#GET OUT OF MY HEAD ERIC I NEED TO DRAW JAIME

[wazzappp]

He is in my brain he won’t leave me alone

[oh-my-dead-vicious-wizard-duck]

Good Shit from High Octane Action Films

this month was a ride

- yup yep Jaime kisses Lauren’s neck everything is Fine and Chill

- “what’s the name of the winner, Ashley?” “Jaime filling in for Ashley–”

- “soooo I was under the impression with this being my first time here, that you would all try and be really good at picking a name-” “nuh-uh” “-but you guys do you, okay” “yup”

- there’s just something with the way Joey says “hell yea” that makes me smile

- “are you drivin?!” “yeah, but this is a very european car!”

- “guess what” “what” “sssOMEBODY ONCE TOLD ME” i cant believe

- “AND WE ARE GONNA STEAL JEWELS FOR MOOOOM”

- “Billy, turn on the lights. I was getting into my monologue!”

- “make some noise so I know which direction to talk into. …..oh, I guess you were talking so that was a noise”

- “alright you assholes, get in here” “yeah, boss?” “where are the other assholes?”

- Joey burping and Lauren slapping him

- “horse is the basketball thing, you have to know different things to do ballet”

- “shut UP Samantha, everyone knows in order to do ballet you have to be a BETCH”

- “the girls in Moscow. they all have them” *everyone gasps* “it’s so cold there”

- “are they fur hawaiian shirts?” “what??” “are they fur hawaiian shirts?”

- “OH BETHANY. GET FUCKED BETHANY”

- “it’s shaped like a baseball” “oh, is that why they’re calling it the baseball diamond?” “yeah, it’s a bit of a play on words”

- “I need you to bring that mom of theirs.. to.. the gala…” “I didn’t understand what you just said” “I need you to bring that mom of theirs.. to–” “momadez? momadez? I don’t , I don’t–”

- “I don’t even know what you’re doing here Bethany”

- “they both died? wow, that is some sibling love, I’ve never seen anything like that. One of them got shot and they both died??”

- “and I’m going home with mrs. Bahama so who’s got the solo now, bitcheeeeess”

- ERIC ON THE STAGE??

- “what is the winner Ashley– i mean uhhhhh”

- Lauren covering her face with her sweater

- “don’t touch your brother like that”

- I’m crying what the fuck was Lauren doing with Joey’s face hashsjjsj

- “you have more hair than Jason Statham”

- “I’m gonna throw some stuff at ya, it’s time to improvise”

- “and your mom says haa” “ and your dad is h-hot”

- the way Lauren pretends to chew

- “if we all put our heads together, I think one bullet will go through all the–” “no, that’s dark”

- “right in the plushies” it’s not even a funny quote but the way she said it was adorable

- “what’s it like to draw?” “it’s surreal, have you ever drowned before?”

- when Lauren tries to get everyone on the stage but they ignore her

- “it’s national taco day, miss” “that makes sense, taco day, no one’s working at Chipotle, that makes a whole lotta sense” and Joey’s laugh here

- when Lauren looks over her shoulder during the Very Slow Footrace

- “I’m NOT Lauren Lopez and I’m joined by-”

- “do you want me to keep going?” “please.” “cool”

- “I got confused by what you said”

- “at the end of the day it’s just gonna be me and my girl, riding out to…. kissout point” it’s been 3 and a half minutes of the 4th episode and I’m already losing it, Dan is SO FUNNY

- Dan stopping mid-sentence to let us know he’s putting the giant bag of m&ms down

- “now you got no shirt and I ripped off a little bit of the tips of your shoes. SO ARE YOU COMING WITH ME OR WHAT”

- “i want you to take this finger……… you listenin to me Louise?” “i AM, Rebarbara”

- “are you, excusing me, in this, moment, Louise?!”

