Radiant Eclipse

Let's get this show on the road

The next morning, Ash woke up and frowned when she saw that Anne was nowhere to be found. She heard the shower going, and while she waited for Johnny to get out of the shower, she started to pack all of her things. Just as she finished up, Johnny emerged, dripping wet, from the shower with only a towel around his waist. Ash quickly averted her gaze, gathered her things and ran into the shower. After a quick shower, Ash swore silently, when she realized that she would need help to zip up her top. And since Anne was still off with Brian, she'd have to ask Johnny for help. She typed out the question on her phone, and headed out into the room.

"What?"

Johnny asked, when she stopped in front of him. She showed him her phone, and waited for a response.

"Turn around."

He stood up, took the shirt into his hands, and zipped it up; his hands brushing against the skin of the girl he was trying to convince himself that he was over. Even though the shirt was zipped, Johnny couldn't help but let his hands linger. They finally dropped, and Ash ran back into the washroom when they heard the door begin to open. Anne was back from her night with Brian, and the next hour proved to be complete chaos, as everyone tried to get packed and ready for the first show. It also didn't help that a few fans had found out what hotel they were at, and had shown up as they tried to load out.

"It's a miracle that they're both in one piece."

Jimmy mused, when Brian mentioned that Ash and Johnny had to share a room.

"Do you think they're actually over each other?"

"God no. At least Johnny isn't. Ash seems like it. Well, at least with the way she's been with Ben and Sam since we've been here."

Matt added, in an undertone so no one would hear what he said. He and Jimmy looked around the bus, to see everyone was either napping, on their laptops, or on their phones. The ride to the venue was short, and they pulled in right next to Asking Alexandria's bus. There wasn't much time for socializing as they had to get right into loading in, and soundcheck. Once they were settled into their dressing room, each member found a spot and began their usual pre show stretching routines until they were called for soundcheck. As soundcheck ended, Mateja, Corinne, Jimmy and Matt went to do some press with some local papers, while everyone else started to get dressed and ready for the show.

While Ash and Jess took quick advantage of the showers, Anne rifled through her suitcase for an outfit to wear that night. And just as she settled on a black tank top with a lace cutout on the back, and her favourite pair of distressed skinny jeans, a pair of hands grabbed her from behind.

"Brian!"

She squealed when, a pair of hands wrapped around her waist.

"Brian, what are you doing?!"

Anne asked, when Brian picked her up, her things in hand, and started to carry her out of the room.

"I'm planning on having my way with you."

Brian smirked, as he carried her into the showers in Avenged's dressing room, and turned the water on full blast. As soon as they got out of the shower, Ash and Jess had barely enough time to grab their things, before Mateja and Corinne ran in. They all spent the next hour, showering, and getting ready for their first ever European show. It was twenty minutes until showtime, and Anne was still nowhere to be found. Satisfied with their looks, the rest of Radiant Eclipse headed out towards the stage entrance.

"Does anyone know where Anne is?"

Dan The Body called out, as the girls were scattered in the hallway, stretching. They all shook their heads no, and started to put in their in-ear monitors and adjust their tops before accepting their instruments from the Berry brothers. Dan had just called out a ften minute warning, when Anne finally came running up to the group, cheeks flushed and hair mussed. She took her in-ears from Dan, and tried to avoid the disapproving look on his face. Not long after, Danny from AA walked up to them with his camera, and asked if he could get a group shot of the girls. As they huddled together, Ash leaned over and sniffed Anne's shoulder. She smirked and shook her head, before smiling for the camera.

"Teja? You alright?"

Jess asked the guitarist, who stood stock still and stared at the wall in front of her. Mateja had barely enough time to shake her head no, before she ran to the nearest garbage can and threw up. While Jess went after her to make sure she was okay, Corinne turned on Anne.

"Why are you looking at me like that?!"

"Why are you going off fucking like a crazed rabbit just before we have to go on?! Do you even have enough strength left in your legs to use the pedals for your drums?!"

"What are you even talking about?!"

"I'm not blind … I saw Ash sniff you!"

Just as Mateja and Jess rejoined them, Dan called out the two minute warning. and the girls got into their pre show huddle. As they broke away from the huddle, the lights went out and their intro music, Missy Elliott's "Get Ur Freak On" started to play. A minute into the intro, the girls took to the stage singing along to the song, and in Ash's case, lip syncing. And as soon as Missy Elliott asked, "is that your chick?" the music stopped, and the girls kicked into their first song, "Woke Up Screaming."

While the girls bounded about the stage, the guys of Avenged Sevenfold and Asking Alexandria stood watching them. The eyes of AA's Sam Bettley, were following Ash around the stage, until Corinne came into view. And he couldn't help but let his gaze fall and settle onto the singer's ample bosom.

"Man … I'd love to just bury my face in those any day.."

