This Could Be All I've Waited For

I felt my consciousness pulling me from my sleep as my limbs were separated from Jack’s as he climbed out of the bunk. Sleep had a strong hold on me, and I wasn’t able to convince my eyes to open. I heard Jack’s low chuckle as he swept the hair from my face and I clutched onto his pillow snuggling into it in his absence.

I was close to slipping back into my slumber when I heard Marie’s voice echo through the bus. I thought it must be some sort of nightmare trying to claw its way into my sub consciousness when I heard her voice rise in both pitch and volume. My eyes snapped open and darted around… though there wasn’t really anything in the bunk for my eyes to find that would lead to evidence.

“You haven’t spoken to me in days, Jack,” Marie’s voice was accusing.

“I’ve been kind of busy,” Jack replied, “Or did you forget that Cady got a freakin fist to the eye?”

“It’s always about Cadence with you!” she shouted. “I thought you were really interested in me, but you just keep proving that the only girl you’re interested in is Cadence!” she spat the words.

I scoffed but quickly covered my mouth hoping that I hadn’t been over heard. I really didn’t need Jack to know that I was eavesdropping on his conversation with her.

“Cady is my best friend, Marie,” Jack said sounding frustrated.

“You keep saying that, but I think we both know that, that is not all she is to you,” Marie argued in what I found to be a quite snotty tone.

I heard Jack’s sigh and it sounded a bit like defeat. “I guess we don’t have anything else to talk about here then, do we?” he asked.

“That’s it?” Marie demanded, “You aren’t even going to try to convince me otherwise?”

I heard what sounded like two hands clapping together, “Yeah,”

Jack answered. “I’m sorry I wasted your time.”

Marie made some sort of frustrated sound before I heard the bus door slam closed.

“Dude that was intense,” I heard Zack call from his bunk probably just trying to lighten the mood for Jack.

“Shut the fuck up,” Jack protested, “You’re going to wake Cady up.” Obviously there was no lightening the mood for him at this point.

“Yeah right,” Alex interjected, “Cade can sleep through anything.”

“You idiots better hope so,” Jack complained before saying, “I’m going to go get some air.”

Moments after the bus door shut the curtain to Jack’s bunk was being ripped open and Alex was standing there beaming. “I know you heard all of that,” he said his eyes shining mischievously.

“I hate you so much sometimes,” I told him still clinging to Jack’s pillow.

“I’m just saying that I know you like him and I also know you heard him basically confess that he likes you so this should be a no brainer at this point,” Alex said.

“You’re meddling!” Rian warned.

“Go back to sleep, Dawson!” Alex called back.

“This doesn’t change anything,” I mumbled into Jack’s pillow while glaring daggers at Alex.

Alex gave me an incredulous look, “What are you talking about?!”

Alex exclaimed, “This changes everything!”

I shook my head, Rian leaned out of his bunk to give me a quizzical look; I only shrugged my shoulders in return. While I loved these boys to death they were much too guy-like to understand how I was feeling right now. I didn’t even understand how I was feeling!

“You are such a chicken, Cade,” Zack chimed in from his bunk.
I made a face in his general direction receiving a chuckle from Alex.

My phone rang from somewhere inside of the bunk with a clip from “While Listening to Rock & Roll” by The Maine. I groaned and threw my hand behind myself searching for my phone blindly.

“Hey Derek,” I mumbled into the receiver after I’d finally found my phone.

“You have some explaining to do,” Derek began as soon as I’d gotten his name out of my mouth.

I huffed and rolled my eyes at my brother. “So much for the Hello my dear little sister how have you been,” I joked rubbing my face against Jack’s pillow.

“Why bother when I already know you can’t possibly be doing so hot,” he said in his boss-man voice.

I sighed, “Who told you?” I asked eyeing each of the boys in front of me promising myself if it was one of them I’d take them down.

“I heard it from someone at hopeless,” he said like it didn’t matter, “the point is that you didn’t bother telling me that you had gotten into a fight. Where the fuck was Jack in all of this?”

I groaned, “Look I’m fine and Jack had nothing to do with this so leave him out of it.”

“Jack has everything to do with this!” Derek said sounding angry, “You are on tour with him, he’s supposed to keep an eye on you and it was his fan that fucking punched you!”

“I was being pissy and I left him, Derek, it was my fault I was alone,” I stressed that it was me and not Jack that was to blame for this, “and if you haven’t seen the video I took care of it.”

“I’m still blaming this on Jack,” Derek said sounding resigned.

“Whatever, do what you want I’ve got bigger problems than your ridiculousness right now,” I said in a huff ready to end this conversation. I rolled out of the bunk and started walking towards the door of the bus knowing that Derek would be demanding an explanation.

“What else could you possibly have going on right now?” Derek asked as I was walking off the bus letting the door close behind me.

