Alone, Together

~~~

Chapter 1

~

Jesus, she was cute. Sitting there on the curb with my hoodie curled in her arms. She cried big salty tears into the front of it. It wasn't like I wasn't going to miss her too.

"Bee?" I came up behind her.

"Joely, let me go with you." She looked up her blue eyes pleading endlessly.

"Baby you know you can't." I looked away so I didn't have to feel so guilty.

"School isn't that important."

"Bee, yes it is. I know you'll regret it if you drop out." I sighed, I still felt guilty. "I'm gonna be back before you know it. 5 short weeks, baby."

She stood up and caught her breath. Why did she still have to cry everytime I went on tour? I knew she was going to miss me, hell I was gonna miss her, but when she cries….man do I feel like the biggest asshole.

"C'mon Joel, kiss 'er g'bye" Benji shouted. "Time to head out."

"Well this is it, Bee."

"Don't" She sobbed as she stood up and we hugged.

"I'm sorry."

"No, don't." She cried harder.

"Beth." I cupped her cheeks in my hands. "Please stop crying. I'm going to miss you and love you everyday I'm gone."

"Promise?"

"I swear." I smiled. "No…I pinky swear."

That earned me a small smile. I kissed her and turned and left. I swear I almost cried myself. I hated to leave her, but I wanted to tour, wanted to do this. I'd see her in no time and it'll be like I never left. I waved to her from the steps of the bus before the bus door slammed and blocked her and the house from view.

~

Her bags were sitting in the corner and I was getting more depressed the more I looked at them. she's so excited to be going. To be going on a national tour with the band. The guys are exstatic, and they owed it all to Jule. My Jule.

"Jason, don't sit there all mopey, please?" She came in with her hands on her hips.

"How can I not be, firefly?"

Her face softened and she came and sat in my lap.

"Baby." She whispered wrapping her arms around my neck. "I love you soooooooo much."

"And I love you."

"Well then what are you so sad about? I'm going to come home, to…our home." She smiled.

She barely had moved in. She'd officially been my "roomie" for 6 days.

"Babe, I'm gonna be on the road and be thinking about shower curtains and what color welcome mats we should get."

"JUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUULLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLIIIIIIIIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!" My best friend of 16 years burst through the door, screaming my girlfriend's name. He started a band way back in the 7^th grade, but it wasn't until 11^th when I met Jule and he met Jule that they took off. It was just sad the band was called the Boys Room.

"Hey, Max." I greeted him.

"Hiya Max!"

"Oh man, am I interupting?" He smacked his head. He looked a little like Jack Black only taller and not so round. "Dude I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay, Maxie." Jule grinned, getting off the couch. "This is it dude, we're going on tour!"

"Yeah with Good Charlotte!? AHHHHHHHH!?!" Max mocked.

"Oh stop."

"You know all their little girls are going to attack us."

"Yes, attack you." Jule laughed. " 'OMG you are so much hotter than the twins!?' 'Father my children you sexy man-child!!' "

"Yup, and you’re going to have all the guys after you." Max added.

I frowned. She was, she was cute and beautiful and they were all going to fall in love with her. I didn't want to let her go.

"Jule I'm gonna miss you so much." I suddenly hugged her.

"Baby…" She smiled. "Don't worry so much. Maxie'll take care of me won't you."

"Of course, under lock and key" He crossed his heart.

I knew he'd at least try to keep her under lock and key.

~

I was bouncing off the walls. Being in our "tour bus" rolling towards our first desination. Our VERY first destination of our Very first tour EVER!

"Jule, you need to relax, baby girl." Brian put his hand on my shoulder.

"NO, this is so way unlike anything I've ever done…I love that feeling. The feeling of new." I said fast. "Like new car smell. This is the new car smell of touring."

"Well it's bad." He held his hand to his nose. "God, Jim, odor-eaters, bud."

Jim made a face. His long giraffe-like neck stretching out and making him taller than normal. What was I getting myself into, 5 weeks with guys..guys, guys, guys…no not hot ones. Gross and disgusting boys!

I sighed and watched the city waving past. It was funny how all the flip flops my stomach had been doing earlier were completely gone. I didn't miss the little apartment, the bed, the cat or Jason(okay so that wasn't true). My head was in the clouds my heart was on overdrive there was nothing ahead of me I wasn't ready for.

Phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Julia, it's Damon." He was our tour manager.

"Hey, Dame."

"We're gonna have like a sort of introduction between the bands and stuff, so I thought I'd call before you got here."

"No, that sounds great. It sounds like fun."

"You're excited aren't you."

"No." I lied, but then laughed.

"Alright, let the guys know, see ya in a few."

I hung up and looked back out the window. This was gonna be so awesome! I couldn't wait to get on the first stage and rock my little heart out. I went to my bag and pulled out my little journal. It was pink and red and totally little girly, but I loved it to death. I carried it everywhere.

As I opened it a strip feel out. It was from the mall, me and Jason in a photo booth, being complete fools. I frowned. How many miles away from him was I now? How long til we got to hold each other again? Aww. I was happy and excited and now all I wanted was my boyfriend. I wanted to go home, sit in his lap and watch Spongebob.

I put my book down and picked up the phone. I dialed him as quick as possible.

"Hello?"

"Hey baby."

~

He was really gone now. For the next 5 weeks it was me and the beta fish.

I turned up the stereo a little louder, drowning out the sound of my thoughts creeping up on me. I didn't want to think all the what if's. What if he gets hurt? What if he messes up? Or forgets to call me? Or misses something important? What if he forgets to miss me? What if he doesn't love me like I think he does?

God, I'm pathetic. He's gone on tour a hundred times and everytime he called everyday and came home safe, sound, and still in love with me. I must be the most insecure person in the world.

I looked at my book and tried to focus on the words, but it was hopeless. I couldn't be expected to homework when my boyfriend, my lover, was somewhere very far away, while I was alone. I had to squeeze my eyes shut to keep from crying. And then I scolded myself.

Get over yourself Beth, you can survive without Joel. You love him, but you are going to be just fine. You used to live alone remember. Remember life before Joel. You had one ya know?

I shook my thoughts away and turned up the stereo again. I went back to work, but in the back of my head my thoughts dwelled on Joel. Where he was..if he was gonna call in a few minutes, an hour, tomorrow?

As if by some psychic connection the phone rang. I muted the stereo and picked up.

"Hello?" I said excited, thinking that it MUST be Joel.

It wasn't.

It was Emily. Benji's newlywedded wife.

"Hi, it's me."

"Oh, hey em." I frowned. Damnit.

"I'm bored."

"Yeah, me too."

I didn't want to be rude, but I had never really been friends with her. It was all out of obligation. She was married to Benji, I was Joel's girlfriend and they're twins, so we hung out a lot together, but we weren't best buds or anything. She was kind of a loner. Without Benji around she must be really REALLY lonely.

"Umm…" She started. "Wanna do something?"

"Uh..I have some homework to do.."

"Oh. Well nevermind, it's okay."

"No, no." I felt bad, brushing her off. I mean she was in the same boat wasn't she. "Uh, lemme finish this paper and we can go to the movies or something."

"Ok, yeah."

"Yeah."

I hung up. It wasn't Joel. But it would do.

~