Simple As This - A Jake Bugg Fanfiction

Chapter Fifty-Two - Old Friends

I'm awoken from the best dream I've had in a while by the vibrate of my phone. Jake's groan tells me that it's awoken him too. I mouth a silent apology at him and answer it, laughing at the time and how late we are to get out of bed. It's almost noon.
"Hey," I smile at the caller ID, and a voice that I haven't heard for a while seems equally as happy at the end of the phone.
"Hi." Phoebes voice is comforting. I've missed her so much, working at The Coffee House was definitely the best place I've ever worked. "Guess what?"
"What?" I sigh, happily. Everything is so great.
"I'm coming to the show tonight!"
I nearly drop my phone in excitement. I'm going to see Phoebe again. "What? Really?" I have to stop myself from screaming, god knows if the rest of the band are awake yet.
"Yeah!" Phoebe half-shouts, half-laughs, and I can't wipe the smile from my face. "I booked them when they first went on sale, and I wasn't going to tell you but I was scared I wouldn't be able to meet you, and-"
"Of course you will, Phoebe. I've missed you so much," I smile at both the phone call and at Jake's reluctancy to move from the bed, as, everytime i glance over my shoulder, I watch him groan and pull his best 'please, can we just stay here' face.
"I've missed you too." I find myself tearing up a little at the thought of seeing her again. I haven't seen Phoebe since my last day at The Coffee House, and, even though I've been living with Jake, I haven't had many people to talk to since.
"Phoebes coming tonight!" I near enough shout, making Jake smile through his grumpy morning face.
"That's great." He chuckles. "Now can I go back to sleep?"
"Jake," I check my phone. It's five past twelve. "It's the afternoon. Come on." I find his warm hand through the sheets and try my best to drag him from the bed.
I place my hands on my hips then. "Looks like I'll have to get Jack and Tom to throw water on you then." I smirk, looking down at my nails when Jake shoots me a questioning look. He's told me this story plenty of times before; Jake was refusing to get up one morning, so his band and the rest of the team decided to throw ice-cold water over him to wake him up.
"I could've been ill." He always says at the end of the story. And I always laugh.
The doors open to the venue six and a half hours later, and, as always, I'm stood as the side of the stage, watching intently as Jake tunes what seems like an endless variety of guitars.
"Would you mind if I went to find Phoebe?" I smile at him even though I'm in the doorway already, sliding my phone from the back of my jeans.
A smile emerges in his face as soon as he looks up at me. "Not at all. Bring her here if you want."
I unlock my phone and text her straight away. 'Are you here yet? You can come backstage if you want x'
'Are you sure? I've been here for the last two hours 💕'
'You should've texted! I'll come and find you now x'
'Didn't want to be a nuisance 💕'
In these past few days, I've managed to memorise a lot of times - times that doors open, times that opening acts start, times that gigs finish - which is why I know that Phoebe will be near the doors now.
I flash my ID card to a smiling security guard and make my way out of the building, scanning the crowds of people for Phoebe. Eventually I find her, looking uncomfortable and crushed against a barrier by a group of insanely loud young girls.
"Phoebe!" I run to the side of the barrier and she smiles when she sees me. A few people turn around, but no one recognises me (I think, there's no screaming, anyway).
"Hi!" It feels like an eternity since I've seen her last, and the sight of her now, in front of me, makes me happy in a way that I can't even begin to describe. Not wanting to make a fuss, I awkwardly usher one of the security guards over to let Phoebe through, to which an endless amount of ID-checking, messages being sent to Jake, and denial follows.
"That was way too difficult than it needed to be." A laugh leaves my mouth as we walk down to the corridor to Jake's dressing room. "Anyway, how have you been?"
She looks so excited as we walk through what seems like miles of corridors to find Jake. I don't remember it taking so long last time. "Good, thanks." She shrugs, smiling. "The shop is still as busy as usual."
"That's good to hear, I suppose. I need to come back one day, those hot chocolates were the best I've ever had."
"Yeah, that'd be nice. We should arrange something."
Somehow we reach Jake's room and he lets us inside.
Ten minutes until he's on stage. The support act are finishing up, and talking about Jake and how far he's come in the past few years. It makes me so proud to see the smile on his face when he hears them praising him for starting out on the Introducing Stage at Glastonbury and getting all the way to a worldwide tour.
Five minutes. Everyone keeps walking in and out of the place - Jake's band, tour managers, technicians, everyone. Checking all the guitars, drums, and microphones several times - which seemed crazy at first, but they don't want anything to go wrong on stage.
Three minutes. The steady cheering of the crowd and the thumping of the speakers starts to echo through the whole of the backstage area. Phoebe whispers excitedly. Jake fixes his hair and has a pep talk with Jack and Tom.
Two minutes. This is where I start to get nervous; I always find myself thinking 'hey, maybe I won't be nervous tonight' but it hits me at the last minute. My hands shake, my heart races and my thoughts blur. I can only imagine how Jake feels right now.
One minute.
"Ready?" Jake has to shout to be heard above the crowd as he brings us to the side of the stage.
He looks at me. "Ready as I'll ever be."
Phoebe. "Ready."