You Suck at Love

“Come on guys, we’re going to be late,” Caro sighed impatiently, tapping her foot on the ground. Next to her Jenn laughed while adjusting the necklace that was hanging around her neck. “And I thought girls were bad.”

“It’s not like we need to rush to get to our VIP seats,” Jenn pointed out, pushing her hair off of her shoulders.

“I know, but I want to make sure we don’t miss a second of Mack’s last show,” Caro replied with an eyeroll, looking at her watch again. “It’s about time her tour’s over. She’s wearing herself thin.”

“I thought I was the only one who noticed that,” Jenn commented, zipping up the bag that held her camera as it lay by her side. “She says ‘yes’ to everything, even when it’s inconvenient for her. I’m so glad she can finally stay home for a while and relax.”

“Yeah, me too.” Caro then jabbed the white button on the wall and yelled into it for Chuck and the others to get out of the basement so they could get on the road and make it to the show. Chuck yelled back something about getting special treatment but the next thing she knew they were trooping out of the basement, laughing and talking about something. “I get that you’re excited about starting your new record soon but Mack will have your asses if she found out we were late,” Caro said as she spun her keys around her finger.

“So, who’s riding with whom?” Sebastien asked.

“Jenn, Pierre, and Jeff are riding with me,” Caro replied.

“So the rest of you guys are with me,” Pat said while bringing his video camera up to his eye. A second later the red light came on, signaling that he was recording everything. Like usual, there was hardly a time that Pat didn’t have his video camera on him. “OK everyone, let’s move out!”

“Wait, I gotta use the bathroom,” David said before bolting out of the foyer.

“She’s going to kill him,” Jenn muttered.

“You know he’s doing that on purpose,” Pierre commented, crossing his arms over his chest. “He just loves to push her buttons. You’re new to the group, you’ll get used to it.”

Jenn smiled and nodded. Jenn had been in Mack’s class at College Beaubois High school and they were best friends, but as soon as they graduated they went their separate ways and hadn’t talked to each other in a while. Despite knowing everyone Jenn was still considered new to the crazy group of friends. She had moved back to Montreal after a stay in Calgary and now works as a photographer for AP magazine alongside Caro who worked there as a journalist.

“Ok, we’ll leave to try and get a good parking space. Try not to let David doddle too much,” Jeff said with a laugh, lightly punching Sebastien on the arm. The first group left the house. Chuck, Seb, and Pat stood around waiting for David to get out of the bathroom.

“So, how excited are you that Mack’s finally done with her tour?” Pat asked, turning his camera to Sebastien.

“Why’re you asking me?” He questioned, scratching at his elbow. Chuck and Pat exchanged a look and Sebastien sighed, automatically knew what was coming.

“Because you’ve had a massive crush on her since high school,” Chuck replied.

“No I didn’t. Why can’t you guys accept the fact that she’s my best friend? Just my best friend,” Sebastien sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t have romantic feelings for her in any way.”

“You can keep saying that but it’s always going to be a lie,” Pat said with a laugh. Sebastien rolled his eyes.

“She’s dating Josh, for crying out loud!” Sebastien protested. “Not like it would even matter if I liked her. Which I don’t!” He added at the looks that formed on Chuck’s and Pat’s faces.

“Leave my future brother-in-law alone,” David said as he came back into the room.

Sebastien let out an exasperated sigh and David stuck out his tongue. “I’m just teasin’ ya, Seb. Take a chill pill. Now, let’s go before my sister has our hides.”

------

“Thank you Montreal, you still rock! See ya next time!” Mack called into her microphone. She grasped Rhyder’s and Evan’s hands and, together, she and her band lifted their arms and bowed in unison to the cheering crowds.

Up above in the VIP section David, Caro, Jenn, and Chuck were cheering, clapping, and whistling as loud as the rest of the people in the crowds. Pierre spun the brown liquid in his glass for a few seconds before tilting his head back and downing the drink.

“Good last show,” he commented.

“Oh come on, you could do better than that,” Caro said, nudging him in the side. “I won’t tell her that you gave her a compliment,” she added, teasingly.

Pierre smirked. Ever since they met Pierre and Mack have been at each other’s throats for unknown reasons to the rest of them. Pierre constantly made fun of her short stature and loved to press her buttons because she had a short fuse whereas she always made fun of him being a ‘bully’ and not being that bright.

“Nah, I don’t want to give her the satisfaction,” he replied, watching as she moved off stage.

The people on the floor couldn’t see what she was doing as they were shuffled out of the arena but from their VIP seats they could see the whole thing. She started talking to someone while handing off her blue-taped microphone to someone else. Spencer moved past her and patted her shoulder along the way and went to put his drumsticks somewhere. Then a head of bright red hair appeared out of nowhere and the two girls embraced amid smiles.

“Huh, I didn’t know Paramore was coming,” Caro commented, a slight edge to her voice.

Pierre dropped his arm around her shoulders. “You have nothing to be jealous about, Car.”

“I’m not jealous,” Caro replied. “They were the only two girls on tour when they toured together, it was expected that they’d be close.”

“Didn’t expect her to get a boyfriend out of it,” Pierre commented as Josh came out of nowhere and gave Mack a big hug as well as a kiss. She bounced on her toes and grinned from ear to ear. Pierre looked over at his friends and saw that they were watching as well, probably didn’t want to get in the way. Seb was the only one not paying attention, he was off a couple of feet, holding his phone up to one ear and his finger plugged the other one.

“Oh no,” David muttered, next to Caro.

“What?” She asked. He pointed and she looked down. The smile had faded from Mack’s face as Josh said something. He went to hug her but Mack backed out of the way, shaking her head and gave him a small smile. He said something and then turned to walk off. Mack waved at Hayley before going off in the other direction, off stage. “Oh no,” she repeated.

“What?” Pierre echoed.

“Josh just broke up with her,” Caro replied.

“What, how do you know?”

“I can just tell.” Caro said, pushing herself away from the railing. “Ok, no one mentions anything to her, especially that we saw, OK? It’ll only embarrass her.”

“That means you’re taking away my fun,” Pierre groaned. David glared at him. “Sorry,” Pierre muttered. “Bad joke timing.”