Perfection Doesn't Exist

The next day, Matt called Jesse. “Hello?” she answered groggily, obviously not awake yet.

“Oh, sorry Jess, were you sleeping?”

Jesse groaned into the phone and said, “Fuckhead, yes I was sleeping,” which made Matt chuckle.

“Okay, I’m on my way to your place so I can take you to Starbucks because I need to talk to you.”

Jesse groaned, mumbled a, “Shut the fuck up,” and then hung up on Matt. She promptly fell back asleep, completely ignoring what he had just told her on the phone.

Twenty minutes later, there was a knock on Jesse’s front door. Jesse was alone for the weekend because her best friend Nikki, whom she lived with, was out of town and even though she was alone, she didn’t lock the front door. So, Matt just walked right in. “Hello?” he called out, expecting Jesse to be in the kitchen, or maybe the living room. He got no response. He walked up the stairs and called out again. “Jesse?” Still no response.
Matt walked up to the door he assumed was hers and knocked on it. “Jesse?” he called out, quieter this time. He heard a mumble from the other side of the door. He opened it and said, “Jesse! I called twenty minutes ago to warn you I was on my way over. Get the fuck up!”

Jesse promptly whipped a pillow at Matt’s head. “If you don’t get out of my fucking room, I’m going to throw something a lot harder than a pillow, Matty.”

Matt glared at the girl and said, “Get up; I really need to talk to you and I’m even offering free coffee. Get up.”

Jesse groaned, but did as she was told. “I’m up,” she said as she sat up on her bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and yawning. “Give me ten minutes to get dressed and then I’ll kill you.”

Matt rolled his eyes and chuckled. “I’ll be downstairs.”

Jesse stood and walked into her bathroom. She took a quick shower to wake herself up. Then she got dressed in a pair of light skinny jeans and a black, light weight hooded sweater. She slipped on her tall, black Ugg boots; blow dried her hair quick and threw it into a messy bun, leaving a few pieces loose around her face, and then put on a little mascara. She brushed her teeth, grabbed her phone and iPod, and then walked downstairs where Matt was waiting. “That only took you fifteen minutes,” he said in shock.

Jesse smiled. “I know, I rock. Let’s go before I remember to kill you for waking me up at…” she paused to look at the clock, which read 9:17. “You seriously were awake at eight o’clock?”

Matt shrugged her question off. “Let’s go,” he said instead, and the two left.

When they got to Starbucks, both ordered; for Matt, it was a simple coffee but since Matt was paying, Jesse order a mocha Frappucino and a cranberry muffin. They got their drinks and Jesse picked up her muffin and the two took a seat at a table in the corner of the small coffee shop. Jesse tore open her muffin and took a small bite, then a drink of her coffee. “So, what did you need to talk to me about?”

Matt swallowed the coffee in his mouth and said, “Before you make a decision, I want you to remember that this is really quite the deal.”

Jesse narrowed her eyes and said, “Talk, Flyzik.”

Matt sighed. “Okay well Kara, Rian’s girlfriend, bailed on us. Usually, this wouldn’t be a big deal or anything. But she was going to help out Vinny with merch whenever he needed it. That is a big deal. Vinny’s a great merch guy, but he hates doing it alone on tours like this because it’s a big job. And I agree, it is a big job. But when there are two of you, it’s not nearly as bad. That’s where you come in. We- I- was wondering if you wanted to come with us on the tour and help out with merch?” he finally asked her.

Jesse was quiet for quite awhile. She sat there, not eating or drinking or saying anything for a few minutes. This worried Matt. He really needed her for this. “How long’s the tour?” she finally asked.

“It’s like five days, and then we come home for Christmas break, and then two days after that. SO like a week total.”

Jesse nodded, and then took a drink of her Frappucino. She shrugged and then said, “Okay, I’ll do it.”

Matt was shocked at first. This was painless, he thought to himself. It can’t be this easy. “Really?” he asked her, still a little shocked.

Jesse shrugged again. “Yeah, sure. It’s only like a week total, which isn’t really that bad at all. I can get away for a little while and travel. Even though I’ll be stuck with you idiots, how bad can it be?” she joked.

Matt smiled and said, “You have no idea how happy I am right now. This is great; thanks so much Jess.”

Jess smiled back. “No problem. As long as I’ll be able to shower somewhat regularly, I’ll do it.”

Matt nodded. “Yeah, for sure. So, I can call the guys and tell them?”

She nodded. “Yeah go ahead.”

