The Rock Show

Warped is over. And Jess can't help but feel a sigh of relief as she hops for the very last time, onto Aurora's tour bus, followed by the rest f the band. Okay, so Warped had been fun, a change of scenery, and a chance for Aurora to gain a ton of new fans, but Jess misses home. The tour bus is cool to stay in, but with a bunch of sweaty guys.. Well, enough said really.

As the tour bus drives along the busy roads, all the way back to Virginia, Jess waits until all the guys are sleeping in their bunks or occupied with some other activity. The only two awake are Jess and Jason. Both sat on the couch watching late night shows on the television set. While Jason stares groggily at the TV, forcing himself to stay awake, and laughing half-heartily at some parts, Jess watches him, almost nervous. She's been hoping that everyone would be asleep so she could call Alex.

Alex Gaskarth. The guy she's only met once, the guy who hasn't left her head since the day she left him. Crazy. As Jess got out her phone, she ran her petite thumb over Alex name. How was it, not even Brad had made her feel like Alex has? She'd been with Brad for ages, and she'd known this Alex kid for what, seven hours? His words keep echoing her mind. The way he scribbled his number down the day she left, in case she wanted to phone him...

...Which she never has done. Well, who could blame her? Jess still needs to keep her cool, and ringing Alex every day probably isn't doing that. So she's waited. Waited and waited until Warped is done. Over. Finito. Actually, Jess was planning on waiting until August, she remembers Alex telling her about All Time Low touring there. But she's waited so damn long. After all, Alex told her to call him, didn't he? And she just might do that.

Watching Jason, who is now aimlessly flicking through the channels, not pleased by anything that is showing, Jess half smirks to herself and gets up.

"I'll be two minutes." She mutters, not even knowing why she bothers saying that-- Jason is half dead due to exhaustion, there's no way he'll have heard her, let alone answer back.

Jess doesn't look back before walking off to the bus' only private place. The place where no-one can disturb her; The bathroom.

-&-

"Man, Alex! Lighten up bro, you've been cranky all night! And you aren't even drunk yet!"

Alex looks up, and see's Jack swaying closer to him in a drunken state. His beer bottle in one hand, and another in his other. He's so drunk, his walking is messy, and as he swings from side to side, Jack spills beer from the bottles, the liquid landing on the carpets. Jack just giggles, making no attempt to clear it up; just continues to stumble closer to Alex.

Alex reminds himself why he agreed to come to Jack's party. He usually has fun when he's out, but tonight was just different. He's been a bit agitated for the last two weeks actually. He doesn't want to be with Jack, or Rian or Zack. He doesn't want to be getting drunk. He wants to be with Jess. That chick he met at warped. The girl who made him go all mushy after only knowing her for a few hours. This is just ridiculous. Alex should be happy that the girl hasn't called him. It's saving him a lot of embarrassment. Even Alex knows that if Jess calls him, it'll just result to him being reduced to a love struck teenager. Eurgh! Why? why, why, why, has Alex fallen for her already? Well, that's what they say-- Distance makes the heart grow fonder. Dammit. Alex doesn't fall for girls. Girls fall for him.

Alex misses Jess' temper, and how stubborn she is. He misses how she's the only girl that has managed to make him jealous, embarrassed, angry and happy, all in the same day. He misses her in general, her attractive appearance, the way she smokes.. Just everything.

But clearly, she doesn't feel the same, right? Because surely if she did, then she'd have called by now. Damn, that girl was just so hard to keep up with. Alex was ninety percent sure that she'd had a little crush on him when they first met, but now... Well, Alex isn't too sure.

"I don't wanna' drink tonight." Alex protests as Jack shoves the bottle into his face.

"C'mon Al! You're so hung up over that Jess chick. There's plenty of hot girls here tonight! Stop thinking about one, who doesn't even live in Baltimore!" Jack's words are slurry and messy, but Alex pauses to listen to them. Hell, for once in his life, Jack is right. So what if Jess hasn't rang? Fuck her, Alex doesn't need her. What Alex does need though: is to get very, very drunk, to find a very, very hot girl, and to have a very, very good time.

"Y'know what, Jack. I think you might just be right!" Alex jumps up, snatching the beer from Jack and downing it in almost four seconds flat. Jack whoops encouragingly.

"Yeah! I hear Lisa's here tonight! And that new girl, Sarah. Get back to the man whore I know and love!" Jack grins. Alex nods his head. He doesn't need Jess. He doesn't need her moaning, and her shitty personality. She hasn't called him... She's basically rejected him, and now that Alex is thinking about it, he doesn't give a damn.

