This Could Be All I've Waited For

My phone rang loudly with the obnoxious ring tone that I had picked out for my mom. I forced a puff of air through my lips and rummaged around on the couch beside me for my phone.

“Hello?” I said answering the phone on speaker.

“Hi dear, how is the warp tour going?” she asked brightly.

I rolled my eyes and Alex who was the only other person in the front lounge with me chuckled, “It’s Warped tour mom and it’s hot and sweaty,” I told her.

“Oh well at least you’re getting to spend a lot of time with Jack dear,” she said it like all I wanted in life was to spend all of my time with Jack. I laughed a little at how silly that sounded.

“Yeah I guess so mom,” I said, “It’s not like a vacation though he and the rest of the guys still have to work.”

I tried my best to keep the conversation light when it came to my mom because while I loved her to death she could talk for hours if you let her.

“Are the two of you still claiming that you’re just friends?” she asked just as Jack plopped down on the couch next to me throwing his arm behind me.

Jack chuckled and I said, “Mom you’re on speaker.”

Jack leaned closer to my phone, “Hi Momma Rick,” he called into the receiver.

“Oh hello Jack, how are you?” she asked clearly unfazed by being on speaker, “You should make your move soon dear because my Cadence is quite impatient.”

I groaned and let my head fall back against Jack’s arm. Jack only chuckled and leaned his forehead against the side of my head. Alex was having a fit; laughing so hard that he had to hold his side.

“What’s so funny?” Mom asked making Alex fall off the couch and roll on the floor.

“Momma, Jack and I are just friends it’s not an act,” I explained lifting my head up.

“Now that is just silly, Cadence. Jack obviously adores you and I know better than to think that you don’t feel the same way about him,” Mom said chuckling the way mom’s do when they think they know what they’re talking about, “I also know that while you’ve been fine with being friends with Jack for the past few years you’ll get bored with it eventually.”

Jack and I shared a look, “It isn’t like that Momma,” I told her not sure how to deter her from this conversation.

“So you’re telling me that Jack doesn’t love you?” Mom asked like the idea was stupid.

“No,” Jack said jumping in, “That’s not what she was saying. I love Cady very much but we’re friends,” he said giving my shoulder a squeeze, “Very close friends.”

“I am not buying that for a second,” Mom said clicking her tongue audibly.

“I’m with you Mrs. Erickson!” Alex called from the floor.

“No one asked you Alex,” I said shoving him a little with my foot.

There were voices in the back ground on her end before she came back to the phone, “I’m sorry dears I have a meeting to get to but I love you and I’ll talk to you later,” she said.

Jack and I told her we loved her as well before saying our goodbyes.

That woman was always good for stirring up trouble and then rushing off to do something for that ridiculous magazine she owns. For someone who always knew the latest trends she had poor communication skills with me and Derek.

“I like your mom,” Alex commented pushing himself off the floor and adjusting his clothes.

“Yeah well she can be a real pain,” I said giving my phone a dirty look even though Mom wasn’t on the phone anymore.

“Yeah well she’s one of the few moms on this planet that like me enough to try and persuade me to date their daughters, so I love her,” Jack joked.

“She just finds you attractive Jack,” I told him, “You could be into heroin and she would still think you were perfect.”

Jack scoffed, “Heroin is for squares and I am fucking perfect,” he said throwing his hands out as if to put himself on display.

“Yeah,” I said getting up, “Perfectly obnoxious,” I kissed him swiftly on the cheek and headed to the back lounge to avoid talking about the phone conversation any further.

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

I was chatting with Matt a little ways off from the signing tent when I heard Jack and Alex calling my name in an obnoxious manner. I turned on my heels and headed towards them curious as to what they could possibly want from me.

“Glad you could finally make it, Cady,” Jack joked and turned back to the girls that were standing in front of him, “Ladies meet the fabulous Cadence,” he flailed his arm around me.

I smiled even though I was crazy nervous to be meeting fans, “Hey!” I exclaimed giving a little wave. They couldn’t have been any older than 14 and they looked like they might jump right out of their skin.

“We just wanted to tell you that we absolutely love your style,” One of the girls said over enthusiastically.

“And,” the other girl stressed, “That we think that you and Jack are adorable together!”
I blushed a little and looked down at Jack, who was leaning his head back so that he could see me. He smiled widely at me and I mussed his hair. Jack frowned and sat up fixing his hair.

“Not adorable,” Jack said shaking his head, “She’s mean.”

I put my hands on my hips and glared at the back of his head, “It’s the only way I can get you to leave me alone for five seconds,” I countered.

“You’re my best friend,” he complained.

