Status: active.
The Smile You Fake, The Steps You Take
CHAPTER SIX.
POINT OF VIEW: Amanda Rothman.
I woke up with butterflies in my stomach; today I was going to finally see John after so many months of being separated. I put on my favorite jeans, tank-top and flip-flops for the occasion, also applying my makeup carefully and styling my hair to perfection. I wanted him to see me at my best, especially since he had multiply seen me at my worst in the past. After I finished getting ready I sprawled across the couch Alex occasionally called his bed, listening to my iPod at full blast and clutching my phone to my chest in case I got a text from John. Ten minutes of anticipation later, he texted me.
we're here at the stadium chilling in the parking lot. when are you getting here?
I grinned and pulled out my left earbud. "When are we getting there?" I called out, not caring who answered.
"Ten minutes," Jack replied and dropped onto the couch next to me. "What are you listening to?" he asked, taking one of the earphones and putting it in his ear to listen with me.
"Every Avenue," I told him as I texted back. He laid down next to me and his arm brushed against mine, sending tingles up and down it. "You can pick something else if you want."
He shook his head and smiled, "Nah, I like it." God. His gorgeous, slightly disarming, smile was turning me into mush. Why was he so adorable? I wanted to flinch away, but feeling his body so close was comforting somehow. I didn't want the moment to end, but then the bus crawled to a stop and Zack cried, "We're here, dudes!"
Without thinking I leapt up, knocking Jack to the ground. I doubled over in giggles and held out my hand to help him back to his feet. "I'm so sorry!" I laughed, grinning apologetically.
He shrugged and got to his feet without my help. "It's fine," he smiled, turning off my ipod for me and tossing it on the couch. "Let's go!" before I could protest he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder, then proceeded to carry me off the bus.
"Put me down!" I shrieked jokingly when he went through the motions of throwing me but instead placed me safely on the ground.
"Your wish is my command," he joked and bowed deeply.
"Shut up," I snickered and shoved him lightly. We walked together through the parking lot towards the stadium, laughing and messing around. Alex jumped onto Zack's back, catching him offguard and nearly smashing him as they both tumbled to the ground. Zack avoided Alex for the rest of the walk. Rian simply laughed and shook his head at this act of immaturity. It was pretty much the norm for Alex and Jack to act this way, but so far Jack hadn't done anything too outrageous yet today. Strange. That only meant that he was most likely building up to something huge. Oh joy.
Half-way through the lot I jumped onto Jack's back and let my head rest on his shoulder while he carried me. More than anything I wanted to try to race him to the front gates because I always kicked his ass at distance running, but the last thing I needed was to be all sweaty and gross when I finally saw John, or God forbid I fell down and got all scraped up. I could be a huge wimp when I'd hurt myself. Sweaty, gross, and bleeding had to be the farthest thing from attractive, which was generally what I was going for today.
When we reached the stadium the boys and I entered through the back door, which would bring us backstage. I texted John quickly, come backstage! and hopped off Jack's back. "Thank you, kind sir," I laughed.
Jack tipped an imaginary hat and glanced around. "So anyway, you wanted to know what the other band is, right?"
I grinned and jumped up and down in excitement. "Yeah, of course!" My phone vibrated silently and I pulled it out of my pocket, reading the text at the same time Jack began to talk.
"you could say that, yeah," the text read. I was confused and didn't reply. I'd find him sooner or later anyway. I tuned into Jack, who was saying, "So anyway, I know that you like them. You must have like, every one of their songs on your iPod. It's -" But before he could finish, I shrieked and ran around him.
"John!" I cried, jumping into his arms. He caught me mid-air and spun around in a circle before placing me on my feet.
"Amanda!" he grinned, hugging me. I hugged him back with all my might and breathed in his familiar scent. "I missed you so much," he whispered. Next to Jack and Alex, John was my best friend. We had tons of history and we used to tell each other everything. I couldn't remember how far we went back, only that it was pretty damn far. I'd known him since diapers, as opposed to Jack and Alex, who I'd only known since my freshman year.
