The Cheap Bouquet

"Mike, I don't want to be here. I have a girlfriend, you know," Tony whined, walking into the nearly-vacant bar behind Mike. He was generally annoyed. He didn't want to drink tonight. he had just gotten back from tour, and he and his girlfriend weren't exactly on good terms with each other at the moment. All he wanted to do was go home and apologize. He knew that's what he was going to have to do in the end anyways.

Mike laughed, and sat in a chair at the bar. He ordered whiskey. Before he realized it, Tony had zoned out completely. He was tired, and knew he was supposed to be doing something. He crossed his arms over his chest, and sighed.

The bell over the door startled him as it rang, and he glanced towards it. He noticed Mike did as well. He heard loud laughter, and sat up straight, suddenly taking more interest. A guy walked inside, his hair too white to be natural, and just below his ears. His eyes were unmistakably orange, and he wore tight, black skinny jeans and an Of Mice &Men tee shirt.

A girl followed him inside, her beauty hard to miss. She was absolutely flawless. Her hair was in perfect ringlets, and Tony couldn't tell if they were natural or not. The color of her hair was a sea green, and her lips were a blood red color - making her skin look even paler. Her eyes were glued to her cell phone. As she walked onto the stage, Tony stared at her. She wore dark blue skinny jeans, and a fitting Alice In Wonderland tank top. She had a collection of bracelets on each of her small wrists. She was relatively short and thin.

"Hey, who's playing tonight?" She asked, her voice liquid. Her words seemed to flow together, like lyrics to a song. She pulled her eyes away from her phone and looked over at the bartender, shoving her phone into the back pocket of her tight jeans.

"Some local band," The bartender answered, shrugging his shoulders. His voice was low, and controlling. "Hey, Zak, are you wearing her shirt?" He asked the male with the pale white hair.

The stunningly beautiful girl and the male that entered the bar with her laughed together. Her laugh was just as beautiful as her voice, if not even more stunning. The smallest things about her could make you shiver.

"Yeah, it's mine. He didn't bring any clothes last night," The female answered, grabbing something from the stage floor, and jumping off of the platform. She strode over to the bar, and took a seat next to Mike.

"Hey! I'm not exactly thinking about clothes when I have a boner," The male defended. He took a long sip from the beer bottle in his palms, before speaking again. "She's my booty call, she should have came to me!"

Tony had a weird feeling of hatred erupt in himself. He wanted to hit the guy, but the female's smooth laughter calmed him almost instantly. He saw Mike staring at her, the exact same way he had been.

"I'll remember that next time, Zak," She said, hoping over the bar, and helping herself to a bottle of Bacardi. She unscrewed the top, and took a sip.

"Guys, there are people here. You're going to ruin my business," The bartender complained, throwing a menacing glace at the male, who Tony assumed was Zak.

"Sean, you worry too much," The girl clapped the bartender on the shoulder, standing on her tip toes so she could reach him. Tony couldn't hold back the smile that formed on his lips.

Mike let out a small chuckle. "It's fine," he said. "We won't be here long anyways," He added.

The girl stood back on her feet normally, and frowned, leaning over the bar towards Mike. "Awe, why not?" She looked generally disappointed. She placed her lips around the Bacardi bottle, and took another drink.

"My brother's got something planned for us, I guess," Mike answered. It wasn't hard to detect that he was trying to impress her. Anyone would, rationally.

"Will you be back tomorrow?" The girl bit her lip seductively, placing her hand on Mike's. She traced small patterns in the back on his hand.

Tony was envious, but he just stared at his hands. He hoped that Mike would just leave her alone. She didn't look any older than twenty, and she might not even be that. Other than that obvious reason, Tony couldn't deny that he wanted her for himself. He had a girlfriend, and he hated himself for thinking that. But he was a guy, and anyone male walking this planet would sell there soul for one night with this beautiful girl.

"We'll be back sometime," Mike answered, winking at her. Her stood up, and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He handed it to the girl, and smiled.

She giggled softly, and entered her phone number. Her thumbs swept quickly over the face of Mike's phone, before she gave it back to him. "By the way, it's Annabella." She grinned at him.

"Mike," He commented. He seemed to have forgotten Tony's existence.

Tony had grown annoyed and stood up abruptly, the girl glancing at him. He ignored this, and shoved past Mike. He walked outside, and stood under the sun, anger boiling in the pit of his stomach. He sighed, and threw his head back in anguish.

