A Loud Voice For Quiet Hearts - Chapter Nine
They arrived in Baltimore at the ass-crack of dawn after the show in Richmond, and immediately headed to the hotel to shower and sleep for a few hours before the planned press junkets later that day. The camera crews from Opening Band were there when they walked into the hotel lobby, and Jared let out an exhausted groan before Ruth could hush him.
“The label called yesterday during sound check, Jared. They want to do a few short follow-up episodes for the internet,” Ruth explained. “They’re also going to be streaming tomorrow night’s concert for the fans that weren’t able to get tickets to the show. There’s one more surprise, but they wouldn’t give me any more details.” Ruth spread her hands in front of her, shrugging. “It can’t be helped, Jared. Just make the best of it and play a good show.”
Jared shook his head and collected his room key from Ruth before heading to the bank of elevators behind the reception area; the Ivy Hotel was beautiful, but all Jared could think of was getting up to his room and crashing for a few hours. Chad rushed to catch up to him, making it onto the elevator just as the doors started to close.
“So what do you think this surprise is going to be?” Chad asked, leaning against one of the walls and swaying a bit. He’d put on a hell of a show the night before, strutting up and down the walkway set into the crowd, engaging with everyone and at one point even crowd surfing while singing “Swim,” Jared’s favorite song of theirs to date. He was enjoying the creative freedom of occasionally throwing new songs into rotation as they toured, getting a chance to try new material before committing it to an album. The crowd reaction to the song had been amazing, and he couldn’t wait to play it again at other shows on the tour.
“Jay? You listening, man?” Chad asked as the elevator dinged, and Jared shook himself awake.
“Yeah, sorry man. I’m exhausted. I don’t know what the surprise will be, but I’m pretty sure it’s not going to be the strippers or porn stars you’re hoping it’ll be. Opening Band aired on ABC, and they’re not exactly known for their X-rated content, you know?”
“First of all, that would be amazing, but you’re right. ABC wouldn’t give me the satisfaction of strippers or porn stars, those assholes.” They continued walking down the hallway, Chad chattering goodnaturedly with Jared about what the surprise could be until they got to their room. Unlocking the door, Jared walked inside and dropped his bags next to the bed by the window, looking out at the city just starting to come to life below him. Turning, he face-planted onto the bed with a groan, falling almost instantly asleep to the sound of Chad still chattering away.
***
Jared woke to the sound of someone pounding on the door of their room; sitting up and blearily rubbing his eyes, he checked his phone and saw that not only did he oversleep by about an hour, his notifications were nothing but missed calls and texts. Groaning, he stood and stretched his arms high before walking to the door and opening it. Alona and Alex immediately pushed past him into the room, talking at the same time about the camera crew and the secret show they were playing that night.
“Guys, guys! One at a time. What secret show, Alex? Our Lady does those, we don’t.”
“That’s what I’m saying! We’re going to be playing one tonight, with them!” Alex exclaimed, sitting down on Chad’s bed with a flop.
“That’s not even the best part, Jay.” Alona had seated herself at the small writing desk in the room, a blush high on her cheeks that couldn’t be blamed on the chilled air in the room.
“Wait, how do you guys even know all of this?” Jared asked, looking from one guilty face to another.
“We might have overheard a conversation in one of the conference rooms upstairs while we were exploring the hotel,” Alex hedged, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture.
“Overheard?” Jared said slowly, smirking. “Or eavesdropped?”
“Okay, fine. We heard Ruth and Jeff talking to some of the network suits upstairs in one of the conference rooms, so we decided to stay and listen in,” Alona shrugged, rolling her eyes. “Does it really matter how we found out, Jay?”
“I guess not. Hang on, just a sec.” Jared turned to get his toothbrush and toothpaste out of his duffle before padding into the bathroom to brush his teeth. Wetting the toothbrush, he dabbed toothpaste on the brush before turning back to the main room and leaning up against the doorway. “Okay, I’m game. What’s the deal with the show tonight,” he asked before starting to brush his teeth.
