Learn to Fly

John walked down the street behind the venue, the sun beating hot on his neck. His tank top suddenly felt like a fur coat and he regretted wearing Toms rather than flip flops. He pressed his iPhone to his ear listening intently to the perfect voice on the other side. “Ah, baby that’s ridiculous,” he chuckled, pretending that he was actually interested in Melissa’s petty girl drama. He loved her, he did, but he honestly didn’t care that some girl was wearing the same shirt as her at work.

“Yeah, it was ridiculous. So, my friend keeps an extra shirt at his desk and he let me borrow it. Luckily I was wearing a skirt and a belt so I was able to tuck it in and look super adorable,” she replied.

“His desk?” John quoted her questioningly.

“Yeah you remember my friend Trent. He came with me to your welcome back party last summer,” she said and he could picture her rolling her eyes.

“Oh right, the guy who tried to get in your pants all night. How could I forget?” John aid bitterly as he stepped into the cooled air of a Starbucks Coffee House.

“John,” she sighed. “You know he’s just my friend.”

“And you know people mistakes,” he said reminding her of their Junior year when she cheated on him with a family friend.

“That was two years ago, baby,” Melissa replied, trying to coo him with her voice. She knew how to play him well.

Jon sighed and shuffled his feet as he stood in the back of the line. “Well-

Melissa cut him off with a giggle to someone who was obviously on the other line considering John hadn’t spoken, “Baby I have to go back to work my break is over. I’ll talk to you later.”

“All right, talk to you then. I love you.”

He heard a giggle letting him know his girlfriend wasn’t really listening, “Uh yeah you too. Bye!”

John closed his phone irritated and he stepped to the front of the line. He looked at the menu in front of him not really sure what to get. It was Starbucks and he had never really been big on coffee. “Can I get some green tea?”

“What size?” The tall, rather pretty cashier asked him with a seductive smile on her lips. John wasn’t interested though.

“Uh-,” John started, looking at the three sample cups on the counter next to him, “The middle one.”

The girl chuckled, “Grande. Okay, your total is going to be $4.42.”

John scoffed wondering why someone would pay so much for this when you could get it bottled at the gas station for two bucks. As he pulled his money out of his pocket he felt a hand on his arm. He turned and looked behind him as he saw the small blonde girl he had seen just a few nights ago talking to the beggar. His breath caught as he saw that she was even more beautiful up close. “Let me,” she smiled as she handed the cashier the money.

John looked at her peculiarly as she bought his drink for him. “You know it should be me buying you for a drink,” he smiled.

The blonde laughed, “I’m feeling charitable today.”

“What do you normally get here?” He questioned.

“A caramel frap,” she replied simply.

“I’ll take one of those,” John smiled handing the cashier his money.

“I just bought you a drink,” the girl said confused.

“And I just bought you one too,” John grinned, smiling at her blushing cheeks.

The two walked over to the end of the counter quietly as they waited for their drinks. He watched as the girl shuffled nervously from one foot to another, tucking her long blonde locks behind her ear. “I’m John,” he said finally, breaking the silence.

The girl smiled, “Peyton, Peyton Hayes.”

“Do I know you?” John asked, trying to figure out how she was even on this tour. What band was she with? Whose girlfriend was she? Better yet, why did he care so much?

“You’re friends with Halvo right?” She questioned.

John laughed, “Yeah he’s my best friend.”

Peyton chuckled and lifted her eyebrows knowingly, “I’m the ‘really hot, but weird girl’.”

John laughed out loud, “How did you know about that?”

“Halvo talks really loud,” she chuckled, shaking her head. “I’m not going to lie, I don’t really like your best friend all the much.”

“I’m not going to lie, neither do I,” he joked with the girl.

Peyton smiled and giggled in return, “You are a great best friend,” she said sarcastically.

“Maybe I just feel bad for him,” John laughed. “He has no friends.”

Peyton chuckled as she received her caramel frappachino. “Well, thank you for the drink John,” she smiled.

“Anytime,” he grinned. He watched as she walked out of the shop and before realizing they were going to the same place. He jogged up to her, “Hey, mind if I walk with you?”

