Stealer of Hearts

I woke up hours later; this time, I was somehow on the couch in the back lounge with my head in someone's lap. I rubbed my eyes and heard someone say 'goodie, you're awake'.

"Huh?" I lazily mumbled and peered up to the face of the person that I was laying on. I saw Zacky's smiling face looking down on me as his hands played with my hair and caressed my face. I looked down to where my feet was and saw Jimmy staring at me, a sly smile playing on his face.

The sly smile turned quickly into a grin as he enthusiastically waved at me, screaming hi.

"Umm . . .hi?" I asked - more than greeted - uncertainly. "What time is it?" I asked and Zacky answered me.

"It's almost 11."

"Have we stopped yet?"

"Yeah." He chuckled. "Like three hours ago."

I sat up straight. "Shit really?" He nodded. "I gotta get back to my bus then."

"Aww why?" they both whined and I laughed a bit at the adorability level of it all.

"You two gotta stop being such babies. You'll see me later today --"

"I know, but can't you hang out with us at least?" Zacky pouted and I gave him a smiling look.

"Believe me, I hangout with you two more than you know it." I stood up and stretched one last time. "Alright, adios." I waved behind me and heard them all yell goodbye back to me as I opened the back lounge door and walked past the little eating/study tables that was between the so-called living room and kitchen area.

"Morning Brian," I greeted on the way of passing him.

He lifted his head up from the table - looking at me briefly - and laid his head back down into his arms. "Morning Tabs," he mumbled.

"Aw, what's wrong?" I asked, stopping in front of him.

"Headache," he answered simply and I nodded.

"Want coffee and aspirin?"

"Yes please." I did him the favor and got his coffee and medicine for him. "Thanks." He took them from me gratefully and I nodded, heading towards the door once again.

Tuesday Morning's bus was (for some unknown reason) parked on the other side of the nearly empty parking lot. I briskly walked to the bus to avoid the semi - cold morning winds and hopped onto the bus. Ayden was once again, glued to the television with a video game controller in his hands, and playing against Nickie - who has some sort of an energy drink sitting in front of him. . .

I walked back towards the bunk area and heard some loud music coming from a bunk. I peeked into it and saw that Jackie was searching the web on her laptop while loud music was blasting out from her headphones.

"Boo." I poked her arm and she jumped quite high as I started laughing.

"That wasn't funny." She tried to hit my arm but I moved away quickly, jumping into my upper bunk and hiding in there, gathering my stuff up for a shower. "You're so mean." I heard her whine and I laughed an evil laugh back in reply.

"Maybe you shouldn't have the need to blast music so loud when you're alone."

"Pfffft you're one to talk Tabitha."

I stuck my tongue out at her. "Stop calling me that Jacqueline."

"Ahh, it burns!"

I shook my head and disappeared into the bathroom, only to emerge out of it ten minutes later; all dressed and prepared for the day. I walked out to get a cupcake - that was rightfully mine - and was surprised to see Stephanie and Alex out there; forgetting for a moment that Jackie invited them to hang out with us today.

Stephanie was chatting with Ayden and Matt Shadows on the couch - both her and Matt watching Ayden play idlely on the television screen. Alex was at the table talking to Nickie and Jackie.

"Hola you two," I greeted as I continued on my journey to find my cupcake. "Como estas?" I asked, searching through the fridge and started to whine quietly to myself. "No! My cupcake's missing." Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Jackie start to innocently smile and instantly, I knew she was the stealer. I only glared at her though, and turned towards searching the pantry cabinets.

"Puh-lease Tabby," Nickie started. "You can't speak Spanish for life."

"I can make an effort to try."

"Please don't --" He started to laugh hysterically as an open box of Twinkies fell on me and I shrieked loudly as though someone snuck up behind me in the dark.

"Shut up; that was not funny," I scoffed and picked one up off the floor, throwing it at him as he caught it.

"Why, thank you."

"Youre not welcome."

"Wasn't funny?" Jackie let out a short laugh of disagreement. "Like my situation was," she scoffed and I nodded my head quickly, agreeing with her.

"It is."

She looked at me with her mouth slightly gaped open. "Sometimes, I don't quite understand you." She shook her head.

"Frankly, neither do I," I replied back, shrugging and sitting down next to Stephanie.

