I'd Kiss You Goodbye If I Thought It Would Make You Stay

“I don’t believe that anybody feels the way I do, about you, now.” – Oasis

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I wake up in the hotel to my phone ringing with a new text waiting for me.

Good luck. - Love, Michael.

I hide my phone before Suzie can read it over my shoulder to see who interrupted her sleep. She complains, but we realize we’ve overslept and then we’re rushing to get ready.

“What are you smiling about?” she asks me quizzically, rummaging through her suitcase and yawning widely.

“Nothing,” I reply, turning to hide the grin that won’t leave my face as I get dressed.

Yesterday had gone well, but today was more important: Our record release day.

Me and Suzie are hurriedly putting finishing touches on our makeup while Jude drives manically on the way to the meet & greet.

“Shit, Jude! You made me poke my eye,” Suzie complains, putting away her eyeliner and rubbing her eye after we hit a pothole. He answers by laughing obnoxiously and continuing to drive at the same speed and Wes can’t even tell him to slow down, because he’s looking very nauseous in the front seat and probably shouldn’t open his mouth at all.

“Jude, this is a rental car! Slow the fuck down!” I yell, leaning forward to smack him.

“But we’re going to be late!” he protests, and I just roll my eyes as Seb sighs impatiently.

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you who wasn’t allowed to drive when we were still stuck in our tour van phase.

“Oh, thank God,” Suzie exclaims, when we arrive. I climb out after her.

“We should go before Suze starts kissing the floor,” Jude teases.

“Fuck you, Jude. Go back to driving school,” she mutters, rolling her eyes and leading the way inside.

“Oh, yeah? Well I never went to driving school, so there!” he calls after her smugly. Me, Wes, and Seb just roll our eyes and follow Suzie, dragging Jude along like a lostand slightly stupid puppy, as is usually the case.

We see the kids waiting and it brings back the adrenaline rush from yesterday and puts a smile on my face, and I can’t wait for the meet and greet to start, because it’s because of them we’re here.

And it’s partly because of them that I’m better.

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It’s night now, and the meet and greet went perfectly.

Patrick had even flown out from Chicago earlier this afternoon to support us and help promote, and had invited us to Angels & Kings for a few drinks. Wes was with him right now, discussing who knows what about the record or tour.

Right now, Suzie and I are hogging the shared bathroom in between ours and the boys’ room at the hotel. No doubt they’ll use the connecting bathroom to their advantage and play pranks on us tonight. I would have to remember to lock it before going to sleep.

We hear them complaining about how they need the bathroom too, but I’m only halfway through straightening my brown waves and Suzie’s just started putting her makeup on, so there’s no way in hell they’re getting it anytime soon.

I’m finishing the last few strands of hair and Suzie’s putting the final touches on her bright pink eye shadow that somehow accentuates her electric blue eyes in a strange way. They’re so bright that everyone’s always asking if she wears colored contacts.

With her pale skin and dark hair, me and the guys just tell everyone she’s a vampire. She hates it when we say that, especially when Pete and Joe tell her she should have been in the Sixteen Candles music video with everyone.

Then she’s pulling off her tank top and pulling on a mini-dress over her black skinny jeans and I’ve only just started to apply my eyeliner. I sigh at her as she shakes out her naturally straight, long black hair in the mirror, pushes her fringe out of her eyes and examines her ensemble for flaws.

I’m wondering who she’s trying to impress tonight, but it doesn’t really matter; Suzie’s always been a flirt, even if she won’t admit it herself.

Let us not forget the Suzie/Mike make out incident of two New Year’s Eve’s ago.

I hold in a snicker at the thought, and she gives me a strange look, but I ignore her and try to get my annoying bangs to sit right.

After what seems like fifteen minutes, but turns out to have been an hour, Suzie and I are out the bathroom, all changed and made up.

“Hurry up!” she yells at the guys, who could have spent all that time changing but instead used it to complain and watch a reality show, and now they’re running around asking us if their clothes match.

Then it’s past eight and we have seven minutes to get there on time, but Jude’s still taking his sweet ass time gelling his messy hair and Seb’s still borrowing my straightener.

By the time we’re in a taxi pulling up to Angels & Kings, it’s eight thirty-two and we’re over fifteen minutes late.

Patrick’s waiting for us right when we walk in, and he leads us to the private section of the bar.

He holds open the door, and we’re nowhere near prepared for what’s waiting for us inside.

“Surprise!”