Love's Not A Competition

"As much as I'd love to stand here and hang, we can't. We've gotta go guys, they're closing the venue."

Disappointed screams went through the parking lot as I attempted to get into the van. "We'll see you guys next time! Good night!" I yelled over everyone and closed the van's door. The crowd began to depart and some stayed to wave at the van as Rachel led us away.

"Oh my God." I panted while trying to buckle up. "What the fuck was that?!"

Kaycee and Justin looked over at me. "Amazing." Justin replied. "That was insane!"

"You're telling me! I thought I was gonna die out there!"

"Oh my God, I know!" Kaycee screamed. "I'm literally freaking out here!"

"Well, high five team, consider yourself a rockstar in one city."

"Hell yeah!" Aiden agreed. "Only thirty-nine more to go."

"Fuck yeah!" I exchanged high fives with Aiden, Kaycee, Justin, Cecely, and pat Rachel on the back. "You and Cecely were boss at merch tonight!" I said, talking to Rachel. Cecely smiled at me cautiously knowing that I haven't exactly warmed up to her yet.

"The only thing I need now is a shower." Aiden chimed in from the very back seat. I pretty much agreed one hundred percent.

***
"So, they were all over you?"

"Yeah! People were like...legit freaking out." I replied in the back of the van. I was sharing half of the seat with Kaycee.

"More than they would for The Academy Is... I assume?"

"Hell no."

"More than they would for All Time Low?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

Jack laughed at my reply. "I miss you already. Going on tour might get my mind off of you for at least a day or two."

"Oh, yeah...hopefully!" I replied sarcastically.

"You know what I mean."

"Yes."

He got silent for a second. "Tits!"

I rolled my eyes at his very random catch phrase. "What?"

"I just accidentally changed the song on my iPod."

"Oh...What were you listening to?"

"Jack's Mannequin."

I scrunched up my face. "Oh, that's right. I forgot you like them."

"And...you don't?"

"Hells nah!" I replied in a high pitched voice.

"Are you serious, Angie?! WHY?!"

"It's a one person band! That Andrew McMahon guy..."

"Oh, that's right. That pisses you off. What's wrong with you?! I love Andrew McMahon!"

"It does not piss me off! And I don't know. They're just really boring."

"I want you to get a Jack's Mannequin CD. Or at least Something Corporate."

"Something Corporate? Why?"

"Andrew's in that band!"

"Oh, sorry." I laughed. "I'll get one of those CD's. I promise."

"You have to tell me when you get them. I want you to definately get 'Everything In Transit' by Jack's. It's amazing."

"Whatever. I bet I'll think otherwise."

"Angie, just give it a try! I swear you won't."

"I will, I will. Rachel listens to them...Oh sorry, him." I slightly grinned at my smartass reply. "I'll just steal the CD from her and put it on my iPod."

"Good. You better do it, too."

"I will. But, uhh...I'm also gonna sleep. I'm beat."

"Alright...well, I'll talk to you tomorrow, hottie." He said in a rather exaggerated tone.

"Haha, goodnight sexy." I replied in the same deep exaggerated tone.

"Love you." We said in unison, laughed, then hung up.

I looked around the van for a sign of life besides Cecely, who was now driving. Everyone was sleeping. Rachel hung off of the passenger seat, Justin sat up with his head back on the seat ejecting drool from his mouth. Aiden had fallen asleep with his glasses and iPod on. His iPhone lay on his stomach, tilted to the side of his body which relaxed across the seat just barely touching Justin's legs. Finally, Kaycee was laying across from me, her head resting on my leg, arm hanging off of the seat.

My eyelids fluttered open and closed again. My body slowly began to rest itself and my mind brought itself to think of its favorite topic as I drifted of to sleep; Jack.

***

Day 12: October 17th, 2008 -San Diego, CA

"Goodbye home." I felt almost torn as we pulled away from my apartment. I had already said goodbye to the off day I had previously spent in LA just hanging out at home. In a way, I'd still be home...just not in LA. Hello San Diego. I'm ready to rock your world.

I sat in the back of the van lying sideways, my seatbelt buckle stabbing into my side. I could hear Kaycee's music loud and clear in the seat in front of me. I tried to get some peace of mind as I attempted to write a new song. I wished I was with Jack, or that he would at least answer his phone. In five days, he'd meet me in Washington, then be with me for two days while we made our way down the western boarder to Oregon then over to Utah. Then, we'd be split up again.

I was really looking foward to having Jack with me because it'd be less of a burden. No Mike coming up to me repeatedly, trying to make me break up with Jack at my every move. It'd be like a weekend vacation.

"So, uh, when's Jack coming again?" Rachel asked looking over the seat at me. Kaycee joined her.

"Five days." I smiled.

"And...how long will he be here?" Kaycee butted in.

"He's leaving on the twenty-fourth." Rachel replied for me.

"Yeah." I confirmed and nodded at Kaycee. "Seems like fucking forever, dude."

"Aww." Rachel added. "You guys are so cute with your boyfriends..." She glanced back and forth between Kaycee and I. "Wish I had one."

"Dude, you will!" Kaycee said. "You just work too hard."

"Yeah," I nodded. "You kind of concentrate on us more than anything else."

"Do I really?"

"Yeah, really." I replied. "It's not a bad thing though. I guess you should figure out your life before you bring anyone else in to it."

Rachel shrugged. "Yeah...I guess."

I turned my attention to my iPod which had stopped playing whatever I had been listening to. Remembering Jack's advice, I turned back to Rachel. "Hey, buddy?"

"Sup?"

"Can I borrow your iPod?"

"Uhhh, yeah. Why? What's up with yours?"

"Ahh, it's about to die and I was listening to Blink. I kinda want to finish the CD..." I lied. It wasn't like I wanted to, but I'd get endless hours of teasing for how I'm using the iPod to listen to Jack's Mannequin considering how everyone in the van apart from Justin and Cecely knew how much I couldn't stand one man bands.

Rachel threw her iPod over her shoulder in hopes that I would catch it. Luckily for her, I did. I hit artists once I had it turned on, then scrolled to J. I dreaded the moment I scrolled over Jack Johnson and went one artist below.

The Jack's Mannequin library wasn't as wide as I expected. Only two CD's. I scrolled to 'Everything In Transit' like Jack had said and played the CD on shuffle. Curious to what I was listening to, I looked at the iPod Nano's screen and saw the words "Miss Delaney." The first verse went by and on to the first chorus. I didn't pay much attention as I lay on my side. I blinked my eyes slower and slower. The blinks became heavier, the music became slower. I closed my eyes. So much for Jack's Mannequin.