Battle of the Bands

"Hennie, Hennie, Hennie, goddammit, Hen, get up!"

Aidan is screaming and shouting and bouncing and reaching into his older brother's bunk as excitement pumps through his veins. This is the band's first big tour, and it is driving him up the wall that no one is as awake and alive as he is. Everyone is sleeping, but how can they sleep? How can they relax when the first day of their biggest opportunity is here?

He blindly feels around for Henry's face and meets it soon enough, poking his nose and his closed eye. He calls, "Hennie, wake up!" as he jabs his finger into what feels like Henry's cheek. The next thing he knows, there is a pain shooting up his index finger and he yanks his hand away, whining, "Ow, fuck, that hurts!" with a childish pout. "Henry! You bit me!"

"Mate, shut your brother up already, yeah?" mumbles Benji, poking his head out from the curtain of his own bunk. He loves the boys and he loves the band and he loves the opportunities, but it is moments like these when he wishes he never left Manchester.

"You, too, Benj," Aidan turns on the sleepy Brit, pointing his bitten finger. "Get up and stop being a jerk."

"Yanks," Benji mumbles before curling back behind the curtain, going back to sleep. It's only, what, six? There is no way he is dealing with a bright and sunshiney Aidan so early. He forces himself into unconsciousness as Aidan continues to go on, but he slowly dies down when he realizes no one is reacting to him. Everyone is sleeping, how, why? Henry won't get up and Benji is snoring again and Jayden, Ty, Kennedy, and Dustin, they're all knocked out. So he sighs and changes shirts - he swipes one of Henry's because, well, he does it at home and Henry has this one really cool shirt with one of the characters from Gravity Falls and Aidan doesn't - and leaves the bus, taking his energy somewhere where it doesn't annoy the rest of the boys.

He wanders the parking lot in the faint daylight, watching his shadow as he walks. His neon laces come untied while he goes around and he stops to tie them back. Once he straightens up and continues to walk, however, he bumps right into the back of another, which is surprising because he honestly did not expect anyone else to be out here. He bites his lip and jumps back, shaking his fringe out of his eyes and muttering, "Shit, man, I'm so sorry!" The person turns around to reveal himself as Joshua Balz from Motionless in White, a band that Aidan most certainly adores, and he feels his stomach drop. He stutters, "I-I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to-I didn't mean to, y'know, walk into-shit, I hope I didn't-sorry!" and takes off in the other direction, running off of the parking lot to hide his embarrassment and stupidity in the trees beyond the concrete.



Justin sits in his bunk, contemplating the pros and cons of this tour. Pros, well, he gets to meet new people and hear new music. He gets to create new friendships and get his mind in the music and escape home. Cons, this is the first big tour since he got his heart broken by Tony and he isn't sure if he's going to be able to pull through this one. He and Tony are friends now and that's great, but that's not the same and he supposes that's what he gets for falling too fast for someone too reserved.

Kellin is telling him that it's okay, that he'll do nothing but get stronger from the experience and he'll be smarter, better. But dammit, what does Kellin know? He's never been in love, never, so he has no right to tell Justin how he's going to "grow" and "strengthen" from the nights he spent crying himself to sleep and lazing around on his bandmates' floors. Still, he's thankful for Kellin's help and all, so he can't be a complete asshole to the elder.

He sighs and leans back, closing his eyes. It's too early to think about the memories that surround their last big tour, too early to think about anything. He should be sleeping to prepare himself for meeting all of these new and old faces. He's heard that some new band was on the tour, a massive band with about six or seven members, and he's heard that old friends like Bring Me and Motionless and Falling in Reverse is around, and he's even heard that, out of all groups, One Direction is here. It's going to be a mess and he's excited to watch things go down and make new friends and all of that happy-go-lucky bull, but to do that, he cannot focus on what used to be with. . .Tony.

"Just admit you still love the shithead and go back to sleep."

So he does. (And he kind've hopes Kellin doesn't hear, but what can you do?)

@ heroes.

Josh is the first one awake in his band and it even shocks himself. He's usually the last to go to bed and the last to wake up. So in his daze, he decides to go outside for a walk. Not bothering to wake up his band mates simply because they're all grouchy in the morning and he doesn't want to deal with them.