“So, OLoPA was scheduled to play a secret show tonight at the Soundstage, right?” Jared nodded, and Alex continued. “Well, Jeff and Ruthie worked it out so that we’re the headliner tonight, man! OLoPA is going to open for us at the secret show!”
Jared pulled the toothbrush out of his mouth, shaking his head. He turned and walked back into the bathroom, spitting the toothpaste in the sink and rinsing his face. “There’s no way, man. There’s no freaking way Our Lady of Perpetual fucking Astonishment, one of the hottest acts in rock right now, agreed to open for us. You must have misunderstood.” Jared walked out of the bathroom, drying his face with a towel.
“Nope, it’s true,” Alona said, standing and taking Jared by the shoulders. “Jay, we’re sure about what we heard. OLoPA is opening for us tonight. They were also talking about having special guests tonight for the show, but the door got closed before we could hear anything more about it.”
“Shit. Okay, well, I guess we should be glad we decided to go with a really strong playlist tonight, then,” Jared said, brushing his hair behind his left ear. “Has anyone seen Chad? He was here when I went to sleep.”
“I think I saw him down at the bar, chatting up one of the reporters,” Alex said, smiling up at Jared without a care in the world.
“Well, that doesn’t bode well for the rest of the interviews,” Jared said, pulling a clean shirt from his duffel. Pulling the old one off and setting it to the side, he quickly pulled on the fresh one and buttoned it up. “So, shall we get this over with?”
The interviews went about as well as Jared had expected; Chad had lost track of the number of drinks he’d had while chatting up the reporter in the hotel bar, and spent most of the interviews flirting with anyone that spoke to him directly. As a consequence, Jared, Alona and Alex juggled the questions, never really allowing Chad to get more than a word out before rushing to answer the question themselves. Only one of the reporters seemed to notice the delicate dance the three of them were performing, but seemed more amused about it than anything.
“So, Alona- The last question is for you, and it was submitted by the winner of this week’s fan club contest. What has been the most memorable stop on the tour so far?”
Alona paused for a moment, considering her options before responding. “If I had to pick just one stop so far, I’d have to pick St Petersburg. We stayed at a resort right on the beach, and seeing the stars shine over the Gulf that night will be a memory that stays with me for the rest of my days,” Alona said, smiling softly.
The reporter nodded, jotting down what she’d said, and the interview portion of the day was done.
***
Ross was sitting in the small waiting area they called a green room at the Baltimore Soundstage, looking over the set list they’d come up with for the night’s secret show. Some of Ross’s favorite songs of theirs had been put on the list, and he was excited to be playing them in a smaller, stripped down way than their shows usually allowed them to. Pulling out his notebook, he was jotting down a few notes for future songs they could do when the door to the green room opened. His head jerked up, ready to tell whomever it was that he had another half-hour before he was supposed to be up on stage, but he was shocked to see his family walking through, surrounded by the camera crew.
“Momma? Dad?” He said weakly. His younger sister darted out from behind his parents, clearly tired of waiting for them to make it into the room fully, and barreled into him, almost knocking him over. “Mackenzie!”
“Hey, Mr. Rockstar.” She said, looking up at him with a fond smile. “Surprise!” Behind her, a camera moved to get a better angle of the two of them, and Ross was reminded that this entire thing was being filmed for the show.
He smiled widely, clicking immediately back into the happy son persona he’d shed since moving out to Los Angeles. “Hey there, Mack! Guys, what are you doing here?” He stepped away from his sister to give his mother a hug, then gave his father their usual one-armed hug before stepping away again, tucking his notebook back in his backpack.
“Jeff gave us a call, said the label and the network wanted to do a family reunion kind of thing for the show.” His father said, looking around the green room with confusion. “Where is the rest of the band, JR?”
