Clash Of The Rockbands
Splintered Heart
The tour was going well. Currently, we were traveling eastward across the United States. I felt pretty excited, because we would reach Indianapolis in three days. I missed Daphne a lot. When I talked to her, she seemed to be doing fine. She hadn’t had any dark thoughts, and she had actually found a boyfriend. I’d have to see him before I passed judgment, but from what I heard from Daphne, he was gentlemanly and nice.
James sank down on the couch next to me, reaching across my lap for the remote. I seized it off of the arm of the couch, clutching it to my chest. He looked over at me, raising his eyebrows.
“How rude,” I said. “I’m not finished watching this movie yet.”
James sighed and leaned away, looking at the television.
“You’ve seen this movie twenty times!” he cried.
“And?” I replied calmly. “Maybe I want to see it twenty-one times. And what’s so important that you can’t wait?”
“The Vikings are playing the Packers,” James answered. Football. Of course. The male substitution for shopping. He reached for the remote again, and I just clutched it closer.
“Football is gay.” I told him. “The football players smack each other’s ass as a congratulatory gesture. Even women don’t do that.”
James’s face darkened. He didn’t scowl; it just looked like an intense, slightly angry frown.
“Oh, and Catch and Release isn’t gay?” he snapped. “How fucking cliché is this movie, seriously? The fiancé dies, and the girl falls in love with his best friend? It has cliché written all over it.”
“Well, maybe I like it.” I snapped back.
“Well, maybe I like football.” James retorted.
Whoa. This was strange...This was horrible. James and I were actually fighting...over the television. And it wasn’t teasing fighting...it was real fighting.
Suddenly, something completely new and different shone in James’s eyes: anger. With me. I’d never seen his eyes flash with anger before, at least not in my direction. He continued to frown intensely at me, and only then did I notice that as we fought we leaned towards each other: our faces were inches away from each other.
In that moment, something splintered. Something in my heart splintered and threatened to break, held on by one little, fragile glass strand. I could feel it. It almost hurt physically, like sharp bits of glass broke away in my chest and pierced my heart. And, even though I didn’t acknowledge it then, that splintered something kept my love for James in tact.
I blinked before quickly leaning away. I thrust the remote angrily into James’s chest—where did the anger come from? It was just...there—and rose to my feet. I walked over into the kitchen area and slid into the padded bench next to Jason.
Rayne blinked at me from across the table. I tapped my fingernails against the wood of the table, staring into her black eyes.
“You two never fight,” she half-whispered. I could hear the shock in her voice. “I mean, you fight teasingly. But...that wasn’t teasing.” She slowly shook her head.
“I know,” I huffed, bracing my elbows against the table and placing my chin in my palms. “And we fought over the stupidest little thing ever.”
“I don’t mean to jinx you or anything,” Jason began, “but fighting over little stuff like that usually precedes a break-up.”
“Jason, have hope!” Rayne said. “It’s not the end of the world or anything. People fight. Maybe one of you just isn’t in a good mood. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
I shrugged. “Maybe. I hope so.”
But deep down in my gut, where my deepest instincts rest, I knew that it wasn’t going to be “fine”.
**********
That night, after brushing my teeth and hair, I clambered up the ladder onto the bunk bed. James and I hadn’t spoken much for the rest of the day, and I feared that the last fragile piece of glass holding that splintered something together would break if our silent treatment towards each other continued any longer. James completely ignored me as I climbed quickly over his legs and stretched out beside him. He just continued to stare at the ceiling a foot above our heads, his arms crossed over his chest.
I turned onto my side, facing the wall. I dragged the covers up over my body, trying to think of something to say that could maybe break the ice.
“That was possibly the stupidest fight ever.” James said suddenly. I stayed silent, staring at the wall. “We argued over football and a movie.”
“Surely we aren’t the only ones who have.” I replied, still looking at the wall. “There have been stupider fights, I’m sure. I bet there’s a couple out there who’s fighting about what color their garden gnome’s trousers is.”
“But ours was still stupid.” James said.
“Yeah,” I agreed. Slowly, I turned around so that I faced him instead of the wall. I propped my elbow against the pillow, bracing my head against my palm. “And I’m sorry about it.”
“I’m sorry too.” James replied. He continued to stare at the ceiling.
Then, so fast that my brain couldn’t register the movement, James leaned over and crashed his lips against mine. His arms unraveled from each other: one wrapped around the back of my shoulder blades; the fingertips of his other hand brushed against my cheek.
“As long as they don’t begin to have make-up sex, I’ll be fine.” I heard Rayne say from across the room. James and I pulled quickly away, and I glared over at her. She smirked.
“See? I told you everything would be fine.” she told me.
“Yes, you were right, once again,” I agreed. Rayne just laughed before burrowing into Syn’s chest.
Those two clearly weren’t fighting anymore.
I rolled my eyes before lying back down. I rested my head against James’s cool chest, closing my eyes. I felt better now. This was normal for us; fighting wasn’t so normal. James wrapped his arm around my waist as someone flicked the light off.
