Just Keep Your Head Above

"Is this really necessary?" I laughed feeling a smooth black fabric cover my eyes. I sighed, as everyone shouted 'yes' at me. I stared at the blackness, feeling the motion around me. There was someone singing obnoxiously to 'I Kissed A Girl' by Katy Perry, I could imagine my brother and John dancing along to the singing. "Guys-," I began protesting before I was met with a giant 'NO'.

I looked around hearing a quiet conversation, only making me almost positive that when we stopped three or four people got into the van. I laughed wondering where we were as my body slid on the seat towards the window with a right turn. As I slid back to my normal position on the seat I felt someone's leg touching mine.

"What's up babe?" Garrett whispered after the laughter died down and I was completely done with being "kidnapped" despite the fact it was all in good fun. I accidently moved away from his touch not knowing it was him or being used to being called babe.

"Uh, nothing- where are we going?" I asked growing tired, but shocked as the movement stopped. I looked around, as if I wasn't blindfolded. I felt someone guide my hand and I opened my mouth to protest before I slid across the seat until a pair of arms swept me up and I felt the seat disappear below me. "Are you carrying me?" I laughed wrapping my arms around someone, most likely Garrett.

"Yes, because it'd be much harder to guide you around and you love when I carry you," Garrett's voice was soft and intimate in my ear. Along with his hot breath, chills came down my spine. I wrapped my arms tighter around him.

"Watch your hands Nickelsen!" I heard my brother's voice in a warning tone before everyone started laughing. I rolled my eyes even though no one could see it.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah Charlie, watch the case," Garrett mumbled back, now I was very confused seeing as I had no idea what the case would be. I felt myself bob up and down with each of his steps. I felt his hair in my right hand and played with it to keep myself busy. He exhaled sharply and stole a kiss to my cheek and my lips turned up into a smile.

"Alright, here we are," Garrett huffed before gently letting my feet down to the ground. I smiled, standing up straight and expecting my blind fold to be removed instead I felt a pair of lips against mine. I felt my heart beating wildly, excitement from being blinded and the hand on my hair bringing me closer.

"Garrett?" I whispered, feeling the weight on my body from the kiss. The blindfold came up and I saw his bright blue eyes, they looked at me with a look of uncertainty. I felt a pang in my heart wondering why he was looking at me like a stranger, then another pang with the realization that it was how I had looked at him at the hospital.

"I like your hair, better than the blonde I mean," He said mysteriously before he smiled and looked like he had snapped out of whatever thought entertained his mind. I whispered thank you before looking past him and seeing a stage with people setting up things. I looked back at Garrett and tilted my head.

"Where are we?" I laughed, looking around and taking a step back, breaking out moment. I smiled wondering what was happening as Garrett started laughing too, he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly and shifted his weight onto his right side. It was awkwardly adorable.

"We're at The Clubhouse," Garrett smiled before running to help someone I'd never seen before with a giant black box. I looked around at the grungy bar, that just seemed to add some character to the place. I stood awkwardly not doing anything as everyone else was doing something.

"Cory, would you mind grabbing the snare?" Pat asked me with a giant smile, I figured he was one of the people who got into the van when we stopped. I nodded and ran over to where he was nodding towards a white snare standing alone while the rest of the drum set was being carried to the stage.

"Showtime in an hour y'all!" A gruffy old man yelled from the sound set booth. I laughed wondering who was even playing. John was standing awkwardly next to a microphone repeating random phrases. I tilted my head wondering why he was doing sound checks, unless he was a sound guy now.

"Patty, who's playing tonight?" I asked as I carried the fairly light drum up the stairs towards the stage and followed him to the back of the stage. He giggled awkwardly and tucked his chin towards himself. I was slightly confused, but it was cute.

"Cory, The Maine is playing tonight," He giggled like a little kid stating an obvious fact. I wondered who The Maine was and why I was helping them set up their drum set. I looked around and now everyone had an instrument and was doing a sound check.

"Who's The Maine?" I asked in a lull of silence making my question very loud, all the boys turned around slightly offended and gaped at me. My eyes widened wondering what I had said to offend.

"Uh, we're The Maine," John said with a "duh" tone, tilting his head condescendingly. All the guys nodded as if I was the dumbest human in the world. I raised an eyebrow seeing them all in awe that I didn't know who they are.

"Uh, sorry I didn't know," I seethed sarcastically putting the snare in its rightful place and turned my heels to go back out towards the van. I was clearly pissed off, I flipped my hair and looked seeing a group of people waiting by the front door and turned right back inside very confused at this point. "There's a bunch of people waiting outside," I pointed towards the door, trying to make it a question.

"We have fans," Kennedy smiled with a giddy tone. I burst out laughing, and tried to understand how my boyfriend was in a band with fans and how this all happened. I was also wondering why a bunch of skinny boys in tight jeans I'd never seen before started laughing joining in on the kicks and giggles.

"Alright kids," The old man came down and clapped his hands together rounding us up. I joined in as a circle formed around him and I placed my hands on my hips trying to pretend I knew what I was doing. "Thirty minutes, I want a good clean show. Try not to destroy my venue and knock 'em dead," He smiled before patting the two boys next to him on the back.

"Circle up!" John called out before he started clapping and soon enough everyone joined in with him. I laughed shaking my head wondering what John was doing leading anything. We all started clapping before he called out some weird chant thing. "We like to party, we like, we like," Everyone joined in and knew what was happening, I tilted my head to Garrett who laughed at my awkwardness. We kept clapping and chanting until I felt someone pick me up and start cheering.

"Charlie! Charlie! Let me down," I laughed and screamed as I was bounced around and I saw Pat being lifted by Tim in the same manner. I reached out laughing so hard that I started crying. Charlie finally let me down and hugged me tightly giving me a knuckle to the head.

"Dude, I am so dizzy," I laughed clasping his shoulder to balance my spinning head. I felt someone wrap their arm around my shoulders and saw Garrett grinning at me. "Where are we going?" I asked as he led me to a dark backstage area. Soon girls started screaming and voices filled up where we had been.

"You have a special place to watch, riiiiiight here," He dragged out the 'i' to drag out time until he placed me in a spot where I could see his mic perfectly. I grinned leaning forward and closing my eyes finding his lips.

"Nickelsen, we got a show to play!" Someone slapped him, ruining the moment. I looked up and saw John grinning mischievously and he winked at me before turning onto the stage. Garrett winked at me too, before joining a line of the boys walking on stage. Girls began screaming and I felt an odd sense of jealousy. I tilted my head, my eyes stuck on Garrett as he started playing a song after a short introduction. I realized no matter how comfortable I felt around him I really didn't know him at all.