Matt stood and called the guys, while Jesse sat there and thought to herself, What am I getting myself into?

X.X.X

At around one o’clock on December 16, Jesse was driving to Alex’s place to meet the guys. She had a duffle bag packed with warm clothes and random toiletries, along with her laptop bag and her purse. Jess was wearing a pair of dark skinny jeans, a maroon thermal and light tan, tall Ugg’s. She had a black zip up hoodie sitting on the seat next to her and her hair was tied up in a messy bun, much like it was when Matt had asked her to go on this tour with them. She was nervously playing with her silver heart locket her grandfather had given her for graduation that had been her grandmothers before she passed away; Jesse didn’t get nervous much anymore but for some reason, driving to Alex’s, she was nervous. Which in reality was ridiculous, but she couldn’t help it.

Finally, she pulled up in front of Alex and Rian’s place. She pulled into the driveway and turned her car off, climbing out. “Hey Matt,” she greeted him.

“Jesse,” Matt said walking over to her. “Hey, how was the drive?”

Jesse shrugged. Nerve-wracking, she thought to herself. Instead she said to Matt, “Fine.”

Matt nodded. “Let’s throw your stuff under the van and get going.”

Jesse nodded and followed Matt where she threw her stuff under the storage under the bus. They climbed onto the bus where all the guys were waiting to get going. While Matt told the driver where they were going, Jesse walked in the back to meet everyone and say hello. “Jesse,” Alex said smoothly, greeting her with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes and walked over to the empty spot on the couch next to him. “Hi Alex,” she said uncomfortably, pushing him aside to make room for herself.

Matt finally walked back when the bus started moving and said, “Jess, this is Vinny, Evan, Grieco, Danny, and then the guys of course.”

She said her hello’s and then the guys went back to doing what they were doing. Grieco slept, Danny walked into the back, Vinny changed the channels on the TV, and Evan was on the phone. Only Alex and Matt were left. Matt walked into the back, and since Jesse didn’t feel like talking to Alex she slipped an ear bud in. Before she could get halfway through Sleepless, Vinny walked over to her and sat down. She pulled out her ear bud as he said, “So, ever sold clothes before?”

Jesse shrugged. “Clothes? No. Retail? Yes. Why?”

Vinny smirked and shrugged. “It can get pretty crazy. You won’t have to do much, though” he informed her which relieved her. “You’ll basically just help sell the stuff to the kids. That gets kind of crazy like I said, but with both of us doing it, it won’t be so bad.”

Jesse smiled. “I’ve worked at Best Buy when new electronics came out and were impossible to find and it was Christmas time. I’m accustomed to crazy.”

Vinny smiled and said, “That’s good; but too bad this will be crazier.”

Jesse laughed and said, “I’m ready for the challenge, but I have a feeling my attitude will be different after one week.”

Vinny laughed and said, “Yeah, you’re probably right. It’s not too bad though. You’ll be fine, I’m sure.”

Jesse nodded and went back to listening to her music. She was trying her best to ignore Alex when Jack came bursting in from the back lounge.

“Hay gurl hay!” Jack said to her while jumping onto her lap.

She gave him a funny look and said, “You’re still very odd Jack Attack.”

For the few weeks before Jesse had to pack up and leave with the guys, she was hanging out with them whenever she could because she didn’t want to feel awkward when she was going to basically be living with them for the next week. If they were going out to eat together, Matt would call her. If Jack was going to get some coffee alone, he’d call up Jesse to come with him. If they were having a mini party at Alex’s, she’d bring the vodka. She and the guys were getting pretty close, which was good. “Yeah, but you love me for it,” he told her with a smirk.

Jesse smirked and rolled her eyes. “Maybe I do, maybe I don’t.”

Jack faked a hurt expression before saying, “You’re indefinite-ness towards your love for me hurts, Jess.”

Jesse laughed and rolled her eyes, shoving Jack off of her. “Oh, you know I love you Jacko.”

Jack smiled a big toothy grin and said, “I know.”

Jesse smirked and got off of the couch, walking into the back lounge. “Hey Jess,” Rian said to her. She smiled and took a seat next to him.

“Hey, Ri, what's up? How’s Kara?”

Rian shrugged. “She’s good. She’s a little upset about me leaving so close to Christmas, but she’s good nonetheless.”

Jesse nodded and slipped her ear bud in quietly. She leaned her head back and decided to take a little nap, but by the time she got comfortable enough, they arrived in Lancaster, PA.