this chapter briefly mentions a character avoiding another and an argument breaking out between characters.
please read with caution and enjoy <3
AUDREY STARTED TO REALIZE WILBUR WAS intentionally ignoring her as she helped the tour members clean up after the third show.
at first, audrey passed it off as being busy or the downsides of tour life was getting to the man, which audrey gave him a day or two to adjust. audrey was thankful for the break between the tour stops during this, taking time to explore each city despite some only being a trainride away. when all of the items were packed and ready for the second tour stop journey, audrey couldn't help but brush off her own feelings of being upset when she noticed will was sitting next to ash instead of her.
then started the one-word replies. audrey tried walking up to wilbur one morning, giving him his freshly brewed coffee when he muttered "thanks" as a reply. it didn't sting much, audrey brushed it off as it being too early in the morning.
but what audrey didn't brush off was the man no longer knocking off her beanie on stage, or going near that side of the stage with the exception of giving fan service. audrey played her trumpet on stage, but her heart and mind were elsewhere.
the woman was sure the the lovejoy members noticed his one-word replies to her, leandra did too, and wouldn't be surprised if fans started talking on twitter about this. yet wilbur refused to give audrey more than one minute at a time - why?
audrey and wilbur fought once as badly as this when they were first becoming friends. wilbur distanced himself and gave the same cold-shoulder act he is now, only the difference being wilbur ended up talking to audrey after two days of radio silence. audrey wouldn't consider this radio silence, no, she found it confusing and a lump in her throat whenever she would see wilbur talking to leandra or mark, not even pivoting his body in her direction.
once most of the concert debris is gone - the confetti pieces sweeped and the amps placed into their respective containers - audrey headed over to mark boardman, who was fiddling with his drum kit. "i'm going to head out, boardman. i want to call elodie before it gets too late to talk about stuff. by the way, i liked the new addition to your drum solo." audrey finished in one breath, a small grin on her face.
mark smiled widely as he hugged audrey goodbye. "thank god someone noticed the change! i was worried it would sound like rubbish, but the crowd seemed to like it. the boys are back in the greenroom if you want to say bye to them, too. we might head to dinner in a bit, if you stick around."
"i'll search it out, but i think i'll take a rain check on dinner. wilbur and i are - i don't even know." audrey sighed as she stuffed her hands into her coat pocket. "i don't really wanna get into it."
"i've noticed, in a good way this time. if it gets bad just let me know and i'll try to help out."
"no need, boardman, but thank you. if there are any leftovers you don't think you can finish on your own, i'll be awake till half past two." audrey chuckled before waving goodbye and walking towards the greenroom.
the boys were helping clean up in there - barely. joe was doing his best to pick up plastic cups, but he got distracted every few minutes and puts his collected cups down on any available surface to go mess around with some other corner of the room. leandra and ash were examining ash's phone with his presumed vlog footage, and wilbur was typing vigorously on his phone, his curls falling in his face. audrey stood awkwardly in the door for a moment before joe notices her and comes strolling over.
"so, lana, how did we do?" he asked, the nickname sprouting from the end of audrey's name.
"you guys were great, like always." she smiled, her grin not reaching her eyes. "i think the crowd liked one day the most tonight."
"yeah! they seemed like they ..." joe trailed off as he noticed audrey turned towards wilbur, hoping for any sign of communication. the man only looked up for a moment before turning towards the piano.
audrey forced herself to speak. "did i do someth-"
wilbur just scoffs. "no, audrey."
confused, audrey walks closer to him. "why are you calling me audrey? it's always auds or darling." wilbur finally looks at audrey, and she's surprised to see that his eyes held tenderness before he blinked and resentment filled them.
"audrey-" joe started as he raised a hand to stop audrey, only to be cut off.
"it's just a name, audrey." wilbur curtly replied as he stood up from his seat. the woman just closed her eyes, holding in her venomous words as he brushed past her. the man was making it apparent that he had no desire to talk to her. "it's just a couple of stupid nicknames."
"will-" leandra spoke from her spot, her eyebrows furrowed as she listened into the bubbling argument.
"no, it's fine," audrey replies as wilbur just stares at the girl, his eyebrows furrowed and his lips pursed. it's not fine. "he's right. it's just a couple of stupid nicknames." audrey smiles to leandra, placing a hand on her shoulder. it's the nicknames you gave me and me only. wilbur shakes his head as a response as he stops talking completely. the man finally turned towards the piano. his fingers began playing a melody to tune out audrey, his back facing the group.
"i'm gonna raincheck on dinner, tonight." audrey replied as she started turning away from the group. the group, who were all was silenced by wilbur's burst and audrey's reaction, watched audrey pick up her tote bag and water bottle. the woman gave wilbur one more glance before she walked out of the room with haste.
halfway out of the room and into the cold hallway, a voice called out. "he never calls you audrey." joe gasped out, his breath ragged as he came running after the second the door shut. "it's always been auds since we met you and it's weird. just — come back and we can all try to fix this."
"he doesn't want to talk to me," audrey shook her head. "i've seen this play out, he only calls me audrey if it's something that's bothering him. i'm not about to walk into a situation where he can easily make me upset again."
"please, lana. just try."
she silently walked back to the door, looking through the crack in the door as joe walked back in, the latter respecting audrey's desire to enter with hesitation. wilbur was hunched over the piano, playing the keys. the notes start to play, and audrey lets a grin slide across her face — it's all futile, it's all pointless started filling room.
this smile starts to slip, though, as he began to sing the words quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. leandra joined in, humming the lyrics as their voices intertwined and created a harmony which was ruined by leandra blowing into her trumpet piece. a large laugh was let out of wilbur for the first time that evening, audrey wanted to cry.
audrey's not sure what she expected, seeing wilbur so happy without her. of course he wouldn't do that with audrey - the situation the two of them were in being confusing.
audrey can't lie, the feeling of jealousy surges through her veins seeing leandra and wilbur so happy. the two started making more noise as ash silent vlogged them, denying the idea of joining in. audrey's eyes furrowed as she watched them from her spot outside.
mark nudged audrey gently. "you're killing yourself by watching."
"if im dying, boardman, i'm just speeding up the process." audrey continued as she looked at mark.
mark sighed, looking back at the piano. "give him some time and he'll come back around. he always does when it involves you."
audrey thought for a moment, a small pout on her face."i have a feeling this isn't an easy argument to solve, though, but thank you for wanting to try for me, boardman." audrey touches mark's shoulder once. "leftovers, boardman. i'll be anticipating them." she finishes, turns, and leaves quietly.
NATA'S NOTES ┊͙✧˖*°࿐
wilbur and audrey on their toxic arc rn sorry ignore them
also the qsmp is starting soon!!! im so excited and proud of quackity ^—^