Love's a Battlefield

The rest of the bus journey i spent at the front of the bus alongside Gary with headphones plugged in keeping out any sound at all from the bus whilst i settled down again. Alex had kept his distance and had stayed on the second deck of the bus all journey and the only time we passed was going to the toilet and him getting a drink, in which we glared at each other whilst walking past in silence. As we did i saw teddy pop his head round the corner to check it was all safe.

As the bus pulled up in London i got off hood covering my hair as rain hammering down onto the pavement before starting to move equipment inside the venue as quickly as possible taking a bag of clothes including the work t-shirt with me. Once the equipment was all inside and so i was outside the torrential downpour we were experiencing i headed up stairs to the dressing room needing to change.

The jeans i had been wearing were stuck to me my hair stuck to my face and dripping and my shoes were squelching as my white top under my checkered shirt turned see through. I quickly got changed into a fresh pair of jeans and then placed my t-shirt on before tackling my hair in which i now had to sit and hair dry quickly. Before long i was ready again and dropped my bag off in the dressing room asking Casey to look after it whilst i set up the equipment for sound check.

After a while Casey turned up in the hall with the video camera getting more footage for video blogs whist informing me that teddy was left in charge of my bag what with alex sat in the dressing room he couldn’t be trusted. Once set up i headed to get lunch quickly eating it upstairs whilst talking to gary about some extra work that he wanted me to complete to help him out a bit before we ahd to sound check.

**************
Alex’s POV

‘Ed where’s Holly gone?’

‘Gary’s asked here to do soem extra work upstairs’

‘Ok then cheers.’

Ed gave me a confused expression as i wondered off into the venue after a quick bite to eat. Now i could change my guitar channel without been whinged at about distorting all the set sound to make the gig sound good. What did Holly know about my guitar sound it sounded crap during sound check and more than likely just as bad when playing it i couldn’t tell as much with the other guys playing with me to but i was sure it would.

The sound des was at the back of the hall me speedily walking across to it the venue having been left empty whilst everyone enjoyed dinner. Mug of coffee in hand I got the channel for my guitar and changed the setting got how i wanted it and stood up smiling proud i had managed to get away with it finally. As i stood upright i felt my arm hit something hard realising i had spilt coffee on the desk but quickly mopped it up with my sleeve checking i couldn’t see anymore.

Now was the time to go have a quick chill out before we do sound check and i got get mobbed by fans hopefully Holly won’t notice the spilt coffee at all.

****************************
Normal POV Again (Holly’s)

Once I had finished the work to help Gary out lunch was nearly over and so i headed to get a quick drink before we started sound checking. As I headed down to the catering area Alex sped past me on the stairs looking pretty shifty. I wonder who he’s been playing this time. I headed down grabbing a drink finishing it quickly before heading into the venue and standing behind the sound desk headphones around my neck for now.

The minor soon filed into the venue Alex heading straight for the stage to set up whereas the others came to say hi to me before hand. They then got themselves set up so that we could commence with sound check. Casey came and stood beside me her and Ed constantly smiling at each other all sweet. As i continued to sound check the instruments they seemed all in order. Alex’s guitar setting was changed slightly probably getting knocked as put away and so i put it back to how it needed to be for a perfect performance alter on.

As I got the band to start playing together i placed my headphones around my neck again so that i could check instrument levels as a whole for the audience. As they started to play i heard my headphones jump and presumed i had knocked the wire slightly as i checked the desk that was until i looked up to see alex staring straight at me pulling at his ear piece violently and quickly taking his guitar off him before stepping up to the mic in front of him.

‘Holly WHAT the hell! Are you trying to deafen me!!’

I placed my headphones on trying to stop the sound but it wouldn’t work until i spotted why. Under the dial i could see the sticky brown stain on coffee on the desk and wiping off the still damp parts the dial would turn again allowing me to control the feedback in the ear piece before responding to Alex.

‘What the hell it wasn’t even me the dial wouldn’t move because YOU had come and spilt coffee over it which i noticed still on here.’

‘I did NOTHING of the sort so don’t accuse me!’

‘Your the only one stupid enough to bring liquids near the sound desk no-one else does so it has to be YOU!’

With that i had placed my equipment down and was heading across the venue as alex jumped off the stage and headed straight for me.

‘I’m the stupid one, when YOU thought I wouldn’t notice when you break or touch my stuff!’

‘Yes you are because you didn’t even notice that it wasn’t me.’

My anger had reached a new level by now and i swung my fist punching Alex in the stomach with a lot of force. He jolted back slightly before grabbing my wrist tightly in his huge hand. I fidgeted to grab my wrist back him obviously not realising how tight his grip was. As i pulled my wrist away i felt the muscles in my wrist pull and a sharp pain started to shoot through my wrist as he let go as i swung my other fist into his face making him stumble back. He pulled up straight moving his hadn to reveal a bloody nose just as Teddy grabbed me back and Gary walked Alex away who was now holding his nose.

AS Alex walked off he left a line of blood drops as he headed to get cleaned up none of the other band members moving from off the stage until it was deemed safe. I was currently stood pulling away from teddy wanting to get away and as i did caught him in the ribs with my fist o accident but with force, him therefore letting me go. I walked off from the group heading the opposite direction alex had walked off to with Gary following him making sure he got sorted out quickly.

As i got outside the hall i sat down on the stairs leading upstairs looking down at my wrist. It had swollen to twice it’s normal size with a purple bruising appearing around it outlining where Alex’s fingers had held it so tight. The pain was still there and before long Dan had come out to check on me. The first thing he noticed was my wrist immediately pulling me to my feet by my hips and off to the paramedics who were out back knowing alex had now left them.

I ended up with a sprain support attached to my wrist once ice had been used to help reduce the swelling. Dan then placed a hand around my waist walking upstairs with me but going to a different room to where he knew alex would now be sat sulking. Teddy soon joined me and Dan as i sat there quietly. Teddy checked where i had caught him to reveal a bruise to his chest. I apologised to him before hugging him tightly so he knew i meant it and he forgave me quickly knowing why it had happened.

Until the night of the gig Gary and teddy were constantly making sure me and alex were distanced with band members swapping between the rooms quite a lot and as the show went on i ignored Alex on the stage and smiled at the other band members and was happy when Casey come to join me at the back after getting the photos and videos she needed. Once the gig had finished she helped me unload due to the injury i had now gained on which Gary wasn’t pleased at but knew that Alex was out of order completely after seeing him go into the venue hall at lunch time. Before long we were all settled on the bus again me sitting downstairs all the time.