Learn to Fly

“Peyton, where are you taking me?” John whined following the girl who was pulling him by the hands. It was six in the morning and the sun was already beating down hot on his neck.

“Just stop complaining and follow me,” Peyton mumbled back softly. She took John’s hand in hers and led him to A Rocket to the Moon’s van that was waiting. She beckoned him to get in and he did simply just to get out of the heat.

They drove down the road in a comfortable silence both their minds racing. He couldn’t get his mind off of Melissa and all of the events that last night had brought. It started as a simple phone call—just a sweet hello how are you. But then, well it became so much more.

Melissa accused him of cheating on her with Peyton and every other ‘slut’ that was on tour. She told him that he wouldn’t make a good father for their baby. She basically tore him apart.

And that just pissed him off.

He didn’t cheat on her. He was going to make a great father. And she had no right to accuse him of anything. She had no right to make him feel this way.

John leaned his head against the back of the seat and sighed, looking out the window at the passing buildings. Later today they would be making the drive from Texas to Baton Rouge, leaving somewhere around noon. He hardly knew where he was anymore—the places all looked the same. Grey buildings, teenagers, all of it.

“Peyton, you know you should probably go the speed limit,” John spoke with a small chuckle as he realized they were going thirty-two in a forty-five zone and cars were whizzing by them on each side. The small blonde’s hands were white from squeezing the wheel so tightly and she looked nearly scared to death. He realized that she and Georgia were in an accident—that must’ve been why she was so scared. “Pey, are you okay?”

She nodded her head back, her eyes never leaving the road. She hit the brakes roughly, causing John to jolt forward and a blush appear on her cheeks, “Sorry,” she said softly, hiding her face.

“Do you need me to drive?” John asked worriedly.

She shook her head, “No sorry—I just, I haven’t driven in a while and I’m trying to remain inconspicuous…”

John became confused, “Inconspicuous?”

Peyton’s cheeks turned a crimson color as she stared at the red light in front of them, “I—I may not exactly have my license.”

He felt himself start laughing at the nervous girl next to him. He had thought she was so scared over something else, not over just not having her license with her. He shook his head, “We can just go back to the hotel and get it Peyton.”

The car lunged forward as her foot fell heavy on the gas. She pouted as she began steering the down road with her muscles tight, “I-it’s not that simple…I—uh, may have never gotten it.”

John felt his laughs stop and he looked at her from the corner of his eye, “Should I be scared?”

Peyton giggled softly, “No, I mean…I’ve driven before. I just didn’t exactly pass my test.”

He looked forward in front of them, suddenly aware of the busy street they were on. He laughed before playfully burying his face in his hands, “We’re going to die!” He screamed.

“John stop!” Peyton whined, “That’s not going to help anything! I’m trying to just blend in so we don’t get pulled over.”

“Well then you may need to go the speed limit.”

“I’m fine going the speed I am.”

“You’re going to get pulled over for going too slow.”

“That never happens, John. That’s just what speeders say.”

“No it’s true. And look, there’s a cop.”

“Don’t mess with me like that. Oh shit!”

John laughed on cue as sirens began going from behind them and Peyton’s face turned as red as a tomato. He straightened out his shirt and made sure he was wearing his seatbelt as he felt nerves take over his body—what were they going to do? They were technically committing a felony by her driving.

He looked over at what he expected to be a terrified Peyton but almost had to laugh at what he saw. There she was, fluffing her blonde hair and pushing her breasts higher up in her tank top to where her cleavage was making his own mouth water. She puckered her gloss coated lips before rolling down the window and facing the officer.

“License and registration, please,” The officer said, lowering his glasses and nonchalantly staring at the girl’s chest as she strategically leaned over to grab the registration for the van. The cop was young and John hoped that would work to their advantage. He watched as Peyton handed the officer the white envelope, looking at him with her big blue eyes. “License, please ma’am.”

Peyton bit her lip as she looked at him with a small innocent smile, “Well, officer, I hate to say this but I forgot it back at my hotel…I’m not normally driving I’m just with my cousin on tour to have…fun, if you know what I mean,” she replied simply, a flirtatious tone in her voice.

