Matt’s P.O.V
I gazed up to the stars and watched as the fireworks exploded into the sky, lighting up the night. As I sipped on my beer and watched the colorful show, my eyes still found their way to Chelsea as she sat next to me in a lawn chair. There were quite a few of them set up for anyone to use, so we all took one and plotted ourselves down to enjoy the show.
Even with such an event that I normally would be paying attention to, I caught myself stealing glances at her. She was really pretty, and I wondered if she was single at the moment. I tried to ignore the ping of guilt I felt inside my chest when the memory of Val's face flashed in my mind. I don’t know why I was even talking to this girl. So far she was just someone I met, but she was nice enough, good looking enough for more, but did I even want that?
Of course I still thought about Val', every day, and I still wasn’t happy that we broke up, but the only way I was going to get over it was by looking for someone else who could get my mind off her. I knew she was probably out with some other guy right now, enjoying life without me. If I wanted to be happy, I was going to have to move on.
It was just me and her sitting by ourselves while the guys were sitting next to another band that we knew and were drunkenly reminiscing about something. We were sitting too far away from them to hear what they were saying, but I could see Brian laughing and Zack shaking his head disapprovingly about something. That’s when I noticed Johnny standing up and was badly dancing to the background music. I laughed and also shook my head at him. What an idiot.
I found myself looking at her again, without noticing it until she turned her face away from the sky, to meet my eyes and smiled. At first I was stuck, frozen in my place, staring into her ocean blue eyes, watching as the fireworks reflected and exploded around the irises. I couldn’t help but smile at her too. There was nothing I could do, but just to keep staring. She was exactly what I wanted, what I needed.
Jimmy’s P.O.V
I force myself to hold back the laughter as I watch Johnny parade around, his pants falling down as he tries to dance to the music playing but ends up tripping over his pants as they fall around his ankles. He face plants straight into the ground, but because of his drunken state, he bounds right back up and doesn’t seem to notice that his nose starts to bleed.
Fucking idiot, I thought to myself.
Just then I saw them, sitting together, alone. They were just…staring at each other. What the hell does he think he’s doing?! I stood quickly, storming over towards them before I could think rationally, feeling the heat rise in my face. Did he honestly think he could get away with this? He looks as though he is about to kiss her at any moment! I have to do something, to stop this, I have to…
“So,” I say, stopping shortly in front of them. They both jump, not seeing or hearing me coming this way. “What are you two up to?” I try to keep my voice calm and nonchalant, but it was hard to hide the irritation.
“What do you mean?” Matt asks all too quickly, glancing back and forth between the two of us.
“You heard me.” I practically snap and fold my arms over my chest. “Whatever. Why are you sitting by yourselves, anyway?” I say, not giving him the time to answer. “I thought you could use some company.” I pull over a chair before he could make a peep. There was no debating me on this.
I pull it up to her other side, wanting to keep her in the middle, that way she would feel more uncomfortable and I could keep an eye on them both.
“We were just watching the show, Jimmy.” Matt tries to reassure me, but I’m not that easily fooled.
I nod, trying to hold back the smirk. “Yeah, so was I. I could see the show all the way over there too, ya know, with the rest of us.” I remarked, referring to them instead of the fireworks.
Matt doesn’t seem to catch on, but her eyes widen only a fraction. I refuse to say her name, let alone think it. I’ve practically forgotten it, or wish I had. She was definitely not my favorite person on the planet right now.

“Well I’m looking forward to the finale.” She continues on with conversation innocently. What was her game?

I keep my face blank as my eyes flicker back to Matt. “Yeah, that’s interesting. Something else that is interesting, I was just wondering. How’s Val', Matt? Have you heard from her lately?”
His eyes not only grow bigger, they seem to darken. Even under the night sky, I can see his anger rise up and his nostrils flare. I know he hated the very mention of her name, kept anyone of us from ever talking about her, but I had to. I had to push him, and that meant pushing both of our limits with each other.
It was the only way I could keep his thoughts sober of…her. The girl sitting in between us, acting innocently and almost covert about something, which made me not trust her none the less.
“Jimmy,” His voice is low and tight, as if he had to strain to even speak without completely raising his voice and most likely telling me off. I kept my eyes straight forward, glaring back into his. “How dare you-”
“What the fuck guys?” Someone interrupts, snatching up all of our attention, cutting Matt’s sentence short. It was Brian and the rest of them, standing in front of us, practically scolding us. “Why the hell did you leave us back there?” He continues, waving his beer behind him at where they once were. “One second I see you there Jimmy, and the next, it’s like…”
“I disappeared?” I raise an amused eyebrow up at him. He is so fucked up right now, just like the other two.
Johnny couldn’t even stand up straight right now, and Zack looked as though he was about to pass out into a deep sleep. I’m surprised they could walk over here without killing themselves in some way. I almost wish I was just as far in their drunken state so I didn’t have to watch the love fest that was accumulating between these two next to me.

