We Are More Than This

"Jack! Where have you been?"
"Socializing?"
"I need to talk to you."
"Should I fear for my life?"
"Yes."
"What did I do now?"
"You slept with St-Mackenzie." I found my old nickname for her falling from my mouth in my anger and quickly corrected myself.
"...You knew that, brah."
"No, you said she wanted it. But you did! It was your idea!"
"And you believe her over me? I'm supposed to be your best friend!"
"And you're supposed to be hers!"
"Okay, so what, you want me to not sleep with her?"
"Yeah!"
"Should I also not kiss her, not hug her, not talk to her? Would that make you happy?"
"What?"
"You two are so fucking in love with each other! But you're both too fucking stubborn to admit it! Either you make your move or get of the picture so someone else can try their luck with her!"
"What, like you?"
"Why not?"
"No! I won't let it happen!"
"And why not? Because you love her!" he answered himself.
"No, brah, 'cause I love you!" I contradicted. "I don't want your relationship to end up like ours did!"
"That's just because you don't want her hurt!"
"Okay, you know what!?"
-------
"Hey, Ken?" Matt's voice came through the walkie-talkie on the table.
"I'm a girl, Matt. We've been over this," I said, bored.
"Get someone to cover for you and get to the buses. Like, run."
"Why, what happened?"
"Just get down here."
"Hey, Jess, can you cover for me?"
"Yeah, no problem."
I picked up the walkie-talkie and ran. "Whose bus are you by?"
"Ah... the Mexican wrestlers."
"What's going on?" I questioned when I got there, pushing through the crowd that had formed.
"Jack!" I screeched. He was straddling Alex's body, blood dripping down his face.
Alex was very much unconscious, his face bruised and bleeding.
Jack's fist stopped just short of Alex's face when I yelled his name.
I kicked him off of Alex to the ground and somebody grabbed his body.
"M-"
"What the fuck did you do that for!?" I yelled, my foot on his chest. "And where the fuck is security? Why is it always up to me to break apart the fucking fights? I'm a hundred and twenty-three fucking pounds, people! Answer me, Jack!' I yelled, pressing down through my foot.
"He didn't-" he stopped.
"He didn't what? He didn't give you a cookie, so you smashed his face in?"
"You wouldn't get it."
"Yeah, probably because it's the most stupid reason ever!" I seethed. "If that boy has any serious damage done to him, I'm gonna fucking kill you! And think I won't, because I will!"
"Why, do you love him?" he spat.
"That boy is our career. Our goddamn life. He's gotten a job for us this summer and this fall and this winter. He gave me the chance to do my first album-"
"And took your virginity," he muttered under his breath.
My blood boiled. "I'm going to ignore that so I can finish my rant before I kill you. He got me out of that goddamn town. The prettiness of his face directly relates to the amount of CDs you sell, because you sure as hell don't have any talent!"
An arm wrapped around my chest and pulled me off Jack. I could feel Zack's eyes burning into the back of my head, begging me, please, not in public.
"I am so not done with you," I snapped, pointing at Jack, still lying on the ground. "If we don't get kicked off this tour, you get to live. But, oh, how you'll wish you hadn't." I spun away and Zack gently guided me through the crowd.
"He loves you, alright?" Jack called.
"Well, apparently, he hit you damn good to be making that shit up! And even if he did, is that really worth putting everything in jeopardy?"
"Mack," Zack started. Please, no, I heard him begging silently. I pushed through the crowd to where the medics had moved Alex.
"How is he?"
"He's out cold. But he's lucky. Very lucky. In his face, only his nose has been broken, and it doesn't look like he's got a concussion."
"...He's out cold, broken nose, but no concussion?"
She nodded.
"Lucky bastard. You always were a trooper," I commented, stroking his hair. "You said in his face...?"
She nodded again. "It looks like his rib may have been slightly fractured. Without x-rays, though, I can't be sure. I'd like you to take him to an ER sometime tonight."
"Not right now?"
"It doesn't look to be that serious. Let him sleep for now, take him once he's had a little rest."
"Can we take him to the bus?" Zack asked.
"How far are you?"
"Two or three down."
"How would you get him there?"
"I'd carry him."
"That should be alright. Just don't jostle him too much and be careful of his rib."
"Thanks."
"Mhm." She handed me some painkillers for when Alex woke up and walked off to tend to Jack.
