Each Days A Number

"So," John smirked at Garrett who was sitting next to him playing with his Nintendo DS.

Garrett raised an eyebrow, pressing pause on his game. "So...what?" he asked, closing his blue game system and setting it aside.

A chuckle escaped from John as he shook his head, staring down in his lap before glancing back up at his friend. "Are you and Miss Tour Manager...you know?"

"Actually, John, I don't know," Garrett replied, opening up his DS again and continuing with his Zelda game.

"Are you and Dessie, like, fucking behind closed doors?" John's tone was serious in a hushed whisper even if Dessie, Jared, and Pat were asleep and Kennedy was too busy driving to listen to their conversation.

"John, seriously? We're just friends, nothing more," he rolled his eyes and sighed heavily.

"But the other night in the hotel, you guys were sleeping together," John stated.

A smile played at Garrett's lips as he remembered comforting her and growing closer to her as a friend, but he quickly played it off. "Is O'Callaghan jealous?"

"Of co-"

A loud pop erupted, instantly waking up everyone as Kennedy swerved from left to right a few times before he was finally able to pull over on the shoulder of the freeway. He cursed loudly, opening and slamming the floor before groaning in frustration and pulling at his hair.

"What the fuck was that?" Jared's eyes were wide, glancing between everyone who was just as scared as he was.

"Fuck!" Kennedy yelled from outside, leaning closer to the tire since darkness surrounded at nearly midnight. Pat climbed out of the passenger seat to see what was going on.

"Uh, guys?" he slid open the side door after a moment of talking with Kennedy. "The tire hella just blew out; does anyone know how to change a tire?"

The boys all looked from one another, ignoring Dessie who rubbed the sleep from her eyes because she was a girl. It was obvious that none of the boys knew how to change a flat, causing Dessie to laugh to herself and climb over the middle seat to stand next to Pat.

"You guys seriously don't know how to change a tire?" she chuckled. "I guess it's a good thing you have me then," a smirk formed along her lips. "Garrett, come help me?"

"Of course," he smiled only to be nudged in the ribs by John. Garrett glared at him and rubbed the throbbing spot while climbing out and walking over to the back left tire.

Kennedy's vulgar mumbles were clear as day as he examined the blown out tire; he scratched his head and stood up straight, scoffing when he realized Dessie and Garrett had come out of the van. "And what the hell are you going to do? Dress the tire in your clothes to patch it up?"

Garrett was about to retort to Kenny's comment before Dessie took a step forward, placing her hands on her hips. "Do you want me to fix this or not? There's no need to act like a fucking prick, Kennedy, when I'm trying to help."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he said, going around the van and sitting on at the edge of the van next to Pat who was now in Garrett's old seat.

"Someone's grouchy this evening," she smiled causing him to laugh and nod his head. "So, first of all, I need the jack, the tire tool, and of course, the spare. Could you get those for me, Gar?"

"Ay, ay Captain!" he saluted her, making them both laugh and he made his way to the back of the van. He opened the trunk, shuffling through some of the things, pulling out the tools. "Uh, guys?" Garrett asked the guys sitting in the van; all of their heads turned to look at him. "Where's the spare?"

"What spare?" Pat turned around fully in his seat, resting his arms on the headrest.

"The spare tire that's supposed to be back here," he replied in a duh tone. "We always keep one in here." Garrett stomped on the ground and closed the trunk, walking back around to Dessie. "We don't have a spare."

Dessie's face dropped. "What do you mean you guys don't have a spare?" she asked in disbelief. He shrugged his shoulders, lifting his hands up with his shoulders. She sighed heavily, hitting her forehead against the window of the van.

"I'll call around to see if we can get a tow truck to come and help us out; don't worry about it, Des," Garrett rubbed her back, noticing her stress level raise about twenty percent.

She nodded her head, and he went around to get his cell phone. Sliding down and sitting along the dirt pavement, leaning her back against the van, she sighed heavily again. It clearly wasn't her night; the band was scheduled to be at the venue around two o'clock, and by the looks of it, they wouldn't be arriving until much later.

Being too caught up in her thoughts, Dessie didn't realize Garrett sit down next to her until his arm wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her body into his. She rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes to breathe in deeply. The faint scent of axe flowed up her nostrils, easing her senses.

"Someone should be here in no more than two hours," he said softly, leaning his cheek on top of her head.

"Two hours, Garrett?" her voice clearly gave away how overwhelmed she was as she lifted her head to look Garrett in his face.

"Where in the middle of East Jesus Nowhere!" he chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, and it worked making Dessie crack a small smile. "It's the closest place that would come out at this time."

"Okay," she nodded. "Will you wait out here with me?"

"Absolutely," he smiled as she rested her head back down on his shoulder. "So, is tour managing something you always wanted to do?" Garrett questioned placing his cheek on her head once again.

"Well, not at first. I knew I wanted to do something that involved music, and I just got lucky to get a job as a tour manager without going to school for it," she explained. "Then I fell in love with it. My dream is to do a world tour for a band; I don't mind who. I almost had the chance but the job was given to some new guy who just started, and I was put here with you guys."

"I think that was the best choice that your boss made," Dessie felt Garrett's cheek lift into a smile; she couldn't help but blush.

"Your late," The Maine's manager announced once Dessie climbed out from the driver's seat.

"I know, I know," she sighed. "We got a flat tire last night, and there was no spare in the back of the van; we ended up having to wait two and a half hours for a tow truck."

"Don't let it happen again," he told her sternly before walking away. It was clearly evident that he wasn't too thrilled in having a girl with his boys.

Running her hand through her long dark hair, Dessie sighed yet again, making her way passed the crowd of kids already waiting in line for the show and heading inside the venue to see Every Avenue doing their sound check. She walked towards the bathroom, groaning as she saw Alex Gaskarth walking out of the men's bathroom.

She cursed under her breath, spinning on her heel in hopes he didn't notice her, but all hope died when she heard him called her name and heard his footsteps on the hardwood floor come faster.

"Hey, wait up!" Alex called out, jogging the rest of the way as Dessie stopped but didn't turn to face him. "Hey, Des; how's it goin'?"

"Please don't call me that," she told him; only Garrett had been calling her that and she wanted it to stay that way.

"Aw, why not, baby?" he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. "It could be a pet name I have for you." A smirk found its way to his lips and he used his fingers to stroke her bare arm.

"Knock it off, Gaskarth!" she yelled, pulling herself back.

"Oh, c'mon!" he laughed. "You know you want me, babe. Just come out and admit it."

"The only thing I want is for you to leave me the hell alone!" Dessie shoved his chest.

Alex shook his head and looked down before looking back up in her eyes. He took a step forward and placed his hand on the back of her neck, bringing her face closer to his to crash his lips on hers. She put up a struggle but Dessie couldn't get him off of her.

"Hey!" a voice called out. "What the hell are you doing to my girlfriend?" Almost immediately, Alex let go of Dessie and stared in shock at who the voice belonged to.

"Dude, Garrett. I didn't know you two were together," Alex scratched the back of his neck ignoring the shaken up Dessie and Garrett who now had his arms around her to calm her down.

"Don't ever put your hands on her again, Gaskarth!" Garrett yelled, walking away from Alex still cradling Dessie in his arms.

As he was pulling her away, she felt comfortable in his secure embraced, almost forgetting about what happened with Alex as Garrett's words continued to ring in her my. What the hell are you doing to my girlfriend?