"I missed you too," I told him and closed my eyes, resting my head against his chest. How did I last so long without this boy at my side? He was always my partner in crime, the one person I could depend on through everything. He knew everything about me and I knew everything about him. "How did I last without you?"
"The modern world of technology," he said simply. I looked up to see him smiling. "Jesus, I missed you so much."
I finally released him and sighed. "So why are you here? I mean, I know to see me and the guys, but why did you want to come all the way out here for that? You could've caught us at a closer stop."
He frowned. "What, they didn't tell you yet?"
"Tell me what?" I asked, confused.
John sighed and replied, "Let Jack tell you. He looks a tad neglected over there."
I laughed and nodded, jogging back to Jack. "I'm sorry, Jack. I just...I haven't seen John for a really long time and I've missed him."
"John!" Alex shouted, running over and fist-pounding him. "Hey man, haven't seen you for a while." Zack and Rian also waved. Well, more like stiffly raised their arms in an odd sort of salute before returning to the conversation they'd previously been holding. "Did you tell her yet, dudes?"
"Tell me what?" I demanded, starting to get a little frustrated.
"You tell her," Jack said quietly, gesturing to John.
"Nah, you go ahead," he insisted.
"The band that's gonna be playing with us on tour is them," Jack sighed then clarified unnecessarily, "The Maine."
"Aw, John! Why didn't you tell me before?" I almost wished that he'd told me over text, but it was much better to learn it in person and be able to see his adorable smile.
"I would've thought that either Jack and Alex would tell you or you'd see our bigass tourbus outside the place when you got here," John laughed and wrapped his arm around me in a half-hug. "You're an idiot. The same Mandy I know and love."
"Guilty as charged," I admitted, smiling. Now that John and his bandmates were going to be with me 24/7, as well as Jack and Alex, this tour was going to be better than I'd ever imagined. What more could a girl ask for? Being surrounded by her three best friends in the world, Jack Barakat, Alex Gaskarth and John O'Callaghan.
I woke up with butterflies in my stomach; today I was going to finally see John after so many months of being separated. I put on my favorite jeans, tank-top and flip-flops for the occasion, also applying my makeup carefully and styling my hair to perfection. I wanted him to see me at my best, especially since he had multiply seen me at my worst in the past. After I finished getting ready I sprawled across the couch Alex occasionally called his bed, listening to my iPod at full blast and clutching my phone to my chest in case I got a text from John. Ten minutes of anticipation later, he texted me.
we're here at the stadium chilling in the parking lot. when are you getting here?
I grinned and pulled out my left earbud. "When are we getting there?" I called out, not caring who answered.
"Ten minutes," Jack replied and dropped onto the couch next to me. "What are you listening to?" he asked, taking one of the earphones and putting it in his ear to listen with me.
"Every Avenue," I told him as I texted back. He laid down next to me and his arm brushed against mine, sending tingles up and down it. "You can pick something else if you want."
He shook his head and smiled, "Nah, I like it." God. His gorgeous, slightly disarming, smile was turning me into mush. Why was he so adorable? I wanted to flinch away, but feeling his body so close was comforting somehow. I didn't want the moment to end, but then the bus crawled to a stop and Zack cried, "We're here, dudes!"
Without thinking I leapt up, knocking Jack to the ground. I doubled over in giggles and held out my hand to help him back to his feet. "I'm so sorry!" I laughed, grinning apologetically.
He shrugged and got to his feet without my help. "It's fine," he smiled, turning off my ipod for me and tossing it on the couch. "Let's go!" before I could protest he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder, then proceeded to carry me off the bus.
"Put me down!" I shrieked jokingly when he went through the motions of throwing me but instead placed me safely on the ground.
"Your wish is my command," he joked and bowed deeply.
