Reflections - Tay Jardine & Jenna McDougall (Wattys2015)

18 - Out Of Sight

Tay POV

"Smile, guys." Jordan says, holding my phone, about to take a picture.

I flash my teeth, and see Jenna smile in my peripheral vision. We're both wearing the shirts we made each other, shorts, and high-top Vans. Jordan hands me my phone back, so we can examine the picture.

"I like it," Jenna says. She's hugging my waist, her chin rests on my shoulder.

I open Instagram, and post the picture. I caption it twinning with my one and only @axlgram13 #jenlor. I hear her phone vibrate in her pocket.

"Ten minutes!" Mike yells as he exits the bus.

"Ten minutes until what?"

"I have no idea." I look to Jordan for an answer. He shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders. "When's sound check?"

"Two-thirty."

"It's only noon," I say. I notice Jenna focusing intently on the ground. "You okay, babe?"

"I don't know. I'm not feeling too well."

"After you play your set, you should just go back to your bus and rest." She nods.

"What're you guys going to do tonight?" She asks, her arms still wrapped around me.

"Hang out. Probably have a Mario Kart war."

"Sounds like fun."

"Oh, it will be."

After Tonight Alive's set, I walked Jenn back to her bus, and tucked her into her bunk. The guys and I decided that we were going to hang out with Sleeping With Sirens on their bus. Vic Fuentes was leaving as we arrived. I tried saying hi to him, but he ignored me.

"That's weird." I say. We come on to the bus, and settle in. Kellin passes out beers, which I decline. Drinking isn't really my thing; as for the rest of my band, it's a different story.

I sit on the couch in the front lounge, Jack is on my left and Cameron is on my right. Kellin, Jordan, Justin, and Rob sit at a table across from me. Everyone else stands.

"So, Tay," Kellin says. "We're starting to write songs for our next album. We might put a duet that needs a female part. You're my first choice."

I hold up my hand for a high-five, which he gives me. "Hell yeah, I'm in."

"Where's Jenna?" Gabe asks.

"She wasn't feeling well. I'm pretty sure she's asleep."

I hear the pop of a beer bottle being opened. Kellin has started his second beer since we've arrived.

"Tay, I have one question." Kellin says, his speech starting to slur.

"Shoot."

"Is it awkward being on tour with your girlfriend's ex-fiance?"

I furrow my eyebrows. "What?"

Justin's eyes go wide. He knows something; they all know something that I don't. "Kell, shut up."

"Jenna and Vic dated for a year."

"Kellin," Justin repeats, more serious. "Shut up."

"He proposed to her and she turned him down."

"No, that. That can't be right. Jenna's never been in a relationship that serious, she would've told me."

"Why didn't she?" Mike asks.

"I don't know. That's something you tell your girlfriend."

"Why do you think Vic's always here? All he does is cry about Jenna, and say how upset he is." Kellin continues.

I stop listening to him. "I, um, I need some air."

I get up and leave the bus. I ignore the water forcing itself from my eyes.

"Tay!" Justin calls from behind me. I stop and let him catch up to me.

"How long?" I ask.

"What?"

"How long has it been since Vic and Jenna broke up."

"Two years."

"Why didn't she tell me?" Tears violently stream down my face.

Justin pulls me into a hug, which I don't protest. "I told her that she had to tell you before it got this bad."

"When'd you tell her that?"

"The day of that party. The one where Derek kissed her."

Normally people would say "the party where Jenna kissed Derek." Justin didn't; he was on her side. But he was also on mine. He told her that she had to tell me about Vic. I get why she didn't at the very beginning, but it should have come up by now.

"What are you going to do?" Justin asks, letting me go.

"How many options do I have?"

"I don't know, but they all better start by talking to her."

He walks me to my bus. I lay in my bunk and stare at the ceiling. My mind is racing with thoughts, half of them having no relevancy to what is happening.

I take off the shirt Jenna made me, and slip on an old night-shirt. I don't even bother to take off my jeans.

Light it up, Pixies.

XoXo

~XhannahX