The guy smirked and John felt sick to his stomach as he mentally undressed the girl with his eyes, every word seeping into him. John wanted nothing more than to punch him square in the mouth.

“Well, little lady, I do hope you know that I could take you in for that,” the officer responded simply. John watched as Peyton pouted her lips and looked genuinely upset but adorable at the same time. “Where are you two headed?”

John knew Peyton would be upset that he was finding out her surprise but that honestly seemed like the smaller issue here. “Well, you see sir,” Peyton began, “I was just going to take my friend to the shooting range down the street. I love guns, I go shooting all the time and I just needed to relieve some stress. If you don’t mind me asking, is that a Glock 40 on your hip?”

John watched as the officer seemed taken aback at her knowledge of firearms—and he himself was as well. Guns were so manly..and the fact that she knew so much about them, well that was just sexy.

He stayed silent as the officer and Peyton flirted for a few more moments and the officer, while probably getting turned on by how much skin she was slyly flashing him, finally left them with a warning, telling John to take over the wheel.

Peyton and John switched seats and as the cop drove off John looked at the girl next to him astounded. “What the hell was that?” He exclaimed through laughs.

She smiled softly, her innocence returning, “Georgia taught me a few things. We may have gotten in a bit of trouble back home.”

John laughed sincerely, forgetting about his worries as he looked at the blushing girl next to him, “Peyton, you never cease to amaze me.”

*

John lay in the back of the van with his head resting against the window. It wasn’t the sun, or the loud boys, not even the sweat rolling down the back of his neck that wouldn’t let him sleep. No, it was the girl who wouldn’t even answer his simple texts asking for examples of what he had done wrong. He had done nothing at all—that was why she couldn’t answer him.

The drive to Louisiana had been long and invigorating. His friends all told him to just be grateful that he didn’t have the responsibility of a child anymore and that ‘the bitch was gone!’ but he didn’t want to hear it. He didn’t care what they had said about Melissa then and he still didn’t care now.

Like it or not, he was the father of her baby.

John tapped his fingers against his thigh trying to listen to the music that was flowing into his earphones and focus on the good on what had happened earlier in the day. Peyton first successfully talked them out of a ticket and then took him to a shooting range.

At first he was surprised at how good Peyton was with guns, but then he just became scared. She wasn’t just good—no, she was amazing. She had obviously practiced before and he remembered her mention something about shooting with her dad when she was younger but he had never seen a girl who was so sweet and shy do something so masculine and still manage to look drop dead sexy as she executed it.

She was right when she told him that their plans would relieve his stress and for a while they did. He was completely calm and just happy until they went their separate ways to their respective busses and began the drive to Baton Rouge, which thank God, was soon coming to an end.

They arrived at the venue within another half hour and the first thing John did was run for the showers. Sure, shooting this morning was fun but he needed to get the smell of gun powder off of his body—it was disgusting.

John cleaned his body and washed his hair quickly, stepping out and redressing so that he would have some time to go talk to the fans before the show. If his thoughts were going to be about Melissa all night he wanted something to distract him so he may as well take advantage of the line of girls waiting for him out front.

John fixed his hair and grabbed his Ray Bans and walked through the halls back stage searching for someone to talk to fans with—for the sake of his own sanity, really. He walked into a lounge where Kennedy was sleeping and Jared was skyping with his girlfriend. Garrett was on the phone with his own girlfriend and Pat was tormenting Kenny.

John exited the room and began walking towards A Rocket to the Moon’s dressing room where he could hear a loud giggle. “Stop!” The girl laughed, loudly—a laugh he definitely knew.

He walked into the room just a moment later and watched as the two people on the couch rolled off and the girl stood up composing herself. “I hate when people tickle me,” Peyton said simply, looking down at Eric who was laughing on the floor.

John could only imagine the compromising position they must have been in just a few moments earlier in order to make Peyton’s cheeks that shade of red. She looked like a tomato.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, my cousin needs to speak with me,” Peyton said simply, narrowing her eyes at Eric. She walked past John and gave him a tap on his arm comfortingly leaving the two best friends alone.

Eric stood up and stretched out, “What’s up man?”

“I was seeing if you wanted to be my wing man talking to some fans?” John chuckled.

