I'll Be Right Beside You

“So… roomies for this trip?” James asked as we walked side-by-side toward the bus. I nodded, and he grinned back at me before answering a text message. Jordan and I had been roommates ever since I started playing, but I really didn’t want to try to figure that out right now.

“I call the window seat, just saying,” James piped up as he raced toward an empty row. I had to laugh at him then, and followed at a slower pace as I unwound my headphones from my iPod.

“Sure, but just for that I get to use you as a pillow,” I informed him, and he let out a groan and rolled his eyes, even while he grinned at me and holding his arm out so I could cuddle into his side. I don’t know what I would’ve done without him, Rosa, Becka, Vero and Steve since everything seemed to blow up with Jordan.

I put my headphones into my ears and pressed play, closing my eyes and hoping to make up for the sleep I lost the last two nights after Marc telling me that Jordan wasn’t okay. I felt James stiffen up, and wondered why but felt too lazy to open my eyes or pull out my headphones to see what was going on. His grip on my side tightened, and remained that way until after the bus had started to move.

--Jordan--

I walked onto the bus, my feet feeling like lead as I forced myself up the steps. The last place I wanted to be was out on the road, where Cam would be everywhere and I wouldn’t be able to even start attempting to get myself over her. I knew it would be pointless to even try, but if it was what she wanted I had to try. Geno started talking at me in rushed, broken English, which confused me as he’d been fairly quiet on the drive over here.

It only took moments for me to see why he was trying so desperately to get and keep my attention; Cam and James were cuddled up together, and it looked like she was already asleep, her headphones in and her music cranked up just a little too loud. That was painful, because as much as I’d suspected that he would be the guy she’d go running to I didn’t think I’d have to see it. That was a whole other thing.

And then as soon as I’d got upset I began to feel angry. How could she think it was okay to end things with me and then pick up with one of my friends? Knowing that I’d have to see it, and especially so soon? I knew Cam would have never cheated on me, but had there been feelings there before that I’d missed? James had taken the news of her being a girl really hard, but had that been in part because he liked her?

James noticed me looking in their direction and immediately he physically responded. I saw his grip on Cam tighten protectively, his eyes narrowing as he looked at me, and his body tensing up. I wasn’t sure whether I should ignore him or beat the shit out of him, even though I knew the latter would get me kicked off of the bus and benched for a while. Dan had told both of us that our relationship couldn’t affect our play, and while I know he understood that we would be off if we were playing together since breaking up, but he wouldn’t be so understanding of me punching Neal in the face.

“Keep walking Staal,” James growled as I paused for a millisecond beside their row.

“Got a problem, Neal?” I responded, and before he could answer Geno had grabbed me by the jacket and hauled me over to where he was, nearly three rows further back. He pointed at the window seat, a stern look on his face and I obeyed with a sigh. I sat down hard, crossed my arms and stared out the window, pouting like a little kid. I knew it was stupid, but I was upset, and it wasn’t hard to guess that they were rooming together on this five day trip.

“Cam and James not dating,” Geno told me, and I let out a scoff.

“Sure Geno, thanks for trying to make me feel better, but it’s not gonna work,”

“Serious. James and Cam friend Rosalia go out,” he insisted, and I turned to look at him, searching his face for any telltale signs of him telling a lie.

“Really?” I asked quietly, and he nodded, clapping a giant paw on my shoulder.

“For real,” he confirmed, and I almost laughed at his word choice. I felt a little better then, but the way James acted around her made me wonder if he didn’t have feelings for her. I didn’t think he’d go out with her friend if he did, but maybe I didn’t know him as well as I’d thought, either. At this point I felt like I didn’t know anything anymore.

But I’d have lots of time to mull it over on the five and a half hour drive to Philadelphia.