This Is the World We Left for Dreamers and Believers

“So what happened between you and Halvo anyway?” Katy and Daray asked simultaneously. I laughed and lifted the Styrofoam cup to my lips.

“We had a lot of fun. Katy would know if she wasn’t too busy staring into Justin’s baby blues the whole night. Katy laughed quietly and looked at the table.

“So is it Annabelle and Halvo now?” I shrugged.

“I’m not so sure. He’s a great guy. I like his company and what’s the worse that could really happen? We’re both great about pretending something didn’t happen.” Daray snorted.

“That’s only you. Just-”

“No. It’s not just me.” I said cutting her a look. She seemed confused and then looked over at the girl beside her. Daray nodded understandingly.

“Who else have you been with on this very short tour?” I looked at the table.

“You don’t want to know.”

“I do! Come on! Tell me!” I sighed.

“Justin. It was only for a day or two though! It’s okay for you two to be together!” I said hastily meeting her eyes.

“I- it’s girl code though.” She said quietly.

“For this one I’m allowing girl code to be broken. I legit mean its okay for you to be with him. Justin and me lasted like three days. Barely a relationship.” She sighed and looked at the table.

“You’re positive?”

“Like the Aids.” Katy and Daray both shook their heads, chuckling quietly.
“Still too soon? My bad.”

“We should get back to the venue before they cry.” I laughed and followed them back to the venue.

“Eric Halvorsen! Get the hell down right now!” Loren yelled looking up Eric who was standing on top of the trailer.

“No! I am king! You shall bow down to me!” I joined Loren’s side and stared up at Eric. He waved down.

“What’s he doing up there?”

“He stole my keys and my phone. Now we’re here.” I laughed.

“Halvo! Get down here!! I need a hug and Loren just isn’t going to do!” His face lit up.

“I’m jealous of your power over the kid.” Loren whispered while Eric figured out a way down. His arms wrapped around my shoulders.

“Hi!”

“Hi! Why are you being mean to Loren?” I asked looking up at him.

“Loren started it! He was making fun of me so I took his stuff!”

“Is that anyway to deal with your problems?”

“No. Fine. Have your shit back.” Eric said shoving the stuff back at Loren.

“Whipped. You are so whipped.” Loren said waving to us both. I rolled my eyes.

“Maybe I should have let you keep em.” He laughed quietly.

“I had fun last night.”

“I did too! We should hang out again!” I said turning to him. His smile was huge.

“Anytime! I wanna go to the beach!” He announced lacing his fingers through mine. I pulled out my phone with my free hand and looked at the time. Barely 11:30.

“We should go then!”

“Where are you two going?” Pat asked appearing from behind the trailer.

“The beach. Wanna go with us?” Halvo asked.

“Yes!! When does the show start?”

“Seven. We’ve got plenty of time.” I said shrugging and swinging mine and Eric’s hands.

“Anyone else going?”

“You’re the only one we’ve seen! Where is everybody?”

“Katy and Justin are talking in the van. Alex and Daray are doing whatever they do when no one is around and the others are in the lobby talking about what they should do the whole day. We didn’t expect to get here that fast. Stupid GPS.”

“Hey! That GPS gave you an approximate time if you’re going 60 not 90 like Tim was!” Pat shrugged and jumped up and down.

“I wanna go now!”

“Go get the others then!” I said ushering him along.

“We’re all going to lose our pale skin!” I laughed.

“None of you are pale. You’re all pretty tan.”

“Unlike you.” I scowled.

“I am not pale.”

“Yes you are! You’re like a ghost!”

“Eric…..you fail and that blue plaid shirt is a girls shirt. Stop wearing it.” I said in a serious tone. He stared at me astonished.

“What?!”

“I’m just kidding! Don’t call me pale though. I’ll kick your ass next time.” I said smiling up at him.

“You went too far though!”

“I said sorry! You know I didn’t mean it!” I said hugging up to his arm. He huffed.

“Fine. But only because I like you.” I laughed and sighed. We followed Pat to the lobby where indeed every single person outside of the four who were scattered and us three were gathered.

“Who wants to go to the beach?” Pat yelled. ‘I do’s’ filled the air.

“Lets go!”

“Doesn’t it cost money?” Omar asked, leave it to him be the sensible one.

“It’s like five or ten dollars.” I said shrugging.

