Caught in the Middle

The hot California sun beat down on my skin as my phone began to ring. I lifted my head from my towel, checking caller ID to see who was disturbing me and if it was worth answering the call. It wasn't anyone I was trying to avoid at the moment, so I answered it.

"Hey Alecia, what's up?" The phone was practically silent except for Alecia hitched breathing on the other end. "Alecia? What's wrong?"

"Pat broke up with me," she choked out on the other end. I sat up from my spot, sensing that I'd be doing some serious relationship counselling.

"What happened? Why did he do that?"

"I don't know, all he said to me was that he couldn't do it anymore," she sobbed. My mind immediately turned to the disastrous party and how that would have affected Pat.

"Sweetheart, it's okay, Pat's probably just intimidated by Eric, I know that he really likes you and he'll come around soon."

"Of course, Eric has to ruin just about every relationship that isn't his. I'd talk to Pat but I don't think I'd be able to say anything to him," Alecia sniffed.

"Do you want me to talk to him for you?" I offered.

"Thank you Jessy, but don't you have to deal with John and Garrett already? I don't wanna put all my burdens on you as well."

"Alecia, I have six weeks to sort things out with Garrett and John, talking to Pat will be a hell of a lot easier to deal with than either of those two." I wasn't looking forward to talking with either Garrett or John, so hopefully having a talk with Pat would prepare me for it.

"You're a great friend Jessy, thanks." I didn't know if a lot of people still thought that about me, but I didn't say anything.

We both hung up and I checked the time on my phone. It was midday and I needed to be home soon to pack for the tour before we left. I had already checked out of my hotel room and had packed my car, taking in the sun on the beach before I was stuck in a bus for three weeks.

I began the drive back to Arizona, watching the sun begin to set as I neared Phoenix. I finally returned home and sent Kennedy a message saying I was back before unpacking my suitcase and putting on a load of laundry.

I had just pressed start on the machine and I turned to find Kennedy standing in my doorway. He stepped toward me silently, pulling me into a long hug. I hugged him back tightly and we stood there for a while, not speaking; just enjoying each other's presence.

He finally pulled back from me and held me at arm's distance. "I missed having you around the last few days," he said softly.

"I'd say I missed being here, but we both know that would probably be a lie," I admitted. Kennedy nodded.

"Garrett told me you guys broke up at the release party," he said softly. I chuckled humourlessly.

"To tell you the truth, we were never really together," I said, looking down at my hands, "We were just pretending so I could make John jealous and realise that he wasn't in love with Rachel. Little did I know that Rachel herself provided me with enough ammunition to make it happen. I just didn't expect everything to go down like it did."

Kennedy frowned slightly. "Really? You both seemed so happy together, you were definitely fooling everyone."

"I think I was fooling myself too," I mumbled low enough that Kennedy couldn't hear me.

"Come on, let's go upstairs and I'll tell you everything that happened after you left."

* * * * *

Things had apparently gotten pretty crazy after I took off for San Diego. John hosted a bonfire the next night in which he got drunk and burned everything he had of Rachel's and anything she had given him that he didn't want.

"Garrett went and also got really drunk, and that was when things got a bit crazy," Kennedy started. I frowned slightly.

"Why? What happened?"

"Somehow they started talking about you, and John blamed Garrett for you going to San Diego, and Garrett got really angry and blamed him for you leaving for Chicago like you did. Let's just say that they both came out of the argument a little bruised and they haven't spoken to each other since."

"Fuck. This is going to make the tour so awkward with all three of us there," I moaned, putting my head in my hands. Kennedy rubbed my back consolingly.

"It will, but they'll both put on faces for the fans so they don't suspect anything. Everything's going to be fine Jessy, when they're forced to face each other every day for three weeks they'll sort things out. It's happened between some of us before and it always ends fine."

"I hope so."

Kennedy's phone buzzed and he checked it, furrowing his brow before sliding it unlocked and tapping out a quick reply.

"Who was that?" I asked him.

"Uh, it was, uh, Garrett. He wanted to know where I was, I told him I was with you. I probably won't get a reply from him."

