Romeo In Blue Jeans

I woke up at 9 the next morning. I jumped out of bed and skipped to the bathroom and changed. I grabbed my laptop and sat at the front of the bus. I was glad max was already awake.

"Good morning." I smiled.

"Happy birthday." Max hugged me with one of his bear hugs.

"Thank you." I chuckled.

"We should get to Florida in less than an hour." Max said. He knew I wanted to see the second we passed the welcome to Florida sign. "We’re going to stop so we could get a picture with the sign."

"Should I wake up everyone then?" I asked, excited. Max nodded and I skipped to the bunks. I opened the blinds and sunlight streamed in through the windows. I opened the curtains of the guys' bunks and they groaned.

"Come on, guys. Wake up." I said.

Pat and Kenny woke up, but everyone else fell asleep again. I convinced Jared and Garrett, but John would as for five more minutes and fall asleep again. I rested my chin on his pillow as I stroke his hair. He looked exhausted and peaceful as he slept. He opened his eyes and smiled.

"Are you okay?" I asked, stroking his hair.

"Yeah, I'm just tired." he smiled. "How’s my birthday girl?"

"Great, but are you sure you’re okay?" I asked and he nodded. "Do you want some coffee?"

He smiled and nodded again. "Thank you."

He jumped out of his bunk, kissed me, and went to change and get ready in the back with the rest of the guys. I made everyone some hot coffee and I sat in the couch watching outside of the window.

"It’s a beautiful day for my beautiful birthday girl." John said as he sat next to me. He had changed into skinnies and a long sleeve black v-neck shirt and his breath smelled like mint. I smiled and he kissed me.

"We’re here." Aaron called ten minutes later.

I looked out of the window to see the "welcome to Florida" sign. The bus slowed down and parked in the side of the highway. I grabbed my camera and stepped out of the bus with John. It was chilly outside so I snuggled against him as we waited for everyone to come outside.

"So what's on the list for today?" I asked.

"You’re going to have to wait and see." John grinned.

"I don't want you guys to waste any money on me, at all." I said.

"Hmm I seem to have heard something but I couldn't quite understand it." pat said as everyone came outside. I laughed and gave him a little shove.

"Don’t worry about today." Jared smiled.

"Just leave it all to us." Garrett added.

"Your only job for today is to have fun, be happy, and enjoy your day." Kenny said.

"I love you guys." I smiled.

"We love you too." Garrett said.

We took a lot pictures in front of the sign. Everyone insisted on me and John taking over ten different pictures. I chuckled when he picked me up into his arms bridal style and kissed me as Tim took the picture. He set me down carefully and kissed my hair.

"One more picture." pat said. "I'll be right back". He ran to the bus by himself. He came back a minute later with his hands behind his back. He stood in front of me now. "Close your eyes". He smiled. I closed my eyes.

"Open your eyes." Garrett said.

I opened my eyes and pat was holding a birthday hat in the form of a cake with candles and it read happy birthday on it. He put it on my head and I chuckled.

"I told you guys not to waste money on me." I smiled.

"Do you like it or not?" Kenny smiled, ignoring my statement.

"Yes, because it was from you guys." I attempted to hug the all at the same time.

They took pictures of me standing in front of the sign with my birthday hat on. John stepped closer and asked Garrett to take a picture of us with his phone. The picture was only our faces and he kissed my cheek and I wrapped my arms around his neck. He smiled and set it as the background picture of his phone.

He picked me up bridal style again as we went back into the bus. I laughed and held onto my hat. We sat around the bus as we started to drive again. I uploaded the pictures onto the Fearless blog, the guys’ website, and my Facebook. The guys took the pictures and each saved them into their computers.

"I finished two of the update videos." I remembered.

"Can we see?" Jared asked.

"Of course." I smiled and showed them both of the videos. Vito laughed when the part of him poking Garrett’s butt came up.

"They’re perfect." Max said when they both ended.

"Thanks." I smiled.

"You have mad skills." Pat said and high five me.

I opened the twitter app on my blackberry and typed: Birthday morning as we just drove into Florida. Jacksonville tonight. The guys received my tweet and decided to also write something.

Garrett wrote: we've got a birthday today. Florida, what do you have for us?
Kenny: a birthday for our new family member.
Jared: everyone wish our sister and best friend a great birthday.
Pat: part tonight Florida? Happy birthday, Carter!
John: birthday for the love of my life.

"Thank you, guys." I smiled.

About ten minutes later, I was receiving happy birthday tweets. It burned through the battery from how many @replies I received. I left my phone to charge. We arrived in Jacksonville and stopped in an ihop. I was still wearing my hat as we ate. I happily enjoyed my pancakes as the guys still took pictures of me.

"What’s with all the pictures?" I chuckled.

