This Could Be All I've Waited For

I would have never dreamed that my last year of school would be so busy. Being a business major didn’t seem like that much work before. My classes had been study heavy but nothing compared to now. Hopefully the teachers were simply being hard on us to prepare us for every aspect of the possible jobs we will all take on.

Being busy had its up and downs. On the up side I was kept distracted whenever Jack was too busy to talk… down side I seemed to be busy whenever he wasn’t.

Conflicting schedules. That’s what they call that right?

I had come up with the scenarios letting my brain work overtime when I knew that Jack wouldn’t do anything that I was coming up with. I feared that he would get tired of this phone tag game that we had going. Texting seemed to be nearly impossible given that I was usually in class.

A few weeks ago I was telling myself that it wouldn’t matter if we didn’t get to talk on the phone sometimes and now I was finding myself freaking out over it. I was constantly reminding myself that Jack cared about me and wouldn’t do anything to hurt me. I told myself that he was my best friend and that I knew he wouldn’t do anything stupid that would jeopardize our relationship.

I reviled in the fact that my next semester was full of free electives and would be a breeze compared to this semester. I just had to push through this last year.

I felt like such a love sick teenager whenever my phone buzzed I lunged for it as if it were my life line…

“Cadence you are going to stress yourself out if you don’t just let go for a little while maybe go have a you day,” Addie suggested. Since Jack left I’d had more time to get to know Halley and Addie better. Addie and I were constantly texting and calling each other; Halley is a music major so she didn’t really have a lot of free time.

I sighed into the receiver. “Yeah, I know you’re right and I know I’m overreacting I just need someone to tell me I’m crazy sometimes,” I told her nodding even though she couldn’t see me.

“Oh I am always available to let you know how crazy you are, Cade,” she reassured me teasingly.

“Right well I’ll be sure to let you know when I’ll need it again,” I joked. My mind wandered back to my last conversation with Jack that had been nearly three days ago. He wanted to know if I could come out for a weekend but I was completely buried in homework. I sighed. “I need a vacation,” I whined.

“You make me glad I’m not a business major,” Addie noted with a click of her tongue. The more I’d gotten to know Addie and her sense of humor the more I liked her; she was quite the sassy pants.

“I’m glad that I could be your cautionary tale,” I said leaving my desk chair and abandoning a half written paper to throw myself onto my bed.

“You should go,” Addie said off handedly.

“Go where?” I asked, “Are you trying to get me off the phone, social butterfly?” I teased. Addie had grown almost as bitter as me. She hardly hung out with anyone and constantly complained that friends were not easy to find without Halley helping her.

“Ouch,” she complained jokingly, “I was only referring to you taking some time off to go visit Jack. You said you guys talked about that didn’t you?”

I sighed sometimes Addie could read me almost as well as Jack. “Yeah we did, but I have a lot of homework,” I informed her. I was trying to work it out in my head, trying to somehow convince myself that I could get away with taking a weekend off.

“You have one paper that isn’t due until next week and there isn’t an attendance policy for any of your classes,” she pointed out suddenly making everything seem possible.

“I still have those online workshop things that count as attendance,” I added still doubting that I could get away with missing class.

“You have a book, and you can get notes from someone in your class; not to mention that it’s online and internet is nearly everywhere these days,” Addie said in a stern voice, “Stop whining and buy a freaking plane ticket!”

I hopped up from my bed and went to my laptop opening up a new tab and searching for a flight to the city they would be in tomorrow. I frowned finding that there weren’t many options.

“I would be there for hardly anytime at all,” I complained, “There are three flights to Portland tomorrow that aren’t completely booked in coach and all of them are super late and I would have to come home on Sunday.”

“First of all it’s fucking Tuesday and it’s only noon,” Addie said and I could hear her typing on her laptop in the background, “Second there is a flight to Boise that leaves at five o’clock tonight and I’m sure if you get Flyzik on the phone someone could be there to get you and you’d be with Jack before bus call.” She sounded so sure of herself. “Oh and third you can take a red eye on Monday morning and hype yourself up on coffee because we both know that Jack isn’t letting you leave on Sunday.”

I laughed, “I don’t need Flyzik to have someone pick me up I’m capable of getting a taxi. I’ll call you when I get to the airport if you don’t mind keeping me company.”

“Are you kidding if it’ll get you on that plane and shut your whiney mouth up I’ll stay on the phone with you until you get in the car and even then there’s always speaker phone,” Addie joked.

“Thanks for that,” I said purchasing my ticket and going to my closet to start yanking clothes out. “I’ll talk to you when I get to the airport.”

“Good luck sneaking past your parents,” she sang happily.
I groaned and she snickered.

“I told you, you needed to get an apartment,” she teased before she hung up.

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Somehow the odds were in my favor and my parents had gone out for dinner leaving me money for takeout. I turned their note over and scribble a quick explanation of my whereabouts and that I would be home in time to make it to class on Monday.

