Misery Loves Company

By: theinkslingerr

Track 26: F-R-I-E-N-D-S

"Oops. I didn't mention we were siblings?" Ji-Hyun's caricature of a frown almost had me and Sienna in tears.

"You said your brother worked for security!"

"No, Josh. I said my brother worked with security. And Jae does, so he and the fans can stay safe."

Josh groaned in the face of Ji-Hyun's twisted reasoning. "Come on guys," she continued. "We're going backstage!"

I found myself in the same dressing room I'd been in before the show. I was strangely nervous as Josh and Sienna wandered from poster to poster much like I had earlier. What kind of mood would the boys be in?

A screaming match out in the hallway answered my question.

"How could you lose focus like that, Roc?" The voice belonged to Jae. "I expect that crap from Dom not you!"

Ji-Hyun, Sienna, Josh, and I traded awkward glances as the argument heated up.

"Swear to God, I'm done with the disrespect! I'm ready anytime you wanna settle this!" Dom roared.

"Stop!" That was Rocco, sounding tired and defeated. "It's on me! I screwed up. It's just- I thought I saw-"

"No way, man. There's no way. It had to be someone else."

"I don't know, Eli..."

Ji-Hyun walked over to the dressing room door. "Excuse me," she said to us before yanking it open and stalking out. We heard a baffled Jae utter her name, to which she responded, "Shut up." There was mumbling and shuffling, then finally the soft thud of another door closing.

Sienna, Josh, and I couldn't hear anything now. We fell into an awkward silence as the seconds turned into minutes.

"So...how bout them Yankees?" Sienna drawled.

Josh laughed. "Baseball season's over."

After a while, the boys trailed into the dressing room, followed by a triumphant Ji-Hyun. I had no idea what she could've possibly said, but they looked ashamed- with the exception of Jae, who just looked pissed.

"Um...you guys killed it!" Sienna's praise sounded genuine, but tentative.

"This is Sienna." Ji-Hyun gestured to her. "And Josh. Misery's friends from school."

"Friends" wouldn't be the word I'd use, but it wasn't the right time to make that distinction.

"Why are they here again?" Jae grumbled.

"Because I invited them! And Josh saved me from getting knocked out!"

Jae sighed, eyes raised toward the ceiling. "How many times have I told you to quit trash-talking guys twice your size?"

"He crashed into me, Sienna, and Misery! Poor Misery almost got trampled to death!"

"What?" Dom growled. His eyes briefly flickered to me before settling on Ji-Hyun; the true object of his concern. "Are you OK?"

"I'm OK," Ji-Hyun replied sweetly. "We're all OK thanks to Josh."

Eli frowned, and Rocco who'd obviously been spacing out now looked interested in the conversation. "That's why Dex hopped over the stanchions. He threw that guy out, right?"

"He did," I answered. Rocco nodded slowly and looked me over. "I'm fine."

"Thanks for looking out for them." Jae surprised me by giving Josh a nod of approval.

"No problem, man. Seriously, you guys were awesome," Josh said. He turned to Dom. "Jaded's BMP is insane!"

"You drum?"

"Uh...not very well. My brother taught me some stuff," Josh replied a little quieter.

"Sounds like you're being modest." Ji-Hyun paused then glanced at Dom. "Just like this guy when it comes to his talent."

Dom's eyes went soft as he gazed at her, but the moment was quickly interrupted by Jae's snarling. "Can we get the pictures and autographs over with so I can shower? I reek."

Ji-Hyun let out a long-suffering sigh. "Your diva is showing, dear brother."

It didn't seem to phase Dom or Josh. They stepped aside and started talking about their favorite drummers, throwing out big names like John Bonham, Dave Lombardo, and Dave Grohl.

"Uh...is a selfie OK?" Sienna asked, inching closer to Jae with her phone. "Or...?" She faltered and his scowl softened as he nodded.

"I'll take the picture!" Ji-Hyun volunteered. She grabbed Sienna's phone and held it up, waiting for them to pose.

Sienna fixed her hair and stood next to Jae, who actually smiled, but Ji-Hyun didn't like what she saw on the phone. "Get a little closer, Jae! She's part of the reason you were able to buy that ridiculous hot tub last year!"

Jae rolled his eyes, but obeyed.

Ji-Hyun tried to take the picture again, but it still wasn't good enough for her. She huffed in displeasure and stomped up to them, picking up Jae's slack hand and placing it around Sienna's shoulder. "There. Now you don't look like such a snob."

Jae froze, and for a moment I thought he was going to rip his sister a new one, but after a glance at Sienna's elated expression, he let it be; even going as far as drawing her closer to him.

Sienna looked ready to melt into a puddle at his feet, so Ji-Hyun quickly snapped the picture before she liquified. "Aww, that was super cute." She was in the middle of handing the phone to Sienna when she gasped and snatched it back. "No way! Is the Seoul tower your lock screen?"

"Yup! I went there last year with my cousin Keegan. She's part Korean," Sienna explained.