- “we’re gonna send it over to man with the….. uh, keyboard, Eric”

- “I’m already spicious. this guy just called me Jerry and my name is Jeremy. let’s see where this goes”

- “normally my buddy Steven would still be here with me, but I ripped off a little piece of his shoes and buttoned up shirt and he had to go home. plus he tried to order a sprite. yeah, we’re a pepsi place. brings people together”

- “I’m not kissing the girl unless you kiss her friend” and Paul just makes a super confused face in the background dndnnd

- “thanks everybody, have a great night.”

[glassheartff]

24. Like Together-Together

"You know...maybe I'm not the best person to ask for advice on buying these kind of drinks...since the bar I work at sorta specialises in using the cheap stuff from Target" Tina said as she picked up a bottle of Chardonnay. I didn't miss her eyes widening slightly after checking out the price. "Holy shit I am out of my element here."

"As long as he doesn't see a Target receipt, Brandon will be fine" I took the Chardonnay from Tina, took a look and shrugged at the price. You only finish an album so many times in your life. I put it in the cart. "Now onto the exciting part: the drinks when we get tired of champagne."

"Now that's something a downtown bartender can help you with" She smiled taking control of the shopping cart.

About fifteen minutes later I pulled up outside my house again and looked at the time. 5.04pm,  though you couldn't tell from outside because it still looked as bright as it did this morning.

"So what now?" I looked to the side at Tina who looked back at me as soon as we put all these drinks on the counter, the later it got the sooner I needed to head to the office to celebrate with the guys though that was literally the last thing on my mind right now.

Though these last twenty-four hours were a fucking whirlwind and a drink sounded like heaven right about now.

Tina looked at the clock. "I think I'm gonna go."

"You sure?"

"Yeah..." She leaned against the counter. "I promised Fara I'd catch her up for a meal and since breakfast and lunch are off the cards I guess we have to do dinner." She said it in a way like she wasn't looking forward to dinner at all.

I tilted my head at her. "Should I even ask?"

"Just best friends doing their duty and giving their opinions whether you ask for it or not."

"A conversation I know all too well, trust me." I guess Fara was Tina's Phil in a sense.

"If you don't hear from me again know my cause of death was being drowned in Fara's advice. But I know she means well and wants what’s best for me...sometimes it's just easy to forget that..." Tina left it as it was and she was right, God knows I hated it when Phil or Ryan or Eric start voicing their opinions in my life and it's easy to forget that they meant well and that was their way of caring -- pissing me off. "Your shorts, I need to give you back these shorts"

"Keep them."

She raised an eyebrow at me "Bruno..."

"Nah I'm serious, don't you think it's best if I give up on my NBA dreams now? Plus they look better on you"

"They arere really comfy" She admitted and we just stood there smiling at each other."Okay, I really have to go before I end up spending another night here."

"You say it like it's a bad thing."

--

Unorthodox Jukebox has a ring to it, doesn't it?

So does: Bruno Mars' sophomore album.

Every fucking thing's coming together.

I took a sip of the Whiskey me and Tina bought earlier today from Target in Brandon's office with the guys, the radio was on playing whatever RnB song was hot right now. It was just us guys like how it's been in Doo Wops and my first EP.

I kind of felt...light -- not in that drunk way but just in life, I took the drink in pure celebration, not for a hidden agenda - not to get rid of the guilt of what I was like to Amelia or because I was angry at her or to hide my issues I was having with Tina in the past.

I was drinking because I was fucking ecstatic. 2012 was a rollercoaster but I was coming out on top.

"Hey! Jaime just called to say congrats on the album!" Eric called out to me from the other side of the room where he and Brandon were talking over drinks.

"Tell her thanks, where's she now?"

My older sister was somewhat of traveller, being the first of us to venture out to L.A. now around the world just for the fun of it.

"Ecuador last time I asked."

South America, her journey was drawing to a close, I think she said she was aiming to come back before the start of the new year which was in a few weeks.

