Beginnings Aren't So Simple
It Sounded Sweeter in Her Head
Before Roxi could stealthily maneuver herself back inside the bus and hide from the world, as she’d prefer to do, Trace’s blue eyes were locked with hers. He grinned.
“Roxi,” he said, shutting his Sidekick and walking over to her. “It feels like I haven’t seen you in forever.” He tried pulling her into his long arms, and she resisted softly, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
“Is something up?” he asked her, a suspicious tone in his voice.
“Yeah… well, Trace, we haven’t really seen each other in forever. And… well, some stuff has happened lately.”
“Like…?” Trace urged her on.
“Well, Trace… um, I have a b—boyfriend.”
The last word lingered on her tongue like a sour word.
Boyfriend. Boyfriend. Boyfriend. It sounded so sweet in her head.
“A… boyfriend, huh?” She dared to look up at Trace, and he didn’t look happy. Actually, he looked flustered.
“Yeah, Trace… oh, man… I’m sorry if I, you know…”
“Led me on?” he spit the words out. “Yeah. ‘Cause that’s so easy to fix. Just say it to me.”
“Trace…” Roxi felt tears pricking her eyes.
“No, don’t even start. Just…” Trace threw his arms down softly. “No.”
After that was said, Trace walked away, to his sister’s bus. He leaned on it, took out a cigarette, lit it, and breathed out, keeping his head down.
Roxi let the tears build up, and up, and up – for two whole minutes, watching Trace chain-smoke the whole time – until finally, she let go, pried open the doors to the Jonas Brothers’ bus, and crashed into the couch.
She let out a breath and let her tears fall. She sobbed into the cushion of the couch, not caring her makeup would smear on the couch or her hair would be messy and her face would be oily and her voice would crack. She just let her emotions go.
Having a boyfriend wasn’t supposed to hurt like this. And she liked Joe a lot. When she looked at him, she could feel the warmth of his eyes and he could just make her feel like she was… safe.
When she looked at Trace, she saw fun and edginess and risk. She knew that wasn’t what she wanted, but it was so tempting.
Roxi just cried into the couch until her eyes dried up and her face was hot. She reluctantly rolled over and she wasn’t greeted how she would have liked.
In front of her, Starbucks in hand, was her very confused Aunt.
“Roxi,” he said, shutting his Sidekick and walking over to her. “It feels like I haven’t seen you in forever.” He tried pulling her into his long arms, and she resisted softly, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
“Is something up?” he asked her, a suspicious tone in his voice.
“Yeah… well, Trace, we haven’t really seen each other in forever. And… well, some stuff has happened lately.”
“Like…?” Trace urged her on.
“Well, Trace… um, I have a b—boyfriend.”
The last word lingered on her tongue like a sour word.
Boyfriend. Boyfriend. Boyfriend. It sounded so sweet in her head.
“A… boyfriend, huh?” She dared to look up at Trace, and he didn’t look happy. Actually, he looked flustered.
“Yeah, Trace… oh, man… I’m sorry if I, you know…”
“Led me on?” he spit the words out. “Yeah. ‘Cause that’s so easy to fix. Just say it to me.”
“Trace…” Roxi felt tears pricking her eyes.
“No, don’t even start. Just…” Trace threw his arms down softly. “No.”
After that was said, Trace walked away, to his sister’s bus. He leaned on it, took out a cigarette, lit it, and breathed out, keeping his head down.
Roxi let the tears build up, and up, and up – for two whole minutes, watching Trace chain-smoke the whole time – until finally, she let go, pried open the doors to the Jonas Brothers’ bus, and crashed into the couch.
She let out a breath and let her tears fall. She sobbed into the cushion of the couch, not caring her makeup would smear on the couch or her hair would be messy and her face would be oily and her voice would crack. She just let her emotions go.
Having a boyfriend wasn’t supposed to hurt like this. And she liked Joe a lot. When she looked at him, she could feel the warmth of his eyes and he could just make her feel like she was… safe.
When she looked at Trace, she saw fun and edginess and risk. She knew that wasn’t what she wanted, but it was so tempting.
Roxi just cried into the couch until her eyes dried up and her face was hot. She reluctantly rolled over and she wasn’t greeted how she would have liked.
In front of her, Starbucks in hand, was her very confused Aunt.