FicWad

Chapter 4: "I got your love letters, I threw them all away, and I hear you think that I'm crazy. I'm driving 95, and I'm driving you away, and I shine a little more lately..." -Anna Nalick

An hour later we're all ready and set to go to the venue for sound check. Nate's sticks are poking out of his back pocket, Suarez's mustache is trimmed to perfection, Vicky's heels are strapped tight, Ryland's hair is swept to the side suavely, and Gabe's precious bottom is covered by the lucky underwear I'd found chilling in the freezer, don't ask. I grab my backpack, currently loaded with snacks, water, phone and my laptop so I could do some work while they rehearsed and I usher them out the door. "All right troops fall out..."

We make our way across the small stretch of asphalt to the back entrance of the building, going relatively unnoticed, with the exception of 2 girls who'd made their way to the fence separating the parking lots. Nate, Victoria, and Ryland had already slipped inside, but I notice the look in both Gabe and Alex's eyes. I smile, nodding and shooing them off to go say hi to the fans, waiting at the door just in case the impromptu meet and greet ran too long. I'm in the process of texting my best friend Gen, my back to the buses, when suddenly my eyes are shadowed by a pair of large, but surprisingly soft hands. "Guess who..."

My lips curve upwards, as the soft masculine voice dances into my ear, and I lift my hands to cover his. "Why, it couldn't be my beautiful Mr. Beckett could it?" He laughs, lightly kissing the side of my head before spinning me around. My grin widens and I jump on him, wrapping arms and legs around that lanky body of his. "I missed you so much Billy Boy!" He spins me around, squeezing me tightly. "And what about me, do you know what it's like to go through Andi withdrawals?" I arch an eyebrow, smirking at him as I pull back. "Nope, can't say that I have, Andi just won't leave me alone." He rolls his eyes, setting me back down. "Cheeky." I brush some hair from his eyes, smiling. "Always."

"So, I'm not complaining or anything, but how and/or why are we being graced with your lovely company?" He slips an arm around my shoulders, dangling it across my chest as I point towards Gabe. I can't help but laugh when I see that the 2 girls had grown into 12. "Take it up with the tall one." He looks between me and them. "You do realize they're both over 6 feet tall right?" I scrunch up my nose, slapping his stomach. "Oh hush. You knew I meant Gabanti." He chuckles, nodding. "That I do. So, this mean we get to keep you all tour?"

"Psh, I'm going to look past the fact that you inadvertently just referred to me as a kept woman." I laugh, sticking my tongue out at him. "But yes, I'll be sticking around for more than just the California shows." His grin brightens and he hugs me closer, kissing the top of my head as I return the sentiment by giving his bottom a playful squeeze, giggling hysterically after. "Great so my butt won't be safe for 3 months." I look back up at him, smirking cheekily. "Not a chance." He chuckles, grabbing my right boob, squeezing like he was checking produce. "Fine, but neither are these then." I scoff, laughing despite myself and pushing him towards the door. "Get your handsey ass in there for your sound check." He snorts, skipping forward, turning to blow me a kiss as he lingers in the doorway. Which I of course respond to with a classy middle finger and scrunched nose as I stick my tongue out at him.

I shake my head as he disappears inside, checking my phone to find a new text from Gen, asking whether I was dead considering I hadn't responded back to her for going on 15 minutes now. I type a quick note explaining the run in with Will and that I have to go round up the boys so I'll talk later. Then I slip the phone back in my pocket and skip over to the two rock stars currently leaning over the fence to take a picture. I allow them a few more minutes to finish up before taking my role as the bad guy and peeling them away from the swooning pool of underage teenage hormones. "Sorry ladies, promise to bring them back after the concert, k." There's a chorus of 'aww mans' but I stick to my guns and push Saporta and Suarez back towards the entrance into the venue, taking the opportunity to hop on Gabe's back as soon as we're inside. "Mush!"

With Alex staring at us like we've just escaped the funny farm, Gabe takes off down the corridor with me bouncing up and down against him, a giddy 'wheeeeeeeeee' escaping my lips. He keeps up an impressive speed for another couple corridors before he slows it down to a trot, his breathing pathetically heavy. I rest my head on his shoulder smirking. "Someone's out of shape...who's a chubby bunny? Who’s a chubby bunny?" He grunts, slapping my bottom in response. "Shut...up...just cause you don't know when to put the twinkies down doesn't mean I'm out of shape." I take no pause before slapping the side of his head. "Way to call me fat a-hole." He laughs, turning his face towards mine, kissing my cheek. "You know I can't live without your chub." I roll my eyes, unable to hide my grin. "Yeah yeah, just watch the road." I say gesturing in front of us to the short blonde girl with a headset that he was about to collide with.

