Textbook Romance

There was a scowl on my face as I hopped back onto the the ADTR bus. Neil noticed and gave me an odd look before asking, "What the heck happened to you?"

I glared as I shuffled over and sat on the couch between him and Jeremy. "Max Green happened."

Jeremy laughed and nodded his head as Neil wrapped his arms around my shoulders. "Yeah," Jeremy laughed, "That Max is quite a character."

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. "He's quite an asshole too."

The guys all laughed loudly and grinned at me. "You're spunky. I'm going to miss you when this tour splits," Jeremy said as he wrapped his arms around me.

"That's not for awhile," I said happily, curling into Neil's side as the bus began to roll forward and out of the parking lot, and then city, leaving my parents behind as well.

"Three weeks will go fast."

My head snapped over to Jeremy as those words left his lips. "Three weeks? I thought the tour was three months?"

Jeremy looked over my head at Neil who had groaned and stuck his head in his hands. Jeremy reached over and smacked Neil in the back of the head. "Why didn't you tell her?" Jeremy shouted as the other guys, Josh, Alex, Kevin, leaned forward from the floor and smacked him too.

"I was going to!" Neil claimed as he smacked Kevin back, "I just hadn't gotten around to it!"

"Excuse me," I interupted as the other guys all started spouting things at Neil again. "What is it that you're supposed to be telling me?" I questioned, looking at the faces of all the guys, Neil most importantly.

"Well, uh-" Neil started but then was cut off by Jeremy, who obviously wasn't into bullshitting.

"Escape the Fate is branching off on a different tour in three weeks," Jeremy told me, "And since you're their merchandise girl, you have to go with them."

"What?" I shouted as I sat straight up, "No! Can't I be your merch. girl instead?" I asked frantically, grabbing onto Jeremy's arm, seeing as it was obvious that he was the one in charge on this tour.

Jeremy chuckled but shook his head. "Sorry, Gin, we've already got a merch. girl."

I turned to Neil quickly and grabbed his hand. "Neil, please. I don't want to be stuck on a bus with those guys! I don't even know them! I'm sure your merch. girl wouldn't mind sleeping with Max for two months!" I claimed as my voice became frantic.

Neil sighed, "Calm down, Ginny. It'll be fine. We've still got three weeks for you to get to know them better."

I stared at Neil with a blank expression on my face as the bus went completely silent and then I said, "You've got to be fucking kidding me, N. I can't live on a bus with four guys I don't even know, for two months by myself."

Neil sighed and wrapped his arms over my shoulders, "I'm sorry. I should've told you sooner but I was afraid that you were going to back out and not come with me."

I groaned as he brought out his cute side. "It's alright, I guess. I would've come with you but I would've brought Mace or something," I laughed, "You know, got to keep Max away."

After a little while the guys all split up and went their separate ways. Neil and I went and laid in his bunk, popped in a movie on my laptop, and curled up together as I munched on Hot Flaming Cheetos.

"Those things are so nasty," Neil laughed as I crunched on one extra loudly, just to annoy him.

"Nuh uh!" I countered, trying to swallow quickly so I could actually talk, "They are the best things I've ever tasted in my entire life!"

Neil laughed, "Oh, I'm sure, Ginny."

"They are!" I grinned as I pulled another one out of my bag and ate it. Neil just rolled his eyes and shifted so that my head was resting on his left shoulder with my laptop on my stomach.

We were watching Nightmare Before Christmas, a movie that had been one of my favorites since my childhood. I watched as Sally tried to poison the evil-scientist man, but he tried to get her to drink it instead. I watched as Jack Skellington walked over the hill that uncurled itself and the yellow moon rose high in the sky as he sang the "Jack Lament" song. I sighed, causing Neil to look down at me with question in his eyes.

"What?" Neil whispered in my ear.

"I just love this part," I replied softly, my eyes not leaving the screen as my favorite quote from the movie popped up.

"Why this part?" Neil questioned as he nuzzled my hair with his nose.

I shrugged against him, "I just understand how Jack feels," I murmured.

Neil thought about it for a moment and then spoke with a tone that was almost sad. "You want something different for your life?" he questioned, his grip tightening around me.

I paused the movie and looked up at him. "Of course," I murmured, "Wouldn't you if you were me?"

Neil shook his head automatically but otherwise couldn't find the worse to say why not. "What do you want to do with your life then?" he asked a moment later as I closed my eyes and cuddled up to him.