Mike walked outside. "You okay?" Mike stared at Tony, curiously. He had never seen Tony react like this to anything. Tony was usually the guy that Mike went to the bars with, and he had seen girls give Mike their numbers countless times. What was so different about it this time?

Tony thought about Melanie, his girlfriend, before shaking his head. "No, I'm fine. Just tired," He lied. In truth, he was jealous of Mike. He had never wanted to get all of the girls before, he was fine with whatever girl Mike had decided to bring home. But, this time, it was different. Tony had never seen a girl so flawlessly beautiful. He loved Melanie and he thought that she was beautiful, but no one could ever compare to the girl he had just seen. He had never seen anyone like her.

Mike shrugged, and they began walking back to the house Vic and Mike both shared.

Tony didn't doubt that Melanie was waiting at Vic's place for him. He had been preparing for the major bitch-session that was coming straight for him. He had ignored Melanie's calls and texts for a week, only because he was becoming annoyed with her constantly telling him that his career choice was pathetic. His career meant everything to him. He was helping people with something that he loved to do; create music. All he wanted was for his music to do the same for other people as music had done for him.

Over the last two months of tour, he had realized how controlling Melanie was. He noticed how much she belittled him. He didn't want to break up with her, but he knew that it was for the best. But he also knew that Melanie loved him, and he couldn't break her heart. He felt that it just wasn't right to hurt someone else, only to be happy.

Before he realized it, he was walking through the door of Vic's and Mike's house. He sighed, and kicked off his shoes, closing the door behind him.

"Where the fuck were you? You're such an asshole, Tony. Do you realize how upset I am with you? You could have cheated on me, or died and I wouldn't have known! What the fuck is your pro-!"

"Melanie, let me talk," Tony demanded, grabbing her wrist. His heart began beating faster than normal, he was nervous.

"Talk then," Melanie retorted, clearly annoyed. Her long, blond hair fell around her thin shoulders, and her shirt made her breasts nearly visible.

"Look," Tony began. "I don't think that you and I..." He paused, and sighed. "I don't think that we'll work out if you keep blaming me for things while I'm on tour." He rushed out his words, trying not to hear them himself.

Melanie's jaw dropped. "You're kidding, right?" She asked, her eyebrows raised.

Tony sighed again, and shook his head. She was making this much harder than he had imagined. "No, I'm not," He answered.

"He's breaking up with you," Mike verified, very bluntly. He had always despised Melanie. She was a whore, and she wasn't good for Tony. "Now, get the fuck out," He demanded, opening the door for her.

Melanie glared at him. "Douche," She mumbled, walking outside into the warm, California air.

Mike slammed the door behind her. "That's a burden lifted." He laughed at himself.

"That was a little harsh," Tony commented, staring at Mike.

Mike shrugged. "She's a bitch. Besides, I seen the way you looked at the Annabelle girl. You like her," he teased, grinning at Tony.

"Her name's Annabella," Tony snapped, his cheeks turning red. Mike wasn't trying to get with her, he was trying to get her with Tony. Tony felt a lot better knowing this.

"See," Mike laughed. "You're going back to that bar at some point." he laughed again.

"She has a boyfriend," Tony stated, staring at Mike, his eyes filled with disappointment.

"I don't know, that Zak kid was all over some other girl after you left."

Tony was hopeful, maybe Mike was right. Zak had said that Annabella was his 'booty call,' so she might not be his girlfriend. But that also might mean that she was always sleeping around with different guys, too.

Tony shrugged. "That doesn't mean anything. he could just be a really bad boyfriend."



"Okay, I really think you're, like, stalking me now." Annabella laughed, before throwing her head back, guzzling down the fourth shot of the hour. Her hair was pushed back by a head band, and her arms were covered in paint.

It had been three nights in a row that Tony had met Annabella at a bar or club. Neither of them minded, but Annabella thought that it had been a little out of the ordinary.

"I am not!" Tony laughed. "It just kind of...happens, I guess," He added, shrugging. He wrapped his arm around Annabella's waist, and pulled her through the sea of people.

She giggled adorably. "Where are we going?" She asked, following him outside.

