Two weeks later…

I got a text from Jaime. He wanted to meet up at Wickman’s Wildflower Café. It was owned by the local Wickman family. They were pretty nice, if a little bit hippy-ish. I don’t mind. They made really good coffee. Plus, the family was nice enough.

Himes, That Guy in That One Band That Plays the Bass Guitar in That Band: Hey, you wanna meet up at that wildflower café?

Me: Sounds great. What time?

Himes, That Guy in That One Band That Plays the Bass Guitar in That Band: In twenty minutes. I want you to meet someone.

Me: Great. Hey, you remember Autumn?

Himes, That Guy in That One Band That Plays the Bass Guitar in That Band: Yeah, the blue haired girl? You showed me a video of her in a mosh pit giving some guys broken noses and bloody faces…

Me: Yeah, the kind of violent one. She wants to meet Tony, but she’s soooo shy.

Himes, That Guy in That One Band That Plays the Bass Guitar in That Band: I’m sure we can get that arranged. ;)

Me: Awesome! Oh, and we never had this conversation…..XDDD

Himes, That Guy in That One Band That Plays the Bass Guitar in That Band: What conversation? I’ll meet you at the drop off point at fourteen hundred. Agent 666, Party-with-the-Devil-Bitch out.

Me: Message with self-destruct in 3…2…1…

I clicked off my that conversation and quickly texted Autumn to meet me at the café in thirty minutes. She would arrive just a little later than me. My friend pestered me over and over about what it was for and why was she going to miss a puppet show hosted by her little sister, but I told her it was a pretty important situation.

“Ding!” I called to my mom. She peered around the corner. Right now, she was finishing a late lunch and reading the newspaper.

“Hey, what’s up?” She asked. I passed her a piece of paper and grabbed some more fresh sheets from the drawer by the computer.

“I’m going out to meet Jaime.” I wrote. She winked at me.

“Jaime.” I stated firmly.

“Hey, be safe. Don’t take concert tickets from strangers. Wear a condom.” She told me. I rolled my eyes but kissed her cheek goodbye. Walking out, I snagged the keys off the kitchen table and walked to the garage.

The car vroomed out of the garage. The engine hummed in pleasure. It seemed as if the entire car knew where we were going. The thoughts still lingered about what Autumn said about Himes having a girlfriend.

Out of everyone in the world, I expected him not to have a girlfriend. He didn’t seem like the girlfriend type. He seemed more like the boyfriend type.

Specifically, Vic.

I giggled silently at the thought of the ship. Turning on the radio, I cranked the sound up. It was Alone by Sleeping with Sirens. I mouthed along with the words as I pulled into a parking space at the café.

Jaime was there waiting at an outdoor table with three coffees.

And a girl sitting across from him, holding his hand.

My stomach dropped ten feet to Mordor as I got out of the car with a false smile on my face.



Jaime’s POV

“Nick Fury to Pepper Potts, over and out.” The ear piece buzzed in my ear. Vic, Mike, and Tony all had a Bluetooth with them. I had my own small piece in my ear and Olivia had asked question after question about it until I eventually told her that my phone had been dropped in the ocean by Vic and I managed to save it, except I couldn’t be heard over the speaker. She bought the lie.

Needless to say, the boys were having fun over the line.

“I’M NOT A GIRL!!!” Vic raged over the other line. Tony was giggling like it was the funniest joke in the world.

“Well you have the hair like one…” Mike trailed off.

“Nick Fury to weenie, over and out.” Tony buzzed into Mike.

“Captain America to asshole, over and out.” Mike grumbled back. Tony began to complain about it until Vic shut him up.

“Come on, guys!” I groaned quietly. Olivia was so into her phone, she didn’t hear me whisper to the others.

“Sorry, Himes. Okay, everyone in position?” Vic questioned. Apparently, the three of them had spent all last night creating a battle plan for how to keep MD interested in me and slowly subtract Olivia from the picture.

After five years in a band with these guys, I learned to just go with it.

