Oreos
for Breakfast - Chapter 3
By
The Paperbag Princess and The Pumpkin
Coach
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5
They were halfway through 'Long Island' when we walked in, and I glared at Frank, whacking him with my good hand.
Missed half the fucking show, probably more, because of my stupid hand. I never would have punched that wall if Frank had just agreed to let me come in the first place. We were here now, and there was no mob scene. Idiot.
He glared back at me and practically dragged me and AJ up the stairs to the VIP lounge. There was an empty table at the very front of the balcony, and Frank took us over to it. "Look, they saved you a spot," he screamed over the noise of the crowd, then nodded to AJ, disappearing to the bar.
by definition, a crush must hurt
and they do
and they do
just like the one I have on you.
Truer words were never sung, Rache. I leaned against the railing, taking a long look at her. She was in those leather pants again, did I ever tell her how much I loved them? A white tank top, she didn't need anything else to make her the sexiest woman I'd ever seen.
"Damn…" AJ breathed behind me. "That's not vending machine girl."
"No, that's the wanton sex goddess," I informed him and he laughed.
"Dawg, give it up. Look at her! Out of your fucking league. That's real sex, not the fake shit Mandy pretended at."
I elbowed him, I was in no mood for teasing. Jeremy was introducing the next song. "From Rachel's home to mine…" and they launched into 'Minneapolis'. I loved this one. Rachel started singing, glancing up at the balcony.
I was at the Jabberjaw
cutest boy I ever saw
She grinned up at us. Me.
he was standing behind me
he was such a dream.
he kept looking right my way
I wanna see him every day
I almost fell over. She looked back at the audience, a little smile on her face, and I nearly grabbed AJ to confirm that she was singing to me. "Dude, told ya, it is all about A. Jiggity!" he crowed, and I glared at him, making him laugh. "Fine, it was you, she was singing to you!" Frank appeared, handing us both a beer, and AJ clinked his bottle against mine. "Here's to bagging the wanton sex goddess. Or are the drugs too much, can you get it up?"
I took a drink of my beer, considering. This entire day had been about getting to this show, I hadn't thought much about after. She was here, I was here, was I going to be able to convince her to come back to the hotel afterwards?
Did I really want to? The stupid pain pills had me all fucked up, I was tired and dizzy and my hand still ached.
That wasn't it, I had to admit as I watched her move around the stage. I was no match for her. She was the sexiest thing I'd ever seen, I was going to be a stupid, clumsy kid if I got her alone.
"And now a cover or two, kiddies," she told the crowd. "Gold stars to anyone who can tell me who does this one."
AJ and I exchanged a look, but the band went into 'Secret Oktober'. I screamed out "Duran Duran!" making James laugh. Rachel stumbled over her line and shot me an amused grin when she stopped to breathe. I screamed the lyrics along with her, and AJ danced next to me, finally enjoying the show enough to stop teasing me.
It was over in seconds, and Rachel winked at Jeremy, stepping up to the mic again. "Kiss your indie cred goodbye if you know the words to this one, darlings!"
I knew this one! I know she did it just for me, well, for me and AJ. "Let's talk about one, baby" Jeremy snarled in his mic, and I could hear AJ sing along with him, keeping up with the pace. I couldn't take my eyes off Rachel as she bounced up and down, singing along even though she wasn't at the mic.
Was it all the promises of diamonds pearls and party dresses…
I sang out to the crowd, unable to look up at Nick and AJ up in the balcony. I'd surely fuck it up if I caught his adorable little smile again. Can't think about that right now, just sing, Rache.
Fuck fuck fuck. I had AJ's show stopping 'hey-hey-hey' coming up. I couldn't do that when I knew he was watching! I turned away from the balcony, catching Jeremy's eye as we yelled 'stop!' He smiled at me, for maybe the first time all evening, and I just sang it. Fuck it if I messed up, at least I could play guitar.
The band kicked back in and I heard a definite 'good god!' from the balcony, and looked up to find Nick and AJ cheering me.
