She's With The Band
Chapter 7;
After several more hours of hijinks and dirty jokes in the van, they arrived in the parking lot of the Pomona fairgrounds. Imelda had been to the D.C. stop of the tour the year before, but seeing the stages and booths being set up had a new feeling to it with the boys.
“Welcome to the show, sweetheart,” Alex sighed, stepping out of the backseat of the van. Vinny blew a kazoo in Matt’s ear to wake him up, setting off a wild goose chase around the trailer. Zack, Alex and Jack stepped back to the trailer and started unloading equipment. Rian walked across the parking lot to call Kara, promising to be back in time to help.
“I’m gonna go call James, I’ll be right back!” Imelda called as she started dialing his number on her Quickfire.
“Ay bay bay!” James laughed into the phone.
“Ello, chap. What’s crackalackin?”
“Not much, I’m heading into the locker rooms. We have a big game today,” he reminded Imelda. James was a shoe-in for any football scholarship in the country that he wanted. He had joined an elite, invitation-only summer league for his college application. Even for a sixteen-year-old, the application process was a dark cloud sprinkling down on them, threatening a torrential downpour.
“Oh that’s right, don’t beat down on Gonzaga too hard, love. My cousin will be very upset.”
James laughed. “I make no promises,” he trailed off awkwardly, “So… are they being good to you?” he whispered.
“Yes, James. They’re amazing. I love them so much. We’re gonna have a lot of fun this summer. But I can’t wait to see you on July fourteenth, OK? I have to go now; we’re unloading the merch stuff and I have to get ready for the teenage hoard.”
“Alrighty, Mel. Just be careful and try not to kill too many fan girls, huh?” he chuckled. Imelda rolled her eyes and said goodbye, jogging back over to help the boys with the merch boxes.
“What can I carry?” she asked Rian as he lugged a heavy-looking box towards an empty booth.
He grunted and threw his head over to the trailer where Vinny and Zack were unloading boxes. “Ask them.”
She strolled over to the trailer and Vinny motioned to a stack of boxes. She took the first one, struggling slightly, and hauled it to the booth. Vinny followed close behind with two boxes that were the size of the one she brought. Imelda frowned.
“I’ve had lots of practice. Here, why don’t you get things set up and I will do the carrying?” he suggested.
“Sure, where’s the stuff?” Vinny pointed to a box sitting on the counter.
“Stapler should be in there.”
Imelda tore open the box and unfolded a big blue banner that had All Time Low written across the front. She stood in front of the booth and reached up on her tip- toes to staple one side of the banner to the tall booth. Someone reached out and grabbed the stapler, quickly jamming it into the other side. Imelda looked over and grinned at Jack who gave a girly giggle and shrugged.
“So, are you excited?” she asked.
“Fuck yeah! Warped Tour is the shit! This is the best part of my year, right here. The fans are insane and, just… I dunno. Best parties, shit goes down. It’s fuckin’ sweet,” he explained. Imelda laughed and began arranging the multicolored merch on the booth.
“So, you and Alex, huh?” Jack sighed, sitting himself down in the center of her counter.
“What about me and Alex?” Imelda groaned, pinning up shirts and hoodies on the corkboard behind her.
“What was that shit on the bus, with the kissing your shoulder? He’s so into you, dude.”
Imelda turned a deep shade of scarlet and matched the price tags with the merch. Jack rolled his eyes and hopped off the counter.
“Whatever. I’m going to help set up on stage. Peace, Mellon!” he called. Imelda held up a peace sign while shoving a pin into a pink All Time Low beanie.
“Welcome to the show, sweetheart,” Alex sighed, stepping out of the backseat of the van. Vinny blew a kazoo in Matt’s ear to wake him up, setting off a wild goose chase around the trailer. Zack, Alex and Jack stepped back to the trailer and started unloading equipment. Rian walked across the parking lot to call Kara, promising to be back in time to help.
“I’m gonna go call James, I’ll be right back!” Imelda called as she started dialing his number on her Quickfire.
“Ay bay bay!” James laughed into the phone.
“Ello, chap. What’s crackalackin?”
“Not much, I’m heading into the locker rooms. We have a big game today,” he reminded Imelda. James was a shoe-in for any football scholarship in the country that he wanted. He had joined an elite, invitation-only summer league for his college application. Even for a sixteen-year-old, the application process was a dark cloud sprinkling down on them, threatening a torrential downpour.
“Oh that’s right, don’t beat down on Gonzaga too hard, love. My cousin will be very upset.”
James laughed. “I make no promises,” he trailed off awkwardly, “So… are they being good to you?” he whispered.
“Yes, James. They’re amazing. I love them so much. We’re gonna have a lot of fun this summer. But I can’t wait to see you on July fourteenth, OK? I have to go now; we’re unloading the merch stuff and I have to get ready for the teenage hoard.”
“Alrighty, Mel. Just be careful and try not to kill too many fan girls, huh?” he chuckled. Imelda rolled her eyes and said goodbye, jogging back over to help the boys with the merch boxes.
“What can I carry?” she asked Rian as he lugged a heavy-looking box towards an empty booth.
He grunted and threw his head over to the trailer where Vinny and Zack were unloading boxes. “Ask them.”
She strolled over to the trailer and Vinny motioned to a stack of boxes. She took the first one, struggling slightly, and hauled it to the booth. Vinny followed close behind with two boxes that were the size of the one she brought. Imelda frowned.
“I’ve had lots of practice. Here, why don’t you get things set up and I will do the carrying?” he suggested.
“Sure, where’s the stuff?” Vinny pointed to a box sitting on the counter.
“Stapler should be in there.”
Imelda tore open the box and unfolded a big blue banner that had All Time Low written across the front. She stood in front of the booth and reached up on her tip- toes to staple one side of the banner to the tall booth. Someone reached out and grabbed the stapler, quickly jamming it into the other side. Imelda looked over and grinned at Jack who gave a girly giggle and shrugged.
“So, are you excited?” she asked.
“Fuck yeah! Warped Tour is the shit! This is the best part of my year, right here. The fans are insane and, just… I dunno. Best parties, shit goes down. It’s fuckin’ sweet,” he explained. Imelda laughed and began arranging the multicolored merch on the booth.
“So, you and Alex, huh?” Jack sighed, sitting himself down in the center of her counter.
“What about me and Alex?” Imelda groaned, pinning up shirts and hoodies on the corkboard behind her.
“What was that shit on the bus, with the kissing your shoulder? He’s so into you, dude.”
Imelda turned a deep shade of scarlet and matched the price tags with the merch. Jack rolled his eyes and hopped off the counter.
“Whatever. I’m going to help set up on stage. Peace, Mellon!” he called. Imelda held up a peace sign while shoving a pin into a pink All Time Low beanie.