Chapter 19

Sitting in the lobby they waited for the car the to pull up and Karen was sitting in one of the chairs as Sarah and Richie were saying goodbye for real now. They were snuggling up to each other giving each other little pecks and rubbing noses when finally the car pulled up.

“Ok you two love birds the car is here so can we please get this going before we have to get out a net around the two of you.” Karen told them giggling. They just looked at her smirking as Richie helped carry out the bags. Once the bags were in Karen kissed and hugged Richie and got into the car as Sarah took her time and did the same but much slower.

“Ok so when you get home promise me you’ll call me so I know you got there all safe and stuff ok?” Richie told her with his arms wrapped around her.

“I will and you do me a favor and just take care of Jon because I think he’s taking this hard so be nice ok? And let me know how’s he doing?” she asked him concerned.

“I will if you do the same with me because she is full of shit if she thinks that she doesn’t care about Jon. So do what you can do to change her mind will ya. And I’ll make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid like find anyone else in the meantime. And I’m sorry that I can’t come with you to the airport Darling” he told her.

“That’s ok I understand, and what do you mean find someone else? Why would he find someone else?” she asked a little pissy.

“Hey calm down it’s what us guys do when were upset we make stupid choices especially when we drink so I’m going to have to watch him like a hawk til I know what Karen wants to do when you’re ready to come to me you know?  So don’t worry just worry about getting your sweet ass back to me ok?” he told her as he kissed her one last time.

Smiling as they parted she got into the car as he shut the door and patted the car so the driver knew he could leave. Richie had a funny feeling in his stomach which reminded him when he was sixteen and he felt it was like it was his first crush. He chuckled to himself and smiled as he headed back into the hotel. He entered Jon’s room and found him seated with an almost finished drink in his hand.

“Well did they get off ok?” he ask him without looking at him.

“Yeah they did. But I think they would have liked it if you joined us.” He told him back as he went behind the bar to get himself a drink as well.

“While you’re behind there can you get me another one?” Jon told him again not looking at him.

“Yeah sure but how many does this make?” he asked him.

“None of your fucking business how’s that.” He shot back swallowing the last of the golden liquid.

“So that’s how we’re going to play it huh?” Richie said as he poured both of their drinks.

“Play what?” Jon said in an annoyed voice.

“You being a dick.” He said back pissed.

Jon finally turned his head to look at him and gave him a dirty look but before he could say anything Richie laid into him. “Oh no you don’t. Here. Look you don’t get to be the victim here. We get that you’re going to go around probably for the next couple of weeks pouting and even sleeping with whatever you can get your hands on and I’m here telling you right now that’s not going to happen got it. The girls don’t want you sleeping around for one.” he told him as he handed him his drink,

“Well isn’t that too bad because they don’t have a say in what I do especially Karen since she doesn’t want to be part of my life. So what the hell am I supposed to do stay celibate for the rest of my life?” he said sarcastically.

“We’re not saying that Jon. She just doesn’t want you whoring around that’s all. She does care for you. We all do man.” Richie told him.

“She told me that I’m still holding a torch for Dotty. I’m not. I could care less about her. I told her that but she doesn’t believe me. And you know what kills me is that Bitch is still ruining my life.” He told his best friend.

Richie listened to what Jon was saying and despite Sarah telling him not to tell Jon what she told him about Karen’s past he knew he had too.

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The girls reached Boston and got to Karen’s place first so they got settled there. Sarah would go home sometime in the next day or so as she was in no rush to get home.

Sarah put her things in Karen’s spare room and then they both settled into the living room with tea as they just sat and relaxed. “Hey you want to call out for dinner?” Sarah asked her.

“What do you think?” she shot back smirking.

“That’s what I thought. So when are we going to talk about it?” Sarah asked her carefully.

Looking at her with a face ‘Like really?’ she just took a breath and finally said to her, “Why? Why do we have to talk about it? You know how I feel Sar. Until he gets over Dorothea and his other issues I can’t ok so let’s just drop it because the more I think about him I go nuts.” She told her.

“I’m sorry Honey I just want to see you happy that’s all and I know you will be happy with him. Richie said he has never seen Jon so happy before as when he was with you. I mean even when he woke up that morning with me he freaked. And I mean he Freaked! And I don’t think he really kissed me the way he kissed you. I mean we talked about it and well he stumbled over his words it was really kind of cute him trying not to insult me as he was trying to tell me that he felt more for you than me.” She explained to her as she giggled.

Karen sat there listening to everything Sarah was saying and getting more confused now more than ever. “Karen, Karen are you still with me?” Sarah asked her.

