Take Me Back to Start

The park Jolie walked through was busy today. There were children running on the jungle gym with screams and laughter filling the air. She had a small smile on her lips as she watched them so carefree. It had been twenty years since the times she and the guys would run around the playground without a care in the world, but she could remember it like yesterday.

“So, you got the text too?” A deep, husky voice asked from behind Jolie. She jumped and whipped around right away to see Brian standing there. The signature smirk wasn’t on his face today, instead it was just a normal Brian Haner smile.

“Yeah, Jimmy said it was a hunt…for him and a prize,” Jolie answered softly, “Did yours say the same?”

“Pretty much. My hint was to go to the spot we all first got drunk,” Brian laughed.

The two fell into an easy silence as they walked through the park heading to the old spot they use to all frequent in high school. They could remember the way they could hear their parents yelling to them from there. It was just an open spot hidden away by bushes and trees. It was right by a large pond where Jimmy first saw his longtime enemy the stallion duck. Just the memory itself made Jolie start to smile to herself.

Brian bumped his shoulder against Jolie’s playfully. She looked up at him with a laugh. “Penny for your thoughts? You have a smile on your face,” he asked while they walked right back the pond. He could see the little parting of the bushes up ahead.

“I was thinking about Jimmy trying to face off with the stallion ducks,” Jolie answered causing Brian to start laughing loudly shaking his head.

“The giant goof still rants about them whenever he’s drunk. I don’t think that’s a war that will end anytime soon,” Brian added.

Brian held the bush back so Jolie could climb through and she started looking around. There was nothing there that she could see. Turning to Brian, she looked at him in confusing. He climbed over towards her and looked around. They started to search around the area.
Suddenly, both phones start to ring indicating a text. “Nice work getting to the first spot. Remember how Jolie stubbornly decided she could do more shots than Matt? She paid for that one, but she did win. Better thank Gates again for carrying you home, Jo,” the text read before another one came through, “Next, go to the place where Matt, Jo, and I got kicked out…well, where Matt and I got kicked out. Jo left on her own accord like a badass, because she’s a loyal hoe!”

With a giggle, Jolie started to shake her head and put her phone back in her pocket. Brian threw an arm around her shoulder with a huge smirk. “I still don’t know how you convinced your dad to let you switch schools,” he said easily as they started heading back towards the parking lot to go to the next location.

“It was surprisingly easy, even though it was only second grade. I remembered I just walked right into the house with my arms crossed over my chest. I didn’t even ask my dad. I just said I was going to change schools. I told him my best friends were leaving, so I was too,” Jolie explained remembered the day easily. She slowly pulled herself away a bit making Brian take his arm back.

Jolie followed behind Brian as the two drove to the Catholic elementary school that Jimmy, Matt, and she had gone to from kindergarten to second grade. It was good they changed schools, because that was when they met Brian and Zacky. When the pair pulled into the school’s parking lot, they got out walking around a bit without saying too much. There was an ease that they found themselves in. “Jimmy got kicked off the basketball team, did he ever tell you that?” Jolie asked with a smile as they passed the basketball court. She could vividly picture Jimmy and Matt playing basketball.

“I remember that happening, but I don’t think he ever explained why,” Brian answered.

A laugh erupted from Jolie’s throat as she shrugged her shoulders. “He never told me either. Who knows what that could have been,” she said lightheartedly, “I just remember him pouting to Matt and me that he couldn’t play anymore.” Brian joined her laughter easily shaking his head. Some things just about never changed.

“Next up, the only bar worth going to,” was the next text. It was short and sweet, but Brian smirked instantly knowing exactly where they were going. They both quickly drove over to Johnny’s Bar. It was their favorite place to hang out since each one of them turned twenty-one-years old. Even when Jolie, Val, and Johnny were underage, the bartenders would often let them sneak in. Jolie couldn’t remember the last time she was even in the bar.

Once Brian and Jolie were out of the car, they could already hear Jimmy’s loud laugh. They smiled at each other before walking into the bar. Sitting in a booth in the back corner was Jimmy along with Matt, Val, Zacky, and Johnny. Brian instantly walked over slapping Jimmy on the back before sliding in to the booth. “Why the hell did Jo and I get sent running around town, but everyone else got to come right here to drink?” Brian asked. Jolie followed along sliding next to Brian.

“Well, Jolie hasn’t had an adventure in years and I didn’t want to send her by herself, so I had you meet her,” Jimmy said like it was obvious before taking a large gulp of his beer.
Brian easily relaxed and knocked back a couple drinks. The rest of the group was already buzzed. Zacky offered Jolie a drink, but she refused straight away.