"For memories." Tim said.

"And you look adorable with that hat on." John added and kissed me.

The guys paid and we climbed into the bus and drove to a destination that was only unknown to me. I stared out of the window as we drove.

"It’s so pretty." I said.

"What’s so pretty?" Pat asked.

"Everything." I smiled. "I can't wait until we get to Miami."

"We’re actually excited to meet your family." Jared said.

"I'm worried about that part. I'm hoping that they don't scare you away." I said.

"They can't be THAT crazy." Kenny chuckled.

"They’re Cubans, they find their ways." I said and the guys laughed.

The bus finally stopped in a mini golf course. I climbed out of the bus with the guys and paid to play. I started off good in the first hole, but by the third one, I fell behind. I couldn't stop laughing and neither could the guys as my ball would completely miss the holes or when it would fly into the mini built lakes. In the last hole, everyone was done but me. When you made the ball into the hole, it would take them to a box. I finally made the ball and the guys cheered.

"That was so much fun." I skipped as we walked back to the bus.

John caught up, took my hand, and pulled me closer. "I'm glad you're having fun."

"I love that she doesn't care whether she wins or loses, just that she's happy and with us." I heard Jared say happily and I smiled. I ran back and jumped on his back.

"I love you guys." I said. Jared chuckled and pretended to be a horse as he ran back to the bus with me on his back.

"What time is it?" pat asked when we all sat in the bus.

"2:30". Tim answered.

"The show's at six tonight, right?" Kenny asked.

"Yeah, we have to go to the venue now." Max answered.

We were watching football as the bus was on the way to the venue when my phone rang. My dad was calling me.

"Hi, dad." I answered.

"Happy birthday, princess". He said happily.

"Thank you". I could feel a huge smile on my face.

"Where are you?" he asked.

"Jacksonville."

"You’re finally back in your home state. Now you just have to come to home to your family". He said.

"Are you trying to make me feel bad, dad? I already told you we can't come back. We're moving to Arizona."

"Hey, it was worth a try." he answered and I chuckled.

"I miss you, dad". I smiled.

"I miss you too. Hurry and come soon". He said before we said our goodbyes and hung up.

"Your dad sounds like a great man." Jared said.

"He is". I smiled. John wrapped his arms around my shoulders.

"Have you enjoyed today so far?" pat asked.

"Yeah, thank you guys." I smiled.

"It’s not over yet." Jared winked.

"Can this day really get any better?” I asked.

"We told you that today was your day to enjoy." Kenny answered.

We arrived at the venue and hanged inside of the bus for a while. Two girls were going to interview the guys so I went outside with max to get them. People in line waved at us and we smiled and waved back.

"Happy birthday!" people called from the line. I had forgotten I was still wearing my birthday hat.

"Thank you, guys!" I smiled. "Who are the two girls that are interviewing 'The Maine'?"

Two girls stepped foward and showed us their passes. Their names were Cindy and Emily. They followed us to the bus and the guys were sitting in the couches playing call of duty.

"We found them." max announced.

They all introduced each other and we assure the girls to take a seat. The guys sat in the couch in front of them and the rest of us stood aside watching them. Cindy was recording as Emily asked the questions. After a few typical questions, she asked: "you guys don't mind any questions right?" The guys shook their heads. "Tell us about your relationship status right now."

"Single." Pat raised his hand.

"Same here." Garrett said.

"And here." Kenny added.

"I've been in a relationship for a while now." Jared said.

"I recently found the love of my life". John smiled and looked at me. Emily and Cindy awed and turned the camera at me. I blushed and hid behind Tim.

"She’s camera shy." John chuckled and they turned the camera back to the guys again.

"How did you guys meet?" Emily asked.

"Funny story there," John smiled. "She had actually been to one of our shows before and I felt something that time and then when we found out that she was going to be our photographer, there was this sudden spark."

"Do you still tell people you're a "virgin"?" Emily asked and everyone laughed. I somehow thought the question was personal.

"Err not really, but now I regret it. I wish I could turn back time and save myself for the love of my life, like she is." John answered and looked at me with a smile. I felt s tear slid down my cheek and I dabbed it off.

"How come you guys are so open about answering these kind of questions?" Emily asked.

"Well, we like to be open with our fans as much as possible." pat answered.

"And keeping her a secret is disrespect to her and I love her way too much to ever hurt her." John added. I mouthed an I love you and he smiled.

"Do you consider yourself to have been bitten by the lovebug?" Emily asked.

"Yupp and struck by cupid. Hard." John nodded.

"You can feel the love radiate out of this dude." Garrett said.

"But we all love her dearly." Kenny added.

"She’s one of the best people we have ever met." Jared said.

