𝖦𝖮𝖮𝖣𝖭𝖨𝖦𝖧𝖳 𝖭 𝖦𝖮 ❕RUDY PANKOW

𝐅𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐘 - 𝐓𝐖𝐎

september 9th
maison's pov

   "ʜɪ ᴜɴᴄʟᴇ ᴛᴏᴍ!" i chirp.

  "hi love!" he grins, swooping in for a hug. it's been so long since i've last seen him i try to hold on for as long as possible.

  we'd decided to grab lunch with scarlett and tom today as we were all free of work or meetings.

  "macie!" four voices exclaimed.

  uncle tom releases me and i'm immediately crushed in a hug by the holland twins. tom and harrison are pouting behind them, upset they'd gotten to me first.

  "hi boys." i laugh, hugging them back. "how've you been? i missed you!"

  "we missed you too!" they reply in unison.

  "we missed her too so get out of the way." tom jokes before his brothers can answer. he pulls them off of me and wraps me in a hug of his own. poor harrison was swatted away.

  "quit leaving haz out of everything." i chide. uncle tom laughs as i pinch tom's bicep and he jerks away from me. harrison swoops in instantly for his hug.

  once everyone's said their hellos we sit down at this cute bakery scarlett had found while filming here in england.

  halfway through our lunch my phone began to buzz from its place facedown on the table. i picked it up to check if it was important.

  ru🤍 flashes back at me. a smile tugs at my lips before i can help it.

  "is that the boyfriend?" scarlett questions from my left.

  "i don't have a boyfriend." i say, trying to hide the hurt. i wish i had the courage to ask rudy but i falter every time i think i can do it.

  harrison hums from across the table and makes eye contact with tom. they're definitely speaking through their eyes.

  i ignore them and answer rudy's call, planning on telling him i can't talk right now but i'll call him back when i get back to my hotel. only, i don't have a chance because the second it connects he immediately grins and says "you look pretty."

  "thank you." i blush. "i can't really t-"

  "hey!" tom exclaims, shoving his way into the frame.

  rudy's jaw clenches and my heart pangs. he should know that he's the only one i have eyes for. i mean, i wrote a whole album for him!

  "i'm tom and i applaud you for putting up with macie. she's annoying as hell." my british friend continues.

  my mouth forms an o and i swivel my neck so i'm able to look at him. "i am n-" i go to defend myself but uncle tom cuts me off.

  "thomas do be nice to my niece. i love you both but if it comes down to it i'll laugh as she kicks your arse." uncle tom says in his usual soft tone. it warms my heart he called me his niece even though we technically aren't related. not by blood anyways.

  i stifle a laugh as tom pouts, crossing his arms and flopping into his seat. i face rudy again to see he's smiling, eyes squinted as the sun shines in his face.

  "i'll call you back later." i tell him.

  "okay." he smiles back.

  "RUDY STOP TALKING TO MACIE AND GET YOUR CUTE ASS ON THIS BOAT!" jd screams in the background, making me panic and turn my volume down as tom and harrison burst into laughter.

  rudy throws his arm up behind the camera so i imagine he's flipping him off.

  "bye mac! i love you!" austin shouts from somewhere to rudy's left.

  "love you more." i answer, fighting back tears. i miss my best friend so much. i wanted to be back in the craziness of my friends. i adore scarlett and i like the rest of this cast, and being able to see my friends here in england, but i miss the hectic life.

  rudy waves goodbye just before he hangs up, eyes a little brighter than they were when i answered.

  "he seems nice." uncle tom says as a waiter arrives with our food. i've never been so excited for mac and cheese. i was also starving.

  "he is." i reply simply.

  my uncle grins at me and reaches across the table to squeeze my hand. he was always so supportive of my love life knowing i had a dad, three uncles, and five brothers who weren't so fond of handing me off to guy who had the potential to break my heart. but now i've got a brother and an uncle rooting for me.

  i only hope that whatever's going on between me and rudy becomes more, and it stays that way.

↯

"can you feel the tension rising? now you're, now you're getting in close," i sing to myself, aloud in my hotel room. tom and harrison had just left, promising they'd say hello to their mum's for me, and that they'd be back tomorrow for movie day. i immediately took advantage of the alone time, working on another song of what i hoped would become an album.

"now you're, now you're getting in close," i repeat, humming a short line afterwards, testing the waters.

i scratched it out on the notepad, backspacing on my computer without glancing up. the line needed to be deleted as it didn't feel right.

"what about almost love?" i practically jump out of my skin. madelyn's hysterical cackling comes from the other end of the skype call i'd accidentally answered without realizing. she collapses out of frame. austin sits beside her empty seat, smiling at the screen as if our friend isn't laying on the floor laughing her ass off.

"you scared the shit out of me." i breathe out.

"sorry." austin laughs. "whatcha workin' on?"

i instinctively pull my legs up to my chest, causing the notepad to be blocked from the screen. "oh nothing. just messing around." i say casually. "where are you guys at?"

"on the roof of the cameron house." austin responds as mads sobers up.

"oh fun." i answer, nodding my head.

"yeah." austin says lamely. mads rolls her eyes and snatches his phone.

"hi baby i miss you." she pouts, putting the camera close to her face.

"hi love i miss you too." i pout back. i miss them all.

"okay well we just wanted to call and say hi and apparently hear a sneak peek of a new song okay love you bye!" austin exclaims as someone calls out their names.

"love you!" i manage to respond before he's hastily hanging up, the sound of someone calling out the scene name and take abruptly getting cut off.

. . .
this is so short i'm sorry😭