Ji-Hyun gawked at her. "No fair! Jae and I've never been to the Motherland! Our parents are failing us- Jae doesn't even like kimchi!" She said it like it was a mortal sin.

The kimchi-hater in question snorted and tried to look uninterested, but in the end shuffled over to his sister to peek at Sienna's phone.

"I took a whole bunch of pics." Sienna and I joined them and formed a little huddle around her phone. "Wanna see?"

"Absolutely!" Ji-Hyun exclaimed.

She reached over Ji-Hyun, tapped the Photos app, and the first thing that popped up was a picture of Jae in a white tee soaked through with sweat. The shirt clung to him like a second skin, outlining his taut abs as he gulped down a bottle of water on a stage somewhere. "Oh my God!" Sienna bashed the home button repeatedly and snatched the phone out of Ji-Hyun's hands. "It's um...lemme just...find them."

Ji-Hyun and I burst out laughing- an unsympathetic move on my part since everyone would know I googled Rocco half-naked by the next episode of Misery Loves Company. Sienna didn't know it yet, but she'd have the last laugh.

"Ahem. Here are the Seoul pics," she mumbled, embarrassed. Jae stared at her for a second before the tiniest smirk graced his lips.

While he and Ji-Hyun re-lived Sienna's Seoul experience, I broke away to check on Rocco and Eli. They were standing by the cluttered vanity talking in hushed tones. They were usually the friendlier half of Blue Vendetta, but tonight remained subdued and aloof. "Hey," I said cautiously.

Rocco stopped talking, making it all too obvious he didn't want me to hear whatever him and Eli were discussing. "Hey."

"Um...I just wanted to say that despite what happened up there, you were amazing." There was a frisson of awkward energy when he responded with nothing but a thin smile. My stomach dropped. He'd looked so vulnerable on stage, now he emanated a nervous energy that was so unlike him. I wondered who he'd seen out there in the crowd? Who had this much power over him? "Are you OK?"

"Yeah. I'm good." He shrugged off my concern.

I thought about how long we'd talked last night and how he'd really listened to me. Obviously, he could confide in Eli, Jae, Dom, and probably even Ji-Hyun, but if I could say or do something to make him feel better, I wanted to make myself available. Until now the only person I'd ever had to comfort was Enid, which was easy because all I had to do was remind her she pretty, creative, and successful.

Would that work on Rocco?

I had no idea what to say, so I asked, "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. Let's drop it now, Miz. OK?"

I couldn't even be happy about the fact that he'd just called me Miz for the first time. All I could focus on was his sharp tone. He glanced down at my Hazmat shirt and clenched his jaw like he was in pain.

That caused the drawbridge in my heart to raise. Yes, he'd had a rough night so I didn't really expect him to spill his guts, but to be shut down like that after working up the nerve to come over and say something hurt.

I was disappointed he didn't feel like he could be honest and just say, "I'm not OK."

Now that I thought about it, most of the things he'd told me about himself were silly little diversions. The sugary icing, and not the cake.

My gaze flickered away and caught Eli's warm brown eyes as well as his subtle attempt to jab Rocco in the ribs. "Ow!" Rocco glared at him. "What gives?" Something unspoken passed between them, and I think I saw Eli glance at me.

Whatever was silently conveyed caused Rocco's shoulders to sag. He turned back to me as if seeing me for the first time, and murmured, "I'm sorry." He rubbed a hand over his face. "I'm the one who invited you..."

"It's OK."

"No, it's not. Sorry, I'm just...really tired." He'd probably gone to bed late after leaving my house at 2am to drop off Ackerman's car. "Still coming down from the adrenaline and all. Hope your first BV show was worth it."

I smiled weakly and we tried to have a normal conversation, but things still felt off. After fifteen minutes I was itching to go home.

"I'm surprised Enid didn't come," Eli pointed out.

While I struggled to come up with some lame excuse, Rocco swooped in bluntly. "Yeah well, I didn't invite her."

Eli turned his head to hide a smile.

I glanced at my phone and realized it was pretty late. The Iron Barrel was about 30 minutes from my house, so if I left now I could actually get some sleep tonight. "Thanks again," I said. "I'm gonna get going. I have school tomorrow."

A look of regret washed over Rocco's face. "Hey, wait. Don't go."

"I've gotta make up for the sleep you made me lose."

"I kept you up all night huh?" Rocco's smirk underlined the innuendo I didn't realize was there, and my cheeks burned hotter than bare feet on a summer sidewalk.

Eli quirked a brow and looked between us, but didn't say anything.

"Hey, do you need a ride home?" Sienna offered. I guess she'd caught the tail end of our conversation. "I've got my Mom's car." She wore an accommodating expression, but her eyes darted to Jae, so I knew she didn't really want to leave.

"No, it's cool, stay. I'll um, grab a bus back."

"What's with you and nighttime public transportation?" Rocco groaned. "Haven't you ever seen Law and Order? Or horror movies? I'll grab my keys from Sahil and take you home."

Josh was standing quietly next to Dom just watching, blue eyes taking in everything.