There was hardly anyone around and I figured it must be too early. I sat down in the grass still in my pajamas and without any shoes. I was quiet for a while before I finally figured out how I wanted to word the issue to my brother, and then I told him all about what had been happening between Jack and I.

I told him about us sleeping in the same bunk, something that had been going on for longer than just this tour but he didn’t need to know that. I had complained about Marie to him before but this time I included much more detail as to why she was so annoying to me, and I told him about the kisses.

When I was done he was silent for a second before letting out a breathy laugh, “Cadence, you are so silly,” he told me, “You have nothing to worry about. Just tell him you over heard him and that you feel the same way. I’m pretty sure we all knew that this was going to end up happening anyway.”

I rolled my eyes at him, “We both know that I’m not going to do that,” I said hoping my annoyance at his suggestion was being conveyed.

“Fine do what you want just know that you and Jack are going to end up together even if it is by a mess of a circumstance,” his tone was sing songy with an undercurrent of a warning.

“I will do what I want and I don’t know what you mean but I’m ignoring that too,” I told him nodding curtly before saying my goodbyes and hanging up.

------------------------------------------------------

I know that recently Jack and I have these times where we’re super awkward around each other and don’t really know how to act, but this is just ridiculous. I mean, Jack didn’t even know that I knew what he’d said this morning and he was still giving me these intense curious looks from across the way every chance he got. Honestly, I prefer him treating me like I’m made of glass to this.

I turned and caught Jack staring at me again; he merely blushed and looked away from me… Really? It had come to this? I sighed at myself, because it was adorable as hell and despite how much I wish he’d be normal I could definitely get used to him blushing over me. Honestly Jack looking at me the way that he was, was enough for me… for now at least.

“Making googoo eyes at each other isn’t exactly going to help either of you,” Alex announced as he walked past me and towards Flyzik. He danced out of my reach just as I was about to punch him in the arm cackling as he went.

I grumbled under my breath and looked back over to Jack where he was giving me a curious look again this time not blushing when I’d caught him. I decided that I’d had enough of the across the way business and started walking towards him.

“What’s with you today, Jack?” I asked bumping my hip into his once I’d gotten to him.

A light blush colored his cheeks as he scratched the back of his neck, “I don’t know what you mean,” he lied without looking to meet my eyes.

“Oh yeah very convincing,” I said mocking him and leaning my head on his shoulder.

He grumbled, “Just a weird day.” One of his arms wound its way around my waist pulling me into his side.

“How’s that?” I asked trying to seem oblivious to this morning’s events.

He shrugged his shoulders, “I suppose it’s good news,” he pondered out loud, “You’ll get some sick and twisted joy out of it, that’s for sure.”

I chuckled, “Then what is this occurrence that has turned your day weird and would bring me joy?” I asked pressing my cheek to his chest breathing in his scent.

He kissed the top of my head, “Marie and I are no longer speaking to each other,” he told me giving my hip a gentle squeeze.

“Oh,” I said trying not to sound too pleased but yet surprised at the same time.

“Oh?!” Jack asked in dismay, “You curse under your breath every time she comes with in a fifty foot radius of you and I tell you you’ll never have to worry about her again and all I get is an oh?” I could feel him shake his head, “I expected to get an evil cackle at least.”

I laughed, “Don’t get me wrong I am over joyed that I won’t be seeing her anymore,” I told him honestly, “But I thought she made you happy,” I admitted with a shrug of my shoulders.

Jack laughed using his free arm to pull me into a hug, “Any girl that is going to bring out the bitchiest parts of you isn’t going to make me happy.”

I chuckled, “I have been pretty awful lately, haven’t I?” I asked looking up at him.

“Very catty,” he agreed nodding his head, “I’ll admit that sometimes the prospects of a girl fight were pretty appealing, but honestly I like the regular sarcastically bitchy Cady much more.”

“Very funny, Jack,” I said sarcastically, “I’ll just go find some douche bag guy to start talking to and see how much you like that.”

“Oh that is not happening,” Jack said tightening his grip around me and shaking his head from side to side with his eyes closed.

“I don’t see how that’s fair,” I pointed out not minding in the slightest.

“Doesn’t have to be fair,” he reasoned, “Because I’m older and what I say goes.”

I chuckled, “You aren’t my brother, Jack,” I said before scrunching up my nose, “honestly it be really gross and weird if you were.”

He sighed and leaned back on his heels pulling me off the ground slightly. “That is very, very true my dear, Cady,” he agreed before his lips pressed to my temple.

I could help but think about how much I wish he had the balls to kiss me full on the mouth, but anticipation is what the game is all about, right? That is what they say, isn’t it?

Well, if so, the figurative “they” are all a bunch of fucking idiots.