Long Live the Kids
Chapter 8
Alex's POV
"I'm guessing you're not very excited to go home huh?" I asked Zack as I sat down next to him on one of the foldable chairs that were set up outside of our bus.
“Not really” Zack admitted.
Tonight we would play our last show of the tour, which meant we’d be going home tomorrow. I was pretty excited to go home, but I could imagine Zack wasn’t. He and Jenna had been getting along really great and although Zack kept telling us they weren’t together, it did kind of feel like they were. The ending of the tour also meant that Jenna is going back to Australia though, which wouldn’t make the two of them dating much easier. That was probably the reason they weren’t together yet and with her leaving I wasn’t that sure they would get together at all anymore.
“I mean, it’ll be nice to see everyone again, you know but…” Zack trailed off, shutting up when he noticed Jenna and Jack approaching us.
“I know man” I answered quietly before the two of them sat down next to us.
“Is he bothering you?” Zack joked, looking at Jenna and Jack.
“Yes, very much” Jenna replied, causing Jack to make a sad face. "He keeps asking me about this guy called Zack."
Zack shot Jack a warning look, causing Jack to smile innocently at him.
“So, are you excited to go home?” I asked her.
For a moment she made eye contact with Zack, before replying.
“Uh yeah, I guess… It’ll be nice to see my friends and family again. It’s been way too long. But I wouldn’t mind staying on tour with you guys for a little longer either” she said, looking at Zack.
“With Zack you mean, you don’t need us” Jack pouted.
Jenna nodded. “True, but well, you guys aren’t so bad to be around either.”
“That’s good to know, as you’ll probably be spending a lot of time with us at Warped Tour” I said.
“Oh yeah, I’ll finally get to meet all of your girlfriends!” Jenna exclaimed excitedly.
“Why are you so excited to meet our girlfriends?” Jack asked, raising his eyebrows.
“Because uh you talk about them a lot and... I may or may not listen to their music... A lot” Jenna said quietly, causing Jack and I to grin.
“I didn’t take you for the type who listened to pop music” I admitted.
“Yeah well, sometimes you retweet your girlfriend’s music so I decided to give it a listen and it was pretty good." Jenna explained.
“As long as you don’t get too starstruck” Jack said arrogantly. “That would be embarrassing.”
“Oh shut up Jack, I think it’s cute” I said grinning.
“Well, now I am embarrassed” Jenna mumbled.
“You should be” Jack said.
"Guys..." Zack started.
"Ah, he's defending his girl!" Jack exclaimed, causing Zack to give him an angry look, while Jenna just smiled.
“No, I’m sure Haley appreciates the support. She’ll only be at the Columbia date though. And I’m pretty sure so will Tay. Rian’s girlfriend is the only one that’s actually on the tour unfortunately” I said.
“You make it sound like you don’t like my girlfriend” Rian, who sat down next to Jack, joked.
“You know I love Cass. I’m just jealous I won’t have my girlfriend with me all summer” I replied.
“No, but you’ll get to spend two weeks with her before Warped so just make the most of those” Rian answered. "We all know what it's like not to have our girlfriends around."
I knew it wasn’t fair of me to complain about how Rian did get to spend the summer with Cassadee as he didn’t see her any more than I saw Haley so I decided to drop the subject.
“So Jenna, are you excited for your first Warped Tour experience?” I asked her.
“Hell yeah! I’ve never been there, not even as a visitor. It’s gonna be great” she replied.
Matt then came out of the venue to tell us Tonight Alive had to start getting ready. We all sound checked earlier, then had dinner and were just waiting to go on stage now. Jenna's band mates walked out of their bus and Jenna got up to follow them into the venue. We decided to go with them to watch their show.
After both Tonight Alive and us played and we went out to meet some kids, we were all sitting on our tour bus, hanging out all together one more time. Although I couldn't wait to see Haley, I was gonna miss being on tour, hanging with Tonight Alive, even living on a bus. We had already packed a little as we would be leaving first thing in the morning. We would be driving back to Baltimore, while Tonight Alive would be flying home which meant they actually had to pack and couldn't hang out with us for too long.