"Bus, eh?"
"Paul volunteered to let him get away from Jack. They've got two extra bunks," he said, lifting Alex.
"...Okay? Why two?"
"For you to stay, too."
"Me? Why me?"
"Let's be honest, here. You like him-"
"Oh my god, I do not! You and Jack are conspiring against me, aren't you?"
"No. Mack, we can all tell."
"You just say that because you think that twins are supposed to have that creepy connection thing, so you make up shit like this!"
"Mack."
"Zack."
"Why are you so stubborn?"
"Because I'm a Merrick."
He was quiet for a moment. "I don't think you should really be around Jack right now, either, though."
"True."
"And none of us are really good with making people better. And they've got more of a bathroom than the van does."
"And you're of course referring to the bleeding from my vagina?"
"Er... yeah," he cringed.
"What, do you all have it marked on your calendars?"
"Well, Alex, for unfathomable reasons, knows when you'll start... ehh..." He wiggled his fingers in the general direction of my crotch. "So he went in our phones and programmed AVOID MACKENZIE STEPHANIE MERRICK to pop up."
"Smart boy," I laughed. "This bus smells almost as bad as the van," I grimaced as we entered the bunk area.
"You wouldn't happen to know which ones are empty...?"
"There's this one," I said, pushing back the curtain on the bottom bunk. "And... this one." I pushed back the curtain to the bunk above it.
"Not gonna ask how you know. Okay, so... should he be on the bottom?"
"Yeah. So if he rolls out, which he probably will, it's not as far of a fall."
"You're such a fucking liar," he said, putting Alex into the bunk.
"Am not. Shut the fuck up," I replied, irritated, punching his arm.
-------
"Ow," I whimpered, clutching my head. I heard a soft thump and the curtain drew back, light illuminating a beautiful face.
I blinked.
"You're up!" Mackenzie said joyfully. "Here, take this," handing me two pills. "And don't try to move. Your rib could be fractured, and you don't wanna make that worse," she said, bringing attention to the pain in my side.
"Whose bus is this?"
"Boys Like Girls. Take the pills. They figured we need to get away from Jack."
"We?" I said, swallowing the pills.
"Yeah. I'm right up here," she said, patting the bunk above me. "I was just about ready to kill Jack. Putting everything in jeopardy like that, y'know."
"Ah. How long have I been out?"
"Just two hours."
"...Just?"
"I guess you haven't seen yourself? Maybe that's for the better... But you're going to the ER tonight to make sure you're not that broken."
"Are we still on the tour?"
She nodded. "He got off with a warning because we're 'mostly good kids.' But you can't sing until you're 100 percent, which means you get to entertain the twats at merch with me instead."
"Oh, yay."
"Oh, shut up," she laughed. "We're gonna have other people fill in for you until you're all better."
"How are your cramps?"
"Midol is incredible. You're my lifesaver."
"And you returned the favor. Only slightly more literally."
"Yeah..." she whispered, her smile fading.
"No, I like your smile," I whined, taking her chin in my hand.
"Those painkillers work fast, don't they? They're already messing with your head," she laughed softly, putting her hand on the crown of me head, her thumb stroking my forehead.
"I don't hurt as much," I whispered in agreement.
"That's good," she whispered back.
"Yeah," I replied.
There was silence and we simply stared into each other's eyes. She leaned forward slowly and I, unable to move much without a sudden sharp pain in my side, turned my heard towards her more, lifting it slightly. Our lips met and my hand moved from her chin to the side of her face.
She tasted the same as I remembered, only slightly smokier, due to her nasty new habit.
Before she pulled back completely, I caught her lips in three additional kisses, all short pecks.
"Wow," she whispered. "I didn't know Midol messed with your head like that."
"Well, you know, it does have the power to keep a woman's hormones in check. It's gotta have some damn powerful drugs in it."
"True," she laughed. "Or it could be the painkillers I stole from you for the cramps. But thank you anyway."
"No problem," I replied, knowing she wasn't thanking me for the kiss, but rather for accepting the reason behind the kiss.
"I-I should probably go relieve Jess. You go back to sleep."
I nodded and she shut the curtain as I allowed my eyes to fall shut.
-------
As I walked off the bus, my cramps were suddenly so bad that I fell to my knees, wishing I really had taken a painkiller of some sort.
My stomach contents erupted through my mouth.