Rum and Coke

As soon as Ellie came to her senses, her phone was attached to her ear. She was planning meetings off the wah-zoo, arranging for her private jet to pick her up after the concert, and making other travel arrangements. She swore, if she hadn’t already cracked, this would have been the straw that broke her back!

“Hey, Bernie! It’s Ellie. Can you make it to a board meeting tomorrow at one?....uh-huh, the conference room above the greenroom in Treble Hall…right, okay, see you there!” Ellie said in a fake chipper voice as she hung up her phone. She crossed a name off her list and dialed Adam back to make sure that he had everything straight.

Ryan rolled in and shook his head. “Pretty soon, you’ll be like that Dean Koontz book and have wires running from your phone straight into your brain,” he said seriously, motioning to the phone. Kay and Jimmy were right behind him.

Ellie flipped her twin off as she waited for the person to pick up.

Ryan rolled over to her and squeezed her hand. “You need to take a break and sleep.”
Ellie tore her hand out of Ryan’s before she growled into the phone. “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.”

“Pretty soon, you will be.” He said before exiting.

Ellie just brushed him off and growled into her phone again. “Fucking Adam! Learn to pick up your goddamn cell phone every once and awhile!” She yelled into his voicemail before hanging up and trying a different number.

“Ellie,” Jimmy warned.

Ellie waved him off.

He stepped in front of her and ripped her cellphone out of her hands and hung up.

“You, Jackass! Give me back my phone!” She screamed, jumping up to grab her phone. For all her height, she was no match for his 6’4” frame.

“Not until you sleep.”

“I’ll sleep when I get all this shit straightened out! Deal?!”

“No, Because that won’t be for awhile. Now, sleep.”

“What is with all the shouting?” Matt asked, scratching the back of his head. “Ellie?”

“It’s nothing.” Ellie said quickly as she lunged for the phone, completely missing Jimmy and ending up on the floor.

“That’s nothing?” Val asked.

“Yes, nothing,” Ellie replied after standing back up and reaching for her phone. Jimmy held it high above his head.

One Song
Glory
One Song
Before I Go
Glory
One Song To Leave Behind-

“Rev, give me the damn phone now.” Ellie demanded as he held it even higher.

Find One Song
One Last Refrain-

“If you don’t give it to me now, I will never speak to you again,” she threatened. He visibly gulped.

Glory
From The Pretty Boy Front Man
Who Wasted Oppor-

“Hey, Adam, sorry about that.” Ellie said, glaring at the other drummer.

“I was just trying to help,” Jimmy muttered before walking to the front of the bus. Ren walked over to Ellie and held her, her back to his chest.

“Then learn how to legally fucking clone people!” she called to Jimmy’s retreating back. “Can you guys just go?” she asked to the remaining people. Everyone but Ren left. “Sorry about that, too,” she addressed into the phone.

“No, I’m sorry I didn’t pick up the first time. Why did you call?” He sounded as if he had been crying.

“I wanted to know if you could pick me up from the airport.”

“Now? I’m on my way.”

“No, no. I still have to wait until the pilot calls me and refuels the jet. Fuck my life. I’ll be there later, possibly around 11:30ish if I’m lucky.”

“Sure, but weren’t you going to be here tomorrow anyway?”

“If I stay with the tour, I won’t have time to get organized before meeting with the Board.”

“Oh, so…where are you staying tonight?”

Ellie shrugged and looked at her planner. “No idea, probably the conference room. I still have to draw up the proposals and all that shit.” Ren tightened his hold on her. She pushed him away and went to go sit down on the couch in the back room of the bus. Ren sat behind her and rubbed her back.

“Idina, Taye, and I were discussing your…situation before and we’ll gladly keep running the theatre for you.”

Ellie cracked a small smile in appreciation. “Thank you. I figured that I could keep you three there.”

“It’s no problem, really.”

“Yea, well, I’m going to sell Jared’s share of the lawfirm…since I have no idea how that confounded thing even works…it’s the dance company and school I’m worried about.”

“The Blossoms could take it over.”

“No, they’re choreographers, not business people. That’s what the company and school need- a business person that understands how the arts work…I don’t know, I’ll think more on it later.”

“Ok, rest up, Angel. You’ll need your strength for tonight.”

“Yea, yea…I love you, too. Bye.” She said before hanging up.

Ellie leaned back into Ren’s chest, not feeling the same sense of comfort that his embrace usually gave her. He kissed her temple. “C’mon, a short nap won’t kill you. And I’ll be in the bunk with you to make sure you sleep…and no protesting, we all know that you’re in way over your head, but you can’t do anything right now, so the best thing for you is to sleep.”

“Thanks,” she said monotonously as he led her to Brian’s unoccupied bunk. Ren slid in after her and wrapped his arms around her waist before kissing her forehead several times.
“Sleep, everything will work out,” he said softly, running his hands through her hair.

Ellie drifted off to sleep and cuddled against his chest. Perhaps, he was right, she thought lazily before drifting off to sleep.