Kennedy was right. The whole time he was at my place, which went from a short visit, to staying for dinner, Garrett never text him back.

* * * * *

My alarm went off at 4:45am the next morning and I let out a low whine as I remembered what it was for. All I wanted was to roll over and go back to sleep, but the tour bus would be here in half an hour to pick me up before we began to drive out to the first show in LA which was to be held tonight.

I pulled myself out of bed and threw on a pair of yoga pants and an over-sized tee, tossing my hair up into a bun as I packed my pyjamas and last-minute essentials into my suitcase. I poured some cereal and milk into a bowl and quickly ate it, putting my bowl into the sink as I heard the bus pull up to the curb. I looked out the window to see Tim getting off the bus and opening the lower storage on the bus.

I wheeled my suitcase out and slung my duffel bag over my shoulder, locking the door behind me as I left the house. Tim looked up to see me walking along the path and raised his hand in greeting. I stopped in front of him and released my suitcase, letting him put it under the bus.

"I'll show you to your bunk when you get on so you can sleep on the trip to LA if you want. We just have to make one more stop before we hit the highway," he explained. I nodded and moved the duffel bag back on my shoulder as Tim lead me onto the bus.

It was slightly cramped, and already smelled like boys due to the multiple crew members sitting up the front, but it had a homey feel to it as I walked further down the bus and heard Jared and Kennedy talking softly as John tapped away on his phone and Pat napped on the couch.

"Alright boys, there's a girl on the bus this tour, so don't stink up the bus, don't make a mess and if you do, don't expect her to clean it up just because she's a girl. Clear?" Tim warned the boys. Kennedy mock saluted Tim as he rolled his eyes and turned back to me. "Your bunk is on the left side up the back, above John and below Kennedy. And that's also a warning for you two to quit wanking on tour," he pointed at John and Kennedy.

Kennedy rolled his eyes while John let out a whine. "C'mon Tim, I'm single now, give me a break."

Tim stuck his finger up at John and returned to the front of the bus and we began to roll on to our last stop before going to LA.

I settled myself in my bunk, leaving the curtain open, and enjoyed the short trip until we came to a stop outside a familiar house. I should have known that we'd be going to pick Garrett up, he was the only band member not already on the bus when I got on. Tim stepped off the bus again and spent at least ten minutes outside with Garrett before I heard them walk onto the bus, the door closing behind them.

Garrett walked past me in my bunk, giving me a sideways glance before continuing to the back of the bus where the rest of the boys were. Tim appeared by my bunk and ducked his head so he was looking me in the eyes.

"Jessy, can you come up the front with me for a second? I just wanna talk to you."

I got out of my bunk and Tim shooed the crew members to the back lounge so we were alone.

"Alright, I know that things between you and Garrett aren't good right now, and I've told him the same thing, but it would really benefit all of us if you guys were somewhat civil. Basically, just please don't start any fights or other shit on tour. There have been tours where someone has been in an argument with someone else and it just really upsets the mood and you don't know how difficult it is to be in the same confined space as two guys who just beat the shit out of each other for three weeks. I don't care if it means you don't talk, just please don't make it unbearable for yourself is all I'm asking."

I nodded. "I feel awkward enough being on the tour as it is, I wouldn't try and start anything anyway. You don't have to worry about me."

Tim smiled and gave me a kiss on the top of my head. "Atta girl. Alright, you can go back to sleep now."

I went back to my bunk and closed the curtain and fell into a peaceful sleep.

* * * * *

"Leave me alone, Jessy. Just because I'm not with Rachel anymore doesn't mean I want to be with you," John spat at me before turning and stomping off. I bit my bottom lip to stop it from quivering before turning to Garrett.

"You're still my friend, right Garrett? You still like me?"

Garrett just lowered his gaze from mine, not answering but I knew what it meant. I couldn't decide what hurt more: John not liking me back or Garrett not wanting to be my friend.

"Oh, Jessy. Jessy, Jessy, Jessy..."

