Good Love

“I GET TO SLEEP IN MY OWN BED IN LESS THAN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS! FUCK YEAH!” Garrett screamed, jumping up and down inside the venue of their last show.

The boys loved touring and playing shows, no doubt about it, but they were all ready to get home. Even if they hadn’t been gone more than four weeks, they were all itching to return to their lives in Tempe.

“I GET TO SEE MY GIRLFRIEND IN LESS THAN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS! FUCK YEAH!” Jared yelled back at Garrett. Pat, the poor little bystander, covered his ears and ran away from the two screaming boys.

“I get to... see my dog!” Kenny added in, a twinge of sadness in his voice.

Annie gave him a smile; his girlfriend had dumped him a week before tour started, and it was obvious that he still missed her. “Don’t worry Ken, we can have our own welcome-home party or something.”

He rolled his eyes but sent an appreciative smile her way before heading back to his guitar, getting ready for the show, which was due to start in less than two hours.

“I get a nice-home cooked meal from my mommy,” Pat said, grinning like a child.

“And so do I,” John said from across the room, toying with his acoustic guitar.

“Oh yeah, I forgot that your mom always makes us dinner when we get home,” Jared said.

John’s mom made Jared dinner, too? Had she always done that?

Annie felt a pit form in her stomach as she realized how much she’d missed when she’d been in Chicago, and she was learning more and more about the boys each and every day. It made her a little sad, to think that Jared had been making all these friendships and relationships while she holed herself up in the windy city, and probably hadn’t thought about his little sister much.

And again, not for the first time, she regretted leaving.

“What about you, Annie? What are you excited about?” Tim asked, nudging her side as he handed her a water bottle. “Drink up, you’re looking pale.”

She took a drink of the water, ignoring his question. “Actually, can I get a shot or something? Where’s all the booze?”

He raised his eyebrow at her, but pulled her over to a table in the far corner of the backstage room. Her eyes skimmed over the glass bottles, picking her poison. Finally she decided on a glass of rum and coke, pouring it herself to make sure the amounts of soda and alcohol added were just how she liked it.

With the glass in her hand, she snuck out of the crowded room and found an exit door, leading to an alley. She sighed; it was already getting dark, the drink was doing nothing to soothe her shot nerves, and Jared would probably piss himself if he knew where she was.

But once again, she didn’t care. The heat in the venue was suffocating her. Every body in that building was suffocating her, and she needed to get out before she pushed herself into a panic attack.

She sat on the rough, grimy asphalt, letting the crisp air calm her in a way that alcohol couldn’t. Annie felt so drained; she needed a couple of days to herself, spent in her bedroom, doors locked, to just sleep and recuperate. As much as she hated labeling herself, she was an introvert at its finest, and being around people every second of every single day was driving her insane. She needed some alone time.

After ten minutes, her drink was gone and Jared had sent her two texts. She replied, telling him that she was fine but she wasn’t coming inside yet. She had some things to do.

First, she started off with calling her aunt back in Chicago. The most they’d communicated was a few texts here and there, and Annie was starting to feel bad. She knew her aunt was busy, sure, but Annie would hate herself if her aunt blamed herself for her absence. She’d been there when Annie needed her, definitely. Over and over and over, like her mom should have.

“Hello?” the familiar, motherly voice said into the receiver.

“Hi, Aunt Isabel,” she said shyly.

“Oh, Annie! Thank god you called, I’ve been so worried about you, honey! How are you?”

Her aunt’s gust of words made Annie feel even worse. She had done it again: she left without much of an explanation. Leaving seemed to be the only thing she was good at anymore.

“I’m alright, I’m sorry I haven’t called sooner. Jared and his band are on tour right now, and they took me with them. Well, Jare kinda guilt-tripped me into going with him, but still. You know how he is.”

“So you are with your brother, then? Good, dear. You two have barely spent any time together since you moved here! But it’s good to know Jared’s being as protective of you as ever. How is touring?”

“It’s not awful, I guess. I’m ready to get home, er, back to Tempe. We get home really late tonight.”

Annie could imagine her aunt nodding as she talked, just like she always did. Annie loved her more than any other adult; she took care of her when she needed it. She was the best mother-figure she could ask for, even if Aunt Isabel had never had kids of her own. She knew it was a little unfair to her parents, considering she hadn’t lived with them since she was fourteen, but it was the truth. She’d choose Aunt Isabel any day.

“How long has the band been on tour?”

“Close to a month,” Annie answered, knowing what conversation was coming next.

