Everything Is Alright
I Never Knew the Way to Pasadena
Justin's POV
I gave her another hug.
“Why Pasadena?” I asked, but pretty sure she had family there. I didn’t even know where that was. California, right? And I sure as hell didn’t know the way there.
“Justin…” she said, crossing her arms.
“Betty…” I answered.
“Don’t do this. Please?” I stopped complaining only meanwhile I helped her lift the rest of her boxes into her car.
“Hold on,” I said. “Stand here,” I put her in front of me and stepped back.
“Justin, what are you doing?” she demanded, putting her hands on her hips.
“I'm trying to remember you a certain way.” She laughed.
“I haven't left yet.” She pushed her short blond hair out of her face. I stopped her.
“No, I like it much better that way.”
“What way?”
“When it hangs out front.” She stared at me. I tilted my head a little.
“Okay, then. Done?”
“No,” I said.
“Justin…” she said again.
“Alright. One second.”
“Jeez,” she said. “Might as well ask if you want to move out west with me.”
“Really?” My face lit up at the suggestion. She laughed.
“You can visit any time.” I smiled. “And if you don’t…” she began. “I’ll owe you a huge ass-kicking.” I smiled and hugged her for what seemed like the last time.
“Whatever, dude.” She smiled and opened the car door.
“Whatever, dude,” she said back. She got in and closed the door.
“I’ll see you around!” I called jokingly. She rolled her eyes but smiled as she drove away.
I snapped back into reality as a car honked at me. I realized the light had turned green and I accelerated. I’m not sure replaying scenes from your past while driving is such a great idea.
Why were you gone so long? I asked her telepathically.
But you never went to visit her, the other part of me argued.
But she never called.
Neither did you, I reminded myself. I shook my head.
I don’t think arguing with yourself in your mind while driving is such a great idea, either. I pulled up to her place and went to ring the bell. My hands started getting all sweaty. I wiped them on my pants.
The door opened.
“Justin!” she said, almost knocking me over with a hug.
“Betty!” I said back, staggering. I grabbed her hand and dragged her to the car. “Come on, you’re being kidnapped,” I informed her. We got in.
“Wait a second,” she said, looking thoughtful.
“What?”
“I owe you a huge ass kicking.”
Liz’s POV
“So where are we going?” I asked Justin.
“Josh’s for lunch. I want them to meet you.”
I glanced sideways at him.
“Jesus. Your hair’s crazier than I remember.”
“Uh…thanks?”
“You're welcome.” I looked out the window. “Tell me about the guys.”
“Well…you remember Josh?” I nodded.
“What about everyone else?”
“Matt’s a sweetheart. Tony and Jesse…I don’t know. I can’t describe them. You have to meet them.” I nodded again. I looked out the window as we passed all our old hangouts.
He parked in front of a house. I followed him to the front door as he pulled out a key. He went inside, pulling me in by the hand. “We ordered food,” he explained. I nodded for the third time today. “We’re here!” he called out as we entered the living room. There was a guy in glasses beaning a guy with a slight mohawk with rolled up socks. The mohawk guy was laughing hysterically on the carpet. They stopped when they saw us.
“Hi,” the mohawk guy said, scrambling to get off the floor.
“This is Betty,” Justin said, introducing me. “I mean, Liz.”
“Betty, huh? I’m Jesse,” the guy with glasses said, holding out his hand.
“Call me Liz,” I said, taking it. “Please,” I said, glancing at Justin.
“Tony,” the mohawk guy said, holding out his hand. I took it. The doorbell rang.
“Food!” Justin announced. “Josh, do you have the money?” he called. Another guy appeared quietly from the hallway as Justin left.
“Matt,” Jesse said, motioning the guy over. “This is Betty.”
“Liz,” I corrected.
“Betty?” he repeated. “Really?” I sighed. “The Betty?” I raised an eyebrow.
“The?” I asked, confused. They nodded.
“The one Justin’s wrote all the songs about,” Jesse clarified.
“What songs?” I asked, utterly confused.
“Have you listened to any of our songs?” Tony asked.
“Not really,” I confessed. Jesse looked around and picked something up.
“You should,” he said, handing me a cd.
“Um…okay,” I said, putting it in my bag. Justin and Josh walked in, each holding pizzas.
“Betty!” Josh exclaimed.
“Hi, Josh,” I said, wincing at the excessive use of Justin’s nickname for me.
