Sequel: Have Faith In Me ›
Status: Sequel is up.Have Faith In Me
How Quickly I Forget; That This Is Beating Less
Bastard
My mouth was probably on the ground. I was shocked. Mike Russell. My best friend since pre-school was standing before me with his arms out waiting for a hug. I was frozen.
He threw the bag in his father's car and walked towards me, a frown on his face.
"Please don't go Mikey." He reached out and took my hand in his, warm against his cool ones.
"I have to go Jay. My dad got a promotion. I'll come back to visit you. I'll come next week! I promise!" He smiled and hugged me. It was a promise that only a nine year old could make. One that he couldn't keep.
"But Connecticut is so far away." I started crying, gentle tears flowing from my eyes. I squeezed his thin body in mine. I planned on never letting go. I didn't want to be by myself with that person I have to call a mother.
"Mike it's time to go," Jim Russell called softly, not wanting to interrupt our goodbyes, but still having to make sure they got to the airport on time.
"I love you Mikey. Come back. Don't leave me here by myself." I wiped a tear away and stepped back from his embrace.
"I love you Julie. I will. I promised didn't I?" He forced a smile one last time before getting in the car and leaving. Mike moved across the country to Connecticut. he never came back to visit me and he never contacted me. My nine year old heart was broken, but it healed as I grew older and learned to live with disappointment.
Max came barreling off the steps of the bus and into my still frame.
"Sorry Jules." Max leaned down and kissed my ear softly, and slid by me, stretching in the sunlight. I didn't make a sound. I just stood there as the rest of the boys exited the bus, stepping around me carefully. I don't think they even noticed the boy standing in front of me still waiting for a hug.
"Julie? You are Julie Weston aren't you?" Mike asked, confused. His arms hung limply by his side as he waited for an answer.
"You bastard," I muttered and pushed him to the side, walking over to Craig and Bryan. "Guys can we please go? Like now!?" I glanced over my shoulder to see Mike walking towards us quickly.
"What's wrong Jules?" Bryan held my hand in his and spun me around.
"That is what's wrong." I nodded my head at Mike who was talking on his cell now, clearly waiting for me to come over and talk to him.
"Ex-boyfriend?"
"No. Ex-best friend. Please, Bry. Just take me around to my bus. I don't know where it is and Erin is the only one that knows about him."
"Hey guys I'm gonna take Julie back to her bus alright? I'll text you." He gave Max and Craig a knowing look.
"I'll be over in a few minutes babe." Max pressed his lips to mine and held my face between his hands softly. I smiled and broke away.
"Alright."
&!
"Julie!"
"Erin!" I fell into her hug.
"I got a text from Bry. What happened?"
"He's back." I dropped onto the couch in our bus.
"Who honey?" Erin sat down next to me, Cameron falling on the other side of me.
"Mike." She froze and I looked at her. Anger was written across her expression.
"Where is he?" Someone knocked on the door.
"He was waiting for me outside ETF's bus." I pushed a lock of hair behind my ear and got up, opening the door. Max jumped in and picked me up bridal style.
"Was he really?" I nodded and clutched Max closer to me. Erin stood up quickly and dragged Cam off the bus. Bryan chased after Erin, confused about why she was so angry.
"You little motherfucker!" I heard Erin scream and I heard a moan of pain.
"Oh fuck," I muttered. Max looked out the window and his mouth dropped open. "I need to go out there." Max put me down and I raced out to see Erin and Bryan trying to beat the shit out of Mike. Cam came over.
"Do you want to talk about it?" He smiled lightly while I shook my head. "I'll go wake Alli up." And he disappeared into the bus. Max was trying to pull Bryan off of Mike, unsuccessfully though. Crack. I winced as I saw Bryan's fist connect with Mike's nose.
"ENOUGH!" I screamed. Bryan and Mike stopped in mid-punch, their fists in the air. "Stop fighting! Especially you Bryan. What happened where you need to be fighting?"
"He hit Erin," he mumbled, glaring at Mike. I looked at Erin who was sitting on the pavement next to Chiodos' bus. I looked up at the window of their bus and saw Craig and Bradley's faces pressed up against it.
"I think you should leave now." I walked over to Mike and glared down at him. He shook his head and stood up.
"No. I came to see my best friend in concert." I threw my hands up in the air in frustration.
"Best friend? Best friend!?" I shrieked. "I'm your best friend? Well you're not mine. Best friends don't forget about each other!" Max and Bryan looked a bit frightened by my outburst but they also seemed to understand.
"I'm sorry." He pouted.