“Maybe if you kept your hands to yourself she wouldn’t mind as much,” Alex offered.

I chuckled because we all knew that Jack wasn’t inappropriate in the hands on sort of way.

Jack shrugged, “What can I say?” he asked rhetorically, “I can’t help myself.” He glanced back at me and winked causing me to blush again.

“You’re full of shit,” I said shaking my head.

“You love me,” he offered.

“I hate you,” I countered.

“In the most loving way,” he joked smiling widely.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” I told him patting his shoulder, “Now while this was fun I’m helping to hold up the line and Matt will kill me so I’m out.”

Jack stole my hand from his shoulder and gave it a quick kiss and I kissed the top of his head before I ran off to find Danny or Grieco for a possible game of poker. I heard delighted choruses of awes coming from the line as I walked away, more than likely in response to mine and Jack’s exchange.

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

Today had gone so well! The signing was great, the girls tweeted me thanking me for meeting them. A few other fans had stopped me as I wondered around the venue; so far all of them seemed pretty positive. Jack and I hadn’t bickered as much today causing my mood to soar. The show was fantastic; I stayed after to help get things put back away.

As I helped load up the last of Rian’s drums set Matt called for me asking that I go figure out where all of the guys were and get them back to the bus. We had to get on the road so that we made it to the next venue on time.

I left the guys to finish up putting away the equipment and headed off towards a group of trailers to see if the guys were hanging around there.

There were a couple of guys there from other bands that I recognized from some of the Warped get-togethers, but I didn’t know any of their names or the bands that they were associated with.

“Hey have any of you guys seen anyone from All Time Low running around?” I asked the group.
I got a couple of shrugs and ‘who are All Time Low’s in response not very helpful. I thanked them and ran off continuing my search.

After twenty minutes of searching without seeing or hearing about any of the guys I got a text from Matt.

Found Rian he said that he left the guys near one of the stages but he wasn’t sure which.
I sent him a message telling him I was pretty close to where one of them had been and I’d check it out.

I found a few people hanging around a van attached to a trailer throwing a bit of a party. The van had some fancy logo on the side of it that I didn’t recognize so it was probably one of the various clothing labels that circulated the Warped tour.

As I got closer I saw a couple of guys sitting in lawn chairs drinking some beers. They both looked to be in their mid-twenties one with short blond hair the other with shaggy black hair. “Hey do you guys know who All Time Low is?” I asked yelling over the loud music that was blasting from the van.

The blond one laughed while the black haired one jutted his thumb back towards the trailer saying, “I think one of your boys is having a good time over there.”

I thanked them and jogged the short distance to the trailer hoping that I wouldn’t have too much trouble getting whoever it was back to the bus.

I had to stop to read another text from Matt: Just found Alex and Zack. Now we just need to get a hold of Jack.

I sent a quick reply saying I’d keep looking and made my way around the trailer.

When I rounded the side of the trailer I stopped dead in my tracks. In front of me was Jack holding the neck of a half empty beer bottle in one hand while is other was gripping the waist of a short haired blond as he made out with her.

I couldn’t help but notice a growing pain in my chest but tried to detach myself from it. I composed myself the best I could making sure that my facial expression was impassive.

“Jack,” I said calling his attention from the petite girl.

He pulled his face away from hers and looked over to me his eyes half closed indicating that he had clearly had too much to drink.

“Matt needs you back on the bus,” I informed him nodding my head in the general direction of the bus.

He looked down at the girl telling her bye before stumbling my way and dropping his beer.
I couldn’t help but allow my face to contort into a look of disgust at my best friend as we walked in silence.

“Don’t be mad, Cady,” he crowed throwing an arm around my shoulders, “I was just having a little fun.”

When his breath hit my face I gagged a little from the clearly identifiable beer on his breath. I shook his arm off my shoulders and continued walking without replying.

He pulled on my hand, “What’s wrong?” he whined.

Again I didn’t answer, I didn’t want to tell him that it made me furious to see him with another girl, instead I yanked the bus door open and pushed him up the stairs. Jack made his way back to his bunk and crawled in. I threw myself on the couch and stared at the floor while Alex gave me a curious look.

“Cady!” Jack called from his bunk, “Are you coming?”

I scoffed, “Fuck you!” I shouted back.

I heard him give a grunt in response before he threw himself around in his bunk clearly giving up.

From the corner of my eye I saw that Alex was very confused, but I didn’t want to argue with him about why all of this upset me to begin with so I set off to busy myself. I went to my suitcase and grabbed a change of clothes for bed and shut myself in the bathroom to avoid the questioning looks that the rest of the guys were giving me.

Good days don’t last forever; lesson learned.