“Oh, they’ll be here soon. I usually take a few minutes to myself before we do a show, just to take a break and look over the set list.” Ross glanced at Mackenzie, who was clearly trying to communicate something to him, if the almost-frantic eye movements she was making were any indication. Ross finally glanced in the direction she was now not-so-subtly pointing, and saw Jared trying to slowly back out of the doorway without catching the attention of the cameras.
“Hey, Jay. Come on in and meet my folks!” Ross said, stepping forward and motioning Jared into the room. It was a shitty thing to do, and he regretted it almost immediately, but the room was starting to feel a bit tight and Jared was always a breath of fresh air.
“I don’t want to interrupt, Ross,” Jared argued, waving his hands in front of him but walking into the room anyway. “Hi, I’m Jared Padalecki,” Jared said, shaking hands with Ross’s dad and mom before turning to his sister. She was staring at him with a weird expression on her face, and Ross groaned internally, recognizing the expression on her face.
“Mack, he’s not going to bite. Shake the man’s hand before he thinks you hate him,” Ross said, chuckling.
“Hi,” she said softly, extending her hand to Jared.
“Hey there, Mack.” Jared shook her hand gently, and she giggled nervously, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. Ross rolled his eyes; it was the exact same way she’d acted when meeting the rest of OLoPA. Jared smiled widely, though, and seemed to take it all in stride. “Listen, I just stopped by to thank Ross again for doing this tonight. I don’t want to intrude.” Jared stood there awkwardly for a moment, then turned to go.
“Pretty exciting night for you boys, I’d imagine,” Alan Ackles spoke, and Jared turned to face him. “Gotta be pretty exciting, having a band as big as my son’s as your opening act.”
Ross couldn’t make sense of what his father was saying, but Jared seemed to understand, and deflated a bit. “Yes, sir. It’s an honor, really. I just hope we do right by them the rest of the tour, play our best and make this all worth it for them.” Ross and Jared shared a glance, then Jared smiled widely. “Thanks for introducing me, Ross. See you in a bit?”
Ross nodded, and Jared walked out the door, taking the sunshine with him.
***
Our Lady of Perpetual Astonishment played a stripped-down set list that night, with Ross and Chris on acoustic guitar, Tom on bass and Mike alternating between a smaller drum kit and a hand shaker. They played “Echo,” “Everlong,” and “Here By Me,” closing with “Someday,” a song Ross and Jared had written while driving through North Carolina a few nights earlier. The crowd was more subdued than their usual shows, with the occasional flash of a camera from one side of the stage or another but none of the raucous energy they’d all gotten so used to. Ross started to worry that the idea had fallen flat until he’d finished playing the last chords of the song- The crowd rose in a rush and cheered, clapping and stomping their feet for an encore, the cameras set up in the balcony recording the whole thing. They hadn’t planned on playing an encore, but after sharing a look between the four of them, Chris shrugged and leaned into the microphone.
“Y’all having a good night tonight, Baltimore?” The crowd roared, and Chris chuckled. “Alright, then. One more song, and then we’re gonna give up the stage to Your Heart and I.”
Ross finger-picked the first few chords of a song, and Chris nodded. Mike counted out a beat, and they started to play “Forget It,” a song from their first album that all four of them sang together. The crowd sang along, and Ross smiled as he sang- He loved the feeling of being on stage, singing songs he’d written that resonated in so many different ways with their audience, and never wanted to give that feeling up.
Once the song was over, they stood and walked to the edge of the stage as a group, bowing and waving to the crowd before handing their instruments to the roadies and walking backstage. Jared wasn’t waiting for him at the now usual spot just off stage, and Ross felt a pang of disappointment before remembering that Jared’s family had been flown out for the recorded episode as well. Walking down the hallway to the green room area, he realized that he didn’t necessarily have to go looking for Jared- He just needed to follow the sound of laughter. Turning a corner, he knocked on the open door before walking through, and was immediately struck by how tall all of the Padalecki men were. “Giants, every one of them,” Ross thought.
