When the Moonlight Hits Your Bright Eyes, I Go Blind

The next morning I woke up in a car, Jez’s car.
“Why am I in your car? A more traditional place for people to sleep is a bed. But I dunno, if you have a fetish or something for sleeping in cars then that’s fine, just don’t drag me into it,” I mumbled sleepily.
Jez laughed and announced excitedly,
“We’re almost there! You’re coming on tour with me or I’m telling your parents all about the times you’ve snuck out and they haven’t caught you.”
She smiled at me casually as if we were just discussing the weather. I narrowed my eyes at her and pulled out some large sunglasses sat back and awaited my doom. Oh well, karma’s a bitch.

My doom quickly came. Jez went around the back and parked the car and took out the keys. There goes Plan A.
“Pete!” She squealed and jumped out of the car to meet a short and familiar person. He gave her a big hug and I sighed. I stepped out of the car and leant back against it. Pete froze and walked over.
“Wow, sweetie you’ve grown. You’re over 18 now, hit me up?” He joked.
I didn’t even crack a smile and his faltered.
“How long does this stupid tour go for?” I asked, a familiar, uncaring tone making itself apparent in my voice. I knew I was being rude, but I didn’t care. I was being dragged here against my will.
“Um…6 months…and did I hear you say ‘stupid tour’?” He asked.
“Do you practice being stupid? Yes, I did say ‘stupid tour’ cause this is a stupid fucking tour!” I snapped. Pete frowned.
“What’s up with you? You’re not Axelle anymore!” Pete said sadly.

“How dare you say who I am and who I am not?! You have no idea who I am! The girl you met was a childish teen who was stuck in her dreams and refused to grow up! She was nothing but a stupid fucking fool who refused to face reality!” I spat and stared firmly at him. Pete looked at me with a harsh look.
“No. The girl I met was the one who helped me follow my dream. I was on the verge of giving up a dream and becoming a fucking accountant, like my father wanted me to be. Then I got a gig and in there was a girl. She was only 13 but she believed in us! She was our first fan and I loved her like one loves a sister! She said we’d make it big and although it didn’t seem like we were going anywhere I believed in her words and I used those few words to keep going with the band, even when it seemed like a hopeless cause. She was the one who kept this band alive! She was the heart and soul of this band! We would be absolutely nothing without her!” Pete hissed. I was thoroughly shaken. I had no idea I’d had that much impact on the band.
“You shouldn’t have followed your dream. Dreams are a waste of time. Just like music. Dreams and music are nothing of importance in this world,” I said firmly.

Pete’s hands gripped onto my shoulders and he shook me lightly.
“You do not believe that! Tell me you don’t!” He pleaded, desperation in his eyes. I set my chin and stared back evenly from behind my shades, letting my silence speak for me. “Unfortunately, she does. Your concert was the first one she’d been to in months. And you know what she was like before, 3 gigs a week at least,” Jez said sadly,
“And the only time she listens to music is when I force her to.” Pete looked at me sadly. “What happened to you sweetie?” He whispered. I glared at him, even though it killed me to do so and snarled,
“I grew up. You should too. It might benefit you.” I knew I was being a bitch, but I didn’t care. “Hey Pete—” Patrick’s voice floated over before it stopped mid sentence.
“What the fuck is that fake bitch doing here?!” He snarled.
“Touring,” Jez replied.
“You were invited, she wasn’t!” He growled.
“But if she doesn’t, she’ll have to go back to her parents,” Jez said.
“So?” Patrick asked, “What’s wrong with her parents?”

Jez frowned then turned to me.
“You told me you explained everything to them!” She shouted.
I cringed. She glowered at me as Pete and Patrick frowned. She stalked over and yanked my shades off, threw them to the ground and stood on them. My eyes immediately fell to the ground as I heard two low gasps.
“You tell them everything right now!” She yelled furiously.
“What happened sweetie?” Pete asked.
“I got into a fight,” I replied bluntly. Jez slapped me hard around the back of my head.
“Don’t you dare hit me again Jezebel,” I hissed maliciously.
Jez looked at me startled. I’d never spoken to her with anything but fake anger.
“I am not going to discuss anything. I loathe music, simple as that,” I spat,
“I have nothing to do with music anymore.”
“Then how come you still have all your music stuff, and Patrick’s hat?” Jez shot back. I paused.
“I can’t burn what’s not mine and I kept all the stuff that Dad gave me, because that’s all I have left of him,” I said quietly. Jez looked down kind of ashamed. I looked at Patrick and pulled his hat off my head.
“I believe this belongs to you,” I said formally.
“Keep it, I don’t want it,” He said.
“I can’t keep what isn’t mine,” I said and then pushed the hat into his hands.

My phone then rang and my heart rate accelerated.
“F-father?” Jez looked up instantly with fear in her eyes.
“Where the hell are you?”
“I’m waving Jez goodbye.”
“Where’s she going?”
“She’s…she’s going on a cruise.”
“Don’t you fucking dare lie to me!”
I cringed, “Sorry.”
“Where is Jezebel going?!”
“On tour.”
“With?”
“A band”
“You go with her and I will fucking skin you alive!”
I whimpered because I knew he would.
“Yes father.”
“You know music is a waste of everything that the human race has worked so hard to achieve.”
“Yes father. Music is worthless and it is for childish people who refuse to understand that dreams are a waste of time and that nobody cares about them.”
“Good girl. Now come home.”
“Why? I need to see Jez off.”
“Do I hear backchat?”
“No! No! I’ll come home right away!”
“I’m expecting you home in 5 minutes.”
“But you kicked me out last night!”
“3 minutes or you’re dead.”

He hung up and I gulped.
“Please will you stay with me on this tour? You’re my best friend! I don’t want to share this experience with anyone else. And I went everywhere with you even if I didn’t want to…”
She trailed off. She was using the guilt trip…and it worked.
“Pete, promise me, the moment I step on that bus we’re outta here like bats outta hell. My head is on the chopping block,” I said. I stared at him through a slightly swollen eye and a good eye. He nodded.
“No way! That bitch is not stepping on this bus!” Patrick snapped.
“Look Stump! I know she cut all ties off instantly but she did it for the good or everyone! So remove that stick and deal with it!” Yelled Jez. I love her.
“But why should—”
“HER FUCKING LIFE WAS ON THE FUCKING LINE! AND YOURS, YOU STUPID FUCK!” screamed Jez. I don’t love her anymore.
“Jez…” I growled as both Patrick and Pete’s heads snapped to me in alarm. Jez glared at them then realized what she’d said.
“Oops,” she whispered.
“Your life?” Pete asked quietly, concern and worry in his eyes.
“Yeah, you know the thing I had before Jez guilt tripped me? I needed to let go of my fantasies so I could have a life,” My uncaring tone said.
Patrick scoffed and turned away,
“I’ve had enough of her fucking bullshit.”
Then he stalked onto the bus. Pete gave me a hard look and walked off.
“Why?” Jez whispered and I looked down and said,
“It’s better off if they hate me.” She shook her head and walked onto the bus. I sighed and grabbed my stuff, may as well get these 6 months of suffering over and done with.