“Yes, exactly!” Brian hisses, pointing that bottle at me. “Matt, what the fuck? Where have you been all this time, man?”
Matt gives him an annoyed look. “Yeah, you’re drunk. You guys should head back onto the bus.” It was more of a demand rather than a suggestion, keeping his voice low and steady. He’s still pissed at me. I’m sure he was ready to head back on the bus and cuss me out.
“What?” Brian snaps. His party wasn’t over.
“But the fireworks!” Johnny whines. I hear her giggle. I almost roll my eyes.
Matt snorts. “Please Johnny, you haven’t even looked up once at the sky all night. Instead, you’ve been starin’ down the bottle and drinking your soul away.”
That seems to catch her attention, for some reason, as her eyes flicker towards him, looking a little bemused. Ugh. Matt did always have a way with words, and I’m sure right now he was using his ‘charm’ to capture her attention, possibly her heart, until he was finished with it.
“That’s a good idea. I think we should head back.” I agree with Matt even though I know the sooner he gets me away from her, the quicker he’s going to start his tantrum and begin with a storm of curse words with lots of swearing at me.
He looks at me quickly in surprise. “You do?”
I nod and shrug casually. “Yeah, it’s getting late and I’m tired.” Really, the sooner I could get him away from her, the better off we’d all be and maybe we don’t have to ever see her again.
He peeks over at me from her other side in question, and I know he’s trying to think my reason over in his head. I’m sure he didn’t know what to believe, that it was the truth in what I said or not.
Chelsea’s P.O.V
Things were getting weird, especially between Matt and Jimmy. I just met these guys and already, I feel so much tension angled towards me somehow, though I don’t remember doing anything wrong to make anyone mad. I’m just glad that the others came along and interrupted whatever conversation, or arguing that was about to go down between the two.
It remains silent for a moment, and I can just feel the hostility between the two men that I was unfortunately sitting in between. I quickly scramble to my feet and instantly want to get as far away as possible from here.
“Where are you going?” Matt asks, his eyes turning softer from being so hard and cold as he gazes up at me.
“Uh, yeah, I think it’s time I find my friends now. Thanks for inviting me.” I try to say politely, without obviously releasing the breath I had been holding ever since Jimmy came over.
What was his problem anyway? What was so wrong about me talking to Matt, alone? It wasn’t that hard for me to notice that he had a problem with it, with us being alone, with me in general. I did nothing to him to earn such hatred and cruelty. I could hear it in his tone every time he spoke to or about me. I wasn’t stupid, and I’m definitely not blind or hard at hearing. He made it loud and clear that he didn’t want me here, but he need no longer worry. I’m gone.
Matt bounded up out of his seat. “No, please wait. You don’t have to go. The guys were just leaving.”
I watched as Jimmy shot his head up and scoffed. “No. I was having a good time. I’m not going anywhere.” He stated after it seemed as though he was debating something in his head, whether to stay or to leave, I’m not sure, but I don’t care.
Matt glared down at him. “Jimmy, you need to take the guys back to the bus. There’s no way they’ll find it on their own.”
Brian snickered. “We don’t need babysitters Matt. I can find the bus, no problem. This way!” He began to walk off towards the opposite direction of where the buses were parked in the lot, leading the other two away.
Matt shook his head as they walked away and slid a hand down his face, seeming exasperated. I caught Jimmy’s quick smirk though Matt couldn’t see it from behind his hand. Besides, it was directed at me, not him.
I tried to restrain myself from saying anything to him, let alone keeping a straight face and turned back to Matt, hoping to ignore Jimmy entirely. “I’m just going to go. I…had fun,” I said as nicely as possible.
I was having fun, until…I couldn’t help but glance back down at him as he remained in his chair, his crooked smile making me feel uncomfortable.
Matt dropped his hand and sighed. “I understand. I don’t want to be here as much as you do at the moment.” He flicked his eyes towards Jimmy before giving me a small, apologetic smile.
I caught another smirk from him as he sat and watched us attentively. “Let me just walk you back to your bus. Do you know where it is?” Matt offers.
I smile back at the gesture but shrug. “I wish I knew, but trust me, I am so lost and I have no idea where we’re parked. And go figure, I left my phone on the counter before we left.” I frowned, beginning to wonder if I would ever find the guys or even see them again after tonight.
Matt shakes his head and chuckles at me. “That figures. Here,” He says and pulls out his phone. “Call your friends. Maybe they can direct you and then we can find it together.”