"Is it okay if I take you somewhere quieter? I want to talk to you," Tony asked, opening the passengers side of Annabella's jet black Lamborghini. He had wondered how the hell she could afford this, having no job and all. But he wasn't complaining because, half of the time, he got to drive it.

"Sure, but don't fucking hurt my baby," she warned, pointing a menacing finger at him. She got into the car, and pulled her knees up to her chest.

Tony rolled his eyes, and closed the door after her. He walked to the drivers side, and got in. Revving the engine, he sped off.

"We could just talk in here, y'know. We don't have to go anywhere." Annabella had her eyes closed and her head tilted back against the seat.

Tony shrugged, and pulled into the parking lot of a playground. It was around midnight, so it was completely vacant. "Can I tell you something?" Tony asked, his voice shaky. He had never been so nervous in his entire life.

"Of coarse." Annabella smiled, and took Tony's hands in her own. She had gotten attached to him over the last few days. She had never felt so accepted by anyone, and would do anything to keep this relationship that the two of them held.

Tony stared at their hands, his face turning red. He was beyond grateful that it was dark outside, because he didn't want Annabella to see. "You and your friends...you do things that I wouldn't approve of, don't you," It wasn't much of a question.

Annabella shrugged. "It's not effecting you. You're not going to tell me that I should stop, are you?" Annabella glared at him lightly.

Tony shook his head. "No, I just want the best for you," He said quickly. He didn't want her to be angry with him; that was the very last thing he wanted.

"Look, Tony, I like you. I really do. But I'm not going to stop, or change my life, for some guy I met at a bar." She sighed, and pulled her hands away from his. She stared out of the windshield.

"I don't want you to change, I just want you to be safe," He added, staring at her through the dark. "I've never been so determined to protect someone in my entire life."

Annabella's head jerked up. "You want to protect me? Why? I'm a waste of your time, y'know."

Tony shook his head. "Stop." He leaned over the seat, and grabbed her face in between his palms. "You're worth every minute of my life," He said truthfully. "I don't care what anyone thinks. I know we just met or whatever, but I love you, Bella. You're so important to me. And I don't know why," he confessed.

"Can I ask you something?" Annabella pulled Tony's hands from her face, and laced their fingers together.

Tony nodded once. Even through the darkness, Annabella could see.

"What if I just disappeared one day, and never returned? What if you could never see me again? What would you do if I was on the verge of dying, every second at risk of falling off of the edge? What would you do?" She made sure that her question was described perfectly, but still clouded enough not to show the truth behind it.

Tony stared at her, bewildered. There was no way that she could ever be insecure enough to commit suicide, could she? She was so beautiful, and Tony had no idea how she was so blind to this fact. "But that wouldn't ever happen, right? You wouldn't just leave me like that?" His voice was apprehensive.

"Not on purpose, of coarse. But what if it was an accident?"

"I wouldn't let that happen. I feel the need to protect you, and I'd do whatever I could to get you back." He stared at his feet.

"We should probably get back," Annabella suggested, after pulling her cell phone out of her back pocket, and checking the time. "Zak will be worried."

"Who is he to you, Bella? Is he your boyfriend?" Tony asked.

Annabella laughed loudly. "Oh my god, no! My friends and I are kind of...sluts, I guess." She chuckled. "We've never been in a real relationship. More like friends with benefits." She smiled.

"Would you ever consider dating someone?" Tony asked, avoiding her light gaze.

She shrugged her shoulders. She had never had an actual boyfriend in her entire life. She talked to a guy, fucked him, and never talked to him again. That was the cycle. "I dunno," She answered.

"What if it was someone you trusted?" Tony pushed the subject. "Someone you loved?"

Annabella chuckled softly. "No, I don't love anyone. Love doesn't exist. And, even if you believe it does, you're going to get hurt at one point. It's bound to happen. You're pretty much setting yourself up for pain." She scrolled through Twitter as she answered truthfully. "If it was someone I trusted, I guess it would be okay. Just no love shit. I wouldn't be okay with that."

"Do you trust me?" Tony forced his question out, his voice still shaky.

"Sure, I guess. I haven't leaned too much about you though. Maybe if I knew a lot about you, I'd trust you completely," She answered, biting her lip.

Annabella didn't miss that. She knew exactly what Tony was getting at. But she acted like she hadn't caught the fact that Tony liked her. He didn't like her as a friend, but something more. She wasn't ready for anything like that. She longed for his friendship, not his dick.