Pete’s trying to fix things?”
“Pretty much yeah.” Jon replied, still not looking at their faces.
There was silence for a few minutes, the only noise they could hear was the muffled shouts of Spencer and Pete. Jon kept shuffling his feet, playing with the car keys. It was awkward, Tom and William being there.
He was looking at the keys in his hand and so didn’t see William and Tom exchange a look. They walked towards Jon and stopped right in front of him.
“Right, Jonny Walker, we’re going to sort this out right now.” William said, ripping the keys out of his hand.
“At least look at us Jon, come on.” Tom pleaded. Jon blinked and took a deep breath before looking up at them. But instead of the hatred he expected to find there, he found worried looks. “Thank you.”
“Is there somewhere that we can go where we don’t have to listen to those guys trying to bring the cabin down with screams?” William asked.
“Yeah. Yeah, sure. This way.” Jon started to lead them towards the lake. It was the place that he went to think while they had been at the cabin. When they got there, Jon sat on the sand, taking his flip flops off and looking across the water.
William and Tom both sat in front of him, wanting him to keep looking at them. “So, what exactly happened then? Because you can’t have been Brent and Jon at the same time, because we’ve known you for years. Hell, you and Brent hung out.”
“Yeah, and that’s one of the less freaky parts.” Jon said, remembering a couple of times where he had been on the Panic! bus along with Brent. Now he was Jon, with both memories, it was really weird.
Jon started from the beginning, the day of the fight with Brendon and Spencer that made him storm off of the bus. He told them about the few days after it had happened, what happened with Ryan, about when they told Pete and, most importantly, when he and Ryan had told Brendon and Spencer.
Then he’d told them about the previous day, about how Patrick had figured it out, and how Pete had told the two of them a few weeks before. Then Jon was silent. He had nothing more to say. He was just waiting for Tom or William to say something.
“Jon, did you think we were ignoring you?” William said finally. Jon’s head shot up to look at them.
“Huh?”
“We weren’t ignoring you, Jon.” Tom told him. “We just thought that, since you were up here, trying to get an album written, we’d leave you to it for a few weeks.”
“Yeah, when Pete told us, it didn’t really bother us. It explained some stuff, but we wanted to wait for you to tell us first, rather than just blurting it out and everything going tits up, you know?”
“So… you guys are really alright with it?” Jon bit his lip.
William snorted, grinning, Tom following his lead a split second later. “Come over here and give us a hug, you dork.”
“We love you, dude. That isn’t gonna change anytime soon.” William added.
Jon grinned at them. He leant forward as the other two did and threw his arms around them. “You know, I was so worried that you would both hate me-”
“For what? When you were Brent, if you hadn’t had made that wish, we wouldn’t have Jon Walker. And you know as well as we do that we can’t live without our little Jonny Walker.” William said, a smile on his face.
“Hey, I’m not little.” Jon frowned a little, but his eyes were still smiling.
“Little compared to us. Get over it, short stuff.” Tom ruffled his hair. “But perfect size for your band.”
“And speaking of your band…” William nodded behind them. Jon turned and saw Brendon and Ryan standing there, Patrick was standing there next to them. Ryan had his arm around Brendon’s shoulder but they were all grinning down at them as much as the three on the sand were.
“I told you Jon, it would all work out.” Ryan said, wincing ever so slightly as he and Brendon made their way towards them.
“Ry, what happened to resting your ankle?” Jon said, standing up to give more support. Ryan shrugged. “Come on, we’ll get you back, you need to rest it.”
“Jon, I’m fine.” Ryan complained.
“No, you aren’t. Come on, let’s get your skinny ass back to the cabin.”
Brendon winced. “You kind of don’t wanna head back up there.”
Patrick nodded. “I think Pete and Spencer are gonna kill each other.”
“All the more reason to get up there. I kind of like Spencer and Pete, and I like them both alive.” Jon told them. “Come on.”
“Hi Jon.” Tom said, trying to get eye contact with the bassist.
“What are you guys doing here?” Jon asked, staring at their feet. He didn’t want to look in their eyes, see the hatred.
