Your Melody Sounds As Sweet As the First Time It Was Sung

“Come on, Char!” Jon grinned, bouncing with energetic enthusiasm. “This is gonna be so awesome!”

I smiled, sharing an amused look with Sebastian as we followed the trail Jon set. Mine and Seb’s fingers were interlocked, and he pulled me against him in a comforting manner. We’d been together for about a year now, and that thought alone was amazing to me. The small little band that we’d hesitantly started had become something so big that we were going on an overseas tour with the band that Jon was a part of. Even after all this time, I still don’t know the name of the band. I’d feel pretty guilty having to ask Jon, because he probably assumed that I knew by then, and I just kept forgetting to ask anyone else.

“So are you guys pumped or what?!”

I jumped a little and laughed as Tyson appeared from behind me, grinning with bright eyes as Chase did the same on Seb’s other side.

“Hell yes!” I grinned, catching Jon’s eye up ahead and waving to him.

“I can’t believe we’re actually here… That we’re actually a part of something like this…” Chase trailed off pensively.

“I know,” Seb said. “A girl came up to me and asked for a picture the other day and I was blushing. I still do that, because it catches me off guard!”

I giggled a little and leaned up to kiss his cheek.

“But you’re adorable when you blush, so it’s okay.”

Tyson cooed and Chase rolled his eyes, but this was all what we’d gotten used to. Seb and I expected them to be at least half surprised when we announced that we were together, but if they were they hid it pretty well. Either way, they were very supportive and it just made me love them more.

“Hey guys,” I asked quietly, just to be positive that Jon wouldn’t hear me. “I don’t want to look like a complete idiot, but I still don’t actually know the name of this band we’re touring with. Do any of you know?”

I felt Seb shrug, and Tyson looked deep in thought.

“Uh… I remember he told us a while ago… I’ve had a complete mental blank though.”

“Yeah, same here,” Chase agreed. “But I guess we’ll find out soon enough. He’ll probably tell us when we meet them. Hopefully.”

I sighed and nodded as Jon came rushing back to us, smiling wide and slightly out of breath from running.

“Okay guys, they’re already on the plane and said they’ll meet us there, so we better go find our boarding gate.”

The four of us nodded, following Jon once again without complaint. My Starbucks coffee was warm, clasped tightly in my free hand, and I tried carefully to take sips of the hot drink without spilling it as we walked briskly to our destination. When we got to the correct gate, Sebastian handed the appropriate documents to the woman for the both of us and we boarded the plane. Once aboard, Sebastian fumbled with the tickets to try and discover where our seats were, but Jon, Chase and Tyson made a quick matter of joining us and once again we played follow the leader behind a bubbly Jon.

We made our way to the first class compartment of the plane (where Chase and Tyson paused to give each other a hi-five at the sight of spacious seats) and looking ahead, my pace began to slow.

“Charlie?” Seb asked me, concern etched into his face. “Are you okay?”

My head started spinning. There were three people up ahead facing away from us, but even without seeing their faces my breathing hastened and my blood began to thicken. Faces meant nothing when you knew people like this. One was tall and lanky, one was happily chubby (although the weight loss since the last time I saw him was considerable) and the last was relatively short and skinny. Seeing all three together… there was no doubt.

How could I have possibly been so completely stupid and idiotic as to not check the name of the band?!

Jon greeted the three from behind and they turned around, making my heart melt at the mere sight. They quickly welcomed Jon before scanning the group of us, and I don’t think I’m being too presumptuous in guessing that they were looking for me. Somehow, they knew I was coming. The three pairs of eyes rested on me, and I looked back at each of them in turn. I wanted to cry.

Without a word, ignoring the utter confusion of our other friends, I dropped the black handbag I was carrying and gave my coffee to Sebastian as I unthinkingly ran up to myex best friend. He gave me his old grin just a second before I tackled him in a hug, wrapping my arms so tightly around him I thought I’d never be able to let go.

“Brendon…” I whispered, tears already racing down my cheeks.

“Shh… It’s okay…”

I felt his hands stroking my hair softly and his other arm tighten around my back. This felt like home. What seemed like years later, I broke away from him and caught Ryan and Spencer in an equally emotional embrace. These were the friends that I grew up with. These were the friends that were there for me when my life was turned upside down and I moved from New Jersey to Las Vegas. They were there for me when I was accepting my father’s death. They were my best friends. They were also the friends I hadn’t seen or spoken to in three years.

The other guys, all clearly at a loss, were considerately giving us four some space, standing back awkwardly and attempting feeble conversation amongst themselves. Unfortunately, I wasn’t exactly in a mood to be empathetic with their discomfort. I was overcome with feeling and regret of decisions passed, and all I wanted to do was make things right.

“Wow Charlie,” Spencer whistled, looking me up and down as I scrubbed at my running mascara. “You have changed so much! You look stunning!”

I laughed a little and hiccupped in the process, knowing that even in the slight chance that my hair wasn’t a total disaster, my cheeks and nose would still be red and my eyes would be watery, leaving black trickles down my face. Definitely not very attractive.

