Being back in the close confines of the tour bus was a less than a fun transition for everyone, but being that they were all compatible personality types made it less hassle. Their driver’s name was Harold Loops, and CJ, GC’s new drummer, had taken to calling him H. Loopie, or just Loopie when she was feeling lazy. The upgrade to the tour bus was a definite treat, a bit less personal than the van, but the van had been no picnic anyway. Especially with Benji’s on-the-road hygiene. Paul and CJ were kickin’ it in the back of the bus, watching a DVD of the South Park movie as they sprawled back across the wide bed/sofa object that took up a good amount of the floor space. “You seem more than happy to be back out touring,” Paul said to CJ.
“My family’s cool,” CJ replied, “but that’s only for about a day, day and a half. After that I’m just ready to haul ass.”
“How’s your puppy?” Paul knew that the only family member that CJ really missed while on the road was her dog, Max. Her father came in at a distant second, her mother back of the line. She and her mother locked horns on a regular basis, even if it was over a cell phone in the middle of a mall. Strangely enough, though, she still had fun her mom when she was home, in between the disparaging comments of disappointment and disgust with her chosen career path and the company she chose to keep. Paul was the only one who had ever met CJ’s family and her mom had disliked him on first look. It might get if the rest of the guys showed up.
“Max is cool,” CJ replied. “My parents are taking good, good care of him. I think he wonders why it seems so long between times I come home and play with him, since he has no real concept of time.”
Paul looked over at her. “What?”
“I mean, he knows I leave for longer than my parents do when they go to work, but he doesn’t get how much longer. I figure it’s better that way, since I have to count the weeks and months till I see him next.”
He shook his head, returning his eyes to the movie. “Jesus, you and Benj. You’d think you had kids.”
“Jesus doesn’t have kids,” she laughed. “Anyway, Max is my baby, Paul. Better than any crappy kids, dude, Max can’t talk back.”
Benji stuck his head in the curtain that separated this room from the rest of the bus. “You kids decent?”
“You’re supposed to ask that before you look back here,” Paul corrected.
“I always forget that,” Benji said, hoping on the bed between Paul and CJ, leaning back on the pillows against the back wall, watching the movie. CJ just then realized that Benji always insisted on being in the middle of things, be it physically, conversationally, or emotionally. “Why is this movie so funny?” He asked.
“Cuz it’s four wholesome little white boys corrupted by popular culture despite their parents’ attempts to keep them sheltered and untainted.” CJ looked over at Paul and Benji. “Just like you guys.”
Benji laughed. “Yeah, Paul’d be Cartman.”
“Hey-” Paul started.
“And me and Joel would be Stan and Kyle. And then Billy would be Kenny.”
“Aww, poor Billy,” Benji said.
CJ rolled her eyes. “Yeah, poor Billy,” she mocked.
Paul nudged her with his left hand. “What’s your deal?”
She sighed and flipped over onto her stomach, her black shirt riding up slightly to expose a little of her lower back, the elastic of her underwear showing above the edge of her pants. She reached across Benji’s middle and put a placating hand on Paul’s stomach. “Oh, c’mon, I love Billie-Bill, you know I do. I just like my mens with a little more meat on ‘em, is all.” A slow, sly smile stretched across Paul’s face and he looked away from the screen a minute to look at her. She looked over and caught his eyes, and found herself looking away, shyness bringing her heart to her throat a moment. If her skin wasn’t such a deep hue, he would have seen her blush, and she was grateful for the concealment. What the hell was that? she asked herself. Paul was her favorite band mate, they somehow connected on some level way beyond what either of them understood, and they could sometimes finish each other’s sentences. He was an awesome friend, and they loved to just chill in each other’s company, but he wasn’t a romantic interest. That would just fuck everything up.
“I gotta pee,” Paul said and pushed himself up from the bed and slipped past the TV, out into the corridor.
There was a brief silence in his wake, as CJ and Benji had been grappling with whether or not their off-tour escapades were worth bringing up or not. “I figure we shouldn’t talk about it,” Benji said, saying the first thing that came to his mind, to break the silence. “Um, y’know, about that night.”
