Status: ACTIVE.

Learn to Fly

fourteen

Peyton tapped her fingers on her legs in hasty rhythm, biting her lower lip gently. She listened half way as her cousin spoke about something that she honestly didn’t care about and nodded her head at the appropriate times. She kept stealing glances at the boy who was trying to stifle his laughter next to her.

“Pey, are you listening to me?”

Peyton stared at her cousin as his blue eyes stared into hers. She let her mouth fall open as she tuned back into the conversation, “Huh?”

“I was asking if you wanted to sing that song with me tonight—you know, the one I told you about the other day at Pizza Hut,” Nick said, obviously annoyed at her lack of attention. “I was going to sing it tonight…”

Peyton bit the inside of her cheek, “I guess,” she said simply.

Nick had informed her a few days earlier about a song that he wanted to sing with her—a song he had written for Georgia. Of course the thought was appealing but as she realized that she probably wouldn’t be able to hold it together in front of all of those kids she realized how badly she didn’t want to do it.

Nick sighed and ran a hand through his red hair, “I mean you don’t have to decide right now—we have a few hours till we go on. But sound check is coming up soon. Speaking of, Eric have you talked to Justin about the new bass part we were working on?”

Peyton followed Nick’s eyes to the tall, tan boy who was standing next to her. He was wearing a button up, collared t shirt and his hair was in a faux-hawk on the top of his head. His green eyes were holding mischief and he had a smirk on his lips because of the girl itching to reach out and touch him that stood next to him.

Peyton and Eric had started their…arrangement, nearly two weeks ago and since that night they hadn’t had a hotel—or any alone time for that matter. Someone always interrupted them right before they would get close to even just a kiss—even once that someone was John.

“Hey Nick! We need you out here for a second, something is going on with the mics out here—and you seemed to have the magic touch with that stuff,” a crew member laughed; the red head bid a farewell with a roll of his eyes and soon the room was empty.

Peyton listened to the door close before she quickly turned her body to Eric and wrapped her arms around his neck and began placing kisses along his jaw-line. Halvo started chuckling deeply and she could feel his lips turn into a smirk. Just as she was about to press her lips to his he placed his pointer finger over her eager mouth.

“Woah, woah, woah. At least buy me dinner first, miss lady,” Halvo laughed, pulling her close and nuzzling his mouth into her neck.

“Eric,” Peyton groaned softly in agony, “Would you please just kiss me? I’ve been waiting patiently for a week.”

“A few more minutes won’t kill you then, will it?” Halvo grinned with a playful look in his eyes.

A few more minutes?” She whined. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

Peyton pressed herself higher up on her wedge clad feet and tried to kiss the boy’s pink lips but he pulled away, and settled to resting his forehead against hers. “I like seeing you beg,” Eric teased, narrowing his green eyes at her. “I think it’s kind of hot.”

“I am two seconds away from forcing myself on you,” Peyton said simply, her lips in a tight line.

“I like a woman in control,” Halvo winked playfully. He smiled gently before placing his hands under her butt and lifting her up, carrying her to a couch in the middle of the room. He laid her thin body down, and ran his hand down her smooth leg. She got goose-bumps at his touch. “I like it when you wear these heels. They make your legs look miles long.”

Peyton felt her cheeks begin to blush and she looked away from his green eyes, “Eric, don’t say stuff like that and then not kiss me.”

“I like this though,” the boy chuckled, his lips hovering over her collarbone. He used his fingertips to move the silky material of her loose fitting blouse. “You really missed these lips huh?”

Peyton rolled her eyes, “Don’t get too excited now, honey.”

“I should be saying the same to you, huh?” Halvo smirked against her collarbone, his whispers landing on her skin causing a chill to run down her spine. He moved his lips to her neck, giving kisses along the supple skin. He ran his tongue to her sweet spot before biting down gently and kissing it lightly.

Peyton felt herself suppress a moan as his breath ricocheted against her neck and the area below her ear. He bit down harder causing her to catch her breath and close her eyes tightly. “Eric,” she moaned.

Eric began kissing down her chest which was exposed by his fingers that were undoing buttons of her shirt. His lips reached the top of the valley between her breasts before stopping and releasing a deep breath causing her body to move underneath him. “God dammit, Halvo. I am going to kill you.”

On cue he moved his lips up from her chest and connected their lips in a rough kiss. Their bodies pushed harder against one another and after a few seconds they both pulled away with their breathing ragged.