“Ross, you’re here! Come here, meet my family!” Jared said, waving Ross over. “This is my dad, Gerry. That lovely lady over there is my momma Sherry , and sitting next to her is my sister Megan.” Jared gestured as Ross shook everyone’s hand. “My brother Jeff is in med school right now, so he couldn’t make it.”
“We were just telling Jared how great your show was tonight,” Sherri said, patting Ross on the arm. “You boys play together so well.”
“Thank you very much, ma’am. I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. Were your seats okay?” Ross said, smiling at her.
“They were perfect! We were up high on one of the catwalks, and we could see everything!” Mackenzie exclaimed, and Ross nodded.
“I figured they weren’t going to make you guys stand with the rest of the crowd. I’m glad to hear you were taken care of.”
“We met your family, Ross- They seem like nice folks,” Gerry said, nodding at Ross.
Before Ross could think of a reply, someone knocked at the door. “I hope I’m not interrupting,” the small brunette said, stepping into the room.
“Sandy!” Sherri exclaimed, and jumped up from the couch to give her a hug. “You made it!”
“Sandy?” Jared said behind Ross, and he turned to see Jared suddenly white as a ghost. “What are you doing here?”
“The network called and asked if I could make it to the taping tonight. I told them I didn’t know if I could make it, but your momma insisted that you’d want me here, if you knew they’d asked.” Sandy paused, smile fading just a bit. “It’s good to see you, Jared.”
Jared smiled. “It’s great to see you, Sandy, really.” He walked over and gave her a big hug, picking her up and swinging her around a bit before putting her back down. Her high laugh pealed through the room, and Ross felt something in his chest crack a bit.
A PA knocked on the doorframe, breaking the moment. “Jared, you’re on in five.”
“That’s my cue to get lost. Folks, it was really nice to meet you,” Ross said, walking towards the door. “See you at the party after the show?”
Jared nodded, then looked back down at Sandy with a soft smile on his face. “Yeah, man. See you then.”
Ross waved at Jared’s family and then walked out the door, his chest feeling tight and his eyes stinging, though he couldn’t find the words to say why.
He made his way upstairs to the private bar area of the venue; sectioned off from the rest of the theater, it allowed OLoPA to watch the show without anyone noticing they were there. After making the rounds, greeting the VIPs and thanking them for making it to the show, Ross found a place to sit at the live edge bar top that ran the length of the balcony.
A waiter came by and took Ross’s order for a scotch and soda, and Ross settled in to watch the show.
Your Heart and I took the stage together, no theatrics. There were a few hoots and hollers from the crowd, but it was clear there was a hesitance from the audience to accept the reversal in the billing that night. Rather than introduce themselves right away, they took their positions around the stage and immediately played “Far From Perfect,” and Ross was impressed with the choice- The audience immediately began moving, throwing fists in the air and singing along to the song, which was getting heavy rotation on the radio. Ross found himself tapping along to the song, singing the lyrics to himself while watching the show.
The song ended with Chad taking a jump from the drum dais just as the last note played, and the crowd roared. Confidently swaggering back to the mic stand, Chad stood for a moment and surveyed the audience before raising a hand over his head. “Good evening, Baltimore! How the hell are you tonight,” he growled into the mic, and smiled when the audience cheered back at him. “We are Your Heart and I, and we’d like to play y’all a few songs tonight, if you would be so kind as to stay with us for a bit.” He smiled widely, then turned and nodded to Alex. Alex started the four-count, and the band began to play “Follow,” one of the heavier songs they had in their playbook.
It fascinated Ross that Jared didn’t really seem to be capable of sticking to a genre when writing songs- The same man that wrote songs like “Stay” and “Crawl” also wrote songs like “Far From Perfect” and “Follow,” and was capable of switching from one to the other while up on stage. Instead of the mandolin or fiddle that she usually played, Alona was stalking the stage with a bass, looking like a young Kim Gordon or Suzi Quatro. Jared played guitar beside Chad, losing himself in the music and banging his head while playing.