"Shut up," I snickered and shoved him lightly. We walked together through the parking lot towards the stadium, laughing and messing around. Alex jumped onto Zack's back, catching him offguard and nearly smashing him as they both tumbled to the ground. Zack avoided Alex for the rest of the walk. Rian simply laughed and shook his head at this act of immaturity. It was pretty much the norm for Alex and Jack to act this way, but so far Jack hadn't done anything too outrageous yet today. Strange. That only meant that he was most likely building up to something huge. Oh joy.
Half-way through the lot I jumped onto Jack's back and let my head rest on his shoulder while he carried me. More than anything I wanted to try to race him to the front gates because I always kicked his ass at distance running, but the last thing I needed was to be all sweaty and gross when I finally saw John, or God forbid I fell down and got all scraped up. I could be a huge wimp when I'd hurt myself. Sweaty, gross, and bleeding had to be the farthest thing from attractive, which was generally what I was going for today.
When we reached the stadium the boys and I entered through the back door, which would bring us backstage. I texted John quickly, come backstage! and hopped off Jack's back. "Thank you, kind sir," I laughed.
Jack tipped an imaginary hat and glanced around. "So anyway, you wanted to know what the other band is, right?"
I grinned and jumped up and down in excitement. "Yeah, of course!" My phone vibrated silently and I pulled it out of my pocket, reading the text at the same time Jack began to talk.
"you could say that, yeah," the text read. I was confused and didn't reply. I'd find him sooner or later anyway. I tuned into Jack, who was saying, "So anyway, I know that you like them. You must have like, every one of their songs on your iPod. It's -" But before he could finish, I shrieked and ran around him.
"John!" I cried, jumping into his arms. He caught me mid-air and spun around in a circle before placing me on my feet.
"Amanda!" he grinned, hugging me. I hugged him back with all my might and breathed in his familiar scent. "I missed you so much," he whispered. Next to Jack and Alex, John was my best friend. We had tons of history and we used to tell each other everything. I couldn't remember how far we went back, only that it was pretty damn far. I'd known him since diapers, as opposed to Jack and Alex, who I'd only known since my freshman year.
"I missed you too," I told him and closed my eyes, resting my head against his chest. How did I last so long without this boy at my side? He was always my partner in crime, the one person I could depend on through everything. He knew everything about me and I knew everything about him. "How did I last without you?"
"The modern world of technology," he said simply. I looked up to see him smiling. "Jesus, I missed you so much."
I finally released him and sighed. "So why are you here? I mean, I know to see me and the guys, but why did you want to come all the way out here for that? You could've caught us at a closer stop."
He frowned. "What, they didn't tell you yet?"
"Tell me what?" I asked, confused.
John sighed and replied, "Let Jack tell you. He looks a tad neglected over there."
I laughed and nodded, jogging back to Jack. "I'm sorry, Jack. I just...I haven't seen John for a really long time and I've missed him."
"John!" Alex shouted, running over and fist-pounding him. "Hey man, haven't seen you for a while." Zack and Rian also waved. Well, more like stiffly raised their arms in an odd sort of salute before returning to the conversation they'd previously been holding. "Did you tell her yet, dudes?"
"Tell me what?" I demanded, starting to get a little frustrated.
"You tell her," Jack said quietly, gesturing to John.
"Nah, you go ahead," he insisted.
"The band that's gonna be playing with us on tour is them," Jack sighed then clarified unnecessarily, "The Maine."
"Aw, John! Why didn't you tell me before?" I almost wished that he'd told me over text, but it was much better to learn it in person and be able to see his adorable smile.
"I would've thought that either Jack and Alex would tell you or you'd see our bigass tourbus outside the place when you got here," John laughed and wrapped his arm around me in a half-hug. "You're an idiot. The same Mandy I know and love."
"Guilty as charged," I admitted, smiling. Now that John and his bandmates were going to be with me 24/7, as well as Jack and Alex, this tour was going to be better than I'd ever imagined. What more could a girl ask for? Being surrounded by her three best friends in the world, Jack Barakat, Alex Gaskarth and John O'Callaghan.