Warped Tour (A Shannon Leto Story)

Altercations

I grabbed a few paper towels and dried off my cheeks, checking the mirror one more time to make sure I didn't look a wreck, I turned around and left. What I wasn't expecting was to actually run into someone when I stepped out.

     "What are you doing?" A harsh whisper had my eyes traveling from the chest I ran into to clear blue eyes, Andy's blue.

     "I think that should be my question," I stated, moving to step around the lean frontman. "Why are you skulking around the girls' bathroom?"

     "Don't play stupid with me Syd," he shifted to the side, effectively boxing me in a corner.

     "I'm not fucking stupid Andy," I bit out, "I just have no idea what the fuck you're talking about."

     "What are you doing with him?" The venom in his voice had me halting any attempt to move.

     "Excuse you?" I blinked up at him. "When does what I do matter to you?" What was even going on? He acted like we were together, like he had a say in what I did. Didn't he have Juliet? Wasn't she who he needed to worry about? "Actually, you know what, don't answer that."

     "Don't be like that Sydney," his voice turned pleading, "you know how I feel about you."

     "Really? I know how you feel about me? Cause last I checked you were still married and failed to tell me." I rolled my eyes at the absurdity of this conversation before pushing past him.

     "Wait," I felt his hand wrap around my wrist harshly, jolting me to a stop, "it was never suppose to be like this."

     "Like what?" I glanced up at him, "were you just supposed to have your cake and eat it too? Did you think things were just going to go your way? Life doesn't work that way Andy." I tried pulling my wrist from his grasp, only to feel it tighten more. "Let. Me. Go."

     "Syd, please just listen to me," Andy's deep voice made my teeth grind together.

     "I said let go Andy, there's nothing you have to say that I want to listen to." I yanked again, but still couldn't get my wrist free.

     "I think she said let go." Shannon's dark voice had my eyes snapping to one of the brick arches. "I suggest you let her go," his muscles were tense, almost as if he was ready for a fight.

The weight on my wrist finally subsided and I stepped away from Andy, moving closer to Shannon, who's hand was outstretched for me to take. I laced my fingers with his, letting him pull me away from Andy and away from the hellish situation that had just unfolded. Not a word was said between the two of us until after we had stopped by the bar to pick up our drinks and were sitting back on the couch. I set my glass carefully on the table in front of me before pulling my knees towards my chest and laying my forehead against them.

     "Want to tell me what that was all about?" Shannon asked slowly, carefully, his voice still holding barely contained rage.

I moved my head slightly, eyes peaking out from under my arms, "I'm an idiot," I croaked out.

     "I seriously doubt that, but really, what happened?" I felt him shift beside me as he settled back into the couch cushion.

     "I got involved with a married man before I knew he was a married man," my voice was muffled as I buried my head back in my arms.

     "That doesn't make you an idiot, that makes him an asshole." Shannon growled out. "Do you love him?"

My head snapped up to look at Shannon, "Do I what?"

     "Love him? It's a pretty straight forward question." His words were nonchalant, but the tone in which he said them were anything but.

     "No, no I don't." I realized then as I said them out loud that it was true, I didn't love him. "I had a massive case of lust for him, but honestly what was left of that evaporated just now with how he treated me." I tried smiling when he glanced over at me, "Thank you by the way."

He nodded his head with a small smile, acknowledging my thanks before clearing his throat, "what did he want?" His tone had changed slightly, less angry and aggressive, more curious.

I dropped my legs to cross them indian style as I shifted to face Shannon. "He wanted to know what I was doing with you, more like demanded. It was like he thought he owned me, that what I did, needed to be ran by him first."

     "Come here," I hadn't noticed that I was shaking until Shannon's hand slid to cup the back of my neck, pulling me into his side to hold me, "you don't owe him anything."

His voice felt and sounded like thunder in my ear as it pressed against his chest. I probably could have stayed like this for the rest of the night, but sadly the elevated realms were not on my side. Huffing, I shifted to pull my buzzing phone out of my pocket.

     "We're being summoned," I said after reading a text from Ace, it was odd that it was coming from her and not Charlie.

Glancing up, I noticed Ace's eyes peeking over the top of the couch before her head ducked back down disappearing from my view. What the hell was that? It's official I have the oddest friends. I pulled myself away from Shannon to stand up, grabbing my drink I turned to see him still on the couch.

     "Are you coming?" I asked, extending my hand to help pull him up.

Drink in hand and Shannon trailing behind me, I walked over to our group of friends and family. Vic and Danielle had taken up a spot beside Brook and Pete beside Vic was Kellin and his wife, Katelynne. She looked at me when I walked up, a strained smile painted on her burgundy lips. I had gotten lucky that Dani understood that there was nothing going on with me and Vic, he was that brother I always wanted and it would never go further than that. Katelynne on the other hand hated me, I wasn't even that close with Kellin, but that didn't stop her from not liking me.

I set my glass down on the small table behind the couch before sitting on the edge behind Ace and tumbled over to land on my drummer, only to come face to face with Jared too. "OH GOD HELP ME!!! I'M TOO CLOSE TO YOU!" I yelled, scrambling around, but failing to do anything other than shuffle my legs.

Shannon's deep chuckle sounded from behind the couch before I felt his strong arms wrapping around my waist, pulling me back over, and setting me back down on my feet. I watched as Ace and Jared sat up, laughing at my obvious distress.

     "Next time you'll look before you just sling yourself over." Ace wheezed out.

I shook my head joining their laughter, "nope probably not, but I don't ever need to be that close to Jared's face again."

     "Hey," Jared's affronted tone made me laugh more, "my face isn't that bad to be close to."

I shrugged before grabbing my drink from the table and flinging myself into the seat next to Ace, to watch the rest of our group converse. I looked over when I felt Shannon move to lean against the arm of the couch to my right.

     "Charlie!" I yelled across the way, grabbing my guitarist's attention, "where's your phone? You don't usually miss the opportunity to harass me about socializing."

Her grin made me smile as she pointed up at one of the speakers, "why do you think the music hasn't sucked?"

Before I had the chance to answer Hozier's Jackie and Wilson started flowing through the many speakers located around the patio. Ace rolled her eyes at mine and Charlie's excitement before laughing at us. I scrambled to stand up before leaning over to pry Charlie away from Trevor.

     "Where are you taking Charlie?" Brook asked curiously.

"To dance, this is our song!" I responded as I moved past Shannon to the little spot behind the couch.

After singing and dancing to the first verse and chorus to the song, Brook and Ace finally joined us, spinning and jumping around in excitement. Jackie and Wilson soon ended followed by the opening chords of Charlie Puth's We Don't Talk Anymore, which had Brook backing away, head shaking violently.

     "Nope, nope, not happening." She said, still backing away to join Pete in her spot.

     "AWW come on Brook," Charlie laughed out.

     "We don't talk anymore!" I sang loudly, pointing at my little sister.

     "THIS IS WHY WE DON'T!" She yelled back, dropping down in between Dani and Pete.

     "Party pooper!" Ace giggled out.