Until There Was You

I am so dumb. Why did I just tell Morgan that? Even if he is a member of my childhood favorite band. He probably thinks I’m mental now. And those texts were SO insanely long. I can’t believe he even took the time to read all of them. At least the boys will be going on tour though. Getting into my black convertible again, which sadly, was the least conspicuous of my cars, I head towards Dave’s apartment. On my way there, I picked up some healthy looking green salad for him, and more carbs for me. Before driving again, I send him a quick text, “You better be home. I’m coming as the bearer of good news and healthy food for you! c(: ” During the drive, I wonder about Morgan’s assumption again. Me and Dave. Dave and I. Together? What he had said to me earlier today also echoed in my head. And his eyes, which were so insanely blue. Finding a spot a block away from his place, I park. Pizza and salad in hand, I walk towards him, relaxing in the cool summer night air, while shaking my previous thoughts out of my head. He’s just my best friend. And a part of my heart is his, but not like that. On the elevator, I fish through my purse for the keys to his apartment. Grabbing them, I head towards his door. But before I even get there, he swings the door open.

“Food!”, Dave exclaims. “You’re the best!”

“Well, hii to you, too.”, I reply sarcastically. “But yes, I know.” Throwing the keys back into my bag, I hand him his salad. “So, wanna hear the good news?”

“We’re going on the second leg of the tour with Boys Like Girls and All-American Rejects.”, stated Dave matter-of-factly.

“Kudos for you! You read my mind!”, I teased him. “But the second part of the good news is, yours truly will be there which means I will be seeing you before Christmas!”

“Naturally,” he smirked. “I was counting on that. And just like every time you insist that you can pay for a ticket, I will get a backstage pass for you.” Seeing my mouth open up, getting ready to protest, he closes my jaws and shakes his head. “Don’t even. You know it’s no use because I’ll get the rest of the guys to back me up. We will actually steal all of your shiny credit cards, and wallet. We’ve done it before, remember?”

Laughingly shaking my head, I say instead, “C’mon. Let’s watch a movie.”

--

“…for a reason to love. She’s lying on the floor…” I reach for my phone, but I hit a pillow. Groggily sitting up, I look around for the clock. And then realize where I am. Ughhh. I fell asleep during the movie. Wait. My phone stopped ringing. Getting out of the bed, I plod back over to the living room. “Dave?”, I call out quietly, just in case he was asleep. When I walk in, I realize that he’s still awake. “Hey. Who was that?”, I ask.

“Your mom.”, he replies. “I hung up.”

“But…what if she needs me?”, I ask uncertainly. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I know that I shouldn’t be that concerned about a grown woman, especially one who was supposed to be raising me, but I couldn’t help but feel worried about her.

“We’ve talked about this, remember?”, he said sternly, like a person scolding his dog.

Sighing, and too tired to come up with a proper rebuke, I drop down next to him on the couch. “Sorry for falling asleep. And thanks for taking me to the bed. I guess I should head home.”

He stared at me like I suddenly grew two more heads. “Go? You know that’s ridiculous. Just say here. Go take the bed, and I’ll stay on the couch. It’s not like this is the first time you’ve crashed here.”, he responds reasonably. “But you might want to call Susan and Michelle back. They’ve been texting you for the past hour like madwomen.”

Smiling my thanks at him, I grab my phone and dial Susan. As soon as she picks up, I tell her to dial Michelle before she could bombard me with questions. I know that as soon as Michelle picks up though, they’d both be shooting questions at me, and I was right. “Where have you been?” “Why haven’t you texted us back?” “You seriously need to keep your phone on you all the time!” “We thought you had been raped and lying dead in a ditch somewhere!”

“Woah! Slow down girls! I’m fine, obviously. Not dead, haven’t been raped. I’m at Dave’s apartment. I fell asleep while we were watching a movie. But I’m fine. I’m sorry for being MIA all day.”

“Dave’s again? You’re practically there more than he is! Are you sure there’s nothing going on?”, asks Susan, slightly teasing.

“And we were supposed to see each other today after work!”, says Michelle.

“I am sorry about that. But I texted both of you multiple times. And no Susan! I’ve told you a thousand times, there’s nothing! But I need to tell you girls the good news! Phone Calls From Home will be joining Boys Like Girls and All-American Rejects on the second leg of their tour!”, I say excitedly. “And it’s all thanks to you two. Giving Morgan my number and him calling me was what made it possible!”

“Holy shit! Congratulations to them!”, exclaims Susan. “Second leg though? So we won’t be seeing them I guess.”

“Wrong. You girls are both coming out to Cali to see them with me. Backstage passes.”, I say happily. “Plane tickets are on me, duhh.”

“Are you sure?”, asks Susan with concern. “That’s expensive…”

“Positive.”, I respond confidently. “My mom’s never cared about my expenses before, and she’s not paying for most of my tuition, plus I never spend much anyways and have basically all of the money from my job and monthly allowance piling up, soooo…”

“That’s still a lot…”, Michelle says hesitantly.

“Please! Let me do this. Otherwise, I won’t get to see you girls until Christmas, and that is ENTIRELY too long. I seriously don’t know how I’d even survive until the end of October.”, I beg.

After a pause on their ends, both of them agree, and we make plans for tomorrow.

Turning around to walk back into the living room, I almost had a heart attack. “Dave! Don’t sneak up on me like that!”

“Priceless. Every time.”, he laughs. “I’ll stop when you do.”

“I can’t just stop getting scared!”, I argue back. “It’s not fair.”

“Life isn’t fair.”, he replies wisely. “Anyways, you’re staying. And taking the bed. You’ve taken the sofa for way too long.”

“The sofa? Seriously? You move me to the bed every time I fall asleep! And then you take the sofa.”, I accuse. “No more of that. And, I don’t even have any clothes on me today.”

He shrugs. “You can take one of my sweaters, but I think you left a pair of sweats in here from when we were at Warped.”

“Oh yea. Are those my Stanford sweats? I’ve been looking for them. Thanks!”, I say. “For letting me crash, and wearing your sweater, and finding my sweats.”, I clarify.

“Anytime.”, he says. “Just ask. And if you don’t, you know I’ll offer. And…you’re taking the bed.”

“This again.”, I sigh. “Can we at least share the bed? Seriously. It’s not like you’re going to rape me or something. Like, you’re…Dave.”

“What’s that supposed to me?”, he asks, somewhat defensively.

“You’re like…my knight-in-shining-armor.”, I say quietly. “I know you’d keep me safe wherever I go, whenever you can. I just wish I could do something for you like that.”

Pulling me into his arms, he murmurs into my hair, “You do a lot for me by just being here. Promise.”

Smiling against his chest for a moment, I pull away. “C’mon. I’m exhausted. And you’re not sleeping on the sofa.” For once, he let me pull him with me.

“And by the way, I need two more backstage passes for Susan and Michelle.”, I yawn.

The last thing I hear Dave say before I drift off to sleep is, “Anything for you.”