Take This To Heart

I stared at Viv from across the table. She was eating her Chick-Fil-A sandwich as if everything was good and dandy. She wasn’t even looking at me, but instead engrossed in a conversation with Jordan and Chris. To the table left to us was Alex, Jack, Zack chatting up a storm with Ryan, who had so convincingly decided to come see how I was.

Everyone but me seemed to be at ease. I was edgy as ever. And annoyed. Mix that in along with it, too. I glanced up from my fries, and stabbed one with my fork, gripping the utensil tightly.

She glanced at me and did a double take. “You alright, Phoenix?”

I forced a smile in her direction. “Just fine.” The sentence sounded forced, but at that moment I didn’t care. I shoved my food away and clenched my fist under the table as she started talking again with Jordan.

He finished recounting a story from his hometown about when he was in high school, causing her to laugh. I bared my teeth behind my lips and narrowed my eyes.

The Green Monster was flowing through my veins and thinking of different situations where I’d end up with Viv and Jordan be stuck in a hospital with broken legs or in a grave six feet under. It didn’t seem right that she’d be laughing at Jordan’s stories after our little encounter in the bathroom yesterday. She should have been laughing at my jokes.

I pushed away the food and stand up walking away, my head bowed low and trying to hide my anger. I wearily glance over my shoulder and see her looking at me. She bites her lip in debate as to what she should do before she starts to run after me, leaving Jordan and Chris confused. Jordan tries to get her attention, to bring her back to him, but she ignores him.

Victory. Phoenix Envy, One. Jordan, Zero. I turn away from her and hide my smile, still walking away. I exit the meal venue: this one’s different from the last few ones that were located outside. This one’s indoors, air-conditioned. I stride out the door confidently…until she corners me outside, shoving me against the wall. “What is your problem?!” My eyes widen in confusion.

“My problem?!” I hiss. “You’re the one that came onto me!”

Her eyes narrowed and she shoved my against the building again before crossing her arms. “Yeah, because I could so totally see who started it when you started giving me a hickey.”

My mouth dropped. “Yeah! After you turned me on!” I defended. A guy who was walking into the meal venue gave us a look, but I ignored it.

Her eyes widened and she bit her lip, smiling a bit as she looked away. “I turned you on?”
I gave her the ‘Are-you-serious?’ look. “No,” I answered sarcastically. “I just got hard for no reason.”

She looked away and blushed. “Uh…wow.” Blinking, she looked back up at me. “Are you mad?”

I shook my head, sighing. “I just didn’t like it that you were acting as if nothing had ever happened between us and avoiding me.”

She smirked. “You were jealous?”

I looked away and rubbed my neck. “You were all over Jordan and just ignored me.”

She pressed her body up against me and walked her fingers up my chest. “I’m not in love with him Phoenix. He was just funny.” She kissed me softly, not like last time, and it lasted a few short seconds.

“I don’t like him like that.” She pulled away from me and took a few steps back. “As for us…why don’t we just try friends as of now? I mean, besides Best Buy, we’ve hardly got to know each other.”

I nodded. “No more awkward moments, right?”

She laughed. “No more awkward moments. And I promise you I won’t corner you in the shower again.” She smiled and I felt the heat rising to my cheeks.

“Right. Um…okay. I guess I’ll see you around. Tell Alex I’ve got my phone.” She looked confused.

“Where are you going?”

I shrugged. “Around.” And I started walking.

Today was a rest day: no show. We just made our way to the venue and sat there for the rest of the day. Tomorrow was when we had the shows.

The whole venue looked practically empty without people walking around to sets and gigs. Occasionally I’d come across a band lounging around outside their bus. Most of them ignored me. A few asked of simple favors that consisted of grabbing a football that had been thrown in my direction, or asking me if I had so-and-so’s phone number because they needed to ask him or her a question. Could I grab the football? Yes. Give them Cassidy Pope’s number? Nope, I didn’t exactly have it.

It shortly came to my attention that there wasn’t much to do around her on rest days. No gigs to go see. Not much of anyone to hang out with. My thoughts were broken when I saw a tan shadow run around the corner of a tour bus. My eyes lit up with curiosity; I chased it.

As I rounded the corner, I was shocked to see nothing there. Then a shadow caught my attention to my right. I raced after it again, this time finding something…unexpected.

The dog wagged its tale, front paws to the ground, back arched high in a playful pouncing position. The mutt barked, jumping forward an inch, it’s eyes curious, but happy.