Sam's comment to Cameron earned a nod of agreement from the lanky guitarist, and a frown from M Shadows.

"You do realize she's MY girlfriend right?"

Matt pointed out to Sam, as he crossed his arms and stared Sam down before turning his gaze back to the stage. Having witnessed that exchange, Cameron, Ben, Zacky and Johnny all laughed as Sam. Meanwhile, Danny and Brian were standing near Anne's drum kit when Brian leaned over to Danny and said,

"This might sound crazy, but I gotta thank you for everything you've done with Anne since we've been here."

Danny turned to Brian, and looked at him, as if he were batshit insane.

"Did you … are you seriously thanking me for fucking your girlfriend??!"

"I think I am, but seriously, she's learned some new tricks since she's been with you … man, that thing where she's on all fours..."

"Oh yeah ... I almost blew my load early, when she did that."

As Brian and Danny shared stories, Jimmy joined Zacky, Matt and the rest of the AA boys side stage.

"Hey, Jimmy, since when did Mateja get sick before shows?"

"What are you talking about Z?"

"Right before the girls went on, Mateja was standing stock still staring at the wall. And when they tried asking her what was wrong, she just turned and ran to the nearest garbage can and hurled. You guys did use protection right?"

Jimmy stared at Zacky, wide eyed, before he slowly inched his way towards Mateja, who was in the middle of switching guitars.

"Jimmy, whatever it is, now it not a good time."

"Are you pregnant?"

"What the actual fuck Jimmy?!"

"What?! Z just told me you threw up before the set and I just wanted to know."

"Well you can rest easy, I'm not pregnant."

Mateja made it a point to look straight in his eyes when she said that, before turning back to the crowd and carrying onto the next song. The girls carried on with their set, walking off the stage for a breather just after they played "Toronto Is For Lovers."

"Is everyone feeling alright?"

Larry asked, as Dan gave all the girls water bottles. They all nodded yes, and guzzled half their bottles in one go.

"A few things before you go back on. First things first, I need to have a chat with all of you after the show, before you go out. And second, as you can see Tinie Tempah has come by to do the new song with you."

Just as the girls were wiping themselves down with towels, Larry pulled both Johnny and Ash aside.

"One last thing, could you two possibly get along, long enough to do an interview together?"

Ash and Johnny looked at each other, and shrugged, each nodding yes to Larry.

"Great, you'll do it while AA is onstage."

Dan took the towels from the girls, as they retook the stage.

"We have a special surprise for you tonight. If you didn't already know, we've recorded a new song for our upcoming album, which will be out sometime next year. It's a song called 'This Is What Rock And Roll Looks Like' featuring the one and only Tinie Tempah!"

The crowd went wild as the girls kicked into the new song for the first time, and the British rapper joined them for it. And as another treat for the crowd, M Shadows and Danny Worsnop joined them onstage to sing Guns N Roses' "Paradise City", before they closed out their set with Papa Roach's "…To Be Loved." While the others threw out water bottles and set lists, Ash and Johnny, were whisked away to do a short piece with Kerrang!

As they answered questions about the initial contest that Radiant Eclipse won to play Uproar, then touring and working together for the rest of the year, to Ash, it started to feel like nothing had ever happened between them. It felt like the night in Vegas with Chris Torres had never happened, and they were still very much a couple. Johnny had even kept an arm around Ash's shoulder for the whole interview, and pulled her close when they asked for a picture of the two together. But once the interview was over, Johnny bolted, leaving Ash to wonder what the hell had just happened.

After a quick shower, Ash changed into a dry pair of clothes and went to watch the rest of AA's set with the rest of the girls. They even took pleasure in messing around with AA by pelting them with peanuts, and much to the dismay of Dan, the Berry brothers, and Larry, all the girls stage dove during "A Candlelit Dinner With Inamorta." As the crew set up for Avenged's set, after all the girls were safely backstage, Larry gave them a talking to and forbade them from even thinking of stage diving during Avenged's set. He also informed them of an after show dinner at the same place they had lunch before, The Duke Of York. The girls stayed to watch a bit of Avenged's set, before they went to get dressed for the night out.

"We need a picture of all of us!"

Jess called out, as all the girls stood in front of the mirror fixing their hair and make up. They were all dressed up in all black, or black and white, with smoky eyes, rosy cheeks, and a full red lip. Ash wore a short, white romper; Anne a short and fitted, one sleeved, little black dress; Corinne a short, belted little black dress; Jess a black and white striped, body hugging, tube dress; and Mateja, a black, strapless, bandage dress. Once they were ready, they poured themselves a drink, and packed their things, so they would be ready to go for the dinner.

Wolf whistles echoed around the room, when the girls filed into the room that Larry called them all into.

"So what's this meeting all about?"

Matt asked Larry, who looked like he had trouble finding the words to say.

