once the show had finished and the crowds start to leave the building, a member of cari's security escorts us backstage again so we can go and see her again. alex and I walk through the corridors still singing wasted youth, reggie laughing at us both. we enter the room and cari smiles instantly, "how was that?" cari says happily, pulling us both into a hug.
"cari that was amazing" alex says to her best friend watching her as she pours us some shots. we cheers the glasses again and then drink them in sync. "cari we have an hour and then we are leaving in the tour bus" her tour manager says, she turns to look at him and nods. she turns to me, her face looking sad. she wraps her arms around me and holds me tight, she kisses the side of my head and buries her head in my neck. "lets not be sad you two let's drink some tequila sing some songs and have fun until you leave" alex says, rubbing both of our backs.
we pull out of the hug and look at her. "lets do it" cari says, grabbing the bottle of tequila and drinking out of it. alex connects her phone to a speaker shuffling fletcher songs on Spotify, bitter coming on first. all of us singing into the tequila bottle like its a microphone and dancing around like idiots.
"hear about your new life and the brand new you, its like heard you got a new job but I heard you moved, its like I don't wanna hear it don't wanna hear about you, its like I don't give a fuck" we all sing
we point the tequila bottle at cari as she sings, "yeah I do"
eventually reggie also joins in along with cari's band mates, sharing the bottle of tequila around as we all dance. cari puts her hands on the back of my neck, singing to me. I take a sip from the bottle and hand it to someone else, putting my now free hands on her waist. I get distracted watching cari's team take her stuff out of the room outside, but I quickly snap out of it once her lips press onto mine.
alex joins us worming her way in between me and cari and getting reggie to join our little circle. cari laughs at her best friend as we all stand in a huddle dancing together. "hey I'm not gonna see you month either I need to be included in this" she says, making reggie laugh. cari looks at me, biting her bottom lip. "I'm gonna miss you guys, it feels so weird going on tour this time" she says to us, her eyes looking like they are tearing up a little bit. "I'm so proud of you tho cari, I remember watching you sat in the living room singing that Julia Michaels song on repeat, whats it called that song?" Alex questions.
"issues" cari tells her, laughing at her.
"yeah thats the one, you used to sit there singing it to friends all the time and on instagram lives and now look at you, look how far you've come, go out there on your tour, smash your shows, have fun you'll enjoy it" her best friend adds.
I watch their interaction in awe, seeing how much they've been through together, it must be crazy for alex to see how much she's achieved in the time she's known her. "okay stop it now your going to make me cry" cari says, trying to stop the tears from falling. she looks at me as one falls down her face.
"don't cry" I say smiling.
"i'll give you two a minute now I've said what I wanted to say" alex says, dragging reggie away with her.
cari pulls me to the sofa and pulls me onto her lap like she did earlier on. I wipe the few tears off her face and tuck a piece of her hair behind her ear. her hands find themselves on the side of my neck as she pulls my face closer and rests her forehead on mine. "can you not come with me?" she asks with a small smile. "no, I have to work" I tell her. she sighs and brings me closer until our lips meet, them moving in sync together. she subtly slips her tongue into my mouth and brings one of her hands to my waist, squeezing it lightly. her other hand now gently gripping my neck.
"cari, I'm sorry but we have to get going now" the tour manager tells us, interrupting us. she pulls away from me and looks at him. "okay" she says reluctantly. she sighs and looks around the room, "come on lets go outside" she says helping me get up off her lap. she holds onto my hand and alex holds her other one as we walk out of the venue.
cari's band mates say goodbye and climb onto the tour bus as well as her team. she goes over to reggie first giving him a quick hug, "look after her you, I know you always do anyway" she says to him and he smiles. "always, enjoy tour cari" he says, giving her a nod, he then steps back and moves out of the way. she then looks at alex and starts smiling, "see you in a month bestie, don't do anything I wouldn't" she says with a little laugh, hugging alex tightly. "you better FaceTime me everyday or ill shout at you" she says making cari laugh and nod.
alex goes over to reggie, cuddling into him whilst they now wait for me. "okay I best be on my way" she says jokingly pretending to walk onto her bus without saying bye to me. "rude" I say to her and she laughs. she comes over to me and wraps her arms tightly around my neck, her hugs feeling as safe and as reassuring as always. she moves her head from my neck and kisses me, still keeping her arms around me. "ill see you soon okay" she says, kissing me again before I have chance to speak.
"I'll see you in a month, have a good time cari" I say to her and she smiles, kissing me one more time before she slowly starts backing up reaching the stairs of her bus. she begins to start going up the stairs but changes her mind and turns around again. "one more for good luck" she says, pulling me towards her by the waist band of my pants and kissing me once again.
"bye beautiful" she says, heading up the stairs of the tour bus giving us one last wave before the door shuts.
see you in a month cari.
YOU ARE READING
better version ; fletcher
Teen Fiction"i want someone who's never going to leave me, that can have the better version of me"