"Jessy? Jessy wake up. Come on, we're in LA." I felt a hand roughly shake my arm as Kennedy's voice awoke me from my dream.

"Huh?"

"Are you okay? You seemed pretty restless while you were asleep, we had to check on you a few times to make sure you didn't roll out of your bunk," Kennedy told me. I just nodded my head, not wanting to tell him about my dream. "We just pulled up at the venue, we need to unload and then we're going to find some food."

I pulled myself up from my bunk and smoothed out my hair, finding my shorts to change into before exiting the bus.

Tim was unloading guitar cases and Pat's drum kit from the trailer, as well as several cardboard boxes.

"Those boxes have merch in them, so you can take them and put them up in the stall up the back of the venue. You don't need to unload them, you can do that while the boys are sound checking this afternoon."

I lugged the first box into the venue and nearly ran into John.

"Do you need a hand with that? It looks pretty heavy," he offered, holding his arms out of the box. I grunted slightly as I tried to shift the box's weight unsuccessfully.

"I'm fine," I choked out. My right hand moved awkwardly to the side of the box and the uneven weight distribution caused it to slip out of my hands. Luckily John was more co-ordinated and stronger than me so he was able to catch it just before it hit the ground. He looked up at me with a smirk on his face, the most emotion I'd seen him show since I came back from Chicago.

"You sure about that?"

I rolled my eyes, smirking back at him. "Fine, I guess I could use some help. Thank you, John."

"No worries, Jessy. That's what friends are for."

One side of my face lifted up in a smile as John placed the box behind the stall and walked back out to the trailer with me to get more boxes.

"Here, this one's smaller and lighter than the last one," John said, handing me a box before taking another slightly larger one. Garrett, who was unloading his bass, eyed the two of us with a scowl on his face before heaving the guitar up and stalking towards the load-in doors. John frowned at his turned back and started walking towards the doors with me, a scowl now on his face too.

We put the other boxes down, Garrett still cold-shouldering us and John still scowling.

"What's wrong?" I asked him. He glanced at me before putting a smile on his face, however it didn't reach his eyes.

"Nothing. C'mon, let's go get some food."

We walked to Taco Bell and ordered some food for us to take back to the bus, passing the rest of the band and crew on the way back.

"Hey, we're going to get some food, you guys coming?" Kennedy asked us.

John lifted up the bags he was carrying. "Already got ours, we're gonna go eat it on the bus."

Garrett rolled his eyes slightly and kept walking in the direction they were heading, the rest of the boys looking on as he walked away from the group.

"What's up his ass?" Kennedy asked.

"I don't know, I'll find out after lunch," Tim said. The boys kept walking towards the direction of food while John and I headed back to the bus, retreating to the back lounge to eat.

"Kennedy said you went away the other day, where did you go?" John asked casually. I swallowed my food.

"Uh, San Diego."

He raised his eyebrows, taking another bite before responding. "Why? What's in San Diego?"

"To be honest, nothing, that's why I went. There was no-one there that I knew which meant I could go and think about everything without being interrupted. It was pretty relaxing, I think I kinda needed it after everything that happened. So how did everything go with Rachel?"

John opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by Pat and Kennedy walking back onto the bus loudly, each holding a paper bag from Taco Bell.

"We thought we'd come and join you guys since Garrett is acting like he's on his period," Kennedy said, squeezing himself between me and John before opening his bag and shoving food in his mouth.

"You're full of class, Ken," I rolled my eyes at him. He opened his mouth to show me his half-chewed food and I threw my balled up rubbish bag at him.

The boys goofed off and finished eating, while I took my toiletries and a fresh set of clothes into the bathroom to get ready for the show. By the time I was finished, the back lounge was full of the band and crew drinking beers and still goofing off, except Garrett who was quietly nursing his beer.

Tim looked up and wolf-whistled when he saw me, causing a chain reaction from the rest of the guys to follow suit, except John and Garrett. Garrett continued staring into his beer while John just stared at me.

"Damn, I don't know why we didn't invite girls on the bus earlier," Tim joked as I blushed.

"Come on assholes, you have a show to play."