Destined to Explode

After three weeks in New York, I decide this is the city I was made for.
Baltimore is gorgeous, of course it is. It’s quiet, for the most part, and there’s so many things that remind me that it is home, like the familiarity of the streets that I feel I could navigate with my eyes closed, and the tiny shops and café’s most people won’t experience because they’re too blinded with the more popular establishments.

Then there’s Chicago, and sure, it holds some pretty horrible memories for me, but then there’s some good one’s alongside. Like the year I spent in College, where I made some pretty decent friends, and then the start of my career, interning for Marky and then finally getting a permanent job, it opening up opportunities that I’d never even dreamed off when I’d escaped Maryland to do a business degree.

But, New York was more amazing than I remembered from my short visits in the past. Most people who had been brought up in the suburbs would find the rush of the city streets to be too much, but it only aided my quick favoritism towards it. It didn’t allow me to procrastinate -everyone else was so busy, it made you the same way. No matter how set you are in your ways of being calm and collected, after a few days you find if you don’t walk around like you’re in a rush, even if you’re not, you’ll get nowhere other than shoved to the floor by some busy person who is too focused on their phone to notice they've knocked you down. The office was the same. It dealt with all the International orders which add up too so many more than the domestic and a lot of the sponsorship deals were made here, meaning my day was a lot more hectic than I’d gotten used too.

Speaking of across the pond - that’s where I’d be going in a matter of days. The guys and girls in the office and GK shop had pooled together and bought me tickets.
Plane tickets.
All the way across to London, England, where I’d meet up with the tour and my boys and spend five days back on the road with them before I jetted home and got back to work.

It was a present, of course, for my Birthday, which was two days before Zack’s, so they were giving me way more than I ever could have asked for by flying me over when they did. Birthdays always got celebrated well with ATL band and crew, so the joint opportunity to get beyond drunk was probably going to bode well for my high expectations.

------

Six hour flights, by yourself, are so mind numbing.
It’s not like I had anyone to complain about really. There was no screaming baby or inconsiderate business man getting in my space, and maybe that was the problem - the flight had been so quiet, despite the fact it was the morning, something I probably wouldn't have mind if it was a red-eye flight I‘d taken.
I wasn’t tired, at all. I managed to finish the only book I’d brought with me within the first two hours and my phone was quickly depleting in battery so playing games and/or music was out of the question. I mean, there was in-flight movies but I’d seen the majority, the others being child-orientated, and turning my brain to mush wasn’t exactly on the agenda.

Matt meets me at the airport, my arrival a surprise to everyone else, other than him and Colussy who was going to stall and distract the boys if they got back from their in-store before we managed to make it back to the venue.
It's a shorter cab drive than I expect, the car pulling up to the academy within the same hour and Matt quickly shuffles me inside, the few girls waiting outside the back entrance screeching before they even know who's stepping out the car, clear disappointment showing as I scuttle out of their view.

“No way! Zicarelli.” Vinny practically screeches as Matt and I turn the corner into another corridor of the venue, he coming the other way, “What are you doing here?”

I’m laughing as he squeezes me into a hug, “The GK family sent me over for my birthday, so here I am.”

“The next three days are going to wreck!” He cheers, “You’re going to discover a whole new meaning of drunk.”

“I’m expecting to not remember anything by Saturday.”

“Oh, you know it.” He grins, “What’s in the bags, PZ? You staying for a while?” I suppose that's how it looks, my usual medium suitcase in Matt's clutches and then two tote bags on my shoulders.

“Aaah, Marky has sent everyone some of the new summer line for you guys to have in advance.” I thrust the heavy bags full of shirts and jackets towards him, “Go mad.”

Instead of scuttling away with the spoils like I thought he might to go share the news, he grabs my hand and leads me through the stage door, Matt refusing to help as I’m pulled away, Vinny whistling to grab Grieco and Ian’s attention.

“Look who turned up!”

I’m passed back and forth between the majority of the crew for at least twenty minutes, until I end up with Jeff and Evan in the front of house booth, with Jeff demonstrating the new additions to the set and Evan demanding I add a few songs to interval play list before he starts syncing it in.

“So, I heard my girlfriend’s in town.”

I turn to spot Alex, stood to my left, still behind the barrier, smirk set in place as he crosses his arms over his chest and raises an eyebrow, “Oh yeah? That must be awesome for you.”

“Nah, it’s going to spoil my nightly hook ups with the underage groupies.” He jokes, immediately shaking his head with a grimace, “Why do you never tell me you’re flying in? You’re making me look bad!”

I laugh as I sweep around the sound and lighting equipment to stand by his side, “I know how much you like surprises.”

It’s a lie, really. Sure, he’s all for spontaneity but when someone throws him a curveball, he tends to stress about it, and yet, he’s the first to suggest doing things without any planning or thought.

“You’re not letting me be the cheesy boyfriend I was born to be. I could have come to pick you up and we could have swapped spit while I spun us in circles.”

“You’re disgusting.”

“Hey! It’s what they do in all the movies.”

“Because I’m such a fan of chick flicks.”

Alex chuckles as he grabs my wrist and tugs me closer to him, “God, I missed you.” The light-hearted air drifts away as Alex secures his arms around my waist and I let mine raise until they’re on his shoulders, smiling as he closes the height difference, pressing his forehead to mine, repeatedly pecking my lips, “Really, really missed you.”

“POPPY!” I’m practically bowled over as Cassadee throws herself at me, screeching as she jumps up and down, despite my unresponsiveness. The shock of being ripped away from Alex stunning me, “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“Christ, don’t knock her over, Cass.” Alex is suddenly six feet away, chuckling to himself as Rian steps up beside him, he clearly being the one to tell his girlfriend I was visiting.

“But she’s back! Look, another girl, Alex. An example of the female species.” Cass squishes my face between her hands, grinning, “She doesn’t have dick! Do you?”

I take back everything about New York.
Right here is where I’m meant to be.