I gave her another hug.
“Why Pasadena?” I asked, but pretty sure she had family there. I didn’t even know where that was. California, right? And I sure as hell didn’t know the way there.
“Justin…” she said, crossing her arms.
“Betty…” I answered.
“Don’t do this. Please?” I stopped complaining only meanwhile I helped her lift the rest of her boxes into her car.
“Hold on,” I said. “Stand here,” I put her in front of me and stepped back.
“Justin, what are you doing?” she demanded, putting her hands on her hips.
“I'm trying to remember you a certain way.” She laughed.
“I haven't left yet.” She pushed her short blond hair out of her face. I stopped her.
“No, I like it much better that way.”
“What way?”
“When it hangs out front.” She stared at me. I tilted my head a little.
“Okay, then. Done?”
“No,” I said.
“Justin…” she said again.
“Alright. One second.”
“Jeez,” she said. “Might as well ask if you want to move out west with me.”
“Really?” My face lit up at the suggestion. She laughed.
“You can visit any time.” I smiled. “And if you don’t…” she began. “I’ll owe you a huge ass-kicking.” I smiled and hugged her for what seemed like the last time.
“Whatever, dude.” She smiled and opened the car door.
“Whatever, dude,” she said back. She got in and closed the door.
“I’ll see you around!” I called jokingly. She rolled her eyes but smiled as she drove away.
I snapped back into reality as a car honked at me. I realized the light had turned green and I accelerated. I’m not sure replaying scenes from your past while driving is such a great idea.
Why were you gone so long? I asked her telepathically.
But you never went to visit her, the other part of me argued.
But she never called.
Neither did you, I reminded myself. I shook my head.
I don’t think arguing with yourself in your mind while driving is such a great idea, either. I pulled up to her place and went to ring the bell. My hands started getting all sweaty. I wiped them on my pants.
The door opened.
“Justin!” she said, almost knocking me over with a hug.
“Betty!” I said back, staggering. I grabbed her hand and dragged her to the car. “Come on, you’re being kidnapped,” I informed her. We got in.
“Wait a second,” she said, looking thoughtful.
“What?”
“I owe you a huge ass kicking.”
Liz’s POV
“So where are we going?” I asked Justin.
“Josh’s for lunch. I want them to meet you.”
I glanced sideways at him.
“Jesus. Your hair’s crazier than I remember.”
“Uh…thanks?”
“You're welcome.” I looked out the window. “Tell me about the guys.”
“Well…you remember Josh?” I nodded.
“What about everyone else?”
“Matt’s a sweetheart. Tony and Jesse…I don’t know. I can’t describe them. You have to meet them.” I nodded again. I looked out the window as we passed all our old hangouts.
He parked in front of a house. I followed him to the front door as he pulled out a key. He went inside, pulling me in by the hand. “We ordered food,” he explained. I nodded for the third time today. “We’re here!” he called out as we entered the living room. There was a guy in glasses beaning a guy with a slight mohawk with rolled up socks. The mohawk guy was laughing hysterically on the carpet. They stopped when they saw us.
“Hi,” the mohawk guy said, scrambling to get off the floor.
“This is Betty,” Justin said, introducing me. “I mean, Liz.”
“Betty, huh? I’m Jesse,” the guy with glasses said, holding out his hand.
“Call me Liz,” I said, taking it. “Please,” I said, glancing at Justin.
“Tony,” the mohawk guy said, holding out his hand. I took it. The doorbell rang.
“Food!” Justin announced. “Josh, do you have the money?” he called. Another guy appeared quietly from the hallway as Justin left.
“Matt,” Jesse said, motioning the guy over. “This is Betty.”
“Liz,” I corrected.
“Betty?” he repeated. “Really?” I sighed. “The Betty?” I raised an eyebrow.
“The?” I asked, confused. They nodded.
“The one Justin’s wrote all the songs about,” Jesse clarified.
“What songs?” I asked, utterly confused.
“Have you listened to any of our songs?” Tony asked.
“Not really,” I confessed. Jesse looked around and picked something up.
“You should,” he said, handing me a cd.
“Um…okay,” I said, putting it in my bag. Justin and Josh walked in, each holding pizzas.
“Betty!” Josh exclaimed.
“Hi, Josh,” I said, wincing at the excessive use of Justin’s nickname for me.