“And you feel comfortable, right? You know, just say the word, honey, and I’ll buy you a plane ticket and you can come home.”

“Thanks, Aunt Isabel, but I’m alright with Jared-”

“But what about the other boys? Do they treat you with respect?” If there was one thing that her aunt had instilled her brain, it was the fact that she better be treated right, or some ass-kicking was going to go down.

And that’s why she loved staying with her aunt. Her parents would never say something like that to her; they’d just ask how she was and move on. They wouldn’t teach her to never accept drinks from strangers at parties and how to throw a good punch. They wouldn’t tell her that she was a beautiful young women who deserved respect and nothing less.

“Yes,” Annie said, chuckling lightly, though she secretly loved Aunt Isabel’s interrogations. They just proved that she cared, and that was all she needed. “The boys are great people. You’d love them. They’re sorta my, uh, best friends, now.”

“Well that’s so good, dear. I’m glad. Are you happy in Arizona?”

“Yeah. I miss you and Macy and our apartment, but it’s better here. I feel better.”

There was a long sigh on the other end of the line, and she knew the topic of conversation had grown heavier. “Does your brother know? About what happened in Chicago?”

Yep. There it was. The incident that cast a black shadow over everything and everyone in sight. Even Austin looked a little gloomier today.

“Yeah, he knows. Just him and two of our other friends know,” she said, automatically thinking about Tessa. She couldn’t wait to get home and do some retail therapy with the only girl friend that she had.

“And you’re doing okay?” Aunt Isabel asked, her voice full of concern.

“Yeah, I’m getting better. At first I was feeling really shitty, and it was pretty bad. So Jared took me to see a doctor, and then a therapist. I only see the therapist once every couple of weeks, but I’m doing a lot better, Aunt Iz,” she exhaled, getting it all out at once. “I have lots of good people around me. They don’t know what about the incident, but they still take care of me.”

“Oh, I’m so glad, baby! That makes me feel so much better. Tell your brother he’s doing a great job with taking care of you. And I know you’re probably rolling your eyes and thinking, I’m twenty-one and I can take care of myself, but Annabelle, please let your brother help you. Promise me.”

Aunt Iz knew her too well. “I promise,” she sighed.

“Good, good. I know you’re probably busy so I’ll let you go. I love you, dear, call me if you need anything!”

“Love you too, Aunt Iz, bye,” she said softly, and the truth was, she did need something. She needed a big hug from her aunt. She wanted to be held. Secluding herself didn’t feel like enough anymore.

Annie lit a cigarette after ending the call and took a few inhales before making the next call.

“Hey! Annie, baby, what’s up?” her friend laughed as he answered the phone.

“I’m good, Halvo, how are you?” she smiled. Eric might have been a dumbass, but he sure was good at cheering someone up with his bright personality.

“Well, now that you ask...”

“What?”

“When are you coming home?”

She rolled her eyes. “Late tonight. Wanna get lunch tomorrow?”

“Sounds good, babe. And exactly how late are we talking? ‘Cause the guys and I have some news to tell ya’ll.”

“I dunno, Eric, it’ll probably be late, and no one’s gonna want to talk when we get home, either. We all just want to sleep. What do you have to tell us?”

“Er, I can’t tell.”

“Really, you’re gonna play that game? Just tell me, I can keep a secret.”

“I dunno, Ann, we were supposed to tell you guys together-”

“Just tell me, Halvorsen!”

“Ugh, you manipulative bitch,” he joked. “Fine. Our news is that A Rocket to the Moon is breaking up.”

Woah, what? Breaking up?

“Seriously? Why?”

“It’s just getting hard for us, with Justin in California, me in Arizona, and Nick and Andrew in Massachusetts. We’ve all got our own shit to deal with.”

“But Eric, that band is your pride and joy!” she argued. Annie had only met Nick and Andrew twice, at parties at Halvo’s house, and Justin only a handful of times more. Though he did seem to come around more than the other two. And even if Annie barely knew Eric’s bandmates, she was still upset for him. She knew how much Eric loved being in that band.

“I know it is, Annie, but it’s for the best. We’ve talked about it, and we just have to. As much as it sucks.”

“I’m sorry, Eric,” she said genuinely. “I’m sure you’ll find something just as good.”

“It’s alright, I mean the band isn’t over with yet. We’re going on one last tour, with your boys actually, I think.”

“Really? When?”

“This summer. Us, The Maine, This Century, and Brighten. No one told you?”

“Nope,” she said, though she knew what it meant. They’d all be leaving when summer came around, and Annie probably wouldn’t be coming with them. Lovely.