“Pete called us yesterday, he told us what happened.” William’s voice was gentle. There was a crash from inside and the three of them all looked towards the cabin. “Let me guess, Pete’s trying to fix things?”
“Pretty much yeah.” Jon replied, still not looking at their faces.
There was silence for a few minutes, the only noise they could hear was the muffled shouts of Spencer and Pete. Jon kept shuffling his feet, playing with the car keys. It was awkward, Tom and William being there.
He was looking at the keys in his hand and so didn’t see William and Tom exchange a look. They walked towards Jon and stopped right in front of him.
“Right, Jonny Walker, we’re going to sort this out right now.” William said, ripping the keys out of his hand.
“At least look at us Jon, come on.” Tom pleaded. Jon blinked and took a deep breath before looking up at them. But instead of the hatred he expected to find there, he found worried looks. “Thank you.”
“Is there somewhere that we can go where we don’t have to listen to those guys trying to bring the cabin down with screams?” William asked.
“Yeah. Yeah, sure. This way.” Jon started to lead them towards the lake. It was the place that he went to think while they had been at the cabin. When they got there, Jon sat on the sand, taking his flip flops off and looking across the water.
William and Tom both sat in front of him, wanting him to keep looking at them. “So, what exactly happened then? Because you can’t have been Brent and Jon at the same time, because we’ve known you for years. Hell, you and Brent hung out.”
“Yeah, and that’s one of the less freaky parts.” Jon said, remembering a couple of times where he had been on the Panic! bus along with Brent. Now he was Jon, with both memories, it was really weird.
Jon started from the beginning, the day of the fight with Brendon and Spencer that made him storm off of the bus. He told them about the few days after it had happened, what happened with Ryan, about when they told Pete and, most importantly, when he and Ryan had told Brendon and Spencer.
Then he’d told them about the previous day, about how Patrick had figured it out, and how Pete had told the two of them a few weeks before. Then Jon was silent. He had nothing more to say. He was just waiting for Tom or William to say something.
“Jon, did you think we were ignoring you?” William said finally. Jon’s head shot up to look at them.
“Huh?”
“We weren’t ignoring you, Jon.” Tom told him. “We just thought that, since you were up here, trying to get an album written, we’d leave you to it for a few weeks.”
“Yeah, when Pete told us, it didn’t really bother us. It explained some stuff, but we wanted to wait for you to tell us first, rather than just blurting it out and everything going tits up, you know?”
“So… you guys are really alright with it?” Jon bit his lip.
William snorted, grinning, Tom following his lead a split second later. “Come over here and give us a hug, you dork.”
“We love you, dude. That isn’t gonna change anytime soon.” William added.
Jon grinned at them. He leant forward as the other two did and threw his arms around them. “You know, I was so worried that you would both hate me-”
“For what? When you were Brent, if you hadn’t had made that wish, we wouldn’t have Jon Walker. And you know as well as we do that we can’t live without our little Jonny Walker.” William said, a smile on his face.
“Hey, I’m not little.” Jon frowned a little, but his eyes were still smiling.
“Little compared to us. Get over it, short stuff.” Tom ruffled his hair. “But perfect size for your band.”
“And speaking of your band…” William nodded behind them. Jon turned and saw Brendon and Ryan standing there, Patrick was standing there next to them. Ryan had his arm around Brendon’s shoulder but they were all grinning down at them as much as the three on the sand were.
“I told you Jon, it would all work out.” Ryan said, wincing ever so slightly as he and Brendon made their way towards them.
“Ry, what happened to resting your ankle?” Jon said, standing up to give more support. Ryan shrugged. “Come on, we’ll get you back, you need to rest it.”
“Jon, I’m fine.” Ryan complained.
“No, you aren’t. Come on, let’s get your skinny ass back to the cabin.”
Brendon winced. “You kind of don’t wanna head back up there.”
Patrick nodded. “I think Pete and Spencer are gonna kill each other.”
“All the more reason to get up there. I kind of like Spencer and Pete, and I like them both alive.” Jon told them. “Come on.”