Love Is a Carnival Goldfish

"You’re gonna come and hear us play today aren’t you?” Austin asked.
“Yeah, of coarse.” I smiled and put a BBQ crisp in my mouth.
I had missed their show yesterday because I was still in a bad mood. I had slept basically all day; I was unusually tired for some reason. But I felt bad that I wasn’t at their show so I was definitely going today.
“Good, we missed you yesterday.” He said and stole a crisp from my bag of crisps.
“Alright, that’s one of four crisps.” I warned him.
“Oh crap, I forgot I’m only allowed four crisps from each bag.” Austin sighed.
I’m very protective of my crisps. My favourite is the ruffled BBG kind. Yum-O. The boys are only allowed four crisps per bag. It’s been a rule since Kent and Marc ate my last bag on their winter tour.
“Hello, hello!” A guy’s voice called from the front of the bus and he was greeted by the rest of the guys who were in the kitchen.
“I wonder who’s here…” Austin said and got up from the couch. I got up and followed him out of the back lounge and passed the bunks, to the kitchen.
“Hey Jack.” Austin greeted Jack Barakat and they did that manly hand shake, half hug, slap on the back, whatever the hell it is, thing.
“Hi,” I smiled at Jack.
“Hi,” he smiled back. “You’re…Brittany right?”
“Yeah,” I said and opened the fridge and got out a bottle of water.
“You look really different since I last saw you.” Jack said and looked me up and down with a smirk on his face. I suddenly felt self-conscious of what I was wearing. I was only in red plaid, low-slung PJ pants, a blue v-neck t-shirt, and my hair was up in a messy bun, plus I had no make-up on.
“Stop looking at her like that Jack!” Jon said, protectively.
“Shut up, Jon.” I sighed and took a swig of water. “I won’t take any of that. You’re going to need to chill out a little. I’m going to be with you guys for the next 2 months and you can’t just do that to every single guy who looks at me.”
“Oh yes we can.” Caleb said and pointed at Jack. “We’re watching you Barakat.”
“Oh no you can’t!” I said and glared at him.
“I don’t think I would want to get on your bad side would I?” Jack laughed and I winked at him with a small smile on my face.
“No you don’t.” I said and took the rest of my water and dumped it over Caleb’s head. “That’s what you get.” I said as everyone, except Caleb, cracked up.
“MY HAIR!!!!” Caleb yelled while everyone else was dying of laughter.
“Oh, be quiet you pussy.” I laughed as Caleb ran to the bathroom to check his now ruined hair.
“I think I’m gonna get out of here before that happens to me.” Jack chuckled. “I just came to tell you guys that we’re gonna watch a soccer game tonight, around 7, and we wanted to invite you over. I’m heading off to We The Kings bus to invite them too.”
“Sounds good, man,” Kyle said.
“Yeah, we’ll see you later.” Jon agreed.
“Alright sounds good.” Jack smiled. “See you too Brittany?”
“Yeah,” I said and a small smile crept across my face that Jon didn’t see.
“Sweet,” Jack said and his smile grew bigger. He turned around and left the bus. I caught myself checking him out as he left and made myself look away.
“No Brittany. No.” Jon said firmly and pointed a finger at me.
“What?” I said and put my hands on my hips. “You did not just give me a direct order Jonathon.”
“I think he did.” Austin smirked. “But I have to agree.”
“You should know by now that you have no control over my life. Even if something was going to happen with Jack, which it’s not, I do not need your permission!”
“I’m pretty sure that you do…” Marc said.
“UGH!” I sighed and stormed back to my bunk, got up in it, and slid the curtain tightly closed.
I cannot believe them! They think that they can just control everything that I do because they’re older and bigger. They have no authority over me and I can do whatever the hell I want. I’m not a baby. I’m a big girl now and I can make my own fucking decisions. I can screw up or screw anyone that I want.
“Britt?” A small voice asked from the other side of the curtain. I didn’t reply and I heard a small sigh. “Look, Britt, we’re sorry okay. We acted like jerks.”
“Yes you did.” I said in a small voice. “And…”
“And?” Kyle’s voice asked questioningly.
“Yes, you were jerks and…” I sighed.
“Oh, we were jerks and assholes and meanies and fart heads and melon brains and—” He continued to list, but I cut him off.
“Okay, you’re forgiven.” I smiled and opened my curtain to see Kyle’s smiling face.
“YEAH!” He cheered and kissed my cheek. “You gonna get ready? We play in, like, an hour.”
“I, like, yeah…” I mocked him and he laughed.
“I’m so happy you’re with us, Britt.” Kyle smiled and I smiled back.
“I didn’t think I would be, but I’m happy to be here too.”

And so it began.