Life Can Be Beautiful

This Band is Back

September 27, 1997

Veronica's POV

"Hey." JD said back. I don't know what to say but I've already called him. "So how have you been?" I'm really bad at small talk all of a sudden. Even though I've never been great at small talk, this time is horrendous. "I've been okay. Just busy with work." I'm not surprised. He's working in Ohio as Robert's assistant. "How have you been?" He asks. "Same. Just working." And living in a constant state of depression since my best friend hates me and wants nothing to do with me. "So why'd you call?" He sounds casual, but I read it as him being annoyed that I called him. "I... I just wanted to talk. I haven't seen you in two years. I also just wanted to apologize about our fight. I should've at least considered your ideas. They were really good." I didn't want to apologize, but I should at least own up to my faults. I hear him sigh on the other end. It's quiet for a few seconds. "I should be the one apologizing to you. It shouldn't have taken me this long to finally do it. I'm so sorry for what I said. Calling you selfish was wrong. You weren't being selfish at all." I don't know what to say. I didn't expect him to apologize. "Well thanks." I say.

"So I'm going up to Boston next weekend, you want to meet up and talk in person?" He suggests. "Sure. That sounds great." I smile. "Well I have to go. I'll see you soon." He sounds like he's being rushed. Eva's probably trying to get him to go to sleep. "Bye." I say.

"Wait really?" Owen leans over the table. "Yeah." I take a bite of my food. "Thank God!" Owen sits back in his chair. "So when is that school fundraiser over?" He asks. "Three." I tell him. "Too bad you couldn't have gone. But they wouldn't like you being there." Owen sighed. "Thank you for pointing that out." I jokingly roll my eyes. "You're welcome." He smirks.

"Do you think we're going to get the band back together?" Owen asks. "I don't know. I want to, and I know you and Sam want to, but it's up to JD." I shrug. "He's got a good job now so he might not want to." I add. "Yeah but he loved this band more. He always complains about his job. More than you, which I found really surprising." He laughs. "Shut up!" I throw my napkin at him. "It's true! Not that I blame you. I couldn't imagine working for Zachary Dyer." He took a bite of his omelet. "Trust me. I only did it out of desperation." Okay so I wasn't desperate, but I definitely needed a job in the music industry. And I couldn't bare it to be in that rehearsal room. So working for Zachary was the next "best" thing. "Well here's to hoping he joins the band again." Owen raises his glass. I do the same.

Every day, I count down until JD comes to Boston. The Wednesday before he gets here, Alyssa begins to get annoyed with me over it. "I'm glad you two made up, but for the love of God, please stop telling me how many days are left until he gets here." She kisses my forehead. "My bad." I take her hand. "Well I'm off to work." She grabs her bag by the door. "Bye." I say. "Don't drive yourself crazy!" She yells as she walks out. I probably will.

I go back to sleep for a while. When I wake up, I get ready for work. I hope JD decides to start the band up again so I can quit this stupid job. I'll still have to go there, but for different reasons. For better reasons.

Jenny looks like a wreck when I walk in. "Hey, what's wrong?" I ask. "Oh, I'm fine. The baby kept me up all night." She sighs. "Oh. I'm sorry. Well let me know if you ever need someone to watch her, let me know. I know Alyssa won't object to it." I offer. "I doubt she would." Jenny laughs. "Well, I'll see you at lunch." I wave goodbye. "See you at lunch." She yawns and heads to her desk.

At lunch, I have a huge smile on my face. "What's got you so happy?" Jenny asks. "My friend is coming to visit." I say. "Is this that friend you told me about? That you had a fight with? The one from the band?" She sits down. "Yeah." I nod. "Are we getting the band back together? I'd love for you to provide more music for me to play on the way to and from work." She says with a smirk. Jenny told me she loved our music the first time I met her.

I work the rest of the day, excited to see JD in two days. When I get home, Alyssa has made dinner. "Hey babe. Dinner smells good." I put a serving on my plate and sit down. "Hey I hope you don't think I don't care that JD is coming. I do." Alyssa says while we eat. "I know. I just got a little too excited." I say.

