The Swap // Denis Stoff

7

I wake up the next morning with a pounding sore head and 1 million texts from people wondering where Denis and I were. I just laugh them off and chuck my phone back on the side board. Denis is lying with his back to me, his hair all curly at the nape of his neck. I smile and touch a bit gently, wrapping it around my finger and he turns around onto his back. He doesn't say anything, he just looks at me. He brings his hand up to my face and cups my cheek, stroking it gently.

'I am so fucking hungover.'

I laugh a little and shuffle into him. 'Me too.'

He grabs his phone. 'Do you have 8 thousand missed calls from everyone too?'

'Yeah.'

'Whatever.'

I reach back over for my phone and scroll through all of the messages. One of them in particular stands out.

'There's a girls here looking for Denis claiming she's seeing him. Her name is Ashley.'

Derek. Of all people he is the one to tell me this. He's not really making himself look good at all. Denis notices me grimacing at my phone and he asks what's up, so I show him the text. He scoffs and waves the phone away. 'Lies.'

'What part?'

'I know her from Warped a few years back when I came to shows and now that I have a bit of a following she's decided she wants to come back into my life. The usual shite. Apparently I've got loads of cousins now I've never heard of or met in my life.'

I shrug it off and pull myself out of bed. 'You have a show later. Ass up.'

We get ready and go back to the bus at Warped. It felt so good to sleep in a normal bed and now we're back to bunks. Everyone greets us with loads of stupid questions as we walk in but it settles and the boys head off the rehearse for the show. Denis is so rough it's actually really funny; it wouldn't surprise me if he was sick on stage or something of that nature.

I end up just going back to his bunk and sleeping for a few hours, to be woken up by a phonecall. It's an unknown number. Weird. It sounds like no one is in the bus as they're probably playing their show by now so I pick up out of curiosity.

'Is this Amber?' A female voice asks.

'Um. Who is calling?'

'My name is Ashley and I'm Denis' girlfriend. You better stay away from him you bitch.'

I manage a laugh. Is this girl for real? 'Okay I don't know if this is a joke or not but can you never call me or get in touch with me again? My business has nothing to do with you so I'm going to go now.'

'Yeah okay, but just watch your back. I'm going to get Denis back whether you like it or not.'

I hang up the phone before she manages to say anything else. What the fuck has just happened? I go onto Facebook and to Denis' friends, searching for the name Ashley. There's a few and I click on all of them, engaging stalker mode. I end up finding one girl who has posted a few photos of her and Denis and it's safe to say that they look cosy. I keep scrolling through and they're all recent... 6 months ago... 4 months ago... the most recent one was only 3 and a half months ago. What? I scroll back and am mortified when I find a picture of them standing on top of a hill kissing. I click off of the app and chuck my phone down on the bed. Why did he lie to me? Does he have something to hide?

I don't know why, but instantly Derek pops into my mind. I quickly become angrier and angrier and text Derek, replying back to the message he sent me this morning about this Ashley girl.

Yeah I've just got a phonecall from her and she went crazy at me saying she was going to get him back. I checked her FB and she has loads of pics of them and they look pretty close. Wtf

Derek gets back to me almost instantly.

I don't trust that. Maybe you should ask him? I think Ashley is at Warped x

I feel my heart sinking. She's here? She could be out there right now watching AA and here I am lying in bed not doing anything about it. I check the time and it's 5pm. Their set started half an hour ago so they'll be well and truly into it by now. I climb out of bed, feeling instantly sober now. I throw the bus door open and march out, texting Derek asking where he was. He was at the beer tent. I go to the tent and he hands me a beer instantly.

'Calm down.' He says, putting his hand on my back. I'm fuming. 'Being angry isn't going to solve anything. Those pictures were probably from ages ago.'

'They're not! The most recent one of them kissing was less than 4 months ago! And the pictures go back back two years! Clearly this wasn't just some fling!'

'I know, Amber. But please, don't get angry. The best thing to do is just ask calmly.'

'And she's fucking here at Warped! What good is that? I'm going to need to keep looking over my shoulder now in case she sneaks up and steals my man or something!

Derek laughs, annoying the severely highly strung me.

'It's not funny!' I wail as I cross my arms. He pouts at me and takes me in a hug. I refuse to uncross my arms so i look like a dick as he tries to hug me and I just stand there.

'I know it's not, but you're funny.' He giggles. 'Listen. Please stay calm and don't go fucking shit up okay? I know what you're like. Do you wanna go see your boys play?'

I nod my head and we venture off into the crows to see AA play. By the time we get there they're 2 sings to the end. Denis looks lethargic and seriously hungover but he still fills the stage with so much energy. He performs like a true pro, and watching him makes me feel so proud and emotional. The anger goes away for a few seconds as I see the crowd worship the band, going absolutely wild.

But then I see it. At the front of the crowd. The long blonde hair and the thin frame. She has massive boobs and isn't hiding them at all.

'That's her.' I growl to Derek. 'Isn't it?' He nods and says nothing. I watch her as she bounces up and down to The Black, her eye son Denis the whole time. She keeps raising her hands as he goes over to her side of the stage and i can't rip my eyes from her. He bends down to scream literally right in front of her and she touches his hair, and then his face...

'Should they even be allowed to get that close! What the fucking hell!' I rant. I catch him looking at her and was that... a wink? Did he just wink at her! Oh my God!

He stands and stomps away and you can see her laughing and having the time of her life.

What the fuck!

The anger boils in me and I can't stay still. I storm away and Derek follows behind, trying to hand me a beer. 'Take a beer. Come one. You know it always makes you feel better.'

'Fine.' I say, grabbing it. I end up finding some seats and just plod down on one, slumping into it. Neither me or Derek say anything, he just sits next to me drinking his beer. I like it though. Eventually he stands up and kneels down in front of me.

'This is probably nothing.' He says, looking up to me. 'But I made a promise to you and I'm not breaking it. If he hurts you-'

'Derek he won't, okay! He's not going to hurt me! Stop bringing it up ok! Just get over it!'

'I stand up and storm off, leaving my beer behind. I feel Derek's eyes burning into my back so I walk quicker, weaving myself in with the crows so he doesn't see me. I end up going to a bar at the far end of the field.

'Three shots of Sambuca please.'

And just like before, I start my night as I mean to go on.

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