“Can’t handle all the love by yourself, I understand,” Halvo laughed, clapping his friend on the back and beginning the walk to the front of the venue. “So, uh, Peyton told me about Liss.”

John bit the inside of his cheek, “And?”

He honestly didn’t want to hear anyone else tell him they were glad that she was gone. He just wanted more people to be like Peyton and help him pretend that it didn’t happen. He just wanted his friends to help him get over it.

Eric grinned, “You’re single. Let’s go find you a girl.”

John smiled triumphantly. Of course Eric would know what he needed—they had been such good friends for basically their entire lives and if anyone knew how to have a good time it would be Halvo. They used to do the dumbest stuff together, why did John think that would change?

No questions, nothing. Eric knew that John could take care of himself and he appreciated that. He didn’t need to pry or tell him what to do—he just let him be, and that was what John needed.

*

“Shot, shot, shot, shot!”

John laughed taking the small glass in his hands and throwing it back into his mouth. It burned slowly as it went down—but it felt so good. Tonight he was partying as a single man for the first time in years and he truly was excited.

It may have been bittersweet but he supposed that everything had to happen for a reason—and tonight that’s what he was going to live by. Whatever happened, happened.

Pat slapped his friend on the back, “Don’t get too hammered tonight JohnO! We don’t have a hotel for a few days and if you make the van smell like puke I will personally cut your balls off.”

John laughed, feeling his head already begin to spin and his skin heating up. “Yeah, okay,” he slurred.

Pat shook his head and John began to walk away, his eyes landing on a girl across the room. She had a small innocent grin on her lips and she smiled as she talked to the drummer of her cousin’s band. He caught her baby blue eye and she gave him a small smirk already seeing that he was drunk. John kept her eye and walked over to her confidently, wrapping his arm around Andrew Cook as he approached them.

“Oh waddup, JohnO?” Andrew slurred, holding his own beer in his hand.

John grinned, “You know nothing much, I—uh, I was just wondering if I could steal Hayes away from you for a few minutes.”

Peyton looked at him curiously with a small smile on her lips. She looked at Andrew, “I’ll talk to you later?”

Andrew nodded his head before making a b-line for a girl across the room that John had seen him eyeing. John and Peyton looked at each for a moment silently, the light from the bonfire one of the bands had started illuminating their skin in the dark.

John reached his hand out and grabbed hers and began leading her through the crowd of people. He led her to the back of the venue where there was a staircase in the alleyway. They began climbing the stair case silently before the made it to the top of the venue. John smiled as he watched Peyton’s breath catch as she looked at the view of the city before her. All the night’s light twinkled—it really was beautiful. There was a bridge off in the distance that seemed to glitter above the water below it and the sounds of cars were like a soundtrack to the busy town.

“This is really pretty,” Peyton spoke softly as if any word she would say would disrupt the beautiful scene in front of them.

“I know,” John spoke at the same decibel, but his eyes were resting on the girl in front of him.

The girl turned her doe like eyes to look into his green ones and she gave him a small smile that he couldn’t help but to return shyly. There was something about her that made John feel so innocent. She made him feel like there was nothing wrong with the world—that everything would truly be okay.

“How are you feeling?” Peyton asked sweetly, resting her hand on his cheek.

John relished in her touch enjoying every moment of her skin against his even in the smallest way. He shrugged, “I’m actually doing okay.”

She dropped her hand and smiled looking into the distance, “I’m glad.”

John followed suit and realized that this was one thing he had never really had with someone before: a comfortable silence. Between them there was no need to talk every second saying everything that was on their minds. They could just be—and that was enough for them.

“What’s your favorite song?” Peyton asked after a few moments, looking at the boy next to her.

John chuckled, and ran a hand through his hair. His mind was becoming more coherent and the alcohol seemed to be fading from his blood quickly as Peyton brought him back to reality, “I—God, that’s a hard question. I don’t think I can have one—I have too many.”

“I understand, but isn’t there just that one song that makes you just—I don’t know, feel something that some songs can’t do?” She questioned, her eyes never leaving the skyline in front of them.

“Anything by Tom Petty then I guess—my dad and I, we used to listen to him together when I was younger. He always told me that he was what ‘real music’ sounded like,” John chuckled. “Listening to Damn The Torpedoes just makes me miss home—in a good way though.”

