Take My Hand

The whole time I was asleep, images from what Jack and I did replayed again and again in my head. You could say that I was dreaming of him but I don’t know. It was sorta weird that I was still thinking about it when I went to sleep.

“Wakey, wakey sleeping beauties,” I heard someone say before I heard loud crashing sounds.

I jumped awake and hit my head on the roof of my bunk as Jack fell on the floor out of shock. I had a major hangover and hitting my head did not make it go away.

I saw Rian, Alex and Zack laugh their asses off as I grabbed my camisole and shorts and rewore them. I opened the curtains and peered outside. My head rocked to the side due to my sleepiness. Alex looked at both of us with a weird expression as he saw the condom wrapper on the floor. Oops.

I didn’t want to have to deal with him with the current condition my head was feeling so I tried to get up but I tumbled over to the other side of the bus. Apparently, it was moving. I walked carefully to where the mini kitchen was and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. I walked around as I tried to look for some aspirin. Zack came in the room and leaned on the marble counter as he watched me search for some medicine that could kill this throbbing headache.

“Just so you know, we don’t have any aspirin or advil,” he said and I looked at him but then winced at the light that was coming from the back window.

“Why?” I asked sitting on the chair by the table giving up on my search.

“Because water usually does the trick,” he said sitting beside me and clasping his hands on the table.

I drank everything from the bottle and then set it down on the table as I looked at his hands.

“Does it hurt?” I asked him as I reached out and touched it.

“Not really,” he said as I touched his knuckles. “Are you?” he asked me and I looked up into his eyes with deep question.

“Am I what?” I asked looking for some kind of clarification.

“Hurt about the whole thing,” he said as I toyed with the empty bottle in front of me.

“I don’t really know,” I said softly. He scooted over closer and placed an arm around my shoulders.

“Brit, you have to understand this from my point of view.” He whispered softly to me. “You’re one of my closest friends and I don’t like it when people bring my friends down. I tend to protect them because I know I can. I already told you that if anything bad happened, I’d be here, right?” he asked looking at me as I nodded.

“But Zack, he wasn’t your problem,” I told him finally speaking my thoughts. It didn’t feel right locked up in my head.

“He was, Brit,” he told me in all seriousness as I looked at him with an eyebrow raised. “He’s been such a fucking prick to everyone on tour. He brags a lot and tells everyone that he was the best of the best. He was a really stuck up jerk. Everyone – including myself – hated his guts. Last night, I beat him up not because of how he was as a person or the way he treated you but also because everyone wanted me to. Truthfully, I thought it was a good idea myself. Maybe when he wakes up, he’ll realize what kind of a jerk he is and apologize to everyone.”

I was sorta taken aback. I didn’t expect all this from Chris. When we were together, he wasn’t like this at all. He was quite the opposite and whenever we met up with people – like some other friends we had – he was always polite. He knew how to have fun but it never really went overboard or to the point where he was being completely rude and ruthless.

“Thank you then,” I said and he nodded as he got up and looked for something to eat in the fridge.

I didn’t really feel like eating so I just grabbed some clothes out of my bag and went to the comfort room to change. Once I was through with that, I brushed my teeth and combed my hair since it was really messed up.

I went out of the bathroom just in time to see Alex and a fully-clothed Jack coming down the small hallway and heading into the living room. Jack smiled sadly at me as he pulled me into his arms. I hugged him back tightly never wanting to let go. But he pulled away and walked into the kitchen in search for something to eat. I looked outside the bus and realized that somehow my headache vanished because it didn’t hurt when the light was in my eyes. Thank you, water.

I searched my bunk for my phone and remembered that I had placed it under my pillow. I hope it wasn’t damaged or anything since we were pretty wild in the bunk last night. I grabbed it and sat on my bunk as I checked the messages that I had received.

None of them were that important so I just shoved my phone into my pocket and walked over to the living room where I rejoined everyone else.

Alex and Rian were busy playing Red Dead Redemption so I just sat with Jack and Zack who were munching on some cereal.

“Want some?” Jack asked as soon as I plopped down right in front of him.

“Nope,” I said looking out the back window. The other buses were following right behind us.

“You’re gonna have to eat something,” Zack said after swallowing a spoonful of rice crispies.

I rolled my eyes and got up as I looked for something I wanted to eat. I heard someone get up from their chair and walk over to the living room. I was too busy to turn around and see who it was. I settled with a peanut butter sandwich. I was about to walk back to the table when suddenly, I felt two hands on my waist. I spun around, sandwich in hand, as I saw Jack with a frown on his face.