“Huh? Yeah I’m still here. Hey why don’t we order dinner ok because I’m starving.” She said as they called for food and Sarah changed the subject because she knew it was getting to her.

After dinner Sarah called Richie and they talked for a while. She had promised him that she would call him when they had got back to Boston. She told him that she was staying with Karen til tomorrow then she would head out to see her parents and explain everything that had happened to her. She also told him that she wasn’t looking forward to it at all but she needed to get it done so she could be with him. She asked how Jon was doing and he told her not to good and that he was in the angry stage already. But he hasn’t talked to Tico yet and he thinks that once he does Tico will slap him silly only because Tico is so over his crap. Sarah told him that she didn’t want Tico to that but Rich told her not to worry he wouldn’t hurt him it’s just a scare tactic he uses. They stayed on the phone for quite a while talking about other things til Richie had to go.

Morning came and Sarah was getting her things together when Karen came into her room.

“Hey the cars here. Do you want me to tell them to hang on?” she asked her.

“Yeah could you I’ll be there in a minute.” She told her.

Karen went to the door and showed the driver a finger of one and he nodded. Then she went back inside to wait for her best friend. Sarah came out with her bags and left them at the door where the driver got out and came to take them as Sarah made her goodbyes.

“Ok so I’ll call you before I leave my parents because I need to change my clothes and finishes up a few things before I head out. Then I’ll call you again ok? Doesn’t matter I can always just stop here on my way to the airport…” she said as Karen stopped her.

“Sar you’re babbling again. I get it alright. We’ll talk but don’t expect anything I doubt it very much I’m going to change my mind.” She told her. “Now you better get going or he’ll leave without you.” She said smiling.

“Oh you are such a pain in my ass.” Sarah said as she hugged her goodbye. She then walked to the car and got in. Waving goodbye at each other Sarah drove off.

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  The guys had just finished the show and were now finally back at the hotel after the long, long night. Jon was exceptionally tired of all the questions he was being asked at what happened with Dorothea and Sarah so he finally made his excuses to leave.  Taking off his jacket he headed over to the bar to make himself a drink. Then he walked over to the couch and tried to relax but all he could do was think of what happened of the last month and why things went the way they did. He really thought he had something with Karen and he didn’t understand why she would think he still had a thing for his ex. He told her everything that she did to him. He just wished that Karen was as up front with him as he was with her.

He so wanted to call her, to hear her voice and to just talk like they use too. But he didn’t know who was more stubborn him or her. Because he refused to call her if she wasn’t going to come to him. He had already laid his heart on the line to her and she stomped all over it. So the guys knew once he got to the really angry stage of his feelings towards her that’s when they would have to really watch him. Sitting there staring into space as his mind drifted something hit him and he grabbed his guitar. It just seemed to flow from him. He wondered why most of his best love songs came out of him when he just lost someone that he cared about.

Morning came and Richie couldn’t sleep so he got up and thought he’d see how Jon was. So he went to his room and still having Jon’s extra key he opened the door. When he walked in he saw Jon passed out on the couch with his guitar on top of him. Richie smiled and walked over to him, taking the guitar and placing it on the chair next to him. Taking the afghan he cover Jon but just before he left he saw Jon’s note pad on the table and picked it up to see what he was working on. Reading it and playing it in his head when Jon opened his eyes.

“Richie?”

  “Hey it’ looks like you’ve been busy? This is starting to be really good. You want me to go get my guitar?” he asked him as he was know getting antsy.

Sitting up, “Yeah would you because I’m stuck on two songs. I started them the other night and then another one last night. It just hit me when I was sitting here.” Jon said as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

“Great and I’ll call for some coffee because we’ll need it. It also looks like you finished one.” He said to him pleased.

“Yeah well I was bored you know. I’ll let you go thru them and then we can pick and choose later what we’ll put on the next album but I’m sure Child will want to look these over too.” Jon said still trying to wake up seeing that he didn’t get much sleep.

“Yeah well don’t forget we still have some from Slippery we can still show them you know. Look I’ll be back in a few and we can get started. Go splash some water on your face.” Rich told him as he left.

The guys spent most of the day tweaking the songs until they had enough and needed to get out for a while. They went downstairs to the bar and into one of the booths. The waitress took their order and came back with a pitcher of beer.

“Ok Jon so reading those lyrics I take it you’re not over Karen. So what are you going to do about it?” Richie asked as his took a sip of his beer.

Jon just looked at him and gave him a dirty look. “Look Rich you know writing is a way for me to get my feelings over and done with. I’m done with her. Over and out. She doesn’t want me ok I get it. So can we please just change the subject.” He told him as he gulped his beer.

