Life's A Riot.
Thirty Seven.
JC POV.
“Ashley baby, you make me feel so alive!” My phone startled me out of sleep. I rummaged around my bunk, trying to find it as Escape The Fate continued to sing.
“What bitch?” I grumbled, when I eventually found it. On the other end of the phone, Ash laughed.
“Charming. My plane’s just landed. I’m in baggage reclaim. How long till you get to the venue?” Ash had decided that my head had to be sorted out in person – or slapped upside, more likely – and had flown up to meet us and stay for a couple of days.
“One minute.” I yawned, I pulled the curtain back far enough that I could stick my head out. “Yo bitches, how long till we get there?!” I yelled. A pause. Then:
“An hour tops.” It sounded like Matt.
“Cheers Shads.” I withdrew back into my bunk and re-drew the curtain. “About an hour Matt reckons. How long till you get there?”
“Probably about the same. Rage and love babes.”
“Rage and love.” We hung up and I stretched, rolling out of my bunk and getting to my feet. Damn, I needed coffee.
“Satisfied that you’ve woken everyone up now?” Grumbled my brother as I walked past his bunk. I grinned. He was hungover. Again.
“Absolutely bro.” I replied. He grunted and was silent. I laughed and headed off to make myself coffee.
~*~
Ash gave me one of her long suffering looks and sighed.
“You know, I will never understand why you always doubt yourself so much.” She commented. I just shrugged and leaned back against the couch on the bus. “Babe, if you feel like that for him then not a lot is going to change that, other than time. If he says that he loves you … well, I’d believe him if I were you. All you’ve got to do is look back at the past. He’s always had the hots for you since way back when. Remember the first time that you both kissed?” I frowned, remembering back six years, the memory was slightly fuzzy, but it was still there.
~*~
Flashback. Matt’s Birthday 2003.
I stumbled, unbelievably drunk, through the sliding patio doors and into the garden. The house was totally packed and far too hot. The garden was much quieter – with only couples making out in residence – and much cooler, the light breeze stirring the gauzy skirt of my dress. I leaned against the wall of the house and tried to steady myself. Maybe stilettos hadn’t been such a good idea. I didn’t notice him at first, it wasn’t until he started to smoke that I realised that he was there. Synyster Gates. He took another drag on his cigarette and turned his attention to me.
“Jesus Christ JC, you’re fucking hammered.” He commented, exhaling a breath full of smoke. I waved it away and glared at him, knowing that if I spoke, I would simply back his statement up. He took another drag. “So what does JC stand for anyway? I always wondered.” My glare turned into a frown. Why the fuck was he making conversation? Looking away, I sighed.
“Jacqueline Caitlyn.” I mumbled, trying not to slur my words. He made a noise that was halfway between a snort and a laugh and began to choke on his fag. I glared at him again and flipped him off when he looked at me.
“Awww, don’t be like that JC. It’s a cute name.” He burst out laughing again. Resisting the urge to slug him one, I pushed off the wall and headed back inside. His hand caught my wrist, stopping me as he pulled me back. “Alright, alright, I get it. But seriously, I like the name Caitlyn. What do you think? Piss you off enough if I call you that?” My glare remained continuous. He still didn’t let go of my wrist. “It’s too long really, huh? How about Cait? Hmm, I like that.” He was talking more to himself, but was staring straight into my eyes. It suddenly hit me that his eyes were absolutely gorgeous. Like pools of molten chocolate. Shit, I must be drunk. I went to take a step back, but stumbled on the decking in Matt’s back garden. Syn caught me, holding me upright. I lost track of time a little then, but the next thing that I remember was suddenly kissing him. His grip around my waist tightened and pulled me in closer. His lips were soft against mine. His tongue brushed against my lip, I let him deepen the kiss. Damn he was a good kisser. It was him that broke the kiss, pulling back, but not letting go of my waist. I leaned into him, not wanting the kiss to end.
“No Cait. Not like this.” He whispered softly, resting his forehead against mine. I frowned and tried to kiss him again, not really understanding what he was saying. This was Synyster Gates, he was the biggest player that I’d ever met. He moved backwards slightly. “Don’t tempt me JC.” He kissed my forehead before letting his hands drop from my waist and stepped back. I met his eyes, still confused. He reached up and ran a finger lightly down my cheek. “Come find me when you’re sober Cait.” He whispered before turning round and heading back into the party.