I do as he says and try calling all of the guy’s numbers, but not one of them answer. It must have been the loud music all around and now they can’t hear their phones ringing. Hopefully one of them will check their phones and see that I tried to call. I even texted Blake and Will for directions to the bus, but it wasn’t much help when they wouldn’t even answer my calls.
I sigh and hand Matt his phone back. “Thanks, but they just won’t answer.”
He gives me a small smile and slips it into his back pocket. “Don’t worry. We’ll get you back somehow. When do you guys have to leave?”
“Tomorrow evening. What about you guys? When do you have to leave for your tour?” I ask out of curiosity.
“The same,” He nods, spreading a knowing smile across his face that I couldn’t figure out. “Why don’t you just come back with us?”
“What?” Jimmy and I both ask in unison as he quickly stands in protest.
Matt first gives Jimmy a look that I couldn’t read, but then goes back to smiling at me. “Yeah, come back to our bus with us. It doesn’t seem like you’re going to find them tonight Chelsea.”
“You’re asking me to stay the night with you guys?” I ask, breathing out heavily.
What could I say? I barely knew them, yet here he is asking me to spend the night with him and his band, who is mostly drunk, on their tour bus. It would just be me and a bunch of alcoholic men. I don’t know if I could trust them.
Before Matt can answer, Jimmy steps so close that he almost pushes me aside without even having to touch me. “Are you serious Matt? Do you think that’s such a good idea right now?” He questions him quickly, hinting something in the tone of his voice. There was something else he was trying to say other than what actually came out of his mouth.
Matt’s face remained still and expressionless as Jimmy is practically seething. “Yes, I’m serious. She doesn’t have any where else to go Jimmy.”
“No,” I say, stepping back in. “It’s okay. I’ll find them somehow. Thanks for the offer, really, but I must be going anyway.”
“No, wait Chelsea.” Matt turns to grab my hand before I could begin to walk away.
The contact was surprising and very unexpected, and I think it shocked us both enough to where he quickly had to let go. I stepped back and was unable to say anything for a moment as I could feel my cheeks flush. Jimmy stares at the both of us in confusion, glancing back and forth between us. I don’t think he expected it either.
I inhaled sharply and tried to keep my answer short. “I shouldn’t, really. I need to go.”
Matt stuffs his hands down in his front pockets. “Please, I’m mean, until you can get a hold of your friends. I don’t think it will take all night for them to call you back. They’ll probably call as soon as the show is over.”
He did have a point, and I definitely didn’t want to wait out here for them all night surrounded by a bunch of rockers who were smoking who knows what and drinking until they puked. Right now, I trusted these guys with my life, even if one absolutely despised me. They were the only two sober ones around.
Jimmy didn’t even try to hide his disgust at the idea and sighed heavily, but at least kept his mouth shut. I knew he wasn’t happy about the idea of me at all, but for now, they were my only option. I had to go somewhere other than being out here.
“Okay, thank you.” I nod, trying to avoid Jimmy’s glare.
Matt gleams his bright, dimpled smile and snakes his arm through mine. “Come on, let’s go.”
I smile, unsure, starting to wonder what on earth I just got myself into as we begin to walk away. Jimmy unhappily follows closely behind, hanging onto our every word as we talk while making our way to their bus.
I just really hope I don’t have to stay all night with these guys. They all seem really nice and even funny, but I didn’t like to be around alcohol and drunken people. The thought almost scared me. It made me unsure about them, at least until they become sober again. I’ve met Brian, Zack and Johnny as they were drunk and haven’t seen them sober once. I didn’t have a clue to what they were actually like.
Matt was nice, kind enough to offer and let me stay with them. He was definitely the cutest one, but they were all equally attractive in their own way. Yes, even Jimmy had his good looks, but it was soured for me when he acted like a complete ass for reasons unknown. Matt seemed to know why he was behaving this way, but I was left in the dark feeling clueless and even at fault.
I don’t know what I did to end up on Jimmy’s bad side, to earn his hate, but whatever, I didn’t care. As long as I could leave tonight and finally get back with my band mates, I would be fine. I probably would never have to see him ever again. Though, surprisingly, that thought kind of left me feeling a little sad. I didn’t want tonight to be the last time I ever saw Matt.

Notes

Here you go guys, I apologize for taking FOREVER. Unfortunately my internet has been out for a couple of days so that held back this update even further :/ I hope this chapter makes up for it ♥