"Who put happy pills in this guy's drink?" Phred said taking a seat opposite to me with Ryan. "Damn, doesn't your face hurt from all that smiling?"

"I just finished an album - sue me" I said back with a laugh.

"A fucking good one at that" Phred held his solo cup up and the three of us toasted. "I cannot wait to get on the road."

"Same man" Ryan agreed. "This album promo tour's just the start, you excited man?" He nudged my knee and I nodded, not really paying attention. Ryan narrowed his eyes at me in question.

"See man, you sent him to sleep. You know the only thing that gets his attention is: food, drink, music and partying and did you say any of those things...no" Phred said to Ryan. "Hey -- earth to Mars."

"I'm listening." I took another sip of the good stuff.

"Here's something to get your blood pumping. Not that this isn't great or anything but we need a real party to celebrate this album. How 'bout at my place tomorrow?" Phred asked me.

"Tomorrow?" Ryan blinked. "Cutting it a little too thin don't you think, Phredly?"

"Like anyone does shit on a Sunday" He countered. "You guys in or out?"

"Hell yeah, we're in, Bruno?" Ryan looked to me.

"Yeah sure, you know me, I can't say no to a party."

 -

About an hour later I was out on the office's balcony smoking a cigarette and I wanted to speak to Tina. Plus I had a pretty legit reason to speak to her because of Phred's party, to know if she could make it and if she can't then I'll make her come or we'll both miss it together.

She answered on the fourth ring.

"Mr. Mars..."

"Ms. Danielson" I replied.

"How's the album party?"

"Just imagine fiftheen men in one medium sized office listening to top forty radio making conversation with each other and you'll have a picture." I tapped the end of my cigarette on the railing watching the ashes fall through the air from the third floor here into the fake grass below.

"A pretty vivid one at that." Her laugh rang through the phone and I found myself trying to suppress a grin on my face.

"So...our good friend Phredly Brown isn't happy with this get together."

"Shocker." Tina said sarcastically and I could practically picture her rolling her eyes. "This is the same guy who tried to start a one man acapella of I'm too sexy in San Diego."

"That was a...revealing night." I admitted. "So he wants to throw a party tomorrow" I heard Tina breathe in sharply...why did I not like that sound? "Why don't I like that reaction?"

"I'm behind on my blog entries for Mode...which I planned to work on today after the Christmas party but certain people showed up at my door and journeys were made at three in the morning which kind of made me not do it."

"C'mon, Tina you can't miss the party! Actually that's an order. You're not missing it. You're going." I leaned back on the railing looking back into the office where everyone was either talking or drinking or both. "If you were gonna do it all today that means you can do it all tomorrow...and I'll help."

"You'll help?" Tina asked surprised

"I probably won't be much help would I?"

"I'll tell you what...how 'bout you swing by mine at nine and we'll see?"

"Sounds like a deal." I agree.

"Good. Now go have fun with the guys...you worked it hard on that album, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Tina" I hung up and turned back to the view out here taking in everything. Shit it was still overwhelming but I swear all traces of the guy I was this time last year would be gone, I won't mess up this second chance.

Out walked Ryan closing the door behind him and joined me looking out at L.A. drumming his fingers in the railing idly.

"Go on" I laughed, I could tell he was holding himself back.

He turned to me about to say something then paused before opening his mouth again. "Are you okay?"

I drew out a breath and smiled -- it was a simple and loaded question all the same. "Yeah..." I chose to answer. "I'm good."

He narrowed his eyes at me and leaned back. "Something's different about you."

"Maybe because I officially have made two albums. Or maybe...maybe it's because Tina's given me a chance..."

I almost laughed as Ryan's eyes widened. "You mean...no....way."

"Uh huh." I nodded with a smile and Ryan gave me a little shove.

"DUDE. How can you not tell me this?"

"Because I still can't believe it myself."

"When did this even happen? We only got back last night!" He asked me. "Whoa back up, what about Amelia?"

