Wasting My Time Dreaming

Rian
I smiled at the tiny photograph inside my wallet, the beautiful red haired girl staring back at me, her beautiful smile dazzling me. Her curly red hair was pushed back from her face, her bangs pushed to the corner of her dazzling brown eyes. Her skin was pale, but in that beautiful way. Sydney Sara Manning was beautiful, every single inch of her.

“Rian? You're drooling,” Zack remarked dryly, a smirk planted on his face. I casually wiped my mouth, realizing I was in fact, drooling over a photograph of Sydney. Has it come to this? Yes, Rian, it has.

“I miss her so much,” I said, but didn't add the part that made everything else hurt: I missed Sydney so much it hurt. It hurt me every time I had to listen to all the songs me and Alex had wrote about her. Vegas, mostly. But the pang in my chest every time someone said her name made it so much more special when we went to Baltimore.

“We all do, mate,” Alex said, still on his British kick. “But we'll be there on Saturday.” I almost complained, but in all honestly, three days wasn't that long. Compared to the three months I won't be able to see her? Yeah, three days is a blink of an eye. The bus door opened, revealing Jack and John O'Callaghan, holding a laptop between them. On the screen was the beautiful Sydney, a smile on her face. She had set her video cam to black and white, and she was laughing.

“Hi, Rian.” She smiled at me, her smile reaching her eyes in that way that always made me smile. I smiled too, watching Jack and John carefully set her on the table, so we all could see her. John, being the major flirt that he was, kissing her goodbye.

“Till next time, eh, Sydney?” John said, walking out of the bus, his laughter carrying through the bus. Sydney rolled her eyes, pushing her bangs from her face. Me and the guys all crowded around the small table on the bus, all of us wanting to talk to her. It wasn't often we found enough WIFI to video chat with her, and if we did, she was never home.

“How's tour, boys?” She asked, leaning back in the chair that was in the kitchen, the high backed ones. Sydney looked good, her face thinning out even more than it already had, making her even skinnier. She was in a half sleeved peach shirt, one that wasn't too low cut.

“The usual,” Jack said, sipping at his vodka and soda, like the classy boy he was. He was just showing off for Sydney, who smiled.

“Oh, so, getting laid every night and finding the girl of your dreams, just to leave her to wake up alone?” Sydney questioned, not looking at any of us and concentrating on her fingers.

“For Jack and Alex, sure. But for Rian, he won't even touch a girl unless she looks like you,” Zack said, shrugging. I thumped him atop the head. “What? She deserves to know!”

“Aw, does Rian love me?” She teases, and Alex looks at me, almost expecting me to tell her. As if. I do love her, but I cover for it so well. I've gotten good at that kind of stuff, luckily.

“Totally,” I said, winking at her. She blushed, and Jack chuckled, taking another sip of his vodka and soda.

“Seriously, boys, how's the tour? I can't wait for you guys to spend the weekend in Baltimore,” Sydney blurts, brushing her bangs from her face yet again. She smiled at us, awaiting an answer.

“Good, I guess. I sing, Jack plays guitar, Rian plays drums and Zack plays bass, and we all get paid. So yes, I guess this is quite good,” Alex muses, making Sydney laugh, her bubbly and beautiful laugh filling me with a warm sensation, like drinking coffee when it's 40 degrees outside.

“God, it's so lonely and quiet here without you guys,” Sydney looked sad again, but a shadow of a smile played on her lips. “Except that the Axe Rian sprayed a month ago is still changing scents.” She let the smile break out all over her features, just as The Maine started banging their signature beat against our bus. Alex, Jack and Zack hurried outside, leaving just me and Sydney alone. “How you been, stranger?”

“I've been well, Vegas,” I said, letting the last word roll of my tongue, just like when I suggested we drive back to Baltimore to live together.

“Good, RiBread.” Ugh, that nickname... “Because honestly, I can't have you being anything but well when you're here in Baltimore!” Sydney smiled, messing with her iPhone, and showing the screen a picture of me and her, from Vegas. We were dancing in the middle of the highway, as the All Time Low bus passed.

“You kept that?” I ask, awed.

“Of course, how could I not?” I felt awful. I left her alone, every time. I miss her, but I'm so sorry I have to leave her. I miss you, and I'm so sorry.