Peyton smiled, “That’s really nice.”

“What about you?” John asked, leaning his back against the ledge of the building, looking at the girl in front of him.

“You know the song Twist n Shout by The Beatles?” She grinned and John nodded his head. “That’s my favorite—always will be.”

He smiled at the girl before him, “Well, you can’t just leave me hanging—what’s the story?”

Peyton smiled into the city lights and he could see memories glowing in her eyes, “When I was a sophomore there was this guy Chris Damon—God, I had the biggest crush on him. He was a senior—and so experienced and well, I had never even kissed a boy. Well one day at school he asked me for my number so of course I gave it to him, but I was so nervous. No boy had ever really taken interest in me before.

He texted me and asked me if I would go out with him that Friday night—at first I wanted to say no, because I was just so scared, you know? But Georgia talked me into it. And I was so nervous—so, so, so, nervous. So Friday came—hell, I went and got my nails done,” she laughed. “Anyways, that night I went to my first party. I had my first beer…I had my first kiss.”

Peyton sighed, “I don’t remember the kiss or any of the other kisses after it—all I remember is Nick pulling me out of a bedroom and punching Chris to the floor. Chris tried to push me a lot farther than I would have wanted to go if I hadn’t of had date rape in my system.

“I just remember hiding in my room for about a week—I was ashamed and upset and I ignored everyone, including Geo. She was so upset—she thought it was her fault. She blamed herself for Chris trying to do that to me because I didn’t want to go in the first place. It wasn’t her fault at all—God not at all, how was she supposed to know?

“Anyways, one night in the middle of the night someone came in my room and turned on my light—they wrapped a blindfold over my eyes and led me out of my room. I was scared at first you know? Thought someone was kidnapping me. But when I heard her ‘shh-ing’ Nick I knew it would be okay. They took me took Nick’s house where they had set up a small get together with our friends—all of them there to just make me feel better.

“As soon as they took off the blindfold Geo was crying and apologizing and I started crying as well. We kept apologizing to each other for things that weren’t even our faults—and God, it had only been a week but it felt like years—we were inseparable.

“Nick knew that I loved The Beatles and so he turned on ‘Twist N Shout.’ Georgia took my hands in hers and led me to our friends—and we all just started dancing. And for once that week I felt fine. Hell, I had never felt so—happy. We all danced around like idiots and sang at the top of our lungs to The Beatles, and every bad feeling I had about myself—or about Chris was gone.”

The two were silent, and John looked at the girl with admiration. Peyton sighed, “I know—it’s probably dumb, but that song just makes me feel—complete again you know? It’s all I have left of her these days.”

John smiled and grabbed Peyton’s hands in his larger ones making her look into his eyes, “It’s not stupid, Hayes. Not at all.”

She smiled shyly, and he smiled. He released her hand and pulled his iPod out of his pocket, resting it on the ledge of the building after he skimmed through his songs and pressed play on one. He watched as her smile lit up brightly and she looked at him with gratefulness.

Her hips started moving to the beat cutely—like she was dancing in the fifties. She grabbed his hands in hers tightly and starting singing with John Lennon, “Well, shake it up, baby, now. Twist and shout. C'mon c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, baby, now. Come on and work it on out. Well, work it on out, honey.”

John began singing along with her as he pulled her closer to him and they began dancing against one another—it wasn’t grinding or raunchy—they just held each other in the sweetest way as they sang in each other’s ears, “You know you look so good. You know you got me goin', now, just like I knew you would.”

Peyton breath fell against his neck as she sang back to him, “Well, shake it up, baby, now, twist and shout. C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, baby, now, come on and work it on out.”

“You know you twist your little girl, you know you twist so fine,” John sang with a scratchiness in his voice to match John Lennon’s. And he did as the next line said and pulled Peyton tighter against him, their hips meshing rougher. “Come on and twist a little closer, now—and let me know that you're mine.”

And for the first time in a while John forgot about everything that was on his mind—the band, the new record he needed to write, Tanner, Melissa. Even if it was just for a few moments John understood what Peyton meant as they sang together; everything would be okay.