Keep the Change, You Filthy Animal

I woke up the next morning alone, I was still in jack’s bed, I looked around to see the bathroom door open, I could see jack in the mirror on the phone, and he was trying to be quiet whilst being on the phone, I pulled my phone off the side and unlocked it, there was a message from tom, I looked at it.
From: Tom
We’re coming to you when you’re in Florida.

Great, we left today for Florida, I didn’t bother replying, I’d just get pissed off, I put my phone back and closed my eyes, I didn’t want to see Liam, he just makes it worst. I could hear people moving then someone breathing seconds away from me, I opened my eyes. It was Alex, he smiled at me.

‘Hey.’ He whispered.

‘Hey.’ I answered my throating aching.

‘I was about to wake you up, we’re leaving, your bus left a couple of hours ago.’ So my band left without me.

‘They wanted you to get the rest.’ He answered reading my mind.

‘Oh okay.’

‘You can borrow some of mine and jack’s clothes, and I think you may want to be quiet, your voice is bad.’ He told me.

I got out of bed and I was handed some orange juice, Alex waved goodbye to me and picked up his suitcase and bag and left, I saw jack standing in the door way, he smiled at me, I’m guessing he wants to know about last night, but I wasn’t ready. He handed me some clothes.

‘They should fit you.’ He told me and moved away from the bathroom.

‘Thanks.’ I answered taking them and going into the bathroom and locking the door behind me, I looked through the clothes, some jeans and a baggy top, there’s no way on earth these are going to fit, I told myself. I put the jeans to the side and unfolded the top, it was should fit, I pulled off my top and pulled it on, it stopped just above my thighs, I then looked at the hoodie, it was purple so I put my arms through and left it un zipped. I still had my shorts on from the previous day, I’m guessing those will have to do until I can get some clean clothes, I picked the clothes up then placed them together in a pile, I caught myself in the mirror my hair was a state and I had no makeup on, I washed my face and tied my hair up as best as I could before going back to the bedroom.

‘Take it as the jeans didn’t fit.’ Jack asked waiting on his bed.

‘Ah, yeah.’

‘It’s all right,’ he handed me some sunglasses, then hugged me.

‘Thank you.’ I whispered to him.

‘It’s okay.’ He took my clothes and jeans out of my hands and put them back into his suitcase, that was open on his bed, I’d have to get them off him later, he locked his suitcase up and took my hand, putting his suitcase in the other we left to get on the bus to Florida, I sat on my laptop most of the way there but I sat in the back room, not wanting to be disturbed, the boys were doing radio interviews as well. I didn’t want to annoy them from that. I was talking to Becky via Skype, I would have called her but then I’d be heard, the boys think I’m asleep, I waited for a phone call from someone tell me that Liam and Tom were here I wanted to get this out of my mind.

We pulled into Ft Lauderdale and we were finally aloud off the bus, I said my byes to everyone and went onto my bus to get some clothes, I was greeted by a worried Amy sitting there holding a letter in her hands, she gave it to me; I opened it up and looked at it.

‘Melissa,
We will talk after the show.
Liam’

I looked at Amy; I didn’t know what to say.

‘I’ll explain after.’ I told her.

We finished sound check quickly and I went into my suitcase to find some clothes, I pulled out three different outfits, then I realised this was an outside show, we’d got more well known as the tour went on, I grabbed myself some shorts then looked at my tops, there were band ones and my posh ones. I didn’t feel like dressing up so I pulled my steel panther top out and some heels before getting ready. Tomorrow was the girls last date before they had to go home, I’d miss them, I already did thinking about it.

I was handed me in-ears by Adam and took my place at the side, we had changed the set as my voice still hurt I was only allowed to play guitar, Matt was taking my place, and we’d changed most of the songs, but the crowd wouldn’t know. It was a really good show I was able to run around a bit, the crowd were pumped I was glad it was outside because I was so nervous, I shouldn’t be though I thought to myself half way through, we weren’t together anymore.

I watched from the side all time low play, not wanting to leave the stage I felt combatable there, but my phone received a text half way through it was Liam, he told me he was outside, I left the stage to find him, I saw him leaning up against a wall, he turned to look at me, it was dark outside and I could only make out his siilouite and that’s when I saw his face, he had a black eye, a busted lip and a bruised cheek, I looked at his arms both had bruises on, my heart tore open, I did this to him, I caused this mess and I couldn’t fix it. I was stupid and immature.

‘Melissa.’ He breathed, he’s voice was painful to hear, I thought mine was bad.

‘Liam.’ I answered to him.

‘I don’t want to talk to you here, can’t we go somewhere else.’

