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Perfect 013

[Play], Will

I let Andie have some breathing room as we took the elevator down to the lobby. She was livid from what I could tell; I guess it kinda ruined the rare "nights out" we got while on tour. I heard her sigh as we got out into the cold night air and flagged down a taxi.

"They were bound to hate each other, now that I think of it." She was staring out the window, a sort of vacant expression on her face.

"How do you figure that?"

Andie shrugged and turned to look at me. "Have you ever seen New York at night?"

I shook my head. "Every time we've been here, we didn't stay long enough to be tourists." At this she smiled and took my hand.

"You wanna go dinner then traipse around afterwards?"

She was avoiding a lot of questions I've had lately. I can tell that she is- Atiana isn't the only one who can read people. I can't get Andie to tell me anything. We're together all the time, but when it comes down to us, by ourselves, struggling for honesty, she's holding back on me. It's like she's scared of me. Or maybe she doesn't trust me... I want her to trust me. I need her to trust me. It's probably the most important thing on my mind right now, getting her to let down her guard and trust me. Nevertheless, I nodded to her plan and our night alone in New York commenced.

[Pause], Andie

Just so we're clear, Will doesn't know about my family situation. I know it's bad to always be hiding things from him, someone I trust somewhat. But seriously, would you tell your boyfriend that your father is a mafia honcho in the next state over? Didn't think so. I'm not going to tell him. He'll be all wierd and break up with me. Or maybe he'd understand. I don't, okay? It's just hard to be this way with him, yanno? Not being able to tell him everything.

And then there's Ati and Jamia who can't seem to get enough of each other- in the dangerous way. Do those two have to fight over every little thing? I knew it'd be like this- Jamia told me trust no one in Seattle and I find someone trustworthy, Ati. It's my prerogative to tell Ati anything I please. She's eighteen, harmless, and probably one of the most loyal and understanding friends I have made. What's wrong with that? Ugh, and the worrying of being assaulted or ambushed when we reach Jersey, by the Corleones. Or maybe being caught by someone of my own family. These worry-issues are always around me, and now, in New York, only a bridge away from Jersey, the tension mounts still steeper.

Okay, question and stress overload. Breathe, Andie. Breathe. I let out a sigh and Will wraps a comforting arm around me. I look at him, like really look at him. I see nothing but love and concern wearing down on him. He looks like this when he's with me. It seems like he's becoming more like this as the tour is progressing. I hope it's not about me; only about the crazy tour schedule. Please don't suspect anything, Will. I almost say it. Instead, I snuggle closer to him, waiting, hoping, and, for the first time in a long time, praying, for this all to get better.

[Fast Forward], Andie

Not much really happened over dinner and our short drive around New York City. It was great to see the lights, smell the odors of one of the cities I'd missed the most. We had a great time. It felt like one of the most carefree times I'd had in a while. I want more days and nights like this, with Will and all our friends.

It was close to one in the morning when we got back to the hotel and I knew I was too tired to think of doing much else for the night. I was glad to see everyone had vacated our room before we got back. I still don't want to deal with Ati or Jamia at the moment.

[Play], General P.O.V.

"... I thought you wanted to eat Italian tonight?" Will said with a confused look on his face as he and Andie settled down for the night. They had eaten at a Thai joint after Andie shot down every Italian place that Will had suggested.

"I did, but not really," Andie said a little too quickly. In truth she was making sure she didn't bump into any trouble and so avoided anything Italian themed as much as possible.

His eyes watched her intently as she tied up her hair with her back to him. Though they spoke of other things all night, Will knew this would be the time to speak to Andie about what he had on his mind earlier. If she wasn't going to tell him anything about whatever was keeping them from true honesty, he wouldn't push her to do so. All the same he'd have to ask her to trust him, for his sake, and not in exchange for her secrets nor anything else.

"Andie, can I ask you something?" Will asked as he took off his watch and put it on the night stand. She nodded in affirmative on the other side of the bed, not yet slipping in between the covers because he hadn't either. "Don't get all freaked out or anything, but I have to know... If I asked you to..."

"What?"

"...Never mind, it's stupid. Forget I said anything."

"No, tell me. I won't laugh or think it's stupid, I promise," she encouraged him as she flopped onto the bed and motioned for him to join her.

He did. "Alright. I know we've only been going out for a few months-"

"-four," Andie corrected with a rueful grin.