♥ - ♥ - ♥

I grabbed my oversized sunglasses, my tote bag containing all of my necessities, and walked to the front of the bus. I walked off and around to the back of the bus to where every one else was.

"Who's missing?" I asked as I approached them.

"Um, I think just Ayden," Nickie replied, looking around in search for him.

"I'm right here." I heard Aydens voice call and I turned around, seeing him come over from us. "Where's Avenged --" he started to ask but stopped to shriek in surprise as Avenged Sevenfold somehow all come out from under the bus and throw cold water balloons at him. They started laughing hysterically - along with the rest of Tuesday Morning and Stephanie and Alex - while Ayden glared at all of us.

"You guys are assholes," he muttered. "Now I gotta change again." He quickly dashed away onto the bus, coming out minutes later with a new shirt on and this time, denim shorts.

I nodded my head for no apparent reason and started to walk off to where all the stores were in the streets of Hollywood. I walked slowly in the back in between Zacky, Jimmy, and Nickie, reading off the names of celebrities that had gotten their own star on the sidewalk.

"Oh look! Charlie Chaplin!" Nickie pointed out, yelling loud enough for the people in the front to hear him. They all brushed him off, Jackie giving him a backward wave of the hand, and Zacky and Jimmy decided to start up a different conversation to block him out. He started to pout.

"Aww it's okay Nickie. I'm listening." I hopped on over next to him, looking at the walkway of stars with him as the other two guys continued to walk off ahead of us.

"Yay." He reached over to hug me. "What are we doing tonight and tomorrow?" he asked me as he continued to silently read off the names to himself.

"We're -- watch where you're going." I laughed, pulling him quickly out of the way of a nearby pole. "We're gunna do a show, chill for a bit, then do a late night interview, and tomorrow. . ." I paused for a bit, looking up at the sky as I ran through my mental schedule. "We have a free day."

"Cool." He paused and looked up at me. "How are things with you and Baker?"

"Good. . .why?" I eyed him skeptically.

He replied a little too quickly for my liking. "Nothing."

"Tell me," I demanded sternly and he looked up front quickly, slowing his pace down and held onto my arm as he spoke into my ear so that no one else would hear.

"It's just . . . I've been getting vibes and feelings from you two that things aren't that well - actually, he's loving you. It's just you that I'm getting these vibes from."

"And how do you know all this?"

"I'm not really sure." He shrugged. "Sometimes I see your facial expression, sometimes I detect something from your voice; it all just varies."

"You can really read me like a book, can't you?"

"Well, I've known you for a long time now haven't I?"

"True."

He drew in a deep breath. "Work it out girl."

"Sounding all gangster now?" He nodded and ran away from me, going up to where Matt was.

"What was that all about?" Zacky laughed, stopping in his tracks and waiting for me to catch up. I ran to him and hooked my arm around his elbow.

"Nothing," I answered in a high pitched voice. "Nothing at all darling." I stood up on my tippy toes and pecked him on the cheek, lacing our hands together and skipping forward, dragging him along with me.

That night, I must say that I don't think Tuesday Morning's performance did all that well - mainly because of me. I wasn't quite focused on the lyrics and I messed up on a few chords every now and then. My mind was somewhere else - focused on the conversation I had with Nickie earlier today. If he can read me that easily, I wondered if anyone else notices.

What would happen if they noticed? But, if they did, wouldn't they have talked to one of us about it by now? Unless they've already talked to Zacky but he's not telling me about it. . .

"Hey, what's bothering you?" Jackie laid a hand on my shoulder, turning me around to face her as we were backstage for a water break while Ayden talked to the crowd upfront on the stage.

"Nothing. Why?" I asked her, closing the cap to my water bottle.

"Because it's clear to me that you weren't focused. I was right next to the speakers when you messed up." Why am I so obvious. . .

I sighed. "Nothing's wrong."

"Bullcrap," she scoffed. "You know you're not a very good liar."

"Only around you guys I'm not." I walked on to the stage once again and continued with our show.

I don't know how obvious I must've been during the show - if the fans noticed either - but after the show was over, Zacky came up to me before it was time for Avenged Sevenfold to go up. He asked me the same thing that Jackie did - and the conversation went on like the way mines and Jackie did.

Tell me, is this a sign that something will happen?