How to avoid falling for a Trohman for dummies

5

Joe

I felt like a dick for being so cruel to Terry and the feeling stuck with me throughout the show. She had shown real concern; the kind I'd only been getting from my band mates lately and I had blown up at her.

Everyone was off to some after party I decided to give a miss, Marcus was going with them so I was assuming it was just going to be Terry and I on the tour bus until their 2am curfew kicked in.

My assumption was proven correct when I headed to the smoking room and found her there in a pair of shorts, a long baggy shirt and a pair of bedroom slippers, with earbuds plugged in. She looked so beautiful I almost felt criminal coming in and disrupting the sight. She noticed me however, and made to leave.

"Terry, please don't go."

"What do you care if I stay or go?"

In all honesty, I deserved that. She wasn't a bad person at all; she just wanted to see the best out of people who she knew were capable of great things. I owed her a ball busting apology. "Terry, I was a dick to you earlier. I haven't had a lot of people show genuine concern about me lately and I guess I didn't know how to respond to it. That's no excuse in any event. I really am sorry, and I hope you and I can have a beer, you forgive me and I'll take you up on that offer of the pain medication."

She lifted up two Pepsi's. "How about no beer, a Pepsi and I give you your pain meds and book a check up for you on our next stop. For my peace of mind."

She seemed like she cared. Really cared. Not because it was just her job. "Why Terry?"

Her face went red. "Because I need to make sure you're okay to tour and if not, I need to come up with a plan B."

I was wrong. I was just a paycheck it seemed. Yet, for some reason, I didn't buy it. I countered her compromise with one of my own to see if I was correct. "Only of you come with me."

She exhaled loudly, "Joe, that's pretty personal."

"I want you and I to be personal."

If I could have said anything wrong, it was that. "No. I work for you and if it's a professional matter I'm there in a heartbeat but I'm not going to get attached."

"Why? What happened to you that made you hate men so much?"

"I don't hate men Joe. I'm on tour with a bunch of guys and Pete Wentz is one of my closest friends. It's the idea of romance and guys saying they're different that's utter bullshit to me."

"You're talking to a man who's wife left him when he could barely sit up and feed himself. Who hurt you so badly?"

"Just drop it Joe. I'll leave your pain meds on the kitchen counter."

She killed her smoke and walked out. For a moment, I forgot about the intense conversation we had just had as I was entranced by her hips sashaying down the corridor then my mind jolted back to it. I felt mad that someone would hurt a person as seemingly innocent and pure as Terry and my temper flared. I wanted to be the one to make her see things differently but I knew I needed to change first.

Terry

When we spoke, every word he said sounded like a bell chiming. He had me enraptured. There was no way I could avoid falling for his charm. So I kept reminding myself of the last man who's charm I had fallen for and who had cheated on me so many times, breaking me little bit by bit until I was just a shell. I didn't want to get hurt again.

But when you speak of the devil, he'll stand on your toes. My phone rang, the caller ID saying "Purdy."

"What do you want Ashley?"

"I miss you TerTer. I heard you're touring with Fall Out Boy. Do you like any of them?"

"That's none of your business Ashely. Don't you have some random one night stand to get back to?"

"Babe, how long are you going to hold on to that?"

"Well, you cheated on me a lot so probably forever."

"Babe, come back to me. I love you. For God sakes, we were engaged."

"We were. You took that as a license to cheat. Please don't call me again Purdy."

I hung up and started taking Joe's medication out the first aid bag when I got the fright of my life. "That's where I'd heard your name before. You're Ashely Purdy's ex-fiancee that he told Alternative Press her regretted cheating on the way he did."

I sighed and handed Joe his meds, "congratulations. Now you know my sad story. Goodnight Joe."

I sincerely prayed that night that Joe would leave my damaged baggage alone and not try to be "the guy who'd fix me."

I didn't need fixing. It was pretty evident I was beyond economical repair.