Placing a smile at the perfect event

Gracing your skin with the side of my hand

If I ever leave, I could learn to miss you

But sentimental boy as my nom de plume

Let me save you, hold this rope

I may never sleep tonight

As long as you’re still burning bright

*********************************************************************************

*----Izzy----*

I sluggishly walked towards the baggage claim area and fought to keep my eyes open. I waited for God knows how long before I saw the familiar bright green suitcase leisarly making it’s way towards me on the belt. If you’re wondering why I got a florescent green suitcase well… that’s because I’ve always had the hardest time knowing what suitcase was mine. Finally, I gave up trying to look and just decided it was easier if I had a noticeable suitcase.

After I collected my things, I walked outside and dialed Landon’s number. Suddenly I was picked up from behind and thrown over someone’s shoulder. I let out a loud yell and I was met with the deep chuckles of my best friend.  

“Landon!” I yelled while he put me down. “Even after all this time, I still have to remind you not to scare the crap out of me!”

He chuckled and pulled me in for another hug, “It’s is wrong for me to miss my best woman?”

“Eww,” I could feel my face scrunch up. “Don’t say that. It sounds wrong and weird…”

“What? Is it bad for me to want you and Bree in the wedding?”

“No,” I said and could feel myself starting to soften up to the idea but still it would be pretty embarrassing. “I think it’s really sweet, Bubba. But, don’t you have any guy friends?”

“I do actually…” His voice trailed off and he gave me a weary look. “It’s not like they can come though.”

“Why not?”

“Izzy… the only guy friends that actually mean anything to me moved away and became rock stars.”

“Oh,” I said. “Oh…”

“Yeah,” He sighed. “I wouldn’t do that to you and Bree.”

“It’s okay, Landon. If you want them in the wedding, you should ask. Plus, I think Rain wanted Bree and I to be bridesmaids.”

“Well, we have a lot of time for that. We aren’t getting married for a few years,” He pointed out.

“Yeah,” I raised an eyebrow. “I never really understood why you guys decided to wait so long.”

“Because Rain wants to finish up Med school before we get married. You know how long those things take. She’s not even half way done,” He looked down at his wedding ring sadly. I knew how badly he wanted to marry her. It must be killing him.

“So, what is it that you wanted to talk to Bree and I about?” I asked switching subjects. His head snapped back up and he gave me a weird look.

“Well , I think it’s best to save the details for when Bree is here,” His voice seemed nervous.

“Alright,” I said. “Where is Bree?”

“At home. I’m going to drive us over to her place as soon as we get going.”

“Sounds good.”

“Kay,” Landon said and put my suitcase in the back of his car. “Let’s get going.”

*----*

“HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?” Bree screamed at Landon and he cringed back in fear as she took a threatening step towards him. “AFTER ALL THIS TIME YOU EXPECT ME TO…”

“HEY!” He screamed back at her. “IT WASN’T ONLY HIS FAULT!”

“I can’t believe you’re taking his side,” She growled at him and slapped his chest. “I’m one of your best friends!”

“Ryan is another good friend okay?” He glared at her. “And I’m not taking anyone’s side… I’m just saying that maybe we should all figure out what the hell is going on!”

“No! I’m not doing this!”

“Why are you being so difficult?” His eyes narrowed at her.

“Because!”

“Because what?” He asked frustrated.

“I can’t go through this again!” Her voice was thick with emotion. “I gave him everything I had, Landon. I wanted to make things work. I tried, I really did… but he just forgot about me. He moved on. So I did the same. God, he probably hates me. He most likely thinks that I’m just some slut now,” Bree slumped to the ground and rested her head in between her legs.

“What?” Landon said shocked. “Why the hell would he think that?”

“Because we never actually broke up!” She cried. “We just lost touch… We never really actually agreed to go our own ways.”

“Aww, Bree…” He tried to comfort her but she pulled away.

“No, Landon,” She said in a calmer voice this time. “As much as I miss Ryan and still… feel something for him, I’m not going back to that. I’m with Richard now and I can’t just dump him for some guy that doesn’t give a damn about me.”

“Ryan cares Bree. I know,” Landon persisted.

“How do you know Landon?” She hissed. “You’ve never even talked to him in the past couple of years.” Landon didn’t respond and Bree’s eyebrows shot up. “You have haven’t you?”

“No,” Landon admitted. “I didn’t talk to Ryan but I have talked to Spencer and Jon. According to them… Ryan and Brendon are still as obsessed with the two of you as they were in high school.”

“I don’t believe that,” Bree laughed dryly. “If Ryan still cared about me he would have made an effort to try and contact me.”

“You are such a hypocrite!”

“How am I being a hypocrite,” Bree was on her feet now and slowly advancing towards Landon.

“You say Ryan doesn’t care about you because he never made an effort. Well, what about you, huh,” Landon’s voice was deadly. “Did you even try to find a way to get a hold of him? Did you even make an effort or did you just give up because you were scared?”

“Goddamit, of course I was scared!” I flinched at the volume of her voice. “He was going to break my heart one way or another. I decided to let it just happen. It would be on his terms if what we had ended.”