I told myself to avoid answering Momma’s calls for tonight so I didn’t get lectured about the importance of my education. Daddy probably would support my decision to go but I wouldn’t be answering his calls tonight either. They’d both get a text reassuring them that I had arrived safely and that would be enough.

After being molested by the airport security I was sitting in an uncomfortable chair waiting for my flight to be called. I went to my recent calls and called Alex.

“You know this isn’t Jack’s phone, right?” Alex joked answering the phone.

“Shut up Alex, I need you to keep a secret,” I said my eyes darting around to the faces of the people near me as if they would somehow tell my secret.

“Oh, I’m in,” he said excitedly, “Lay it on me.”

“I’m at the airport,” I started but was quickly cut off my Alex’s loud mouth.

“What are you doing at an-“ I cut him off quickly.

“Don’t say the word you dumb ass,” I complained, “I thought you were good at keeping secrets.”

“There..” Alex finished his sentence lamely.

“I’m coming to the venue but don’t tell Jack,” I instructed, “Just make sure the bus doesn’t leave without me on it.”

“Aye, Aye, Captain!” he shouted into the phone.

I cringed away from my phone and rolled my eyes before hanging up on him and calling Addie so she could keep me occupied until I got on the plane.

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Plane rides can be used to your advantage I’ve found. I finished my paper while on the flight simply because my mind seemed to be so much clearer; I guess this impromptu trip was good for something. I emailed my teachers and let them know that I wouldn’t be in class most of them had already replied wishing me safe travels and reminding me that I would still be held accountable for my work despite my absence. I had gotten a hold of someone from each of my classes and they’d all promised to keep me informed on assignments for the weekend. And now I was sitting in a smelly cab on my way to the venue.

The show had started but I knew for sure that All Time Low hadn’t gone on yet. I just needed to get to the venue within the next hour to be there in time.

The cab driver worked magic somehow navigating through traffic to get us there under thirty minutes. Needless to say I tipped heavily before grabbing my bag and hopping out of the taxi. I made my way around the back of the smallish looking club and called Alex’s phone.

He didn’t answer instead he forwarded me to his voice mail so I guessed that he must have been around Jack. I sighed and leaned against the brick wall there wasn’t any security around and I figured the door was probably locked so there was nothing left to do but wait.

Around fifteen minutes later the metal door swung open and Alex peeked his head out. “You’re here a lot earlier than I thought you would be,” he whispered accusingly and making an angry face at me.

“I expected the traffic to be worse and for there to be some sort of delay at the airport,” I told him shrugging myself off the wall.

“Well do you want to surprise him before or after the set?” he asked his eyes brightening with excitement.

I rolled my eyes. “When do you guys go on?” I asked.

“Alex what the fuck are you doing?” I heard Matt yell.

“Nothing,” Alex said innocently straightening up and turning to look back down the hall behind him.

“Get on the stage and quit messing around before Flizk has a cow,” he said calling him inside.

“Be there in a sec,” he said smiling. He kept staring off down the hall smiling until his face turned into a pout. “Go away or you’re going to ruin it!” he whined stomping his foot like a child.

“Lead singers really are the worst,” I teased, “glad Jack is just the lead guitarist.”

Alex shot me a look and whipped out his arm yanking me inside without warning. “You better be glad that I don’t hate you Cade,” he grumbled.

“I should be so lucky,” I teased dodging his arm as he reached out to push me.

“Cadence?” I heard Flyzik’s voice ask.

“Would you keep it down you’re going to ruin the surprise I worked so hard to plan,” Alex said going back into whiney mode.

Flyzik’s face turned angry as he looked to Alex, “You need to get your ass on stage,” he said getting all business.

I pushed Alex along as we followed Flyzik. I didn’t want him to blame me because I really didn’t need that right now.

Alex quickly ran out on stage and they jumped right into their first song before Jack could even tease Alex for being late. I hid myself from Jack peeking out to see bits and pieces of the show.

“Hey Jack,” Alex huffed out into his microphone probably ready to start some sort of bickering argument to happen.

“What?” Jack asked putting a hand on his hip and resting his other hand on his mic stand. I rolled my eyes at how badly he was hamming it up for the crowd.

Alex laughed before looking back at Matt. “Jack, do you want to play a game?” Alex asked.

“I love games!” Jack shouted childishly.

“Alright let’s play where is your girlfriend!” Alex announced loudly jumping up and down.

Jack’s lips formed a pout, “She’s home doing stupid school stuff because she’s smart,” he said crossing his arms.

“In normal circumstances you’d be right,” Alex said quickly, “So Zack what did he win?” Alex asked Zack turning to gesture at him widely.

Zack took off his bass handing it to Danny before running over to me and scooping me up easily. When Alex said he had some sort of surprise planned I hadn’t expected him to surprise me as well, but I guess that’s what I get for underestimating Alex.