West Coast High

“So,” Austin pulled himself out of a box, gripping a framed photo of John and an unfamiliar face wearing a cap and gown. “who’s the girl?” The picture looked sort of recent but out of all the years Austin had known John, the kid never seemed to age with the rest of them. The two of them were currently in John’s parents’ attic going through miscellaneous things that would slowly transition into John’s new place. It had taken over two hours of going through twelve large cardboard boxes and John was inches away from calling it quits and letting his mother keep a majority of his things here.

John didn’t have to look up to answer Austin’s question. Keeping his head down while rummaging through some of his old baseball gear, he responded, “A girl I’ve known for years.”

“You didn’t even look up.” Austin retorted.

“Don’t have to.”

“Was she an ex-girlfriend or something?”

“Or something.” John mumbled, letting a sigh come out of his lips as he stood up from his bent position. Dusting off his hands, he slowly made his way across the attic towards Austin. He held out his hand for the picture. His eyes raked over it, a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he remembered the biggest day of her life.

“Care to explain, man?” Motioning towards the box, he rose a brow, “This entire thing is filled with random pictures and most of them seem to be of you and this girl….”

The muscles in his jaw clenched, shaking his head while shrugging his shoulders. John wasn’t sure if this was a story he wanted to tell, it was one of things he kept private about himself. She was the one who had defined him, without her, he wouldn’t be where he was. Reaching behind him, he pulled up a dusty stool, sitting on it, he rubbed his jaw as he looked at the picture closely. “I’ve known her for a long fucking time, since I was about seven. Our moms were super close.”

Austin glanced around him, figuring that this was going to be a nice little break from their agonizing search for things to decorate John’s new place with. He halfway regretted agreeing but Austin was a firm believer that things happen for reason and for him to have spent more than enough time going through John’s childhood may or may not lead to something. He was intrigued of the mystery girl and he’d like to think that he knew John fairly well; the two always hanging out quite often when the two were in the same place at the same time and even then, one would drive or make the time. But, everyone had a chapter they didn’t read aloud and Austin had a feeling that she was his chapter. “Did you guys date?”

John scrunched up his face, shrugging, not really sure what to call it. “No, yeah kind of? I mean she went to a different high school then me until eleventh grade and once we saw each other more, we started hanging out more. We’d sneak off and make out in a stupid treehouse her dad built for her younger brother. We’d lie about where we were going and go to this abandoned park to have sex-it was a typical cinematic like relationship.” Running a hand through his hair, he set the photo in his lap, “We were never official but nothing had to be said. Everyone just kind of knew we were together. I didn’t mess around with other girls and she didn’t mess around with other boys. It was an unspoken kind of thing. Crazy part was that both our parents’ saw it coming before we did.”

Austin nodded along, understanding what John was saying. Reaching into the box, he pulled out another picture. This time it was of John and the girl back in high school, the awkwardness of John in his early years made him snort back a laugh. “So, did it end badly or what? Kind of weird your mom would keep all these pictures.”

He shook his head, pulling the box in between his legs, he flipped through a photo album, smiling as memories resonated in his head. “Nah, it didn’t end badly. She just broke up with me after a few semesters in college. She didn’t want to hold me back from finding a girlfriend because she was at Southern California and I was in Arizona.” Closing the album, he sighed, “Not gonna lie, it kind of hurt cause I actually really liked her. I spiraled out of control at ASU, got myself into a little pickle and when she found out. Ryder drove six hours straight to tell me to get my shit together, sat me down and lectured me on finding something to do with my life. After that is when I joined The Maine.”

Pointing to John’s lap, he rose a brow, “So you guys still talk? That’s recent, right?”

“Recent-ish,” John replied, holding the picture up to his face again. Waving it slightly, he pursed his lips. “This was two or three years ago when she graduated from USC. Her mom and brother died a few years before that and her dad kind of went off the deep-end, so my parents really wanted to be there for her graduation. I tagged along because well, she meant something to me.” He bit his lip, chewing on it as he tried to recall the last time, “I guess you can say that she’s the reason why I’m against finding someone.”

“Relationship wise?” Austin asked, as he quirked a brow. Ever since Austin had joined the 8123 bandwagon, John was quite a ladies man. Possibly not on purpose but nevertheless, girls would lead a line straight to hell with the thoughts they had of him. He had seen a good few girls come and go but none staying long enough for him to really quite remember their names.

“Yeah.” John stood up from the stool, stretching out his back, he sighed out. “I can have all the one night stands in the world and not give a fuck. It’s just when-this is going to sound so goddamn cheesy and sappy-but I stifle the idea of love because no one will ever come close to being like her. No matter who I end up being with, in the back of my mind, I’m going to compare them all to Ryder.”

Austin pursed his lips, raising a brow and making hand gestures. “Why not make it work out with Ryder? I mean it seems like the feelings are possibly mutual.”

Shaking his head, he hissed out. “Yeah, no. We’ve had our little episodes where we try to make it work but its hard when one is out on the road and one is stationed and dedicated to helping lives.” Closing up the box, he pointed, “I’m going to take this one for sure.”

Placing his hands on his knees, he pushed himself up and off the monitor, “So, does she still live out here or what?” It struck him as odd that there was just a single girl that defused the entire idea of love for his friend. Normally it took a few girls to help with that topic not just one. And for it to not have ended badly was even weirder.

“Yeah, I think she’s out in Chandler somewhere. I vaguely my mom saying that she finally moved from California.”

“Ironic.” Austin retorted, propping a hand on his hip, he rose another brow. “So, you picked Chandler on a whim, I assume?”

John chuckled, “I see where you getting at, man and I swear it’s coincidence.” He ran a hand through his hair, laughing a little. “I get into these little spells where she’s buried underneath thoughts and when someone or something reminds me of her is when I’ll get into contact with her until the cycle repeats itself and we stop because of priorities.” Motioning around him, “This was one of those spells, we just got back from tour and I’m moving out of my parents’ house at twenty eight. A lot on my mind.”

“Even more now, huh?”

Sighing, he nodded. “Yeah.”

“Do the guys know about her?”

John made a face, “Hell yeah.” Pulling his arms up and over his head, he stretched again. “She went on the first Warped Tour with us during the summer.” Motioning for Austin to head for the stairs that would lead out of the attic, “We all kind of grew up together just not all as friends. She knew Halvo before I ever did, she went to school with him before she transferred to mine.” John chuckled for a moment, “They were actually dating and then she broke up with him for me, that’s how we met initially and then became roommates in college.” Trailing down the stairs after his friend, he sighed, “Do they know that she’s the reason why I’m against love? Maybe, I’ve never admitted it to them but I’m sure it’s obvious. Like I said before, we’ve been on and off multiple times. I’m sure it’s noted that I haven’t gotten over her.”