Adrien

We all waltz along the pier as the sun's rays begin to spill into the Pacific; passing hundreds of couples and groups of friends searching for a good time.

A man holding a beer tosses his head back, chortling red faced.

A tipsy young girl leans against her older boyfriend after drinking one two many tequilas.

A girl in a baseball cap and a skimpy outfit smiles at us after downing her third shot of spiced Peruvian Rum at the outdoor bar.

Her smile catches my eye, not for it being particularly lovely, but because I can't figure out why it's so familiar.

I know that girl, I just don't know how.

I can't help but stare for a moment in confusion, trying to place her.

I can't actually know her, I mean I've never set foot out of NC, and why would anyone from up there be down here?

I just can't-

"Uh, Ian?" Says a timid voice.

I'm pulled from my thoughts as Jamie tugs on my sleeve.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"We were asking if you wanna go eat," Dan says, pointing at the restaurant behind the bar.

"Ooh, yes please," I say, quickly distracted.

Jay smiles weakly and we walk into the restaurant.

Jamie

After taking our seats, Ian continues glancing around the restaurant as if looking for someone.

I can't help but wonder who, and better yet, why?

Who could be so important?

So important that he'd ignore me?

That's quite selfish of you.

I know, but come on! Jaydon will never let me live this down, I swear, and it feels like he couldn't care less.

I stir my straw around my glass idly, staring sadly at the condensation dripping down into the table.

This place is too loud.

I wanna go home.

Our waitress comes and goes, taking orders from everyone except me.

"Jamie, eat something," Derrick says.

"It's been a long day and you must be tired, so-"

"Look, I appreciate it," I say, feigning a smile, "but I'm okay for now."

"What's wrong?" Mason asks, genuinely concerned.

I brush him off quickly.

"Nothing, I just don't feel too well right now."

Dan's face drains.

"Don't tell me you're sick, oh God! We can't afford for you to be sick! You're the fucking frontman, you can't be sick during the tour-!"

"Oh, hush. I'll be fine tomorrow, just get me some crackers and ginger ale and I'll be right as rain," I laugh, stiffly.

"'Right as rain'? Jay, come on. What's wrong?" Ian whispers, sliding his fingertips ever so slightly beneath the hem of my t- shirt.

I know he's trying to comfort me, but he can't. Not when he's the problem.

He's not the problem, you are.

I sigh and just stare silently at the bubbles of carbonation fizzing in my drink.

Adrien leans over and squeezes my waist reassuringly.

"Hey, I'm gonna head to the bathroom real quick, alright?" He says, planting a kiss on my temple.

"Uh, wait," I say, tugging on his shirt as he stands.

"Yeah?"

"C- can I, uh... come with you?"

He laughs sadly.

"Sweetheart, I'd honestly rather you stay here with them, okay?" He says quietly, tucking my hair behind my ear.

My heart squeezes tightly in my chest.

"Okay."

"I'll be back in a second, okay? I promise."

And with that, he takes off toward the bathroom in the back corner of the restaurant.

My gaze follows him until my eyes are caught on the figure, the girl, we saw outside.

The girl that Ian couldn't take his eyes off of.

She sits at the bar, downing more glasses of poison and chatting with single guys around her.

You can hear her obnoxious, shrill laugh from here.

What's so great about her? She's obviously a whore.

A moment later and I smile as Adrien steps out of the restroom.
He smiles lovingly back.

And then the girl shrieks, tossing her arms around his shoulders.

"Ian!"

He stares at me, startled, then glances down at the girl.

"Uh," he starts confused, but then he recognizes her face.

He instantly freezes as she sparks up a conversation that I only manage to get bits and pieces of.

"Oh --- don't you remember? I'm--- we went to school together-! Crazy, right? How've you been?" She asks.

"Oh, uh, pretty --- actually, how about ---?" He replies, feigning politeness in attempts to hide his anger.

"Oh, same! So are you --- alone?"

He glances at our table protectively and she follows his gaze.

"Oh my god! Jamie? Mason? Holy shit, how have you guys been!?" She calls, running over to our table.

Ian frowns, irritated.

Jaydon turns to Drake, "You know her?"

He shakes his head as she quickly approaches.

I look over to Mason but he also shakes his head and shrugs.

She hugs me tightly, squealing.

"Ohmigosh, Jamie! How have you been?"

"Haha, fine and you?" I say nervously, looking to Adrien for help.

He forces a reassuring smile.

"Hey, guys. This is Destiny. Jamie and I used to go to school with her," he announces stiffly, looking almost pissed.

Destiny?

I don't remember a Destiny...

After introducing everyone, she takes a seat next to Adrien, who sits next to me.

"So what brings you here from NC?" Mason asks, politely.

"Oh, I'm staying with my grandparents for a while. I mean I've always wanted to live down here but I never really had the money to buy my own place, you know?"

She takes a swig from her alcoholic beverage.

"What about you? Oh wait, that's right. Y'all are on tour!" She exclaims.

Jaydon raises his eyebrows.

"How'd you know?"

"Oh, come on! Who wouldn't know Translucia's new shining stars? Y'all are straight famous," she snorts.

Dan grins at all of us.

