On the Road

6: Waiting

Michael hung up the phone and I took a deep breath. I fumbled with my keys for a second and tried to get my door unlocked. Once inside I set up my laptop to play the live feed of his show tonight so that I could see him perform. I began peeling carrots and slicing them into thin sticks. I was almost done with my snack when Anissa walked in. She looked tired. "Long day?" I could hear the quiet roar of the 5sos fans coming from my lap top. "Yeah lots of home work. What's for dinner?" She asked setting her bag in her room. "I don't know what do you want?" I asked dipping a carrot stick in ranch dressing. "Pizza?" She asked excitedly. I smiled and nodded. "You're ordering thought." Her smile faded and she took the phone. "Fine." She excited the room and I turned up my volume. The fans were chanting the boys names. One by one ech boy appeared on stage and added to the music that began playing around them. "ANISSA!" She came running back into the room and rushed the end of our pizza order. "Luke! Oh god he looks so good. Doesn't he look so good?" She gushed as the camera zoomed forward. I laughed. "I dunno I fancy the colorful one to the side there. He's got a nice ass." She slapped my arm and I laughed. I carried my carrots and laptop to the living room and plugged the laptop into the TV. Suddenly our boys faces were on the big screen and we could watch them from our couch. "I would like to dedicate our next song to a special lady I met this past week. Anissa this is for you." I watched Anissa swoon as Luke played the opening riff to Long Way Home. The door bell rang and I jumped up. "That'll be 12.50." A familiar voice said. I looked up and gasped. "Camden!" The pizza deliver guy looked up in surprise and a huge smile spread across his lips. "Holy shit Sherri!" I took the pizza and set it aside then pulled my old friend into a huge hug. "Wow I haven't seen you in ages." He said as we pulled apart. Camden and I had been really good friends in high school, but lost touch after graduation. "How have you been?" I asked handing him the money. "I've been really good actually. I um joined the marines. I'm working part time at the pizza parlor until I ship off next month." My heart sank a bit and a sypathetic look crossed his face. My father, when he was young, had been in the marines. During the funeral we were given a folded up flag in remembrance of his service. That same flag hung in my bedroom above my bed. "Hey I'll be okay. I'll be gone for about 5 to 6 months but, when I get back we need to hang out. Just like old times. I'd do it now but with everything going on I won't have time." I gave him a small smile. "Sure that sounds amazing. God I miss hanging out with you and Jessica out at the lake." He laughed in nostalgia. "Yeah how is she do you know?" I shook my head and shrugged. "Last I heard she got pregnant and married that kid from Utah." Our friend Jess was... a different kind of person. Always a wild one for sure. "That's too bad. I mean about how it all happened you know?" I nodded. "Well it was great to see you! I'll call you sometime okay? I gotta get back to work. It really was awesome seeing you." He gave me another huge hug before walking back to his car. "Well that took a while." Anissa said as I set down the pizza. "An old friend of mine was the pizza guy." My explanation was rewarded with a much failed eyebrow raise. "You can't do that." I pointed out and she frowned. "Whatever. What friend?" Anissa and I had met our first year in college so she hadn't known any of my friends prior to knowing me. She actually only knew one or two now even though we've been friends for a couple years. "Camden? Have I talked about him before?" I asked bringing a slice of pizza up to my lips. "I think so... blue eyes, light brown hair, and super tall right?" I laughed and nodded chewing my pizza. Suddenly my favorite song began to play and both got very quiet. It was Michael's song mostly, well him and Luke. Wrapped Around Your Finger gave me chills I loved it so much and Mikey knew it. "Throwing rocks at your window..." I inhaled trying to control my fluttering heart as Michael stared straight into the camera. It looked like his green eyes were staring right at me. I was seriously falling for this boy on the TV screen fast than I've ever fallen for anyone. The song ended and Michael pressed his fingers to his lips and sent a kiss out toward the camera and winked. The crowed roared and I swooned. "Oh shit. He is so intense dude!" Anissa playfully hit my shoulder and I laughed but my eyes never left the screen. We watched the rest of the show and the boys were amazing. It wasn't five minutes after though when my phone rang. "Hey babe." I answered and Anissa glanced at me a cheesy smile plastered across her face. "Hey beautiful did you see the show?" He sounded exhausted but happy. "Yeah we watched the live stream you were amazing all of you. Tell Calum he needs to remember his turn to sing though." I heard Michael yell to Calum. "Yeah well if you had to play bass smile and sing all at the same time you'd forget something too!" I heard him yell back. I laughed and Michael chuckled. "Baby why don't you go shower and go to bed? I can hear how sleepy you are." I said as Michael yawned into the reciver. "I'm going to shower but I wanna fall asleep to your voice tonight." I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face. "Okay. I'll talk to you in a bit." He hung up and I waited. "Luke said he's going to call me in like 20 minutes so I'm going to take a shower and turn in." I nodded to Anissa and sat down to watch some TV. About an hour later Michael still hadn't called and I was getting sleepy too. I waited about 30 more minutes before sending him a goodnight text and heading to my own room to go to sleep. I didn't blame him for falling asleep I knew how tired he was, but I was still really looking forward to talking to him. I changed into a giant tshirt and some shorts before curling up beneath my sheets. Right before I closed my eyes I got a text my heart fluttered and I grabbed my phone thinking it was a good night text from Mikey but I couldn't of been more surprised at what I read on my phone.
Mikey: hiii beb I misd yu soooiio muxh I had tok muxh to dri bk but taht oj cyx u misd yu
Beb?
R yu ignoribg me?
Beb?

I turned off my phone and shut my eyes tight. It didn't hurt that he went out drinking instead of calling me. It didnt hurt he was drunk texting me instead of sleeping. He did this. I knew he did this. It can't hurt. But it does hurt. It hurts more than it should. I roll over and take deep breaths trying to calm myself down. My door creaks open and I hear Anissa pad her way into my room. "I got a phone call." That all she says and I move over and let her into bed. "I got texts." We lay side by side in silence for a few moments. "We'll make them pay in the morning." I tell Anissa and she agrees. Finally I fall into a dreamless deep sleep.