Zack's POV
I had been dreading this moment for the past two weeks. The moment I would go back to Baltimore and Jenna would go back to fucking Australia. I was into her and I was pretty sure she felt the same, but although we had been spending a lot of time together, that was all there was to it. I figured Jenna wasn't up for the whole long distance thing and that I didn't have a shot with her anyway, but that didn't make her leaving any easier. I hadn't felt like this about a girl since I just met Megan. That head-over-heels, butterfly-in-the-stomach kind of feeling you get when you're falling for someone.
I hadn't expected it to happen anytime soon after Megan and I broke up, but here I am, lying awake at night, thinking of a girl I most likely can't get. It freaking sucked. Alex told me to just tell Jenna how I feel and see if she feels the same and is willing to try a long distance relationship, but well, what are the odds? I would rather stays friends with her than get rejected... After hours of tossing and turning I finally fell asleep.
I was woken by a knock on the door of our bus. I didn't hear any movement in the bus, so I figured everyone was still asleep and I got up to open the door. Rubbing my eyes, I opened the door to find Jenna standing behind it.
"Hey sleepyhead" she said, smiling, but not as happily as usual.
"Hey" I replied, while getting off the bus so she wouldn't have to look up to me.
"I came to say bye. We're about to leave" Jenna explained.
"Oh" I said quietly, not knowing what else to say.
"Hey don't give me that sad face" Jenna said, punching my arm. "It's only two weeks!"
"For now" I muttered.
"Don't be such a pessimist" Jenna said sternly.
"Sorry" I replied.
"I'm gonna miss you, though" she said on a more serious tone.
"I'm gonna miss you too" I replied.
Jenna once again kissed me on the cheek.
"See you in two weeks" she said softly.
"See you" I replied, before she turned around and headed for their bus.
I thought about what Alex told me. This was the moment. Was I going to do it or not?
"Jenna?" I exclaimed before I realized it, causing Jenna to turn around.
"Yeah?" she asked, walking back to me.
I was quiet for a moment, trying to find the right words to say.
"I like you, Jenna" I started.
"I like you too..." she replied when I didn't continue.
"No, I mean, I like you as more than a friend. I want us to be more than friends" I said quickly.
"Oh" Jenna replied.
She clearly didn't see that coming. I could just punch myself. Did I ruin our friendship? Jenna must've figured I was overthinking everything because she continued.
"Look Zack, I do too, but, I don't know... I feel like we should get to know each other better if we want to make this long distance thing work. I mean, it works for your band mates because they knew their girlfriends long before they started touring. They already had a steady relationship and they know they can trust each other when their partner is on the other side of the world" Jenna explained, looking at me, hoping for a reply.
My disappointment must have been visible on my face, because Jenna grabbed my hand.
"Hey, don't be sad. I'm not saying no. I'm just saying that maybe we should see if we still feel the same about each other after Warped Tour and if so, I'm ready to try. We've only known each other for a couple of months and we've only really been getting to know each other for two weeks. Yes, when I wake up, you're the first thing I think of, the first person I want to see. My heart skips a beat whenever I see you. But we're still in that "first stage" of falling in love where you just want to be around each other all the time, and that won't make a long distance relationship work..." she explained.
"Okay" I replied. "Let's see after Warped Tour then."
"Absolutely!" Jenna replied smiling. "Look, I really have to go..."
I hesitated for a moment, but then quickly leaned in to kiss her lips. Thankfully, she returned the kiss. When she broke away, we just smiled at each other for a moment, before Jenna let go of my hand.
"Bye Zack" she said softly.
"Bye Jenna" I replied.
Jenna then turned around and headed for their bus, waving at me one last time before she got on. I turned around and noticed Jack, Alex and Rian in the doorway.
"Well, that took you long enough!" Jack exclaimed as I got on the bus.
"Oh shut up" I replied.
"So, did you tell her?" Alex asked.
I nodded.
"And?" he asked curiously.
"She thinks we should get to know each other better before we get together, but maybe after Warped" I replied.
"See! There's hope!" Jack exclaimed, causing me to smile.
"Yeah, I guess there is" I nodded.
Matt then entered the bus telling us we were about to leave for Baltimore as well.
"I'm guessing you're not very excited to go home huh?" I asked Zack as I sat down next to him on one of the foldable chairs that were set up outside of our bus.
“Not really” Zack admitted.