“Are you in place, Hawkeye?” Vic asked. I guess while I had gone to get a Frito, the boys decided all the code names had to deal with the avengers. I don’t know why we had codenames at all, or why we couldn’t just stick with our instruments, but it was Vic and he always had to make things…cooler.

“It’s not like I moved.” I grumbled back quietly. Olivia looked up at me from tweeting something. She grabbed my hand tightly.

“I’m so glad that we could go get coffee.” She grinned her hideously white grin. Tony popped up behind the bush he was wearing. Leaves were stuck in his hair like he was a human bird nest. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a pair of sparrows in their right now.

He made the gag sign and ducked back down in the bush. I rolled my eyes and turned back to our conversation.

“Black Widow spotted!” Vic called. He was on the opposite side of the parking lot, sitting on a bench, acting like he was the most nonchalant person in the world. Tilting his sunglasses down like he was some somewhat sexy librarian (which he was definitely not) he raised his eyebrow and lazily yawned, pointing to her car.

I had my own eyes to see her face with, thanks a lot, Vic.

“Car is approaching the parking space. Landing! Landing!” Mike called a little too loudly into the Bluetooth. I wrinkled my nose and Olive frowned.

“What’s wrong, babe?” She asked me, squeezing my hand. I shook my head. Casually pressing the button on my Bluetooth, I made sure everyone could hear my answer.

“Nothing, babe. Just someone ass likes to yell.” I grumbled. She threw me another confused look. I smiled over it.

“Hey, that’s what wingmen are for!” Tony cheered. Someone on the table next to the bush looked down at the living plant.

I saw someone make a grossed out face at their iced drink and pour it out in the bushes. I don’t know if Tony noticed how dangerously close it had gotten to him.

“Black Widow leaving her car….She looks disappointed.” Mike muttered. He had positioned himself in his own car…which happened to be the space next to where MD had parked.

“CAPTAIN AMERICA! BLACK WIDOW IS HEADING RIGHT FOR YOU!” Vic yelled into the Bluetooth. I watched as Willow exited her car with a smile on her face. The man next to her had his feet kicked up on the dash, trying to disappear.

MD had caught his scent just as he sank into the driver’s seat. She squinted and looked into the window of the large SUV next to her small car. She knocked on the window.

“You’re screwed, weenie!” Tony called to him. An older man peered into the bushes.

“Shut up!” Mike hissed back. I chuckled a little. I think I should wear a Bluetooth with these guys more often. MD knocked on the window again and WhiskeyHands had no choice but to roll it down.

“Ding?” She asked. I heard a little of it through the mic.

“Hello there, MD. So, how’s that weather?” He asked shakily. I saw her laugh silently. Her blonde hair seemed to gleam like a shining waterfall as she chuckled.

“Well, I gotta run, so SEE YA!” He called to her. In an instant, he opened the sunroof, climbed up, and jumped out it. Mike didn’t stop running until he hit the crosswalk.

MD just watched him in confusion until she shook her head and came towards us. I had already ordered her a coffee. She loved caramel fraps, or so she told me. I made sure they got it just right.

I had to make sure everything was right.

“Hey, Willow.” I waved to her.

“Jaime.” She responded. I grinned even wider. To know that her second word was Jaime and that was my name made me feel like the most special guy in the world. A knot formed in my gut as I worried about Olivia. She could be a little bit…tight…when it came to other girls around me. To say she was overprotective was an understatement.

She was cruel and vicious.

I told her that Willow didn’t talk much and that she was just a friend. Hopefully this forewarning was enough to keep her good for today.

“Black Widow approaching! Black Widow approaching! World ending! Jealous girlfriend! World War Three starting!” Tony screeched.

“Calm yourself, butt-queef!” I harshly whispered into the earpiece. Tony whined on the other end. I saw Vic get up and start moving towards the bush. Wait, was he wearing a fedora?

Not. A. Good. Look.

Before I could say anything else, MD came down and sat in the chair. Olivia raised a penciled eyebrow tentatively.

“So you must be Willow.” She tilted her chin up, as if inspecting the girl behind her dark sunglasses. My friend nodded.