"And today's her birthday." Pat felt the need to grow that in there.

"Yupp, she's finally turning 21." Garrett said.

When the interview ended, the girls got some pictures and left back to the line, and I jumped onto john's arms. He laughed and lay back on the couch and I was on top of him. Someone knocked on the door and max went to answer it. Joel came running inside and stopped in front of us with a confused look.

"Are they just having sex here and you're all watching? You could have made some popcorn and invited us." he said.

I blushed, stood up and chased him. He ran out of the bus and I followed him. We both laughed as he kept ahead.

"Damn it, Joel! How are you so fast?" I called.

"I played baseball in high school." he answered.

"What?" I stopped and breathed. "I'm just going to get you when you least expect it."

He ran around the bus as if he was flying and stuck out his tongue at me. I laughed and went back in the bus after realizing everyone in line watching and taking pictures.

"Didn’t manage to catch him, huh?" Sean asked as I sat in the couch next to John.

"Nope," I shook my head. "I'll get him, though". Everyone laughed.

We went inside for soundcheck and then it was time for the show. I was taking pictures of the guys from between the stage and barricade like I usually did.

"Today’s a special day that we're celebrating." John said onto the microphone.

"Can you come up here Carter?" Garrett asked me. I pointed out that there were no stairs around. Aaron jumped down and picked me up onto the stage and handed me to John.

"Thanks, Aaron." Garrett said.

"Some of you know her as our photographer and others know her as the love of my life." John said.

"I'm digging the second option better." Garrett said.

"Me too." John chuckled. His arm was around my waist, pulling me close to him and the crowd was staring at me, not helping my stage fright. "Well, today's her 21 birthday and we have another surprise for her."

Kenny took my camera and John stood behind me and covered my eyes with his hands. I heard the guys quieting the crowd.

"I'm sorry about making you stand up here again with your stage fright." John whispered in my ear.

"You just read my mind." I said. He chuckled and kissed my hair.

Less than a minute later, he moved his hands from my eyes and pat stood in front of me with a birthday cake. It was pretty big and it was white with purple flowers. In the middle, it read in purple: "happy birthday, Carter". It also had 21 lit candles around.

"1, 2, 3." John said into his microphone. Everyone that was in that building at that time, came around and sang me happy birthday. I couldn't stop smiling as tears streamed down my cheeks. Happy tears of course. John wrapped his arm around my waist.

"Make a wish a blow the candles out." Garrett said when they finished singing happy birthday.

I closed my eyes and though hard. What else could I really ask for? My life was at its best, I have the most amazing friends in the world, I'm doing what I love, and I found the love of my life, there was really nothing else I wanted but for everything to continue the same. So that's what I wished for and blew out the candles, and everyone cheered. I opened my eyes and Garrett had grabbed a bit of frosting and put it on my forehead, nose, and cheek. I moved back and laughed.

"Garrett!" I laughed. He was laughing and whipping his hands with his towel.

"I just had to." he said into the microphone. Pat held out the cake to me, signaling me to put some frosting on Garrett. I got a bit and ran to Garrett, putting it all over his face.

"Okay, you got me." he laughed.

"Thank you guys so much for everything," I told the guys, still feeling tear eyed.

"We love you so much." John said and hugged me super close to him.

I was about to go backstage again, but Tim and Max stepped onto the stage with a vodka bottle and a shot glass. They both had smirks in their faces.

"No way." I laughed.

"Your first legal drink." max said as Tim poured some vodka into the glass. He handed it to me and I just eyed it. I looked at John and he just shrugged and chuckled.

"Shot! Shot! Shot!" Garrett said and the crowd joined him. I sighed and zipped the drink fast. Everyone cheered.

I left backstage so the guys could continue with their show and hugged everyone else, thanking them. I managed to put frosting on Joel's face too as a payback.

"Okay, you go me." Joel laughed and I smiled in triumph.

When the guys finished I jumped on john's arms, wrapping my arms around him as well. He chuckled and wrapped his arms around me.

"Thank you guys". I said and kissed him.

"If she only knew that the day's not over yet." Jared chuckled.

"There’s more?" I asked.

"Yupp." Pat nodded. John settled me out of his arms and we walked backstage.

"Do you know how hard it's going to be for me to top this on all of your birthdays?" I chuckled.

"You don't have to do that." Kenny said.

"Well, I am." I smiled and hugged Kenny.

After the meet and greet and everyone singing me happy birthday again, we headed back to the bus. Kenny and Jared left to get something while the rest of us relaxed. When they came back, they looked suspicious. I stared at them as they sat in front of me and pretended as if they didn't look guilty of something. The bus started off to another unknown destination to only me.

I stood up and stretched after 10 minutes into the drive. I walked to the back of the bus and lay down on the couch by myself. I stayed there looking up at the ceiling and thinking.

