About a Girl

I’m fine, I’m fine. These words are all I have to hide behind. – Motion City Soundtrack

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Rae

We sit in the dressing room after soundcheck, bored out of our minds waiting for it to be time for our set.

“Come on. Spill. The least you could do is let me live vicariously through you,” Suzie requests for the hundredth time.

“Says the girl who hit it and quit it with Brad the other night,” Jude counters, squeezing onto the couch between us. Suzie just rolls her eyes.

“Who?” I ask curiously.

“You don’t remember Brad?” Seb frowns, and then it clicks that because of Luke, when I was still living in L.A., I wasn’t really here in any aspects other than physically.

“Oh, Brad,” I say, vaguely remembering, but not really. After the whole Luke fiasco, I hadn’t bothered to keep in touch with mutual friends. I’m the best at burning bridges, I really am.

I check my phone, trying to remember where Michael and the rest of T.A.I. are so I can figure out the time difference.

I’d ended up having to stay here in L.A. longer for some last minute scheduled shows, so I didn’t get to see Michael or go back to Chicago before they left for their international tour.

“Anyone want to go get something to eat? We have a few hours,” Seb suggests, and Jude readily jumps up to join him.

Suzie waits for them to leave and immediately turns to me.

“So Seb and Jude are gone…” she says.

“So…?” I ask, confused. She rolls her eyes.

“How is he?” she prods. “You know…”

“Suzie…” I groan, rolling my eyes. “Just drop it, already. I haven’t even slept with him.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know. It hasn’t really come up,” I cross my arms defensively.

“That…is horribly accurate wording, Rae,” she says, trying not to laugh. I roll my eyes and wait until she composes herself after her giggle fit. “I hope you’re not being prude because it didn’t work out with Luke…”

“Luke doesn’t have anything to do with this,” I scowl. “We haven’t even been together that long. Jeez, Suzie. Why does it matter?” She just shrugs.

“I don’t know. It’s kinda funny to get you worked up and uncomfortable sometimes, you know?”

This is my best friend.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Michael

It’s been a month since we’ve seen each other.

And all I can think is how lucky I am.

We walk down the New York streets, hand in hand, trailing behind my bandmates as we walk to the magazine’s headquarters.

She’s tagging along with us while we shoot for some magazines, and then we’re all going to see them play their show tonight.

After what seems like hours and hours of making casually serious expressions and occasionally smiling at the cameras, we’re finally done for the day.

“Want to get away for lunch together before I have soundcheck?” she asks hopefully. We don’t even bother with stopping at the hotel with the guys before we go off on our own.

“What are you in the mood for?” I ask, knowing we don’t have a whole lot of time before we have to be back at the venue.

“Um…ice cream!” she announces decisively, and I laugh as she tugs me over to a shop she’s spotted.

“How was the UK tour?” she asks ten minutes later, happily holding a cone in one hand and my hand grasped in her other.

“Really good. I’m actually excited for Honda Civic,” I answer. She falls silent and I see her smile falter a bit, even as she enjoys her ice cream. “Are you okay?”

“What? Oh…yeah. Just thinking, I guess. I don’t know.”

I don’t press her about it.

This is our last day together for a few weeks, and I don’t want to say the wrong thing and upset her.

Even though I really want to know that we’re okay like I think we are.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

“I’m so nervous,” she admits quietly to me, from where she’s seated next to me on the dressing room couch, with my arm around her. I squeeze her shoulders lightly and kiss her cheek.

“You’ll be great,” I assure her. She smiles and pecks me on the lips.

She seems cheered up from earlier at least, even if I haven’t figured out what’s bothering her.

“You’re on,” someone comes knocking at the door to announce.

“I’ll be side-stage,” I say, kissing her again. “Good luck.” She gives me a hug and hopeful smile before following Seb and Jude out the door. Suzie moves to follow, but then stops and turns to face me.

She eyes me, lips pursed and eyebrows furrowed.

“Something wrong?” I ask, confused and eyebrows raised.

“Just…” she begins, serious expression still plastered on her face. “If you do anything to hurt her, Michael…I swear-”

“Suzie- I wouldn’t…” I begin, relieved that that’s all she’s worried about. “I won’t-”

I don’t think I’d ever be able to hurt Rae.

Suzie doesn’t say anything, she just gives me a final look – a warning, then she leaves, and I have no choice but to follow.