This Time

The next morning I woke up and headed to the shower to get ready for today. I made a mental list of everything I needed to buy at the grocery store while I was getting ready. I figured I should just put on my bathing suit now because with everyone coming I probably wouldn’t get the chance to later. Once I was ready I walked downstairs and started to make some breakfast for everyone.

“Morning sis” Duane said as he walked into the kitchen giving me a kiss on the cheek and pulling out some coffee cups.

“Morning bro, are you and dad going to head out to get the grill?”

“Yea he should be here soon” he said pouring some coffee for the both of us and then grabbing some orange juice for Ella. Ella walked into the kitchen two minutes later fully dressed.

“Mm pancakes with eggs and bacon oh how you spoil me Jazzy” she giggled sitting down at the table.

“Yup only the best breakfast for the people that I love, but don’t expect this all the time” I laughed as I placed a plate of food in front of her and Duane before fixing one for myself. As we were eating breakfast I asked Duane if there was anything in particular that he wanted me to pick up at the grocery store for the barbeque and he shook his head. He knew that between Ella and I, we would most likely grab everything that we needed and then some. After breakfast Ella and I hopped into my car and headed towards the store.

The drive to the grocery store was an amusing one to say the least. Elle kept seeing places that she wanted to go visit and was trying her hardest to remember and write down all of their names as they speed by. After a while she gave up and said we needed to explore the town just for her another day. I parked the car in the parking lot once we got to the grocery store and got out. We walked in and grabbed two carts because we knew between the both of us we would need them both. We took our time walking down every aisle grabbing everything that we needed.

“So what kind of meat are we getting for the barbeque?” Ella asked when we got to the meat section.

“Well not stake because that’s way too expensive for a small barbeque get together and they take way too long to cook”

“I know that silly, but like do you want turkey burgers? Beef burgers? Beer bratwurst? Italian bratwurst? Which do we take for this barbeque?” Ella said scanning over everything.

“Well I’m not sure what everyone likes so how about we take them all? I know it’s going to be a lot of food but it’s better to have them all then to take just one thing and run the risk that someone doesn’t like it” I said shrugging my shoulders.

Ella agreed and started placing all of it into the cart. We took another 20 minutes in the store making sure we didn’t forget anything before heading up to the cash registers and paying for it all. One of the bag boys helped us out to the car and helped us load everything in.

We got to the house and my parents were already there setting up the grill and making sure that everything in the house was in its place before everyone started to come over.

“Are you sure you don’t have a flat bed truck coming with the store on it?” Duane joked as he came out to help and saw how many bags there was.

“Very funny DL, we just wanted to make sure that we had gotten everything that we needed for this” I said to my bother as we started unloading the car and taking everything inside.

“Well you did and then some” Duane said with a smile. He was expecting for us to come back with a bunch of food which is why he wasn’t worry about us not having enough.

With everything inside and placed in their proper places my dad decided that it was a good time to fire up the grill that they had just put together and start grilling since it was almost time for people to come over. As soon as my father placed the last burger from his first batch on the grill people started arriving at the house. I was glad that my mother had decided to put together this barbeque for us because I was able to see all of my family that I hadn’t seen in years. Having everyone there was the greatest housewarming gift that I could have ever gotten because as soon as they arrived there was not one dull moment.

The barbeque had been going on for a couple of hours now and I had forgotten all about the fact that my mother had invited Brian because I was just having that good of a time. The door bell rang and since everyone was busy I walked over and opened the door and that was when my heart went to my throat. It seemed like the same thing could be said for Brian because he just stood there looking at me as if he just seen a ghost but he quickly snapped out of it and went into full angry Brian mode.

“Why the hell haven’t I heard from you since you moved?” he said angrily. I took a deep breath and walked outside closing the door behind me.

“I thought that if I spoke to you or anyone that you would either bring up Matt and Val or say something that would have reminded me of them and I couldn’t take that” I said to him although I knew he wouldn’t take that answer.

“That’s bullshit Jaz, you know that we would never do that to you.”

“I know but I was a mess after what happened and I figured moving was a godsend to me so cutting you all off and starting over was the best thing. But after a while I knew that cutting you all off wasn’t good but by then it was too late because I had lost all of your numbers” I explained to Brian.

“We know you were. We saw the way you were right before you moved but we didn’t know how to come talk to you, so we were waiting for you to come to us. In the meantime we had given Matt hell for doing what he did to you. I guess we should have just come to you” Brian said softly.

“I guess we should say then that it’s all in the past and that we’re here now so let’s restart this friendship” I smiled at Brian not wanting to talk about what happened anymore because I felt bad about not talking to him and everyone and I know he felt bad for not coming to talk to me.

“Yes let’s because lord knows I need to rekindle our old friendship after everything that I have been through” Brian said with a smile before stepping forward and picking me up into a bear hug like him and Jimmy used to do. I let out a laugh and hugged him back.

When Brian placed me down I turned and opened my door letting him inside and to the patio. Duane Lee immediately came over and greeted Brian like I knew he would because he really wanted me to be friends with him and the guys again. While they were talking I grabbed Brian and I a drink and walked back over to them and sat down handing the drink to Brian. Duane got called by my father leaving Brian and I alone again.

“Outside you said that you needed this after everything you have been through what happened?” I asked Brian taking a sip from my beer. I watched his face fall before he started to tell me what happened to Jimmy and I couldn’t believe it. I remember when we were younger that Jimmy had once joked with me that he wasn’t going to live past his 20’s but I didn’t think that it would be true.

“Before he died Jimmy did have a feeling his little Jelly Belly would be back and here you are, so what have you been up to?” Brian smiled placing a hand on my knee and squeezing it gently. I looked at Brian and gave him a half hearted smile knowing that this was his way of changing the subject for the both of us. Before I got a chance to answer him Ella came over and just took over the conversation.

“She’s an amazing tattoo artist now,” she said showing Brian her cupcake tattoo’s that I did on her feet before we moved, “she’s opening up her shop here in Huntington that’s why she’s back here.” I let out a small laugh. Ella always bragged about how good of an artist I was and I did the same for her.

“Brian this is Ella my best friend from New York, Ella this is Brian one of my childhood best friends” I said introducing the both of them. I could immediately tell that Brian liked Ella just by the way that he was looking at her.

“So you’re a tattoo artist now huh Jaz? Good because I was looking for someone to do my next tat since my artist moved” Brian said finally breaking his gaze away from Ella.

“Well when my shop finally opens you can be my first client” I said with a smile before excusing myself to go help Duane Lee who was cursing up a storm trying to open up the keg that my uncle had brought.