Like a Million Lights

My eyes fluttered open to the bright light from the window that I forgot to close with my curtains. I groaned with my slighted eyes to protect them as I jumped out from my bed and closed the curtain roughly. When my eyes were fully opened, I smiled to myself as I remembered what today was. The packed suitcase was already near my door and all I needed to do was getting ready and get out. I could hear Tanner’s rushed footsteps and voice from his room, he sounded like he was packing up his stuff last minute and talking on the phone in the same time.

I sighed and decided to just take a shower. After stripping out from my clothes and stepping into the shower, I turned the warm water on. Remembering that I would be inside a metal capsule with wheels for three and a half months with a bunch of boys, I had to make every shower last. When I was done, I wrapped a towel around my body and walked out from the bathroom. My eyes widened on what I found sitting on the edge of my bed.

“Tanner!”, I yelped and jumped a step back. “You could’ve wait downstairs like a normal human!”

“Well, you’re the one who likes to left your door open when you’re in the showers, or asleep.”, he rolled his eyes and stood up. “I’m just checking if you’re ready or not.”

After calming down my heart rate, I took a deep breath. “I’m just going to change and I’m ready.”

He nodded stiffly before walking out from my room. It was devastating on how he acted towards me in the last week after he found out that I’d be on tour with The Maine, meaning the same tour with Joel. I just wished he’d support me.

Everyone was downstairs when I had managed to get down the stairs with my suitcase dragged behind me. Mom noticed my presence and quickly helped me with my suitcase in the last two steps. “Nothing left behind?”

I shook my head. “Hope so. I don’t want to forget anything.”

“Just make sure those boys won’t do anything to you.”, she reminded again like every day on the past week. I just laughed and embraced her in a hug. It was always fun to be around my mom and I was very glad that our relationship went back to normal.

“Hey, we have to go now.”, Tanner announced from the foyer. I nodded and gave my mom a quick kiss on the cheek before turning to dad and accepted his hug. Tanner helped me with my suitcase and I followed him out to the black van that was parked out on the curb. “So, we’re driving you to Tempe?”

“Yeah.”, I answered simply. Thanked God that I got shotgun, or I’d strangle myself if I had to sit in the back with Joel and the guys. All the way to Tempe, I was being quiet. Tanner was talking with Sean as he drove and I just sat there, listening to whatever they talked about with my legs pulled up onto my chest and leaned my head on the window.

When we were already in Tempe, I gave Tanner the direction that Dirk gave me the other night. He drove the van to a neighborhood with the same colored house; custard yellow. We stopped behind a tour bus with The Maine’s picture plastered on each side of the bus. “Here we are.”, Tanner sighed and looked to me. “I’m going to the first venue, so I’ll meet you there?”

I nodded. “Sure.”, I leaned forward and embraced him in a hug. “See you then, brother.”

Not forgetting the others, I looked to the back. “Bye guys.”, I said simply. Sean, Alex and Ryan were only giving me a smile as a reply, but Joel just stayed quiet with his eyes out on the window. I sighed and got out from the seat before retrieving my suitcase in the trailer that was hooked to the van.

After the van drove off, I took a deep breath to calm my nerve down and took baby steps to a guy that had his back on me as he talked to someone that was very tall. When I was behind him, I cleared my throat to get their attention. “Excuse me?”

The guy turned around and he had his shades on. The thing that caught my attention about him was the camera tattoo on his chest, and of course, his nose piercing. “Yeah?”

“Are you Dirk Mai? I’m Mariza.”, I asked idiotically. I would dig a hole and die in it in embarrassment if I had the wrong guy.

His eyes widened and a grin rose on his face. “I am! Nice to meet you, Mariza.”, he offered his hand out, and I took it before we shook hands. “You made it.”

I smiled and pulled my hand back when we stopped. “Yeah, my brother dropped me off, but now he already went off.”

“Of course.”, he nodded.

“Are you going to introduce this lovely girl to me, Dirky?”, the guy that Dirk had talked to before smirked. I looked up to him and I had to admit that he was really hot.

“Oh yeah.”, Dirk chuckled. “Mariza, this is John, he’s the vocalist for The Maine, and John, this is Mariza, my assistant for the summer.”

John took a step forward to me and took my hand before kissing the back of it. “Nice to meet you, Mariza. You have a really beautiful name.”

“T-T-Thank you.”, I stuttered and I probably looked so stupid with my face that turned into a shade of red.

“Don’t get any funny business with her, John.”, Dirk reminded him before turning his attention to me. “Anyway, we should get you a bunk in the bus.”

“I’ll show her the bus!”, John exclaimed like a little kid before Dirk could probably offered himself. “Come on!”, he grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me up the steps and into the bus. The inside was amazing and it felt like an apartment on wheels. I looked around the front lounge and as John kept dragging me to the back of the bus, I kept looking around with amazement.

When we got to the bunks, most of them already had stuffs inside them. “So, since you didn’t come earlier, the bunks are already called for, but, there’s one below mine since no one would sleep under me.”

I laughed a bit before nodding and walking over the bunk John mentioned. Because the hallway was small, my body brushed up against John’s and we froze as my body was only two inches apart from him. “Sorry.”, I muttered and looked down before continuing my way.
John stuttered and went silent as he watched me put my stuff in the bunk. After that, we went out the bus in silent over what happened. There were more guys outside that were talking to one another or talking to Dirk. When I was out, Dirk noticed me and pulled me by my hand to the guys he talked to. “Guys, this is Mariza, she’s my assistant for the summer, and she’s going on the tour too.”

“Hi, I’m Mariza.”, I smiled sheepishly and waved my hand a bit to the group of boys. The one with the shaggy hair stepped forward and smiled widely.

“I’m Pat, nice to meet you!”, he chirped brightly before sticking his hand out. I took his hand and shook it. “You’re from Arizona?”

I nodded. “Yeah, my brother just dropped me off before he goes on with his friends.”

“Well, I think I’m going to be your first friend here, since those idiots aren’t being polite by introducing themselves.”, Pat rolled his eyes as he teased his friends, who was still standing behind him with their eyes on me. I laughed on the joke.

“Who are you calling impolite?!”, the one with the nose piercing, the same like Dirk’s, pulled Pat back by his shoulder, then, he turned his attention to me and smiled. “I’m Garrett.”

“Mariza.”, I chuckled on both of their antics. Garrett looked to my behind and narrowed his eyes on John. “What did you do with John?”

My cheeks burned to a shade of red when he mentioned that. “I-I-I-“, I stammered.

“Nothing, Garrett.”, John scoffed before I could get my words straight. “I was just showing where her bunk is.”

“Oh, and I’m sure you told her to sleep the one below yours.”, the blond laughed and received a high five from the brown head.

I could feel my entire face burned with embarrassment now. Dirk noticed my situation and he stepped in to the rescue. “Guys, cut it out! I’m gonna lose my assistant by the second day of this tour if you guys still making fun of her!”

“Come on, Mariza, let’s just leave these idiots.”, Garrett took my hand and pulled me towards the bus’s door. This would be one hell of a summer.