A Dawn I Thought We'd Never See

“Oh my god, it’s so fucking hot!” Victoria complained as she finished with a customer. She plopped back down in the seat beside me and wiped her forehead dramatically.

“Just wait until we reach Las Vegas,” I grinned with my eyes closed while I soaked up the sunshine. There weren’t many days where it was warm and not humid. “Then you’re really going to die.” I giggled to myself at the mental picture. There were a few minutes of silence before she spoke again.

“So how are things with Kyle?” Victoria tried to be casual but I knew her too well. She’s probably been dying to ask me for the past few hours.

I sighed deeply as my hands went to my temples automatically. “He’s not talking to me and from what I got from Caleb, he doesn’t have any plans to anytime soon. Apparently he blames me for our date being crashed.”

“That’s a bunch of shit.” Victoria spat and I could hear her roll her eyes. “Like you invited those idiots to come crash.”

“Well, I didn’t exactly push them away, either.” I admitted and listened as she briefly talked with a customer.

“So you were nervous,” Victoria picked up right where she’d left off after the young female left. “It was your first try at a relationship that you see as hard and complicated; of course you were going to freak and do something stupid.”

“Oh gee, thanks.” I noted dryly, squinting one eye open to glance at her. She was laughing. “And relationships on tour are messy and complicated, just look at you and Corey’s thing.” I scrunched my nose up at the thought. Corey had found out about Victoria shamelessly flirting with Lee and like I had predicted, it had gone terribly.

“Corey and I are not a thing.” Victoria was defensive about the subject and I should have known better than to bring it up, even if it was a perfect example for my argument. “And all relationships are complicated.

“Yes, but when you date someone you meet on tour things get ugly and tragic when it’s over, and that’s if you find a boy who’ll commit on tour.” I raised my head and opened both eyes.

Victoria sighed and shook her head. “You should really think about taking Owens up on that screwing.” She muttered under her breath. My mouth fell open but before words could spill out, a boy jumped over our table and hid underneath it. A second glance and I recognized jack curled up in the fetal position.

“What the fuck Barakat?” Victoria spoke before I could while Jack shushed her. Another boy came running to our tent, his face flushed with furry. He stopped in front of us and the red in his cheeks started to vanish when his eyes locked with mine.

“Hi Emileh.” He smiled and then took knowledge of Victoria. “Hi Toreh.” He nodded and quickly turned his gaze back to mine. “How are yeh ladies?”

“Ello Oli.” Victoria was practically oozing with a smug attitude. “Emily’s been dying to see you all morning.”

Oliver chuckled lightly while he stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I don’t completely believe that one.”

“As you shouldn’t.” I shot a glare at Victoria, who just smiled innocently at me. “Is there something you need?” I tilted my head while my eyes darted down to Jack and then back to Oliver.

“I, uh, jus’ thought I saw that guy run this way, with the skunk hair,” Oliver said it more as a question as he ran his hand through his own hair.

It took everything I had to keep from laughing and by Victoria’s silence I guessed she was having a hard time keeping a straight face too. “You mean Jack?” I sneaked another look at the boy hiding and bit my bottom lip to keep the giggles in at his expression. I shook my head.

“Oh, well, I guess I’ll go.” Oliver’s face fell as he gazed down at our merch. “But before I do,” he looked back up and his eyes connected to mine. “Tom wants teh invite yeh both teh dinner tomorrow; our sisteh’s comin’.” I opened my mouth to decline, but Victoria beat me to it.

“We’d love to!” She gushed while I tried to hold back my disgust. “What time should we meet you and where?”

“We ‘ave teh pick ‘er up at the airport ‘round nine thirteh, so yeh should be at our bus at nine-ish.” One side of his mouth raised a little high than the other, giving Oliver an adorable crooked grin.

“See you then,” Victoria yelled as he waved and turned to leave. “You could be a little nice, you know.” She turned to me as Oliver disappeared in the crowd.

Jack excused me from further discussion as he popped his head out. “Is he gone?”

“Mmmhmm,” I nodded and grinned as he jumped from the ground, throwing himself at me.

“I can’t believe the rumors are true!” He whined as his arms wrapped around my neck and squeezed.

“What are you talking about, Jack?” I patted his back and glanced at Victoria who just shrugged.

Jack pulled back from me with a cute puppy pout settled on his features. “I tripped Oliver so he’d chase me over here and then I could see if it was true, and it was!”

“What’s true?” I frowned as I tried to understand Jack’s train of though.

“Oliver’s fallen for your irresistible charm!” Jack sounded like he was talking about Dooms Day while Victoria started laughing hysterically.

“First, I don’t have an irresistible charm and second, Oliver hasn’t fallen for me.” I denied both accusations while Jack rested his head on my shoulder.

“And now you’re doomed because you’re way too sweet to turn him down and in the end, he’ll just end up breaking your heart.” Jack continued as if I hadn’t said a word.

“Calm down, Jack. I am not doomed.” I was becoming sick of all the ‘rumors’ and what not about Oliver and I.

“Oh, but you are.” Jack sighed as he stood up from my lap. “I guess I’d better go tell Alex oru plan worked and then spread the awful news.”

“Jack! Don’t you dare!” I shouted, but it was too late. The boy was gone and new rumors were only minutes away from being spread. I exhaled heavily and turned to Victoria.

“Well, tomorrow’s going to be fun.” She gave me an optimistic smile.

“Shut up.” I groaned and covered my eyes with my hands. It was driving me crazy that Oliver Sykes never left my mind anymore.