Snapshots of Reality

I watched from the side of the stage as Ronnie motioned for a girl with neon purple hair to go to the backstage area. I gritted my teeth and tried to pretend like I did not realize that I had put him up to it. She smiled, the light catching the lip rings on her face, she was so happy, and for a moment I felt guilty. She was nothing more than a piece in our plan. If Oliver was to stay in the dark about everything and I was to keep my job, then this was the way it had to be. It ate me up inside momentarily, but the seconds passed and I was feeling better. The girl pursed her lips for a moment which were a natural red color. As she approached I noticed her eyes were a light hazel, the blue and green mixing together to make a beautiful eye color. It was easy to see why Ronnie had chosen her. She was definitely beautiful. “Hi, I am Nicky.” Her voice was light, and it spoke of innocence, but her body language spoke of something different. “Clover,” I said grabbing her hand and shaking it. I could faintly hear Ronnie wrapping up their set and I looked at the girl. She was looking at Ronnie with adoring eyes, yet I do not think she realized what she was getting herself into. She was playing in a whole new game the second she said yes, and we all knew she would.

I smiled at Ronnie as he walked backstage. I felt a pair of arms wrap around me, they were cold against my skin, and they did not send the shocks through me like Ronnie’s did, yet they were not safe like Oliver’s. I turned and looked. “Max?” He smiled at me and hugged me again. It was obvious that he had been drinking; I could smell the alcohol from the other side of the room if I chose to try. “I wish you had never left Clover. Man, we loved you so much. I just wanted to be with you, I still do, but you have Oliver, and I see the eyes you make with Ronnie…you still want him. Why not me Clover, what is so wrong with me?” I looked at him shocked. “What about Rider?” “Well, she’s great and she loves me, but the thing is this, she is no you. Want to hear a secret?” I shook my head no, but he leaned into my ear and breathed, “Every time I kiss her I think that it is you.” I pushed him back and grabbed his bass and placed it in his hands. “Go away Max. You disgust me.” “I know…I know. I disgust myself.” He sauntered away, his hands wrapped around his bass, his head low. This cannot be happening to me.

I stomped onto the bus and brushed past Nicky to where I found Ronnie, he was cleaning up. I burst in the bathroom. “Your stupid little bass player just told me he loves me, and he thinks of me anytime he is with my sister. Is this some sort of stupid game that you guys like to play?” He looked at me with genuine surprise. “He did what?” I looked; Nicky was staring at the ground, her converse rubbing the carpet in a circular motion. “Never mind you have company.” I saw Ronnie pull out his cell phone and text something; I still wanted to know who he was texting at all times. “Who is that?” “None of your business.” I mumbled a string of curse words under my breath and stomped out to my own bus.

“Hey, where were you?” Oliver asked me the second I boarded. “Talking to Max.” His eyes spoke of suspicion. “Seriously Clover, if you cheat on me with one of them, I will kick them off the tour, and I will make sure their careers die.” I looked at him, glaring I seethed out to him “I am not cheating on you Oliver. Get over yourself. I am from Vegas, they were my best friends for years, of course I had met them, how else would I know what insults to say? Gosh you are so daft sometimes. Go screw yourself.” I said before walking to the bathroom and slamming the door. After a while I could feel the bus rolling and I knew we where on our way to day two of hell. My phone rang suddenly. “Hello?” “She said yes.” I smiled. “Good, but nobody can know. I am starting to think this was a bad idea Ronnie. You stay with Nicky and I will stay with Oliver. I wish you the best.” I breathed out before wiping away a rogue tear. With every lie I told my heart tore. But this time, I was lying for him.