Part 16
“What are you doing tonight?” JC asked Alex as he plopped down beside her.
“Well there’s this thing I have. You might have heard of it. The Pop Odyssey concert.”
“Cute. What are you doing after the show?”
“Uh, I have a big evening of doing absolutely nothing, that will swiftly be followed by sleep.” Alex grinned at him before turning back to look out the window of the guys’ tour bus.
They’d been on the road for a month now and Alex had gotten used to being on their bus more than her own. The guys didn’t have much room as it was being five on one bus but they didn’t seem to mind the extra body.
Alex was surprised at her growing comfort with the guys. She’d even gotten used to sleeping around them. And even though the guys had a penchant for practical jokes when another was sleeping, they were good about leaving Alex out of it.
“Good, you don’t have any plans. You’re coming out with me tonight.”
Alex made a face, trying to hide the excitement she felt at the idea of going out with JC alone. “And where are we going?”
“To the movies, kiddo. They have this cool old school theater near our hotel. They have shows all hours of the night and show film festival type stuff and old movies.”
“Sounds fun.” And it did. Alex hadn’t been to a movie theater in years.
The bus turned into the back lot of their hotel and JC got up quickly. By all his fidgeting Alex could see that he was eager to get off the bus and as soon as the bus stopped, he made straight for the doors.
He stopped at the doors and turned back to Alex with an expression on his face that suddenly made her wary. “So, movies tonight a definite?”
Alex nodded. “Yeah.”
“Cool. We’ll change after the concert and we’ll meet you at your hotel room.” He was already inching towards the door.
“Wait. Who’s we?” Alex asked, suddenly feeling stupid that she’d thought it was just going to be the two of them. Like it would be some kind of…Alex stopped herself. What had she thought? That it would be some kind of date?
“Me, Vella and…Andrea.”
Andrea?
And it was then that Alex realized that it was some kind of date. Just not with the person she'd wanted.
“Now wait a minute…JC!” Alex tried to call out to him but he was already out the door and sprinting to one of the bodyguards who led him straight inside.
She frowned. She sure as hell wasn’t going on a date with Andrea and there was nothing JC could say to make her change her mind.
…
Alex’s face was grim as she walked into the movie theater with Vella, JC and Andrea. She still wasn't sure how she’d been talked into going to the stupid thing. She knew she had hunted JC down as soon the sound check was over, ready to tell him that she couldn’t go that night, but then he had turned to her and smiled. And all she knew was by the end of the conversation she was agreeing to go the movies again.
She glanced at JC who was smiling down at Vella. He looked happy and Alex knew she couldn’t stay in a bad mood when he was in such high spirits.
The theater had only one screen room but it was incredibly big, probably the size of an auditorium. Alex had never seen anything like it. The screen was large and the seats were a vivid red. It even had balcony seating. It was crowded for a ten o’clock show and Alex was worried that someone would recognize JC but when no one called out to him when they made their way to some empty seats in a middle row, she relaxed a little.
“Alex, can you get me some candy?” Andrea asked as she got comfortable in her seat.
Alex sighed. “What do you want?”
“Umm, a box of those Hot Tamale thingies.”
“Yeah, sure.” Alex got up to leave and wondered how much she would have to put up with on this, God she hated to say the word, date with Andrea.
By the time Alex got back with the candy, the theater had filled up considerably and JC was sitting in the seat beside her empty one.
She gave the candy to Andrea, who smiled sweetly up at her. If Andrea didn’t stop making eyes at her, she was going to throw up. It was starting to get really nauseating.
As she sat down, she turned to JC. “How come you guys traded seats?” she asked motioning her hand towards Vella who was now on the other side of JC.
JC grimaced and said softly. “Vella was complaining about the guy sitting in front of us being too tall for her to see. So I gave her my seat.”
Alex nodded, not minding at all that she was sitting right next to JC.
He accidentally brushed his arm against hers as he shrugged out of his hoodie. Nope, she didn’t mind at all.
The theater started to get dark and Alex suddenly realized that she had no idea what movie they were about to see. JC had bought the tickets, even when she had argued with him to let her pay for her and Andrea, and hadn’t gotten a chance to ask.
She turned her head to JC. “Ok, I’m an idiot. What movie are we seeing?”
JC laughed. “The Exorcist.”
Alex looked at him blankly. “Doesn’t sound very heart warming.”
“Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of it,” JC said incredulously.
“All right, I won’t.”
“Dude. It’s one of the biggest horror movies of all time.”
”Horror?” She hated horror movies. All that blood and gore.
“Well it’s more creepy than anything else. You’ll see.”
Alex didn’t like the sound of that at all.
As the movie played, Alex got increasingly nervous. The score was eerie, the mood was dark, and by the time the daughter in the movie, Regan, was grasping a crucifix with her bloody hand Alex sat frozen in shock and horror.
