FicWad

Chapter Nine - Trust Me

He smiled up at me, then quickly looked down again, a slow blush creeping over his face. I mentally shook myself, and closed my mouth, which had fallen open again.

“Jeph, and Dan.”

I barely heard Bert say the names of the other members of his band, The Used. I glanced at them without seeing, and smiled, but my gaze flicked back to Quinn almost unwillingly.

His hair was bleached blond, with medium brown roots. He glanced at me from under his bangs, and when he saw that I was still looking at him, he quickly looked down again, a slow smile creeping across his face. He bit his lip, and glanced sideways at Jeph, who was smirking, and looking between us. When he and Quinn made eye contact, Jeph made what can only be described as a kissy face at Quinn, who elbowed him gently, then looked away.

“So, what’s a Warped Tour?” Bob asked breaking the silence.

We all looked at him with our mouths hanging open.

“Kidding!” He snickered, and we all rolled our eyes.

“Is that where we’re heading now?” I asked Gerard, who nodded.

“Yep. We’re all sharing the bus on the trip to Cali.” Gerard said.

“Road trip!” Ray and Dan cheered together, then high-fived.

I smiled, and purposely kept my eyes off Quinn. Out of my peripheral vision, I saw that Quinn was looking at me, and I smiled.

*

That night, I was laying in my bunk, reading a comic, when I heard Bob get into his bunk, which was opposite mine. I peeked out of my curtain, and saw Ray standing there with a hand-held video camera. I smiled at him, then threw myself across the aisle, into Bob’s bunk.

“Bitch!” He yelled, shoving me hard away from him.

“Ow!” I yelled, giggling as my head made contact with one of the poles supporting the upper bunk. “Ow! Bob! My head!”

Ray was laughing, taping the whole thing.

“You gonna get out?” Bob asked, still holding me at arms length. “Are you gonna get out?!”

“I’ll get out!” I giggled, squirming, trying to get out of the bunk, but finding myself tangled in his blanket.

“You’re not getting out!” Bob yelled, kicking me in the gut.

“Oof!” I grunted as I rolled out of the bunk.

“Ass.” Bob said.

I stood up, untangling myself from the blanket, still laughing. I looked up and saw that Bert, Gerard, and Quinn were standing behind Ray, who was doubled over with laughter.

“Ray knows I like cuddles.” I said.

“No!” Ray shrieked, pushing his way between Bert and Gerard, dropping the camera, and running. I cackled, falling over and clutching my side.

Bert and Gerard were laughing, slumped over on each other, and Quinn was smiling.

“I can’t breathe!” I wailed breathlessly, still laughing.

Eventually, we all calmed down. Bob muttered something about personal space, and I giggled.

“Come on, Bob! You know we love you!” I said.

“Fuck off.” Came his muffled response, causing more giggles.

“Hey, Frank, you and Quinn should jam.” Bert said. “He’s always talking about how he needs a jamming buddy.”

“Yeah, definitely.” I said, glancing at Quinn, who smiled. “I usually just sit in my bunk when I’m playing, but that’d be a little cramped. Let’s sit at the back.”

I pulled my guitar’s case from under my bunk, and led Quinn to the back of the bus, where we had a bunch of couch’s and a TV, where the band usually watched a movie together after shows.

I pulled Pansy out of her case and quickly checked her tuning while Quinn collected his guitar. I tapped my foot lightly and started practicing a riff I’d written out a couple days ago.

“That sounds awesome.” He said as he took a seat on the opposite side of the couch I was on.

“You think so?” I asked, frowning at my fingers on the neck of the guitar. “I don’t think it sounds quite right.”

“Do you have it written down?” He asked.

I pulled my notebook out of the pocket in the guitar case, flipped it to the proper page, and handed it to him. I watched, mesmerized, as he played the riff. His long, thin, pale fingers seemed to barely touch the neck as they glided over the strings. He shifted from chord to chord smoothly, occasionally adding a couple notes to carry the sound to the next chord.

“Well, geez, just play my own riff better than me.” I huffed jokingly when he finished. He grinned, blushing, and looked down.

I attempted to play the riff the way we did, but my fingers kept tripping up from nerves, since Quinn was watching me so closely.

I glanced up at him, smiling sheepishly. The corner of his mouth twitched, but then the smiled dropped off his face and he looked away.

“Are you okay?” I asked, flattening the palm of my right hand over the strings to silence them.

He shrugged, looking away from me. After a moment, he sighed, then kept playing his guitar. I glanced at him worriedly, and tried to play along with him, thinking as I did.

I wasn’t sure what had changed with Gerard. Maybe I was thinking the way I was yesterday purely because I just needed someone to care, in the wake of Mikey dumping me. Seeing him with Bert this morning had shocked me… maybe it was a good thing that Gerard had suggested we wait before considering getting together. Gerard would be with Bert, and maybe I would be with Quinn. Maybe…

I sighed, and looked up at Quinn again. He looked sad, and kept his eyes down as he played a complicated riff.

