Trashed and Scattered

By time the women had packed the car full, the midnight hour was upon them. Joanna was hesitant to buy into Peyton’s sudden desire to abandon California but was entirely unwilling to go to war over it. Afterall, this was Peyton’s journey and Joanna was simply along for the ride. She’d figured Jimmy was the only real link still binding Peyton to her life here, and with it effectively severed, it only made sense that the brunette might want to escape into the night.
“We can’t fit that into the car,” Joanna stated obviously as Peyton loomed over the red drumkit Johnny had dragged upstairs.
Peyton nodded, letting a sigh escape her lungs, “I know…I’ll see if Brian can take it or something…I don’t know.”
Joanna nodded, biting at her lip nervously, “Pey, are you sure you want to go? Like this?”
“Yep,” the brunette declared, stepping away from the kit. “Are you ready?”
The blonde forced a smile, “Sure.”
Peyton grabbed the last of her bags stacked by the front door, tossing it over her shoulder as she slipped through the front door for the final time. She didn’t bother to look back; didn’t bother to take one last walk through. She’d wrapped up her California business and had no interest in prolonging the aching goodbye.
As she set her bags into the trunk and waited for Joanna to meander her way out, Peyton pulled her phone from her pocket and anxiously dialed. The line rang loudly against her ear while her eyes wandered to the neighboring house, each and every window lit up like the fourth of July.
“Hello?” Brian answered sharply.
“Hey,” Peyton eased. “I know you said you needed time but something’s come up.”
He hesitated, “What’s going on?”
“I’m, uh…I’m leaving,” she stated. “And I have a bit of a favor. I promise it has a payoff.”
Brian replied slowly, “You’re leaving…?”
“Yeah,” she nodded. “In a few minutes.”
“Does Jimmy know?” he asked quietly.
Peyton grit her teeth, “It was his idea.”
“What’s the favor?” Brian asked after a moment’s pause.
“I don’t have time to empty this house tonight,” she sighed. “Would it be entirely unreasonable to call in your help? I’ll leave the key under the back mat…There’s a collection of guitars in it for you.”
Brian laughed, “What am I supposed to do with all your shit?”
“Get rid of it,” she shrugged. “Or take it…give it away. It really doesn’t matter. All I ask is that the drum kit makes it out alive. I’ll send for it.”
The guitarist nodded, “Sure, Peyton. No problem.”
“I’m sorry to leave on such short notice,” the brunette confessed quietly as Joanna neared, bags in hand. “It was kind of…spur of the moment.”
“You’re sure Jimmy’s in on this?” Brian pressed suspiciously.
Peyton exhaled, “Jimmy made his feelings on the subject crystal clear.”
“Is that why you’re leaving?” Brian quizzed. “Did that idiot say something stupid?”
The artist shook her head, “It doesn’t matter. I’m getting in the car now, Bri, so I’m going to have to let you go.”
“Text me when you get home, alright?” he half-smiled. “Don’t lose my number.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” she chuckled. “Thanks.”
His smile faded out with her farewell, “Drive safe, Peyton.”
“Bye, Brian,” she said gently, flipping her phone closed.
Joanna leaned against her friend, resting her blonde waves against Peyton’s straight locks. She was sure she could hear Peyton’s heart knocking against her chest, but wasn’t sure how to properly assist in the matter of broken hearts. Jimmy had been cruel. He’d been loud and he’d been angry.
And now Peyton was running.
“Let’s go,” the artist sighed, pulling herself from Joanna and slamming the trunk closed.
Joanna gawked at her friend, “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
Peyton tilted her head lazily, lingering at the driver’s side door.
“What about Jimmy?” Joanna stated. “Doesn’t he get a goodbye?”
Peyton scowled, “I think we’ve said all there is to say.”
Joanna attempted to protest but Peyton climbed into the car before the opportunity presented itself. With one last sympathetic look to the looming white house, Joanna followed her friend and within seconds, the sped off down the street.
Brian, who’d been drifting in and out of an inebriated sleep, was now wide awake. His mind raced with questions and qualms, finally landing on one aching detail. He pressed his fingers against the buttons on his phone and waited impatiently to the man on the other end to pick up. When the voicemail cut in, Brian hung up and hit redial. End and repeat. End and repeat.
Finally, Jimmy snarled into Brian’s ear, “Dude, what?”
“What did you do?” Brian demanded gently.
“What?”
“What did you do?” Brian repeated. “What did you say to Peyton?”
Jimmy groaned, “Of fucking course you’re calling to yell at me about Peyton.”
“Man, no,” Brian interjected quickly. “There’s no time to get into that fucking argument right now. She’s leaving, Jimmy. Right now.”
Jimmy cocked an eyebrow, leaning over the top of the couch to pull back the curtain. He could see both the neighbor women leaned up against Peyton’s rental car, Joanna pulling a bag into the trunk. The sight was nearly enough to render Jimmy blind.
“You need to stop her,” Brian instructed his best friend. “Whatever you said, whatever you did, go fucking fix it.”