Landon let out a frustrated groan and then turned to me, “Izzy, you haven’t said anything this whole time… What do you think?”

“Let me see if I got this right,” My voice seemed to be stuck in my throat so I coughed a little. “You want Bree and I to enter a contest,” He nodded. “That, if we won, would involve us spending a day with Panic! At the Disco?” Another nod. “Then what, Landon? What happens after that? You can’t honestly think that everything is going to be solved in a day.”

“I never said that,” He told me. “I just think that if the two of you took the time to hear them out then maybe…”

“Maybe what?” Bree huffed. “That we’ll forgive them? Go back to being their little fan girls and continue chasing after them? No, Bree Louis doesn’t do that anymore. Like I said, I’m over it.”

“Bree,” I stopped her. “If anyone should be hearing anyone out… It’s Brendon who should be listening to me.”

“What?” Bree and Landon asked together.

“It wasn’t his fault that we broke up,” I sighed. “The day of graduation Brendon and I… finally…”

“You finally what?” Landon asked after I didn’t continue for a while.

“We… God, there were so many emotions and I wasn’t thinking straight. I didn’t even comprehend what we had done until after we…” Bree placed a gentle hand on my arm. I couldn’t look at her.

“Oh, baby girl please tell me you didn’t have sex with him the night before he left…” Bree’s eyes were sad as she gazed upon me.

“I did,” I eventually choked out. “We finally gave ourselves to each other and… like always, I ran. I was so scared that after it happened and I thought Brendon would eventually see that he didn’t want me anymore. Bree, we both knew that once the guys left to continue their band career that we’d never see them ever again. But even if we did decide to try and make it work it’d never be the same. You know that,” She nodded. “I was afraid of how badly it would hurt when he left me so I beat him to the punch. As soon as the sun started to rise I booked it out of there and left him a note. I told him not to look for me and that it was best if we didn’t see each other anymore.”

“Izzy, why would you do that to yourself?” Landon asked. “Brendon wouldn’t have let this happen. And Bree… You don’t honestly believe that Ryan really doesn’t care about you anymore, do you?”

“What do you expect me to think?” She asked him. “We gave up on each other a long time ago. Things have changed.”

“That’s not true and you know it,” Landon grabbed her shoulders, softly, and made her look at him. “Can you look me in the eye and tell me that you don’t love him anymore?” They stared at each other for a long period of time. Bree’s mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air.

“No…” She finally said. “I’m still in love with him. I’m still so in love with him.”

“Then what’s holding you back?”

“Richard.”

“Screw Richard,” Landon growled. “You don’t even like Richard.”

“Yes, actually I do,” She said.

“Yeah, I’ve seen how happy he makes her,” I defended Bree.

“No,” Landon shook his head. “No way. That’s not happiness. That’s a show you put on to keep everyone around you thinking that you’ve moved on. Well, it’s not working with me Bree. Stop lying to yourself, stop lying to me and Izzy and stop lying to Richard. If you don’t love him let him go. He doesn’t need this. You don’t need this.”

Bree’s shell was beginning to crack and I could see the old her slowly starting to seep through. “God,” Tears started to flow down her cheeks. “You’re right… what am I doing? Ryan is it for me. It has been since the first moment I saw him at our old lunch table. There’s never going to be anyone else. I can’t believe I even tried to forget that.”

“So, you’re in?” Landon asked hopefully.

“Sign me up,” She nodded and brushed away her tears with a napkin.

“What about you, Izzy?”

“I think he hates me,” I said sadly. “I hurt him so much, guys. How can he even look at me for what I did to him?”

“Because he’s still in love with you,” Landon put an arm around my shoulder.

“Did Spencer and Jon tell you that too?” Bree asked.

“Nope, I can just feel it, Izzy,” Landon smiled at me. “Plus, from what they’ve been telling me… I’m pretty sure that I’m right. Brendon’s still crazy about you. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by. I mean the worst that could happen is that you don’t get back together…”

“Landon!” Bree smacked him and gave him a disapproving look.

“No,” I put a gentle hand on Bree. “He’s right. I can’t let this pass me by. The ultimate worst-case scenario is that he doesn’t feel the same way. If that happens at least I’ll have closure.”

“You sure you want to do this, Izzy?” Bree asked.

“I’m sure.”

“Yes!” Landon said excitedly! “The contest is in two days which means we have to fly out tomorrow to L.A! Let me just call Spencer and Jon. Trust me guys you won’t regret it.”

“I sure hope not,” Bree and I said together.  

*************************************************************************************************************

If I could trade mistakes for sheep

Count me away before you sleep

I’ll stay awake ‘till I trade my mistakes

So they fade away

So let me save you, hold this rope

And I’ll pull you in

‘Cause I am an anchor, save her

Oh, I feel it sinking in

I may never sleep tonight

As long as you’re still burning bright 

----------------------------------------

So what'd you think? Do you think Izzy and Bree have a shot at getting back what they lost? Do you think that things will work out or will everything just get worse? Let me know :) I'd love to hear from you 

Song: Trade Mistakes By Panic! At The Disco