My best friend in the whole entire world is Jack Barakat. I've known him since I was 16 because Zack was my friend and he made me go to band practice with him. We were inseparable. We went through everything together. Bad relationships, his tour, family shit; he was the best friend a girl could have. Even when my girl best friend Lisa and I moved to Los Angles for college, every show they played we were at the venue three hours early so she could make out with Alex and I could hang with Jack.
A rite of passage every boyfriend I've ever had has to go through is to go to his first All Time Low show, and tonight was the first night I was taking my boyfriend Justin to see the boys. We got to the theater with Lisa three hours early and waited for the buses and when they parked and after a big hug Matt let us in. We walked into the dressing rooms and Lisa tackled Alex and started kissing him.
"Get a room." I shouted and Alex flipped me off.
"This place looks dirty" said Justin looking around.
"Um, yea. It kind of does" I said. "Most venues are like this."
"Oh my god Blondie" said Rian walking up with his girlfriend Cassadee from Hey Monday. I died my hair blonde. I used to have really dark brown hair but I traded it in for blonde. I think it surprised them because I did the blonde thing once and it sucked so I died it brown again,
"Hey guys" I said and hugged them then looked at Justin. "Um, this is my boyfriend, Justin."
"Hey man" Rian said and stuck out his hand. Justin grabbed it and did that awkward bro-hug thing. Rian wasn't expecting it though and it got really awkward until Zack walked in.
"Liz! Oh my god you're a Blondie?" he said and picked me up. That's just what he does when he gets excited; he picks people up. Why? Because he can.
"Hi Zack." I said after he put me down. "This is Justin" I said. Justin nodded his head at Zack but Zack just kind of looked at him. We sat down on the couch in the dressing room and I waited anxiously for Jack. I sat on the edge of my seat and bounced my leg.
"Babe, stop." said Justin. I stopped bouncing my leg but stayed in the same place on the couch. "I really don't like it when you are around all these other men."
"Excuse me?" I said and looked over at him. I was interrupted my Vinny coming in,
"PASS THE JAGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"
"Vinny did you set up?" asked Matt
"Hell no." He said and planted a kiss on my cheek before leaving the room. After he left I heard the door open again. I felt butterflies in my stomach hoping it was Jack; and sure enough. . .
"Guys my silk sheets don't fit in the- LIZ!" he yelled
"Jack Attack" I yelled and he hugged me. I buried my face in the crook of his nick and smiled while resisting happy tears. I pulled away and he looked at me.
"Don't cry, wait, why the hells are you blonde?" he asked and picked up a piece of my hair.
"Blonde is sexy" Justin said coming up behind me and squeezing my ass. I squealed and moved forward a little bit.
"Jack, Justin; Justin, Jack" I said and they shook hands.
We sat back down on the couch and talked about the tour. Jack was telling funny stories and I was laughing at them like old times.
"Yea, I actually have a surprise for you."
"What?" I said and took a drink of my beer.
"Ok, so you know how this is the last night of legit tour?"
"Yea."
"We are staying here for two months to record."
"Shut the hell up!" I said and hugged him. I pulled away and looked at him. He smiled and blushed and looked down. Weird.
"Jack time to go" said Zack walking in.
"Ok. Show time." He said. Just as we were walking out Alex came running in with a different shirt on and Lisa followed behind holding her heels and fixing her hair.
"Bus sex?" I asked.
"Bus sex." She said and put her heels back on.
We walked out and stood on the side of the stage. The crowd was huge and all the guys were super pumped up. They opened with Lost in Stereo and we sang along to every word and every word of every song after that. After a little while it was the acoustic performance time so Lisa and Justin stayed to watch Alex while I went back to see Jack.
"Hey, you guys look great." I said
"What the hell is up with that guy? He is such a prick. Hand me a shirt?" he asked and I handed him a fresh JAGK shirt out of the merch pile.
"Justin? He's just not used to this scene." I said while he put the new shirt on.
"Liz we both know you've changed big time and I blame him. I mean you haven't even made a dick joke yet. Those were your thing! What happened to tank tops and jeans; you wore those all the time. Not a mini dress and stripper heels." He said.
"Excuse me?" I said.
"You're so different! Blonde? Come on girl really?"
"Blonde is sexy"
"Who thinks that; you or him?" he said and walked out but I followed him into the small hallway out to the stage.
"Why do you care?" I asked. He stood in one place and looked around for a minute. I could tell he was trying not to make eye contact. "Why?" I said again. He looked up at me with a sad look on his face.
"Because I love you Liz. A lot and more than that best friend bullshit. I love you." He said and walked back on stage.