Hold on Darlin'

“Piper.”

“Go away.” I groaned attempting to pull my legs tighter into my body but that only made an uncomfortable gap in where I was sleeping and my body. I swore, remembering this feeling from all those Summers and weekends in high school. I slowly peeled my eyes open, the headache already forming in the deepest part of my brain.

“Get up. Now.” Mike was sitting in the seat in front of me, a frown on his face.

“You know, Dad said you should stop frowning so much. It creates ugly wrinkles and your face is just too cute for that.” I said sitting up and stretching.

“Shut it, Piper.” I glared at him and pulled my sweater tighter against my body.

“Great here goes this nonsense again. When I took this gig, I didn’t know you were going to be here too but if I would have known, I would have turned Jamie down. You aren’t mom and dad, Mike! They’re treating me like their kid-like their grown ass kid and instead of you treating me the same, you’re acting like I’m cheap porcelain that could break at any second. That’s not fair. I haven’t touched a thing in nearly ten months so get off my case, okay?” I said, my voice taking on the annoyed edge of someone about to snap.

“Piper. Seriously? Treating you like you’re about to break? I treat you that way because you could break at any second! You aren’t supposed to go out and get obliterated every time you get the chance, but you do. For fucks sake, you tried to mac on your merch partners dad last night and when he didn’t return the favor, ran into Vic’s arms. I had to practically pry you out of his arms last night! You’re going to get hurt, Pip, and when you do, I’m so fucking scared you’ll slip back into the hole and I don’t know if we could pull you out this time. You’re my little sister and I can’t lose you so you’ve got to pull yourself together, Piper. If not for me, then for yourself and mom. She’s losing her mind worrying about you. She’s why I text you a million times a day and Jamie checks your pupils every time you look at him. Everyone is terrified that at any moment, you’ll just regress into that little girl who nearly died 18 months ago, so god dammit. Pull yourself together, put the alcohol down, and stay out of a relationship for awhile.” I rolled my eyes and climbed over the seat and opened the door of the van without uttering a word to Mike. He’d said his peace. I don’t know how he thought making me feel like a five year old would some how make me NOT get drunk or want to get high as the stars but for some reason he was under that impression.

The air outside was already sticky at 8am and my fleece shorts stuck to my legs. The cardigan was already too much. I slipped it off and shut the door behind me, leaving Mike with his head in his hands.

“Where you going little slut? Already off to sleep with someone else on the tour?” I spun around, meeting his dark eyes. Those eyes that I loved, the voice that made my skin burn with a white hot intensity. He smirked and pushed his bangs out of his face.

“What the fuck did you just say Slade?” I asked, the anger of a hangover, Mike, and now Slade was setting in and I was going to make the biggest scene 8AM had thus far.

“I said,” He threw the cigarette he was holding on the ground and lowered his sunglasses over his eyes and stepped towards me. “Where you going little slut? Your shorts couldn’t be any smaller could they?”

I threw the cardigan on the ground and reached back, slapping him with all the force I had in me. The resounding crack of skin meeting skin was enough to make multiple groups of people stop what they were doing and the van door opened.
His sunglasses fell to the ground where I retrieved them and placed them over my eyes. The previous headache now a full blown migraine. I turned on my heel and walked away from his shocked face. Not twenty feet from the boys trailer, Gidget stood, a light long sleeved shirt adorning her small figure. Even in my hungover state, I knew something wasn’t right about that.

“Piper, get your ass back here with my shades! Come on! I know it wasn’t the right thing to say! Please!” I heard Slade yell from the van. I spun around and stuck both my middle fingers up, smirking.

“Sorry bro. They have my slut germs all over them now. I guess I’ll just have to keep them.” I yelled and grabbed Gidget by the forearm and leading her over to the TWLOHA bus and sat her down in the back lounge room.
I laid my head down on my arms, throwing the shades away from me and sighing. I couldn’t form thoughts enough to ask Gidget the question I already knew the answer to.

