Picking Up the Pieces

I watched her as she watched me, trying to read her expressionless face. I couldn’t, and it made me mad.

Why go back to being a player, you may ask? You pitch one hissy fit and give up? No. I guess I never really stopped being a player or jerk, because the way Jordan keeps evading me was discouraging. When she came, for one hour, I dreamed of being nice, but soon it was too much for me to handle.

I’m a pansy. A big, blonde, buff pansy in human form. But who gives a damn if I have a body most girls love? Uh...I do?

I finally averted my gaze from her and stared at the top of her bunk instead. It’s such a shame that her body is a waste on a person like her. It said, “Look, don’t touch. You touch, and I’ll knock out all your teeth.”

I remember saying I wanted to mend her broken heart, but what’s the point if she’s already fixed it herself by filling the cracks with ice?

I was currently devising a plan to make Jordan jealous. But seeing as she wasn’t the jealous sort, it was taking up a lot of effort. Showing her my “girlfried” was going to make her happier, not upset.

I heard deep even breathing above, which told me Jordan had fallen asleep. She groaned and rolled over, dangerously close to the edge. If she moved any more to her left, she’d fall over on top of me. Not that I was opposed to the idea...

She groaned even more and rolled even more, resulting in her waking up, letting out a short scream, ad landing face first on top of me.

On instinct, I grabbed her waist to make sure she wouldn’t fall onto the floor and smirked. “I knew you couldn’t resist me,” I said, my face centimeters from hers.

She slapped my hands and sat up, straddling my stomach, and glared. “For one moment, you couldn’t shut up, could you?”

I pretended to ponder. “I’ll give you something if you go along with what I say.”

“What?”

“My love and affection,” I replied, smirking wider.

She scoffed. “Can I trade that in for something I can use?”

“Oh, babe, you can use it very well to your advantage.” I raised my eyebrows suggestively, and she blushed.

“You are so...nyargh!” she screeched.

“Nyargh? Well, that’s new. Anyway, wifey, want to go somewhere with me?”

“Does it involve a bat and a ball?” Jordan asked.

“Why?” She grinned wickedly and I decided I didn’t need to know. “But do you?”

“Only if you don’t try anything on me,” she warned.

I shrugged. “Can’t promise.”

She sighed. “That’s good enough.”

“It’s as good as you’re going to get,” I warned.

“Yeah, whatever, let’s go.” She jumped onto the floor and stripped down to her underwear and bra. I couldn’t help but stare.

“What?” she turned around, smirking. “You’ve seen me in a bikini, swimsuit, and underwear, so why is this a problem?”

“No problem,” I muttered.

“I thought so.” She nodded in self-satisfaction and turned back around to her suitcase to wear something. I stared as she wriggled into her black tights and denim shorts and a loose fitting blue shirt with a matching belt.

“You done?” I asked, pretending not to be interested when she turned back to me, slinging her guitar over her shoulder.

She didn’t answer, but smirked. I’ve taught her so well. “Take a picture. It’ll last longer,” she teased, slapping her butt, right next to my face. I gulped, turning red. I only had so much self-control.

“Why do you take your guitar with you everywhere?” I asked. I mean everywhere. The girl never took it off.

Jordan shrugged. “You never know when I’ll be asked to do a solo.”

“What?”

“You’ll find out,” she said mysteriously. I rolled my eyes.

“Let’s go, then.” I jumped through the attic door and reached my hands out to her. She ignored them and jumped down gracefully, like a cat. In case she’d try to leave without me, I grabbed her hand tightly and walked downstairs with her behind me. She tried to pull her hand out of mine, but I held tighter. “Let me be your knight in shining armour, girl.”

“I don’t want a knight in shining armour. I’d rather have a ninja,” she deadpanned. I laughed loudly as we got to the door.

“We’re going out for a while!” I called to Mom.

“Okay, hun! Don’t tire your wife out too much!” I heard the laughter in her voice.

Jordan scowled beside me. “I’m not your wife yet,” she complained.

I chuckled. “You will be soon, wifey.”

“Don’t call me that!”

“Alright, alright, there’s someone I need you to meet at the mall, though. Get in my car.”

She muttered profanities at me, but stowed her guitar in the back and climbed to the front. I smirked in satisfaction. At least she would listen to me. But now she was going to get a shock. Even if it didn’t affect her, it would still surprise her.

I drove to the mall as quickly as I could and got out. Jordan got her guitar and walked ahead of me, so I had to run to catch up.

