Warped Tour Should Be the Definition of Fun

Cliff finished his drum solo right after I downed the whole mineral water in a bottle. The crowd roared and I could feel it running through my vein.

“Alright, guys,” Jazz said to the crowd, throwing his water bottle to the crowd. I did the same. “That was our last song, hope you enjoyed the set!”

All the four of us lined on the stage, holding hands. We raised our hands and put them back down as we bowed, earning another roar from the crowd. We laughed as we stood back straight and went to the backstage, handing our instruments to our technicians. I grabbed another water bottle from a box and started to walk away from the stage, not forgetting to take my skateboard.

I was about to drop my skateboard and skated when someone grabbed my arm and turned me around. Garrett looked straight into my eyes.

“Don’t walk away, please,” he pleaded, still holding my arm. “I need to explain what happened yesterday.”

I looked down and shifted my weight to one foot and another, feeling awkward. “Go ahead,” I muttered, eyes still looked on the ground.

He let go of my arm and took a deep breath. “Dani asked if I could go out to dinner with her – which I instantly declined. She practically begged me but I kept on saying no and she, well, she kissed me.”

Silence.

“Namora?”

I looked at him. “That’s it?”

He looked at me confusedly. “What do you mean ‘that’s it’?”

“Who knows you haven’t told me anything – who knows you guys are actually fuck buddies and yesterday she wanted to fuck but you didn’t want to,” I spat.

He stared at me wide-eyed and jaw on the ground. It took him a moment to pick it back up and blinked. “What could make you think of that?” he said, nearly whispering.

“Knowing Dani, she would most likely do it.”

I could see his icy blue eyes flashed with sadness, which then replaced by disappointment. “You seriously think I’d do that? What about that night after the party, huh?!” his voice rose, earning attention from the people around us.

“That night meant nothing!” I shouted back.

“You know that’s not true!” he argued.

“It was a one-night-stand if I didn’t stop myself! And probably you were just bored tasting just Dani anyway.”

The disappointment in his eyes was quickly taken over by hurt. He took a moment before shaking his head, pursing his lips. “Of all people,” he muttered, “You’re the last person I thought would have such thoughts.” He shot me a look that made my heart sink. He turned his heels and walked away, making my heart sink even more.

Why did I do that?

- - -

That night, some buses were at a gas station because the drivers were too tired drive. I was at 7/11 and there were some band guys. I grabbed the paper cup for Slurpee and started filling it with Rootbeer Slurpee.

I felt someone else’s presence next to me so I looked. I saw the person’s upper arm which meant they were tall so I looked up to see who it was. John was filling his cup with apple soda Slurpee. He turned to me and grinned.

“Hi,” he said.

“Hi.”

I looked down to my cup and it was full already so I pulled it back and went to get a lid. John copied my action. It felt a bit awkward because I didn’t talk to him that much.

I took a straw and started sucking on my Slurpee.

“I heard your argument with Garrett,” he went straight to the point. I almost choked on my Slurpee.

“He told you?” I asked.

He shook his head. “I overheard. You know Garrett is not that kind of person.”

“I know,” I sighed as we walked together to the cashier.

“Then why did you do it?”

“I let emotion decides what I say, or do.”

“I thought you weren’t that kind of person.”

“I don’t know, John,” I sighed again. “Garrett makes me lose control of myself. He’s... different.”

“Good different or bad different?”

I shrugged. “He can make me feel like I’m the happiest person in the world yet he can also make me feel like I’m the saddest person. There’s this thing in me that screams he’s special and that he will never try to break my heart.”

“So you like him.”

I hesitated.

“Yes. I like him.”

I could feel John smiled next to me. “Go tell him that. He’s sulking in the bus – keeps on watching zombie movies and doesn’t want to socialize.”

I nodded as we reached the cashier. “I will.”

He grinned in satisfaction. “Let me pay for your Slurpee,” he said, taking his wallet from his pocket. “You just go to my band’s bus and sort it out with Garrett, okay?”

I nodded again. “Thanks, John.” I went out from the store and headed to The Maine’s bus. Jared was the one who opened the door. “Is Garrett here?”

“Yeah, he’s at the back lounge.”

“Thanks,” I replied as I went in and immediately to the back lounge. I opened the door and saw Garrett on the couch, watching a movie. His eyes flicked to see me but instantly looked back at the screen.

“What do you want?” he asked coldly.

“I’m really sorry about today, Garrett. I let my emotions deciding what I say or do and I’ve always wanted it to stop but it can’t,” my voice was starting to crack and I gulped down the gut in my throat. “I’m really sorry, Garrett. Please forgive me.”

He sighed, pausing the movie and stared at me. “Do you know why I’m angry at you?”

“Because I just blurted out what I had in mind...?”

He shook his head. “That you didn’t believe in me and what I said. Being unfaithful to people hurts, you know? Especially when you’re the one who doesn’t trust me.”

“I’m so sorry,” I whispered.

He pursed his lips for a while before patting the seat next to him. I went over and sat there, still holding the cup of Slurpee. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close to him and he put his chin on top of my head.

“I like you, Namora. I really do.”

My heart leapt. Did he seriously say that?

“When there’s a zombie attack, would you be my partner to kill them?”

I laughed. “What will I be to you when the attack hasn’t happened yet then?”

“Hmm. How about my girlfriend?”

I smiled, biting my lower lip. “I like you too Gar. And I would love to be your girlfriend.”

I felt him grinning and his grip on me tightened, pulling me closer. I pushed my cup of Slurpee in front of his face. “Slurpee?”

He put the straw into his mouth and drank it.

- - -

We were lying in his bunk, his arms around me and my head against his chest. I was wearing one his t-shirts and clearly it was too big on me, but I loved it that way.

“Do you want to know a something?” I asked.

“What is it?”

“I used to be really good friends with Dani and her girls.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, that was until she stole my boyfriend. You probably have seen the video of me physically fighting with her or heard about it – well, that was the reason to the fighting.”

He chuckled, sending vibrations to my ear. “I can’t imagine you hanging out with the Millionaires.”

“Well, Allison is nice, though. Dani just has a threat on her that made her kissing the ground Dani walks on.”

“Do we have to do something about that?” he asked.

I thought for a moment. “Not yet. We’ll do something when she crosses the line.”

“Alright.”

A few moments of silence.

“I’m sleepy,” I said.

“Sleep, then.”

“I will eventually fall asleep.”

He kissed the top of my head. “We’ll just talk until you fall asleep, then?” he offered.

“Sounds good to me.”

With that, we spent the rest of my consciousness talking. Sure enough, I fell asleep after half an hour of talking. It felt really good to be in his arms.