“Piper.....you made out with my dad last night.” Gidget finally said. I lifted my head and gave her a half smile.

“I heard. I’ll be honest. I don’t remember who I made out with. And, I have no idea who your dad is. But, I’m sorry. That’s terrible, I’m a terrible fucking person. Thanks for meeting my quota of the day.” I said rubbing my temples.

“I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. I just.....I didn’t know if you knew it was him or not and it hurt my feelings a lot. I’m supposed to talk about what’s hurting me now instead of doing it in more....destructive ways.” Gidget said quietly.

I looked at her crossed arms and then back to her face.

“Is that why you cut or burned or whatever your poison is? Because I macked on your dad last night. Fuck. Way to go Piper! God, Gidget I’m so so so so sorry! I didn’t know, honestly. I’m so sorry.” I said, feeling my throat tighten. This was my fault. I was ruining everything for everyone and I’d only been here for two days.

“No. No. It wasn’t your fault. There was a lot that happened but I’ve had “friends” who’ve used me as a catalyst to get to my dad and I didn’t want to believe that you would be one of those people but I didn’t know so it just affected me in the way everything does and I fucked up.” She said hanging her head. I slid around the round table in the middle of the lounge and wrapped my arms around her shoulders.

“I’m sorry. I am. I fuck up. A lot. Friends?” I asked leaning up and smiling hopefully. We both needed a friend these days. It was the only way we were going to survive the over bearing parental figures that had followed us out on tour and the constant memories that haunted us on a daily basis.

“Friends.” Gidget said, nodding.

Two and half hours later we had passed out four hundred fliers and stood through one awful set on the Kevin Says Stage. The girl lead band had tried but their guitars weren’t properly tuned and her vocals were off-so much so that she was screeching to make herself heard.

“Can we please do something fun now?” I whined pushing the beanie further back on my head.

“Sure. After we talk to Jamie.” Gidget said leading the way. I groaned. It was obvious that she was the stickler for the rules and some how Jamie had paired her with her exact opposite. I made bad decisions and then worried about the consequences later. What a set we were.

Jamie was standing near the tent, a clip board clutched to his chest talking to Eddie Gold- another one of Jamie’s survivors. The man found troubled youth and turned us into little suicide prevention soldiers, it was amazing.

“Ladies.” Eddie greeted as we walked up.

“Sir Edward. Tell me, second in command, am I free to do whatever I want now?” I asked placing the shades on my head.

“How the hell did you get rid of that hangover so quickly?” He asked, completely ignoring my question.

“Former drug addict, son! I’ve got a brain made of steel! Now answer my question.”

“Did you pass out all the flyers?” Gidget and I nodded in unison. “Okay. Did you stand through one terrible set?”

“You know, I made that bet with the intentions of making you do that-how I lost is beyond me.” I scowled. “But the answer is yes. Pleasssse?” I begged. He laughed and nodded.

“You, my fine ladies, are free. What are you going to do?” I shrugged and turned to the neighboring booth.

“What time do you guys play?” I asked walking over to the british boys who were half gawking at my forwardness. I slipped my hands in my pockets and rocked on my heels.

“Four....Weren’t you at the date yesterday?” The cute one with the beanie I had eye raped just the day earlier asked. I felt Gidget’s arm link through mine.

“Yeah, man. I work with Jamie, over there at To Write Love On Her Arms. This is my bitch, Gidget.”

“Well. Aren’t you just a little spit fire? The names Dan.” A shorter, equally adorable, Dan Flint stuck his hand out for a handshake which I took quickly.

“I mean....if that’s how you feel, then yeah. I guess we’ll see you guys later at your set? Gidget can’t stop going on and on about you guys and your lead singer over there is adorable so I’m shallow enough to check you guys out based on these facts.” I said shrugging and turning to Gidget.

“Food?” She smiled and nodded. I waved over my shoulder to the shock boys and looped my arm through Gidgets, satisfied with myself for the hour, at least.