It was a rainy night and all of the StarKids decided to go to a pub in Nashville to take their minds off the stress of the tour. It was 9’o’ clock when all the StarKids piled into a large booth next to the dance floor all with beers and shots of tequila. Joey and Brian were the first to get drunk, talking angrily and passionately about donuts not gaining enough credit for their role in society. But soon enough everyone else was up dancing except for Joe Walker who kept a very close eye on one petite brunette in the middle of all of his drunk friends singing:
“I WANNAH DANCE WITH SOMEBODY, I WANNA FEEL THE HEAT WITH SOMEBODY, YEAH I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY, WITH SOMEBODY WHO LOVES ME”
Joe smiled, he always admired how despite her small structure, alcohol never affected her that way it did to everyone else. He watched Lauren like a hawk as she skipped off to the bar to get another drink. Joe had no idea why, but for some reason he felt a need to protect her, they weren’t dating or anything like that, in fact they were best friends and have been since their early days of college. But to Walker, Lauren was way more than just a best friend, he was in love with her, but he could never tell her that, I mean how could he? What if she didn’t feel the same way? Their whole friendship would be awkward and messy. He didn’t want that, he needed her in his life, whether they are dating or just friends, he needed her.
Joe’s thoughts were interrupted when he saw a man sit next to Lauren. Joe blood boiled with anger as he clenched his fists, he wanted to go up to him and tell him to back off that she was his, but he couldn’t because she wasn’t, so he just gulped down another mouthful of beer and kept his distance.
Lauren laughed at something he said, playfully tapping his arm with her small hand and leaving it there. Joe’s concentration was once again interrupted but this time, by Brian. “Joe, Joe, Joe…. Walker, Walk, Walk-sickle, Walk, Walker mah man!” A stench of alcohol came onto Joe’s arm where Brian was trying to get his attention.
“What is it Brian?” Joe sighed.
“Can you tell…. Can you tell…Can you tell mah buddy Joey over here that I am indeed, right and that if a doughnut walked into a bar by herself, the right thing to do would be to buy her a drink-“
“No! No, no, no” Slurred a drunk Joey Richter. “Because then she would go all soggy! The right thing to do would be to buy her a Red Vine! Isn’t that right Walker! Walker? Where did her go?”
Joe wasn’t listening, instead he marched over to when Lauren was dancing with this guy pressed against her. “Alright break it up, keep it PG!” Joe ripped Lauren away from the guy pushing her behind himself.
“Whoa dude, chill I was just dancing with her.”
“Well I think that was a little inappropriate!”
“Walker.” Lauren whispered but Joe ignored her.
“Oh you think so? Well she is an adult so I think her can do what she likes!”
Lauren saw the anger build in Joe’s body.
“Wox, Walks, WALKER!” Lauren shouted. Joe turned around, that one was impossible to ignore.
“You. Me. Outside. Now!” she demanded through her teeth before grabbing his sleeve dragging him outside, she turned around “I’m sorry Simon, I’ve got something to deal with right now.” But before he could answer, Lauren and Joe had already reached outside in the cold night air. They could hear the muffled sound of the music from inside, Joe leant against the wall of the pub massaging his temples ‘Shit…’ he thought ‘shit, shit, shit! Why did you have to lose your temper in there! Now what are you going to tell her? Ugh. You really fucked this one up, Joe.’
Meanwhile Lauren’s mind was racing, not sure what to think, what to say, she agreed with herself that she wanted answers.
“What just happened? What the actual fuck just happened, Joe?” She crossed her arms keeping her distance. Joe didn’t dare look up; he knew that he was in deep shit when she called him “Joe.” Instead he looked down at the ground.
“I can’t tell you.” He mumbled.
Lauren was so fed up with this, Joe had been acting strange when she was around other boys for quite some time now, and she needed answers.
“Fine. If you can’t give me answers, then I have no reason to talk to you now.” She said bluntly heading towards the tour bus. Joe looked up, he couldn’t have her leave.
“Lo, don’t go.” He pleaded standing up straight but not daring to move from his spot.
Lauren spun around, tears in her chocolate brown eyes. “Give me one good reason not to!”
Silence.
“Right, that’s what I thought” Lauren choked. Turning on her heels and walking towards the bus, once again.
Joe took a step forward, not knowing what to say. “I love you!” he shouted. Lauren stopped dead in her tracks. Before turning once more to face him, his bright blue eyes meeting her shocked brown ones.
Joe slowly walked towards her. “I love you. I love the way your eyes sparkle when you’re happy. I love the way you get over excited about the smallest of things. I love how you’re obsessed with Unicorns and anything sparkly. I love that even in sweats you still took drop dead gorgeous. “Joe was inches away from her as he choked “I love your smile, I love your laugh. But mostly, I love that feeling in my stomach I get every time I see your shining beauty.” Lauren was speechless.
“And I know this ruins everything, and makes things awkward but I can’t help the fact that every day, I fall deeper and deeper for my best friend. For you.” Lauren stopped his speech by meeting his soft lips with her own. Lauren snaked her arms around his neck and Joe grabbed her by the waist, deepening the kiss. Without letting go of is neck, Lauren whispered into his ear, “I love you too” before resting her head into the crook of his neck and resting her hands onto his chest.
“YES! I was right! I beat you all mother-fuckers!!” Joe and Lauren broke apart to see a drunk Joey holding a beer bottle parading around the front. “Yes I knew it! I knew he loved her! Yo Dylan! You owe me 50 bucks I was right! Their fucking making out!” Joey yelled storming inside.
Lauren and Joe laughed before returning to their kiss.