This place is crowded, I can't believe we're staying in this one spot for six days, He yawns to himself as he wakes up. Hoping that no one else is outside because he wants to try and run. This place is huge and the parking lot is packed with gigantic tour buses.

Why the fuck is one direction even here? He asks himself as he continues to jog but stops to catch his breath. Looking back to see how far he got and it was on five feet.

"I need to ge-" he was saying to himself until someone bumped into him. Almost causing him to fall on the ground.

Josh turns around and when he does a kid starts to stutter, "I-I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to-I didn't mean to, y'know, walk into-shit, I hope I didn't-sorry!"

But before Josh can say anything, the boy turned around and ran away.

That was strange, but cute kid, Josh said to himself before running off to catch the mysterious kid.



I have to find him so I can apologize like the good person I am. He's too cute to not be friends with again and I need to find him.

"Jacky!" I call as I force him to turn around.

"Eye mate! Watch it!" The guy said and I soon forgot all about Oli.

@ heroes.
Pssssssssssssst don't forget about this ^.^

@ BringMeTheFuentes
sorry this took so long! i hope this isn't too long!

---

Ashton is tempted to walk all the way back to the bus and throw a couple of punches to Luke's face.

"You're so sensitive, being a manwhore isn't in your best interest. All you're gonna do is cry when they leave you again and again and again."

What made Luke say that, he doesn't know, and if he talks to Luke at any point again in this lifetime, he sure would like to know. It was so out of left field and so unLuke of him to say that it cut even deeper than it should have. He tries to push it out of his head for the moment, however, just rubs his arms and bites his lip and pretends that he is all alone for the moment. There is no abnormally rude Luke, there is no ridiculous amount of bands, it is just him and the early morning sunshine.

The illusion doesn't last long, however, because all of a sudden his shoulder is being grabbed and someone is yelling, "Jacky!" like he is Jacky and he isn't and he's being turned around and he's spitting, "Ey, mate! Watch it!" before he knows who's touching him because he is just in a shitty mood. And then he's facing one of the ballsiest men Ashton thinks the world has ever seen, also known as Ronnie Radke, and Ashton just about cries. "Oh, God, I'm really sorry," he apologizes all too fast, hands out in what could be taken in surrender. "I just thought, ah, dammit. Just not having the best mornin' right now, it's all kind've just gone to shit."

Ronnie smirks a bit, asks, "What could go wrong, the morning's just started?"

"I don't know, ask fuckin' Luke," he sighs, but then quickly slaps a hand over his mouth. "Dammit. Sorry again. Don't mean to snap at you, it's just. Dammit. Bad morning."

"Luke's your bandmate, isn't he?"

"Yeah. Just. Um." He runs his hand through his hair before tightening the bandanna around his head and kicking at pebbles. "We're not on the greatest of terms right now. I dunno what happened, really, but. . ."

"You're such a cunt, Hemmings, fuck you!"

". . .but whatever it was, it's not gonna be fun to deal with later."



Louis is certainly not one for heights, and yet here he sits atop his tour bus, legs crossed and head tilted back. He figures that early morning is a good time to steal a cigarette from Zayn, because then he isn't awake to complain about the fact that Louis is constantly bumming cigarettes from him. He also figures that early morning is a good time to think clearly about all the shit that can come from being on this tour.

They are One Direction, for God's sake, surrounded by a ridiculous amount of louder, heavier bands. And Louis knows most of them, that is not the problem. The problem is that they know him, too. They know him as a boybander, a "pop sensation," and it makes him a bit ill to think about how they're going to treat him - or, even worse, the rest of the lads. Harry clings to criticism and Zayn tries to fight it all off, Niall cries about it when he thinks no one can hear him and Liam lets it weigh too heavy. Then there's Louis, who allows the harsh words to sit and sit and sit and build and build and build until its too much and he explodes or collapses.

Why the hell did they agree to this?

Right, right, management. As in the same management who demands that he and Harry be separated so much. It's getting to the point where even the fans notice, and that sort of defeats the whole purpose of separating them, doesn't it? Fuck. His cigarette is burned to the butt. He should've stolen another. Zayn is too knocked out to know up from down, anyway.

