You're Buying Junked Lives

Today was a normal day; the sun rose, just as it always did, I made some coffee, just as I always did, and Sisky made his grand entrance into the world of the fully awake by rolling off the top bunk and smacking his face on the floor, just as he always did. I had enjoyed the first few hours of my day alone and in peace while the other members of the bus, my roommates if you will, slept their morning away. This was normal as well; not only was I an early riser by nature, but I also had the added benefit of not partying myself to near death every night. Thus I could wake up early and enjoy the unusual peace of the morning while the rabble-rousers slept off their inevitable hangovers.

Currently, I had five roommates, Andy, Mike, William, Sisky, and Chislett, and my home is a decent sized bunk located in the back of the TAI bus. But I didn't always have five roommates, sometimes I had more, sometimes less, and I didn't always live in a bunk on the TAI bus, sometimes that bunk was in other buses. In fact, sometimes I didn't live in a bunk at all. Sometimes I had a whole room to myself in a two bedroom apartment that I shared with two other people. But the time I spent living in a real room was rare and mostly only happened as a last resort.

As far as roommates go, the guys from The Academy Is weren't actually too bad. There had been better bands to live with and there had been worse bands to live with. And this tour wasn't really so bad either, as far as tours went. I had toured with The Academy is before, had them as roommates before, so everything went pretty smoothly with the six of us. It was comfortable to share my living quarters with them, familiar. And I appreciated that familiarity. I truly did.

I liked that, over the years, they had picked up on my strange quirks and had learned to read my moods fairly well. I liked that they knew when I just wanted to be left to myself, even if they didn't understand why. Like right now, Sisky and Andy were in the back entertaining themselves with god knows what, Mike and Chislett had scurried off the bus the second it rolled to stop, and William was sitting on the couch opposite me, eyes intent on his computer screen. They all knew I was perfectly content curled up in the farthest corner of the bus. They all knew not to try to distract me from the pages of my latest novel.

And it was nice to be left to my own thoughts. It was nice that they had learned I needed some time to myself every once in a while. Some people never seemed to learn when I didn't want to be disturbed, even after having spent multiple tours with me.

Chislett and Mike stumbled back onto the bus with boisterous laughs, bags rustling in their hands. I didn't need to look up from my pages to know this, I could tell from the outrageous amount of noise they were making. Had I looked up, I may have been prepared for what happened next.

"What're you so wrapped up in?"

Peter Wentz happened to be one of those people who never seemed to learn when I didn't want to be disturbed.

I barely spared him a fleeting, irritated glance. I refused to answer; I didn't want to be taken out of my wonderful world of fantasy. Besides, I assumed the answer was obvious, I did have a book in my hands after all.

"Are you intentionally ignoring me?" He had to ask the obvious questions, it was just in his nature.

I heard Mike and Chislett laugh, presumably in response to Wentz's idiotic inquiry, and the tell-tale opening and closing of cupboard doors while the bags they were holding rustled; they had definitely bought food during this rest-stop.

"You won't get an answer out of her when she's like this." William's smooth voice cut through the laughing, "She doesn't really like to be bothered when she's found a good book."

"I know that." Pete responded easily and my head snapped up at that, surprised at his response; he never seemed to know anything about me. I was also surprised that he was still looking at me. I didn't know how to react when our eyes met, something in my mind always shut down when that happened and I wasn't even prepared for it this time! "I just wanted to know what book was so good it managed to capture your attention so thoroughly." The smile on his face was genuine, but cocky. Genuinely cocky. He had the biggest ego in the world, I swear.

My only response was to glare at him and turn my attention back to the pages before me. Pete's expression must have been either shocked or confused because William's easily recognizable laughter drifted in the air between us.

"You can't have expected her to answer, Pete," William's voice was always easy for me to listen to, even when I was reading, "I just told you she wouldn't."

Someone sighed, I'm assuming it was Wentz because it sounded rather dejected, and Wentz was always dejected when he didn't get his way. He was such a child. "You can't blame a guy for trying." his voice floated through the air.

And then I heard footsteps and the sound of a body landing heavily on the couch opposite myself, the couch William was on. I glanced up, hoping beyond all hope that my suspicions were incorrect, only to be disappointed. Wentz had definitely been the body that flopped heavily on the couch, he was sprawled there now, tilting his head up to look at whatever William had on his laptop.

"If you don't hurry back to your own bus soon, you're going to be stuck on this one, you know." It was a statement, not a question, and I said it pointedly, implication heavy on my tone.

Wentz had the audacity to meet my gaze squarely and grin, knowing it irritated me. "I know. I'm staying on here for a while. At least until the next pit-stop."

Internally I groaned; I knew he was going to say that, the man just couldn't seem to take hints. Externally, I slammed my book shut, rose to my feet, and walked as swiftly as I could to the back of the bus, where the bunks were.

My dramatic exit wasn't enough, apparently, Wentz always had to have the last word.