Looking out at the audience, watching the crowd react to Your Heart and I’s performance so far, Ross’s eye was caught by a petite brunette in front of the crowd near Jared, jumping up and down to the music and throwing her hands above her head in horns every few moments. Staring at her for a long moment, Ross could understand the attraction- She was gorgeous, and clearly interested in Jared. He wondered what had happened between the two of them before the contest; none of Jared’s interviews had mentioned a girlfriend, but the two of them clearly had a history. Waving down the waiter, Ross ordered another scotch and soda and continued watching Sandy watch Jared, feeling like an idiot.
“Alright, Baltimore- We’re gonna slow it down here for a moment, and my gal Alona is going to take the mic.” Chad bowed and turned to walk back a few steps, grabbing a stool from the side of the stage and sitting off to the side. Jared handed his guitar off to one of the roadies and walked over to the grand piano that was set to one side of the stage, taking a seat and playing a few keys experimentally. Alona walked to the front of the stage where Chad had been standing, and the lighting in the room dimmed dramatically. Looking at Jared, she nodded once and turned back to the crowd as he started to play.
“Put your lighter in the air and lead me back home,” she began, and the hair on the back of Ross’s neck stood up.
“Holy shit,” Chris breathed next to him, and Ross turned to see Chris with a lovestruck expression on his face. He turned back to the stage to watch Alona sing, realizing there was more to Your Heart and I than they’d shown so far. The audience seemed to agree; the floor below them was a sea of cell phone flashlights and lighters, swaying along to the music the band was playing. Alona owned the stage; despite not moving from the spot in front of the microphone, every eye in the house was on her, and the way she sang with her whole body. “Dude, I think I’m in love,” Chris said softly, elbowing Ross in the side.
Ross chuckled, raising his scotch and soda in a mock-salute. “Good luck with that, man.”
“Yeah, it’s perfectly reckless. Damn, you leave me defenseless, so break in,” Alona crooned on the stage, and Ross closed his eyes, listening to the way Jared was playing the piano, imagining those long, slender fingers touching Sandy’s body. His heart clenched, and he opened his eyes, shaking his head.
“Fuck,” he whispered to himself, downing his drink and waving down the waiter for another. “Fucking fuck.”
Onstage, Alona was finishing the song. “Put your lighter in the air and lead me back home,” She sang, hanging her head and gripping the mic stand tight as she bowed, standing again and smiling at the audience.
***
After the show, they were expected to work the room where the VIPs had been gathered, making nice with the studio executives and celebrities who had paid more for their tickets that night than Jared’s first car had cost him. Once he’d finished cleaning up in the small changing area backstage, Jared emerged to find Sandy waiting for him in his dressing room, checking her make-up and fixing her hair. Seeing him walk into the room behind her, she smiled brightly and turned to face him. “Jared, hey!”
“Hey, Sandy. I didn’t expect to see you here,” Jared said, standing in the doorway awkwardly. He didn’t know why, but finding her in his dressing room almost felt like a trap. Shaking his head at his paranoia, he stepped into the room and bent to give her a quick hug, surprised at the intensity of the hug she gave in return.
“We need to talk, Jared.” She said, stepping back and looking up at him with a mixed expression on her face. “Can you give me a couple of minutes before you head to the party?”
“Yeah, I can chat for a little bit. What’s on your mind?” Jared asked, sitting down on the sofa in the dressing room. Sandy took a seat next to him on the couch, folding her hands together in her lap and staring at them for a long moment before finally looking up at Jared.
“I don’t know how to start,” Sandy said, smiling a bit helplessly.
“Start at the beginning?” Jared suggested, and she laughed.
“Okay then. Jared, there are some… rumors I’ve heard and seen online, since the tour started,” Sandy said slowly, choosing her words carefully.
“Rumors? What are you talking about?”
“Rumors about you and Ross, about all the time you guys have been spending together on their tour bus.” Sandy paused, then continued. “People are saying the two of you are hooking up, and I don’t know how to argue when people make comments about it, or if it’s even my place to, anymore.”