He considers going to get another or even buying his own when Harry emerges from the bus and manages to make his way to the top without falling once. He trips on the ladder - of course he does, it's Harry - but doesn't fall. Louis feels like he should applaud.

"What're you doing up so early?" he asks with that signature smile. "You're not exactly a morning creature."

"Well, you're not exactly a stable one, are ya, Long-Legged Sally?"

Harry rolls his eyes, those pretty jade eyes that Louis adores and yet, he's got to keep it a top secret sort of thing. He can't even tell Harry. This has been going for four years now. Jesus.

"Shut up. What're you doin' up here?"

Louis shrugs, wishing he had just stolen Zayn's whole pack. He seriously has to consider buying his own.

"Just thinkin', that's all."

Harry is not satisfied. "About? C'mon, Lou, you've got that look on your face like somethin's botherin' you."

It warms Louis' heart that Harry knows he's got a 'something's-bothering-you' face, but he can't exactly share that. He can't exactly share anything; his anxiety about the tour, his anxiety about everything in general, his (too strong) feelings. . .it's gotta stay hush-hush. He doesn't want to ruin anything.

"This is just my face, Styles."

"Then somethin' is botherin' you every day?"

Damn him.

"No. Let's just go back in."



Aidan hides in the trees as Josh follows behind him. He doesn't exactly know that Josh is behind him, but still he runs, hoping to leave his embarrassment and stupidity behind in the lot.

He clambers up a tree, yet doesn't quite make it, because Aidan has never been able to scale a tree. It's always been Henry; the older brother, the smarter brother. Of course. So he just sits at the bottom of the tree, starts messing with a few of the fallen leaves and wondering if he can live with himself ever being that dumb again. How did he manage to bump right into Joshua freaking Balz? Josh was probably about to laugh at him. Laugh or call him stupid or snap at him for being stupid and then laugh.

Something like that. He must have been about to do something like that because Josh is at the top and Aidan is honestly still trying to find his way out of the mud at the bottom. He's a nobody; why wouldn't Josh laugh?

Henry probably would have been suave and cool with the whole incident, but Aidan had to stutter and run. Jesus Christ.

He stops berating himself long enough to look up at the sound of footsteps. Who could it be? Josh? No. Hopefully not. Hopefully so. Josh?

It is. And he gets to see Aidan fail again, this time at climbing a tree, because the first thing Josh notices is that he's on the ground at the foot of the damned tree. Oh, Aidan could just sob.

"Yeah, you get to see me fail again. Funny, isn't it?"

@ heroes.
(Nah, it's totally fine! :D and I love your part! :D)



As Vinny wakes up, he realizes that maybe he shouldn't be in this band, hell after all he is just a replacement until they find someone to join. He doesn't want to leave, especially now because of all the different bands that are out here for these five or six months. He wants to get to know them, but he's afraid they'll judge him for not having tattoos or piercings. But deep down he knows this is just a feeling, that people aren't that cruel towards one another.

"You okay, Vin?" Devin asked as he poked his head into Vinny's bunk. Vinny just shrugged it off as he stood up and muttered 'no, not really.' Devin wanted to help, but Vinny's so goddamn distant, that's not even entirely possible.

(Sorry if this is short :$)

@ BringMeTheFuentes
(it's okay, it was wonderful! ^.^)



"I swear the only reason you wanted to do this tour so bad was so you could stare at the scrawny little bassist for Sleeping."

Sky laughs when Tyler's face flushes red, laughs even harder when the smaller man tries to beat him to death with a pillow. Tyler is muttering, "Shut the hell up," again and again and it sounds so fierce, yet so lame. Sky finds it hilarious, really. He can see right through the younger, they all can, and they know how smitten he is with the bassist for Sleeping With Sirens. He only sells the point further when he quietly mumbles, "He's not even scrawny," going to duck back into his bunk.

This is not funny. Sky may think it's a riot, but damn his time, it is not funny at all. He sort of wants to go back out and kick Sky in his back, but then he would have to deal with Ty, and the Accord twins at an unpleasant hour of the morning is not something Tyler really has the energy or desire to deal with. So he just remains stuck in his bunk and constantly repeats, 'This is not funny,' Sure, Sky can't hear him in here, but still.