Eric leaned down to stop the vibration that was coming from his pocket and Peyton pouted as he pressed his phone to his ear, “Yeah?” He asked, obviously irritated. “What? No, I’m fine. What do you want, Andrew? Yeah—yeah, are you for real? Ugh, I’ll be right there.”

Eric placed his forehead against Peyton’s sweetly, closing his eyes. “The guys need you?” She asked quietly, frustrated—she just wanted to make out, was that really too much to ask for?

Halvo chuckled, “What can I say? I’m a pretty popular guy.”

Peyton rolled her eyes and pushed his thin body off of hers and sat up. She stretched her arms above her head, watching as Eric’s eyes landed on the skin that was playing peek-a-boo on her lower abdomen. “I’ll see you later tonight then?”

Eric smiled before pressing a quick kiss to her matted blonde hair and leaving her alone in the lounge. She laid back on the recliner behind her once again, watching him saunter out of the room. She could hear laughter echoing down the hall way and into her ear drums, causing and instant smile to form on her lips.

“Yeah man—let me just go out for a smoke real fast,” he yelled out the door before walking into the room. He was wearing cut off shorts and a loose fitted tank that showed off the cursive font on his collar bones, “Oh, hey Hayes.”

Peyton grinned and faced the boy, an automatic smile on her lips as she grinned at her shamelessly, “Hey John.”

He held up a pack of blue American Spirits to her, lifting his eyebrow as if to ask if she wanted one. She nodded her head and followed him out the back door to an alley behind the venue they were in. The humid Florida air hit her skin causing sweat to form on the back of her neck almost instantly. He lit up a thin white stick and stuck it between his lips, inhaling deeply, handing it to her when he was finished. Peyton pressed the cigarette too her lips and followed in his actions, filling her lungs with smoke, exhaling a few moments later.

“What are you doing tonight?” Peyton asked with a coy smile on her lips. According to Nick they were staying in a beach front hotel that night.

“Well you see Hayes, I don’t know if you know this or not, but I’m kind of a singer of this band your cousins band is on tour with right now, so, I get to sing my little heart out in front of pretty girls like yourself,” John chuckled, taking drags in between his words, handing the cancer stick back to her.

She rolled his eyes at his sarcasm and playfully hit his arm, “I meant after the show. I want to do something on the list tonight, and I want you to come. Would you?”

John grinned at her and nudged her thin waist with his elbow, “What a stupid question to ask. Of course I’ll be there. Just ask and I’m there Pey, you know that.”

The two stood in a comfortable silence, nothing around them besides the hot sun and the smoke they blew into the atmosphere. No words needed to be said—they just understood it, they understood one another. They felt safe enough to be silent and not worry that what the other was thinking. They truly were becoming best friends on this tour, each city just bringing them closer.

“Are you going to show me the list someday?” John inquired. She could see his green eyes peering at her from under his black ray bans.

Peyton nodded her head and smiled, “Patience is a virtue, Johnny.”

*

Peyton stared out at the crowd of teenagers in front of her, feeling nerves gather in her stomach. A Rocket to the Moon had been playing for about ten minutes now and it was almost time for Nick to ask her to come out and perform the song he had apparently written her a part for. She had been learning the lyrics for the past few days on random van rides and such and she knew all of her lines, but she was nervous.

He had written the song for Georgia—it was their story. Would she make her best friend proud tonight?

“All right guys,” Nick started, looking out into the crowd before glancing at Peyton who was nervously wringing her fingers together. “We’re going to play a new song for you tonight—I wrote it for a very special person in my life, and I’d like to ask if my cousin Peyton would come out and help me sing it.”

The crowd yelled and cheered as she walked out onto the stage. She automatically regretted wearing the heels she was, afraid that she was going to slip and munch it right on her face in front of a crowd. She took each step carefully and stopped when she got to Eric’s microphone, his smiling instantly helping to calm her nerves.

“Hey guys,” Peyton spoke shyly into the mic looking out at the surprisingly welcoming faces. Hell, they probably wouldn’t have been as welcoming if Nick hadn’t have had said ‘cousin’. God if they only knew the boy she was actually hooking up with—they’d kill her.

“This song is called ‘On a Lonely Night,’” Nick spoke before his voice became higher and in a melodious tone. “I was sixteen, met you out in Ohio. You were only fifteen, living life by the mile. We laid under the stars, fell asleep in your backyard. You said you could fly,
but you never need to cause with us you never try too hard. And you never will.


