Shut Your Mouth and Get Down on the Floor

“What are you doing here?” he asked me.

“What are you doing here?” I asked him back. “And how do you remember me?

He laughed slightly. Meg scooted out, obviously knowing this wasn’t her business to be in.

“How do I not remember the beautiful girl, the only girl that rejected me like that?” his eyebrows raised, he smirked.

“I’m s-sorry,” I muttered.

“Oh, of course you are. Sorry you couldn’t get more of this,” he winked.

“Gabe Saporta, I could never be with you. You were famous…”

“Were famous? Oh darling, Midtown was never famous. You should see me today.”

“I am seeing you. You’re right there.”

He sat down beside me. “You’re too literal.”

“I’ve changed.”

“We were both drunk.”

“I was underage.”

He smirked. “You told me you weren’t. I didn’t believe you but I got you a drink anyway.”

“So you raped me then?” I smiled.

He was close to me, warm. I wanted to reach out and touch that skin.

“Well it’s not rape if you’re willing. Who says you didn’t rape me with your blonde-ish charm?”

“You’d mistake anything for charm if you were as drunk as you were then!” I cried.

“Hm,” he smiled, so close to me now, his lips almost touching my arm. “So tell me then, dear, why did you run away, why wouldn’t you leave me with a number?”

“I…”

“You don’t know.”

I nodded, blushing. Our lips were so close. I wanted to kiss him. But I couldn’t, I wouldn’t.

He rolled his eyes and pulled away from me. “Midtown is over.”

“It has been, for four years.”

“I thought it was five.”

“2004, the last Midtown show. I was there, you were drunk, we had sex, remember?”

He paused and then started idly playing with a lock of my hair. “Really darling, I’m glad you didn’t leave your number, you seem much too difficult to work with when you’re not drunk.”

“Is it selfish to say I only wanted you for one night?”

He brought the lock of my hair up to his nose and smiled. “You still smell the same. Cherries.”

I blushed and then repeated myself quietly, “Is it selfish to say I only wanted you for one night?”

“I heard you the first time.”

“Well?”

“Just in it for the fame of saying you slept with Gabe Saporta? Tsk, tsk.”

“No, I didn’t want anything more.”

He raised his eyebrows.

“You’ve changed.”

“I’ve changed.”

“Are you in another band?”

“Are you in another band?”

I rolled my eyes. “See, you’re a two year old. I could have never dealt with you in the first place.”

He wrapped his arms around me. I squirmed, but he wouldn’t let go, so I stopped.

“You know, we fight like a couple.”

“It doesn’t mean we should be one.”

“I never said that.”

“I’m sure you want it,” I muttered as he loosened his grasp.

“Maybe I just want to use you for fun. Not fucking fun, just someone to nag like this. A little sister. You’re too young to sleep with me anymore.”

“See, I was right.”

He let me go and smiled at me mischievously. “You’ll give me your number then?”

I sighed. “No.”

“I don’t wanna fuck you, I don’t wanna touch,” he half called, half sang as I headed for the entrance of the small tent.

I spun around. “I just want to fill you with regret,” I completed.

He smiled. “Oh, you have.”

I didn’t say a thing.

“You’re partially the reason I’m like this, my love,” he frowned.

“That’s not a bad thing,” I had to admit, those jeans on him…yum. But no, no.

Gabe’s smile returned. “I like you.”

“You’re annoying, and act like a three year old, but you’re not that bad.”

He walked over to me, wrapping an arm around my waist. “You’re welcome,” he smiled wide and then leaned in, giving me a quick peck on the lips.

I stumbled back, but he was still holding me. “What was that for?” I half wanted to slap him, half wanted to kiss him back.

“To see if you still tasted the same,” his eyes were full of pain, a small fake smile on his lips.

I slowly pressed my lips to his again, feeling him shiver as I kissed him. It was the hottest, most passionate kiss I’d ever had hands down, and it lingered on for a good thirty seconds, tongues and everything.

“Damn,” he muttered when our lips parted.

I was almost breathless.

“Another kiss, for goodbye, then?” he whispered, his lips against my ear.

“Goodbye?”

“Like you said, we could never be together. I’m famous.”

“But you…”

He pressed a finger to my lips. His other arm let my waist go and I jumped as his hand went into my pocket.

Gabe grabbed my cell and typed something in. A moment later it was back in my pocket.

Everything was quiet, slight pitter-patters of rain could be heard across the top of the tent, but the majority of the rain, and the hail, had stopped.

He let me go completely, gave me a little smile, and then left the tent without another word.

I almost sunk to the cold, wet ground. I was already wet and disgusting anyway.

After standing there, motionless, for five minutes, I walked out of the tent and hurried myself out from backstage. I was done with famous people for now, done done done.

I went past the gate, past the mosh already forming for Relient K, and called Devin.

“Babe, where are you, are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah hun, I’m fine. I’m just cold and wet and I wanna go home,” my eyes suddenly flooded with tears.

“Okay we’ll home, where are you?”

“I’m over by the gates near the exit,” I explained.

“Kay I’ll get Vee and Jake and be right over.”

I felt terrible for forcing them all to come home. Vee hadn’t gotten to see TAI or Relient K or We the Kings. I knew she wanted to, so badly.

But right now I was cold and wet and hurt and confused and I was going to get sick if I had to wear soaking clothes all day.

Devin had managed to stay under a tent, his sweatshirt wasn’t too wet. And we’d come prepared. As soon as we got to the car I striped off my wet jeans and put on some clean, dry sweats and then my other sweatshirt and shirt and put on Devin's.

I cuddled with him in the back seat, trying to get some sleep as Vee rambled on about how unfair it was she didn’t get to see her bands.

There was time for sorry later. I just…I just needed something…

And being in a car with her for hours while we went back to NYC was not going to help this need.

“Cobra Starship,” I remember Vee saying as I finally drifted off to sleep in Devin's strong arms, looking up into his beautiful blue eyes.

I loved him, I loved him, I loved him.

And him’s name was not Gabe Saporta.