This Rebellion Has It's Cause

I woke slowly two months later, I haven’t spoken to Max at all; just the way Austin wanted it. Even though the band is still on tour with Unpleasant Burial, Austin and the rest of the band had made sure to keep me away from Max and they have been doing a great job at it.

Sounds started to focus and sharpen, so I heard Austin’s voice above me in his bunk. I checked my phone and found that it was 3:02 A.M. at the moment. I figured out that he was on the phone when I didn’t hear anyone answering his statements and questions. It took a while longer for me to figure out that whoever he was on the phone with was fighting with him.

“Stacey, just tell me why would you do that? I haven’t been gone that long…” He paused for a second, “It was happening even while I was there? On well that’s fantastic.”

So, he’s fighting with his girlfriend? I continued to listen to the one sided conversation, to find out exactly what was happening.

“With who then?” He snapped, “Of fucking course!”

I heard his breath hitch and that’s when I knew he had started crying. I threw my covers off, quietly pulled back the curtain, and crawled out my bed. I heard his phone hang up and then the sound of him throwing it down.

I pulled back his curtain, discovering I was right and so I demanded, “Talk to me.”

He shook his head no and I let out a sigh taking his hand to pull him out of the bunk. He let me do that much and he wouldn’t look at me when we were face to face. I guided him to the table, and then took a seat across from him.

“Did you break up with Stacey just now?” I question carefully watching his face.

He nodded before crossing his arms on the table and resting his head against them. I put my hand on his shoulder and murmured, “Austin I know you, and you are not the type of person to end it that quickly. What happened?”

“She’s been cheating on me.” He said in a clipped tone.

“What?” I shouted slamming my other palm to the table.

Austin lifted his head to give me a look.

“Is she out of her damn mind?! Who the hell would cheat on you? You’re such an amazing person and this doesn’t make any sense! Next time we’re back in California I’m gonna march my happy ass to her place and beat the…”

He cut me off before I could finish my rant, “Tristan, just calm down. You aren’t going to fight with anyone.”

“But aren’t you heartbroken over this?”

“I’m hurt yea, but not too badly. Honestly I don’t feel the way I used to about her, so in a way us ending is a good thing.”

I laughed stiffly then said, “I guess you know how I’m feeling now, I’m slowly getting over Max. We’re just too nice for our own good huh?” I was quiet for a moment before I asked, “You’re going to be okay though right?”

He nodded standing up to come over to where I was sitting, pulled me to my feet while wrapping his arms around me in a hug, and whispered, “Thank you for caring about me Tristy. Now I think you should go back to sleep.”

“Alright, goodnight.” I mumbled hugging him back.

As I pulled away Austin pressed a kiss to my forehead and breathed, “Goodnight Tristan.”

He let me go after that and I made my way back to my bunk feeling bewildered by the fact he had gave me a kiss goodnight, even though it was only on the top of my head. It took a while for me to find sleep thanks to my mind running over and over the thought of Austin.

***

I’ve been feeling better than usual and Austin seems to be getting that way as well. It’s been a month since he and Stacey broke up, so that’s three months for Max and I. Thankfully tour is over and we are all back home in Callie just taking a well-deserved break. At the moment I was heading out of my tiny apartment to go hang out with Kasey since we haven’t seen each other in a while.

I met her at a small café for lunch and the first thing she does is hug me shouting, “Tristy I’ve missed you so much!!”

I hug her back just as tightly saying, “Me too! How have you been?”

“Great!” She replied as we were lead to a small table and took our seats. We got our menus and began looking over them when Kasey asked, “So have you been holding up with the break up and everything?”

I shrugged, “I’ve been fine actually Alan and Austin have kept me pretty distracted, so I really don’t have time to think or feel anything about it; which is good in a way.”

She smirked raising an eyebrow and I noticed a twinkle in her blue eyes as she questioned, “Austin, really?”

I rolled my eyes and sighed, “Oh god no Kasey, not this again. Do you understand how creepy you are? You need to let go of your little fantasy of me being with him, it’s never gonna happen.”

“But why not?” She whined, “His girlfriend Stacey is a bitch to him anyway.”

“They’re not together anymore.” I explain shaking my head.

She gasped, “Since when?! You are both single now and you aren’t going after him? Are you insane?!”

“That’s only because I don’t want him like that anymore.”

“Back in high school you sure did, when were you not plotting on jumping his bones then?”
I
blushed muttering, “That was a long time ago Kasey. I kind of stopped crushing on him when we graduated.”