Peyton joined in his chorus and they both sang, “On a lonely night, you will see you're everything to me (you got everything). On a lonely night, oh the truth, is every night is lonely without you. Every night is lonely without you here.

Peyton watched as the crowd danced before her to the words that meant everything to her and Nick. Nick’s voice was shaking as he sang the second verse and it was in that moment that she knew he was just as broken as she was. Sure, she figured he was, but when he was hooking up with girls like Delilah she wondered if he ever thought of Georgia, hell it hadn’t even been a year yet. But then she realized that was it. Peyton had John, and Eric to distract her—and Nick, well he was just trying to cope as well.

Peyton joined back in on the chorus, moving her hips as she sang softly, smiling at the crowd before her. Her solo on the bridge came and she confidently gripped the mic in her hands, “It's been forever, lately it's been hard. Like when we took your parents car and drove forever in the dark,” she listened as her own voice cracked and tears brimmed her eyes, as the words she sang came out in more of a plea, “I'd give it all away if I could see you once again—

“And have a summer love
,” Nick sang, “Growing close and never growing up.

The two cousins sang in unison, trying their hardest to not break down over the image of the girl that was appearing in their minds. Peyton swore she could see her in the crowd—her blue eyes shining, her friendly laugh echoing in the air as she made fun of them for something stupid they probably had done.

On a lonely night, you will see, you're everything to me (you got everything). On a lonely night, oh the truth, is every night is lonely without you. Every night is lonely without you here,” they sang passionately, Peyton’s eyes finding John’s across the room.

He gave her a reassuring smile as if to say that he was proud of her—her was proud of her. She needed to hear that, and God, he just made her feel that way. She may not know if Georgia was proud of her for what she was doing, but someone was, and that meant more than anything.

And every guy would be lonely without you there,” Nick finished, his voice breaking as he sang. “We are A Rocket to the Moon, thank you.”

*

Peyton groaned as his hips grinded against hers roughly, pressing her farther into the sheets billowed around her. He had his hands gripped around her wrists and he held them above her head, kissing her neck.

Kissing Eric was fun, to say the least. He knew where to kiss her to make her skin burn. He knew what she liked to hear and when, and he knew how to make her feel good. Sure, it may not have been conventional, or maybe the classiest thing she had ever done—but living wasn’t always classy, or acceptable, and that was what she was learning as each day passed.

Eric rested his forehead against hers before pulling away and lying next to her on the mattress. He didn’t pull her into him to cuddle and she appreciated that greatly. That would just complicate everything.

“You sang really well tonight, Peyton,” Eric said with a smile on his lips as he stared up at the ceiling.

“Thanks, Halvo,” she said, feeling a blush on her cheeks. Eric was a good friend, and that was what she needed. He was always there to talk to, and God, she loved the way his lips moved in every way, platonic and not.

Eric rolled on his side and faced her, looking at her seriously, “You should be a singer. Like, you could probably get a record deal, you know? We have ins with people—and if you ever wanted help, I mean, I could talk to some people.”

Peyton chuckled lightly, “That’s nice of you, Eric. Thanks.”

He nodded his head, noticing that she wasn’t really putting much interest into it. He didn’t know why, but he wouldn’t pry and she appreciated that. Eric was good at telling when her walls were going up and he wasn’t going to try to bring them down—she’d let them down if she wanted to.

Peyton felt her phone vibrate in her pocket for a text that’d she been waiting for, for about ten minutes now. I’ll meet you in the lobby in five? :)

Peyton smiled as she rolled off the bed and shoved a piece of paper that she had laid on the night stand in her pocket. She pulled on a pair of flip flops, not caring that he plans were probably going to ruin the French manicure on her toes and fingernails.

She ran a brush through her blonde hair and turned around to face Eric who was smirking at her, “And where are you going?” He asked with a chuckle.

“I’m uh, I’m hanging out with John,” she said innocently, shrugging at his smirk widened.

“Peyton, when you guys get together let me know first,” Halvo said seriously.

She raised her eyebrow, “What are you talking about, Eric?”

He rolled his eyes and laughed, resting his hands on his bare chest, “It’s obvious to everyone—well, maybe not Nick, but everyone else that you two have a thing for one another. So, just let me know when you guys start doing whatever so that we can stop this…I’m not going to scam on my best friend’s girl more than I already have been,” Eric laughed. “I mean, most guys haven’t seen their best friend’s girl almost naked and well, I have. So, let’s stop before we do something we’re both going to regret.”

