We were finally on the way back home. In some ways I was looking forward to being back, but mostly I was dreading it. Dan and I hadn’t spoken since she’d hung up on me about five days ago. It wasn’t as if I hadn’t tried apologizing. She just wouldn’t answer the phone. I’d been talking to her voice mail or her answering machine ever since. I don’t know what it was with us lately. We always seemed to be fighting. But I wasn't able to contemplate it any further before I felt someone lift my headphones from my ears interrupting my thoughts.
“ABS!”, Scott screamed causing me to turn towards him.
“You don’t have to scream Scott. I’m sitting right next to you”, I said annoyed.
“Well desperate times call for desperate measures. It’s not my fault that you haven’t noticed that I’ve been trying to get your attention for the past five minutes!”, he replied defending himself. I gave him my classic lifted eyebrow look before asking him exactly what he wanted.
“Abs, you alright mate?”, Scott asked me a worried tone in his voice.
“You interrupt my garage for that?”, I replied rolling my eyes.
“You haven’t been yourself lately. I was just wondering if you had anything on your mind that you wanted to talk about”, he continued not paying attention to my remark, a serious expression on his face.
“Scott man I’m fine”, I answered. He gave me a look that told me he didn’t believe me.
“You sure? Nothing bad going on with you and Dani?”, he pressed. I sighed.
“Nothing that I haven’t been through before”, I said putting my headphones back over my ears.
“I’ve got to go...The plane is about to land...Yeah I can’t wait to see you either...I love you...Bye”, I said to Billie before hanging up.
“So she’s back in England too?”, Sean asked as I put away my mobile.
“Tomorrow”, I replied happily. I couldn’t wait to see her. It’d been a while. Plus, I was a bit worried about her. She still seemed to be a bit shaken up over the last fan threat.
“Let me guess Ritch...you’re spending our first day off in weeks to spend time with her?”, J chuckled.
“Of course! You would too if you had a girlfriend like Billie”, I answered smiling.
“All loved up”, Sean mumbled rolling his eyes as J and he exchanged looks. I just grinned. I couldn’t argue. It was true.
“It looks like we weren’t as discreet as we thought”, I remarked as we got into the airport. Fans were everywhere. I turned my head and blinked as flash after flash set off.
“Just move forward”, Rob said as he moved in front of us. Thanks goodness he’d thought ahead and had bodyguards ready waiting for us at the gate. I silently thanked him for being such a great tour manager as we walked through the airport.
“SCOTT I LOVE YOU!”
“ABS! J!”
“SEAN OVER HERE!”
“RITCHIE! RITCHIE!”
I smiled and waved a bit at all the fans that were following us screaming. Ritchie however looked like someone had just died.
“You don’t have to look so morbid”, I whispered to him, all the while grinning as we passed fan after fan.
“Did you hear that?”, he said his face not changing from its sour expression.
“Hear what?”, I asked.
“One of those fans just said that Billie was a skank”, he sighed.
“No...I didn’t. They don’t mean it Ritch”, I answered. Before he could respond a definite shriek sounded loudly above all the others so everyone could hear...
“BILLIE IS A SKANK THAT DOESN'T DESRVE TO LIVE. I’LL SEE TO THAT!”
“Ian stop it! You’re going to make me late!”, I laughed as he grabbed the script from my hands.
“You should have memorized this earlier!”, Ian chastised as he held the papers away from my grasp.
“I would have if we hadn’t stayed out so late”, I replied looking him in the eye.
“I can’t argue with that”, Ian smiled defeated as he finally gave my script back.
“THANK YOU! Now leave me in peace”, I said exasperated plopping myself into my dressing room chair.
“Nope. Not before you agree to go out again tonight”, he responded not budging from his spot. Before I could respond my mobile started ringing. I tried to reach behind Ian to grab it but he was too quick for me. He reached it first.
“Not until you say yes”, he said holding my phone up.
“C’mon Ian. That might be an important call!”, I sighed.
“You think? Let’s see”, he replied as he proceeded to answer my phone.
“Hello?”
“IAN!”, I cried out grabbing my phone as I shoved him out the door.
“I’ll see you tonight”, he grinned as I shut the door. I shook my head and laughed as I put the phone up to my ear.
“Hello?”, I asked. Nobody responded... “Hello?”, I repeated.
“Is that why you haven’t been home”, I heard Abs say bitterly on the other end of the line.