CJ looked down over her shoulder at him as her fingers absently found a few strings hanging from the bottom of his short pants and started playing with them. “I agree.”
“Or about that weekend when you came over again,” he continued.
“Uh huh.”
“Or about how I’m picturing you naked again right now.”
CJ smacked his leg, grinning down at him. “You’re such a bitch.”
“Maybe you should spank me.” His fingers tickled the exposed flesh of her lower back and eased under her shirt, shivering up her spine.
She stifled a laugh and shifted, propping herself up on an elbow. “Paul’ll be back soon.”
He shrugged. “Let him see.” His hand had lingered on her body as she turned, tracing over her hip and briefly encountering her bellybutton before he pulled away, with a light tug on the front of her pants. “I never do things like that.” A wicked grin flitted across his lips, disappearing too quickly. “I was in a weird state of mind.” He shook his head and looked up at the ceiling.
“What’s Joel’s excuse?” CJ asked.
He smiled, still looking at the ceiling. “He’s just a freak.” CJ nodded, but said nothing, as she could see the crease in Benji’s brow as he mulled over his next statement. When he actually thought this long about something before it came out of his mouth, it was usually something of worth. “I never thought about it, you know. Like, what it might do to our band, and I figure it’s not worth screwing up the group…” he hummed his thought before he spoke again, “but it makes for much less distraction for me at shows, since I don’t have to look for a hook-up.” He paused again. “But if it doesn’t hurt anyone and we’re all okay with it…” CJ crawled up next to him and put her chin on his shoulder.
“Benji,” she interrupted, speaking softly. “I think you’re over-analyzing. We all had fun, no uncomfortable moments between any of us. We’re all friends here. Now we’re just a big ball of friends with benefits.”
Benji turned his face towards hers. “You’re a helluva benefit.”
CJ poked his stomach. “It just better not interfere with your songwriting, you big loser. Pent up sexual tension is a great source for tormented art.”
“Am I interrupting something?” Paul asked as he reentered the room. CJ looked back at him and shook her head no. He slid onto the cushions beside CJ and resumed watching the movie. The bus pulled into the venue around noon, giving everyone plenty of time to go see the city and hang out before the show. CJ had fallen asleep on Benji, Paul against CJ, so she woke up hot and sticky from body heat, and amazingly before either of the guys did. Lazily she peeled her cheek from Benji’s chest, turned over and touched Paul’s cheek lightly enough for it to tickle. His cheek twitched, but he didn’t wake up. She chuckled and pinched his nose shut just as Billy appeared in the doorway. She made eye contact with him a moment then looked back at Paul, waiting for Paul to wake. He woke spluttering and pushing CJ’s arm away. The commotion woke Benji with a start; he sat straight up and put a hand to his chest.
“Jesus Christ,” Benji breathed.
“Don’t ever do that again,” Paul said, pointing an accusing finger at her.
“I won’t, I swear,” CJ said in a sing-songy voice that connoted that she was lying through her teeth. Paul shook his head and ran his hands through his hair, attempting to spike it up again. “Aww, don’t be mad,” she said and put an arm around him, put her chin on his shoulder and sighed. He smiled slightly as her breath tickled his skin and shrugged her head off of him.
“I’m not mad,” he assured her and stood up, grabbing her wrist and pulling her to her feet as well.
“You guys wanna go out, see what’s up in town?” Billy asked them.
“Hell fuckin’ yeah,” Benji said. “I gotta get sauced now so I won’t be trashed by show time.” He threw open the curtain and reached into his bunk for his black bandana, but CJ shook her head ‘no’. She was trying to wean him from that habit. Why, of all the awesome habits he could have picked up from his younger brother, did he choose to pick up wearing a freaking bandana. He settled for just hit trucker hat. Can’t change a man in one day.
“I don’t wanna spend my time in a dark, dank bar, dude,” Paul told Benji, stretching.
“It’s Cleveland, Paul,” Benji said back. “What the fuck else are we gonna do?”