Denial Used to Feel So Good

"Good afternoon." Bill smiled brightly at me as I rolled onto my side and cracked open my eyes. He was sitting next to me in the bunk reading. No, we had not had sex. Earlier, I had asked him if I could spend the day on their bus and I asked him to sit with me. I guess I fell asleep.

"Hey." I mumbled groggily, rubbing my eyes and yawning.

"How're you feeling?" he asked cautiously, marking his page and closing his book. His full attention now on me.

"Oh...uh...I'm not sure." I admitted with a frown, "Are we moving?" I changed the subject after a small silence.

"Oh, yeah. We left McDonalds about an hour and a half ago. So don't worry, we've still got a lot of time left on the road." He chuckled. I smiled politely and Bill caught on to my mood.

"...Do you want to talk about it?" He wondered uncomfortably. I smiled genuinely this time and moved closer to him.

"I'd rather just forget about it." I smirked against his lips. It didn't take long for him to catch on and his lips pressed to mine excitedly.

Gabe watched Kyle longingly as Bill led her up the bus stairs. That was bad. Kyle was really upset. At Gabe. Was it because of last night? Snapping out of his thoughts as the bus door slammed shut, Gabe was thrown into a different state of mind.

What the hell had Colin said to her? Gabe needed to know what made her so angry. He needed to kick Colin's ass. Gabe looked around the parking lot, searching for Colin.

"Gabe, man!" Alex's voice hit Gabe's ears at an unbelievably loud decibel count, "Oops sorry." Suarez laughed as Gabe glared at him, "Hangover's a bitch, huh?"

"Where's Colin?" Gabe asked.

"Disappeared right after Kyle slapped him. That shit was crazy..." Alex shook his head with a shrug, "I don't know where he went though. Why?"

Gabe ignored the question and pushed past his friend, towards the van.

"Gabe!" Alex called after him, "What are you going to do?" Gabe shook his head a second time and threw open the van door.

"Colin." He growled, his gaze fixated on the dark outline of a person sitting in the back seat, "Get out."

"Go away." Colin mumbled, not even looking at Gabe.

"I said," Gabe emphasized, grabbing Colin by the front of his shirt and jerking him forward, out of the car, "Get out."

"What the hell?!" Colin protested, stumbling to regain his balance.

"What did you say to her?!"

"Who? What are you-?"

"Kyle! What did you say to her?!"

"Oh, shut up." Colin rolled his eyes, "You don't give a fuck."

"What did you tell her?!" Gabe demanded again, his fists clenching.

"It's none of your business! Nothing to do with Kyle is your business!" Colin finally shouted back.

"It sure as hell is my business!"

"And what makes you think so?!" Colin challenged, "You've done nothing but fuck shit up for her since we started this tour!"

"That is not true!" Gabe snarled defensively.

"Oh, I'm sorry; you have succeeded in brainwashing her! She actually thinks you might be worth something! But you and I both know better, don't we?" Colin sneered maliciously glaring at Gabe.

It was a reflex, what happened next...at least that's what Gabe would claim if anyone asked. It slipped. 'It' being his fist. Yes, his fist may or may not have collided with Colin's jaw.

"What the fuck?!" Colin screeched, staggering backwards in astonishment.

"You don't know shit about me! And you don't know shit about her!" Gabe hissed, "Whatever you said to get her to hate me-fix it!"

"No." Colin sneered, gathering his composure and shaking off the pain, "I won't fix it. You don't deserve her! All you're going to do is hurt her!"

Gabe stepped forward and, once again, seized Colin's shirt, "Fix it." Gabe spat, "Fix it, now." He finished, throwing Colin onto the cold pavement of the McDonald's parking lot, before storming to The Academy Is...bus.

"Kyle?!" Gabe called, looking around the seemingly empty bus and making his way towards the back to the bunks.

"Shh!" William emerged from a bunk and narrowed his eyes at Gabe, "Would you shut up? She's asleep."

"I have to talk to her." Gabe tried to maneuver his way around William, but Bill stood his ground.

"I said she's asleep." Bill said harshly, "You can't talk to her now."

Gabe and Bill both stood their ground, scowling at each other.

"Fine." Gabe shrugged nonchalantly, "I'll stay here and wait until she gets up." Bill shook his head vigorously.

"Ride your own bus." Bill suggested bitterly, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow as he waited for Gabe's response. Lucky for Gabe, Michael chose that moment to join them.

"Hey guys, what's up?" He asked suspiciously, staring at his two friends.

"Oh, hey, do you have room on your bus for plus one?" Gabe asked.

"Of course. We've got plenty of room." Michael nodded, making himself comfortable in the front lounge area.

"Great." Gabe smirked turning back to Bill and chuckling at his livid expression.

"Whatever." Bill scoffed, spinning around and heading for the bunk he emerged from. Gabe was about to sit with Michael on the couch but couldn't help to ask.

"Where are you goin?"

Bill glanced at him with a grin, "To the bunks. Kyle wanted me to sit with her." Before Gabe could say another word, Bill was gone. Leaving Gabe to sulk over to the couch. William had won this round.