Permanently Yours

“Hey, I thought you didn’t know our band! How do you know Garrett?” Kennedy complained, but thankfully their food arrived so his question was dismissed.

Garrett didn’t recognize me at all. I don’t know how I felt about that.

“So…can I have my phone?”I asked Kennedy again.

Jared sat down beside Kennedy. “Oh, are you drunk girl?”

“I have a name, and it’s Grey.” Garrett gnawed on his straw, something I knew he did when something was bothering him. “Kennedy, where’s my phone?”

“Got you one, Grey,” Pat said cheerfully, handing me a burger. “Come sit with me and Garrett!”

“Y-You guys…” But there was nothing for it. I ended up having lunch with The Maine. It was really weird seeing everyone again without them knowing who I was.

Jared was such a jokester, but it was all in good fun. Pat was…Pat. And Kennedy was the same as I remembered him, but with slightly shorter hair. It looked good on him, though. He gave me my phone after he ate his fries.

…Garrett didn’t really talk to me.

“Oh, hey, John. What took you so long?” Jared asked, scooting over to make room for John.

“What? I was just –“ But John fell silent when he saw me. I looked up and from the shock on his face I knew he recognized me. I pleaded him not to say anything with my eyes, which he thankfully picked up on. “Hello,” he said rather awkwardly to me, sitting down and beginning to eat.

“This is the drunk girl from last night,” Garrett said through a mouthful of food, jerking his thumb in my direction.

“My name’s Grey,” I laughed softly, shoving some hair behind my hair and staring at my fries. I didn’t exactly leave on the best of terms three years ago…

“Hi, Grey,” John said softly, before returning his attention to his food. Everyone was looking at us weird, but then we got back to eating and talking about random things. While we were cleaning up, John walked to the trash can with me.

“Grey?” he whispered, grabbing my wrist before I could walk away from him.

I sighed, but faced him. “Hi, John. Yes, I’m that Grey.” His eyes widened and mine closed because I was half expecting a slap or other form of pain, but John hugged me tightly.

“Oh my god,” he choked out, and I felt him lift me off the ground. “Do you have any idea how fucking worried we were about you? What the fuck happened to your hand? What the fuck are you doing here in L.A.? What the fuck have you been doing the past three years?”

“That’s a lot of fucks,” I joked, breaking the hug before the others could see us. John was like the older brother I never had. Older brothers are born first to protect the little ones that come after, that’s the way it’s supposed to be. When you’re the oldest and a girl, everything is infinitely more complicated.

“Yeah, because contrary to popular belief, you had friends in Arizona that actually gave a fuck or two about you, Grey,” said John, a bitter bite to his words now.

“John, don’t be like that.” He just scoffed and put me down. I wiggled the fingers on my bad hand, getting an idea. “Do…you want to see what I’ve been up to the past three years here in L.A.?” John hesitantly nodded. “Cool. Come to…The Music Box, this Saturday, if you can. And if you can’t…well…bye again, I guess.”

“Again? You didn’t say bye the first time you left!”

I ignored John’s words, even though they were true, because we had joined the others at the table again. “I’ve really gotta get going, you guys, but thanks for lunch. Hanging out was loads of fun,” I told them as I hugged them all goodbye – Kennedy’s hug lasting a little longer than all the other hugs, of course.

“Hey, we’ll be in town for a while, so, we should hang out again sometime, Grey,” Kennedy said, hands shoved deep inside his pockets.

“Ok...” I tried not to blush. “Just…call me…whenever,” I muttered, beginning the walk back home.