“A puppy?” I ask out loud. It barked again. I rolled my eyes, but smiled, letting it lick my hand. Bending down, I searched for tags or some sort of identification. The only thing I found was a ragged collar with Cricket printed on it. “Alright, Cricket.” I nodded, realizing I was talking to a dog and mentally slapped myself when the phone went off.

“Hello?”

“EMMA’S AWAKE!” It was Mona, she was crying, and I dropped the phone, running in a direction I was sure either Alex, Jack, or Zack would be at.

The mutt barked and I was almost positive it had scooped up the phone and was running after me when I heard the distinct sound of teeth on something hard. I knew it was following me from the sounds it’s paws made hitting the earth each time. It made me release a small smile: the dog was following me; it wanted to be around me.

I made it to the meal venue in under negative two point five seconds. I know what you’re thinking. Impossible, right? Nope. Not for me. Not when you hear that kind of news.
I can’t exactly explain what happened. One moment I was enveloped in a group hug with Alex, Zack, and Jack; being asked questions by Chris, Jordan, and Ryan; then having Viv hug me randomly and telling me how excited she was for me. So much for no more awkward moments.

Then Alex ruined the moment. “Where you’re phone? Did Mona call you from that?”

I groaned, slipping my hand from around Viv’s waist and running my hand through my hair. “The dog ate it. The stupid mother fu-“ Alex cut me off.

“Is that how you talk when you’re around Emma?” His voice was stern and his desperate attempts at trying to stop me from cussing where getting annoying.

“No,” I answered irritated, “but she’s not here.”

Alex grinned. “Exactly. And I don’t think she’s in the mood to catch a plane over for our next Warped date. So here’s what we’re going to do-“ He paused midsentence and looked over my shoulder quizzically. His face wrinkled in confusion. Raising slightly to look over my shoulder, he pointed. “That dog?”

I turned around, just as confused. The blonde mutt hadn’t eaten my phone after all. Instead, the animal, noticing my attention was on it, slipped it’s head low to the ground and placed the phone on the ground gently. By now everyone’s eyes were on the humanlike animal. …Then it’s animal instincts wormed its way back into the mutt’s head and it sat on its hind legs, head cocked to the side, mouth open with it’s tongue lolling out.

“Yeah.” I replied. “That dog.” I leaned forward in a swift motion, taking one step to scoop up my phone. In reward, I ran my hand across the dog’s head, it’s eyes closing in content.

Zack smiled. “Someone likes you.” He stepped foreword and bent down beside me as if to scratch the dog, but Cricket growled in his direction, baring teeth.

Ryan laughed. “Yeah, well he doesn’t seem to like you too much, Zack.”

Alex smiled and turned towards Ryan. “You don’t know it’s a boy.”

“You wanna check?” Ryan offered.

Alex looked shocked and shook his head. “I’ve had enough looking at dog’s parts to last a lifetime. No, thanks.”

“I’ll look.” I answered annoyed. I glanced under the dog and glanced back at them. “Girl. And her name is Cricket.” Cricket licked my hand, her ears perked up and the tips flopping over. For a mutt, she was really beautiful.

I turned back to Alex. “Can we keep her?”

He looked at me like the total idea was absurd. “Where are we going to put her? We barely have enough room for all of us in the bus as it is. And remember, Rian's still gotta have room, too. ”

“She can sleep with me!” I defended. “In my bunk. After I give her a bath.”

He rolled his eyes and looked at Jack and Zack. Zack was suddenly down on his knees with both hands clasped together. “Please Alex? Can we keep her?”

Alex looked at Zack with confusion. “She doesn’t even like you!”

As if in retaliation, Cricket shuffled over to Zack and licked his cheek, looking back at Alex.

Zack’s face wrinkled is disgust but he refrained from wiping away the slobber she’d left behind. “Ew.” He voiced. “I do not want to know where that tongue’s been.”

Jack laughed and reached forward, scratching Cricket behind the ears. He was soon joined by Viv, Jordan, and Chris.

Alex tipped his head back and forth, biting his lip as if weighing the options. Coming up with a decision, he nodded. I fist pumped and lunged at Cricket, who looked shocked when I started to hug her around her neck. She licked me back.

“But-“

I groaned when Alex said that.

“Only if you find out she has no owners or anything like that. I’d hate to be charged with stealing a dog.” He laughed.

I grinned. “Thanks Alex.”

He rolled his eyes, arms crossed over his chest. “Yeah. Whatever.” But when he looked away, I swore I caught him smiling.