Day Sixteen
Josh hadn't slept. Danny had worked to calm him down for hours. When the sun finally rose he booked it to what was supposed to be him and Luanne's room. He watched Emmeline leave the room and made his way to the door only to be met with the new girl. In all honesty after yesterday she quite frightened him. He was more frightened by the look in her eyes when she saw him.
"Josh Kiszka. You fucked up kid. That girl in there is special. I've never met anyone like that before in my life. Maybe it's best if you just let this one go." Mickey had the bottle from last night still in her hand, the brown liquid swishing as she spoke.
"How bad is it?" Josh couldn't meet her intense stare as he spoke.
Mickey took a deep breath looking back at the door. As much as she didn't like what he said to her knew friend, Mickey knew how much Luanne cared about him. If she lied about how the girl was doing she would regret it later. She swirled the liquid in the bottle considering what to say and how to put it.
"I don't like you, to put it straight forward. Emmeline had to convince me this morning not to beat your ass. You should thank the yeehaw; she is quite fond of you too. As for Luanne, she's not doing great. She watched that movie she loves twice last night. If I were you I would bring up how you screwed up and how much you like her." Mickey watched him fumble with his fingers similar to Luanne and slightly smiled.
"I care, a lot. More than you'll ever know. She is different." Josh replied finally glancing at the woman in front of him who now held a small smile.
"I know. Get in there cause if she is sad the rest of this trip, I will personally hold you accountable." Mickey patted his shoulder before walking away leaving him alone with a closed door in front of him.
Luanne heard the light tapping on her door and knew immediately that Emmie had forgotten or lost something. Surveying the room she saw the aftermath of last night including an empty whiskey bottle and several cans with 4 pizza boxes half eaten. The hangover she expected didn't come and she thanked the pizza. Looking down she saw her lack of pants and Josh's shirt covering the rest of her. When Luanne opened the door she stopped short seeing Josh standing there fiddling with the hem of his shirt.
"Good morning Luanne Faye." Josh spoke in a near whisper.
"Good morning; may I help you?" Luanne tried to keep her eyes anywhere but on him, counting the tiles on the wall behind him.
"Can I please explain myself? Please. Once I do, you have all the right to take Emmeline and the scary one with you. You never have to see me again." Josh stepped towards the door taking note of how she wouldn't look at him.
Luanne stepped back then allowing him to walk in. She pulled her shirt down to cover her ass as he walked past her taking a seat on their bed. Josh noticed it was his shirt and felt his mouth go dry as she sat beside him. He knew he had to word this perfectly or he really might never see her again. Luanne knew she wouldn't leave them altogether, she couldn't take Emmie from Sam. As Luanne opened her mouth to speak Josh was 10 steps ahead of her.
"I shouldn't have lied about the Texas thing. I panicked. I thought about once the month is over and panicked. As for what you heard that was the farthest thing from the truth. I was being sarcastic because the boys were on my ass, even if they were right. I know we have 14 days now and I want to enjoy them with you. I care. I care so much it freaks me out. I am incredibly sorry Luanne." Josh's words were quick once again like the day he had met her and his hands fumbled with the pendant around his neck.
"You shouldn't have lied. I am happy for you. The record deal is well deserved and you knew I would've been excited to celebrate it with you. I know you panicked, I have too. Luckily that's when I met Mickey. She is quite scary, in a good way though. I'm not saying all is forgiven. 14 days is all that is left and I don't want to spend them mad at you. I care about you a lot too Joshua Michael." Luanne's gentle smile appeared once again, making the dimple pop out as she took his hand in hers.
Josh knew she forgave him far too easily. If it had been any other girl in the world she would have told him goodbye immediately. Not Luanne. She cared about him. She shouldn't but she did. He wasn't going to fuck it up again. When Luanne pulled Josh back onto the bed she handed over her camera and they laid side by side watching the footage of their day in Taos, as if nothing ever happened. If they hadn't been in love in that moment maybe the fight would've dragged on. Maybe they would've yelled at each other and swore, but pure childlike love doesn't have a place for argument. It is raw and forgiving.