“Alex?” Alex jumped as a voice whispered in her ear.
She turned to JC.
“Could you let go of my arm, man? I need that.”
Alex looked down and saw that not only was she very close to JC but that she was also clutching his arm with her left hand.
“Oh, man. Sorry JC.”
JC laughed. “No problem. I’m kind of enjoying how terrified you are.”
“Ha ha. Laugh it up. But this is some scary shit.”
JC laughed again and turned back to the screen.
Now that JC had taken her attention away from the movie, she suddenly realized just how close they were. In the darkness of the theater, she was suddenly aware of the clean, fresh scent of his cologne. And now that she didn’t have the feel of his arm under her hand, she realized how empty she felt and how much she wanted to touch him again.
She turned her head slightly towards him and her eyes grazed over his face. He was so cute. He must have felt her eyes on his face because he turned his head and met her eyes. And the look he gave her was…intense. However, just as quickly he seemed to recollect himself. He blinked, gave her a quick smile and turned again to the screen while inching closer towards Vella.
If Alex didn’t know better, she’d swear that she’d just made JC nervous. But why would JC be nervous of her? JC had no reason to be, did he?
…
JC was confused. Confused in that, I’m-not-sure-whether-I’m-standing-upside-down-or-right-side-up-kind-of-way. In that, I’m attracted to my male, nineteen year old friend and I’m hetero, kind of way.
From the first time JC had met Alex he’d felt something for him. At first, it was curiosity, a mild interest, which turned into an overwhelming protectiveness and then with time, there was comfort, friendship and caring. But now, there was something else. A tingling at the pit of his stomach whenever Alex was near. JC could have lied to himself and pretended that he didn’t know what that feeling meant but he did. And it scared the shit out of him.
He’d thought he’d handled it. He’d been in Alex’s company for weeks now and had managed to suppress whatever feelings he had for him down so much that he’d even managed to talk himself into believing he didn’t have any feelings for his friend. He realized that wasn’t the case at all. Not sitting in that dark theater with Alex beside him, smiling at him…touching him.
JC didn’t get it. He’d never been attracted to another guy before. The feelings were unneeded, unwanted and he wished they would stop. That’s why he’d taken matters into his own hands and tried to set Alex up with Andrea but it hadn’t worked. Alex wasn’t interested in Andrea at all and JC didn’t know if that made him upset that it hadn’t worked or happy for the same reason.
They were in a cab on their way back to their hotel and JC realized that he was still right back where he started. Attracted to Alex.
…
“Alex, could you walk me to my door?” Andrea asked, as they all stood in the hotel’s elevator.
Alex glanced at JC, who avoided her eyes, before turning back to Andrea. “Yeah, sure.”
The elevator door opened on Andrea’s floor and Andrea waved at JC and Vella before she got off. Alex got off and looked behind her to say goodnight to JC but he pressed the elevator button and the door closed before she could say anything.
Alex didn’t know what his problem was. He’d been acting weird all the way back to the hotel.
“Thanks for walking me,” Andrea said, as they walked up to her door.
“It’s no problem.” Alex shrugged.
Andrea got out her key card and had it poised to open the door, when she turned her head to Alex and asked, “Would you like to come in?”
Alex blinked. “No, that’s all right. I think I’m going to call it a night.”
Andrea turned away from the door and leaned against it. “Are you sure you want to go sleep in your bed alone, when you could be here…with me?”
Alex took a step back. “Andrea, I’m not interested ok.”
Suddenly Andrea launched herself at Alex, her face inching closer to Alex for a kiss. Alex grasped her arms and pushed her away. “Stop it!” she said in frustration.
Andrea sighed and turned back to the door. “Why don’t you like me, Alex? What’s wrong with me?” she asked quietly, as she pushed the door open.
Alex grimaced. How had she gotten herself into this situation? “Andrea, there’s nothing wrong with you.”
“Yeah right.”
“No really. I would be, uh, totally interested in you…if I wasn’t, uh...” Andrea faced her, hand still on the doorknob, as Alex tried to form the words. “The truth, Andrea, is I’m kind of interested in someone else.”
Andrea’s mouth formed a neat circle as she whispered, “Oh.”
“Yeah.”
“But if you weren’t interested in someone else…?” Andrea looked at Alex questioningly.
“Maybe it’d be different.” And by maybe, Alex meant it wouldn’t be any different.
Andrea nodded. “Well, can we at least be friends.”
“I’d like that, yeah.”
Andrea smiled and walked into her hotel room. “Goodnight, Alex.”
Alex smiled back. “See ya, Andrea.”
Alex turned away and heard the soft click of Andrea’s door closing behind her. Things were finally looking up. Maybe she’d even get through the tour without having her head examined or her heart broken. Yeah, maybe.