He was so cute. Black shirt, his hair all spiky the way I liked it. He was screaming for me, singing along and laughing with AJ. I couldn't watch him any more, he was completely distracting me, he was entirely too gorgeous.
Remind me again why I pushed him away the other night? Moonlight, singing, in the middle of the park, what kind of idiotic self-control do I have? Right, fame, fortune, five years age difference. I'd been there before and it ended in tears.
'Get Another Boyfriend' crashed to a stop and I almost didn't notice, too lost in my thoughts. Jeremy glared at me and launched into 'Shapeshifter,' and I caught up, losing myself in the song. Three songs later, we were done, and I blew a kiss up to the balcony. AJ pretended to catch it, mocking falling over, and I laughed as James pulled me off stage. "He did not take his eyes off you for a second," he told me with a grin.
"Would that be the cute one, or the faux dangerous one?" Jeremy sneered from behind us, and I whirled around, sticking my tongue out at him.
"Fuck off, J. They're my friends, I never make fun of your friends." James and Jeremy both fixed me with raised eyebrows. "OK, maybe I do," I admitted with a laugh. "But… but he's so cute! Be nice, either ignore them or be nice. Please?" I batted my eyelashes at Jeremy and he relented, shaking his head.
"This is truly the lowest you have ever sunk for a shag, Rache."
"Please! He is King Boy Toy, you just ask any 15-year-old girl. I am the envy of every high school in America. You're just jealous that I'm the coolest girl in school and Britney never answered any of your fan mail. Nick!" I cried, as he appeared in the doorway. I ran over to them, reaching out to take his hand and stopping. "Baby! What happened?"
He had a cast on his right hand, and glanced at Frank and AJ before answering. "Basketball. It was stupid." AJ started to say something and Nick kicked him, I saw it. Wonder what really happened to his hand?
"Is it broken? Are you OK?"
She gave me a worried look, standing there in front of me. Please don't ask about my hand again. It was really painful and such a dumb story. She looked happy and giddy - who wouldn't be, after that show? It was all I could do not to pull her into my arms and kiss her, wanting her happiness to rub off on me. The pills and beer were making me dizzy.
AJ filled the silence, "It was an amazing show, Rachel. I mean, he plays that damn CD all the time, but live you're fucking astounding." She grinned, kissing his cheek.
I didn't get a kiss!
She turned to Frank as AJ smirked at me. He knew I was pissed that she'd kissed him. "And you, Frank, you're just here because you have to be, aren't you?"
"You're much more interesting than some of the other terrible shows these two have dragged me to."
She kissed Frank, too! She stood on tiptoe to kiss him, laughing. "I'll take that as a complement."
Frank caught my eye and smirked. "Nice shirt."
Nice shirt? It was a tank top, she looked hot, but not because it was a cool shirt. Grinning, she turned around to face me and AJ, and I saw now that the shirt had writing on it - 'wanton sex goddess,' spelled out in small silver letters. AJ cracked up, and I met her eyes. "Where did you get that?"
"I had it made, just today. You're so good for my ego." I loved it when she smiled at me like that, like we shared a secret. "C'mon, meet my band."
She took my good hand, shooting me another questioning look. Damn, she was gonna get me to tell her, wasn't she? I just grinned at her and let her lead me over to the guys in the corner. I would have let her take me anywhere as long as she kept holding my hand. God, I was acting like a lovesick teenager!
She introduced us to her band, but I knew all their names from reading the liner notes. Jeremy on guitar and vocals, James on bass, Darien on drums. Well, I knew James, he'd been with her in Philly. They all shook my hand and thanked me for the press bump I'd given them in LA at the press conference.
They were being nice enough. I tried to size up Jeremy but didn't get a negative vibe from him at all. He was saying something about their sales in LA. Would he like me if I can get them airplay?
I'll take it. I needed her band to like me. "I can do it again. I can tell everyone I see how great you are."
