Mistakes We Wouldn't Learn From

[Alex]

The next day was spent driving up to Detroit for the next show. We left in the morning and ended up getting there around four in the afternoon, just in time to jump out and get stuff set up for the show. I wanted to find Derek and beat the shit out of him, but the others wouldn’t let me.

I would just have to find him after the show.

“Are you sure you’re feeling well enough to play the show tonight?” I asked Zack worriedly, pacing back and forth in front of him. He was sitting on the couch. He was still pretty weak, but he had definitely improved over the last two days.

Zack nodded, looking up at me, “I’ll be fine. I don’t feel like I’m going to pass out or anything, so that’s good.”

“You took your medicine, right? I don’t want you having a panic attack on stage...” I trailed off, looking at him. He grabbed me by the hand and pulled me down onto the couch beside him.

“Yes, I took my medicine this morning. I should be okay. Quit worrying – you were never this worried about me before,” he said, a small smile on his face.

I sighed, linking our hands together, “I didn’t have much of a reason to worry about you before. Now I have two reasons.”

“Well stop. I’m a big boy, I can take care of myself,” Zack teased, leaning over and kissing me. I put a hand on his face, deepening the kiss. I caught him by surprise and I took the opportunity to slip my tongue into his mouth when he opened it slightly.

“Whoa! Is this a backstage area or a private make-out room?” We heard Gabe’s booming voice as he walked into the room and both of us jumped apart, blushing slightly.

“Sorry,” I apologized.

“Nah, it’s okay. I’d be doing the same thing if I had someone to make out with,” Gabe said, shrugging and sitting down across from us. “So, are you feeling better, Zack?”

“Yeah,” Zack nodded, looking down at the floor. I squeezed his hand.

“That’s good. We missed you guys the last two days – it was quieter backstage without Alex and Jack running around like madmen,” Gabe said with a chuckle. “By the way, you’re on in five minutes. Matt is looking for you.”

--------------------

The show went well, and Zack actually looked like he was having fun on stage. It was nice to see him smiling so much after what he’d been through in the last week or two. Even after we got off stage he was still in a happy mood.

My smile, on the other hand, disappeared as soon Cobra Starship walked off stage. The show was over now and the crew members were putting equipment into each band’s van. Everyone was walking around outside, talking to each other. I walked away from my band, looking around for Derek. I was going to find him, and I was going to give him a piece of my mind. And maybe my fist.

I spotted him standing over by his band’s trailer and I walked up to him, not caring that everyone else was standing within earshot. “Derek Sanders, you are a fucking asshole!”

Derek raised an eyebrow at me, “How so?”

“You know exactly why you’re an asshole!” I yelled, scowling at him. The rest of my band had heard my outburst and ran up to us. “You’re the reason Zack fucking hates himself again! Do you know how hard it was to get him out of that stage?”

“I couldn’t have hurt him that badly,” Derek scoffed, but the smirk on his face told me that he knew exactly what he did.

“Quit being a dick – you know exactly what you did to him,” Jack said with a frown.

“Whatever you said to him, it made him think he wasn’t good enough. He wasn’t eating much all tour apparently, and he stopped eating altogether the other day. He went nearly three days without eating before we finally found out – that could have killed him!” Rian exclaimed.

“Too bad it didn’t,” Derek smirked. Zack shrunk back, standing behind Rian.

I glared at him, clenching my fists. “You take that back, right now.”

“No way,” Derek said, laughing. “I don’t take back anything I’ve ever said to him. It’s all fucking true.”

With that comment, I finally snapped. I punched Derek in the face before anyone could stop me – not that anyone would have. Everything after that was a blur of Derek trying to fight me back and failing, and then we were being pulled apart. I looked up, panting, and saw Gabe standing there with a frown. Derek had been pulled back by Jake.

“Derek, did you say all that stuff about Zack?” Gabe demanded.

“Yeah – so what?” Derek asked, pulling out of Jake’s grip. Derek’s eye was shut slightly in pain and I was pretty sure his nose was bleeding a little.

Gabe pointed at the Mayday Parade van, “Get out.”

“What?”

“I want you and the rest of your band off this tour. Anyone who’s going to be so cruel to the other bands is not welcome on this tour,” Gabe said impatiently.

“You can’t do that!” Derek scowled.

Gabe laughed, “Oh, but I can. Cobra Starship is headlining – our band and our managers are responsible for who’s on this tour. And I don’t want you here. I’m sure your manager will be real happy with you guys when he finds out you’ve been kicked off the tour.”

Derek stopped arguing and walked back to their van, slamming the door shut.

“I’m sorry it has to be this way, boys. The rest of you are good people,” Gabe apologized to the rest of the band.

“Yeah. It’s not your fault that the lead singer is an asshole,” I added.

“It’s okay. No hard feelings. I’m so sorry about what he did to you, Zack. You’re a good guy,” Jake said, sighing before going back to the van, the others behind him. We could immediately hear yelling inside the van.

“You guys are still welcome on the tour, if you want to continue it,” Gabe said, turning to the rest of us with a smile.

“I’m not sure. Is it okay if we take a day to think it over?” Rian asked, speaking up before the rest of us could respond.

“No problem. Just let me know after tomorrow’s show,” Gabe said before walking away.

We were quiet for a moment, and then we all trudged back to our van in silence. Zack bumped me with his hip as we were walking. “Hey, Alex?”

“Yeah?” I asked, looking up at him. He leaned over to peck me on the lips.

“Nice punch.”