Jimmy rolled his eyes, “Why do you care? If you want her to stay so bad, you tell her.”
“She doesn’t care if I want her to stay, man,” Brian groaned. “She’s been waiting for you to ask her to stay. Isn’t that what you want?”
“I don’t know what I want,” Jimmy confessed weakly.
Brian sighed, rubbing his temples with his free hand, “Jimmy…She’s leaving.”
Jimmy nodded, watching with narrowed eyes as Peyton climbed into the car. Joanna glanced quickly in his direction before hesitantly joining her friend. Together, they drove away.
The drummer seethed into the phone, “Let her.”
Peyton was quiet as she navigated her way through the dark Huntington Beach streets. Her mind raced at the speed of light with regrets. Jimmy’s words stung at her skin, piercing the veil she’d so strategically pulled over her eyes.
Joanna twiddled with her fingers, nervously weighing her options before opening her mouth. She wanted to be sure she was approaching the subject properly—Peyton was very obviously fuming and Joanna had to make her attack quick and painless.
“You need to turn around,” she said instead.
Peyton scowled, “What?”
“Peyton,” Joanna sighed. “Whatever you’re doing right now, you’re doing it for the wrong reasons. Don’t leave because you’re angry or you’re hurt…Leave because you want to. Or if you don’t want to, then don’t.”
The artist rolled her eyes, “Joanna, I swear to god—”
“Be mad all you fucking want,” Joanna interjected. “But you know what I’m saying is true. You’re desperately in love with that man back there and you just left without saying goodbye! I know what he said was awful…I’m heartbroken and I’m not the one obsessed with him.”
Peyton opened her mouth to argue but was swiftly shut down.
“I’ve never, ever seen you so lively as you were by his side,” Joanna continued warmly. “I’ve never known you to get so entangled with someone…I don’t know why you’re denying how you feel…Maybe it’s fear, I don’t know. But Peyton, that boy loves you. He said so! And you, my tortured friend, deserve to be loved.”
The artist glanced at her friend, “He told me to go.”
“Maybe he was trying to make it easier for you,” she offered with a limp shrug. “If he really loves you, which I’m one hundred percent sure he does, he just wants you to be happy. That’s all any of us want for the people we love…And I think your best chance at happiness is to stay.”
Peyton shook her head, “Jo, my whole life is in New York…I can’t just abandon everything I’ve worked for. Nothing is worth that.”
“Love is worth it,” Joanna assured her. “I know it’s corny. But it’s true.”
The brunette sighed, “I can’t…”
“You can,” Joanna encouraged. “Please, just…Don’t leave without telling him how you feel. I swear I’ll bitch and whine about it the entire drive if we leave and you bring those feelings with you. You’ll never hear the end of it, Peyton Winchester. That’s my vow to you.”
Peyton half-laughed, letting the revelation rest into her bones, “He said he loves me?”
“You’re so stupid,” Joanna snickered. “Of course he does. I think you two are the only ones on the planet that don’t realize you’re hopelessly in love with one another.”
There was no denying the way Jimmy made Peyton feel—about him, about life, about herself. With his smiling face plaguing her forethoughts, Peyton swiftly spun the car around. Pushing her foot to the floor, she smiled over at her friend. Joanna made a whooping sound, thrusting her fist into the air.
“Another triumph for Jo!” the blonde bellowed.
Peyton screeched the tires as she pulled up to the curb, relieved to find every light in the Sullivan house still on. She swiftly climbed from the car, slamming the door shut behind her as she hurried to the front door. Banging her fists against the door with a nervous excitement, Peyton waited.
What had she been so afraid of all this time? She’d loved Jimmy with her entirety once upon a time—and upon setting her eyes on him for the first time in over a decade, she’d been sure she’d never really stopped. He’d labored since then to push her, to lift her, to protect her. Why hadn’t she recognized her own feelings? What was she so afraid of?
When no answer came, Peyton pushed her fists against the wooden door in another series of panicked knocks. She bounced on her heels, waiting anxiously for the door to crack open.
But the acknowledgement never came. Confused and disheartened, Peyton took a few steps back. Her eyes traced the wall, lingering over each window. And there, in the living room, was Jimmy. His blue eyes bore into her as she limply waved, feeling the atmosphere shift on a dime.
She pointed to the door but Jimmy simply stared. With one last heartbreaking look, Jimmy pulled himself through the curtains and disappeared. Peyton thought he might be headed to greet her—but as the living room light died out and was followed immediately by the porch light, Peyton’s jaw hit the walkway cement.
In the dark of the Sullivan doorway, Peyton’s eyes lined themselves with salty tears. She nodded quietly to herself, glancing one final time at the monstrous white house.
“Bye, Wiley,” she whispered, her voice catching in her throat.
She didn’t speak of it. She didn’t dare speak her thoughts aloud.
But this time, Peyton left California without turning back.

Notes

Trust me?

xx