Jasey Rae

ALEX

I woke up to Matt throwing something at me. I think it was a pillow. “Wake up. It’s like one,” he said with a phone in one hand and a Capri Sun in the other. He had a new Mickey Mouse under his arm too.

“Are those things breeding?” I said with a groan as I sat up in my bunk. I moved slowly so I wouldn’t hit my head on the top as I was known to do on most days.

Matt shrugged, ignoring me and sipped his Capri Sun. “Interview in a few minutes. Get up.” He continued to sip his juice and walked to the back lounge.

“You look like a fag,” I shouted after him, pissed that I was awake and hungover like a motherfucker. Matt responded by throwing me a pair of jeans and a white v-neck.

“Get clothes on,” he commanded. As much as I loved giving him shit I knew that Matt was the only reason me and the other guys didn’t end up passed out in a ditch somewhere and I appreciated his care though there was no way in hell I’d ever admit it. I pulled my jeans on over my boxers reluctantly, wishing for more sleep time. Yes, it was already well into the afternoon but the alcohol level in my blood was enough to make me want to vomit, which… I was hoping I would not do right before an interview.

While I ran my fingers through my hair I walked to the bathroom to brush my teeth. From the front of the bus there were some gunshot sounds showing that the TV was on. “What’re you watching?” I shouted, then realizing I probably should’ve spit out the toothpaste before talking.

“HOME ALONE!” I heard Jack shout back with a little too much enthusiasm. I think this must’ve been the ten thousandth time he’s seen that movie?

I rinsed and spit into the sink then made my way to the front lounge lazily and raised an eyebrow as Jack screamed along with Kevin on the TV. Jack had a Capri Sun in his lap too.

“Bro, where are the Capri Sun’s coming from?” I said, crashing down on the couch on the right, sitting across from Jack.

“Fridge. Some girls came by this morning and dropped off some stuff.” He spoke but his eyes didn’t leave the screen.

“That explains Matt’s new best friend.” I said, grabbing a juice packet from the fridge. What I really needed was an Asprin. I needed to take it easy today. “Why the fuck do we have an interview today?” My words came out as mumbles as I balled my hands up in fists and laid them over my eyes. “It’s called an OFF day.”

Jack didn’t take notice of me really and sipped his juice. “It’s a girl though.”

“Is she hot?” I stared out of window.

“If she is I call dibbs.”

“You can’t call dibbs. You’re a virgin.”

“Don’t think so. Ask your mom if you want proof.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re retarded.”

“Suck my dick.”

“Chicks don’t have dicks, Jack. Look again.”

Jack looked into his lap and cupped himself. “Oh okay. Yeah, you’re right.”

I let out a laugh. I loved that bastard, Jack. We’d been friends for too long and knew everything about each other (sometimes I think a little too much) and spoke “dick jokes” like it was our second language.

“Where’s Rian and Zack?” I said looking towards the door, not too interested in Home Alone today.

“Stage. Weights.” Jack zoned out again.

“Figures…” Just then I heard the muffled sounds of Rian and Zack talking outside of the bus.

“Tarantulas are scary motherfuckers…” Jack mumbled to himself, eyes still glued to the TV.

“Hell yeah. Hairy bastards.”

“Like me!” Jack said, falling onto his back and kicking his legs into the air. He was wearing shorts so the proof of his point was there for everyone to see.

“That you are, my friend.”

“Turn off the TV. Interviewer’s here.” Matt said coming in from the back lounge.

Jack obeyed but had to comment. “Stop PMSing mom. You got a Mickey today. Be happy.” Now that TV wasn’t an option Jack turned his back to me and looked out the window to see who the interviewer was. “She’s kinda hot,” he commented. I can’t really tell though because she’s got sunglasses on.”

“Big ones?”

“Si.”

“That means she’s probably out of your league, Jack.”

“Fucker.”

“Maybe I will.”

Jack ignored me and continued looking through the glass. “Wait…” Suddenly he pressed his face against the glass to look through clearer.

“What?” I said, still sitting, too lazy to get up and look for myself.

“Nothing.” Jack’s voice was lined with confusion. “She just looks a hell of a lot like…”

“Like who?” I asked, standing up now, curiosity getting the best of me.

Just then the door opened and in walked Rian and then the girl. Her head appeared first behind the wall that hid the stairs from view. Her dark hair was piled up on her head in a loose bun and her sunglasses were set in place just as Jack had said. She stepped up more, Rian helping her up and I saw a pair of those fucking dangerous wedge high heels girls are always falling over in holding up a set of legs that made a little knot tie up in my stomach. Her shorts were short but not too short that I would think that she was cheap and her purple shirt gave her a relaxed but still not too casual quality. She turned and faced me and Jack.; Jack already speechless realizing who it was before me.

“Hi, I’m Alex,” I said smiling and holding my hand out to shake.

The girl didn’t hold her hand out to shake. Instead her lips parted in a smile and she pushed her sunglasses off her face and set them on her tied up hair. “I know who you are.”