Tonight we would play our last show of the tour, which meant we’d be going home tomorrow. I was pretty excited to go home, but I could imagine Zack wasn’t. He and Jenna had been getting along really great and although Zack kept telling us they weren’t together, it did kind of feel like they were. The ending of the tour also meant that Jenna is going back to Australia though, which wouldn’t make the two of them dating much easier. That was probably the reason they weren’t together yet and with her leaving I wasn’t that sure they would get together at all anymore.
“I mean, it’ll be nice to see everyone again, you know but…” Zack trailed off, shutting up when he noticed Jenna and Jack approaching us.
“I know man” I answered quietly before the two of them sat down next to us.
“Is he bothering you?” Zack joked, looking at Jenna and Jack.
“Yes, very much” Jenna replied, causing Jack to make a sad face. "He keeps asking me about this guy called Zack."
Zack shot Jack a warning look, causing Jack to smile innocently at him.
“So, are you excited to go home?” I asked her.
For a moment she made eye contact with Zack, before replying.
“Uh yeah, I guess… It’ll be nice to see my friends and family again. It’s been way too long. But I wouldn’t mind staying on tour with you guys for a little longer either” she said, looking at Zack.
“With Zack you mean, you don’t need us” Jack pouted.
Jenna nodded. “True, but well, you guys aren’t so bad to be around either.”
“That’s good to know, as you’ll probably be spending a lot of time with us at Warped Tour” I said.
“Oh yeah, I’ll finally get to meet all of your girlfriends!” Jenna exclaimed excitedly.
“Why are you so excited to meet our girlfriends?” Jack asked, raising his eyebrows.
“Because uh you talk about them a lot and... I may or may not listen to their music... A lot” Jenna said quietly, causing Jack and I to grin.
“I didn’t take you for the type who listened to pop music” I admitted.
“Yeah well, sometimes you retweet your girlfriend’s music so I decided to give it a listen and it was pretty good." Jenna explained.
“As long as you don’t get too starstruck” Jack said arrogantly. “That would be embarrassing.”
“Oh shut up Jack, I think it’s cute” I said grinning.
“Well, now I am embarrassed” Jenna mumbled.
“You should be” Jack said.
"Guys..." Zack started.
"Ah, he's defending his girl!" Jack exclaimed, causing Zack to give him an angry look, while Jenna just smiled.
“No, I’m sure Haley appreciates the support. She’ll only be at the Columbia date though. And I’m pretty sure so will Tay. Rian’s girlfriend is the only one that’s actually on the tour unfortunately” I said.
“You make it sound like you don’t like my girlfriend” Rian, who sat down next to Jack, joked.
“You know I love Cass. I’m just jealous I won’t have my girlfriend with me all summer” I replied.
“No, but you’ll get to spend two weeks with her before Warped so just make the most of those” Rian answered. "We all know what it's like not to have our girlfriends around."
I knew it wasn’t fair of me to complain about how Rian did get to spend the summer with Cassadee as he didn’t see her any more than I saw Haley so I decided to drop the subject.
“So Jenna, are you excited for your first Warped Tour experience?” I asked her.
“Hell yeah! I’ve never been there, not even as a visitor. It’s gonna be great” she replied.
Matt then came out of the venue to tell us Tonight Alive had to start getting ready. We all sound checked earlier, then had dinner and were just waiting to go on stage now. Jenna's band mates walked out of their bus and Jenna got up to follow them into the venue. We decided to go with them to watch their show.
After both Tonight Alive and us played and we went out to meet some kids, we were all sitting on our tour bus, hanging out all together one more time. Although I couldn't wait to see Haley, I was gonna miss being on tour, hanging with Tonight Alive, even living on a bus. We had already packed a little as we would be leaving first thing in the morning. We would be driving back to Baltimore, while Tonight Alive would be flying home which meant they actually had to pack and couldn't hang out with us for too long.
Zack's POV
I had been dreading this moment for the past two weeks. The moment I would go back to Baltimore and Jenna would go back to fucking Australia. I was into her and I was pretty sure she felt the same, but although we had been spending a lot of time together, that was all there was to it. I figured Jenna wasn't up for the whole long distance thing and that I didn't have a shot with her anyway, but that didn't make her leaving any easier. I hadn't felt like this about a girl since I just met Megan. That head-over-heels, butterfly-in-the-stomach kind of feeling you get when you're falling for someone.