“Come on, Jo! You used to drink with us all the time! You could knock them back even though you’re so small,” Zacky whined. Jolie knew he was right, but she couldn’t even remember the last time she drank. Her tolerance would definitely not be where it used to be. Alex absolutely hated when she was drunk and said she was embarrassing. Those were also many of the time he claimed she tried to cheat though that was far from true.

Zacky kept trying, which meant that Jimmy did too. Jimmy threatened to cry if Jolie didn’t at least have a drink or two. Finally, she gave into the begging. They got her two drinks, which firmly relaxed her. It was a light feeling that put a smile on her face as she sipped at a third drink. The whole group kept the drinks flowing along with lots of laughter.

Later on, Brian leaned over so he was inches from Jolie’s ear. “Will you dance with me?” he whispered making her shiver. She looked down at her drink with a light blush on her face that was barely noticeable thanks to the alcohol turning her face just a bit red. After a moment, she shook her head. Brian pulled back with a frown. “Come on, we use to dance all the time. Just one dance? It can be a slow one,” he asked pushing a bit. Finally, Jolie gave in knowing she could never win.

Brian lead Jolie out to the dance floor with his hand firmly gripping hers so they wouldn’t get separated along the way. When he found a bit of room, he gently pulled her to himself and she hesitantly put her hands on his chest as his hands slipped around her waist holding her against him. She could feel her heart starting to pound quickly and her stomach twist as they moved their hips slowly to the music. She kept her eyes on his chest not feeling brave enough to look up at him, especially since she knew she’d doubt what she was doing.

The song switched a couple of times, but Brian and Jolie kept slowly dancing together without even realizing how much time was passing. Brian gently lifted Jolie’s chin with his finger. “You won’t look at me. What happened?” he asked leaning in closer so he didn’t have to raise his voice too much.

Quickly looking away, Jolie just shrugged a bit. “Nothing happened. I’m getting a little tired, we should sit down,” she tried to change the subject quickly.
Brian saw right through what Jolie was doing, he knew how she avoided things that she didn’t want to talk about. “Jo…” he murmured softly, “What’s happened these last three years? You’re not the same.”

Jolie instantly jerked away from Brian pulled her hands back and putting distance between the two. “Stop it! It’s been three years, of course I’ve changed, so have you…Just leave it alone,” she snapped right away suddenly changing from relaxed to on edge. She headed right back to the table with Brian just a bit behind her.

Matt noticed Jolie coming back right away. “I want to go home. Mac will let me leave my car, right? I’m going to call a cab,” she said straight away without hesitation. When Matt tried to see what went wrong, she refused to say. Finally, he just gave in saying that would work. He walked her out to the car and had her promise to text him when she said home.

When Jolie finally got home, she trudged up to her bedroom falling onto her bed without changing her clothes. She pulled her phone out sending a quick text to Matt, “I’m home safe & sound. Thanks for hanging out tonight.” Then she sent another to Jimmy thanking him for the little adventure. Finally, she hesitated before putting her phone away. With a sigh, she texted Brian, “Sorry for freaking out. I’m okay…or at least I will be. Thank you for dancing with me and thank you for caring. Xoxo.” With that, she tossed her phone onto the nightstand.

“I still can’t believe you turned down getting laid to take me to prom. I could have gone with Zacky,” Seventeen-year-old Jolie told eighteen-year-old Brian as they slowly spun in circles on the dance floor.

When prom was announced and people started asking each other out, Jolie started getting nervous. While she didn’t have trouble with guys, she didn’t want to spend the whole night with someone she barely knew. She much rather spending with the guys and Val. It was obvious that Val and Matt were going together. Johnny wasn’t old enough to go yet. Jimmy asked a girl named Sadie. Zacky decided he’d go stag. Taking Zacky’s example, Jolie had announced she was going to also go by herself. Next thing she knew, Brian was insisting they go together, even though some girl named Laura had asked him.

“Don’t be ridiculous. As much as I love sex, I do have priorities. You’re my number one girl, so I got to look out,” Brian easily told Jolie. He looked over her once more still not believing how beautiful she looked tonight. When he showed up at her house to pick her up, he was speechless at first. Her rich, chocolate brown hair felt in big curls down with the top pulled back a bit. Her make-up was lightly done and her dress was a blood red that make her look sexy.

“Aren’t you my hero, Bri,” Jolie laughed easily, “I never knew I was more important to you than sex. That’s a pretty big compliment.”

Brian shook his head and pulled Jolie closer to him again. He gently placed his finger under her chin lifting her chin to look up at him. “Don’t tell anyone, I got a reputation to keep.”

Notes

A calm before the storm. Enjoy a little more background! Let me know what you guys think! :)