"It's really OK, Rocco." My last car ride with him had been nice (crazy driving aside) but I wasn't really in the mood to sit through 30 minutes of awkward small talk.

"I'll drive slow," Rocco persisted. "Well, slower than usual."

Before I could respond, he left the dressing room. When he returned with the keys, he gave me a look that said he wasn't taking no for an answer and I caved.

Ji-Hyun choked me (I think it was a hug to her) and asked for my phone number, and Sienna said she'd catch me at school tomorrow. Eli waved, and Jae said "Goodnight," which shocked me a little. Josh stayed silent and hung back. As Rocco and I were walking through the door, Dom shouted," Watch her or she'll go through your stuff!"

The others shot him puzzling glances, and I glared at him, open-mouthed and mortified. "Great advice," Rocco said sarcastically. "But if you're mad about that black duffel bag you left open on the floor, half the building's seen what's in it."

Dom scowled, and Rocco ushered me out through the side exit to the black Range Rover I'd arrived in.
One click of his key fob opened it, but before we got inside, I heard someone call my name.

I turned around and Josh was behind us, a little out of breath. "I need to talk to you," he said.

I stared at him, dumbfounded. What could he and I possibly have to talk about?

Rocco caught on to my reluctance quickly. "I don't think she wants to do that, Justin."

"It's Josh. And I think she can speak for herself." He looked at me again. "Can we talk. Please? Alone."

"You're pretty terrible at reading body language. I can see why you and Dom hit it off," Rocco mocked.

The tension thickened, enveloping the three of us in a fragile bubble. If things escalated, and it popped I might witness my second argument or fight of the night. I cleared my throat. "Let's talk, but make it quick."

Rocco met Josh's grin with a blank stare. He jerked his head to the side and started to walk away. I began to follow, but Rocco grabbed my wrist, stopping me in my tracks. It took Josh a few seconds to realize I wasn't behind him. When he turned around and saw Rocco holding my wrist, he frowned and raised an eyebrow.

"Talk to her right here," Rocco said. His eyes softened as he looked at me. "I'll be in the car." He sauntered over to the Range Rover, slid in, leaned back in his chair quite pointedly, and watched us.

"Man, I thought Jae was supposed to be the prick?" Josh grumbled.

"What do you want?"

Josh sighed and carded a hand through his hair. It gleamed like a shiny penny under the Iron Barrel's exterior lighting. "I just-" He paused. "I heard what happened to you this morning with the condoms. I didn't tell that Kardashian clone to do it. I don't even know her."

"OK..." Why was he telling me this? I didn't necessarily think he'd been behind the ambush since he was new and probably hadn't had time to recruit henchmen, but what did that matter? Why did he care what I thought?

"You believe me right? You have to know if I...wanted to do something like that- get you back, I mean. I'd do it myself."

My face hardened, remembering all the times he'd taken pleasure in doing exactly that. He flinched and backtracked. "Look. All you need to know is that I didn't tell her to do that."

"Sure. Whatever." I turned around to leave, but he jumped out in front of me, blocking my escape route. I flinched out of habit, and behind Josh the Range Rover's door popped open on the driver's side, and Rocco's foot hit the ground.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Josh said, hands up in surrender. "I just wanted to say one more thing. On the roof when I said you know how kids are. I...shouldn't have. I shouldn't have said that, OK?"

My eyes widened, and my mind felt empty and too full all at once. What happened to the boy that'd tripped me in the hallway, spit on me, and used me for target practice? The one that'd looked so angry that day during recess right before he'd held my head under water until I couldn't breathe?

"OK." It was all I could say. I swallowed and nodded at Josh, and he nodded back, a look of relief on his face.

"Goodnight," he said.

"Uh...yeah. Goodnight." I walked past him toward the Range Rover in a trance.

Could I actually believe Josh Henderson?

Had he changed?

Maybe he really hadn't move back just to torture me...

A couple feet from the car, my phone buzzed.

It was a text from Enid.

I slid the lock button and opened it:

There was an Instagram screenshot of a guy with blond hair standing in front of a girl wearing an ugly denim outfit that was too short. You could only see part of her face since the guy's head was blocking it, but she had brown skin and purple hair.

They were in a bathroom.

And it looked like they were kissing.

For a second I was confused. I didn't understand what I was looking at. Then it hit me, along with Enid's accusation:

Why couldn't u just tell the truth??

~~~

Author's note: I'll be there for you, 'cause you're there for me toooo...! (music note)

Never got into Friends (the TV show) but man, the theme song was catchy. Still is.

I'm just rambling to prolong the death threats as long as possible.

Dom swore he took care of that picture, but maybe the 'negotiation' didn't go as well as he imagined? XD

And now that you know why Rocco froze on stage, who do you think he saw in the audience?

I left a little Easter egg for those of you reading my other story "The Good Bad Boy." Sienna's related to Keegan! :-D I've been trying to edit the second chapter so I can post it, but Miz and the gang keep getting in the way.

This chapter is kinda unedited (well, what I view as "unedited" anyway haha) but I hope you enjoyed it!

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