FicWad

Enjoy, and please review : ) And flashbacks are in italicsthis time. I figured it out.


The members of Lloyd Dobler filed out of the van as it pulled up in front of the busses on the first day of tour. It was so early, the sun was barely up yet. Izzie yawned and looked around the empty parking lot as she dragged her bags and guitars over to the bus she would share with Taylor. Fall Out Boy were already here and bustling around their busses, as was one of the two opening bands. It took her three trips, but she managed to haul all of her stuff from the van to the bus. She had one giant duffel bag as well as a few other, smaller ones. On stage Izzie, and off stage Izzie were two completely different people. In concerts and photo shoots, the label had created a glam-rock sex kitten persona for her, full of stilettos, mini skirts and teased hair. On her own, she was more of a hoodies, Converse and bright makeup girl. So wherever she went, she basically needed two separate wardrobes, which accounted for the bag big enough for her to lie down inside. She was struggling to lift it and cram it in the space under the bus when she heard footsteps come up behind her. “Here let me help.” The back of the bag lifted up and slid onto the shelf.
“Thanks.” Izzie turned around, smiling at the person only to come face to face with Pete. “Oh.” Her smile disappeared. A bulldog waddled over to her, sniffing her pants leg and giving a happy bark.
“Sorry, that’s my dog, Hemmingway.” Pete pulled him back by the collar.
“Yeah.”
“I named him after my hero.”
“I know.” Izzie cocked an eyebrow. “I have a dog too, that I ALSO named after my hero.”
“Oh, yeah?” She reached into her large purse sitting off to the side and pulled out a very sleepy, very tiny Chihuahua wearing a fuzzy pink sweater and a collar with big biker spikes on it.
“His name’s Optimus Prime.”
“Oh my god, that’s awesome!” Pete laughed. Izzie smiled as he reached out and scratched OP’s head. “Hey, so…can we talk sometime?” Pete asked nervously, staring at his shoes. Izzie’s cold attitude was instantly back.
“Maybe you should have tried talking five years ago, Pete.” She spun around and stomped off to her band’s other bus.

“Izzie, just the person I was looking for.” Mike grinned as she stepped on the bus.
“Thanks a lot guys.” She rolled her eyes, putting OP on the couch. He immediately jumped up on Kyle’s lap.
“What did we do?” Steve asked defensively.
“What was the one thing I asked you to do for me?”
“Remind you to pack your toothbrush?” Taylor shrugged.
“Crap! I forgot my toothbrush. No. I asked you not to let Pete corner me.”
“What did he say to you?” Steve asked.
“He asked if we could talk sometime.” She sighed.
“Why don’t you just talk to him then?” Kyle asked.
“It’s not that simple.”
“Well, as fabulous as this episode of The Hills is, I have meetings I have to get to. Do you all have cash on you?” Mike interrupted. Izzie and Steve shook their heads.
“I have seven dollars.” Kyle looked in his wallet.
“I have a quarter.” Taylor stuck his hands in his pockets.
“We have $7.25.” Kyle nodded.
“That’s what I figured. I’m giving you all $100 in cash.” Mike passed around envelopes. “It’s for EMERGENCIES. Food, cab fare, guitar strings, drum sticks and the like. It is NOT for CDs, DVDs, poker, dog sweaters or sneakers.” He pointed at Izzie and Taylor, the most likely offenders.
“I only bought one pair of shoes with your money.” Izzie gasped.
“Yeah, but they were $700 shoes. Technically you shouldn’t get this, you’re still paying it back.” Mike reluctantly handed over her money. After he abandoned them, everybody spent about another hour getting settled, which meant Izzie had barricaded herself in her bus with Taylor standing guard. When the bus started moving, she could finally relax knowing that Pete couldn’t come looking for her. At least not until they got to Boston.

When they arrived at the venue, Pete spent most of the day lurking around the Lloyd Dobler dressing room, bus, lunch table and anywhere else Izzie would go. However, she was smart and didn’t go anywhere by herself. The entire time they were playing, Izzie could see him watching her from the side of the stage. He was starting to get kind of annoying with his stalker-like behavior. “How’s it going Boston?!” she yelled into the microphone. “You guys are great! This is a perfect kickoff to the tour! This next song is off our new CD, it’s out at the end of the month, so make sure you pick it up.” She smiled as Taylor and Kyle began playing the opening chords.

