Reckless

“Fuck, I’m so hungover!”

Joey groaned and held her head tightly. Zoey nodded in agreement.

“You can say that again.”

Tobin tossed the final bag into the back of the van and Jerry shut the door, dusting his hands off.

“Ready to go?” Jerry asked.

Joey frowned and rubbed her backside, “I guess.”

“What’s wrong with your ass?” Dave asked, poking his head out of the passenger side of the van.

“Nothing,” Joey said quickly, not willing to tell the guys about what had happened last night.

The previous night, possibly early morning, Joey and Zoey had gone out to get wasted one last time before the boys left for tour. Well, if you called riding to and from venues in a rusty van touring.

On their little venture without the guys, a very drunk Joey and Zoey thought it would be a good idea to get tattoos. Neither could remember what they got, obviously, and weren’t ready to take off the bandages and find out just yet either.

Joey felt so stupid. Her and her antics got her into so much trouble sometimes.

Jacoby was starting to rub off on her.

Joey’s face scrunched in confusion. Weird mental images…

“You okay?”

Speak of the devil.

“I’m fine,” Joey said, forcing a smile. Jacoby looked unconvinced.

Zoey’s mouth twitched and Joey’s head shot over to her.

“What’s so funny?”

“Oh, nothing.”

“You were smiling.”

“No I wasn’t.”

Joey narrowed her eyes, not caring to deal with her sister’s shit right now. She sighed dramatically and put her head on Jacoby’s shoulder. He was almost the perfect height for her to do so.

Jacoby smiled down at her, “May I help you, Miss Joey?”

Joey hid her smile, “Nope.”

Zoey nudged Tobin and gestured to her twin and Jacoby. Tobin furrowed his brows, not understanding. Zoey made kissing faces and thrusting motions, waiting for Tobin to catch on. Jerry shook his head and walked around to the driver’s side of the van to get in.

“I don’t even want to know,” he stated.

Dave pushed himself as far out of the window as he could to see, “I do!”

Joey put her head back up, giving Jacoby a smile before chuckling, “You’re such a freak.”

“You love me!” Dave called back.

“Only because you always bring food!”

Jacoby laughed to himself and followed Joey into the middle section of the van, crowding her against the window. Joey didn’t find it nearly as amusing.

“There’s the rest of the entire seat left. Must you sit so close to me?”

Jacoby feigned hurt and put a hand over his heart, “I thought you loved sitting by me?”

Joey shrugged, ignoring the pang of guilt when real hurt flashed for a split second across Jacoby’s face. He recovered quickly, but she already saw it.

She sighed and put a hand on Jacoby’s knee, “I do love sitting by you.”

Jacoby grinned, happy with her answer, “Good.”

Zoey and Tobin piled in, Tobin leading the way and sitting strangely close to Jacoby. Joey then realized that Jacoby had sat so close to her because he was making room for Zoey and Tobin. Still, she thought, they don’t need that much room. They’ll just cuddle most of the way anyway.

“Ready to go?” Jerry asked, turning around in the driver’s seat to glance at the four in the back.

Jacoby and Zoey nodded enthusiastically, while Tobin and Joey just shrugged. Jerry took a deep breath and shared a look with Dave before starting the van and pulling off the curb, heading down the street.

“Here we go.”

------------------------------------------

It wasn’t even an hour into the ride, and already Joey was hating it. She was crushed against the window, her face pressing against it with every turn. She scowled, showing her visible discomfort. There was also nothing to listen to, since the CDs were in the back somewhere and no one felt like getting them. It was mid morning, way too early for Joey’s taste, and she felt tired.

Tobin and Zoey had already fallen asleep, as had Dave in the front seat. His light snores were slightly distracting, and the only thing keeping Joey from falling asleep herself.

“Tired?” Jacoby asked softly, his light green eyes scanning over Joey’s face.

She looked away, not being able to stand looking at him. His eyes were her one weakness, though she would never tell anyone that.

Joey gazed out of the slightly smeared window instead, “A little.”

“Bet you can’t sleep with tubby up there snoring, huh?” he asked, gesturing to Dave.

Joey ignored the shiver than ran up her spine when he spoke. His voice was so soft, so gentle, yet retaining it’s playfulness. Usually when Jacoby spoke, his voice was loud and forceful. It was uncommon for him to speak the way he was. Joey thought he should more often.

She smiled slightly, her usual sarcasm gone without Jacoby’s teasing to fuel it, “Kind of.”

Jacoby put an arm around her shoulders, gently pulling her in the direction of his shoulder. Her favorite place to rest her head. She wondered if he knew that.

He rested his head on top of hers, “Want me to sing you something?”

Joey bit her lip, finding Jacoby’s behavior strange. In the year she had known him, he had never acted this way towards her. Sure, they got along, but he would always tease, playfully flirt, just be Jacoby. She wasn’t used to this…gentle side of him.

She’d be lying if she said she didn’t like it, though.

“I wouldn’t want to trouble you-”

“It’s not a problem at all, Joe.”

She could count on one hand the times that he had called her Joe. One of them being the time she was in the hospital with a broken ankle, and another when he was saving her from a creepy guy hitting on her at the bar. She had always associated it with him being worried and caring, which he genuinely was, though he hardly ever showed it to Joey. It was rare.

So why would he show it now?

“Still. It’s okay. You need to save your voice.”

He chuckled, “We have six hours before we even get to the first venue. I don’t sing until tomorrow. One little song for you isn’t going to hurt me.”

She sighed, defeated, “Fine.”

Joey could feel Jacoby’s face twitch against her hair, meaning he was probably smiling. She had never realized before how good he actually smelled, once you got up close…

“We both lie silently still
In the dead of the night
Although we both lie close together
We feel miles apart inside”

Joey smiled. She loved this song.

She hummed along quietly with Jacoby, who was singing so low only Joey could hear him properly.

“Was it something I said or something I did?
Did my words not come out right?
Though I tried not to hurt you, though I tried
But I guess that’s why they say-

Every rose has its thorn
Just like every night has its dawn
Just like every cowboy sings a sad, sad song
Every rose has its thorn”

His voice, like a sweet lullaby, floated through Joey’s ears as she openly smiled. She always tried not to show her emotions, hiding them under her sarcastic and bitchy exterior. Her lack of sleep and headache, combined with Jacoby’s soft, soothing vocals in her ear was enough to make her break out and actually relax. Her body molded into his as she fell into a comfortable sleep, nothing in her mind but Jacoby and Poison.

She hadn’t felt this way for months.

She missed this.