"Right, I knew that. But so yeah, four months, and I know you might not trust me fully yet, because we haven't had anything make or break out relationship yet-"

Again Andie interjected, "I do trust you!" Will raised an eyebrow in rebuttal. "Okay, so I may not tell you everything, even though you've asked me about it which means it's affecting us. But I have good reason, trust me."

"Exactly, that." Will settled his case on her words. "You always ask me to trust you or just simply take your word or silence as the end of a discussion. You don't trust me yet, at least, not very much." Andie looked crestfallen. "Look, I didn't mean that in a bad way. I get why you don't."

"You do?"

"Yeah, I've got a lot to learn about you still." Will looked her straight in the eye and spoke his next words in a serious tone. "If I asked, one day, to run away with me, would you do it?"

Andie was dumbstruck. "Run away?" Will nodded apprehensively. "As in, elope?"

"Well, I guess you could put it that way," he conceded.

She gaped at him as though he had said that humans were now beneath rats in the food chain. "Are you--Is this--"

Will laughed at her reaction. Andie was all flustered and pink in the face, and at a loss for words. "You don't have to say yes right this second. We're not going to city hall tomorrow morning for a marriage licence or anything."

Andie stopped sputtering and grinned sheepishly. "I know, it's just, really really out there for you to be asking me that, yanno?"

"Why would it be 'out there'? We're young, we're in love, I'm a rockstar, you're my hot babe," Will jested with a chuckle but sobered up quickly. "C'mon, would you runaway with me if I asked you to? Would you trust that I would take care of you if a dangerous situation came up?"

"I sure hope you would."

"Would you trust me if it came down to it?"

"Wait, what are you asking me now?" Andie grew confused, there were two questions on the table and she wasn't sure if she could answer them as readily as they were asked.

"A combination of both , I just want to know if you'd trust me if it came to a life-or-death kind of thing. In that situation, when I ask it of you, would you trust me to make sure you're safe?"

Andie hesitated; it was such an odd question to ask, really. What could anyone say to that? "Will this is getting kinda morbid--"

"Would you?"

"Yes."

[Play], Will

It was that simple agreement between us that let me go to sleep a little easier tonight. Without it, I would have tossed and turned like many nights before. Now there's only one other thing on my mind that has yet to be resolved; I'll get to it tomorrow. I'm too tired to enjoy anything else but sleeping in this hotel room with my girlfriend.

[Fast-Forward], General P.O.V.

The following day, the first New York date of the tour, Will and Andie's newfound closeness, a direct result of the previous night's conversation, was evident to everyone. Atiana would have asked about it, had it not been for her and Jamia's spat that ruined their night out as a group. Andie found that the silent treatment that she had given both of them all morning was about as childish as the fight, so she decided to lift her attitude and forge amends between the three of them.

[Play], Jamia

"Just don't do again. alright? Get along at least for the rest of the tour, you guys probably won't see each other again for a long while after that if at all," Andie said as we went out for a coffee run for the boys.

I did a kind of shrug-nod-deal thing while Atiana bobbed her head in agreement. Personally, I can't wait for this tour to be over, that pesky little worm will be out of my hair for good. Wait, control that urge to smack the child upside the head. Okay, be nice, it's the least you can do for Andie. You know, I notice now that she's been really mature about the way the brat - I mean- Atiana and I have been acting. It's understandable that she blew up at us last night.

"Or, you guys can get along until those scabs heal and those bruises fade. Whichever comes first." Andie smiled, successfully lightening up the mood. "Anyway, don't you two have something to say to each other?"

Oh, please, I'm not in nursery school anymore. Alright, fine. "I'm-," I began to say before Atiana cut across my speech with vindictive smirk.

"A dab of Neosporin a day can make all those battle scars I gave you go away faster," she said in a know-it-all way. You gotta hand it to her, though, she's quite witty. Then, Andie gave her a stern look. "And... I'm sorry for calling you a gutterslut and tearing the flesh out of your arms." Another look from Andie. "AND, I'm sorry for picking fights with you. I won't do it again."

"Thank you for the tip. I'm sorry for calling you a baby-whore-groupie and busting your lip. And ditto about the fighting thing." See, I can be mature too! Blah...

[Play], Mikey

I never thought I'd be bored on Warped, but here I am, bored as hell is hot. I tried to think if there was somewhere I needed to be at the moment. Guitar Hero sounds like fun right now... Hey, doesn't Pete (Wentz) have a Guitar Hero Tournament right now? HE DOES! At remembering this, I loped off to the tent where the tourney was being held. I caught sight of the medium sized mass of people gathered to play and watch. I'm about a few yards away when guess who I see? Andie and Will, joined at the hip. Clean escape, that's what I need right now. I'm in no shape to see those two right now (do I really need to tell you why?). I was seriously almost in the clear when Andie spotted me.