“Lies!” She shouted, “Part of you still knows that Austin is a fine piece of a…”

“Are you two ready to order?” A young waitress asked, looking a bit embarrassed.

“Yes, we are thank you.” I reply, silently thanking the girl for stopping me and Kasey’s
awkward conversation, even if it was only for a moment.

We ordered our food and drinks, then after the girl brought our drinks and took off again Kasey picked up where she left off.

“Tristy don’t lie to me, you know that part of you still cares about Austin that way. Be honest.”

“Alright, yes you’re right, but you know my brother he’d freak out if I even tried to get with Austin. So there’s no point in me getting those feelings back.”

Kasey nodded, finally accepting what I was telling her and changed the subject. After our food came and we ate, after that we left for the mall to window shop. Out of nowhere she got back on the topic of Austin.

“I know you probably don’t want to hear any more about this, but you know that Austin wanted you for like a whole year right?”

I paused, “What, when was that?”

“He told me that he did when you first started dating Max and I’m not sure he ever told me that he stopped.”

I shook my head, “Kasey I’m sure he’s way over it by now. It’s been what three years?”

“Eh I’m not so sure about that, but you know him a lot better than I do, so I’ll believe you.”

Great this will be just another thing to keep me up at night.

***

‘Is it in the way you move, the way you speak so daringly? Is it lying on the bathroom floor with nothing more to say? Little miss obvious wipe the makeup from your face and go tell all your friends that I’m the only one.’

My ringtone sang the next morning and I groggily picked it up saying, “Yea?”

“Hey Tristan I’m sorry for waking you up, but can I crash at your place?” Austin asked on the other line.

I turned to the clock beside my bed shocked to see that it was almost 7:00 A.M. so I demanded, “Why are you even out right now? Have you been up all night?”

There was silence for a moment, and then Austin said, “Yea, I have been.”

“You mind telling me why?”

“I couldn’t sleep so I went out for a drive and I’m getting tired, but I’m too far from my house right now and you’re a lot closer to where I’m at.”

“Where are you anyway?”

“I’m at the beach.”

I let out a heavy sigh, “Fine hurry up and let yourself in, and you ought to know where the key is by now.”

“Thank you Tristy.”

“You’re welcome Austin.” I muttered rolling my eyes before hanging up and snuggling back in to my warm covers.

I woke up again a few hours later to find Austin passed out on my couch, part of me wanted to roll my eyes at the sight, but the other part of me couldn’t get over how sweet he looked. Yea, that’s the part of me that I always have to battle with; the one that still wants Austin. I bite back my tiny smile and grab my car keys to go get us some breakfast. I know him to well and he will be hungry as hell when he wakes up. I head out to Dunkin Donuts to get us a baker’s dozen of donuts and two coffees, so by the time I get back the sound of the front door opening wakes Austin.

“Hi Tristan.” He greets me groggily sitting up on the couch. I go into my small kitchen laying down the box of pastries knowing that Austin would be in here any second and just like that I was right.

“Can I have one?” He asked pointing at the white box.

“I got them for the both of us.” I replied while nodding.

He grinned and opened the lid, pulling out a donut and then he saw the cups in my hands, “Coffee too?”

I nodded once more.

He grabbed one from me taking a sip before saying, “Tristan you are way too nice to me, you’re the best.”

I smiled lightly shrugging at his compliment as I take out a glazed donut and bite into it. We ate and drank our coffee in silence, but when Austin had finished and threw away his cup he cleared his throat to speak.

“So have you been talking to anyone?”

Let’s see I’m not over Max, I still have a tiny thing for you, and you think I’d want to add a third guy into this mess? Hell no. Instead of all that I said, “No I’m just taking a break for now.”

“Sounds like a good idea; I’m doing the same thing.”

I finished my coffee, tossing it in the trash bin and then headed over to the sink to wash off all the sticky donut glaze off my fingers.

“I was just wondering why were you driving around all night anyway?”

He shrugged, “Like I said, I couldn’t sleep and I just wanted to do some thinking.”

I was curious now, “About what?”

He laughed softly, “A lot of stuff.”

We sat in an awkward silence for a minute, before I shuffled uncomfortably, “So I have a strange question to ask you.”

He smiled saying, “Okay shoot.”

“Kasey and I were talking yesterday and she told me that right when I started going out with Max you told her that you liked me. Is that true?” I asked the question in a rush because I was afraid that at any second I would chicken out and not finish it.

Austin looked a bit surprised, but he answered, “Yea she was telling the truth.”

“How about now?”

He bit his lip and right as he was about to answer me there was a knock at the door.

Notes