He stopped at what was obviously not supposed to be the end, and sighed. He looked up and met my eyes. I held his gaze, not sure what to do.

“Um…” He said, suddenly shaking his head, and looking back down at the neck of his guitar.

I remained silent. Whatever he wanted to say would come out eventually.

“Ray told us that… you and Mikey broke up yesterday?” He said, glancing up at me.

“We did.” I nodded, sure that that wasn’t what he’d planned on saying.

“Are you okay?” Quinn asked nervously.

I shrugged. “I guess so. No point in crying over it.” I said.

He nodded, then looked down.

“Are you okay?” I asked. “I mean, I guess I don’t really know you, but you don’t seem to be acting normal.”

“Just thinking.” He said. “Bert was trying to set me up with this guy, who turned out to only want sex… not a relationship. Just feeling kind of fucked over, you know?”

“Wow… that really sucks.” I said.

“We’d only ever talked on the phone. He’s in one of the bands whose doing Warped, and we were gonna meet in a couple days, but he decided that I’m not his type.” Quinn said sadly.

“Wait, but, you’re cute and talented. Isn’t that everyone’s type?” I blurted without thinking.

He looked slowly up at me.

“You think I’m cute?” He asked, biting his lip, eyebrows raised.

“Well, um,” I stammered, frantically scrambling for something to cover my oopsie. Coming up empty, I said, “Well, yeah…” I looked down, purposely shaking my hair into my face so he couldn’t see exactly how red I was right now.

He grinned, and said, “Well, you’re pretty hot, too.”

I looked up at him, startled. “What have you been smoking?” I demanded. “You either need a lot more, or a lot less.”

He laughed.

“I haven’t smoked anything today,” He said. “Bert’s offered me stuff like, eleven-dy times, though.”

We both laughed.

“Seriously, though.” I said. “I’m not attractive.”

“Yes, you are.” Quinn said. There was an air of finality to his voice, like he would argue this point until I caved.

“If you say so.” I said, raising my hands in surrender.

He laughed again, and we sat in awkward silence for a moment.

“So, Frank.” Quinn said, breaking the awkward silence. “You’re attractive and newly single. Would it be taking advantage for me to ask you out?” He looked up at me hopefully.

“I don’t think that would be taking advantage.” I said slowly, smiling slightly.

“Cool.” He said. “Well, then, can I buy you a coffee next time we stop?”

“That sounds great.” I said, grinning.

“Awesome.” He grinned.

As if on cue, Ray poked his head into the room.

“Hey guys, we’re stopping for coffee in like, ten minutes.” He said, then he disappeared.

Me and Quinn looked at each other, then we both laughed. We stowed our guitars, and joined the rest of our bands in preparing to leave the bus.

*

Quinn and I were back in the back of the bus, both of us sipping coffee. Bert suddenly burst in, and threw a bundle of clothes to Quinn.

“Do not give those to Jepha!” He said, then ran back out of the room.

Quinn quickly stuffed the bundle of clothes behind the couch.

“What were those?” I asked, attempting to peer over the back of the couch.

“Jepha’s pants, I believe.” Quinn said, resuming playing like this happened every day.

A few minutes later, Jeph burst into the room, holding a pineapple over his crotch.

“Do you have my pants?” He asked casually.

“Nope.” Quinn said calmly while I burst into hysteric giggles.

Jeph turned and looked at me.

“Do you have a problem, sir?” He asked, putting one hand on his hip and flipping his hair dramatically.

“Dude!” I giggled, flapping my arms. Cause that helps me breathe… “You’re” giggle “Wearing a” giggle giggle “Fucking pineapple!” I shrieked and laughed so hard, I fell onto the floor.

“This is Bert’s game.” Jeph explained. “While I’m in the shower, he gives me some random thing, and takes all my clothes and hides them.”

“Last time, it was a football.” Quinn said.

“Dan’s football.” Quinn and Jeph said together, then they both laughed.

Jeph left, and me and Quinn sat in silence for a little while.

“Are you okay with all this?” Quinn asked suddenly.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I mean, you and Mikey just broke up a couple days ago. I understand if you don’t want to get into anything again so soon.” Quinn said.

“No…” I said, placing my hand over his. “This feels right. Trust me.”

We both smiled, then he leaned forward slowly. My breath caught in my throat, and my eyes widened. He stopped when he was about an inch away from my mouth, waiting for me to close the gap. He exhaled shakily, and his coffee scented breath danced across my lips.

I leaned forward, quickly closing the gap as our lips locked together. We broke apart briefly, and he sighed.

“I trust you.” He whispered, and I smiled, tightening my hand over his, and kissing him again.