"Pouting doesn't get you anywhere Mike. And sorry just doesn't cut it." I crossed my arms over my chest and walked back onto the bus angrier than I was when I first saw him.
He threw the bag in his father's car and walked towards me, a frown on his face.
"Please don't go Mikey." He reached out and took my hand in his, warm against his cool ones.
"I have to go Jay. My dad got a promotion. I'll come back to visit you. I'll come next week! I promise!" He smiled and hugged me. It was a promise that only a nine year old could make. One that he couldn't keep.
"But Connecticut is so far away." I started crying, gentle tears flowing from my eyes. I squeezed his thin body in mine. I planned on never letting go. I didn't want to be by myself with that person I have to call a mother.
"Mike it's time to go," Jim Russell called softly, not wanting to interrupt our goodbyes, but still having to make sure they got to the airport on time.
"I love you Mikey. Come back. Don't leave me here by myself." I wiped a tear away and stepped back from his embrace.
"I love you Julie. I will. I promised didn't I?" He forced a smile one last time before getting in the car and leaving. Mike moved across the country to Connecticut. he never came back to visit me and he never contacted me. My nine year old heart was broken, but it healed as I grew older and learned to live with disappointment.
Max came barreling off the steps of the bus and into my still frame.
"Sorry Jules." Max leaned down and kissed my ear softly, and slid by me, stretching in the sunlight. I didn't make a sound. I just stood there as the rest of the boys exited the bus, stepping around me carefully. I don't think they even noticed the boy standing in front of me still waiting for a hug.
"Julie? You are Julie Weston aren't you?" Mike asked, confused. His arms hung limply by his side as he waited for an answer.
"You bastard," I muttered and pushed him to the side, walking over to Craig and Bryan. "Guys can we please go? Like now!?" I glanced over my shoulder to see Mike walking towards us quickly.
"What's wrong Jules?" Bryan held my hand in his and spun me around.
"That is what's wrong." I nodded my head at Mike who was talking on his cell now, clearly waiting for me to come over and talk to him.
"Ex-boyfriend?"
"No. Ex-best friend. Please, Bry. Just take me around to my bus. I don't know where it is and Erin is the only one that knows about him."
"Hey guys I'm gonna take Julie back to her bus alright? I'll text you." He gave Max and Craig a knowing look.
"I'll be over in a few minutes babe." Max pressed his lips to mine and held my face between his hands softly. I smiled and broke away.
"Alright."
&!
"Julie!"
"Erin!" I fell into her hug.
"I got a text from Bry. What happened?"
"He's back." I dropped onto the couch in our bus.
"Who honey?" Erin sat down next to me, Cameron falling on the other side of me.
"Mike." She froze and I looked at her. Anger was written across her expression.
"Where is he?" Someone knocked on the door.
"He was waiting for me outside ETF's bus." I pushed a lock of hair behind my ear and got up, opening the door. Max jumped in and picked me up bridal style.
"Was he really?" I nodded and clutched Max closer to me. Erin stood up quickly and dragged Cam off the bus. Bryan chased after Erin, confused about why she was so angry.
"You little motherfucker!" I heard Erin scream and I heard a moan of pain.
"Oh fuck," I muttered. Max looked out the window and his mouth dropped open. "I need to go out there." Max put me down and I raced out to see Erin and Bryan trying to beat the shit out of Mike. Cam came over.
"Do you want to talk about it?" He smiled lightly while I shook my head. "I'll go wake Alli up." And he disappeared into the bus. Max was trying to pull Bryan off of Mike, unsuccessfully though. Crack. I winced as I saw Bryan's fist connect with Mike's nose.
"ENOUGH!" I screamed. Bryan and Mike stopped in mid-punch, their fists in the air. "Stop fighting! Especially you Bryan. What happened where you need to be fighting?"
"He hit Erin," he mumbled, glaring at Mike. I looked at Erin who was sitting on the pavement next to Chiodos' bus. I looked up at the window of their bus and saw Craig and Bradley's faces pressed up against it.
"I think you should leave now." I walked over to Mike and glared down at him. He shook his head and stood up.
"No. I came to see my best friend in concert." I threw my hands up in the air in frustration.
"Best friend? Best friend!?" I shrieked. "I'm your best friend? Well you're not mine. Best friends don't forget about each other!" Max and Bryan looked a bit frightened by my outburst but they also seemed to understand.
"I'm sorry." He pouted.
"Pouting doesn't get you anywhere Mike. And sorry just doesn't cut it." I crossed my arms over my chest and walked back onto the bus angrier than I was when I first saw him.
