I'm Amazed That I Got This Far

"What time is band practice today?" I asked John, as I grabbed my Eric's cell phone from the counter and stuck it in my pocket.

It's at noon." John replied. "And you'll be at work, so you don't need to come...because...you can't leave work anyway."

"Alright." I said, before frowning slightly. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." He smiled. "It's just one practice."

"Well, good luck. I know you'll do great." I grinned, before Eric let out a sigh. "Can we please go to work, Kalen? You take, like, ten years to say bye to your boyfriend."

John looked over at him and laughed. "You would understand, Halvo. That is, if you had a girlfriend."

Eric smiled and rolled his eyes. "Whatever, John."

"Well, I'll see you later, then." I sighed as I looked at John.

"Okay. Bye." He smiled, before kissing me, and pulling me into a hug. "Have fun...if it's possible. And don't work too hard."

"Alright." I smiled.

"Bye." He said, before kissing me again.

"Bye." I grinned, as Eric opened the front door and we walked out of the apartment and down the stairs.

"My lord." Eric sighed, as he looked at me.

"What?!" I asked.

"You say bye, you kiss, you say goodbye again, and then kiss, again." He said. "You two are so couple-like."

"Gee...I wonder why, Eric?" I smiled.

"Just saying, it's a little much." He chuckled.

"I'm sure it is. I apologize." I said sarcastically, as we got into his car.

"I'll pretend that wasn't sarcastic." He smirked, as he started his car up. "And I'll pretend that you're really sorry, which I know you're not."

I rolled my eyes and smiled to myself, before looking out the window, as Eric drove to work. Once we got to work, the two of us got out of Eric's car and walked inside, after he unlocked the door. I went into the back and took off my hoodie, as Eric came in after me and did the same. I walked over to the corner of the room and picked up a cardboard box filled with CDs, magazines, and posters, before walking back out to the front, with Eric behind me.

"So, what are you doing after work?" I asked Eric, as I opened the box with a box cutter.

"I have band practice with the boys." Eric sighed. "We're probably going to practice, go out to dinner, and just hang at Nick's with their girlfriends. Same thing as always, pretty much."

"And you're the only single guy there." I stated, more than asked.

"Do you always feel the need to point that stuff out?" He smiled, as he grabbed some CDs from the box. "I told you I'm fine with being single."

"You're not fine with it." I shrugged.

"How do you know?" He sighed, as he looked over at me. "Can you read my mind or something?"

"Well, no..." I trailed off.

"Exactly." He nodded, as he went over to the shelves and started stacking the new CDs.

"You know you'd like someone to hold." I commented, as I leaned against the counter.

"It would be nice, but I'm fine without it." Eric said casually, before turning his back to me and continuing to stack the new CDs.

"You want someone to call yours and to kiss." I smiled.

"Are you trying to get something out of me?" He chuckled. "Because whatever it is, you won't get it."

"We've gotten pretty close over the past few days, right?" I shrugged.

"Well, yeah." He nodded. "Faster than I've ever really gotten to know anyone."

"So, friends help friends." I informed him. "I want you to be happy."

"I am happy." Eric said, his tone lacking confidence.

"And when John and I were at your college, after you went to class, I talked to a girl..." I said, trailing off, as Eric turned to look at me.

He raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I talked to a girl and got her number for you. We're going on a double date." I shrugged.

"Uhm, excuse me?" He said. "You what?!"

"You, her, John, and I are going on a double date! She totally agreed to it!" I said.

"You what?!" He exclaimed. "You set me up with a girl I don't even know?!"

"I don't know! She was mine and John's waitress at Big Boy, so it seemed like a sign!"

"A sign?! Really, Kalen?!" He said loudly, before groaning. "I can't believe you."

"Her name's Alex." I said casually.

"There's a lot of Alex's, Kalen. This doesn't help." He said flatly. "I can't believe you set me up with someone I didn't even approve."

"She's cute! She has long, black hair, blue eyes." I shrugged. "I saw her at a table when you left."

