I Believe in Yesterday

Jade's POV

For the first time in a long time, I woke up smiling.

It didn't matter that once I left the bunk that I would be reminded of how miserable my life was and it didn't matter that Matt wasn't even next to me like I would have liked but I smiled nonetheless and I was genuinely happy.

I jumped out of the bunk, almost landing on my butt, before jumping up as if nothing happened, looking from side to side to see if anyone had caught my trip. When I noticed that no one was even looking in my direction, I fist pumped the air quickly before walking into the back lounge to get changed from my pajamas.

I was practically jumping up and down as I walked to the bathroom, clothes in hand and the ever growing smile on my face. I changed into a tank top because of the sudden warmer weather that had awaited us at the present tour stop. I had stolen it from Garrett the day before because the strange designs on the front had drawn my attention with a promise to return it within a week. Noting that Garrett was still slightly bigger and obviously more...boyish than myself, a black tank top was placed underneath with a pair of tight black skinny jeans that clung to my legs. My hair was curlier today as opposed to its usual straightness which was something different that had never really occurred so much in my life but when it did, it just made everything better. Makeup and the rest of my bathroom routine ensued and after finishing, I ran to the back lounge again to grab my black and gray dunks and phone as I was passing the bunk before walking into the front lounge.

“Is that a smile I see this fine morning?”

I looked up from my phone which I had been in the process of turning on as my eyes fell on Rian sitting at the couch in the lounge watching television with a Starbucks coffee cup in hand, a large grin on his face. The room was practically empty. Except for one other person.

She sat in silence next to him, a bowl of cereal in between her hands as a spoon hung from her mouth, lips closed around the silverware. She stared at me with her brown eyes, her bangs falling out from behind her ear as she stared at me in indifference. Finally, my smile widened as I lifted my free hand to wave at her, hoping that she would accept the greeting in hopes of climbing over this large mountain that had come between our once amazing friendship.

Melanie pulled the spoon from her mouth before dropping it carelessly in her cereal bowl, continuing to stare at me while my hand still hung in the air awkwardly as if waiting for a reply.

Melanie sighed, squinting her eyes at me and cocking her head to the side, “Have you and my brother done the deed?”

My eyes widened as I looked over at Rian who was pressing his lips together to try not to laugh.

“Excuse me?”

Melanie sighed, handing off her cereal bowl to Rian, “I mean, I've been wondering about this since you two announced you were dating. I just can't picture Matt ever getting it in...ever. So, has he?” She asked, raising an eyebrow in my direction as she waited for my answer.

“Well-”

“Oh God, don't tell me! I changed my mind! Gah!” Melanie screamed, clamping her hands over her ears as Rian burst out laughing one of his hands clutching to the bowl while the other covered half of his laughing face.

I smiled over at Melanie as she got up from the couch and made her way over to me, a grin on her face before she opened up her arms.

“You better give me a fucking hug before I punch your junk.”

“But I'm a girl. I don't have any junk.”

“Junk in the trunk my friend. Junk. In. The. Trunk.”

“Fine. I don't care. Grab my ass all you want. I'd probably like it.”

“I always knew you would turn into a flaming lesbian.”

Melanie and I grinned at one another before she pulled me into a bone crushing hug, my arms hanging to my sides, both limbs not being able to wrap around her because of her grip around my forearms.

“I missed you! I'm so sorry I haven't talked to you and you probably hate me and just know that I didn't think that anything Alex said was right and God you're pretty and I want to be friends and I hope you and my brother use protection and Rian told me about yesterday and John's cute and-”

“Melanie?”

The dark haired girl pulled her head away from my shoulder and stared at me, her brown eyes wide, “Yes?”

“Please shut up and let go of me so I can hug my friend.”

Melanie immediately let go of me, throwing her arms in the air, “Oh my God, we're friends! Fuck yeah bitches!”

Simultaneously, we threw our arms around the other as Rian gave off an obnoxiously loud 'aw' from behind us, causing both Melanie and myself to lift a hand off the other and flip off the more than likely grinning drummer.

Our moment was ruined by a ringing from my front pocket as my phone started going off in the of my jeans.

