Making Friends With Bacardi

"Go watch the boys," Matt said, walking up to me with his hands on his hips. "I'll take over from here."

I was standing behind the table handing a girl and her friend shirts. "Are you serious?" I asked, maybe smiling a bit too big. My over excited voice and smile caused Matt to laugh.

"Yes, I'm serious." He said, sitting in my chair.

"But it's your first day on tour, don't you wanna watch them?" I said putting on sun block for the 4th time that day. It was almost 2 pm and the sun was directly over me. It was still nice out like it was 5 hours before and that made me happy.

"I have all summer." He smirked.

"Thank you!" I squealed and hugged him. It wasn't that I was super excited to watch my best friends play, It was that I was super excited to walk around and actually see what was going on. This wasn't my first time to go to warped. Alex always took me every summer. We used to sneak in and sell the bands Cd's, but most of the time we gave them out for free.

"Kayleigh!" Jack screamed and hugged me when he saw me walk up the steps towards the back of the stage.

They were about to go on and everyone couldn't stop moving. Zack was doing handstands, Rian was drumming to a song in his head like always, Alex was jumping up and down, and Jack was spinning me around like a rag doll.

"Let her go, I haven't seen my favorite girl in forever!" Grieco's voice flowed to my ears.

The other guys got here and hour before but I didn't see any of them, except Matt, because I was doing merch.

"Grieco!" I yelled in excitement, trying to pry myself out of Jacks arms.

I haven't seen Grieco since senior week back in the beginning of may. All of us, including Alex, Jack, Rian, Zack, Matt, Grieco, his girlfriend, and I were all cramped in a small hotel room surrounded by empty bottles and loud music. I had to sleep with Jack, of course, but usually he was passed out in the hotel parking lot or the bathtub. I always fell asleep alone, but woke up with someone laying next to me, and that was usually Grieco for some odd reason.

"Kayleigh!" He yelled.

Jack finally put me down and he gave me a tight hug.

"You smell good." I told him. Grieco always smelled good. Like Hollister cologne. I hate Hollister, but god do I love their cologne.

"You know you tell me that every time we see each other?" He laughed.

"Well, you always smell good." I told him.

When I was finished talking a guy came back stage and told the band they had five minutes. They played it off all cool and told him "okay" calmly, but when he walked off they all yelling random curse words in excitement and had the biggest smiles on their faces. I haven't seen them this excited in a long time. Their happiness made me smile. They really do love playing warped tour.

Grieco laughed, "Why the hell are you guys flipping out like little girls at build a bear?"

"Cause Kayleigh's here! Its the first time she'll get to see us play on warped!" Alex said, throwing an arm around my shoulder.

He was right. Alex always took me to warped every summer, except for the first time they were actually on it. This excited me a little. I'd finally get to see them standing on stage in front of hundreds of sweaty kids singing along to their music on a tour that they always wanted to be on.

The same guy came back and told them to go on. All the boys got even more jumpy and started to head out. First Rian, then Zack, Jack, then Alex. Alex took my hand and pulled me out there with them. I had really bad stage fright so I quickly pulled my hand away before I got to where Alex would stand. I ran behind Rian and stood there instead. Alex got in front of the Mic and turned back around to glare at me. I just laughed and that caused him to smirk.

The crowd was screaming and the boys faces lit up. Rian turned around and smiled at me. All I could do was smile back and give him a thumbs up because if I said anything he would barely be able to hear me.

"Ventura!" Alex yelled into the Mic. "Damn, it sure is nice out here."

The crowd went crazy and this time it was Alex's turn to turn around and smile at me. But this smile wasn't just any normal smile. This smile was an 'i have a really good idea to pull you out on stage and embarrass you in front of this whole crowd' smile.

And that's exactly what he did.

He walked back behind Rian's drum set and grabbed my hand. I kept shaking my head and saying no but he pulled me out on stage anyways. I was almost by his Mic stand and he let go of my hand. I had the opportunity to run back and hide behind Rian but just as I did that, Jack slung his guitar behind his back and picked me up. At times like these, I wish I was about 500 pounds.

Jack sat me down in between his Mic stand and Alex's, wrapped his arms around my waist and put his chin on my shoulder. I was facing hundreds of screaming kids looking stupid, all thanks to Alex.

"So all of you are probably wondering 'Who the hell is this chick they're dragging out on stage?' Right?" Alex said to the crowd. "Well this chick, this chick's name is Kayleigh. She's our merch girl!" Alex continued sounding way too happy. "Sexy, right guys?"

Alex received a deep scream from all of the guys in the crowd to answer his previous question. "Yeah, now go buy our shit!" Alex threatened.

The crowd screamed some more and Jack finally let me go. I ran off stage and stood behind Rian, hoping they wouldn't draw any more attention to me.

"This song is about the time where me and Rian broke into the Baltimore Zoo." Jack informed and they started to play running from lions.

I stayed put the whole time they played and watched them look at each other with the biggest grins of awe on their faces and play their hearts out. When they were finished, Jack didn't tackle me. Surprisingly, he only hugged me.

"Wanna come to the barbecue tonight?" Alex asked me as his wiped his sweaty face off with a towel.

I thought about it for a second. I didn't want to go to some thing and watch the boys have fun while I sit there and not know anyone. But I definitely didn't want to sit on an empty bus all alone all night.

"Awh, come on. It'll be fun." Alex said, reading my facial expression.

"Okay." I sighed, not knowing what I was getting myself into.

Alex smiled and gave me a hug. "I knew you would." He sang, poking my stomach.