She's With The Band

Needless to say, when Imelda reluctantly left Mae, Jack, Darla and the rest of the gang together to prepare for a chill morning before playing later, things were… awkward.

Jack retreated back to the van to join the rest of the group. He found Gabe rubbing his face anxiously and kicking his Nike Dunk-clad foot against the bumper. Alex and Rian stood with him, whispering words of encouragement. Zack was absent from the area and Mae and Darla were standing talking with the crew.

Jack, recalling the look on Imelda’s face when he had his last encounter with Darla, stepped away from them and hopped toward the empty picnic table and threw himself onto it dramatically. His eyes slipped closed from the pressure of the sun’s rays on his lids. When he felt a pair of small hands press against his chest, he smiled and pulled the hands’ owner closer. When he heard a sharp, annoying giggle, his eyes snapped open and he stared up at Darla.

“Uhm…. Hellooo?” he laughed nervously, releasing her and sitting up.

“Ciao, bello. Where’s your wifey?” she wondered, gazing around the area and smirking when she didn’t find Imelda. Jack shifted uncomfortably.

“Imelda went to get her friends from the gates.”

“Ah. She’s very protective, isn’t she? Hasn’t she gotten any yet?” Darla asked curiously with a rather unattractive smirk on her face. Jack’s goofy smile dropped and he stood up, shaking out his tangled hair.

“I’m gonna go find…. Uhm… bye,” he muttered and immediately rushed away from the van in pursuit of Imelda.

On the way, he accidentally bumped into an enormous, muscular jock-looking guy in a green Boys Like Girls t-shirt.

“Sorry, dude…” he murmured, avoiding eye contact with this guy who could’ve easily tossed him across a football field or two.

“Hey, Jack!” the guy laughed. Jack looked up and noticed the guy was James Deveraux. They exchanged a short man-hug and Jack grinned.

“Where’s Mellon?”

“Right over there. She’s introducing people to Hayley and Cassadee. Cool girls,” James told him, pointing over to the half set up Paramore tent.

Jack and James walked over to the large group of Imelda’s friends and family.

“Jaaaaack!” someone wailed, slamming directly into his chest and nearly hugging the life out of him.

“Uhm, hi Ms. Quinton!” Jack laughed nervously and patted the woman’s shoulder. She pulled off of him and shot him a smile much like Imelda’s with the addition of smile lines around her light caramel eyes.

“Jack, it’s so wonderful to meet you!” she squealed. Imelda dragged her off of him and replaced her in his grip. Jack smiled and kissed her cheek. Another girl, this one in James’ arms, added in a compliment.

“Jack! It’s a pleasure. You’re so talented!” she commented, pulling out of the clutches of her boyfriend and gave Jack a short, friendly hug.

“Thanks. You’re Tabitha?”

The girl nodded and her choppy light brown hair bounced around her shoulders. She reached up on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on James’ lips. He smiled proudly and introduced Frankie and Drew. The group headed back to the van and trailer so the boys could get ready for the set.

“Imelda, you two are so cute!” Tabitha cooed and linked her arm with Imelda’s. They giggled and began work on the merch booth. Mae and Darla joined them, storing extra shirts and pinning up the posters and banners.

Imelda couldn’t help but glance at the scene over by the van. Mae placed a hand on her arm.

“You really like him, huh?” she whispered. Imelda froze and nodded slowly. Mae smiled and went back to talking with Darla.

The truth was, Imelda wasn’t watching Jack. She was watching her mother. She was searching for Gabe and making sure he didn’t accidentally show up at the wrong time.

She continued to chat mindlessly with Mae, Darla and Tabitha while the boys set up for later and hung out with some other friends.

Suddenly, Imelda felt a hand on her back and she whirled around.

“Jac-“ she froze and cut herself off when she saw Paul DiGiovanni standing behind her with a wide smirk.

“What can I do for you, Paul?” she asked coldly. Tabitha’s eyes widened at the sight of him and went to speak but Mae clapped a hand over her mouth and nudged her backwards without taking her eyes off the unfolding scene.

Paul laughed. “I can think of a few things.”

Imelda rolled her eyes and turned back to folding the merch Matt carelessly chucked at them. Mae shepherded Darla and Tabitha to the stage to help. Paul took this as an opportunity to cop a cheap feel.

Imelda slapped his hands away from her nearly nonexistent ass and glared at him.

“What the fuck give you the right, you stupid twat?!” she growled.

Paul shrugged. “I see no boyfriend…”

“Well, look harder, dipshit. He’s standing right over there!” she threw a finger toward the Hurley stage where Jack was pretending to hump the mike stand and Darla was laughing hysterically, causing her boobs to jiggle uncontrollably, but she’d deal with that later.

“He’s otherwise occupied right now. He’s hangin’ out with the dyke and a half,” Paul chuckled. Imelda whipped around and nailed Paul right in the eye. He whimpered and fell to his knees.

Imelda sunk with him and grabbed the back of his hair, forcing his eyes up to look straight into hers. “Don’t fucking say that about anyone ever again,” she ordered calmly before slamming his head back into the wooden booth and storming away.

“Chica? Where you going?” Gabe called from his booth. Imelda sighed and slumped over to him.

“Hola papa…” she cooed, burying her face in his worn purple hoodie.

“Esta todo bien?” he murmured, kissing her hair tenderly.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just chilling with Mae, Darla and Tabs and they allowed me to get fucking raped by Paul DiDouchebag.”

“Raped… meaning?” Gabe asked, raising a suspicious eyebrow.

“Meaning he grabbed my ass and then I kicked his,” Imelda clarified.

Gabe nodded. “Buena chica.”

Imelda giggled and picked at her rag-like Midtown t-shirt. Gabe gave her a half-smile and flicked at the torn, old sleeve.

“I remember when I got you this. I came back from tour and you nearly strangled me when I stepped in the door,” he recalled fondly.

“Well, I missed you. A girl can only have one father, and one daddy. You were always my daddy. My father didn’t mean shit to me if you were there. And you were always there,” Imelda sighed.

Gabe looked up at her from the ragged shirt and bit his lower lip. “I’ll never forgive myself for leaving you, angel.”

“I don’t blame you. I would’ve left, too. She meant the world to you, papa. You needed to move on.”

Gabe nodded, even though he knew he never moved on from Imelda’s mother’s crushing denial.

“Mellon! Mellllllll!” Jack called. Imelda got up to leave for the stage but not before hugging her daddy goodbye.

He watched as she embraced her new boyfriend and her eyes sparkled mischievously when she tugged him behind the We the Kings trailer. Gabe rolled his eyes and shook his head. He had missed way too much.