“Hey, MD.” I grinned again. She pointed to the coffee, silently asking if it was hers. I nodded.

“Jaime.” She responded cheerily, although I could tell the words were kind of forced. I felt three pairs of eyes on me. Mike had returned and he looked a little frazzled.

Vic had gone to stand over by Tony. He nonchalantly stood by the codenamed man Nick Fury.

“She’s tense. Hold up, a nuke is about to drop… Nick Fury, out.” Tony whispered into the ear piece. I rolled my eye. MD kicked me under the table and gave me an odd look. I think I wasn’t as inconspicuous as I thought…

“I hope you don’t mind, but Autumn is coming by in about eight minutes…” Willow passed me a sheet of paper. Oliva sucked on her coffee nosily. Her fake nails grasped the straw as if she was the Queen of England. No, the Queen of England, who was like five times as old as Oliva, would’ve had more poise and beauty than that. I looked back Oliva who was staring at MD with disgust.

She looked as though she had a bad smell just under her nose. She probably swallowed something extremely unpleasant, like her own personality.

I looked between my girlfriend and one of my best friends. The wingmen on the other end of the line patiently waited for whatever would go down, to go down.

“What’s she doing?” Oliva asked flatly. I glared at her.

“She might not talk much, but she can hear you.” I stated. Oliva continued her hard stare at my friend.

“Jaimeeee.” She groaned. I chuckled a little and pretended we were having the most interesting one-worded conversation in the world. MD caught on pretty quick and joined in.

“What? What’s so funny!?” Olivia cried out in disgust. The three Avengers on the other side of the Bluetooth joined in with real laughter.

“Nothing, MD just told me a funny joke.” I sputtered out. Willow smiled as she sipped on her cold drink. The hot sun was warming up the table and must’ve been rotting at Oliva’s mood.

“Jaime!” She called again. I think Willow was having her own sort of fun now.

“Good! MD’s catching on.” Mike chuckled.

“Weenie, hot girl at ten o’clock!” Tony cried out. I peered slyly towards Mike. There was a blue haired girl was striding down the street. Mike turned behind himself and pretended to check his watch.

“Guys, I think that’s Autumn.” I whispered. Ding kicked my foot at the mention. I quietly gestured behind her. She took one look over her shoulder and nodded to me.

“God, she’s hot.” Turtle muttered into the mic. His head was just poking out of the bushes now. The dog next to him was shocked and looked like he had been scarred for life.

What, haven’t you ever seen a bush with just a head sticking out of it?

“She’s also MD’s friend.” I hissed into the mic.

“She just became twice as hot. That hair…that hair…” Tony giggled as he ducked into the bushes again. Vic kicked him in the shins and the bush let out a dignified yelp.

“She has eyes, and a face, and arms…” Vic mimicked. The blue haired girl was approaching the bush. She came from the south side, where Tony was hidden.
“I wanna talk to her!” Tony whined.

“Don’t blow your cover! Don’t move!” Vic hissed, although he was right next to the boy.

There was a little gate that led to the porch for the café. That gate also happened to be right next to the hiding spot for my wingman. MD waved over her friend. Autumn let out a stunning smile that visibly made Vic shake. Autumn pushed through the gate….

Right as a middle aged man made another annoyed face into his coffee and dumped it into the hedges…

Right on top of Tony.

I guess the Espressos hadn’t been very good today. However, they had been pretty hot.

Tony let out a cry that made me scratch at my Bluetooth and make a face. He jumped up out of the bushes and crashed through the streets, yelping like a little puppy that had been kicked. Tone screamed as hot coffee dripped off his head. The Bluetooth crackled dead and as my friend disappeared around the corner.

Everyone in the café just stared; including Autumn.

“Tony?” Autumn asked in recognition. She came and sat next to MD.

“Was that….?” She asked.

“Ding.” Willow confirmed. She looked to me with a question that asked why Tone was in the bushes, but I ducked my gaze and didn’t answer. Autumn turned around and whipped back to face me. She still seemed awestruck by my presence, but I think MD had warned her beforehand.