“Seriously, Jade? I hate your phone so hard right now,” Melanie said, letting go of me as she shook her head.

“Sorry! I can't stop it from ringing if it wants to!”

“Yes you can! Its called turning it off!”

“Shut up,” I mumbled with a smile as I pulled my phone from my pocket and looking at the caller ID which was flashing Jared's name. I looked up at Melanie who rolled her eyes.

“Well, he's already ruined the moment, might as well see what he wants.”

I nodded pressing the call button before pressing the device to my ear.

“This is Jade Mother fucking Bates. What's your problem?”

“My current problem is the throbbing pain in my right wrist which Garrett is clutching to while being tattooed. I'm going to say that I'm probably the only one.”

“You would be correct, sir,” I answered, sticking my hand in my back pocket as Melanie and Rian began talking quietly to one another.

“Yeah well, its not on my top things on my list of what to do today. Wanna come hang out here and possibly take over my duty as Garrett's tear wiper?” There was a mumbled 'hey' in the background and I giggled, nodding my head slightly.

“Sure. Where are you guys?” I asked, motioning to Rian and Melanie that I was heading out to which Melanie pouted but nodded her head in agreement before making a heart with her hands, Rian rolling his eyes at her.

“Just down the street. Walk out the venue where we came in this morning and take a right then continue down the street and just a little ways down, there's a coffee shop. Across the street is where we is at,” Jared answered, rattling off directions but I knew he was distracted, probably by Garrett who I could tell was tightening his grip by the buzzing sound in the background that could only be pinpointed as the needle plunging back into his inking skin..

“Alright, I'll see you in a bit,” I replied, jumping off the bus steps and closing the door behind me.

“Okay cool. See ya.”

The call disconnected after that and I closed my phone, walking forward and out of the venue as I made my way down the unfamiliar streets.

---------------------------

“Gary, you're kind of pathetic,” I laughed, watching as the group of five or so boys turned to look at me, one holding up a small video camera that he had been aiming at the short brunette currently laying on his side.

“Jared is a fucking liar; I haven't cried once,” Garrett whined, pouting out his bottom lip before looking over at the smirking ginger.

“Yeah, okay. But I swear to God I saw water in your eyes, you fucking baby,” Jared retorted.

“I had something in my eye.”

“Yeah, they're called tears.”

“I wasn't crying asshole!”

“Hey, dick wipes!” All eyes fell to the boy I hadn't noticed was laying on his back, his hand positioned over his ear, holding onto an ear bud that he had just yanked from his ear, “Some of us are actually trying not to think about the needles in their skin right now,” John said, giving a pointed look to Garrett and Jared as they both mumbled something along the lines of sorry on Jared's part and something about not being a dick wipe on Garrett's, “Thank you.”

And with that the bare chested singer plugged the ear bud back in as the tattoo artist went back to inking his chest.

Everything went back to the way it was previously, the rather bulky man tattooing Garrett went back to doing just that and I turned to Jared who was smiling over in my direction when I had caught his eye.

“Good mood again today?” He asked, walking closer to me so that we weren't at such a distance from one another and having to yell across the people between us.

I nodded, “Yup. Woke up like this.”

“I'm glad that things are changing for you, Jay,” He smiled, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and squeezing me toward his side for a brief few moments before letting go.

There was a silence between us as I stared at Garrett, a glare fixed on his friend with the video camera who continued to shove the device in the boy's face.

“Melanie and I made up today,” I said, immediately feeling Jared's smiling eyes on me.

“Really?” I nodded, “Well, that's great! At least now you have two people on that bus that don't totally hate you.”

“Gee, thanks Jared. I'm glad you included my boyfriend because he makes three.”

There was another silence and I knew immediately why; Jared was constantly reminding me that Matt was always absent when he had practically begged for me to come along with him on this tour, knowing that it would be a struggle for me.

“You know where I stand about that, Jade.”

“And I say you don't know Matt like I do so you have no reason to judge.”

“You're right...I don't know Matt. But sometimes, it seems like you don't know him either.”