I'm gonna tell a little story
About the ones I left and left me
You'll know if you're one
Cause you know what you've done
Whoa oh

Spending days and nights with Matty
For weeks on end only to dump me
I had my suspicions
Your jealous convictions
Whoa oh

And you deny
You've done wrong
Well I’ve kept my mouth shut too long
Get out of my way, oh way oh

First you kissed me, then you killed me
Get out of my way, oh way oh
Won’t stop me
Watch me go
Watch me go

Eddie always wore a tie
Got drunk and called and made me cry
Why he did it
He wouldn't admit it
Whoa oh

Emilio was a two-timer
Hooked up with my friend the liar
Spread the wrong story
Made sweet people hate me
Whoa, oh

Still you deny
You've done wrong
Well I've kept my mouth shut too long
Just watch me go
Watch me go

“Where’d you go? I heard you get up at like 8.” Taylor asked. The three guys were huddled in the kitchen in their boxers trying to pry a pop tart out of the toaster with a fork.
“I had to pick something up.” Izzie held up a small plastic bag, squeezing by them in the tiny space to grab a Diet Coke out of the fridge. “You’re going to electrocute yourselves.”
“It’s stuck.” Kyle pouted. Izzie picked up the toaster and gave it a shake, the pop tart bounced out onto the counter.
“Awesome!” Steve grabbed it, taking a bite. “Hot!” he spit it out into the sink.
“I’ll be in my room if anyone needs me.” Izzie shook her head, walking quickly into her room and shut the door behind her. Sitting down on the bed, she plugged her headphones into the stereo and placed them over her ears. She dumped out the contents of her bag and looked closely at the CD in front of her. Take This To Your Grave. It was just released this morning, and she had gone to three CD stores before she found it. They looked like a real band staring back at her from the cover. Not like the last time she saw them, flailing away in Patrick’s basement. She placed the CD in her stereo and read along to Pete’s lyrics as the first song began. Certain lines stuck out in her mind. “Let’s play this game called when you catch fire, I wouldn’t piss to put you out.” “When you go, I will forget everything about you.”
“You want apologies
Girl, you might hold your breath
Until your breathing stops forever, forever
The only thing you'll get
Is this curse on your lips, I hope they taste of me forever.” By the time she got through Chicago Is So Two Years Ago, she had cracked. What had started as a sinking feeling, was reassured and had become an overwhelming affirmation that he hated her as much as she thought he did. She let the tears pour down her cheeks as she listened to the rest of the album. Just as the last song was ending, there was a quiet knock on her door. It squeaked open and Taylor stuck his head in to see her curled up on her bed, sobbing.
“Hey. I thought I heard you crying. What’s wrong?” he shuffled into the room, sitting down on the bed and slipping off her headphones.
“He hates me.” She cried.
“Is this their new album?” he picked the CD up, looking at the cover. Izzie nodded.
“It’s really good.” She sniffled. “Why am I such a bitch?”
“You’re not a bitch. He just needs time.” He rubbed her back, comfortingly. “Come on, we’re getting pizza.”

Izzie looked back over to the side as she sang the last note, and Pete was gone. When their set was done, they all ran off stage and Izzie made a bee line for the dressing room. Turning a corner, she wasn’t looking and bumped straight into Patrick, knocking his glasses off. “Oh, my god. I’m so sorry.” She giggled, grabbing his glasses off the floor and handing them to him.
“It’s ok. I was trying to walk and text. Never a good combination.” He laughed.
“Tell me about it. I broke my nose doing that.”
“Really?” He gave her a look.
“Straight into a wall.” She laughed, shaking her head.
“Hey, you guys were great. I watched some of your set with Pe…oh.” He trailed off. “He told me what happened with you two. If you ever want to talk about it, or need someone who understands or anything.” He placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Thanks, but it’s kind of a sore subject.” She smiled politely, retreating into the dressing room.


I didn't write the song, it's The Dollyrots, Watch You Go (Kissed Me, Killed Me). They're really good kind of pop/punk if you haven't heard them. They have 2 CDs on iTunes. That's my music tip of the day.