"I don't know yet," I said honestly, thinking about the next few years of my life and how I'd have to decide on what I'd want to do for the rest of it.

"You could marry me and tour the world with me," Neil joked lightly, pressing a kiss to the side of my head.

I looked up at him and smiled, "I'll think about it," I said back, making him smile slightly and stick his tongue out.

I leaned in and pecked his lips, glad to be back by his side. "Did you have a good birthday?" he questioned.

I shrugged, "My parents took me out to this big restaurant and we almost got into it right there."

Neil kissed my forehead and asked what we were fighting about. I looked into his eyes and shrugged again, "Just my 'life decisions'," I quoted, "They don't think I should be here or with you."

Neil grunted seeing as our age difference was a touchy subject for him. We met when I was 18 years old and he was 24, a six year age gap between the two of us. I turned 19 two days ago and he turned 25 before then. I reassured him all the time that I didn't care about the difference but it seemed like it got to him sometimes.

"I love you," I murmured as I pressed my lips to his cheek.

He smiled and kissed me on the lips before replying, "I love you more."

We finished our movie and watched a couple more before deciding that the two of us needed to get out of bed and socialize, since we'd have all night to be together. It was around six PM when our busses stopped to pick up fast-food for dinner that Craig and the rest of the ETF boys approached my table in Burger King as I waited for Neil to order our food.

"Hey Ginny," Craig grinned as he hopped into the chair next to me, Robert and Bryan taking the other two while Max stood at the end of the table with his arms folded over his chest. "I heard that you just found out about us cutting out on tour early," he said, obviously hearing about how I freaked out.

I nodded, "Yeah, It's cool with me, I guess. I did sign up for the job."

"Just so you could fuck your boyfriend all summer," Max grumbled under his breath, causing me to jump up out of my chair and stand in front of him.

"Aww, you jealous?" I questioned as I tucked my hair behind my ears and tried to make my five foot four frame seem more threatening.

Max scoffed, "Why would I want to fuck you?"

I smirked, "That's not what you were saying this morning, Maxy-boy. I thought you wanted me in your bed? That all changed when you realized that I didn't want you in mine," I spat and then pushed his chest, causing him growl lightly.

I rolled my eyes and turned back to Craig, Robert, and Bryan. "So, anything I should know about being Escape the Fate's merch. chick?"

Craig thought about it for a moment and then nodded. "The tour manager, Natt Goodwin, doesn't like it when people who work for bands sleep on a different band's bus. Technically you're supposed to be in the roadie bus but there wasn't any room so we told her we'd take you in on our bus like our last girl."

I nodded, "So if I meet a 'Natt' and she asks where I'm sleeping, I'm supposed to say the ETF bus, gotcha."

Craig grinned as the guys chuckled and nodded. "That's exactly right," Robert concluded.

I smacked the table and laughed, "Well, I think that maybe I should put some of my things on your bus then, if that's okay. Just incase she comes on and realized that there's no girl shit any where aboard."

Craig nodded, "Yeah, that's totally cool. Right, guys?"

Robert and Bryan nodded and I just ignored Max completely. Bryan mention what a good idea that was with a smile and a highfive before Neil came walking back over with a bag full of food for me to scarf down.

"Neil, baby..." I whined with a pout on my face, "Can we go to the gas station across the street and get more cheetos?" I smiled at him as I wrapped my arms around his neck, causing him to groan.

"Gin, don't do that!" he shouted back at me as he covered his eyes with his free hand.

"Do what?" I asked innocently, smirking at the guys when Neil wasn't looking.

They all tried to hide their smiles, even Max, who was pretending he still thought I was repulsive. I kissed the edge of Neil's jaw. "Please?" I asked again, hugging him close to me.

He groaned and looked up to the ceiling. I knew he was caving so I squealed and jumped up and down. "Thanks baby!" I replied as I kissed his lips quickly and then turned back to the ETF boys. "Do you guys want to come to the store with me and then help me take my shit to your bus?"

The guys were about to reply as Neil cut in. "Wait, what?" he asked, obviously confused.

I took his hand in mine. "I'm going to keep some stuff on their bus in case a certain woman named Natt gets sneaky and decides to check the busses or whatever," I added a shrug as Robert, Monte, and Craig stood up next to Max and nodded their heads.

Neil nodded as well and then motioned towards the exit of the building. I grinned and pulled him out of the door, ETF following behind us.