I Swear I Love You

Third Person POV

“My God, what the fuck has happened to you lot?" Jason asked as the five members of the band trudged in, the last to walk in supporting an equally miserable looking female on his side. “You look like you’ve been at war or something.”

“Not the war, just a bar,” Jess answered in a cheery tone. Due to what happened last time Jess decided to stick to the orange juice last night while the others happily drank themselves to oblivion. Brian initially wasn’t on the same page as the other four, but as soon as Jess left Jimmy to ‘look after’ him he soon found them. Of course, this was now their punishment. “Hangovers; gotta love ‘em.”

“Only if you’re not the one with it,” he pointed out.

“True,” she relented, jumping down from the stage and sitting down cross-legged in what would be crammed with people tomorrow night. “But I don’t have one, so I’m fine with loving them right now.”

“I’m sure Jason isn’t ‘loving’ it right now,” his brother, Matt, remarked as he slid off the stage and sat down beside her. “Do you know how hard it is to convince these guys to perform a sound check that will no doubt just make them feel worse?”

Diverting her gaze back to the stage she watched as Jason had to basically plead with Johnny just to even attempt to pluck one of his bass strings all the while trying to haul Jimmy back to an upright position after he had slumped over his drums. Brian and Matt had basically fallen asleep on each other on one of their ego risers and the last of the quintet, Zacky, somehow managed to fall off the stage after he had picked up his guitar and clearly struggled to stay balanced with the addition of the weight. He was fine when they ran over to see if he was okay though; in fact, it seemed to help wake him up a bit.

“Holy shit!” Zacky grimaced as he probed the back of his head where it hit the ground, glancing up at the stage he had just fallen from. “That’s so a safety hazard.”

“You’re the safety hazard Zacky,” Jess chuckled as she picked up his guitar off the ground as Matt did the same for him, steadying the guitarist on his feet. “At least you gave the others a wakeup call.”

An odd wakeup call indeed, but clearly one that rattled the others from their hangovers as they all jolted back to reality. They were in no way cured of their drunken punishment, but it managed to keep them awake enough to trudge through sound check. Sure it took them a lot longer- a hell of a lot longer- but they finally managed it.

--

“I am so glad the show isn’t until tomorrow,” Brian groaned, his head resting against the foot of Matt and Val’s bed. They had all crashed in their hotel room for the evening after the mutual decision that renting a movie was probably better than another night out- especially considering they couldn’t risk a hangover during the show. After, sure, but not during.

“Well at least you’re not Johnny,” Jason quipped, offering one of the many large popcorn bowls to Jess.

“Why’s that?” She asked, picking a few of the pieces from the bowl after he placed it on her lap. Jess gestured for Brian next to her to take some but he refused; probably because just the thought of eating the buttered corn was making his stomach flip on itself.

“Why?” Jason laughed. “Unlike the others, he’s still drunk.”

Johnny had passed out about two minutes after we had walked into the room, except over the course of the film someone had been kind enough to put one of the popcorn bowls over his head. From the popcorn scattered around him, Jess didn’t think it had been empty either.

Jess had to ask; “Who put the bowl on his head?”

The guys around me shrugged, but one person giggled. A female giggle.

She turned and propped herself up on the edge of the bed to look at her. “Val?”

She tried to hide her giggles behind her closed fist. “Yes?”

“Did you put a popcorn bowl on Johnny’s head?”

“Are you accusing me of doing it?”

Jess frowned. “Well… yeah.”

“Oh.” Her hand dropped to her lap. “Yup, I did.”

“Why?”

She shrugged. “I felt like it?”

“You felt like putting a bowl on your friend’s head?”

“It seemed like a good idea at the time,” she replied. Leaning over the side of the bed she plucked the bowl from his head and placed it on the side before looking at Jess expectantly. “Happy now?”