The others trickled into Josh and Luanne's room as the day leapt on. Danny was first making sure they were alright without actually asking. Jake followed making sure to throw away the mess of cans as he walked through. They all knew Sam was at the door when they could hear Emmie singing the guitar solo from 'Bohemian Rhapsody' from the hall. The 6 of them laid both on the bed and floor when a loud banging struck the door to the room. Jake opened the door slowly when Mickey flung it open.
"Luanne, tell me you didn't throw a party without me?" Mickey called walking into the room with Jake hot on her heels.
Josh and Luanne craned their necks up from the bed to see Mickey with her hands on her hips. Her hair was tied up and she sported a leather jacket covering her Poison tour shirt. Considering the boys were future Rockstar's, she was the one who actually fit the look. Jake moved his stuff off his chair to the side motioning for her to take his seat. Danny noticing this sighed, another one of the boys lost to the look of love.
"Actually we all been laying here doing absolute shit. Would you like to pick our drinking movie Mick?" Luanne smiled widely at the girl before whispering to Josh who quickly got up with her car keys in his hand.
"Have you all seen Rock of Ages?" Mickey announced before taking the remote from Sam's outstretched hand.
"A million times, you can use my card to rent it!" Jake thrust his credit card toward the girl who took it, rolling her eyes before finding the movie.
Emmie watched the interaction between Mickey and Jake before looking to Sam who held the same grinning expression she did. Sam and Emmie were falling down the same hole Josh and Luanne were. The younger pair just didn't care to admit it to themselves or the others, though they all knew. She was perched in Sam's lap as he braided her hair whispering jokes about the others. Emmie was careless opening up to Sam, she normally had walls built stories high. The bass player just happened to rip through them, softening her instantaneously.
"Bet Jake falls for Mickey." Sam whispered with his hands in her hair.
"No, the real bet will be if Mickey falls for Jake. I say yes." Emmie grinned watching the girl ignore the boy in the hat staring at her wordlessly.
"Hell no. She's not falling for it. Too set in her ways." Sam replied trying to stop himself from staring too long at Em.
"Y'all will see. I ain't ever been wrong." Emmie leaned into him then feeling his hands continue to braid her hair.
Josh waltzed in with four cases of seltzers and his debit card shoved between his teeth. Luanne couldn't help but laugh as she helped him place them on the table. Emmie was the first to grab two cans though both for her, making Sam nudge her off his lap with a laugh. Luanne sat back on the bed beside Danny handing him one with that smile that made him grin immediately. When Josh handed cans to Mickey and Jake he stared at the tv with a cocked brow.
"Jake we are watching Rock of Ages again? How many times are we going to watch this movie?" Josh asked when Mickey fired back. "Actually Josh, I picked this movie. Is there a problem with that?"
Josh flew back to his spot on the other side of Luanne before grinning at the woman beside his brother.
"Nope. Happy you picked this movie actually. Haven't seen it in forever." Josh replied before Luanne lightly smacked his arm.
As the movie began the 7 of them watched beginning to down the alcohol. This was their last hotel night. They decided they would be camping for the last two weeks together. No one had told Mickey yet and decided it would be best if Luanne broke the news to the glamorous girl. As the movie continued on Danny drunkenly performed Juke Box Hero with Jake both of them pointing to Mickey who was trying not to sing along. Sam and Emmie had cracked a window to smoke thanking Luanne for getting the smoking room. Josh watched all of this unfold as Luanne sat with her camera recording all of it. When she turned the lens to him he drunkenly waved before walking up to Mickey asking her to dance. Luanne watched him get rejected with a tipsy laugh.
"How do you think she is going to take the camping news?" Josh had meant for his question to be a whisper but as usual he spoke louder than the movie.
"Josh!" Luanne yelped laughing as Mickey's head swung back with a force to nearly knock her from her chair.
"Camping! What the fuck do you mean camping?" The platinum hair pony tail shook as she cried out causing Josh and Luanne's drunken giggles to fill the room.