Runaways (A Jack Barakat Fanfic)

8- I think She's Following You

Rhianne

"What do you mean?" Joey asked down the phone. I was sat on our bus on the Xbox, hoping that things were going okay with Nate and that he'd be back on tour soon. Of course things were never going to go as planned. "Dude, you can't just leave us here. Your leg healed weeks ago and you've still not got back to us." Joey was getting frustrated, and it was easy to see. Nate had been away for nearly seven weeks, and was able to come back on tour by now. The problem was that he was making excuse after excuse each time the guys called.

"What do you think's happened this time?" I asked Marty. He shrugged, his long blonde hair touching his shoulders. 

"I don't know, but I can't see you being out of this too soon. Joey's getting seriously pissed off at him." He admitted. In the few weeks that Nate had been away, the band had managed to write several new songs for their debut album, and I had been filling in for him in all of that time. The guys had become stressed about his absence, and so I had been trying my best to be the best replacement possible. 

"Guys," Joey said, rubbing his eyes as he came off the phone. We put down our controllers and looked up at him. "Nate's quit. He's refusing to come back because Rhianne has done more for us than he ever did." He told us. I could see the hurt on their faces, and I felt bad for them all. They were best friends, and I had come between them and caused all of this. 

"Before you say anything, it isn't your fault." Marty told me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me in for a sidewards hug. "He was always kind of an ass."

"That doesn't mean that it wasn't my fault." I told him, pulling away. "He left because he broke his leg and you replaced him with me. If I had just been a terrible guitarist and not have played anything you wanted me to, maybe-"

"We would never have got to where we are." Charlie finished. "You helped us make it, Rhi. He didn't."

"But-" 

"Look, we're kind of glad that Nate's left the band. Yeah, he might have been our best friend and helped us start all of this, but he didn't want to do it any longer. When he jumped from that stage, he knew that it was his way out." Joey told me. "Will you stay in the band?" 

I felt my stomach skip. It was everything I had always wanted, but I had other plans. I was the All Time Low guitar technician and my band were leaving their tour in a few days. I had found myself in an awkward situation where I could either leave the band I was here for, or the band I had been a replacement in. 

"I-" I paused. Charlie looked at me with sorry eyes. "I don't know..."

"We understand, Rhi. You have other things that are more important and-"

"I don't want to abandon you. You're leaving the tour soon and I don't know what to do." I admitted. Marty looked down at his feet and I looked up at Joey sadly. "This job is all I have, and if I don't get the money, I can't go home to see my mum."

"We know, Rhi..." Marty reassured. "That's why we're finishing the tour with the guys. We'll get more from touring and you can still work for them as well." I smiled and hugged him. 

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked. Joey shrugged. 

"We wanted to see where your loyalties lie," He joked. "It was a surprise, idiot." 

"You guys are mean." I told them, faking a frown.

"There's that and we didn't want to see you leave Jack-"

"What about Jack?" Alex's voice made me freeze. Of course, the guys knew, but I didn't want Alex or Rian finding out what had happened. Zack, I knew I could trust, but Rian would fire me and Alex would dislike me even more than he already did.