Thanks for the reviews! Here's thirteen, unedited, in its original glory so I apologize for any mistakes

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

As the days went on, Valerie became used to odd numbers calling her house. On the other line was always Stef or Jack excitedly telling her about their latest concert or how amazing their current city was. Valerie wasn't sure how they wracked up so much change between them to call her every day but she wasn't complaining. Hearing them talk comforted her. She worried about them constantly and also had begun to really miss them as days turned to a week. But that also meant they would be home soon since Thanksgiving was creeping up quick.

Evelyn had invited the whole band and their families to her place for Thanksgiving as a welcome home party. Which was fine with Valerie - she didn't go to Thanksgivings at her dads since she moved out or any holiday, really. She didn't go there period. But Stef did and he knew they their parents would never accept Evelyn's invite so he told her he was going to spend Thanksgiving in their old home. Valerie was not. No way in hell.

Valerie was vacuuming when the phone rang this time and she quickly shut it off and ran to get it.

"Hey!" She said into the phone, smiling.

"Hey," said Cole. "You sounded excited to hear me."

"Oh, yeah," she told him, a little disappointed. "My brother usually calls me around this time and he's in New York right now, I'm waiting to hear all about it."

"I love New York," Cole said. "I miss it, going to school there. It was incredible."

"I bet," Valerie said, letting out a sigh. "I wish they would have dragged me along."

Cole chuckled. "You say that but you'd have nothing to do with just a bunch of boys. Plus you're in school."

"True." She agreed. "But New York."

Cole laughed again and there was a beep on her phone.

"I'm gonna have to let you go Cole. I think my brothers beeping in."

"Okay, no problem," he paused. "Call me later. We should do something."

She told him she most definitely would and answered the other call.

"Hey," the voice on the other line said. Jack. "How's it going?"

"Terrible." She poured to herself. "Because I'm not in New York with you guys. You better not do a bunch of cool touristy shit or I'll be pissed."

"You're in luck," She could hear the amusement in Jack's voice. "I tried to do a bunch of 'touristy shit' but no one would go with me. Bunch of douchebags, they just want to sit in the hotel and eat pizza."

Valerie shook her head. What a waste. "This is why you should've took me."

"I'm starting to think that now," Jack agreed with a groan. "Lets go someday. Me and you. We'll do all the touristy shit."

"You shouldn't have said that, Jacky, because I'm gonna hold you to it," she was grinning. "We're gonna do it all. The whole thing. Lady liberty crowns and everything."

"Anything is better than this crappy one-star hotel room and soggy fucking pizza."

"I can't believe them," Valerie would kill to be in that city and they weren't even exploring it. "I'd do anything to be there and they're just wasting it!"

"At least they can't rub it in your face that they've seen New York," Jack laughed lightly. "Because all they've seen is the club we're performing in tonight and the four walls of our hotel."

"Good," she told him. "I can't wait until you guys get home next week. I better receive a shit ton of souvenirs so I know you guys thought of me in every city."

"I thought about you in every city," Jack said, pausing for a brief moment. "I remember when we all went to Toronto. All of us boys just went to get fucked up legally for once but you were just so in awe of everything. You were amazed by seeing something that wasn't Detroit. I imagine that in every city we go to. You, just taking in everything, and just fucking loving it for what it is."

Valerie felt hot and her face twitched, a smile trying to force its way to the surface. She tried to hold it back but couldn't, if anyone saw her now she would look like an idiot: a stupid grin on her face as she held the phone to her ear all because Jack Mercer noticed things about her and thought about her when she wasn't around.

"You're such a goddamn dork." Valerie replied but she loved it.

"I knew you would say some shit like that," he said. "But I wanted to say it anyway because I know you secretly like it and you're probably standing in our kitchen fucking blushing because someone actually cares about you which makes it worth it."

That's exactly what she was doing.

"I am not," she said defensively but he had her pinned to a T. "You think you're so smooth, Jack Mercer, but it doesn't work on me."

"I know." He agreed with her, his voice had lowered a few decibels. "You're too smart. But I keep trying anyway."

Her heart pounded. They always fooled around but something about the raspiness in his voice made her take him seriously this time. She wanted to ask him what he meant but was too scared to actually hear it. Instead, she played it off as their usual banter and made a quick subject change.

"Have you written anything new lately?" Valerie asked him, forgetting that he had said something she probably should have replied to (or trying to). "And not that screaming punk-crap either. Something I would like."

"Maybe. But you'll just have to wait until we get back."

"You're a dick," she said but the insult held no weight.

"I gotta have something to hold over you so when I come home maybe you're excited to see me."

"Oh, Jack, you know you don't have to have something for me for me to be excited to see you," she said to him a little too sweetly. "I'm not going to be excited to see you no matter what you do."

"You know what, you're the dick, Val."

She bit her lip. "Only for you."