Richie took a deep breath so he could get across what he needed to. “Alright dumbass. Sarah called me and she’s going to meet us in about a month when she gets everything taken care of with her parents and her job with her Dad’s place. She needs to train the person to replace her and to rent out her place to one of her girlfriends as a roommate so she doesn’t lose the place.” He explained to him.

“Well I thought she was going to live with you when the tour ends or should I say if it ends.” Jon spiked back.

“She will but when she goes home she wants her own place to stay and not her folks because they drive her nuts. Is that alright with you your Highness?” he shot back angry.

“Yeah I’m sorry Rich I didn’t mean anything by it.” Jon said apologetically.

“Yeah me too Kidd. So we good?” Richie asked him.

“Of course.” Jon told him.

“Good because Sar also told me that she’s hurting just as bad as you are. Jon she’s really conflicted but there’s one thing Sar said she’s not conflicted on and that’s how much she loves you. So if you love her like I think you do then you just need to give her the time to think like she asked you too and I really think you might just get what you want.” Richie said to him.

“Ok Mr. Know-It-All do you think she’ll come with Sarah next month?” he asked Richie.

“Jon I wish I knew, Sarah wished she knew she has been talking to her until she has been blue in the face  but there’s a couple of thing’s stopping her and they are Dotty and if we can stay true while we’re on the road.” He told him.

Looking at him with a surprised looked, “What do you mean “We” don’t tell me she’s got Sarah all riled up now too?” he asked Richie and trying not to chuckle and his own inner pain.

  ”You can take that sly smile of your’s Kidd and shove it. No she hasn’t because Sarah said she knows what she’s walking into. We’re going to try like hell to make this work. Besides most of the girls want you anyway so I’m safe.” Richie said smiling.

“Like hell they do. First they know we go out always together. (Richie just made a face at him)  Oh for crying out loud you know what I mean as a band or you and I well know hunting. Oh shut up.” Jon said flustered.

“Oh man you should see you face and how bright red you are right now.” Richie said laughing.

“Fuck you.” Jon told him finishing up his first glass and pouring another one.

“Look just promise me that you’ll think about it Kidd and give her a chance. Call her maybe if she knew you were thinking about her and ask how she was doing? You know that might help you never know. One of you have to give in.” Richie advised him. Jon thought about it but he wasn’t really used to putting his feelings really up front or giving in first.

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Richie and Sarah had been talking for the last month and couldn’t wait til she got to meet up with him in Colorado. She should be arriving in a few days and Richie was ecstatic. Jon on the other hand was distant and quiet and he kept to himself. Karen and him were playing phone tag so he just quit altogether. He just felt that the Gods or whatever we’re sending him signs that this just wasn’t supposed to happen. Meanwhile Sarah was trying her best to get Karen to change her mind to come with her and surprise Jon. So that left Karen a lot to think about.

The days had past and Richie had left a note for Sarah that they were at the venue for sound check and he left a car her or them to get there as soon as they were ready. Jon was his anal self trying to get things perfect and was yelling at Alec because he wasn’t putting his all into it plus he had a few too many and Jon threaten to get someone to replace him on the tour if he didn’t smarten up. Just then as Richie was playing Bad Name for the umpteenth time he saw a figure walking in the auditorium. Sarah was smiling at him as he was smiling back. He stopped playing and jumped down so he could run to her so he could kiss her passionately seeing that they had been a part for too long.

But when he had stopped playing Jon turned around annoyed. “Richie what the Fuck!” he yelled until he saw that he had ran to Sarah. But he stood there cold because she was alone. He looked at her frozen where he stood and when she and Richie parted Sarah just looked at Jon seriously and sadly. Richie looked at Sarah then turned around as he was also looking around the arena when he realized that she had come alone. He looked up at his best friend. They all were looking at Jon to see what he was going to do. But he was just standing there not moving. No facial expressions either. Sarah didn’t know what to do. She just looked at Richie with tears in her eyes. Richie nodded at her and started to walk to the stage and that’s when Jon just turned and walked off as he threw down his white mic stand.

“I’ll go talk to him and make sure he’s ok.” He said as he started off to follow him but Tico stopped him.

“Rich leave him alone for a while. He needs his space right now. Take your girl and go show her how much you’ve missed her. We’ll take care of him.” He told him in his commanding voice.

Despite his gut he left with Sarah to get all the details and just to be with her. Funny how a few months can change lives he thought. Hopefully he just hoped that his best friend’s would eventually too.    

THE END

OF FIRST INSTALLMENT