Two left turns and a stop at the random candy machine in the hallway later we make it to Cobra's dressing room, bursting through the doors nearly knocking Nate over in the process. "Tada!!" We announce in unison, my eyebrow arching when I see Alex sitting on the couch playing with his phone. "How the hell did you beat us here?" He looks up, shrugging nonchalantly. "Magic....tada!" He adds, with jazz hands. I let out a low giggle and slide down Gabe, the soles of my sneakers hitting the tile with a loud slap. "Riiiiggggght."

I move around Gabe's front, walking over to one of the vanities and setting my back pack down, digging inside it for a second before producing a bottle of water, sipping at it a moment before tossing it over to Gabe. "Alright so you guys go on for sound check after Academy, who by my calculations should be about 5 songs in, so you have about 30 minutes to do whatever before I need to drag you to the stage kicking and screaming." I offer a wide, over the top smile then turn back to my bag, rifling through it and grabbing some of the snacks I'd packed, laying them out on the table. "Here are some snacks, go nuts. I'll be back." And with a kiss and/or swat to their heads I leave the room, backpack in hand and make the trek back towards the stage area.

A few minutes and a couple flashes of my crew pass later I'm sitting cross legged on the hard wooden flooring spread out before the stage, water bottle at my side and laptop balancing on both knees. I bob my head gently to the sounds of William's voice halfway through the first chorus of Automatic Eyes, my fingers gliding across the keys gracefully as I update Cobra's MySpace and filter through Gabe's business related emails, sending back appropriate responses and marking other ones to come back to.

I softly sing along under my breath "Staring at the wall above the bed, I can’t sleep with all the secrets that you keep..With your automatic eyes, five years disappeared, five years disappeared that night...", jumping, nearly dropping my lappy in the process. "Cheese and Rice Jack!" I yell whisper, trying to avoid bringing any further attention to the interruption I'd just caused...well that Jack had anyways. I set the computer down, casting him a playful sideways glare, and smacking his stomach before letting him pull me into a sideways hug. "Andi-pandi, my favorite little person, I heard the rumors you were here, but I had to see for myself." I giggle, elbowing him softly, but leaning into his hug more. "Jack, my favorite camera guy, I guess the rumors are true then, but did you really have to say hi like that, I think I peed a little."

He snorts, giving my temple a friendly kiss, rocking us back and forth to the music a little. "Sorry babe, I just got so excited I couldn't control myself. If it helps I think I peed a little too." I roll my eyes upwards my mouth crooked, caught between a laugh and a smile. "You're dumb." He grins. "Yeah. I know." We sit like this for a few more minutes, watching the boys and catching up through whispers. Unfortunately my email decides to interrupt, making a barely audible ding sound over the music and popping up a small alert box. I sigh, pulling away from Jack, bending forward to pick the laptop up and scanning the screen quickly before clicking accept on the box. What a mistake.

The moment I see that email address and that ridiculous subject line "I'm Sorry" my stomach sinks and I can actually feel the color draining from my face. I debate whether to open it and though my mind is screaming to just delete it my fingers disobey and before I know it I'm staring at his words, the same words he's said to me a thousand times. They still affect me, but this time, it's different. They don't bring back the memories of the laughter, the stolen kisses, and the safety of his arms. These words are hollow now and that’s the way they're making my insides feel. With shaky fingers and a breath that matches I hit delete, closing the screen and then the laptop altogether.

I fumble to shove it back in my bag, fighting to keep the tears welling up behind my eyelids from falling. "Hey um, Jackie, can you do me a favor and go get Cobra in about 5 minutes for their sound check." He looks at me; head tilted his smile confused and worried. "Sure, sure....hey are you okay?" He places a friendly hand on my shoulder but I just shake it away, nodding and jumping to my feet. "Hmm, yeah, just forgot something on the bus. I'll see you later." I feel bad for leaving so abruptly but I had to get out before I broke down in front of everyone. My converse clad feet slapped roughly against the concrete flooring of the corridors and my bag bounced against my back as I ran, and the running didn't stop as I burst through the doors that led back out to the buses. I could faintly hear my name being called out as I B-lined it to the Cobra bus, but I didn't pause, in fact I ran harder, the struggle to contain my tears had finally ended in defeat.

I wrenched open the door to the bus, disappearing inside and dropping my bag on the couch before sinking down onto it myself. My body trembles beneath the weight of my tears as I bend to hide my face in my hands and I don't even hear the footsteps coming up the steps. "Andi...?"



Dun dun dun duuuuuuuh! Hope you liked the WAY overdue chapter. Only took me a year to update haha. But I have renewed inspiration for this and you know what they say "Quitters never win, we walk the plank on a sinking ship..." Reviews make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, so if you please, I'd have a fluffy bunny in my tummy...O_o....weird.