I hadn't expected it to happen anytime soon after Megan and I broke up, but here I am, lying awake at night, thinking of a girl I most likely can't get. It freaking sucked. Alex told me to just tell Jenna how I feel and see if she feels the same and is willing to try a long distance relationship, but well, what are the odds? I would rather stays friends with her than get rejected... After hours of tossing and turning I finally fell asleep.
I was woken by a knock on the door of our bus. I didn't hear any movement in the bus, so I figured everyone was still asleep and I got up to open the door. Rubbing my eyes, I opened the door to find Jenna standing behind it.
"Hey sleepyhead" she said, smiling, but not as happily as usual.
"Hey" I replied, while getting off the bus so she wouldn't have to look up to me.
"I came to say bye. We're about to leave" Jenna explained.
"Oh" I said quietly, not knowing what else to say.
"Hey don't give me that sad face" Jenna said, punching my arm. "It's only two weeks!"
"For now" I muttered.
"Don't be such a pessimist" Jenna said sternly.
"Sorry" I replied.
"I'm gonna miss you, though" she said on a more serious tone.
"I'm gonna miss you too" I replied.
Jenna once again kissed me on the cheek.
"See you in two weeks" she said softly.
"See you" I replied, before she turned around and headed for their bus.
I thought about what Alex told me. This was the moment. Was I going to do it or not?
"Jenna?" I exclaimed before I realized it, causing Jenna to turn around.
"Yeah?" she asked, walking back to me.
I was quiet for a moment, trying to find the right words to say.
"I like you, Jenna" I started.
"I like you too..." she replied when I didn't continue.
"No, I mean, I like you as more than a friend. I want us to be more than friends" I said quickly.
"Oh" Jenna replied.
She clearly didn't see that coming. I could just punch myself. Did I ruin our friendship? Jenna must've figured I was overthinking everything because she continued.
"Look Zack, I do too, but, I don't know... I feel like we should get to know each other better if we want to make this long distance thing work. I mean, it works for your band mates because they knew their girlfriends long before they started touring. They already had a steady relationship and they know they can trust each other when their partner is on the other side of the world" Jenna explained, looking at me, hoping for a reply.
My disappointment must have been visible on my face, because Jenna grabbed my hand.
"Hey, don't be sad. I'm not saying no. I'm just saying that maybe we should see if we still feel the same about each other after Warped Tour and if so, I'm ready to try. We've only known each other for a couple of months and we've only really been getting to know each other for two weeks. Yes, when I wake up, you're the first thing I think of, the first person I want to see. My heart skips a beat whenever I see you. But we're still in that "first stage" of falling in love where you just want to be around each other all the time, and that won't make a long distance relationship work..." she explained.
"Okay" I replied. "Let's see after Warped Tour then."
"Absolutely!" Jenna replied smiling. "Look, I really have to go..."
I hesitated for a moment, but then quickly leaned in to kiss her lips. Thankfully, she returned the kiss. When she broke away, we just smiled at each other for a moment, before Jenna let go of my hand.
"Bye Zack" she said softly.
"Bye Jenna" I replied.
Jenna then turned around and headed for their bus, waving at me one last time before she got on. I turned around and noticed Jack, Alex and Rian in the doorway.
"Well, that took you long enough!" Jack exclaimed as I got on the bus.
"Oh shut up" I replied.
"So, did you tell her?" Alex asked.
I nodded.
"And?" he asked curiously.
"She thinks we should get to know each other better before we get together, but maybe after Warped" I replied.
"See! There's hope!" Jack exclaimed, causing me to smile.
"Yeah, I guess there is" I nodded.
Matt then entered the bus telling us we were about to leave for Baltimore as well.
♠ ♠ ♠
I'm soooo sorry for keeping you guys waiting for so long! It's mainly just that I have to write so much for school, I have to write a blog for school, keep my personal blog up-to-date and once I've done all of that I just can't get myself to continue to write this story and with this one it just doesn't come as easy as it did with Teenage Dirtbag. Not that I won't though!! But school is just making me dislike writing at the moment and I hate that, but the year will be over in a few weeks and then I'm back!