“Well then its settled! We’re going to the beach!” Kennedy said excitedly. I laughed and shook my head. They were all like excited little five year olds.

“We should find Justin and Alex.” Eric said looking down at me. I nodded and pulled him along.

“I have a feeling that I know where Alex and Daray are.” I said climbing the steps that led to the balcony. I put a finger to my lips and moved aside the curtains. Alex was sitting in one of the seats, Daray on his lap. They were talking quietly.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY YOU’RE 18!” I yelled Daray jumped up.

“THE ONLY THING THAT MEANS IS YOU’RE OLD ENOUGH TO STRIP!” She yelled back. Eric and Alex exchanged a look.

“You, Me, And Everyone We Know?” I said looking between them, they both shrugged. I shook my head.

“Do you two want to go to the beach?” Eric asked.

“Hell yes!” Alex yelled jumping up.
“Yeah. Sounds like fun.” Daray said following us down the stairs. Everyone was gathered by their vans decked in a array of swim trunks.

“Guess we should go get dressed too.” Eric said.

“I don’t have anything to wear.” Alex said sheepishly.

“That makes two.” I said looking at the ground.

“You lived in Florida though! How do you not have something swim related?!” Eric exclaimed.

“I didn’t get this pale by spending my days on the beach.” I muttered. They both laughed.

“This means Wal-Mart!” Alex said excitedly. They were the only band that visited Wal-Mart happily. I hate that place.

“I don’t have to swim. I feel awkward in a swimmy suit anyway.” Eric rolled his eyes.

“Look insecurity you’re going to get in that water one way or another!” I huffed.

“I like to look at the water not touch it.” I said walking over to our van.

“John, tell her she has to get in the water.”

“Bella, can do whatever she wants. I have no control over her.” John grumbled from his seat. I glared at him. He was talking about a totally different thing.

“Annabelle Jocelynne, you are going to get into that water!” My mouth hung open.

“How do you- What?”

“Your middle name? I called our manager. He has all your stuff.”

“Never. Never use that name again. My parents decided I needed one of the longest names in history. I think they were both high when they named me.” Everyone cracked up around me.

“It’s not that bad! We have to go to Wal-Mart.” Eric said helping me into the van, giving my hand one last squeeze before shutting the door. I sighed and leaned my head against the seat.

“Plan backfire?”

“Huh?”

“You look stressed.” Jared said. I shrugged.

“I don’t like the idea of a swimmy suit is all. I always feel uber awkward.” He laughed and ruffled my hair.

“You’ll be alright.” I groaned. We stopped outside the local Wal-Mart. Alex showed up at the door.

“Let’s go!”

“I don’t wanna!”

“Are you five?” Alex asked disapprovingly. I pouted in the seat. Kennedy pushed on my shoulder, slowly sliding me out. I clutched onto the back of the seat. John got out of the front seat and lifted me out setting me on the ground. Kennedy jumped into my spot. I stomped my foot.

“I’m not going into that store.”

“I’ll carry you.”

“John, baby, seriously? I’ve got a good 30 to 40 pounds on you.”

“I just picked you up!” He said exasperated.

“Twenty five seconds. Whoa. Why do I have to get in the water?! I could just sit back and take photos the whole time!”

“You have to. That’s the reason why.” He said simply. I scowled and followed Alex and the other Racing Kites guys inside. I followed them into the guys section.

“Don’t you belong over there?” Matt H asked pointing to the section beside the one we were currently standing in. I laughed.

“I need swimmy trunks!”

“Why?” Preston asked holding up a pair of a simple red shorts.

“Those are going to make you look like a life guard.” I commented. He shoved them back on the rack. I grabbed the first pair of black shorts that I came to. They all shook their heads as I skipped over to the other section and grabbed a deep purple tankini. I turned around expecting to find the RK guys but was faced with a whole new problem. John O’ Callaghan and Erin Halvorsen. This was going to be awkward.

“You don’t have money.” John said holding up a credit card.

“I have 50 in the van. Hey Halvo!”

“Bella! That doesn’t look swimable!”

“It so is! It’s just black swim trunks and a bathing suit top!” I exclaimed. He offered out a hand to carry my stuff. We walked in silence. Halvo’s fingers slipped in between my own. I saw John’s eyes scan us over before looking at the linoleum floor.

“I think that chick has The Maine shirt on.” Halvo whispered pointing to a girl who was shuffling through a magazine rack.