“And is that….Vic Fuentes!?” She asked. Olivia looked annoyed, as usual. I sighed and saw him bolt.

“ABORT MISSION! ABORT MISSION! WE’VE BEEN SPOTTED!” He harshly yelled into the headset. Mike took off after him. I was soon left with the crackling sound through my own earpiece. Looks like I was on my own.

Not like they were any help in the first place.

“Hey, I’m Autumn.” The blue haired girl extended her hand to Oliva, who shook it like it was a hairless cat. They were kind of ugly….but sort of cute…

“Oliva.” My girlfriend stated flatly. Autumn raised her eyebrow. I could tell she was a ‘no nonsense’ person. I kind of like that quirk about her. I wonder how well she would match up with Tony…

“Well then…” Autumn grumbled. MD kicked her shin and she glared at her mostly muted friend.

That’s when Olivia decided to be snarky.

“So, Jaime…Are you ready for tour?” She asked innocently. I gulped. I wasn’t planning on telling MD about tour until a little later. That girl threw me a helpless look. She looked hurt that I hadn’t told her. Olivia fed on that look.

“Oh, so you didn’t tell her? But Himes! You’re leaving early next week! That’s so soon!” She faked a pout. I heard a crackling as a very wet Tone came on the other line. He must’ve heard what she was saying.
“Tour?”

“Yep.” I responded quietly. MD still looked hurt, but put a brave face over it. Autumn touched her arm. They exchanged a silent glance and a nod. I saw Tony’s head peek out from behind the coffee shop’s side.

“You didn’t tell her, did you?” He asked quietly. I just shook my head. I knew he was watching.

“I can’t save you from this one, dude.” He sighed sadly. I joined him.

“I’m sorry, MD. I was going to tell you.” I explained. She smiled weakly and dimples appeared. It was those same dimples I saw when she was really happy or sad. I don’t think this was from happiness…

She waved her hand, as if she was swatting the thought away.

“Hey, get Autumn’s number for me, will you?” Tone asked hopefully. I glared at him from across the café. He gave me the thumbs up and disappeared.

“Jaime.” MD gave me a sad look and passed a cut off, slightly crumpled piece of paper. It only had three words on it. I hadn’t ever seen her write it. I guess I was too busy glaring at Olivia who just looked like she won the lottery.

She quietly handed it to me and I glanced down at it. My fingers trembled. I had majorly screwed up this time.

I gotta go.

Those were on the only words on that wrinkled sheet of paper that baked out in the hot afternoon sun. I glanced at her softly.

“Oh, I’m glad you could come out.” I responded softly. She gave me a weak smile, stood up, nodded at all of us, and then walked off. I watched her go to her car and start it up. Without a backwards glance, she drove out of the shop’s lot. Autumn just looked at me and shook her head. She passed a dirty glance to the girl still holding my hand.

“Well, I should be off.” She started. Tony came around the corner as he saw Autumn stand up. He scurried up to her, looking kind of nervous.

Oh, I had forgotten that Turtle had zero social skills when it came to girls. I wouldn’t be surprised if he started talking about the turtle he had as a kid.

“Hi, Autumn.” He said softly. Coffee stains littered his shirt. She raised an eyebrow at his unkempt appearance.

“Hey, Tony.” She whispered while leaning back from the strong coffee stench. I watched the quietly and awkward exchanged. He tapped his foot nervously.

“Well, then.” She said finally and started to walk off. Tony just look disappointed. I think we were all a little disappointed after this encounter.

Notes

Well then, good going Jaime!!!

Awkwardness level: Turtle.

So this chapter is for @Bands for Life because you said I should make this into an actually story, not just a contest entry (which I might!)

*in announcer's voice*
Band for life: Bringing you bands, since a long time ago. Bands for life proudly sells bands with a life time guarantee! From OM&M, PTV, SWS, and MIW, they have 'em all! Bands all the time, anytime!*
*catchy jingle in the background*

*does not include actual band members: That's kidnapping.**
**kidnapping is illegal.***
***We don't support illegal crimes**********
**********However, we won't tell if you kidnap one of them. Shh.....