‘I’d rather not.’ I told him normally I’d be all up for it, but if things went bad I could run away, I
could get away from it and fall back into jack’s arms.

‘K then, I see you’ve moved on.’

‘Liam we broke up almost 4 months ago, I can’t stay single forever. Anyway you’re the one
who goes around and fucks everything that moves.’ He stepped closer to me.

‘Shut up, you’re the whore, fucking every rock star.’ He shouted at me, grabbing my arm, he held it tight, it hurt.

‘Liam let go of me.’

‘You’re the one who can get fucked whenever.’ Increasing the pressure on my arm.

‘Liam let go of me now,’ I told him again the words screaming at him.

‘You’re a whore; I can’t believe I loved you.’

‘Liam.’

‘I came here to get you back; I can’t ever believe what I was thinking you’re weak and
pathetic.’

‘Let go of me.’ I screamed at him, he didn’t listen he gripped my other arm.

‘I can’t wait to tell everyone your pathetic secrets you told me, every little detail.’ He told me, slowing down the last three words.

‘What do you really want?’ tears streaming down my face.

‘To knock that pricks out.’ He shouted at me, the gig still hadn’t finished I’d be left with him for a long time; I could feel his hands fighting.

‘Liam. Don’t’ the thought of jack being punched by Liam kill me inside, Liam is a boxer he could cause jack some serious injury, jack dances on stage for a living. I could hear the crowd louder than before but it wasn’t screaming it was them talking.

‘Why not, I think it would be fun.’ He told me, letting go of one of my arms and placing he’s hand on my cheek, my stomach turned.

‘see you know when to give in.’ he told me, I’d stopped talking, I shouldn’t of but I knew I wouldn’t win this fight.

‘Looks like they’re finished, call him.’ he told me I nodded. Pulling my phone from my back pocket and dialling jack’s number.

‘Loud speaker.’ I did as he asked and I waited.

‘What’s up?’ I heard jack.

‘Can you come outside round the side, I need to see you.’

‘Okay, hold on.’ He hung up and I put my phone in my back pocket.

Liam pulled me closer to him then, lent down to whisper in my ear.

‘I’ll always win.’

The door opened and I saw jack, he wasn’t alone he had Rian and Adam; Adam face went from calm to fucking angry.

‘Liam.’ Adam shouted at him through his teeth.

‘See he’s a pussy.’ Liam answered.

He’s hands got tighter round my arms, the tears had stopped and I had stopped trying to break free.

‘Let her go.’ Jack told him. He didn’t have any anger in his voice he was calm.

‘Why so she can come back to you?’ Liam shouted at jack, I wanted to scream, I wanted to run.

‘So she can be safe.’ Jack answered his question.

‘She’s mine, no-one else’s.’ Liam shouted in his face. Liam turned on the heel of his foot and took off in the other direction dragging me with him, I felt Rian run up to me, placing his hand on Liam’s shoulder, Liam spat on to Rian’s face and with that he punched him, hard on the same place where he’s bruise was on his face, I felt it, Liam let go of me the second of impact and I fell to the ground, it felt like slow motion, it was, like a movie. I saw Rian hit Liam again before Liam started to punch him. I saw jack running towards me, Liam saw this and pushed Rian out the way and jack punched Liam hard in the face making him pass out. Jack came to me.

‘You alright?’ he asked me, helping me up.

‘I’ve had worst.’ Answering his question, he saw my arms that were beginning to bruise.

‘Prick.’ He spat at Liam. Jack took me inside and sat me down on a chair. Adam came and joined him, they looked at me.

‘He’s was never like that, Melissa? What happened?’ Adam asked me.

‘He was always like that, why do you think I never wanted to speak about him?’ I answered his question with.

‘Wow, I’m sorry.’ Adam answered with.

‘JACK!’ I heard Alex shouted and he came rushing towards us.

‘What the fuck happened?’

‘Heroine, that’s written about him isn’t it?’ jack asked me ignoring his question.

‘He forced me, he forced me into writing a song, I hate it,’ I told them, I had stopped crying, I didn’t want to seem weak.

‘Who knows what he did?’ jack asked me.

‘Becky and Brooke. I couldn’t tell anyone else.’

‘2 years you put up with that.’ Adam asked me.

‘He said he’d tell everyone, everything, and everything I’ve ever said to him.’

‘He knows about the tattoo the real reason?’ jack whispered to me.

I nodded, jack just stood up. I didn’t want to speak to anyone else anymore. A lot of people came to speak to me next the police, the paramedics, and Adam even interscope records called. But I wouldn’t speak to them, why should I? They make it worst. In the end I was taken onto the tour bus, I sat in the back room for hours not sleeping, until we arrived in the next place.