AJ kicked me. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I shouldn't get involved with these girls that want to be pop stars.
But look at this one! She's amazing!
She wrinkled her nose at me. "Please don't. We don't want to be cool just because the Backstreet Boys like us. Do we, J?" I kicked AJ as she rattled on, smirking at him. She was so not Mandy.
After a minute, she looked back at me. "I have to pack up, give me 15 minutes. Sit, there's some beers on the table over there." I watched as she followed the others back to the stage. AJ handed me a beer, sitting on the couch behind us.
"Which one is the ex?"
I sat next to him. "Jeremy. The pretty one."
"Can you imagine, being in a band with either of our Amandas?"
I couldn't, actually, and shook my head, taking a drink of my beer. I should probably stop drinking soon, the Vicodan was bad enough.
"Fucking weird, man. They seem to get along all right…" he teased, testing me for a reaction.
I hated seeing Jeremy touch her, when I was too nervous to even speak to her. But I wasn't letting AJ know that, so I just shrugged. "She kicked him out for a while, did I tell you that part?"
"Before or after they broke up?"
"After. Dunno how he got back in, she hasn't told me that bit yet."
AJ arched an eyebrow at me, but, getting no reaction, turned his attention to Frank. "So, Frank, where are we allowed to go tonight?"
I didn't care. I let them fight it out. As long as I got to be with Rachel, I didn't care. After a moment, she came over to us, placing a guitar case carefully in front of me. "Note I didn't toss it across the stage." I stuck my tongue out at her, making her giggle. "It's the last thing that gets loaded on the van, watch it for a minute."
"Wanna go dancing, darlin'?" AJ asked her before she could turn away, and she shrugged.
"Whatever. It's nearly one, do we have time?"
AJ moaned, and she smiled at me, reaching out to ruffle my hair. "Are you sure you're OK? I won't be upset if you just want to get some sleep."
God knows when I'll see you again. I shook my head. "No. I'm fine."
She considered me for a moment, then nodded and went back to the stage. I could hear her talking to her band, not the actual words, just the sound of her voice. Frank and AJ were discussing if they club they wanted to go to was open until 4 or only 2, and I eyed the guitar case on the coffee table in front of me. Curious, I flipped the latch, looking inside. Her guitar was very sparkly, and I saw now that it was done by hand. I wondered if she'd done it herself, or knew someone who specialized in glitter.
"Dude, what is that?" AJ laughed, and I rolled my eyes.
"Her guitar. Cool, isn't it?" I wondered if my guitar would look good all sparkly.
"No, dawg, that!" He pointed to the inside of the top of the case, and I glanced up, feeling my jaw drop when I realized what it was.
Phone numbers. Dozens of them. Boys' names, numbers, and cities.
AJ laughed, reading some of them out, then he whacked me in the arm. "Where are you?"
I shut the case, trying not to care. "Dunno."
"That is impressive, man. I think she's got more than Howie."
"I don't think she has ongoing relationships with any of them."
He leaned over, opening the case again. This time I noticed the pocket where she kept her extra strings and picks, there was a silver pen in there, must be the one she used for the numbers. I wanted to take it, so no one could ever write their number on there again. AJ grabbed it, and I watched as he scrawled his cell number in an empty space, adding "Alex, currently on tour" above it.
"Hey!" I whined, unable to stop myself, and he smirked at me. "She's not even gonna know who that is," I went on. "She doesn't call you Alex."
"Easily remedied. Rachel!" She was walking through, carrying a gig box with James, and looked over at him. "Call me Alex."
"What?" Then she noticed her guitar case was open, and she laughed as AJ pointed to his number. "You'd better put AJ on there, I think I have about five Alexes."
"Working your way through the alphabet, Rachel?" Jeremy wondered, pushing a gig box up to hit her leg. She shook her head at him, moving towards the back door.
"Do you know how few Xaviers come to our shows? Didn't you pull a Zelda a few months ago, darling?"
