Who Knows When (Joger/Dealor)

Chapter 45

It was settled—John was to join Humpy Bong for their short, week-long tour and I was to tag along. I couldn't tell from John's vague description of the conversation how Tim felt about me coming, but I was nervous. We hadn't talked since the night of the concert, and things weren't left on a particularly good note that night.

Nevertheless, the day had come for John and me to leave with the band I'd despised since the moment they stole Tim, giving him the empty promise that they were "going places." I had doubts that they'd kept their word, because I hadn't heard about any releases or radio singles from them. There had been no shows either, up until this point that is. I wondered how many people would be in their audiences, and how many of those people actually gave a damn about them. It was rough trying to make a name for yourself in the music business, and in my opinion, a name like Humpy Bong wasn't very memorable...other than for its sheer absurdity.

Bags had been packed, and Freddie and Brian were sending us off like they were our parents and we were their children, off to attend university. The guitarist wore a wide grin on his face, and even though Freddie was still upset with me for the whole vest situation, a small smile could be found on his face too.

"Are you sure you've got everything?" Brian inquired concernedly, "I know it's only a week, but—"

"I think we're good, Bri," John assured him, nodding his head for extra measure, "Thanks, though."

"You guys ready to hit the road?" Tim interjected, emerging from the van he and his other band members were crammed into. Even with the extra space they had—their instruments and equipment contained in a trailer they'd borrowed and attached to the back of their vehicle—it still seemed like there wasn't going to be enough room for John and me.

"Almost. We're just saying our goodbyes," the bassist answered him, "We'll be in in just a second." The two bassists shared a small grin before Tim returned to the van, making my eyes roll. Brian took note of this—as he always did—and raised his eyebrows at me as if to say, Stop it, Rog. You have to be nice. I wanted to tell him that I didn't have to be anything, but he was right.

This week, I needed to make the most of my time with John, and the only way that was going to happen was if I didn't cause any trouble. I intended to spend as much time with him as possible, doing as much as I could to make him decide to stay with Brian, Freddie, and me—especially me. I couldn't lose him like I'd lost the others; I just couldn't.

"Come back soon," Freddie blurted out, an annoyed undertone to his phrase as he tried to keep his stubborn act up, "We still have that album to finish, you know."

"Well I'm sure you and Brian will get that all squared away while we're gone, won't you, darling?" I retorted in a snarky manner, crossing my arms and flashing him a tight-lipped grin.

"Go," Brian suggested as sternly as he could manage, seeing the impending fallout well before it happened and pointing his finger at the van.

I stuck my tongue out at him while John waved them farewell, intertwining his fingers with mine and taking me with him as he walked over to the opened van that had been waiting for us. I took one last look at the singer and guitarist and gave them a small wave too, mouthing the words Thank you to the latter before I was tugged inside the vehicle with John, the door sliding shut behind us.

"Let's get this show on the road!" Tim exclaimed, revving the engine as if the van were a racecar and his other bandmates cheering loudly in response. I couldn't help the repulsed expression that appeared on my face as we sped off, heading towards the first stop on the trip that was practically on the other side of the country. John—whose body was involuntarily pressed against mine—quickly noticed and grabbed my hand for the second time that day, giving it a slight, reassuring squeeze.

"Aren't you excited?" he asked, his voice much quieter than those around him who had branched off in their own conversations but still loud enough for me to hear. After all, he was right beside me.

I glanced around at our company and tried my best to stay positive, but I had a feeling it wasn't going to be easy. I couldn't simply ignore the fact that these people were the ones to rip Tim away from me, to create a riff in our friendship that seemed forever unamendable. I knew Brian wanted me to try to move past that—at least, that's what his public reason for encouraging me to go was—but it just seemed impossible. Because not only had they taken Tim, but they were trying to take John too, and if that were to happen, I'd never be able to forgive them.

Ever.

This trip wasn't about them, though. It was about John and me, and so for that reason—and that reason alone—I was excited, and that's what I told him. The bassist smiled and squeezed my hand even tighter, turning his head to the side to look at the passing scenery.