That feeling came back again, the guilt. I'd treated Amelia like crap since the start of the year. "She was at my house when I came back with Kenji and I broke up with her" I shrugged. "Then...Tina and I did what we do best."

"Get in a colossal argument or just start making out like you don't need oxygen?"

"...the first."

"Then it ended up with: Hey, you wanna start dating? Yeah, why not" Ryan made the shittiest impressions of me and Tina, it made me drop my cigarette off the railing ad how shit it was. "You know I'm fucking with you" And we ended up laughing. "But thank God you guys got together, I feel like I've been through a fucking Nicholas Sparks novel with the both of you."

-

I had like an epiphany last night. It had just dawned on me that Phred's party tonight would be the first party Tina and I would be going to together - like together-together in front of our whole clique - clique.

Did I really just use that word?

Anyway we're like a couple now aren't we? And couples go to things together.

But couples aren't actually couples until other people know they're a couple and the only person who knows was is Ryan...and probably Fara. I don't know.

Today would be our entrance, we were supposed to do this together...if only Tina would put her damn laptop down for the night. It's been like an hour since I got to her apartment and it's just been type this, type that, backspace it all, grammar, punctuation and other words I haven't had to think about since I graduated high school.

"I told you I could drive myself to Phred's after I get this entry done" Tina said to me as I walked laps around her apartment feeling useless and restless.

I stopped my pacing in front of her. "But knowing you you'll spend two extra hours making small little changes to it and you'll just bail on the party all together in the end. C'mon Teen, the blog'll be waiting for you when you come back."

She paused and the typing noise on her laptop stopped. "What's got you in a hurry?"

"...I'm not in a hurry. I just want a drink"

Half a lie, half a truth.

And she looked at me properly, as if for the first time. "You're so jumpy, I'm scared if I touch you I'll get electrocuted or something."

"Hmm, why don't you try?"

"I'd rather finish my entry" Tina started typing away again but it wasn't the end of the conversation. "But you're so edgy...what's so special about going to Phred's tonight?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I sat next to Tina on her sofa and tried to get a peak at what she was typing. Partly to see how much she had left to type but mostly to see what she was typing about, she was kind of shifty when it came to her writing.

"No..." Tina shook her head leaning to the side of the sofa making sure I couldn't see any of what she's typed.

"What? It's not like I can't search it up on my phone...if I knew how to use the internet on it..." Yeah I wasn't the best when it came to technology. I was the type to physically write things down on a piece of paper, the type to call Ari if something electrical wasn't working because I didn't know what the hell was up. "You know what I mean."

"You're just gonna have to wait to see the finished product" Tina said with a growing smile. "Just like everybody else."

And there I go eating my words again.

"Is this payback for the album?" I ask.

"Not really, I just don't want you to see it until it's done. But now that you mention that, it's like killing two birds with one stone...one bird being an unorthodox one."

I check my watch. It was nearly nine-thirty.

"Are you nearly done?"

"I might be if you tell me why you're so excited..." Tina looked up at me in a way that made me want to tell her why but I needed to save face in case I overwhelmed her or something.

So I just laughed it off "I'm not excited, Teen." I insisted.

She shrugged, turning her attention back at to her laptop. "Then I'm not nearly done." And the typing started again, I was getting pretty sick of that sound. So sick I started getting immature and desperate.

"Ow!" Tina yelled turning to me and touching her head, on the spot where I tugged on some of her hair. "What was that for?" She said hitting me back in the arm.

"I'm gonna keep on annoying you until you walk out that door with me to my car so we can walk into Phred's together."

"...together, huh?" Tina leaned back on the sofa with a satisfied smile on her face.

Fuck, I said too much.

"Is that why you're so insistent on picking me up today? So we can go to Phred's together?"

"What? N-No." I guess I shouldn't give Tina grief about her being a terrible actor because I'm pretty sure I won't be winning Oscars with this performance.