“Thanks Spence,” I hiccupped again, my eyes darting from boy to boy. “Wow, you guys have changed too. Ry, is it actually possible that you’ve gotten even taller and skinnier? And Spence, you’ve lost a lot of weight, but other than that you’ve got the same exact face that I remember. And Brendon…” Our eyes connected, but for once I didn’t blush or feel horrible. I was too relieved that my friends weren’t rejecting me, and all I could do was smile. “You just look so… grown up! You’ve outgrown my little nerd!”

All three of them smiled back at me and we collapsed into a group hug.

“I’m so sorry,” I whispered to them. “I’m so sorry I left you, I’m so sorry I ran away, I just… I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Brendon whispered, pulling me a bit closer to him.

“All is forgiven,” Ryan promised. “Only… why did you-”

“Charlie?”

Jon’s voice from behind me made me break away from the reunion to look at his puzzlement. I quickly looked back at Brendon as if to ask why he hadn’t yet told our other best friends the reason I fled. I’d always assumed he’d just told them, and the fact that he hadn’t sent a whole new wave of gratitude rushing towards him. He caught my gaze and smiled with a little shrug in answer.

“Char, how do you know the Panic! guys?”

I turned to look in Jon’s eyes, but I read that he’d already guessed. He was the only ‘new’ friend of mine who knew the story of my past. I’d never given him names, but I guess he knew them now. I gave him a small nod to confirm his beliefs, and he leaned down to whisper in my ear.

“Oh god, Charlie, I apologize. I never would have… I swear I had no idea…”

“It’s fine, Jon,” I assured him. “Really, it’s okay.”

He smiled a wonky, uncertain smile and hugged me quickly before we both turned to face the other guys who hadn’t yet been acknowledged.

“Uh,” I coughed awkwardly. “I guess I’ll do the introductions then. Chase, Tyson, Sebastian; this is Ryan, Spencer and Brendon. Static Failure, meet Panic! At the Disco.”

I gulped and watched the six exchange greetings, trying to avoid Jon’s concerned eye.

“Char?”

I turned to see Tyson looking at me inquisitively. Clearly, my band mates were wondering how I knew the members of the band we were touring with. For a brief second, it almost made me laugh; I could just picture Chase imagining me as some sort of serial groupie or something.

“Right… Uh, well, I know Ryan, Spence and Bren because they were my best friends in Las Vegas. I kind of… lost contact with them when I moved to Chicago.”

Chase clicked his fingers.

“I remember now!” he exclaimed to me. “I remember one time, like, a month or so after we met, we were hanging out at Seb’s place and that song came on TV and you said you were friends with the guys in the band. This is them… right?”

I had a quick flashback to that point in time, so long ago now, and nodded.

“Yeah.”

“Crazy coincidence that they happen to be Jon’s new band mates, huh?” Seb mused, placing an arm around my shoulder. From anyone else it would have seemed sarcastic, but Seb was honestly amazed at the unlikely chance.

“Hell yeah,” I muttered under my breath.

Unlikely my ass. There was no way that Pete didn’t have anything to do with this. I may not see him as much anymore, but it doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a deviant plan up his sleeve.

I glanced upwards and Brendon was clearly about to say something, but we were all cut short by a tall brunette woman in a flight attendant uniform with a lovely white smile.

“Excuse me, sorry to interrupt but you’ll have to take your seats for the flight now.”

“Alright. Thank you,” I said as she smiled again and turned away to take care of some other customers.

“Charlie, sit next to us!” Ryan beamed excitedly.

“Yeah, we have a lot to catch up on,” Spencer agreed.

“Sorry guys,” I chuckled a little, amazed at how much easier this all was than I thought it would be. “I promised Seb already.”

They pouted, and Seb laughed a little looking down at me.

“It’s okay,” he said. “You go sit with them. I’ll go next to Jon.”

I bit my lip.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” he smiled, leaning down and kissing the tip of my nose. “Go for it.”

I smiled back and stood on my toes to kiss his lips quickly and hug him before joining my three estranged friends, two rows in front. I only just got myself strapped in before Spencer started quizzing me.

“Okay, so you have to give us all the details about him.”

I giggled and blushed, my eyes washing over Brendon’s curious face so quickly it didn’t even count.

“Of course that’s the first thing you want to know…” I hit Spencer’s arm lightly.

“We missed you, Charlie,” Brendon spoke so quietly it was almost a whisper.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered in reply. “I missed you guys too. So much.”

We all exchanged teary, emotional smiles as the flight took off. The plane ride consisted of non-stop talking, catching up, laughing and crying at all sorts of stories and happenings. It seems impossible that a simple plane ride could negate all the phone calls I left unreturned, all the neglect and rejection I’d sent their way. And I guess I couldn’t completely negate it, not then and not ever. But by the end of that plane ride, I had my three old best friends back.

And, most importantly, I had Brendon.