"I can't believe I actually have to say this, but does the saying 'no glove, no love' mean anything to the lot of you? And before you even try to interrupt, I'm just expressing concern to where everyone's frame of mind is right now. With someone being uncharacteristically sick before sets, and everyone just getting into the swing of things with the tour and all, a pregnancy is about the last thing anyone needs right now."

"May I ask what this has to do with us? We're not in either of your bands?"

Ben asked.

"You may not be, but I know for a fact that a few members of your band, have been promiscuous with the young ladies in this room."

"And may I point out that I'm not pregnant? I just had my shark week, last week."

Mateja piped up.

"Are you sure? How does chocolate and pickles sound to you? Or gummy bears and cheez whiz?"

Zacky asked Mateja, which earned him an elbow in the ribs from Jess.

"All I'm asking, is that you all, for the love of my sanity, BE CAREFUL! And please make sure you have all your things, because the cars are here to take you all to the dinner."

Larry sighed, and rubbed his temples, before walking out of the room. Once everything was packed and on the bus, everyone loaded into the cars and left for the dinner. As she looked around the limo, Ash noticed that Johnny hadn't gotten in with them, and that she was the only single one in the group. Jess and Zacky were whispering to each other in the corner, Jimmy was trying to slip his hand up Mateja's dress, Matt and Corinne were making out, and Brian sat beside her, feeding Anne stuffed olives. The limos pulled up to the Duke Of York, and they all quickly piled out of the limos and inside to the private dining room. As soon as they were all seated, and champagne had been poured, Zack stood up and said he had an announcement.

"Will you guys can it?! This is important."

Zacky glared at Brian and Jimmy, who were trying to shove pretzels down the other's shirt.

"How important are we talking here? Is it I asked Jess to marry me important?"

Jimmy countered.

"How'd you know?"

"Wait, are you fucking serious? Did you actually do it?"

Brian asked, a look of amazement on his face. Jess and Zacky smiled widely, as Jess took the ring out of her purse. As everyone got up to congratulate the couple, Brian grudgingly slapped a twenty dollar bill, into a triumphant looking Jimmy's outstretched hand. He had bet Jimmy twenty bucks, that Matt and Corinne would get engaged first, while Jimmy was banking on Jess and Zacky. After hugging the happy couple, Ash quietly slipped out of the room and headed towards the main bar. She took a seat on the first empty stool, and ordered a double scotch on the rocks.

"Are you okay?"

Ash turned to see, that Ben Bruce had occupied the empty stool beside her. She downed the rest of her drink, before typing out a message on her phone.

"Not really."

"What's wrong? You can tell me, I won't judge."

"As much as I've tried to deny it, I don't think I'm actually over him."

"Johnny? I kind of knew it."

"Like I know it's my fault that we're not together right now, but I wish I could take back what I did so bad."

"What exactly did you do?"

"When we were in Vegas, got drunk and slept with an ex of mine who happened to be in the city as well."

Ben cringed, as he ordered them each a shot of Jack.

"As stoked as I am to be here, and as happy as I am for my bandmates, I can't help but feel so alone at the same time. I guess, I was just expecting so much from this tour, including being with Johnny."

Ben frowned at the look of sadness on Ash's face, and gently took her hand and kissed her knuckles.

"Well if it makes you feel any better, I'll be here for you as long as you're over here. We don't even have to do anything sexual; if you want to just talk, we'll just talk."

Ash mustered up the best smile she could, and gently wrapped her arms around Ben's lanky frame. Ben told the bartender to put it on the group's bill, and they went back to the dinner. After dessert, and while everyone stayed back to drink some more, Ash decided she wanted to head back to the hotel, and Ben decided to accompany her. While they waited for a cab, he wrapped his jacket around her shoulders, and showed her pictures of his chocolate lab puppy, Marley. It was a short and quiet ride to the hotel, and once they got into Ash and Anne's room, Ash washed off all her make up, then stretched out on the bed next to Ben.

They spent the next hour talking about anything and everything, until Ash fell asleep. Quietly, Ben got up and covered her with the blanket, then left the room. Just as he got down to the lobby, he ran into Johnny who had just left the hotel bar.

"Hey, is everyone back already?"

He asked Ben.

"No, just Ash. She didn't feel like staying out, so I brought her back here."

"Oh."

Ben turned to walk away, but turned back just as quickly.

"One last thing mate, you need to get your act together."

"Excuse me?"

"You're clearly not over her, and she told me she isn't over you. I know she made a mistake, but she owned up to it and said she was sorry. Stop breaking her heart, or I'm going to break your face."

Johnny frowned and huffed, as he watched Ben walk away out the doors and hail a taxi.

"Man, everyone needs to get the fuck off my back about that."

He mumbled to himself, before heading up to his room for the night.