Eric's head shot up from where he was looking down at a CD, and his eyes went wide. "Her name is Alex, she has black hair and blue eyes?!"

"Yeah?" I said slowly. "What?"

"If I think I know who you're talking about, I'm going to kill you!" He said through gritted teeth, as he came over to me.

"Why?!" I exclaimed, as I threw my arms up in the air. "What did I do?!"

"She sits behind me in class!" He yelled, as his cheeks turned a light shade of pink. "Did you know that was the girl I was staring at yesterday when you and John were asking who I was staring at?!"

"She was the one you were staring at?!" I laughed. "Seriously?!"

"Kalen!" He whined.

"You have so been creepin' on her!" I screamed, a grin plastered on my face. "That's so cute!"

"I was not creepin'! Don't make me sound creepy!" He said, as he covered his face. "I've just noticed her around!"

"You so think she's cute! How is this a bad thing, Eric?!" I sighed.

"I'm not going on the date. I'm not." He stated, as he hopped up on the counter. "I'm not."

"You are!" I said through gritted teeth.

"I'm not!" He chuckled. "You can't make me."

"I'll pay you 20 bucks?" I smiled.

He scoffed. "Whatever, Kalen!"

"I'm trying, okay?!" I laughed. "You're going."

"Not."

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes, Eric!"

"No!"

"Why not?! Are you scared?!" I sighed.

"I'm just...nervous!" He said. "I don't go on dates a lot!"

"Because you don't have a girlfriend, smart one!" I said loudly. "You're going. That's final."

Eric opened his mouth to say something and I narrowed my eyes at him, before he shut it and sighed. "Fine."

John's P.O.V.

After the guys and I finished band practice, we sat down on the couches and Garrett rested his head against the wall. "We sound so amazing, guys."

"We do." Kennedy nodded, before taking a sip of his water.

"Because of John!" Jared smiled.

I smiled and shrugged. "I'm sure you guys sounded great before I even joined!"

"We were okay. But we didn't have a singer!" Garrett stated. "And now, we do!"

"Which is why I got us a show." Pat said, as he looked at all of us.

"You...what?!" Kennedy grinned.

"I got us a show at the bar down the street!" He smiled. "Tim knows some people there and he got us one."

"Tim? Who's Tim?" I asked.

"My brother." Pat replied.

"When's the show?!" Garrett asked excitedly, as he bounced in his seat.

"It's on Friday." He answered.

"I can't do a show on Friday!" I said, as I looked over at Pat.

"Why not!?" He questioned.

"I still look off the papers for the words!" I said, as I held up the lyrics in my hand. "How am I supposed to not look like an ass?!"

"We'll practice...a lot!" Kennedy said. "Because I'm sure we'll all be nervous."

"And I'm not good at singing in front of crowds." I panicked. "I can't already!"

"John, you can!" Jared smiled. "You will be fine! We'll all be nervous!"

"But you guys know the material like the back of your hand!" I stated. "I don't!"

"You don't, yet." Pat said, as he pointed at me. "Be positive, John. You will be fine, I promise you."

"And if you mess up, don't worry about it!" Garrett said. "Everyone messes up, especially if it's their first show."

I sighed to myself and sunk back into the couch. "I know. But still."

"You'll be fine!" Jared smiled. "We'll all be fine."

Kalen's P.O.V.

When it was finally time to go home, Eric and I went into the back of the store, so we could get our hoodies and take off our nametags. As Eric grabbed his things, I walked back out to the front of the store, to see the people for the next shift coming in. I smiled at them and we exchanged greetings, before I went over to the door and waited. Once Eric came out from the back, we walked out of the store and went over to his car, before getting in.

"So, when are we doing this...double date?" Eric wondered, as he looked over at me.

"Is Saturday okay?" I shrugged, as I looked back at him.

"I guess that's fine." He sighed.

"Can I use your phone to text Alex?" I smiled.

He sighed again and looked over at me. "Are you sure you're not going to tell her that I secretly love her or something?"

"No, Eric." I chuckled. "I'm going to tell her that we're going on Saturday!"

"Why don't you have a phone?" He questioned.