"No point denying it. Spill." She closed her laptop giving me her full attention.

"Just...this is the first party where we don't have to hide anything." I give in. "No sneaky glances or pretending like nothing's happened between us, all that is exhausting...and I really want a drink."

Tina put her laptop on her table and turned to me pushing a strand of her long brown hair behind her ear. "So...have you told anyone about us? Like...what's happened in the past because I've told Fara."

Shocker of the century.

Fara Patzer's facial expressions can tell a story worth a thousand words...or just a few. Like: you're an asshole, stay away from my best friend. That was her usual facial expression a couple of days after something bad happened between Tina and I.

"Wait, you knew?" Tina looked surprised.

"Kinda hard not to." I admit. "She's been giving me the occasional death stare since San Diego. I've told Ryan"

Well more like Ryan's dragged it out of me, more like Ryan's got this crazy gift at being able to read me so well I don't even need to speak.

"Eric's my brother, he always knows when something is going on but I didn't admit anything and the amount of times I've had to deny it to Phil is crazy...but I couldn't tell those two, it's difficult trying to make someone understand why you keep being unfaithful to your girlfriend." I guess I was a little nervous about what Phil and Eric will say when they find out. Which is precisely why I needed a few drinks in me beforehand.

"What do you think they'll say?" Tina asked and I could tell she was thinking the same thing I was.

She'd have to answer to Raye and Kendra just like I do with Phil and Eric.

"Phil will probably smile" I lean back on the sofa. "Make some lame joke that everyone finds funny then he'll get me alone in a room and warn me not to fuck things up" You think I'm joking.

This will happen.

"Oh and Eric will definitely do the last part so when I go missing, you'll know what's going down."

-

 The only thing that was missing in this interrogation was the bare light bulb hanging from the bare ceiling.

That and a desk.

Instead Phil, Eric and I were in one of Phred's spare bedrooms.

At least I took a drink before they whisked me away.

"You know how much I hate to be in the dark" Phil began, he stood up straighter from the dresser he was leaning on next to Eric who had his stern face on. The same face when I would finish the milk or when I used the last of the hot water in the shower back home.

I won't lie, it still scares the shit out of me.

"...the light is a little dim, why don't I get a new bulb from downstairs while--" I stopped as Eric's face grew sterner.

Okay, no fucking around.

"Or not..." I sat back down on the bed letting myself take a cautious drink of the whiskey concoction in my solo cup.

"What the hell was that?" Eric started.

I blink. “What?”

"Now's not a wise time to be a smart ass." He raised an eyebrow at me. "You. Tina."

"I broke up with Amelia two days ago" I stated.

"What?" Phil took a step towards me in surprise. "Seriously?"

"Seriously" I nod. "Is everything good now? Can I..." Eric raised both his eyebrows "Nope, I'll stay here."

"What gives?" Phil asked.

"...you know what gives" I gave Phil a look. "You've always known..."

"Can you guys use actual sentences? I don't know what gives." Eric interrupted, breaking Phil and my stare.

"You weren't there when Bruno invited Tina and the girls to have drinks with us after the concert...and you weren't there in San Diego..." Phil said to my brother.

"Is that right?" Eric looked right at me. "Let's just all lay our cards on the table, this is supposed to be a night of celebration." He clasped his hands together. "We all know what you were like with Amelia. That's not happening with Tina--"

"--I know--"

"--no, I don't think you do know. None of what's happened this whole year is going to be repeated with her, nothing. Because if I hear, or if I see, or if I get the vibe that you're doing the same things you did to Amelia on her I will pull the plug on this thing so fast you don't even know."

"Eric" I stood up. Sure I didn't match him in height but I hope I matched him in strength of seriousness. "Believe me when I say I know. She means more to me than you realize and believe me when I say I'm going to do all that's in my power to not repeat the mess that was me and Amelia. I'll show you...I'll show the both of you that I mean business."