Right before I fell asleep, I noticed that the splinter in my heart hadn’t been repaired.
James sank down on the couch next to me, reaching across my lap for the remote. I seized it off of the arm of the couch, clutching it to my chest. He looked over at me, raising his eyebrows.
“How rude,” I said. “I’m not finished watching this movie yet.”
James sighed and leaned away, looking at the television.
“You’ve seen this movie twenty times!” he cried.
“And?” I replied calmly. “Maybe I want to see it twenty-one times. And what’s so important that you can’t wait?”
“The Vikings are playing the Packers,” James answered. Football. Of course. The male substitution for shopping. He reached for the remote again, and I just clutched it closer.
“Football is gay.” I told him. “The football players smack each other’s ass as a congratulatory gesture. Even women don’t do that.”
James’s face darkened. He didn’t scowl; it just looked like an intense, slightly angry frown.
“Oh, and Catch and Release isn’t gay?” he snapped. “How fucking cliché is this movie, seriously? The fiancé dies, and the girl falls in love with his best friend? It has cliché written all over it.”
“Well, maybe I like it.” I snapped back.
“Well, maybe I like football.” James retorted.
Whoa. This was strange...This was horrible. James and I were actually fighting...over the television. And it wasn’t teasing fighting...it was real fighting.
Suddenly, something completely new and different shone in James’s eyes: anger. With me. I’d never seen his eyes flash with anger before, at least not in my direction. He continued to frown intensely at me, and only then did I notice that as we fought we leaned towards each other: our faces were inches away from each other.
In that moment, something splintered. Something in my heart splintered and threatened to break, held on by one little, fragile glass strand. I could feel it. It almost hurt physically, like sharp bits of glass broke away in my chest and pierced my heart. And, even though I didn’t acknowledge it then, that splintered something kept my love for James in tact.
I blinked before quickly leaning away. I thrust the remote angrily into James’s chest—where did the anger come from? It was just...there—and rose to my feet. I walked over into the kitchen area and slid into the padded bench next to Jason.
Rayne blinked at me from across the table. I tapped my fingernails against the wood of the table, staring into her black eyes.
“You two never fight,” she half-whispered. I could hear the shock in her voice. “I mean, you fight teasingly. But...that wasn’t teasing.” She slowly shook her head.
“I know,” I huffed, bracing my elbows against the table and placing my chin in my palms. “And we fought over the stupidest little thing ever.”
“I don’t mean to jinx you or anything,” Jason began, “but fighting over little stuff like that usually precedes a break-up.”
“Jason, have hope!” Rayne said. “It’s not the end of the world or anything. People fight. Maybe one of you just isn’t in a good mood. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
I shrugged. “Maybe. I hope so.”
But deep down in my gut, where my deepest instincts rest, I knew that it wasn’t going to be “fine”.
**********
That night, after brushing my teeth and hair, I clambered up the ladder onto the bunk bed. James and I hadn’t spoken much for the rest of the day, and I feared that the last fragile piece of glass holding that splintered something together would break if our silent treatment towards each other continued any longer. James completely ignored me as I climbed quickly over his legs and stretched out beside him. He just continued to stare at the ceiling a foot above our heads, his arms crossed over his chest.
I turned onto my side, facing the wall. I dragged the covers up over my body, trying to think of something to say that could maybe break the ice.
“That was possibly the stupidest fight ever.” James said suddenly. I stayed silent, staring at the wall. “We argued over football and a movie.”
“Surely we aren’t the only ones who have.” I replied, still looking at the wall. “There have been stupider fights, I’m sure. I bet there’s a couple out there who’s fighting about what color their garden gnome’s trousers is.”
“But ours was still stupid.” James said.
“Yeah,” I agreed. Slowly, I turned around so that I faced him instead of the wall. I propped my elbow against the pillow, bracing my head against my palm. “And I’m sorry about it.”
“I’m sorry too.” James replied. He continued to stare at the ceiling.
Then, so fast that my brain couldn’t register the movement, James leaned over and crashed his lips against mine. His arms unraveled from each other: one wrapped around the back of my shoulder blades; the fingertips of his other hand brushed against my cheek.
“As long as they don’t begin to have make-up sex, I’ll be fine.” I heard Rayne say from across the room. James and I pulled quickly away, and I glared over at her. She smirked.
“See? I told you everything would be fine.” she told me.
“Yes, you were right, once again,” I agreed. Rayne just laughed before burrowing into Syn’s chest.
Those two clearly weren’t fighting anymore.
I rolled my eyes before lying back down. I rested my head against James’s cool chest, closing my eyes. I felt better now. This was normal for us; fighting wasn’t so normal. James wrapped his arm around my waist as someone flicked the light off.
Right before I fell asleep, I noticed that the splinter in my heart hadn’t been repaired.
♠ ♠ ♠
Heyloo.There will be much less fillers now. I promise. Like, 98 % of the rest of the chapters move the plot along. So, let us all rejoice....
...by commenting the story.