“I'm done!” Both Jared and I turned our heads to stare at the smiling bassist, his shirt still missing as he pointed to the line of words written in small print across his side.

I smiled over at him, “Sweet, Gary! Let's go...”

Garrett nodded, grabbing his white v-neck and clutching it in his hand, not bothering to put it on as he followed Jared and myself out of the tattoo parlor.

“So, what'd you get?” I asked, trying to read the words while walking but it wasn't exactly working out to my advantage.

“It says, 'I need you so much closer' from the song Transatlanticism by the band-”

“Death Cab for Cutie. I know. I love that song,” I cut him off, smiling back at Garrett who's face could only read how impressed he was with knowing the band.

“Well, sweet. I'm glad.”

“I'm glad you're glad.”

“I'm glad you're glad I'm glad-”

“Oh God, don't start this, please,” Jared groaned, his head rolling back as Garrett and I laughed, high-fiving each other.

“Hey, did your tats hurt when you got them?” Garrett asked, both boys eyes looking over at me as I started to shift uncomfortably under their gaze.

“Um, yeah some did. I guess it just depends on where you get them.”

“Which one hurt the most?” Jared asked, his eyes wandering over to my collarbone, the words exposed from the tank top.

“Um...probably the one around my ankle and part of my foot, mostly 'cause it took the longest and took up the most space.”

“Wait, you have a foot tattoo? I wanna see it!” Garrett exclaimed, kicking at my feet with the expression of a child in a candy store.

“Fine, fine.” At this point we were walking into the venue and toward their van which seemed mostly abandoned because of all the others still at the tattoo shop.

Jared opened up the van door and the three of us sat in the opening that it made as I took of my shoe, the picture of the bird with the music notes floating from its mouth out in the open for their viewing eyes. Garrett reached forward with his hand, his fingers lightly tracing the bird.

“Wow,” He muttered, his eyes transfixed on the bird, “This is really awesome.”

“Thanks,” I muttered, slipping my foot back into my sneaker.

“What about the others?” Garrett asked, eyes falling to my wrist.

I flipped over my left wrist, holding it out for the two of them to look at.

The first day when Rian had opened the bunk flap to find Matt and I laying there, he noticed the small elegant script but I had pushed him away and not shortly after did he find the writing on my hip bones but as Garrett traced the small name inscribed on my skin, I almost wished I could go back in time and let Rian look at the words instead of hiding them away like I had.

“Samuel James Bates...” Jared read, his eyes slowly lifting to meet mine as I weakly smiled back at him, “Your brother.”

I nodded, “He was a lefty; It only seemed fitting for me to get his name tattooed in a place that made him somewhat unique.”

“Hey that's my tank top!” Garrett cried out, his finger pointing to the shirt I had been wearing all day.

Rolling my eyes I nodded, “Yeah, Gary, it is...Do you want it back now or something?”

“The sooner the better.”

Sighing, I stood up, beginning to yank the article of clothing off my body, the black tank underneath riding up slightly as I did so.

“Whoa, hello other tattoo.”

I immediately froze at Garrett's words, my head still encased by the fabric of the tank top since I hadn't completely taken the top off. Scrambling, I ripped the shirt off, before trying to tug my black tank down, hoping that they hadn't gotten a good glimpse at the words.

“No, I wanna see!” Garrett exclaimed, wrestling to stop my hands from closing off the inked words.

“No, please, Garrett, its better if you don't.”

“Why? I wanna see!” With one final push of my hands, he managed to grasp the bottom of my tank top, lifting it up to look at the lyrics split up between my two hip bones.

“You've taken so much with you, but left the worst with me...” Garrett read, his eyes catching mine with a confused look, “Why would you tattoo All Time Low lyrics?”

Movement from the other side of the van caught my attention and I watched in slow motion as the familiar head of brown hair rounded around the corner, her eyes falling from each person in the group to the skin fully exposed by Garrett's hands. I watched as she read the inked words before her eyes burned into mine with such fire that I swear everything around me melted with the burning rage she gave off. And as she walked away, I knew that I had lost Bailey from another mistake I had made.

“Shit,” I muttered, pushing Garrett's hands away roughly before chasing after my sister.