"You see? I told you!" He says, excitedly.

The spirit seems to be lightening but Adrien remains rigid beside me, never letting his guard down.

"Who is she?" I whisper to him.

He just shrugs and ignores my question.

The action hurts me much more than it should and I can't help but cave in like I used to so many months ago.

"So Ian," she begins, causing me to cringe at the use of my nickname for him.

"You single yet?"

Adrien grimaces at the question.

"Yet?" Jaydon snorts.

"Oh, please. Adrien was the biggest playboy when we were younger. It was almost a miracle to find a girl who hadn't dated him," Destiny says laughing.

I can feel old wounds ripping open at the sound of her voice as I realize the meaning of those horrible words.

I want to throw up.

"Damn, Adrien, I didn't know that about you," Jaydon says.

"Yeah, well that was a long fucking time ago and I'm a different guy now," Ian replies shortly, his temper getting the best of him.

"And to answer your question, no, actually, I'm not single."

My heart lifts just the slightest bit at this, before his hand finds mine underneath the table.

"Ooh, who's the lucky lady?"

I cringe internally.

"You wouldn't know them," he says quietly.

I smile at his vague use of pronouns.

"I'm sure I would," she says.

"Well I promised them I would keep it to myself, okay?" He says, glaring at Jaydon, knowing he'd be the first to tell.

Jaydon feigns zipping his mouth shut, but we all know that that'll never be enough.

She finally changes the subject, but not in the way that any of us would like.

"So what about you, Jamie? You still as single as always?"

I bite my cheek hard, feeling my cheeks burn under the gazes of the rest of the guys.

"N- no, actually," I manage to say.

"Well that's one hell of a surprise, isn't it?" She snorts, taking another gulp.

"Hey, lay off, would you?" Adrien says, irritated.

She just laughs, "Oh, come on! You being single would be just as big of a miracle as him having a girlfriend!"

"That's enough!" Ian yells.

"What are you gonna do, babe? God, you never change, do you?" She says, raising a brow and casually sipping her drink.

I squeeze Ian's fingers under the table.

"Dan, can we leave?" Adrien demands.

"Uh, yeah, sure," he says, awkwardly taking out some tipping money.

"Yeah, this place is a bore, ain't it? Let's go back to your place, huh, Ian? Like old times?" Destiny says seductively.

Like old times?

Don't tell me she-

"What are you on?" Ian asks incredulous.

"What do you mean, babe?"

"Don't fucking call me that! Get out of here, for fuck's sake!" Adrien yells, all but shoving her out of the booth.

He stands and stomps toward the door as I try to catch up to him.

"Ian, wait!" I call as I step foot onto the boardwalk.

"What!?" He screams, spinning around furiously.

His eyes soften when he sees me.

"I'm sorry, Jay, I didn't mean to-"

"Hush, it's okay," I say, pulling him into a hug.

"Who was she?"

He sighs, "I'll tell you when we get back to the hotel. I don't want to have this conversation with anyone else around."

I nod, "Okay, I love-"

"There you are!" Destiny yells, stumbling out of the restaurant.

I groan, causing Ian to let out a harsh laugh. She follows us down the boardwalk and onto the roads leading back to the hotel.

"So Danny boy agreed to letting me come over, only if that's alright with you, though," she says, wrapping her arms around our shoulders.

"Absolutely not-" Adrien starts as we step into the hotel lobby.

"Sure," I say, half heartedly.

What are you doing, Jamie? You know something's gonna happen. You can feel it in your gut that something's gonna go wrong.

Ian glares at me, confused.

"No, what-!?"

"Really!? Great!" She says as we step into the elevator, the rest of the guys taking another.

I sigh, wishing I could've been alone with my Ian, free to make out or cuddle or something in the space of the short ride in the tiny confines of this metal box.

She pauses, stooping down to happily plant a kiss on my cheek.

It takes everything I have not to vomit right then and there, but Ian on the other hand, he's ready to downright swing on this bitch when I grab his wrist and cause him to hesitate.

He glances at me and I shake my head 'no'.

He sighs and drops his clenched fist, his eyes still blazing.

"What's the matter with you? You're being really weird, I mean, if I didn't know any better, I'd think that you two were--" she starts, with a laugh.

We just ignore her.

Apparently she expects us to jump at the suggestion, seem disgusted, or even just disagree but neither of us has the heart or the urge to do anything.

"Oh my god," she says, cupping her mouth.

The atmosphere changes immediately.

Adrien rolls his eyes and snatches my hand, dragging me into the hotel room.

"Oh my god, Adrien," she whispers, following us through our massive suite and into our room.

"Hey, I'm gonna go to the restroom, alright?" I say timidly.

"Alrighty, sweetheart," Ian says, kissing my forehead.

Destiny scoffs loudly.

I quickly run to the bathroom to escape the inevitable conflict that's quickly arising.

-----------------------------

A/n

Oooooooh, what's gonna hippity happen next!?

Ooooooooooooooohhhhh!!!!!!!

Is Ian gonna become a murderer???

Who is this Destiny, hmm???

And what does it matter that Ian's gay?

Toon in next time for a new 1000+ word episode of,

Beneath the Surface

<3 Thanks for reading! <3