Pft, of course he does. He knows his words are just a spur of the moment, but right now, Alex is pissed off at Jess for not calling him, and he's at a party for fuck's sake. Surely he's expected to get drunk and get it on with some random girl. And that's exactly what he's going to do.

-&-

With shaky hands, Jess is sat on the toilet seat, just about to dial Alex's number. What if he doesn't answer? What if he's mad at her for not calling sooner? What if he's forgotten entirely who she is?

Oh, get a grip Jess. Of course he hasn't forgotten, of course he'll answer, and of course he wont be mad. Jess knows Alex. She knows that she has him wrapped around his little finger. Without sounding big headed, Jess convinces herself that Alex is most likely sat at home, waiting for her to call.

Yup.

With every ounce of courage mounted up, Jess dials Alex's number, and presses the phone tightly against her ear.

One ring. Two rings. Three rings. Four rings. Five rings.... Why isn't he answering?! Six rings.
Jess' heartbeat increases with anticipation. Maybe his phone's on silent, or maybe he can't hear it ringing... Maybe he doesn't even have his phone on him.

Who is she kidding? As the ringing stops, and the answer phone takes it's place, Jess hangs up. Alex hasn't answered for a reason. And as Jess sighs in frustration, she can't help but blame herself. If only she'd called him earlier.

Jess gets up, and walks back into the front lounge, where Jason is still up. The TV is turned off, and he's flicking through a magazine. He looks up when he sees Jess.

"What's up?" He asks. Jess just sighs as she flops on the seat next to him. She studies her perfectly manicured nails for a small while before she answers.

"Nothing, I'm just tired. Nearly home soon though, huh?" She smiles pathetically.

"You bet. Lennie says we should be home in eight hours top. He says he's pulling in in about an hour, then we'll take it from there." Jason explains. Lennie, is Aurora's bus driver. A plump man who wears black sunglasses at all times with a long beard, and very little hair on the top of his head. He has old, fading tattoo's covering his arms, rings on everyone of his fingers, and a heart full of gold.

"Okay." Jess sighs once more, and then the room goes silent.

"Jason," Jess breaks the silence, and looks at Jason, who turns his head, and smiles tiredly at her.

"Yeah."

"How long would you wait for a girl until you moved on?" Jess has to know. She has to ask, she needs to know whether her chances are gone with Alex. And besides, Jason and Alex are so alike. Both are known for being popular with the female gender, never refusing a girl when offered.

Jason sucks in air, contemplating for a few moments. Jess watches intensely, waiting for him to speak. She doesn't move an inch until he speaks.

"Well me personally... About two weeks? I don't know. If someone isn't bothering with me, I'm not going to waste my time thinking about them."

Fuck. It'd been almost two months since Jess had met Alex. She fidgets awkwardly, not knowing what to do. Ha, that's almost laughable. There's nothing she can do. A guy like Alex isn't going to wait for a girl like Jess. No way. The pair are both too stubborn and strong minded. There's no way they'd be suitable together. Nope, Jess has well and truly blown all her chances she had with Alex.

-&-

"Aren't you going to answer that?" The small blonde pulls away from Alex as she hears his phone ringing in his back pocket, Alex just grunts and presses his lips against hers. It's been about ten minutes, and a new record for Alex has just been broken. Ten minutes since he was last sober, and now, now he's a drunken, toxic mess.

"They can wait." He mumbles against her mouth, and the blonde lets out a squeak as Alex presses his fingers against her thigh. He's too good with these sorts of things. Once he's drunk, it's as though Alex turns into a robot. Something mechanically programmed to give girls a lot of satisfaction.

"It might be important." The blonde protests. She's new to the whole Gaskarth charm, and although she's enjoying the attention she's receiving from the male, she's heard all about him from other girls at her school, and she doesn't just want to be another notch in his bedpost. No matter how great he's making her feel.

Alex groans against her mouth. "Trust me, I'm quite happy with your company right now, Jess. I don't need to be on the phone to someone else." Alex pushes his lips back against the blonde's, determined to get laid tonight. The blonde protests again, and pulls away.

"Sophie."

"Huh?" Alex stares at her confused.

"My name's Sophie. You called me Jess... Just a bit of advice, Alex. If you're still hung up over a girl.. Don't try and get laid by another." Sophie pushes Alex away from her, and gets up, pulling down her tight black skirt and scattering off. Alex groans and slumps by the wall.

Of course he'd call her Jess. Because she's the only girl that's been on his mind lately. There he is, acting all desperate, and pining over Jess, when Jess is probably keeping it cool like she always does. Alex wants to curl up in a ball, and let the ground swallow him up. Either that or crawl through Jess' bus window and stay with her. Tell her how much he misses her, how much he's thought about her. How much he wants her.

Damn, Alex has fucked things up big time.