Peyton laughed, “No I’d rather that. It means you’re not a creep who’s going to walk behind me and stare at my butt.”

John looked at her with his eyes wide, “I didn’t even think about that.” Peyton stared at him nervously. John smiled, “I’m just kidding.”

Peyton bit her lip softly, suppressing a smile. “So, you know Nick?”

John smiled at her nervousness, it was cute. “Yeah, I do, very well actually. He stays with me when he comes to Arizona because Halvo and I have an apartment together.”

“You live with Eric? That sucks,” Peyton chuckled. Her tan skin looked so smooth and it almost killed John to not reach out and touch it just to make sure his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him. He didn’t know what it was about her. She was just so different than any girl he had met and it was invigorating.

“Do you live in Braintree with Nick?” John asked, opening the door to the venue as they approached it and letting her lead them to the back lounge.

“Yeah, I live down the street actually. It was always cool growing up with him down the road. He’s only three years older than me so when he was a senior I was a sophomore…I skipped a grade, and yeah so he protected me from trouble,” she said, sort of rambling in a way that made John wonder if she was nervous.

“So, that makes you eighteen?” He calculated quickly in his mind.

Peyton smiled innocently, “Yes, and you are?”

“Twenty one,” John replied.

She smiled and nodded her head before picking at her chipping gold nail polish. John watched her intently as she picked her middle finger’s color into a heart. “So, Peyton do you have a—

“John! I’m going to kill you!”

Peyton and John both looked at the boy who entered the lounge with frustration in his eyes. His brown hair was chopped short and he had small dimples on his prickly cheeks. “What’s up Kennedy?” John chuckled.

“You told your girlfriend that I like her best friend, really? Now she knows! I didn’t want her to know ye because then she’s going to get all clingy and shi--,” Kennedy paused and looked at the small blonde girl who sat next to John. “Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t know I was interrupting something.”

John observed Peyton as she dusted off her jeans shorts as she stood up from the couch they had previously taken a seat on just a few moments ago. “Oh you weren’t no worries. I need to go anyways.” Peyton smiled at John again, “Thank you for the drink, Mr. O’Callaghan.”

John smiled shyly, semi worried that she made him nervous when he had a girlfriend back home. “No, thank you.”

The two boys watched as Peyton sauntered out of the room gracefully, her footsteps as light as her blonde hair. Kennedy laughed out loud causing John to look at him. “What?”

Kennedy pointed his finger at him, “You have the hots for Santino’s cousin!”

“No I don’t!” John defended. “I have a girlfriend, Kennedy. I, unlike you, am able to go on tour without sleeping around.”

He rolled his eyes, “Yeah John, Melissa just has you whipped. She’s a controlling brat.”

“That’s my girlfriend!” John retorted and Kennedy raised his eyebrows at him asking if he really disagreed. “I guess you’re right…” John agreed at last.

“I’m sorry man, I just—I hate her? You could do a lot better,” His friend sighed.

“I don’t know how to end a three year relationship,” John groaned. “And, I still love her. Feelings don’t just go away.”

Kennedy shrugged, “I don’t know man, maybe she’s different to you. Stick it out if you think she’s worth it, it’s up to you. I’m just saying don’t forget there’s other options out there.”

John looked away from his friend and to his cell phone at the picture of him and his girlfriend. They were so happy, so in love. You could see it in their eyes alone. They looked at each other like they were the only thing that mattered—to each other they were what they lived for.

But things were changing. She was changing, he was changing, and they were changing alone. They weren’t able to be together as he went on tour and while he was gone Melissa was able to see her options without waiting for him. John would stay away from temptations on the road reminding himself of the girl he had met his freshmen year of high school.

But maybe that was the problem. He stayed with her remembering the person she used to be. The person he used to be. He held on to the life he loved before his life took the change it had—and Melissa was the only one who had kept him strong so many years ago when he needed someone the most. She was able to fill the empty void inside his chest—the part of him that he lost that night that he’d never forget.

He couldn’t let go of her without letting go of Tanner.