Was it weird that I couldn't stop thinking about John and I actually DOING something? I mean, I was always waiting until I found the right guy and here he was. The love of my life. I sighed and closed my eyes.

"Don’t tell me you're falling asleep." I heard John say. I opened my eyes and he closed the door behind him and walked towards me. He sat by my waist on the border of the couch.

"Nope, I was just thinking." I said.

"About?"

"Us." I smiled.

"Anything in particular about us?" he grinned, inching closer to my face.

"Yeah." I blushed.

"What is it?" he asked and kissed my cheek.

"About--uh--." I was too embarrassed to say it.

"What’s wrong?" he asked, staring into my eyes.

I sat up and stared back into his eyes. "About us being, you know..." I noticed that he understood when he blushed.

"Are you talking about sex?" he asked. I blushed more and nodded. "But love, aren't you saving yourself?"

"I've been waiting for someone I truly love and that's you. I've never loved someone as much as I love you." I answered and entwined my fingers with his.

"Are you sure?" he asked. I smiled and nodded. He put his free hand on my cheek. "We will try, I promise, but think on it."

I smiled and he kissed me.

"I love you." he said in between kisses.

"As I love you." I said. He wrapped his arms around my waist and sat me on his lap, not once ending our kiss.

"Wait until you get in a bed guys! Max and I sleep there!" Tim banged on the door. "And we're here by the way."

John smiled and stared into my eyes. "Let’s go change."

The guys were changing in the back room as I changed in the bathroom. I put on my skinny jeans and I had forgotten my shirt in my bunk.

"How am I supposed to get it?" I asked myself. The bathroom was right next to the bunks so I would have to get it with only my pants and bra on, and you never know if the guys come out in those 5 seconds.

I opened a small creek of the door and looked around. The guys were still changing in the back.

"Are you ready, Carter?" pat asked, he was sitting in the front of the bus watching tv.

"Can you get John, please?" I asked. As he passed by, I closed the door.

"Love?" John knocked on the door a few seconds later. I opened a small creek of the door again. "What’s wrong?"

"I forgot to grab my shirt from my bunk and I can't really come out shirtless." I said, blushing.

"I'll get it." he chuckled and left.

"Still too shy to be around us? We walk around you in our underwear all of the time." Garrett said.

"It’s different." I said.

John came back with my shirt and I thanked him. I changed fast and brushed my hair. I joined the guys in the front and sat with Kenny watching tv. John and Jared were outside and they didn't let me look out of the blinds.

"It’s okay that you're still shy around us." Kenny said.

"Yeah, don't worry. I was just kidding." Garrett added. I smiled and nodded.

John and Jared came back. John was wearing skinnies and his famous black leather jacket. He offered me his hand with a smile. I took it and he helped me stand up. He stood behind me and covered my eyes with his hands.

"Ready?" Pat asked me.

"I think so." I answered and they helped me walk.

We were outside of the bus and a cold breeze hit us. The smell of the salty sea hit my nose and I wondered if we were in the beach. I noticed we were when I felt my flats sink in the sand as we walked. We stopped a minute later but John still covered my eyes.

"Happy birthday." the guys said as John moved his hands from my eyes.

There was a big table set up in the sand with chairs and it was surrounded by lights. The beach was right in back of it.

"Like it?" Jared asked. I nodded.

John entwined his fingers through mine and we all sat around the table. They had all made different foods. There was a plate of sandwiches, rice, chicken, fruit salad, and the cake they had sang me happy birthday with sat in the middle of the table. They had even made handmade orange juice, lemonade, and piña colada.

We served our food and everyone talked while I just listened. Max had made the piña colada and Aaron had made the orange juice and lemonade. They were happy to know I lord how they had come out.

"What’s wrong?" Garrett asked. "You haven't talked much."

"Sorry". I smiled.

"What’s on your mind?" John asked.

"I'm just taking it all in. You guys being so amazing and everything you do for me and how I'm finally going to see my dad after so long". I answered.

John wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer. "Smile, love. It's your birthday." he said and kissed my head.

"Sorry." I smiled and cleared my head.

The This Century guys arrived five minutes later and settled around the table with us. I concentrated and talked more with everyone now.

It was two in the morning when we went back in the bus and started off to Tampa. I thanked everyone about 100000 more times and hugged them all as hard as I could. John tucked me into my bunk that night again and stood there stroking my cheek.

"Did you think on what you asked me today?" he whispered. I nodded and smiled.

"I love you and there's no one else I want but you." I answered and he smiled.

"I promise that we'll try, but first we need a real bed and to be alone." he whispered. I chuckled and kissed me.

He went to his bunk ten minutes later and I fell asleep right away.