"Mikey!", she called. I could have ignored her but noooooo! My body was turning back to the tent while my mind lost all control over it.

"Hey man, you take the reigns," Pete said, handing me the guitar for the Porntastic Pink Tacos (team) as soon as I was near enough. "Knock 'em dead."

"And now, representing the Racy Rainbow Chasers team, Will Francis!" Quinn roared as he placed his guitar in Will's hands.

We stood arms distance away from each other as the music started up. I really don't want to talk about what happened after that, thanks.

[Play], Will

Okay, okay, I didn't mean to beat him that badly at it! I didn't. It just kinda happened. I'll just go talk to him.

[Play], General P.O.V.

"Mikey, Mikey!" Will called to a lanky figure not too far ahead of him. He was afraid Mikey would ignore him as readily as water was wet.

"Yeah? Oh, hey Will," Mikey said colorlessly with a half-salute of his hand. He had luckily stopped to let Will catch up. They walked along for a bit before anything was said. "Good game," Mikey alluded to the match. Will had just won again him in an embarrassingly far difference in score.

"Right, yeah..." Will wasn't sure how to approach the subject that had been on his mind for a while; it was so touchy. Nevertheless he went for the direct approach. "Andie told me about how you two were before she moved to Seattle."

Mikey's eyebrows jumped up yo his hairline. Had Andie done the unthinkable and told thold douche how ugly their relationship got? "Really?"

To this, Will nodded, "She told me how you guys were an item but drifted apart just before she relocated." This was really all Andie would tell him even after many sessions of asking questions on his mind. Sometimes she'd say she didn't want to talk about. Other times she'd just get a far off look or give him a piece of the truth. But never the whole thing; she never said anything but 'We split before I moved'. That's all that Will could go on and, after a fashion, was content with that information. "I respect what you guys had and the close friendship you guys have now. I want you to know that. Because I wouldn't want you hating on me blindly."

Mikey stood there, nodding numbly. As much as he did hate the guy for being in the way of a complete reunion, he couldn't help but feel sheepish at Will's humble words. He'd silently hoped that he would dump Andie for a roadie. Then she would fall back into his arms, crying for comfort... But no, this guy was a keeper for a girl like Andie. Will was a forgive-and-forget kind of guy who would never lay a hand of threat towards Andie; this he bitterly admitted to himself in silence. "I don't hate you or anything. And I care about Andie enough not to intentionally ruin her relationship she's obviously happy in. You don't have to worry about me going all crazy-ex-boyfriend on you guys. I'm not like that."

"I wasn't implying that you were-"

"I know, I know. The respect thing. I got it."

Will shined a relieved smile at Mikey and continued speaking. "Glad that's out of the way..."

"Yeah."

An awkward silence settled between the two.

"Okay!", sighed Will offering a hand. "I'll just be getting back over to the tournament-thing. Sure you don't want to stay for another round?"

[Play], Mikey

I was tempted to say yes, but I declined. "Nah." We shook hands in a manly macho way and began to separate ways. He was a few feet away from me when I turned around and called to him one last time, "Will?" He turned and looked at me. "Take care of her." Will nodded and waved and began to jog back to a waiting Andie in the distance.

I have a lot to think about right now...

Back at the bus, where all was quiet and empty, I laid in my bunk to mull over what I just discussed with Will. I thought and thought about everything until, as the sun sunk beneath the windows of the bus signaling I'd been there for quite a while, I came to a conclusion. I really wouldn't ruin this for Andie. There's no question about how much I still love her, but I know Will's a good guy. He wouldn't hurt her; he's not a coward.

Hopping off my bunk I decided to join the nighttime barbeques already wafting through the air. In my short trek towards the trademark sounds and smells of friends and food respectively, I happened on a spider web spun on a bush right next to the bus. Under the light of one of the lamps of the parking lot, where all the buses and vans were parked for the night, I saw a black and bright green speckled butterfly struggling to free itself from the deadly webs. After freeing it with a stick, I watched it fly away, higher and higher until my eyes began to itch for moisture. I blinked and it was gone.


---*---

Carpal-tunnel.

Well this baby has about two chapters left in it before it says adios. Stick around friends, this is gonna be killer,

15 April 2007//336p