~*~
Part of me always thought that my drunken-self had invented his last sentence, or at least changed it, but now I wasn’t so sure. I sighed and put my head in my hands.
“Fuck shit bugger fuck bollocks crap FUCK!” I mumbled. I was so scared, yet I really wanted to get it to work out. I was falling for him. And I was falling hard. Ash laughed and pulled me to my feet.
“I know. Come on, you have an interview to get to and then a gig to play, then some serious partying to do.” I smiled and let her drag me off the bus and into the venue. I flashed my pass at the bouncers and headed for the dressing room, Ash in tow. I pushed open the door to find the guys already seated and the journalist already present. Everyone turned to look at us as we walked in.
“About time Cait!” Syn had called me that since the night that we’d first kissed. It was a name that I simultaneously loved and hated. I hated my name in general, hence why I went by JC. But I loved that only he called me that, it even made me like my name a little bit more. I shot him a brief snarky look and turned my attention to the journalist, who’d gotten to his feet. I glanced at him and instantly decided that I didn’t like him. He tried too hard to look like a punk-kinda-grunge-kinda-rocker-dude. It failed. And he carried himself as if he thought that he was God’s gift to women. He was butt ugly. At least in my opinion. All-in-all it was a worst first impression that the one that Syn had made when we first met. And that was bad. He walked towards me, smirking a smirk that he probably thought was sexy. It was just damn slimy. He held out a hand.
“Hi, Cait. I’m Trent. Nice to meet you.” Yeah, like that was his real name. Please. I smiled tightly and briefly shook his hand before dropping it.
“It’s JC.” I replied irritably, walking over to the seat in between Johnny and Syn and falling into it. Ash smothered her giggle. Barely. Trent just looked stunned that I’d brushed past him like that. In fairness to him, he recovered quickly and turned his attention to Ash. She met his smirk with a stony expression. I bit my lip and tried not to laugh.
“And you are?”
“Ashleigh Turner. JC’s best friend and I’m already spoken for so don’t even bother.” She ignored his hand and breezed past him, taking a seat on the arm of Zacky’s chair. All the guys tried to hide their chuckles and giggles at the dumbstruck expression on Trent’s face. Oh this was going to be an interesting interview.
“Ashley baby, you make me feel so alive!” My phone startled me out of sleep. I rummaged around my bunk, trying to find it as Escape The Fate continued to sing.
“What bitch?” I grumbled, when I eventually found it. On the other end of the phone, Ash laughed.
“Charming. My plane’s just landed. I’m in baggage reclaim. How long till you get to the venue?” Ash had decided that my head had to be sorted out in person – or slapped upside, more likely – and had flown up to meet us and stay for a couple of days.
“One minute.” I yawned, I pulled the curtain back far enough that I could stick my head out. “Yo bitches, how long till we get there?!” I yelled. A pause. Then:
“An hour tops.” It sounded like Matt.
“Cheers Shads.” I withdrew back into my bunk and re-drew the curtain. “About an hour Matt reckons. How long till you get there?”
“Probably about the same. Rage and love babes.”
“Rage and love.” We hung up and I stretched, rolling out of my bunk and getting to my feet. Damn, I needed coffee.
“Satisfied that you’ve woken everyone up now?” Grumbled my brother as I walked past his bunk. I grinned. He was hungover. Again.
“Absolutely bro.” I replied. He grunted and was silent. I laughed and headed off to make myself coffee.
~*~
Ash gave me one of her long suffering looks and sighed.
“You know, I will never understand why you always doubt yourself so much.” She commented. I just shrugged and leaned back against the couch on the bus. “Babe, if you feel like that for him then not a lot is going to change that, other than time. If he says that he loves you … well, I’d believe him if I were you. All you’ve got to do is look back at the past. He’s always had the hots for you since way back when. Remember the first time that you both kissed?” I frowned, remembering back six years, the memory was slightly fuzzy, but it was still there.
~*~
Flashback. Matt’s Birthday 2003.
I stumbled, unbelievably drunk, through the sliding patio doors and into the garden. The house was totally packed and far too hot. The garden was much quieter – with only couples making out in residence – and much cooler, the light breeze stirring the gauzy skirt of my dress. I leaned against the wall of the house and tried to steady myself. Maybe stilettos hadn’t been such a good idea. I didn’t notice him at first, it wasn’t until he started to smoke that I realised that he was there. Synyster Gates. He took another drag on his cigarette and turned his attention to me.
