More Than Just A Mark On My Sheets

Taylor’s POV:

I stood to the side of the stage where the screaming fans of All Time Low couldn’t see me while they played. Jason was attached to my hip while I talked to John. I was telling him the whole reason I was here. I had been explaining this to a lot of people this past week.
“That sucks,” John said when I finished. Mostly everybody said that.
I shrugged. “I guess, but you get used to it. It’s not all that bad,” I sighed. “Just the fact that the father doesn’t care,” I muttered under my breath so that nobody could hear me.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing,” I shook my head quickly.
He shrugged and I continued watching Jack jump around on stage. Watching Jack always cheered me up. Jack caught my look and stuck his tongue out at me, making me let out a small laugh. Jack and I had become pretty close. He and Alex were basically my best friends. Along with Barry, the security guard that followed them around, and I was slowly becoming tight with John, as well.
When the song ended and screams erupted from the crowd, Jason flinched a little bit and I covered his ears, and kept my hands there when Alex began cursing. He looked over and me and began laughing, getting confused looks out of the crowd. He shook his head at them and strummed his guitar randomly.
“So, for our last song, what do you want us to play, oh wonderful crowd of ours?” Alex asked, his voice barely audible over all of his marriage proposals from the thirteen-year-old girls up front.
Very song that they have ever played was screamed out, and Alex picked Circles.
“So, you’re going out with Zack now?” John questioned.
“Why would I be dating Zack?” I asked skeptically.
“Isn’t he the father?” I nodded.
“But that doesn’t mean he likes me,” Alex began singing my favorite line of the song, and I sang along with him. “He was the poet while she was the muse, but she had a pen and she knew how to use. With a touch of redemption, a hint of elation; a recipe for disaster.” I sang quietly and turned back to John who was still pondering our conversation.
“But you guys must’ve had-”
“We were both drunk, remember?” I cut him off.
“Oh, right,” He said quietly. We stood and listened to the music for a few moments before John turned to me and asked, “Doesn’t that bother you at all?”
I sighed. It did bother me a little bit. It bothered me because I knew Jason would never have a real father. Sure, Zack would be there for him everyday, and we would probably pretend to act married, but it would all be fake. Zack and I would be pretending to be in love. “A little,” I admitted.
“You guy’s will get together eventually,”
I laughed. “No we won’t,” I shook my head.
“And what makes you so sure?” He raised his eyebrow.
“He’s famous, I’m not. I’m just that annoying little girl that he’s forced to deal with because I’m the mother to his kid.” I explained.
Before John could argue, the song ended and Alex introduced his band. “We’ll finish this debate later, I’ve got to go play,” John said as his band members flanked his sides.
“And I’ll win it!” I called to him as he walked on stage and high-fived Alex.
“No Taylor,” He said into the microphone. “You will not win,” I could see Zack’s eyes flash over to me, down at Jason, and then to the floor. I blushed realizing everybody now knew my name.
“Whatever it is, she will beat you, man,” Jack denied into his microphone that he was still standing at. Zack, Alex and Rian were waiting about ten feet away from me for Jack to join them. “I’ve lived on a bus with that girl for a week and,” Jack chuckled. “She puts up a damn good fight,”
I could feel my cheeks turning a darker and darker red as everybody was craning their necks to try to see me. Luckily, Alex shielded me.
“I think I’ll win anyways,” Jack shook his head.
“Alright, it’s your hair she’s going to rip out when you piss her off, not mine,” John looked over at me and I began laughing with my face now ruby red.
“Jack,” Zack said into the microphone he had picked up off of the stage. “Get the fuck off the stage so John can play, and stop scaring him. We all know John gets scared easily.”
“Fine,” Jack pouted. “But before I go, you should all know that John is an alien and only has one ball instead of two, goodnight!” He said quickly before skipping off of the stage and tackling me into a hug. Alex had taken Jason out of my hands already, knowing Jack would pull me into a death hug once off stage.
“Jack, I need to breathe,” I gasped.
“I’m better than oxygen.” Jack grinned, releasing me.
“You just keep on thinking that,” I laughed. “And don’t you ever, ever say things about me on stage again!” I whined, slapping his chest.
“John started it,” I rolled my eyes.
“Well I can’t go slap John, now can I?” His eyes lit up as if he had just thought of a brilliant idea.
“Sure you can,”
“I’m not going on stage and slapping him while he’s playing! Let alone going on stage at all! Nobody is going to go slap him.” I said, trying my hardest not to smile.
Jack nodded slowly and we stood there for a moment when Jack suddenly took off towards the stage.
“Jack!” I chased him until I reached the point where if I went any further, people would see me. Jack was already on the stage and one by one, the instruments stopped playing. Jack marched right up to John and smacked him and into the microphone said, “I did that for Mackenzie!” And ran off again, leaving the crowd laughing.
Meanwhile, John looked over at me, confusion written all over his face. I shrugged at him and laughed before going over to Jack who was smiling angelically.
“You’re welcome!” Jack chirped.
I sighed, trying to muster up some anger. “You know, you’re impossible to be mad at.”
“Because I’m so beautiful?”
“No, that’s not it,” I pretended to check him out. “That’s definitely not it,” I teased, making him pout again.
“So, what did you think?” Rian asked.
“You guys were really good,” They all smiled.
“I have to pee!” Jack screamed randomly, running off. We all laughed and shook our heads.
“What is with him?” I asked.
“He’s Jack,” They all said simply.
“Hey, we’ll meet you guys at the merch tent,” Rian said, tugging Alex along.
“Wait!” I yelled after them.
“What?”
“Can I have my baby?” I pointed to Jason who was giggling up at us in Alex’s arms.
“Oh, right, I forgot.” He said, handing him to me. “Try to make Zack hold him,” Alex whispered in my ear.
I nodded and went back to Zack who was laughing.
“What?” I asked.
He shook his head, calming himself down. “Nothing,” I rolled my eyes and adjusted Jason in my arms until he looked comfortable enough. “Hey, where did you used to live?” Zack asked, looking at me.
“San Francisco.” I answered. He nodded.
“Why were you in Colorado… That night?” He hesitated to bring up the past.
“I was vacationing by myself, trying to forget Adam.” I explained. “Plus, I always wanted to go there,” I added.
“Oh,” I nodded.
Jason reached out to Zack and he looked uneasily at his son. “He won’t kill you, Zack. You can touch him,”
“I know,” Zack tried to fake courage, but failed. “I’m not good with kids.”
“You’re going to have to be,” I mumbled under my breath.
“I know,” He whispered. My head snapped up, I didn’t want him to hear that. Before I could respond with an apology, he shook his head. “I’ll meet you back on the bus, unless you want to bring Jason out to the merch table?”
I shook my head. “I’ll just meet you at the bus later.” He nodded and walked off. I had decided to try my best not to let the press find out Zack had a child. It could possibly ruin his reputation, and I didn’t want that. I would just sit alone, in the background of everything, unnoticed.