I don’t know long it had been and I don’t know how long I stared at the name tag that Justin had left and even though it read Jason I picture it as Justin. I had taken it off the break room table the day he left and placed it my purse and forgotten about till today when I cleaned it out and found it.

First I eyed me for an hour taunting me to look at it. Than I fingered around the engraved letters for about thirty minutes before I tossed it across the room.

That before I forgot about for awhile getting into the last bit of homework I had before summer came up. That was before I headed to the bathroom and stepped on it, while the pin part was out mind you and had to curse and scream as I pulled out of my bare foot.

Now with a banged left foot I held it in my grasp as I watched King of Queens and holding my cell phone in my other.

Justin had text me a couple days ago.

It held a lengthy apology and his actual house number which for some reason I had saved in my phone. For at least a day it was under Jack ass, than I changed it to Jay. I had the number and a picture of him I had taken from when he worked there as his contact id. It was than I clicked the delete button not on the number but of the picture.

I looked at the highlight number and pushed delete twice but ever time the phone asked if I really wanted to erase the contact I said no. The moment I did I would lose the connect I had, or whatever it was.

Finally I pushed send on the number and waited with a deep breath for whatever would happen.

His message machine picked up and it said, “Hey guys I’m in the middle of rehearsal for the summer tour sorry I couldn’t catch your call, You know what to do and if this is Shell girl I’ll say it thousand times I’m sorry, and I know if the shoes where crossed I’d do the same. No hard feelings. Peace,” I heard the beep and I got so catch up in the message that I forgot to start talking till I actually heard someone pick up and say hello.

“Justin,” I questioned.

“Shell,” I heard back and I smiled.

“Hey,” I said softly and feel so shy now.

“I’m glad you called,” he said and I heard his sincere sorry in his voice in my ears again and his voice now.

“Me too, and hey jay,” I said making him chuckle.

“Your forgiven, and umm,” should I say it should I say I missed him.

Did I even have the right to that?

“Shell, could I ask you something,” he questioned me in the middle of my mind rant.

I nodded before I realized I was still on the phone.

“Yea,” I said softly shaking my head at how teenager I had become.

“Would you come visit me,” he asked.

“Justin, I… where are you,” I said a second later.

“ I’m at home,” he said and I heard someone in the background and him telling them to leave the room or quiet down.

“Like California home,” I questioned.

“Like Tennessee home,” he said.

“I’ll be honest Justin, I would like to but finals are coming up and,” I started say till I heard him clear his throat.

“That’s fine I understand,” he said and someone how even if he had lied to me even if I had considered him a jackass and didn’t know how it would work with us when I found the truth I still wanted to hug him when I hear the sound of defeat in his voice.

“Justin,” I question and hearing him mumble a mhmm in response I licked my lips and took a breath.

“How about I come in a week when finals are done,” I said and I swear I heard the noise of his lips move into a smile when he answered back.

“Really,” he question.

“Yea, I should be done this Thursday how about Saturday I come out,” I said.

“Good I’ll book you a,” he started till I said his name.

“Let me do it ok,” I mentioned and heard him say ok back softly and we chatted some more and I told him at least twice he was forgiven and than I ended the call with telling him I’d call him back with my flight info when I got it.

Sitting there with the phone in one hand his name tag in the other I got up and pushed the foot pedal to my trash can and dropped the name tag in there.

The past was the past after all right?

With that I turned and headed to my room to get on the computer to look around for plane tickets.