“Jesus Christ JC, you’re fucking hammered.” He commented, exhaling a breath full of smoke. I waved it away and glared at him, knowing that if I spoke, I would simply back his statement up. He took another drag. “So what does JC stand for anyway? I always wondered.” My glare turned into a frown. Why the fuck was he making conversation? Looking away, I sighed.
“Jacqueline Caitlyn.” I mumbled, trying not to slur my words. He made a noise that was halfway between a snort and a laugh and began to choke on his fag. I glared at him again and flipped him off when he looked at me.
“Awww, don’t be like that JC. It’s a cute name.” He burst out laughing again. Resisting the urge to slug him one, I pushed off the wall and headed back inside. His hand caught my wrist, stopping me as he pulled me back. “Alright, alright, I get it. But seriously, I like the name Caitlyn. What do you think? Piss you off enough if I call you that?” My glare remained continuous. He still didn’t let go of my wrist. “It’s too long really, huh? How about Cait? Hmm, I like that.” He was talking more to himself, but was staring straight into my eyes. It suddenly hit me that his eyes were absolutely gorgeous. Like pools of molten chocolate. Shit, I must be drunk. I went to take a step back, but stumbled on the decking in Matt’s back garden. Syn caught me, holding me upright. I lost track of time a little then, but the next thing that I remember was suddenly kissing him. His grip around my waist tightened and pulled me in closer. His lips were soft against mine. His tongue brushed against my lip, I let him deepen the kiss. Damn he was a good kisser. It was him that broke the kiss, pulling back, but not letting go of my waist. I leaned into him, not wanting the kiss to end.
“No Cait. Not like this.” He whispered softly, resting his forehead against mine. I frowned and tried to kiss him again, not really understanding what he was saying. This was Synyster Gates, he was the biggest player that I’d ever met. He moved backwards slightly. “Don’t tempt me JC.” He kissed my forehead before letting his hands drop from my waist and stepped back. I met his eyes, still confused. He reached up and ran a finger lightly down my cheek. “Come find me when you’re sober Cait.” He whispered before turning round and heading back into the party.
~*~
Part of me always thought that my drunken-self had invented his last sentence, or at least changed it, but now I wasn’t so sure. I sighed and put my head in my hands.
“Fuck shit bugger fuck bollocks crap FUCK!” I mumbled. I was so scared, yet I really wanted to get it to work out. I was falling for him. And I was falling hard. Ash laughed and pulled me to my feet.
“I know. Come on, you have an interview to get to and then a gig to play, then some serious partying to do.” I smiled and let her drag me off the bus and into the venue. I flashed my pass at the bouncers and headed for the dressing room, Ash in tow. I pushed open the door to find the guys already seated and the journalist already present. Everyone turned to look at us as we walked in.
“About time Cait!” Syn had called me that since the night that we’d first kissed. It was a name that I simultaneously loved and hated. I hated my name in general, hence why I went by JC. But I loved that only he called me that, it even made me like my name a little bit more. I shot him a brief snarky look and turned my attention to the journalist, who’d gotten to his feet. I glanced at him and instantly decided that I didn’t like him. He tried too hard to look like a punk-kinda-grunge-kinda-rocker-dude. It failed. And he carried himself as if he thought that he was God’s gift to women. He was butt ugly. At least in my opinion. All-in-all it was a worst first impression that the one that Syn had made when we first met. And that was bad. He walked towards me, smirking a smirk that he probably thought was sexy. It was just damn slimy. He held out a hand.
“Hi, Cait. I’m Trent. Nice to meet you.” Yeah, like that was his real name. Please. I smiled tightly and briefly shook his hand before dropping it.
“It’s JC.” I replied irritably, walking over to the seat in between Johnny and Syn and falling into it. Ash smothered her giggle. Barely. Trent just looked stunned that I’d brushed past him like that. In fairness to him, he recovered quickly and turned his attention to Ash. She met his smirk with a stony expression. I bit my lip and tried not to laugh.
“And you are?”
“Ashleigh Turner. JC’s best friend and I’m already spoken for so don’t even bother.” She ignored his hand and breezed past him, taking a seat on the arm of Zacky’s chair. All the guys tried to hide their chuckles and giggles at the dumbstruck expression on Trent’s face. Oh this was going to be an interesting interview.
7/16/13