Peyton nodded her head, letting her words soak into her. John liked her? She didn’t know why that gave her such butterflies in her stomach—well, she did, but she didn’t expect the magnitude they would have on her. “You’re a good guy, Eric,” she smiled softly, feeling a blush on her cheeks.

Halvo smirked, laughing as he did so, “I know. Now, go have fun, be safe. Don’t get raped!”

Peyton rolled her eyes as she walked out of her room and walked down a small flight of stairs to be met with John who was waiting for her in the lobby. He was texting away at his phone with his back to her. She walked behind him and covered his eyes with hands and pressed up onto her tippy toes to place her lips by his ear, “Guess who,” she whispered, noticing the chill that seemed to run through his spine.

He locked his phone and placed it in his pocket before turning around with a small blush on his cheeks and a sweet smile replacing his normally cocky smirk. “Mm, I guessed Natalie Portman, but this surprise is much, much better I must say,” John grinned, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her into a hug.

Peyton couldn’t help but to feel something—different between them. It was just a few short hours ago that they stood outside smoking together as friends, but something tonight felt stronger—she felt a connection to him that she hadn’t had since that first night of tour when she saw him in the alley while she talked to Jerry. The feeling scared her more than anything no matter how good it was.

“Are you ready?” She asked, biting her lip softly. She didn’t know why she suddenly felt more nervous around him—she hadn’t felt this way in weeks.

John grinned, “Yeah, let’s go.”

They walked in silence out of their hotel in the dark night. The sidewalk that separated them from the sands on the beach was dimly lit and every hundred feet or so there would be a couple walking down the asphalt, their hands connected between them. John followed her silently, even as she took off her flip flops and held them in her hands, walking in the soft grains of sand that led to the ocean.

They walked a length away from the boardwalk behind them, and she could faintly hear the noises of cars that were beyond their hotel. But other than that, it was quiet. The sounds of the waves crashing in the distance put her nerves at ease even though the pounding of her heart in her ears was stronger than normal.

“What are the plans for tonight?” John asked softly as if to not disturb the quiet realm around them.

Peyton felt her heart speed up as she remembered what they were going to cross of the list. Earlier she didn’t have a doubt about how fun it would be—but now she was nervous, and that took away her confidence. She was scared. What if he thought it was inappropriate? What if he said no? What if he didn’t think she was beautiful?

Peyton felt butterflies gathering in her stomach as she stared out at the reflection of the moon on the water. It seemed calm even though it was really dangerous out there. If you got lost in one tide—you were gone.

Peyton pictured her inspiration in her mind—reminding herself that she was doing this for Georgia. She was doing this so that she could rest in peace having done everything she wanted to do before she herself, passed. And maybe she could find peace for Georgia who was already gone.

She looked at John with a coy smile, gaining more confidence as he smiled back at her—his green eyes staring into her blue ones. She bit her lip shyly, trying to give herself some of the confidence she had with Eric. “Have you ever been skinny dipping?” She asked softly, noticing that his eyes seemed to widen a bit.

“I—I uh, no…but Pey, what if someone sees us?” John asked and she could hear worry in his voice. Maybe he was right, and sure in broad day light she could see his fears; if a fan caught a picture of this all hell could break loose for them.

But she looked around at the barren sand and laughed, “Because there are so many people out here.”

John looked at her blushing cheeks and gave her a small grin. She watched as he took off the shirt that was on his shoulders and let in fall to the sand below them. She felt her cheeks blushing as she looked at his bare chest.

He smiled at her, raising an eyebrow flirtatiously as he let his hands fall to his belt, “No peeking, you creep.”

Peyton giggled and rolled her eyes, turning around to where her back was to him, “Turn around, O’Callaghan.”

She stripped her clothes nervously, wondering if he was secretly peeking at her from behind. As soon as she was completely undressed she let her legs carry her into the cold Atlantic water, raising goose bumps on the plains of her skin. She kept her back to the boy who she could hear coming behind her. She was waist deep in the water and the moon light shone on her upper half.

Peyton could feel the heat of John’s body against her back. He was only a few short inches away. She turned around slowly, watching his eyes as they stared into her own intently, not once glancing down to her bare chest. He was controlling himself and she found it adorable.

She lowered herself into the water as high as her shoulders and grabbed John’s hands, making him follow her in. He smiled at her silently as he followed her, his own skin heating from the contact of her hands.

