Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize from outside this story, and definitely not any songs I use, or books and games mentioned and even many places are real places. I claim only the plot, the original characters, any places and such that I make up for the purposes of this story. I edit this story myself so any mistakes are my own.
(Please note that the drinking age in Canada is 19 so if anyone drinks in this story please note they are all ones of age.)
Chapter 29
Wednesday January 20th 4pm
Feeling his phone vibrate in his back pocket, Derek pauses packing his bag and pulls his phone out to see Jake calling. "Hey, Jake, aren't you prepping for your tour?"
"Taking a break from rehearsals and going over concepts for music videos and more promo interviews," Jake complaints sounding exhausted.
"When's the first concert anyway?"
"It's not till March but I along with the tour dates am doing TV appearances, radio interviews and music videos to pack this next year like crazy. Speaking of, do you know what you are doing this summer?"
"No ideas yet, I haven't really thought about it. Hockey camp isn't until the beginning of August and I am not taking classes during the summertime."
"Are you and Casey going back to Kingston tonight? Miles is in town; we could meet up and there is this place I want to try."
Thinking of the loud noises the car made on the way into town and the funny smell it made, "Yeah sure Jake, if you're paying. I think I need to replace a part in my car."
Jake strangely perks up at this. "That is great timing then! 7:30 my place and do you have your guitar with you?"
"No, we rushed out here."
"That's okay we can use one of mine for this."
"One of your guitars for what, Jake?" Derek asks but when he gets no response he realizes he is talking to no one as he already hung up.
"Derek, who are you talking to?"
"Nobody apparently, Case. Miles and Jake want to do something tonight before we head all the way back. You have plans?"
"I think I will ask Emily if she wants to see a movie and we can leave afterwards."
Derek hulls his bag over his shoulder and looks around to see where Casey's stuff is at. Then giving up, he looks over his girlfriend quizzically. "Case, where is your stuff?"
"Oh I don't know, it's all here and there." She trails off fidgeting with her hands making Derek narrow his eyes.
"Casey, you didn't pack at all did you?" Derek drops his bag and grabs her shoulders. "Casey, we will be back as soon as we can. Besides we aren't leaving just now. Dad is grilling up some food as we speak. Nora practically demanded we stay to eat something as a family before we could go." Derek turns her around propelling her forward guiding her down the stairs all the way into the kitchen and forcing her to sit down on a kitchen stool next to her mom busy feeding the baby.
Nora looks up from what she is doing and smiles at Casey. "You want to try?" Casey takes the new addition to the family in her arms and attempts to coax the baby's mouth open.
Derek sneaks out of the room walking slowly out of the doorway. Spying Lizzie, he heads her off from going up the stairs. "Hey Lizzie, can you go throw Casey's junk into her suitcase for me?"
Lizzie narrows her eyes and cocks her head evaluating. "Why should I?"
"Because you care oh so much for Casey and love to help out?"
"Uh no, I don't think so. Try again."
"How about so I can go make sure my dad doesn't burn your tofu burger and the vegetable skewers as we both remember what happened the last time he tried to grill those?"
"Okay okay, I was going to anyway, just teasing. No reason to threaten a girl's food you know," she says as she hurries up the stairs.
Derek smirks and smacks his hands together to go whip up some pasta alfredo after making sure to save burgers from his dad's forgetfulness.
7pm
Derek runs his hand through his hair while throwing a scowl at the smoking engine. The sun has gone down already and they aren't quite into Toronto yet so the street lights had been just now emerging on the road as the car had died. He managed to get the car on the side of the road and somehow managed to persuade Casey to stay in the car or so he thought. The flashlights he had propped up start to fall when a pair of hands shoot out to attempt to catch them. They fall to the ground with a clatter and she tosses him a sheepish grin with a shrug. "So have you stared at the car long enough to prove you are still a man and given up yet so we can call for help? It's cold out here."
That earns his scowl being transferred from the car to his girlfriend. "I will have you know I do know what's wrong with it Casey. Even I can figure out it's a coolant problem."
Casey recovers from her surprise quickly crossing her arms setting her brows together to send a glare right back at him. "Well then do you know how to fix it huh?" fully confident in her knowledge that he doesn't besides the fact there isn't tools in the car regardless if he could or not.
Derek digs his phone out of his back pocket to answer the ringing thankful for the distraction whoever was calling him was offering him. He glances at the caller id and picks up the flashlight. "Hey Jake, we are going to be awhile. The Prince is broken down and we aren't off the highway into the city yet." Derek holds up a finger to silence Casey as she attempts to hear reaching over him tugging on his arm. "Wow that would be great. Thanks man. We are right by the downtown exit." Derek tucks his phone away and slams the hood of the car down.