Jess glanced over at the unconscious Mohican and saw the lazy grin he had plastered across his face. Whatever he was dreaming about, clearly he was enjoying it. “Don’t do that…” His grin grew in the wake of his sleep talking. “Lacey…”

With a quick shake of her head she reached over and grabbed the bowl back and replaced it over his head. He didn’t stir in the slightest, but at least it silenced his talking. “I think it’s best where it was. I don’t want to hear what he’s dreaming about.”

“Probably about a good time with this Lacey girl no doubt,” Matt chuckled.

“Lacey?” Matt Berry repeated, turning to the tattooed singer on the bed behind him. “Who’s that?”

He shrugged. “Some chick Christ is seeing. She’s alright.”

“You’ve met her?”

“Yeah, once,” Matt said. “She came to Jess’ party in the summer.” He glanced down at Johnny. “Way too pretty for this ugly motherfucker.”

Jimmy laughed. “She was that chick in the morning right?” His gaze followed Matt’s to the young bassist. “I agree.”

“That’s mean,” Jess interjected. “What happened to being friends?”

Matt merely raised an eyebrow at her as he lifted the bowl off Johnny’s head once again. “Would you really want to go out with this?”

“Erm…” If Jess had to admit it, Johnny certainly was not wearing his pretty mask today. From where Val had put the popcorn bowl on his head pieces of it had got stuck across his face and in his hair, and considering he was still drunk, the grin on his face was creepier than anything.

“See?” Matt said triumphantly, replacing the makeshift helmet. “Jess agrees with me.”

“Hey!” She protested. “I did no such thing!”

Jimmy simply laughed and patted her consolingly on the leg. “We all heard it Jess. There’s no need to deny it.”

“Says the man who fell asleep on his drum kit this morning,” she teased, this time laughing as he scowled.

“I just didn’t get a lot of sleep last night!”

“You drank too much beer last night, that’s the real reason.”

Jimmy simply stuck his tongue out at her, expressing his defiance through silence.

It was only when the room suddenly dimmed that Jess turned back to the television screen to see the credits rolling, the film no longer providing a source of light in the wake of the black screen and white words. “What’s the time?”

Strangely the answer came from the unconscious bassist in the room. “Why don’t we go to bed?”

They all laughed at his words, but Jess’ happy peals were cut off with a large yawn, to which Jimmy said; “You know, I think Christ has the right idea.” He stood up and stretched his arms out above his head. “I’m spent.”

“I think our duelling guitarists are as well,” Val remarked, smiling at Brian and Zacky who had fallen asleep on each other before yawning loudly herself. “It seems to be past their bedtime.”

“That counts for you too,” Matt said, kissing her lovingly on the forehead. He then turned to the rest of the group. “Come on; everyone out. You fuckers have your own rooms after all.”

“But what will we do about them?” Jess asked, gesturing to the sleeping bodies of Johnny, Zacky and Brian. “I don’t think they’ll be waking up any time soon.”

The Berry brothers simply grinned. “Leave that to us.” The pair of them each picked up a guitarist, supporting their weight over their shoulders in a fireman’s lift. “You get Christ, Jim.”

His gaze wearily went to the bassist, before reluctantly doing what they asked.

Jason simply laughed at his clearly unwilling movements. “Ah, come on. We left you the little one.”

“He could shift some of the weight though,” Jimmy grumbled after hauling him onto his shoulder. “Come on Jess; let’s get going.”

Jess straightened to his side. “Are you alright carrying Johnny like that?”

His gaze slid sideways to hers. “Are you offering to take him off my hands?”

“I can’t carry him.”

He looked back at the Berries. “She thinks he needs to lose the weight too.”

“I did not say that!”

A trio of laughs sounded, followed shortly by Matt’s second call. “Hey! Take your insults outside! Couple wants to sleep in here!”

“We’re going!” Jimmy replied. “Keep your pants on.” The four of them- plus the three unconscious males- trooped to the door, with Jimmy hanging back to add a last comment before shutting the door behind him. “At least until we get outside.”

Jess looked at the Berry brothers after shaking her head at Jimmy in disapproval from his last comment, despite being unable to resist a chuckle or two. “Are you alright with getting them into their room?”

