My Thorn And My Rose

Gavin had sat me down in his previous seat and he knelt on the floor in front of me.
‘‘Are you sure it was Terry?’’ He asked sternly, as if to say I had mistaken the voice.
‘‘I’m more than sure, Gavin. I know his voice, and I know that was him.’’ I snapped back, bobbing my knee up and down. I saw Sean scramble from his chair to go pick up my phone from the floor where it had just landed. I saw him scroll through the numbers to look at the one that had just called me.
‘‘Well its not normal number, I can tell you that much.’’ Sean piped up, making Gavin turn to look at him. He gave me my phone back and I threw it in my bag.
‘‘You’re just going to have to ignore the number next time. If you don’t answer, he cant talk to you.’’ Gavin said, holding both of my hands in his.
‘‘But someone’s following me, someone who knows Terry. He said its not fair that he’s in prison, he said I put him there and something needs to be fixed. Please, done let him hurt me.’’ My voice dropped to a faint whisper and I tried to hide my fear.
‘‘I wont. I swear, Maddy.’’ Gavin replied, looking me dead in the eye. Just then, the bus stopped and their driver called from the front to tell them we had eventually arrived. Gareth came down to where we sat looking at us in utter confusion.
‘‘What’s going on?’’ He asked, then Matthew walked with him, explaining the phone call. The rest of them got off, Sean lagged behind, waiting for me to move.
‘‘What if he’s out there? What if he’s been with us all this time and we haven’t realised?’’ I asked him, panicked. Sean pulled me closer to him and wrapped his arms around me.
‘‘Maddison, no one is going to let him hurt you, whoever he is. I swear. You heard Gavin, he isn’t going to let anyone hurt you. None of us are.’’ He said, trying to comfort me.
‘‘Can we go find Billy?’’ I asked him, feeling he was the only person that could actually help me from being attacked.
Sean and I left the bus and luckily enough, Billy was waiting at the back of the venue. I gave him a relieved smile, although he wouldn’t know what it was for, but he gave a confused smile back anyway. The day went on as usual, sound check, getting ready, hanging out with the other bands. All the while I clung to Billy’s side. I hadn’t explained to him why I was so nervous, and I hadn’t explained why I tensed up every time someone walked past me, but he didn’t asked questions, he was happy enough to stand in front of me each time. It was what he was getting paid for after all.
‘‘Guys, you’re on.’’ A man said as he popped his head around the door of their changing room then ran off again quickly.
They all stood up and started to leave the room, excited conversation going between them.
‘‘Are you going, too?’’ Billy asked me. It was the first time he had actually spoken directly to me. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go. I didn’t know if just staying in the room was going to be safer. I debated for a small while until Sean put an arm over my shoulder.
‘‘Yes, you are. You’ll be fine.’’ He said, grinning at me then kissed my cheek. I held onto his hand and walked out with him, Billy a few steps behind. We reached the side of the stage and I could only just make out the drum kit and microphone stands that were on the stage because it was that dark. A low rumbling of music started and the crowd cheered.
‘‘Have a good one.’’ Was all I could manage to say, I hugged each of them then they took their positions, the lights went on and the music started.
I stood and watched them in complete awe, they were even better than the two previous nights. Not that I could remember much of their first show. I glanced over my shoulder to see Billy, staring at me intently. I gave him a smile, happy he was still there and looked back to the stage. I would catch either Gavin or Sean looking out to the side for me, making sure I was still there. Matthew would come closer to me, shout something that I still couldn’t hear, smile then walk back off. I was grateful they all cared so much about me, but I still couldn’t push away the fear that was starting to consume me.