Casey blows on her hands rubbing them together. "So what did he say? Is help coming?"
"Yes, Casey, help is coming. Miles is coming to pick us up while Jake calls a mechanic friend of his that owns a garage and towing place. He owes Jake a favor so he is coming out personally to pick it up and take it to the garage." They settle in the car to get out of the harsh cold winter wind and wait for Derek's friend.
9:30 pm Jake's
After dropping Casey off at Emily's dorm, Miles drives up to Jake's house and he and Derek bound up the steps to the front door. It swings open banging against a wall before they can make it onto the last step. A Siberian husky jumps on his back paws in an attempt to lick Derek's face in greeting causing him to stumble back. Jake quickly grabs the dog tugging him back. "Go lay down you mangy overgrown baby. At least let them in the house before you greet them." He steps aside letting his friends enter as his dog lies down on a pile of blankets in a corner. "Sorry about the dog. Big guy wouldn't hurt anything but has the worst breathe."
Derek looks around the house and sees through the archway for the den Jake had gotten a new poker table along with a couple vintage pinball machines. Jake turns towards the kitchen to pull out beers for all of them popping of the tops as he goes. "I imagine we could all use one of these tonight with the night you had and I swear getting ready for touring is worse with stress than actually touring. Touring is fun, but this is just frustrating."
Miles takes swig from his bottle leaning against a counter. "Yeah I am beat. Glad we called for pizza instead. So did you ask Derek yet?"
Derek raises his eyebrows in suspicion. "Has Jake asked me what?"
Jake hops up onto the old oak kitchen table that looks more suited to a hunting lodge than a famous singer's tucked into a couple acres discreetly hidden in the a cul-de-sac of Toronto. "Great job leading into it Miles, you moron. I was going to bring it up when the pizza got here. So I have a problem that I think you could solve and it would fix a bunch of problems for both of us. My guitarist's wife is having a baby this summer and since it is their first he wants to stay home and be with them. He is a good buddy of mine and I have known him and his wife for a long time and am happy for them but it leaves me short a guitarist for May, June and July. You need a shot of cash for the next year and I need a guitarist."
Derek takes a swig of beer from his bottle letting his friend's words sink in. "How much money are we talking here?" Derek sputters on the mouthful he had been endeavoring to swallow after Jake spews off a number that would pay the rent for a year and then some. Jake answers the question he figures he would ask next. "It would be great to actually have good friends on the road with me and this way I won't have to audition people to fill the three month gig."
"Wow, just thanks Jake. I was dreading how much this car repair was going to cost us."
"No, thank you. I have had the same band members since my first tour and this is my first headlining tour with even some dates being sold out shows. My second album and everybody keeps talking about the sophomore album curse. It's worse with half the songs on this album I wrote or co-wrote this time. Second single off the album they want to be a song I wrote."
"Imagine it being me and all of your songs are written or co-written by you and your best friend tricks you into playing in front of Billy Dierks and someone who turned out to be a visiting EMI exec. Now I have an album out and opening for this guy. You have to come with us and help me keep him out of trouble, especially with Logan being out for months." Miles gets up and walks over to the pool table in the dining area Jake has instead of a dining table. He sets his bottle on the edge of the table and grabs a cue stick from the rack on the wall. "Between you and me, he might not become fodder for some crazy singer and have songs written about how their story was so epic and having their break up song getting her a number one hit."
Jake rolls his eyes and starts setting up the pool balls. "I am not that bad. You make it sound like I dated Taylor Swift or something. We all can't find girls like Jenny or Casey before we are famous celebrities. Some of us have to date around." Jake tosses Derek a cue stick to break. "So you in? Casey can do without you for a while right? I will have my manager email you the details and contract stuff in the morning just in case. I will call him when we go pick up the car in the morning."
Two solids fly into a corner pocket as Derek straightens. "I have the whole ride back to Kingston to persuade her to the idea. She has to at least listen if she is stuck in the car with me right?" Just then the doorbell began ringing signaling the pizza had arrived and in the chaos of the barking Alaska with Miles dashing to grab his collar to halt him from barreling over the pizza guy in the pursuit of the pepperoni while Jake digs for his wallet and all talk about the upcoming tour is forgotten for the moment.
****End of Chapter 29****
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Up Next: Touring?
