Baby, You're So Gone.

"Ha!" I exclaimed as I grabbed the chips off the center of the table and slid them to me. "I win, again."

"Dude, she's cleaning me out." muttered Eric, sighing.

I grinned even wider and winked at them all. "I told you I kick ass at poker." I said to Nick.

He rolled his eyes. "I didn't believe you."

"Next time you should." I shot back.

His brown eyes met mine and I felt a shiver run through me. "I will."

"Alright, love birds, are you up for some Halo?" Andrew got up from his seat, taking a last sip of his beer.

At the same time that I said, "Halo?" Nick said, "Love birds?"

I looked over at Nick, my eyebrows raising. He coughed and opened his mouth to say something when Eric interrupted.

"YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT HALO IS?!" he shouted, his voice vibrating throughout the tour bus.

We had been in the makeshift living room, playing poker on the table. I had only agreed to come inside because it had started pouring, and I knew I couldn't make it home without getting a cold. So I came inside, and dominated in a game of poker, saying that I would be out as soon as the storm passed.

I looked up at Eric, my blue eyes widening at his outburst. "... Should I?" I managed to blurt out after a long, deafening silence.

"Hell yeah, you should!" he shot back.

I rolled my eyes and then checked my cell phone for the time. It was eleven thirty, but hey, a video game--that's what I assumed it was--couldn't take too long, could it?

"Eric, s-she has to go, she can't stick around to play." did Nick just stutter?

I shrugged it off. "I can stay; don't worry about it."

"Alright, let's go play halo!" Nick exclaimed, getting up out of his seat and walking to the back room where there was a sofa, a good TV and an Xbox.

Eric grabbed my hand and literally carried me to the room and sat me down on the couch, then shoved a controller in my hand. I looked down at it and narrowed my eyes at all the different buttons and colors.

I knew how to play a Playstation, but an Xbox? Beats me.

Andrew started up the game while Justin headed to his bunk, obviously tired. Nick was on one side of me, his guitar on his lap, him strumming away to a tune I didn't recognize. Eric was on the other side of me, explaining the controls. I wonder if he realized that I wasn't paying attention...?

"So, you got it?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

My confused blue eyes met his eyes and he sighed. "You didn't listen, did you?"

I bit my lip and shook my head, a guilty smile curling my lips. "Sorry..."

"All you have to do is....aim using the revolver thingy, and then shoot using the green button." he shortened.

"You could've said that!" I exclaimed as the game started. I didn't get half of what was happening, I just knew what Eric told me.

"You're fighting for what little is left of mankind; you have to fight a bit fucking harder than that!" Eric chided in my ear as I tried to play the game.

"Eric," Nick started, his brown eyes narrowing at his friend.

"It's a fucking game!" I interrupted, flinching when my character died.

"Well, if it was real life, you and the rest of the world would be dead." Eric muttered.

I rolled my eyes. "You're lucky this is only a video game, because if I had a real gun in my hand, I would shoot you." I muttered.

"You wouldn't even know how to shoot a gun." he shot back like a little kid.

"Oh, you wanna bet?" I countered.

Nick's laughter interrupted our little playful--bordering on the edge of serious--banter. I looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "What are you laughing at, Mr. My Orange Hair Is So Cool?"

"Ouch." Eric said, grinning at both of us.

"Shut up, Eric." Nick and I said at the same time.

I burst out laughing after that, leaning back against the couch. I felt so reckless and carefree, that I never wanted it to end. For once, I felt like a real teenager; I didn't have to worry about paying the bills, making dinner, or doing anything really. I was having fun; I was playing a video game, drinking, and joking around with my friends.

What more could I ask for?