"My parents disconnected it when we ran away." I muttered.

"Sucks!" He said, before he dug in his pocket, retrieving his phone. "Here."

"Thanks." I grinned, as I took it from him.

I opened a new message and copied Alex's number from the piece of paper she gave me yesterday. Once I sent her the text, I put the piece of paper back into my pocket, and waited for her to reply. When she did, I told her who I was and when the date was going to be, and everything was settled. I smiled and handed Eric his phone back. He took it back as he approached a stoplight, before looking at me.

"So?"

"So, everything is settled. We're going on Saturday." I stated.

"Where are we going?" He questioned.

"Just to a pizza place. Nothing fancy for a first date." I shrugged.

"So...you force me to go on a double date...to a pizza place." Eric said slowly. "Somehow that doesn't make sense to me."

"I think you'll get over it." I smiled. "Would you rather go somewhere fancy, be totally nervous, get the table cloth stuck in your pants, pull it off the table, and spill water in her lap?"

"Not really..." He trailed off. "Did John do that or something?"

"No." I chuckled. "I've just seen it happen."

"Whatever, Kalen." He smirked, before we both fell silent.

Once Eric and I got back to the apartment complex, John's car was back and we pulled in next to him, before Eric shut off his car. After we got out, the two of us walked into the building and went up the stairs to our apartment. When we got to the door, Eric pulled out his key and unlocked it, before opening it. After Eric shut the door behind himself, I took off my shoes and walked down the hallway, and into mine and John's room, to see John laying on the bed. His pillow was over half of his face and he was frowning.

"John..." I said slowly, as I got on the bed and crawled over to him.

"What." He mumbled.

"What's wrong?" I asked, as I sat on his stomach.

"Nothing." He sighed. "Life sucks."

"And that's nothing?" I smiled, as I took the pillow off of his face.

"Do you know what Pat did?!" He said, as he looked up at me and put his hands on my waist.

"What did he do?" I questioned.

"He booked us a show!" He frowned.

"Why are you frowning, John?!" I exclaimed. "That's awesome!"

"No, it's not!" He groaned. "You know how bad I am with crowds! Especially when I have to sing in front of them!"

"Just...imagine everyone's in their underwear?" I suggested.

"I try and then I just wind up thinking I'm the one in their underwear." He complained. "What am I going to do?!"

"You'll be fine, John!" I assured him.

"I don't know the lyrics, though! What if I sing something completely wrong and everyone laughs?!" He whined.

"They won't know the lyrics, John. You and the guys will be the only ones that know the lyrics, so they won't notice if you mess up!" I smiled. "Don't be so paranoid."

"But I'm nervous!" He sighed, before sitting up and looking at me. "What should I do?"

"You're going to practice with the guys a lot, you're going to learn the lyrics, and you're going to do great." I grinned, before kissing him. "You always do."

John sat there for a minute, before sighing to himself. "I guess you're right."

"Ew, no making babies in the rooms!" Eric screamed, as he walked past mine and John's room. "There is someone else living here!"

"We're not making babies, asshole!" John screamed back. "We're having a deep conversation!"

"About making babies?" He smirked, as he poked his head into our room.

"What else would we be talking about?" He said, as if Eric was stupid. "Duh!"

"Oh, that makes sense." Eric joked, before leaving our room.

I looked at John and raised my eyebrow. "Okay?"

"You wouldn't understand our relationship, Kay." John said with a smile. "Trust me."

"I'll trust you." I chuckled. "But guess what."

"What?" He asked.

"You, Eric, Alex, and I are going on a double date on Saturday." I said happily.

"You got Eric to go?!" He asked excitedly.

"Yeah." I nodded. "Finally."

"I knew you could do it." He chuckled. "He's a stubborn one."

"Heard that!" Eric called from his room.

I smiled and rolled my eyes, before getting off of John and sitting next to him. "We're just going to get some pizza."

"That'll be fun." He sighed, before looking at me. "Are you excited?"

"Yeah. I hope they hit it off." I nodded.

John smiled. "Me too."