They bickered their way out, and AJ added his initials to his entry, and then handed the pen to me. "Go ahead, let's see who she calls first."
I shut the case, putting the pen in my pocket, making AJ laugh. "She's already got my number, and she's already called me."
"But not the booty call, hmm?"
I just glared at him again as she walked back inside. "Do you need help, Rache?" I asked her, making her laugh.
"When was the last time you packed an amp, darling?" I just blinked at her, and she shook her head. "Yeah, didn't think so. Just sit there and look pretty, we'll be three more minutes, we're good at this."
It was 15 before she sat on the arm of the couch next to me. Thank god, AJ would not shut up about her, teasing me. I was too tired to hide my every reaction, and he knew he was getting a rise out of me. "Where are we going?"
"Dancing!" AJ informed her.
"Aria's supposed to be all hip and happening, and its not far," James said, standing behind us.
"Excellent!" AJ yelled, slamming his empty beer on the table. I needed to catch up to him if I was going to have any fun tonight.
"Are you coming with, James?"
"Am I invited?" He asked, and she nodded. "Then yes. Jeremy and his indie cred will take the van back to the hotel. Darien's off with the girl of the moment already."
"Nine am, diva princess," Jeremy called out from the doorway, jingling the keys. She jumped up, going over to him.
"I'll be your best friend forever if you give me ten minutes to change, then take my stuff back to the hotel."
Jeremy sighed at me. "No."
"Please?" I begged, batting my eyelashes at him.
"Won't you want your stuff tomorrow morning when you wake up at whatever four star hotel he's at?"
"Not planning on doing that." He gave me a completely incredulous look. "Jeremy, I don't meddle in your love life any longer, can you get out of mine, and do me this one tiny favor?"
Rolling his eyes, he nodded. "Whatever." I kissed his cheek and went to find my bag.
"Five minutes to change, then we're outta here."
"You look fine, Rache," Nick told me, and I grinned at him.
"I have to keep up with you rock stars. I like those pants." They were purple, some sort of lush fabric. Velvet? They looked great on him, and he grinned at me as I left the room.
I'd stressed out about my clothes all day, he had that effect on me. I found the bathroom and shrugged out of my sweaty stage clothes, pulling on low cut black pants and a black tank. Oh, wait, the bra straps showed, I'd brought the funky pink bra just for that.
Why was I trying so hard? I'd had my chance with him the other night, and I'd rejected him. It was the right thing to do. I was being mean, looking my best just to encourage his crush. I pulled the top back over my head and looked at myself in the mirror, adjusting my straps strategically.
But I didn't want him to stop liking me. I loved it, I loved talking to him on the phone for hours about nothing and I loved the long rambling emails he sent me. But I really loved the way he looked at me like I was the most amazing woman he'd ever seen. I might blow his mind in this outfit, it showed off my tattoos.
I wanted to see all of his. He had one on his back that the fans couldn't figure out, and another on his leg that was a mystery. I wanted to ask him about the ones on his arms, I couldn't see them, the shirt he had on tonight had sleeves.
Oh, yeah, this crush is so fucking one-sided, Rachel.
I pulled on my favorite silver shirt to cover some skin. Best not be that mean. More lipstick, I ran my fingers through my hair and sprayed on some perfume before stepping into my favorite strappy pink sandals. Not good dancing shoes, but they looked so good, who cared? Oh, this was a good body image day, he was so good for my ego. I was fucking hot.
I shoved my stage clothes into my bag and ran out to Jeremy waiting in the van. "You may go now. Thank you."
He took my bag and tossed it over his shoulder, then just looked at me for a minute. "You look great, Rachel."
I blinked at him for a minute. Even when we were together, Jeremy was cheap with compliments. "Thank you."
Shaking his head, he started the car. "9 sharp, diva princess."
That was more the Jeremy I knew and loathed. "Yes, sir!" I responded, and went back in to the others, perfectly happy to see him go. "Jeremy informs me that we have barely 8 hours, let's get on the road!"
Frank was on the phone, and he nodded at me. "We've got a car."
