Destined to Explode

“So why exactly did you punch Jordan?” I enquire as Alex shrugs on his jacket, readying to leave the next morning as I lean against the wall, still in my pajamas even though it was almost midday.

The subject had been avoided for the rest of the night, the rest of the people in attendance not knowing any difference even as Zack helped Jordan into a cab, Alex getting straight back into the spirit of things with the request that Matt made Jaegerbombs and we set up a few rounds of tequila shots that had be coughing by my third.

“I already told you. I didn’t like how he’d spoken about you.”

“What exactly did he say then? It‘s not like you too go around hitting everyone who bad mouths me, Lex.”

“He was telling people you’d always been an easy lay and he was taking money that he could get you in bed by the end of the night.”

Jordan White, everybody.
The guy, who in High School, I broke up with in order to keep up my affair with Alex.
He was the only person I ever properly ‘dated’ in the sense that I didn’t mess around with Alex at the same time. Jordan was the one who made me wish that I could get over my little fling with my cousins best friend because hanging over him when he had a girlfriend wasn’t very respectful.

Apparently he was still pissed at me then.

“Oh.”

“So, you see, I think, as your current boyfriend, I have the right to swing a punch in the direction of any douche bag who talks shit about you like that.” Alex smiles, leaning down to capture my lips, “Now I’ve got to go run these errands before the shops close. Go back and nurse your hangover, babe.”

“Oh, I would if Jack would get off of my bed.”

The before mentioned boy had crawled onto the end of my bed sometime during the night, only being discovered when I’d kicked him in the ribs while turning over - his reasoning? Apparently he’d been wanting to demonstrate what having a dog would be like but fell asleep instead.
Why, if we got a dog, it would sleep in my room, on my bed, he couldn’t explain, nor the reason he’d randomly got out off bed show me at four am.

But then again, this was Jack, why did he do anything of a strange nature?

-----

Monday

“That was possibly the most pointless flight I have ever taken.” Evan laughs as we all gather just outside the arrivals gate, our twenty minute flight from Baltimore having just landed in New York.

From here, they were meeting up with the rest of the crew and taking the eight hour flight to Germany to start the Europe leg of this tour, and I would be going to hail a cab to get me too Marky’s apartment where’d I’d be staying on a semi-permanent basis, until, well, who knows really.

“That’s a nice bruise you’ve got there, PZ.” Vinny chuckles, making me immediately drop my hair, giving up the idea of tying my hair back so I can cover my neck.

“Where? What bruise? Poppy-.”

I glare at Vinny now that I have to explain to a slightly frantic looking Jack, “It’s a hickey, Jack. Shut up!”

Alex has joined in the laughter by this point and I don’t hesitate to slap him on the chest - it was his fault after all. 

Jack just looks at us both, disgusted, “Alex, could you refrain from taking chunks out of my cousins neck in the future?”

“I’m not promising anything!”

I tug Alex away then as he continues to giggle to himself, telling Flyzik we’ll be back as soon as we have Coffee from Starbucks - not that it mattered, they weren't checking in until Jeff got here and he was still apparently stuck in traffic somewhere between here and Boston.
 Alex reels off his complicated iced coffee order while I simply get a Vanilla Crème Frappicino for myself - but instead of letting me sit down, Alex sweeps me back out of the airport store, trailing us around until he finds some empty seats elsewhere.

“Why couldn't we just sit in Starbucks?” I huff, these seats were far less comfortable than the huge lounge chairs offered before.

“Too many people.” He smiles, taking a sip of his Coffee before he places it on the floor by his feet, digging his hand into his pocket instead, “I got you something.”

“What for?”

“I felt like it.” He pulls the shiny silver chain from his pocket, a tiny skull charm attached, “Here.”

I take the delicate piece of jewelery, letting it sit in my palm as I look it over, “Lex-.”

“I know you said you didn’t want us to swap rings or anything, I know you’re not into that kind of possessive shit but I figured that I practically took one of yours so…”

He pulls the compass necklace I’d had for years from under his shirt, something he’d borrowed at some point on the tour and never given back to me, and apparently he didn’t intend too.

“I can bet you mine didn’t cost as much at this did.” I scoff, turning the small charm over and over, “When did you even get this? Somewhere on the road?”

He laughs, “This is what my ‘errands’ on Sunday involved. It wasn’t ready on Saturday like I’d been told it would be, so that’s why I bailed on you so fast.”

“And there was me thinking I’d upset you.”

“Never.” He laughs, taking the piece of jewelery back and motioning for me to turn, quickly clasping it around my neck, “Come on, we better get back before Flyzik blows a fuse.”

I wouldn’t blame the man if he had - not only did he have thirteen guys to shepherd together from who knows how many different states, he also had to make said guys got here on time and then on the flight to Sweden - it seemed like he had an impossible task at hand.
When we finally locate our way through the small maze and back towards the gate where they’ll be flying from any minute according to the tannoy, Jeff has shown up, looking slightly haggard, probably from the early time he’d have had to get up, the drive from Boston taking four hours and with it barely being nine in the morning, he would probably be sleeping on the eight hours it would take to cross the pond.

“Right, we’ve gotta boards boys. Say your goodbyes.”

Most people already have, their loved ones have said it at home rather than waiting until now, so the majority gravitate towards me, wishing me well over the next two months, Vinny letting me know he’ll call every now and again with news on the GK sales, some of the other crew just saying they’ll miss me on tour and in the end, Alex is the only one left, Jack having just left me with a huge kiss on the cheek and a tight hug.

“You’re sure you can’t come along?”

“Positive, babe. Now you better hurry up and go before Matt flips out.”

Alex doesn’t reply, just pulls me to his chest arms tight around my shoulders as I hug mine around his waist, pressing my face into his shoulder with a sigh, “Gonna miss you.”

“Only fifty two days, right?”

I can’t stop the bubble of laughter that falls from my lips as he kisses me quickly, winking as he rushes after the rest of the group, “Yeah, fifty two days.”