“What’s wrong?” I asked him as I took a bite of my sandwich. I held it up to his mouth and he took a bite.

“This is really good,” he said with his mouth full. I laughed as I took another bite.

“You didn’t answer my question,” I said and he dropped the smile that was about to erupt onto his lips and thought about what he was going to say.

“Alex thinks that what we did last night was a bad idea,” he whispered into my ears so that no one else could hear what we were talking about.

“So?” I said walking towards the refrigerator to grab another bottle of water. Jack sat on the counter and I walked back to him just in time to hear him heave a heavy sigh.

“I don’t know, it’s just that I’ve always trusted him with these things and he thinks that things that everything that happened between us happened too fast,” he said and I looked over to where the guys were. They were shouting and hollering at each other as they played the game.

Alex glanced at me with a smile plastered on his face but I didn’t really feel like returning it so I just looked away from him and reverted my focus to Jack who was looking down at the ground.

“So what you’re tryna say is that he thinks that I’ll just end up hurting you?” I asked in so much bitterness. I didn’t want to have an argument with him right now. I sighed as I walked closer to him and taking the last bite of my sandwich. I rested my forearms on his lap as I drank some of the water in the bottle I got from the fridge.

Jack kept silent all the time but jumped a little when my forearms touched his lap. I looked up at him and he looked down at me.

“Don’t look at it that way,” he said placing a hand on my upper arm and rubbing incoherent shapes on it. His touch sent shivers down my spine. I didn’t know why but he just had that effect on me.

“Then how am I supposed to look at it?” I asked him softly and looked down at the ground.

He sighed and shrugged. He didn’t know how to answer me and I just didn’t want to think about this anymore. Why does Alex have to give a shit about what we do? I mean I know that he’s just looking out for his friend but can’t he be a little considerate? I mean we were on the verge of falling for each other or maybe we already have but he just had to come and ruin the fun.

I gave Jack a quick peck on the cheek and left him in the kitchen. The bus had come to a stop and I needed some air.

I walked outside the bus and leaned against it as I breathed in and out deeply. I wanted to cry badly but I didn’t. I can’t believe Alex would think about me hurting Jack. I could never do something like that.

I needed some space from them. It would be really awkward if I went back on the bus and had some alone time with them knowing what went down last night. I looked over to the side and noticed that all the other buses were already parked in place.

We were at a gas station and most of the people from the other bands raided the small convenience store. I didn’t want to buy anything so I just looked for some people I knew and could talk too.

“Why hello there, Señorita,” Gabe greeted as soon as he got out of his bus. I smiled at him and he walked over to pull me into a tight hug.

“Hey Gabe, can I ask you something?” I asked choosing my words carefully.

“Sure thing,” he said slipping his arm over my shoulder. “What’s up?”

“Um, I was just wondering if I could spend the rest of the bus ride with you guys,” I told him and he looked at me with confusion written all over his face.

“Of course you can,” he said happily. “But may I ask why?” he said and then we started walking slowly to the convenience store that was slowly starting to become deserted.

“Well, it’s kinda awkward being in the bus right now and I feel I just need some space for a little while,” I said grabbing my buzzing cellphone.

“Oh,” was all he said. “Well, we’d be delighted to have you aboard Cobra S.S.” he said and I laughed.

“Isn’t it supposed to be S.S. Cobra?” I asked him and he shook his head as he opened the door for me.

“S.S. stands for Starship,” he said and I laughed even harder. That was sorta clever.

“Whatever you say, Señor,” I said and he smiled at me as he grabbed bags of chips.

“Ooh, someone’s getting influenced,” he teased and asked me to hold the bags as he went over to the fridge and took out a six pack. “You want anything? It’s on me,” he said and I smirked.

“Well, I’ve been craving for some root beer,” I said placing all the bags of junk food he got on the counter. Gabe smiled as he grabbed two bottles of rootbeer and paid for everything. “Ooh, Papi’s got a magic wallet,” I joked and he nudged me to the side as he paid for everything.

We brought the bags over to the Cobra S.S. – as Gabe calls it – and everyone greeted me with hugs before they grabbed several bags of junk food.

I texted Jack telling him that I’d be with Cobra for the duration of the trip and placed it back in my pocked before he could reply. Gabe was all smiles as he handed me a bottle of root beer. I thanked him and sat on the couch at the back of the bus where Vicky was and we marathoned on Gossip Girl.