She's With The Band

“So tell me boys, ever been on tour with a chick before?”

“Yeah. Rian’s girlfriend Kara comes sometimes and my girlfriend Lisa does, too.”

“Ooh, Alex got a girly!” she teased, poking at his arm. She didn’t look disappointed at all, much to Alex’s own chagrin.

“For the last four freaking years!” Jack muttered. A hint of envy stung his words, “I’ve gotten sick of them relentlessly humping in the trunk…”

Imelda burst out laughing and once again tipped backwards to lie on the ground. Alex joined her.

“So what about you?” he asked, “With James Charles whatever Deveraux?”

Imelda giggled and blushed a little. “Nah. We’ve been best friends forever and we tried dating last year. It was fun, but it went too fast and things got heated and we had to end it for the sake of our friendship.”

Jack rolled his eyes. “How old are you?”

“Sixteen. I’ll be seventeen in October. You?”Imelda smirked inwardly. Because of her obsessive-compulsive fan girl researching, she knew everything about the band, including their ages.

“Turned eighteen a few weeks ago,” Jack replied with a nod.

“Nineteen in December,” Alex sighed. “Hot and heavy, you say? Yeah, that’s about the time when I lost mine.”

Imelda giggled again and blushed deeper. “No, not that heavy. I’m a virgin. We just… did other things too fast. We were both lonely and decided that having a best friend for a rebound would be easiest.”

Jack shifted uncomfortably. “And you broke up?”

She nodded. “A year ago last week, actually. It’s not awkward at all though. We’re just such great friends that it never affected us.”

“You’re lucky,” Jack grumbled before getting up to sit in the van.

Alex and Imelda watched as he stalked away. She turned to him. “Did I say something?”

“No,” Alex shook his head, “He’s really sensitive because he had a relationship like yours and James’ but he lost everything. He hasn’t spoken to her in months. It’s been easier while he’s on tour, but he hasn’t let himself move on yet.”

Imelda nodded absently and looked away, feeling guilty for making Jack upset.

“Don’t feel bad,” Alex murmured, brushing a lock of her hair away from her dark eyes, “These are beautiful.”

Imelda looked back and a dark pink tinge fell across her face.

“We’re lucky to have such a gorgeous merch girl. But I’d watch out- girl-starved boy bands can get very rowdy around pretty ladies like you,” Alex warned, standing up and saluting her before stepping into the van next to Jack. Imelda carefully followed him, and to her relief, Jack smiled welcomingly at her.

“Back row, Mel,” Matt ordered, “You’re sharing with someone. Pick.”

Imelda’s breath caught in her throat and she glanced around the van at the eager faces. Jack, however, was looking down at his phone and anxiously checking his MySpace. Alex pointed at himself and gave her thumbs up.

“Ok,” she laughed, “Alex!”

“YES!” he cheered himself like a champion. Imelda smirked and scooted toward the left side of the bus. “The back row is the best cause the windows work. Trust me, it’ll start to smell really fucking bad,” he explained, popping in the earphones of his iPod in. Imelda and the rest of the bus followed suit.

Imelda grinned excitedly out the window, ignorant to Alex and Jack’s affectionate stares. She mouthed along with Spotlight by Mutemath until she passed out against her pillow pressed against the window.

When Alex woke up a few hours later, Imelda’s white blonde head was leaning on his bony shoulder. He smiled and pushed her head down into his lap so she could sleep more comfortably. He glanced at her iPod and saw Supermassive Black Hole by Muse flashing across the screen. He patted her head softly and chuckled when he noticed a small quote tattooed on the back of her neck.

“Jack!” he whispered, poking at the back of his banana-striped head, “JACK!” he urged. He stirred and glared back at his best friend.

Alex tilted Imelda’s head just enough for him to see “So Wrong it’s ILQ” printed below her hair. Jack grinned and pretended to grab something and thrust into it. Alex shook with laughter and Imelda’s eyes popped open. She shot up from Alex’s lap.

“Sorry,” she murmured, smoothing her hair down.

“It’s cool. It was cute,” Alex replied, “We were just admiring your ink.” He gestured to her neck.

“Oh,” she laughed, “Yeah, my mom thinks it’s henna. Woops.”

“ILQ?” Rian asked, “What’s it stand for?”

“Imelda Louise Quinton.”

“Are you British?” Jack asked.

“No. Are you Saudi Arabian?” Imelda asked with a roll of her eyes.

“SAUDI!” Jack squealed, his earbuds popping out.

“Whatcha listening to?” Imelda asked, snatching at his iPod.“She’s My Winona by Fall Out Boy. Excellent choice. Folie a Deux is one of my favorite albums right now.”

“What other kind of music do you listen to?” Nano asked, propping his chin on the back of his seat a few rows ahead.

“A lot of Paramore. Lots and lots and lots. I’ve been to… nine shows? Never met them though. I have the worst luck with that kind of thing.”

“I LOVE PARAMORE!” Jack screamed. Imelda grinned and pounded his fist. “Favorite song?”

“Mine is either When it Rains or Decoy. Yours?”

“For a Pessimist. But I like Decode, too. What is Decoy?” Jack frowned. Alex rolled his eyes and slid his red beanie over his eyes. He really did not want to talk about Paramore or anything relating to Hayley Williams. He jacked up the volume on That’s What She Said by the Friday Night Boys.

“Decoy’s one of the extra tracks from the Hot Topic version of Riot!” Imelda answered, bobbing her head back and forth. Jack spun around fully in his seat and they traded iPods, comparing their music tastes.

“Ew! Jonas Brothers!” Jack cried.

“Oh God, Metallica!”

“What the fuck is this? Lady fucking GaGa!?”

“Jack, you have no AC/DC! At all!” Imelda groaned, handing his beat up old iPod Nano back to him. He gave her back her scratched iPod Touch and rolled his eyes.

“The only worthwhile AC/DC song is Back in Black and I have that. The rest is classic rock shit.”

Imelda opened her mouth to argue, but shut it immediately. “I can’t even get into this with you.”

Imelda and Jack exchanged a goofy look. “THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID!” they hollered in unison.

Matt rolled his eyes. Match made in fucking heaven, he thought.