Do Overs and Second Chances

Izy and Jess walked away from the crowd in silence. Izy could tell Jess was angry and was nervous about what her old friend would say. “I know you’re angry,” Izy tried to start the conversation.

“Of course I’m angry. Do you even realize how many people you hurt?” Jess asked hypothetically not waiting for Izy’s reaction before she started talking again. “Instead of making a decision you just left John and Stephen, you don’t even keep in contact with your family, and you didn’t even talk to me about any of this,” Jess’s voice switched from anger to hurt during her last statement.

“Oh Jess,” Izy started to say.

“Don’t ‘oh Jess’ me I was your friend and more than that you were my best friend. I thought you would at least be able to come talk to me, but you full on avoided me after prom. Not only that but you outright lied to me when I would ask you how you felt about Stephen. Then to top it all off you didn’t even say goodbye before you left. I had to find out from Justin that you were gone forever.” It was quiet again after jess had finished speaking.

“Jess I’m so sorry. I know it’s not enough and I know I was an idiot. Trust me I know that, but that is all in the past. I learned from my mistakes and I won’t make them again and if you could forgive me a promise I will never keep another secret from you again,” Izy tried her best to get Jess’s forgiveness.

“Fine but only because I missed you so fucking much.” Izy was glad to have Jess back as a friend. “But there is one condition,” she added. “You will not be completely forgiven until you buy me sushi.”

She laughed at Jess’ demand before answering. “Of course when is your day off? We can find some place to go then,” Izy offered.

“Nope that’s not good enough. You’ll have to come back home to Arizona and then you we’ll have sushi,” she said.

“Come on Jess you'll use up all my money and I won’t be able to buy a ticket back,” she joked.

“Good than you will be able to stay in your actual home, in Arizona, with me and Justin and all the other people that love you.” How serious Jess was when she said that caught Izy off guard.

“I can’t though Jess its not that easy. I have college and Cameron. Him and I have been together for about a year and a half know,” Izy told the drummer with just a little hint of sadness in her voice.

“Fine be that way but just know that a lot can happen during Warped Tour you never know how things might end up,” Jess said kind of ominously.

“Well I do know one thing though, I love Cameron. He was there when I was slowly getting back to normal again.”

“Yeah well there was another boy that you said you loved and look how that turned out,” Jess pointed out.

“I already admitted I was stupid back then, but I did love John. I think I always will. He was my first love I would never be able to forget that. Things just weren’t right back then.” Izy desperately wanted to change the subject so she turned the conversation back around on Jess. “Enough about me you have to catch me up on everything. First off The Summer Set? What happened to Last Call For Camden and what happened between you and JF?”

Jess explained the band part first trying to put off talking about the situation between her and JF but Izy wasn’t about to forget. “With the band things just changed. We lost JF and Weston and found Josh and Brian and it seemed like it was just right to change the band name.”

“That’s nice and all but don’t forget the most important part. What about you and JF? The day I left you and him had disappeared from Stephen’s graduation party together,” Izy refocused the conversation on JF not letting Jess get out of the question.

“We kind of hooked up for a while. I wanted more but he didn’t want a relationship so I broke it off. Things were really weird in the band at first before he left.” Jess paused shortly. “He’s actually here right now. He joined another band and they are going to be playing Warped all summer,” Jess informed Izy.

“That sucks, I’m sorry Jess I wish I could have been there for you. There is good news though; we are on Warped Tour that means there are plenty of single attractive musicians,” Izy mentioned suggestively already forming plans to set Jess up with a guy in her head. “And David, The Downtown Fictions’ bass player, is single. He’s friends with me so obviously he is awesome and he is very easy on the eyes.”

“Wow it’s almost like you never left,” Jess said glad to have her friend back.

“Yeah I know it’s great isn’t it.” Izy smiled but she still had one question that she had to ask. It had been on her mind all day since she saw Jess and Stephen again. “I just have one more question. How were John and Stephen since I left?”

“I was wondering when you were going to ask that. Things definitely have been different since you left, John and Stephen they both changed. Stephen has had a few girlfriends but none of them really lasted long. He took your leaving pretty hard he didn’t just lose some girl he lost his best friend. Then with John there were girls lots and lots of girls and parties. There was never anything serious with him either. He hasn’t had a girlfriend since you left.” Izy listened while Jess talked nodding her head at the right moments but not saying anything.

After Jess was done talking about John and Stephen the two girls had some kind of silent agreement to not bring it up again. Instead Jess asked Izy about Cameron. They kept walking and talking catching up on two years of not seeing each other. They were heading back when suddenly Jess stopped her friend. “Wait there is someone you need to meet!” the words burst out of Jess’ mouth and before Izy could react Jess had grabbed her wrist and was pulling her into a new direction.