“Hey John Oh! I want your babies!” I said loudly, he looked up confused. The girl rushed over to us. Annabelle- 1. John- 0.
“That was low.”

“He started it.” I said shrugging and swinging our hands. His grip tightened.

“Yeah, that’s Halvo and his groupie. She wants everyone’s babies.” The girl leaned around and met my eyes. Her distaste for me couldn’t have been anymore satisfying.

“I’m your groupie? When did we ever sleep together?”

“Last night. Rocked your world baby girl.” He said winking. I giggled.

“Oh! That’s right! Sorry you blew my mind I’m having trouble functioning today.”

“We have to go but we’ll see at you at the show later right?” John asked the girl she nodded and hurried away, phone already out to tell anyone who would listen that she had just met the John oh. I rolled my eyes.

“If there is even so much as mention of the ‘Halvo groupie’ I’ll kill you John.” I growled. He smirked and continued to walk beside us in silence.

“Chill out Bella. I’ll be more than glad to call you my groupie.” Eric said smirking. I shook my head and smacked his arm. We paid for the stuff and headed back out the van.

“Did she buy something?” Tim asked John.

“Yeah. I did. I also got a new nickname- Halvo groupie.”

“She announced who I was really loud! There was some chick standing not even ten feet from us with one of our shirts on!”

“That was still pretty un cool man.” Kennedy said picking up my bag. I smacked his hand.

“No. It’s mine. You can’t see!”

“Pleaseee?”

“Its only some swimming shit. She didn’t get anything fantastic.”

“That’s what you think.” I muttered. He turned in his seat to stare at me.

“What?”

“Get out my face!” I said pushing his head. He rolled his eyes.

“Gees, What’s gotten into you two lately?” Garret asked. I shrugged and looked out the window.

“Nothing. It’s Bella being Bella. True colors have shone through I suppose. Like that huge crush on her best friend. Could you be anymore obvious?” My mouth hung open.

“Dude! That is not okay!” Pat said sliding an arm around my shoulders. I looked at the floor.

“You’re such a douche. Seriously? What did I do to you?” I asked. He shrugged. The van had barely stopped before I had thrown open the door and stomped off to the bathroom. I stepped out. The top dipped low, it held tight at the top and loosened out towards the bottom. I was comfortable enough.

“See! It’s not that bad!” Preston said loudly scaring me. I looked up at him.

“I got purple shades to match in the van but I don’t wanna go over there.” He tilted his head to the side.

“How come?” I contemplated telling him.

“Can you keep a secret?” He nodded eagerly.
“I’ll try to explain on my way over to the van.” I said holding my clothes tighter. I told him about the first week in Arizona, the first of everything, and then the fight last night and John’s douche bag constant moves. He sighed and stared at me.

“And I thought my problems were hard?”

“You, dear are a mystery in it self.” He laughed and looked at the van.

“John’s over there.” He whispered. I looked up him.

“I don’t think I can go back over there.”

“Sure you can. I’ll be right over.” He said pointing to his own bands van that was parked ten feet away. I sighed and nodded.

“I’m sorry. I went too far this time.” John said quietly. I looked at him. He was frowning. I nodded and grabbed my sunglasses and camera.
“Are we not talking?”

“Give me one reason why I should hold a conversation with your sorry ass?”

“Because you know I didn’t mean a word of it.” I rolled my eyes.

“Really? None of it? Not the groupie part or the crush part or the your nothing special part?”

“What’s with you and Halvo anyway?” I shrugged.

“I like him. Is that a problem?” He sighed and looked away.

“Nope. The bathing suit looks good by the way.” I shrugged.

“It was the first thing I came to. Are you coming down? The girls are dying to get a look at that body.” He laughed and stood up.

“Is your body guard coming?” He asked pointing to Preston. I waved him over. He took his time walking over.

“You look so awkward in orange.” Preston pushed me forwards.

“I didn’t see anything else!”

“There was like a thousand black and gray pairs!”

“Rick got the gray ones and Matty got the black ones!”

“Figures. You can’t have the same as someone else?”

“Nope. It doesn’t work that way.”

“You are- ugh. Preston I adore you but you’re so frustrating.” John snorted. I looked over.

“What?”

“Nothing.” Preston smirked.

“I got that man.” I looked between the two smiling men.

What?