They stood in the water around them ducking under the waves that came, soaking their bodies, their chests shaking with laughs. It was simple—but it made her happy. With anyone else this may have been awkward, but even with the sexual tension between them that she was apparent of everything seemed calm. There was no pressure on either one of them to make more of a move than holding hands, and she was content with that.

“Was this on your list or Georgia’s?” John laughed as they swam around the cold ocean water.

Peyton grinned, a small chuckle in her lips, “Of course it was Georgia’s. I would never have the guts to do this otherwise.”

He smiled as he shook his head like a dog, flicking drops of water onto her body. She giggled and he just grinned, “Well, thank you for sharing this with me.”

“Who else would I share a naked girl with?” Peyton laughed, John joining in.

His cheeks were placed with a blush a few moments later and he cupped the back of his neck nervously, “You—you uh know I haven’t been looking, right?”

Peyton smiled shyly and nodded her head, “Yeah, I know, John.” They were quiet for another moment as silence enveloped their conversation. He stared into her blue eyes with an innocent grin. She giggled softly before breaking the silence, “I have been though.”

John laughed heartily before narrowing his eyes at her, “I knew it you creep!”

“You like it,” she countered playfully, causing the boy across from her to just smirk and dodge her accusation.

They played in the water for a while longer before the chill was to their bones, causing them to crawl out of the ocean. Peyton placed her boy short underwear on her tiny hips and stole John’s shirt from the sand, placing it over her shoulders. It hung high on her thighs and was the perfect length as to cover enough skin to not be completely scandalous. Not that it mattered, they were at a beach.

“Hey! You’re a stealer too? God, why am I your friend?” John joked, gathering her clothes from the sand and holding them in his right arm loosely.

They walked across the sand and back to the board walk silently deciding to go for a walk, just enjoying one another’s company. They walked in silence, smiling at couples who walked by both inwardly jealous.

Peyton smiled at John nervously as he felt his hand brush against hers as they walked next to one another. It reminded her of being in high school again. The nerves filling her stomach as they both wondered what the other was thinking, ‘did he mean to brush my hand?’, ‘am I staring for too long?’ It was adolescent and it was stupid, but it was fun—and it felt good to feel young again without a care in the world.

Peyton felt butterflies gather in her stomach when John laced his fingers through hers, holding her hand tightly, causing a shy blush to appear on both of their cheeks. Her skin was on fire and she couldn’t stop smiling. What was he doing to her?

They stopped and sat in the sand a mile or so down the road, their hands connected the whole while. Peyton disconnected them a few moments later to pull a piece of paper out of her pocket and give it to John’s curious hands.

He looked at her quizzically before opening the folded paper and letting his eyes skim over the paper she had memorized. She read it over his shoulder.

“Be a man for a day?” John laughed, reading the paper. He quoted a few more of the scripted words, ‘climb a mountain, swim with sharks, go sky diving, make love.’ She watched as his eyes looked at her as he realized that make love was still not crossed off of her list. Georgia’s was, but not hers. “You-you’re a virgin?”

Peyton chuckled softly, her eyes leaving his, “Is that a surprise?”

“I mean, you, you’re just so pretty Hayes, I would have figured that…I don’t know, I guess,” John said all at once.

She rubbed the back of her neck, “I know it’s kind of embarrassing—

“God, Peyton, no. That is not embarrassing at all. Innocence is the best thing—the sexiest thing about you, honestly. You, just, ah…it’s not bad at all. It’s very respectable,” he clarified, his own eyes falling in nervousness.

She felt a blush creep up her neck as she listened to his honest words and she instantly felt at ease. It wasn’t that she was a prude, she just hadn’t found the right guy—and she wanted to wait until she knew it was right. She would feel it.

She didn’t know who she’d feel it with or when it’d be but it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered at all, especially not in this moment. Not with the way that John sat there and joked with her about things she had never told anyone, not with the way that he cupped his hand gently in hers, and not with the way that he just instantly made her feel as if for the first time in a while, she could be whole again.

No, not a thing mattered in that moment besides him.
♠ ♠ ♠
peyton;

Thank you guys all sooooooo much for your amazing feedback. It means the world to me and keeps me motivated to updating this! Haha. Things are finally starting to broil so let me know how you're feeling or what team you are here!

Oh! and, I am going to be writing an original story. I know a lot of people don't read them but I wrote this story a few years ago and I absolutely love it. I think it'd be amazing if you would all give it a chance! Pleaseeee? <3 It's called: His Girl Friday
I promise it'll be worth your time!

xoxo ketely