“Sandy, I… I can’t deny that there’s something happening, but I don’t know if it’s one-sided, or if it’s a mutual thing. And I’m sorry that people are bringing it up to you- You shouldn’t have to deal with that, ex-girlfriend or not.” He took her hands in his, and took a deep breath. “You know I love you, Sandy. Always will, just not the way you needed me to.”
“Oh, Jared. I know. I just want to make sure you know what people are saying, and that you’re being careful- Times have changed, but this could still ruin your career before it really gets a chance to take off. I just want you to be happy, though. I love you too, you big lug.” Sandy said, smiling through tears.
Someone cleared their throat behind them, and Jared stood to see Misha standing at the door, a sly expression on his face. “I’m sorry if I’m interrupting, but your presence has been requested at the after-party,” he said before walking off.
“I should get going,” Sandy said, standing up. “I’ve taken up enough of your time, and you have a party to get to.”
“Listen, you should come to the party with me,” Jared said, taking her hands in his. “Really, I think it would be fun. I know Chad would be happy to see you, and so would Alex.”
“Chad will be happy to have someone to hit on, you mean,” Sandy said, rolling her eyes and smiling. “It would be nice to see Alex and Alona again, though. If you’re sure it’s okay?”
Jared nodded. “I’m sure. Come on, let’s go- I want to introduce everyone to the prettiest ex-girlfriend I’ve ever had.”
Winding an arm through his, Sandy smiled. “I’d be honored to be your arm candy for the evening, Mr. Rock Star.”
***
Ross had lost count of his drinks somewhere around the time Your Heart and I had finished their set; the room was full of people he didn’t know, and he was having a hard time mustering the energy to make conversation with any of the people the label had wanted him to schmooze. Thankfully, the camera crews had called it quits not long ago; after getting the reactions to the surprise family visits and taping the show, they’d briefly made a round through the bar area before leaving for the night.
Ross was seated in one of the booths hugging the wall of the private bar, talking with Chris about the show in Philly until Alona walked in, and Chris quickly excused himself. Misha slid in a few moments later, a drink in each hand, and Ross internally groaned- He really wasn’t in the mood to deal with Misha, but at least he’d brought alcohol with him.
Sliding one of the rocks glasses across the table to Ross, Misha leaned back on the bench seat of the booth and smiled before taking a sip of his own drink. “Rough night? I thought your show went pretty well.”
“Yeah, it was pretty good. Seeing my parents was… a surprise,” Ross said, choosing his words carefully. Misha always set his nerves on edge, but Ross still tried to be nice to the guy. He glanced up from his drink to see Jared and Sandy walking through the door, her arm wound through his, and his chest felt heavy all over again.
“She’s pretty enough, if you’re into that sort of thing,” Misha said, a thoughtful expression on his face.
“Into what,” Ross asked, the room tilting slightly.
“Groupies,” Misha said patiently, as if that explained everything.
“Dude, she’s not a groupie. They know each other,” Ross said, gesturing towards the pair.
“That doesn’t mean she’s not a groupie, man. That just means she has an in,” Misha replied, taking another sip of his drink. “That’s newbies, though- Easiest pickings are the ones ‘who knew the real you before you made it big.’” Misha made air quotes as he said the last bit, and Ross chuckled.
“Still, though- I don’t think Jared’s that kind of guy, you know?” Ross said, staring at the two of them while they talked with Ruth and one of the label execs. Sandy was nodding enthusiastically to something the exec was saying, her long brown hair cascading in soft curls down her back. Jared casually put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to his side, and the air left the room- Ross tried taking a deep breath, but couldn’t seem to gasp down enough air to relieve the pressure in his chest. He couldn’t put a name to what he was feeling, but it was familiar and tasted bitter, and he’d promised himself he’d never feel this way again.