The bassist for Sleeping With Sirens - Justin, his name is Justin, why does no one call him Justin when they tease Tyler? - used to date Tony Perry. Tony freaking Perry, also known as someone a thousand times bigger and cooler and more talented than Tyler. Tony is incredibly tall, has a sweet smile, can shred on a guitar like no other (especially not like Tyler), can sing. . .and Tyler is just thrown to a microphone. Justin clearly likes people like Tony, not people like Tyler.

"It's not funny!" he snaps, still hearing Sky's laughs float through the curtains. Because it's not. It's really, really not.



Of course he knows something's wrong.

How can Harry not know something is wrong? He's known Louis for four years, has spent more time with him than he has alone. He knows when something is wrong.

The problem is. . .what is wrong? Harry suspects it has something to do with Louis' ex-girlfriend; he remembers that they broke it off about two weeks before this tour. He never found out why. Louis just sort of brushed it off, mentioned something about a lad named Max, and refuses to talk about it anymore. Maybe it's the breakup that's got Louis feeling so strange, so introspective and quiet. It's just not him. Louis is not the one to mull things over for days, even weeks on end. He wants to ask, but every time he tries to get serious, Louis becomes the sarcastic arse that Harry knows and loves. Well. He's been contemplating that, actually, but he supposes that is for a different time altogether.

He peeks out of his bunk to find Louis kneeling in front of Zayn's bunk, sliding out the British-Pakistani's pack of cigarettes and fishing for a few. Of course he knows Louis smokes - doesn't mean he approves of it, but not everyone can be an angel - but he also knows that Louis doesn't do it this much, not one fag after the other like this. He whispers, "Lou," just as the elder is putting the cigarettes back in place. He can see Zayn shift behind the curtain, but he doesn't make a sound. Louis goes, "What?" as he slides the sticks in his pocket, making his way to Harry's bunk.

"I. . ." Now is the perfect time to ask. It is. No one is awake besides them and it's safe, right? So why can't he find the words to say? "I, uh." Louis is raising an eyebrow, kneeling down again because he doesn't seem to know how long he's going to be here. Harry looks up at the ceiling of his bunk and lets out a disappointed sigh.

"Instead of stealin' fags from Zayn, why don't you just buy your own?"

Louis smirks, "It's more dangerous this way," and then he's gone and Harry could just smack himself. Another wasted opportunity.



When Henry does finally get up, the rest of the boys are in the back of the bus, playing something on the Xbox. Well, all the boys except Aidan. His little brother. Where the hell is Aidan? Dammit. Breathe. He's only been up two seconds, only just changed into street clothes, and he is not going to panic.

"Where the hell's Aidan?" he mutters, hoping that one of the boys would give a sure-fire, definite answer. Instead, he is met with multiple blank stares. Benji is the one who shrugs and says he doesn't know, and the rest just nod, and seriously, what the hell is their purpose if not to look after young and impressionable and restless Aidan? Henry rolls his eyes and laces up his Doc Martens, leaving the bus before the scent of freshly-brewed coffee gets him to hang around and put off looking for his damned little brother.

He roams the lot for what feels like hours - really, it's only ten minutes - and nothing. No Aidan, the boy is absolutely nowhere to be seen and Henry gets flashbacks of taking the younger to the mall and losing him in milliseconds. Each time, he freaked out, and of course he knew the kid was going to be holding his hand again in a moment or two, but the nagging worry in the back of his head always taunted him with the 'What if he doesn't come back?' and now, years later, Henry still gets that sick feeling that okay, maybe Aidan is sort of gone forever.

He walks off the lot, into a shaded, somewhat wooded area. Quite a bit of wildlife; trees popping up here and there and a lake somewhere far off and some guy looming over Aidan who's got his back against a tree and he looks so uncomfortable and -- wait.

What is going on?

Brotherly instincts kicking in before common sense, Henry shoves the man away from his little brother and spits, "Who the fuck are you?" and Aidan is anxiously going, "Dude, no, what the fuck?", inching forward to grab Henry's hand as the guy rounds on him. The guy ends up being a very familiar face - Henry knows he's from Motionless, and Henry knows you don't screw with the guys from Motionless - and he feels as though he could snap his own skinny body in half, but hey, at least he found Aidan, right?