When we got inside, there was a sudden squeal. “JORDAN HILL!” Some little kid yelled, running up to her. At her shout, heads came up and some teenage boys and girls ran up to her as well. What the hell?

“OH MY GOD!” the girls screamed.

“You’re hot,” the guys said huskily. Oddly, that make me clench my fists.

“Can we have your autograph?” the younger ones squealed.

Jordan was smiling her fake smile, the one I recognized well, but it was so well-prepared that no one noticed that she didn’t really mean it. Well, except me.

I tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around. “What’s this?” I hissed into her ear.

“My fans,” she said simply.

“What?”

“I have a band.”

“What?” I repeated dumbly.

“Well, it’s just me, but I sing and play guitar.” So that’s why she brings her guitar everywhere!

“Can you play something for us?” a girl begged. The whole crowd of them started begging all at once. Jordan laughed her perfect, fake laugh.

“Out in the open?” she asked.

“Yes!”

She took her guitar off her shoulder and took it out of its case. “Well, what do you want me to play?”

“Play whatever you want!”

“What about ‘You’re the Reason’? By Victoria Justice?” she suggested.

“Yes!” they all chorused.

“Alright, guys. Let me warm up a bit.” She stepped away from the crowd and tuned her guitar, plucking the strings, then adjusting the dials.

I watched her as she bent over in concentration, her focus on her awesome acoustic guitar. I knew she had an amazing voice and was an amazing dancer, but I didn’t know that she could play! That’s pretty hot.

What’s wrong with me? I just told her I was a player, why was I crumbling already. Jordan caught my eye and winked. What the...? Didn’t she hate me?

“Alright guys, are you ready?” she shouted to the crowd that had formed around her. I was pushed by some guys into the middle, so I could barely see her.

“YEAH!” they all screamed.

“Alright, here we go!” She started strumming the chords, and immediately the crowd was taken over. “I don’t wanna make a scene
I don’t wanna let you down
Tryin’ to do my own thing
And I’m starting to figure it out
That it’s alright, keep it together
Wherever we go
And it’s alright, oh well, whatever
Everybody needs to know
[Chorus]

You might be crazy
Have I told you lately, that I love you
You’re the only reason that I’m not afraid to fly
And it’s crazy that someone could change me
Now no matter what it is I have to do, I’m not afraid to try
And you need to know that you’re the reason why.”

She locked her eyes on mine and winked, making the guys whoop and the girls scream her name. Was she singing this song to me? Did she just confess her love to me? How come all her songs seem to sum up her feelings?

I was so deep in my thoughts that I didn’t even notice when she finished the song and was engulfed in adoring fans getting her signature. I only snapped back to reality when she walked up to me, her usual nonchalant expression on her face.

“That was great,” I told her vaguely, because I had just spotted the person I needed Jordan to meet. She ignored me and put her guitar and fan presents back in her case.

I suddenly took off running and hooked my arm on that person’s arm pulling the person toward her. Jordan finally looked at me, her expression calculating and cold.

I grinned shakily. “This is the girl I wanted you to meet,” I told her. Stacy smiled seductively at me, pulling her skirt up and her shirt down.

“Who is she?” Jordan asked, a little fire in her intense eyes. It intimidated me to no end with her eyes. They were gorgeous, but held so much history that I was afraid I’d be lost in them forever. Did I detect her wince when she looked at Stacy, or is it just my cocky mind trying to make me feel better?

I took a deep breath. It was like Jordan could look right through me and see if I was lying. She knew me more than others, almost as much as I knew her from before.

“This is my girlfriend,” I said confidently.

“Really?” Jordan asked, poisonously sweet.

“Yup.” I smirked and wound my arm around Stacy’s waist, making her giggle.

“Alright then, what’s the point of me being here?” she asked, still sweetly.

“You’re here to witness my totally awesome date with my awesome new girlfriend.” From Jordan’s look, I could tell that she didn’t believe me.

“I’ll just go set up for a gig later,” she said, scrunching her nose in disgust at me. “It wasn’t nice to meet you,” she told Stacy. “Have fun with your little toy.”

Stacy sneered. “You’re just jealous!”

Jordan laughed. “Yeah, and my tattoo is that of Lucas’s ass.” Stacy glared at her as she smacked her butt again and walked away, swaying her hips slightly. I looked away, gulping, before Stacy caught me staring.

Who am I kidding? Jordan’s still got me good.