“I’m sorry, man, but I think he’s exactly that kind of guy.” Misha said softly, pulling Ross’s attention away from the scene on the other side of the bar. “Are you okay, man? You look a little pale.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Ross answered, still gasping a bit. “I need to get out of here, get some fresh air. If you see Chris, let him know I stepped out?” He asked, rising unsteadily from the booth before making his way out the side exit that led to the balcony. Behind him, Misha finished his drink and set the glass back down on the table. Looking around the room at the gathered crowd, he left without saying goodbye to anyone.
Standing on the small rooftop patio at the Soundstage, Ross continued to take deep breaths, trying to swallow back down the lump in his throat that he suspected might be his heart. He leaned over the railing, watching the traffic passing below and listening to the sounds of music coming from the door he’d propped open on his way out. He needed to get back in there, make small talk and mingle with the guests who’d paid extra to attend the after-party with the bands, but he couldn’t do it, couldn’t pretend everything was okay when he was having such a hard time understanding why it wasn’t.
There was a thud behind him, and he turned to see Chad wandering out the patio door with several other guys. “Hey, Ross! There you are. I was just looking for you. Come on, have a drink with me.” Chad flopped down onto one of the chairs on the patio, putting an almost-full bottle of whiskey on the table beside him. Ross moved to join him, sitting in a chair on the other side of the table. “So, what has you acting like an emo teenager tonight?” Chad asked, uncapping the whiskey and taking a swallow straight from the bottle.
“Jesus. You don’t waste any time, do you?” Ross asked, taking the bottle from Chad and swallowing down a few shots before coughing from the burn of the whiskey. Searching his pockets, he finally found the pack of special occasion cigarettes he’d grabbed from his duffel earlier and took one from the pack. He offered the open pack to Chad, who took one and lit it up before handing his lighter to Ross.
“I figure we have like a half-hour before someone comes out here looking for us, and since you and I never really get a chance to actually talk, I’d take advantage of your inebriated state to find out what the hell is wrong with you tonight, man.” Chad took a slow drag on the cigarette, and exhaled. “So, you gonna make me beat it out of you, or you gonna tell Uncle Chad where it hurts?”
Ross took another few shots and shook his head. “First of all, please do not ever call yourself that in my presence ever again. Second, who says anything is wrong?” The lights on the patio were starting to go a bit wibbly-wobbly, but he’d never let that stop him before.
“Come on, man. You looked like someone kicked your puppy right before you guys started playing your show, and ever since you got off that stage, you’ve looked like you wanted to puke, when you weren’t throwing down drinks like my old man at a family barbecue.” Chad squinted at him, gesturing with his cigarette while he spoke. “So, tell me what’s eating at you.”
Ross stared at Chad for a long moment, trying to think of where to even begin with what was bothering him. “What’s the deal with Jared and Sandy?” He blurted, and immediately wished he could take it back.
“Jay and Sandy? Nothing there, man. They dated for like six months a while back, but they broke up a while before we started the contest. Honestly, I don’t know why she’s even here tonight, man. They’re ancient history,” Chad said, settling back in his chair a bit.
“So, there’s nothing between them anymore? Because they looked pretty cozy at the party,” Ross said bitterly, taking another drink from the bottle.
“Nah. I don’t know what all happened between them before they broke up, but I could have told you that shit wasn’t gonna last, not in a million years. Why? You wanna tap that?” Chad asked blearily, his head resting against the back of the chair.
“Yeah, no. Sandy’s… not my type,” Ross said slowly, taking one last drag of his cigarette before putting it out in the ashtray on the table.
“I wasn’t talking about Sandy, and we both know it,” Chad said, staring at Ross from lowered eyelids. “Give me some credit, man- I’m not as dumb as I look.”
Ross paused for a long moment, trying to figure out how to respond to that, but it turned out to not be necessary- The sound of soft snores started coming from the other chair, and Ross realized that Chad had passed out after that last sentence. Shaking his head, he chuckled softly to himself before settling back in the chair as well. “Yeah, I guess you’re not,” he said, falling asleep to the sounds of the party happening a few feet away.