October 3, 1997

I wake up and get ready for the day. Alyssa is already gone. As I'm eating breakfast, there's a knock at the door. I get up and open it. JD stands on the other side of the door, hands in his pockets. "Hi." He says. "Hi. Um... come in." I move out of the way to give him room to walk by. "Your apartment looks nicer than I remember. Did you guys change anything?" He's trying to make conversation. He looks nervous. "Yeah. We painted the walls and got different art." I tell him. "Oh. Okay." He nods. "Sorry I'm being weird. I haven't seen you in two years." He says.

"I get it." I tell him. "So how's Alyssa?" He asks. "Good. Busy with school." She said she was sad she wouldn't see him until after work, but work is more important. "I bet. I could not be a teacher." He laughs. "Yeah. I don't know how she does it." I smile.

"So I'm just going to go ahead and say that I know everyone wants to get the band back together. And it's not that I don't want to. But I have to think about money and how I'm going to afford my wedding." JD says. "I get it. Believe me, I do. But I miss you being here. And you're going to make money. Miles tells me all the time how many people still ask for us to perform." I tell him. He sighs, "I'll think about it."

We go out to lunch with Owen and Will an hour later. "So are you two friends now?" Will asks suddenly. "I don't know, are we?" I ask JD. "Of course." He hugs me. "Thank God." Owen says. "So is the band making a comeback?" Will smirks. "Um. That's hasn't been determined yet." I say. "Oh. Well I hope it does. This one right here hasn't been truly happy since the band broke up." Will says, referring to Owen. "Oh you be quiet." Owen laughs. "It's true! I've never heard someone complain more about their job than him." Will says. "You've clearly never had a conversation with these two about work." Owen points to JD and I. "You hate your job too?" JD looks at me. "Yeah. I work for Zachary Dyer. Of course I hate my job." I say. "Fair." He shrugs.

We go back to my apartment and Alyssa is there within an hour of us getting back. "Hey! It's good to see you!" JD hugs her. "It's good to see you too. How's Eva?" She asks. "Great. How are you?" JD lets go. "I'm great. Busy with school." Alyssa responds. "I bet. I was telling Veronica how I don't think I could be a teacher." JD says. "Well it takes a certain person." She laughs.

JD and I end up taking a walk around the neighborhood. "So you're working for Zachary Dyer, huh?" JD crossed his arms, probably a little cold. It is October in Boston. "Yeah. It was good money. And I'm with a teacher. We need good money." I say. "I get that. That's why I took the job with Robert. But to be honest, that job is why I wish I hadn't gone to college for pre-law. I hate it. But like you said, it's good money." He sighs. "The intentions were there. You wanted to do good. Then you found music." I look at him. "Yeah. Then I fucked that up." He looks away.

"You were upset. It's okay." I touch his arm. I notice that we've stopped walking. "I'm so sorry, Veronica. I messed up all of our lives. Yours, Owen's, and Sam's. Even Eva's. She had to start a job in Ohio. Now if I decide to move back, she has to find a new job here. And I just asked her to marry me. I don't know what to do." He says. "I think you need to call her. Tell her what you want and how you feel." I tell him. "You're right." He nods. "Of course I am." I joke.

JD goes back to where he's staying and I go back to my apartment. Not long after dinner, I go to bed. I have to work in the morning and I need a lot of sleep to be able to survive that place.

JD's POV

I get to Miles' place where I'm staying. I see that Eva is calling. "Hey babe." I answer. "Hi. How was today?" She asks. "Good. Listen, Veronica and I were talking and-" I start but she interrupts me. "You want to move back, don't you?" How did she know? "How-" I forget how to use words. "Honey, you've been miserable here. I knew when you inevitably made up with Veronica that you'd want to go back. If you want to rejoin the band, do it. We'll work everything out when you get home, okay?" She says. "Okay babe. Love you." I smile. "I love you. Bye." She hangs up.

October 4, 1997

Veronica's POV

When I wake up in the morning, I have a missed call from JD. I call him back and wonder what he wants as it rings. "Hey. I'm in." JD says when he answers. "In what?" I furrow my eyebrows, confused. "The band. I'm ready to get the band back together." He is definitely smiling on the other end. "Does this mean...?" I think it does. "This band is back, Ronnie."