"Let's go, then!" AJ cried, putting an arm around my waist and leading me to the door. "Aria's only open for another hour."
"What, you can't use your boyband magic and make them stay open just for us?" James pleaded.
"Nope, that only works at the hotel. After the club, we'll go there."
There was a nice sleek black car waiting for us, not a limo, but better than a cab.
Rachel slid into the car after me, leaning against me as James squeezed in next to her. Thank god AJ was stuck up front with Frank. "You smell good," I told her, and she smiled up at me.
And you are absolutely beautiful, but I wasn't going there at the moment. "No time for a shower, had to do something," she admitted. "What about you, did you run over here right after your show?"
"After a Vicodan, yeah." I told her, and she shook her head.
"It is broken? You never answered my question."
"Yeah. Metacarpal fracture, whatever that is. Hurts like hell."
She picked up my hand, planting a careful kiss on the cast. "Better?"
I smiled at her lip print on my bandages. "Much."
"What did you do to it, exactly?" she questioned, and I shook my head. She doesn't need to know that.
"Basketball, I told you. I'm a klutz."
"Yeah, I've seen you play," she grinned at me.
"Barely!" I defended myself.
"Brian said he beats you all the time and he's half your size," she teased. Fucking Brian.
"He cheats."
"Hell, it's the way to win. I cheat with my brothers all the time!"
"Next time I see you, I challenge you to a game." I'd lose. Just the thought of being close enough to her to play made me clumsy.
She patted my knee. "You're on, boyfriend. Man, what are these things made out of?" she exclaimed, rubbing my leg. This might become embarrassing.
"Dunno. A friend of mine sent them to me. Velvet or something?"
She checked the tag on my shirt, thankfully removing her hand from my knee. "Katie! How do you know Kate Sutton?"
She sat back, smiling at me. "How do you know Kate Sutton?" I asked in return.
"Em," she said. "Duh. How do I know anyone? How do you know her?"
AJ leaned over from the front seat. Damnit. "She does our clothes."
"The good ones, I hope, not those horrible Larger Than Life outfits," James interjected.
"Of course!" AJ told him. "Kate was Nick's first crush on an older woman."
"Shut up, Alex!" I pouted, as Rachel turned to look at me.
"Now, Kate Sutton really is twice your age, Nick."
"When I met her, yeah…" I admitted, making Rachel and James laugh. "I didn't know that, though! She looks about 25, even now."
She was in her 30s, I didn't know how old exactly. But she was little and cute and always made me laugh. I liked Kate, she was cool. "Did she like you back?" Rachel wondered.
"I was 15, Rache. She tolerated me."
"She sends you care packages, she must do more than 'tolerate' you, Nick." If I didn't know better, I would swear that she was jealous.
Kate did say that she'd had a thing with Damon, too. I'd have to find out when.
"We talk. She always teases me that I have no fashion sense. And she told me to listen carefully to the Elastica album…" I prodded, getting precisely the reaction I wanted as Rachel covered her face with her hands and James laughed.
"Don't listen to anything else she ever tells you!" she moaned. "God, change the station!" she yelled, leaning forward to lean over AJ's shoulder. "What is this crap?"
James caught my eye and we both started laughing. He leaned over to me. "Stutter? 'Is there something you lack when I'm flat on my back,' that one?" I nodded. "Damon could not keep up with the wanton sex goddess here."
"Shut up, James!" She yelled, turning around from talking to AJ. I watched them bicker with one another, why couldn't I do that with her? I got stupid and tongue-tied when she was right in front of me. I could talk to her on the phone for hours, I could write her email, what was wrong with me when she was actually with me?
She was too gorgeous, too real, when she was here. In email, I had time to think about what I was going to say and come off sounding witty and smart. In person, I was my normal stupid self.
After a few minutes, we pulled up to the club and I tried not to sigh out loud. I was really too tired for this. Hell, it was less than an hour, and I'd get to watch Rachel dance.
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