I felt my stomach fall out of my ass and found myself saying a name I hadn’t truly acknowledged in years. “Jasey Rae…”

***
The silence in the bus was suffocating. I literally felt like I couldn’t breathe. She didn’t blink. She didn’t speak. She just stared with this look on her face that I couldn’t read. Her mouth gave me a smile- a crescent of white between two blush colored lips- but her eyes looked tired, cautious, observant, reserved.

I couldn’t find the words to say hello- to say anything really- so I ended up standing there like an idiot. Jack, charismatic by nature stood up despite the awkwardness. “Holy hell,” he said smiling.

Jasey pulled her eyes away from mine and looked at Jack and I felt my shoulders loosen. The look she gave him was so surprised; it was like she hadn’t noticed he had been there, until that moment. She smiled though, not missing a beat. “Jack.”

Jack hugged her, trying to rid the lounge of the awkward tension- I’m sure.

“I forgot what a tree you were.” Jasey said, smiling at him.

“Either that or you shrunk,”

“I’m wearing heels for a reason,” she replied.

Rian, who had been behind Jasey the whole time laughed with the two of them then shot me a quick look that made me realize I hadn’t moved from my standing spot since Jasey walked onto the bus. I tried to find words- to say ANYTHING- but I was left gaping like the idiot I was. I felt so out of body with the three of them as happy as fuck and me frozen and gaping.

“Say something! Say anything!” my brain screamed at me. “Ah motherfucker, you are useless.” I wiped my palms on my jeans, while the three stooges continued to exchange pleasantries. “Fuck.” I thought, hopelessly. What could I say? What would she want me to say? The last time I saw her she had glared at me with tightened eyes and said she never wanted to see me again. Well… so much for that…

“Dude,” I heard Jack say in my direction. I zoned back in from my panicked state.

“I’m sorry, uh… what were you saying?”

“Aren’t you gonna say hi?” Jack said gesturing towards Jasey.

Jasey smiled, her lips set together and her brown eyes locking my face in her gaze. “It’s alright Jack,” she said, not moving her eyes from me. She tilted her chin up a little, displaying that playful cockiness she always put on for strangers. “The lyricist is just a little lost for words.” Her smile tightened the tiniest bit and her eyes gave me a quick once over and just when I thought my brain would implode she turned her gaze back to Rian and Jack. “So, enough for greetings. Let’s get Zack in here and start the interview.”

“Interview?” I hadn’t been paying attention so I must’ve missed the part when she mentioned she was here for work.

Jasey started to get her things out of the canvas bag she kept on her arm, her camera set down on the table. I took a peek at the badge she wore around her neck and noticed she was coming from “RL”.

“Oh…” I said quietly, running my hand through my hair out of habit. Then I took the liberty of sitting down since it seemed like I wasn’t wanted for much at the moment. My ankle was set on my knee and I kept my lips against my fist. “I wonder…” I thought as Jasey twisted a fallen strand of hair behind her ear. “Is she still the same?” I chewed on a knuckle in thought. I wondered if she still hated ice in her drinks. I wondered if she still loved reading into lyrics and liked sudden rain storms. I wondered a lot of things about the girl in our bus. Memories played on in my head as if on a reel. “Does she still like getting her neck kissed…? Does she still like Dove chocolate best? Does she still like it when-” I stopped myself as my thoughts trailed off to places they shouldn’t have been.

“Jase, you want a coke?” Rian asked, opening the fridge, while Matt and Jack went out to get Zack.

“Sure.” She smiled at him sweetly.

“Fuck you Rian. Fuck you.” I thought. What a kiss ass…

Rian got her a coke and started to pour it into a glass of ice, the ice crackling caught Jasey’s attention.

“Rian, she doesn’t-“ I stopped myself. It wasn’t my place.

Jasey’s eyes flickered to me, her face not showing a single expression but that only lasted a millisecond as she turned back to Rian with a smile when he stopped pouring the coke. “Don’t mind him he’s just…” Jasey waved a hand in the air and took the coke from him appreciatively. She sat across from me and crossed her legs then took a sip, her eyes locked on mine, as if to prove a point. I gave her a nod then looked away.

“Sorry I’m late,” Zack said, coming in with a towel around his neck. Jack was coming in after him, texting on his iPhone.

“Get off your damn phone, Jack,” Matt said, being the caboose in their tiny train.

“Yeah all he does is go on Twitter all day,” Rian said with a smile.

“And take pictures of himself,” Zack chimed in.

“How do you spell, tenacious? I don’t think Apple’s spell-check has it right.”

“Don’t use words you don’t understand or can’t spell.” Rian said, sitting down next to me. I inched myself away from him ever so slightly, still pissed that he thought to pour Jasey a coke before me. We all finally sat down, much to Matt’s relief and got situated. The four of us were across from her. She smiled and set her recorder on the table.

“Okay, so, you know the boring drill.” She smiled. “I ask. You answer. Then, some fan questions. Got it?”

Jack raised his hand.

“Yes?”

“Are we allowed to say ‘crap, damn, shit, ass, balls, bastard, fu-“

“Are we allowed to swear?” Rian said, cutting Jack off.

Jasey smiled and shrugged. “Have at it.” She hit record and took up her first paper. “So, say who you are, what you play, and tell us the dirtiest dream you’ve had about anyone on tour.”