Do Overs and Second Chances

“So what exactly does this mean for us?” Izy asked when her brain could form coherent thoughts again.

“I was hoping you felt the same,” Cameron said.

“And if I do?” she asked him.

“Then I was hoping you would be my girlfriend,” he had just a little bit of uncertainty in his voice. “As cliché as that is.”

“This is all very cliché,” she agreed. “But they are clichés for a reason, so yes I will be your girlfriend.” She smiled as she told him yes also causing him to smile.

“Great then I can do this again,” he said before kissing her.

Using most of her self-control Izy disconnected her lips from Cameron’s. “You know it kills me to say this but we should probably get to work, so we don’t both get fired. Knowing Sarah she would send someone here just to check up on us.”

“Fine,” Cameron agreed even though he didn’t want to.

Later in the night David and Eric came into the store to visit their two friends. “Hey Cameron did you finally man up?” David called out as they walked in.

“Of course,” Cameron answered.

“Is this true Izy?” he turned to ask her.

“Yep,” she replied while hopping up to sit on the counter. Just as she did she saw Eric slip David a five-dollar bill. “What’s with the monetary transaction?” she asked. Both David and Eric looked at her as if they had been caught doing something worse.

“Well Eric didn’t believe Cameron would actually make a move, so I bet him five dollars that he would.”

“Thanks for having faith in me Eric,” Cameron said sarcastically.

“Let’s not focus on the past. Instead lets focus on what Izy said,” Eric tried to move the attention from himself.

“Technically what I said is also in the past,” Izy pointed out. Eric didn’t look amused. Izy enjoyed giving him a hard time, so she put off answering for a little longer. “You know I’m saving myself for our secret love Eric,” she joked. “So did you bring any coffee for me?” she asked pointing to the steaming cup he had in his hand.

“No this is all mine,” he answered before taking a sip of his coffee.

“Well in that case we are over so I might as well be Cameron’s girlfriend,” she said pretending to be serious.

“You missed out she’s all mine now,” Cameron commented and put his arm around Izy.

“What no bets on whether I would say yes?” she asked David and Eric raising an eyebrow at them.

“Nope,” David and Eric answered at the same time.

”It’s just a good thing you two figured this all out before we leave for tour,” David said.

“Tour?” Izy questioned turning her head to look at Cameron. He opened his mouth to say something when David spoke up again. “You didn’t tell her yet did you?” he asked awkwardly.

“No I was waiting to and then you guys came in,” Cameron told him.

“Well in that case me and Eric are just going to go,” David said.

“I don’t want to go,” Eric protested.

“Come on Eric,” David dragged the drummer away and out of the store.

“So tour,” Izy said after the awkward silence David and Eric had left them in.

“I was going to tell you,” Cameron said sincerely. He was in front of Izy looking directly into her eyes. “It’s just that things were going really good for those first couple of minutes before David and Eric got here. Are you mad?”

“No I’m not mad, this is a really good chance for you guys. I wish you weren’t leaving so soon, but this is what you need,” Izy assured him. She didn’t want him to go. She wanted him to be here with her now that they were finally dating, but she couldn’t let him pass up this opportunity. “When do you leave?” she asked dreading the answer.

“We leave in two weeks for a month.”

“That soon?”

“I’m afraid so.” He wished he could find some way to take Izy with them, but she had to be here for school.

“Well I’ll miss you,” she said quietly. He closed the distance between them giving her a comforting hug.

“I’ll miss you too,” he told her.

“Just don’t go off falling for some band slut,” she tried to make a joke to lighten the mood.

“Never,” he responded.

Izy and Cameron spent as much time as they could together before he had to leave for tour. She was also there early the day the band left. It was sad for her to watch him go even though she knew she would see him again in a month. He was more than her boyfriend he was also the first real friend she had since she made the move to Virginia.

Her life soon fell into this pattern. Time would pass by in the blink of an eye when Cameron was around her, but it also dragged on excruciatingly slow when he was gone. Working at the guitar shop wasn’t the same when he was gone and she found herself just practicing his songs when she had free time in the store.

Before she knew it however Izy was a senior in high school. It had worked out that The Downtown Fiction were in town to see her graduate. She couldn’t stoop smiling as she walked over to Cameron after in her cap and gown and clutching her diploma in her hand.

“I did it!” she exclaimed, embracing Cameron in a hug.

“Yes you did,” Cameron said before kissing her. “Izy we need to talk,” he told her seriously after the two broke apart.

“Well that doesn’t sound good,” she pointed out. She was a little worried. Yeah her and Cameron’s relationship wasn’t easy, but she didn’t think they had any major problems. The worry grew as he led her outside to a quieter place.

“Izy, The Downtown Fiction got a chance to be on Warped Tour this year,” he informed her.

Izy let out a relieved breath that she didn’t even know she had been holding. Then she processed what he was saying. “Doesn’t that mean you’ll be gone all summer?” she asked. All her plans and ideas about the perfect summer with him before she went to college slipped away. It looked like she was going to be spending the summer alone.

“Yes, it is and I want you to come with us,” he looked hopeful. “Our usual guitar player backed out and I know you know all our songs, so I was hoping you would do it.” Izy wasn’t really sure how to respond his offer had caught her completely off guard. “I know you’ll be awesome and me and the guys already love you so you know you’ll fit in. So will you do it?” His blue eyes were filled with hope as he looked at her waiting for her answer.

“Of course I will.” Her smile was back when she answered him. It looked like her and Cameron had a shot at their summer together after all.