"She honestly hates me, doesn't she?" His voice seemed to follow me, mocking me, reminding me that he and his ever troublesome presence was going to be on my bus for the foreseeable future.

Will's tone was strangely condoling in response, I recognized it instantly because I had overheard him use the same tone on Frankie when my brother was heartsick. "Don't worry, it's nothing personal. She can just be…" William's voice paused momentarily and I paused as well before fully shutting the door to the bunks behind me, wanting to hear what he would say, "Abrasive."

"Jackie!" Andy was the first to notice my presence and his announcement of said presence made the other three boys turn their heads in my direction.

"And the famous Iero finally graces us with her presence," Sisky said dramatically, grinning that crazy grin of his at me, "You come by to help keep us entertained?"

I shook my head and dove straight into my bunk. "Nope, just wanted to get away from interruptions."

"Oh. Do you want us to clear out then? Give you your space?" They really did know me well.

"No, it's alright guys. You know I can tune you out by now." And with that I yanked the curtain shut and curled up in my bed, opening my book and flipping through the pages to find the last one I had read.

It must have been a few hours later when I finally emerged back into the world of the living. Everything on the bus was strangely silent. While I enjoyed the harmony immensely, I was also entirely aware that this was not necessarily a good thing; sometimes unnatural silences meant the boys were plotting one of their infamous schemes…schemes that always seemed to get me into trouble. As I hesitantly poked my head out from behind the heavy curtain that hung over my bunk and was greeted with the sight of an empty room, I vaguely remembered being told that we were almost ready to stop and fill up on gas again. That had been about thirty minutes ago.

Chances were, we had finally stopped. And judging by the complete and total lack of noise, chances were also pretty high that all of the boys had headed out at this stop, including Wentz. I tiptoed as quietly as I could to the door that separated the bunks from the rest of the bus and poked my head out as surreptitiously as I could, just to double check.

My suspicions were confirmed; no sign of Peter. The bus was officially Wentz-free!

I exhaled with relief and walked calmly out from behind the door, taking my time to get a glass of water before heading to my usual corner of the front of the bus and curling up against the window. I had just reopened my faithful novel and was taking a sip of water when I heard the toilet on the bus flush. I thought nothing of it, assuming one of the boys must have taken a leak, and didn't bother looking up.

I wish I had. I would have had the chance to stick my legs out and take up the entire bench if I had seen him coming. Yet I didn't, I didn't see him coming.

And thus none other than Peter Wentz himself sat his ass down right next to me.

I fought back the urge to scream in annoyance; everyone knew not to sit too close to me, whether I had a book in my hands or not. I had personal space issues. I had decided long ago, a few tours back, that it was Wentz's personal goal to irritate me at every available opportunity and he was still living up to that expectation.

"Are you going to say anything, or are you just going to sit there burning a hole into your book with your angry eyes."

I wouldn't look up at him. I wouldn't.

"Where are the guys?" I demanded; if I was going to be stuck on this bus with Wentz, I would not be stuck on it alone.

"They're out. They're planning on hopping on the other busses for a while, hang out with everyone else." He replied easily, throwing his arm casually over the back of the bench.

Don't look up, Jackie, don't do it. He wants you to look up, don't give him the benefit of knowing he's getting to you.

"And when are you planning on hopping on another bus?" I managed to grit out; I wasn't sure how many more hints I could drop before I just came right out and told the guy I wanted him to piss off.

"I don't think I will anytime soon."

Regardless of what my inner voice was chanting in my mind, don't look up, don't look up, his response still shocked me enough to claim my full attention and I looked up at him with wide eyes.

"What?"

His eyes met mine evenly. They were so warm, so open. I lost myself almost instantly in that sea of amber and brown. I really did like his eyes, a lot…too much. That's probably the entire reason I disliked the rest of him; it was a natural self-defense against his charm. Purely survival instinct.

"You heard me." He didn't repeat himself.

Yes, yes I had heard him. "Why?"

Wentz could only shrug his shoulders in response. "Maybe I just like your company. Do I really need a reason?"

"Yes." I snapped instantly; his flirty remarks would get him nowhere with me, I wasn't a sucker for love. "Yes you do need a reason. This is my bus, Wentz!"

His eyes didn't seem so bright anymore and the longer we stayed locked in a staring competition the more the light seemed to leave his eyes. He broke the eye contact first, looking down at the table momentarily, and I was still glaring daggers at him as he rose to his feet.

"Fine." He stated it simply enough, but his voice seemed oddly hollow. He took a few steps forward and paused, barely turning his head in my direction. "I just wanted you to know…last night…I wasn't trying to make you feel like shit. I really didn't mean it the way you understood it. People would have noticed if you hadn't been in that corner, and they would have missed you. I'm sorry it's in your nature to twist people's words, Iero."

And then he was gone.

Peter Fucking Wentz, always having to say the final words.