Jason nodded. “Yeah, don’t worry about that. We’ve been with these guys for years and we’ve certainly had to do this more than once. We’re masters at our craft, miss.”

“I’m sure. Do you have their room key?”

He glanced at his brother who simply shrugged. “Uhh…”

“Masters of your craft, huh?” She laughed before walking over to the pair of them, reaching into Brian’s pants pocket and pulling out the key. “Wouldn’t have been fun if you couldn’t find it, now would it?”

Jason took it and tossed it to his brother. “Cheers Jess.”

“Any time.”

They began to walk off down the hallway, calling back, “Wake up call is at 8, so be prepared!”

“Eight?!” Jimmy’s expression was painful. “Why so early?”

Matt turned back to him, almost knocking over a vase standing on a table to the side with Zacky’s leg as he circled. “Because a big boy like you needs his breakfast!”

Jason laughed, yelling, “That’s not the good kind of big either!”

Jimmy’s mood darkened. “Hey! Fu-”

“Jimmy!”

He turned to Jess. “What?”

“Don’t talk like that here! People are trying to sleep! They might hear you!”

“But-!”

“If you want to say something, go up to them and say it.”

Jimmy pouted. “There’s no point now.” He readjusted the bassist on his shoulder as he resumed a walking pace. “Come on. I don’t want to be touching his ass for longer than I have to.”

“Well we better hurry, then shouldn’t we?” Jess stated, skipping ahead of Jimmy in order to reach their room first and open the door for him. She was already waiting by the single bed tucked away in a separate section away from the main room as he trooped inside, slipping into a maternal role as she tucked Johnny in. Jimmy half expected her to kiss him goodnight on the forehead.

“Can I borrow your hoodie?”

Jimmy snapped out of his thoughts and looked at her, his gaze dropping seconds after to the black material in her hands. “Why?”

“I forgot to bring anything warmer off the bus and I don’t want to just sleep in my vest and shorts.”

“Oh.” He shrugged. “Knock yourself out.”

“Thanks!”

By the time she had emerged from the bathroom in a pair of black shorts, purple vest and Jimmy’s Metallica hoodie unzipped against her torso he had already settled onto the couch in the room. Due to his height his feet weren’t actually on it- instead they were hanging over the side. Johnny was of course snoring happily in the single bed.

Jess looked at him oddly. “Are you seriously going to sleep like that?”

He sat up, his legs still hanging off the edge. “Well yeah. There isn’t anywhere else.”

“Yes there is,” she replied, her confusion growing.

“I’m not sleeping on the floor.”

“You don’t have to.” She walked to the larger bed in the main part of the room, opposite the couch Jimmy was sitting on and fell back on it. “There is enough space for the two of us you know. I’m not that fat.”

“Fat?” Jimmy snorted. “There’s nothing to you.”

“I could probably lose a few pounds though,” Jess mused, examining the backs of her legs. “I think I’ve put on weight since being on this tour-”

“Don’t be stupid,” Jimmy said briskly. “You can’t use the word fat until you can’t fit through the door. Then I’ll believe you.”

“You call Johnny fat.”

“Eh, but that’s him, he’s an exception,” Jimmy replied casually.

“I’m sure.” She crawled to the back of the bed and sunk her legs under the covers. “Are you coming?”

He looked doubtfully at the bed for a few moments before shaking his head slowly. “No… I’m fine here. It’s alright. You take the bed.”

She simply sighed in response to his refusal before kicking back the covers and walking over to the couch. “Come on.” She tugged on his hand. “You have a show tomorrow and I don’t want you sleeping on there and throwing your back out.” She tugged again. “I won’t stop until you agree.”

He rolled his eyes to hers. “I’m not saying you would.” He shook his head as she tugged again. “You’re not going to let this drop, are you?”

She shook her own head.

“Fine.” Finally submitting he allowed her to pull him to his feet, a slightly faked reluctance embracing his movements as they moved to the bed. They parted to the different sides and clambered in, both laying in opposite directions, their backs to each other.

“Good night Jimmy.”

He smiled softly. “Night Jess.”