Beginnings Aren't So Simple

Roxi’s head started to spin.

Yes, yes, yes, please. Yes, yes, yes.

She tried to vocalize her thoughts, but nothing would come out. Joe was still staring at her, she assumed, as she still felt his presence holding onto her hand, gripping tighter with each passing second.

“…Yeah. Yes, yeah, yes… y--…” She mumbled and emphasized out her words to Joe, not wanting to lose him after all this. “Yeah. Joseph?”

“Hmm?” He asked, after breathing out. Roxi heard the smile in his voice.

“Thank you.”

Joe sighed again, happily, and held onto Roxi as she leaned into him, ready to pass out. After Roxi eventually stopped snuggling into Joe – her boyfriend, Joe – she drifted off. Minutes later, Joe followed.

Long after they were both asleep, Nick and Kevin peered into the room.

“Good, they’re asleep,” Nick said. “That’s sparing our eyes.”

“And I’d be extra-spared if I didn’t have to watch them, so let’s go,” Kevin muttered, walking Nick back into their bunks.

The next day, Roxi woke to the sun from the bus windows shining into her eyes. She sat up slowly and found herself supported by a pillow instead of Joe’s body. She got up, combed her fingers through her hair, and walked to the bunks to find the three brothers sitting up in their bunks; Kevin with an acoustic pushed against the wall and Nick with a book of lined paper, while Joe hung off his bunk and looked down to Nick. The three brothers all looked up at Roxi, her eyes still half open.

“Oh, hey, you’re up.” Joe was the first to talk. He patted the space next to him, welcoming Roxi up. She smiled and groggily climbed up.

She looked down at Kevin and what she could see of Nick, and they were looking at her strangely. Kevin shook his head and smiled, obviously unaware of yesterday’s commotion.

“What’re you cool kids up to?” Roxi asked, looking down at Nick.

“Writing some new stuff… we all got a puff of inspiration out of nowhere,” Nick theatrically brought his hands together and pulled them apart in an exploding motion.

“That could sound weird,” Roxi commented, grinning.

“Shut up,” Nick said, sticking his tongue out. Roxi went down the ladder and told the boys, “I’m going to take a walk. You guys gonna’ be at that sound rehearsal or whatever you were going to do yesterday?”

Kevin nodded. “Yeah, we better do that. Just call one of us to find out where we are.”

“Yup,” she opened the door and started walking. “Seeiah.”

In the middle of Roxi’s walk around the arena they were going to be playing in a few hours, a thought crossed her mind. It weaved in and out of her until it made her dizzy and nauseous.

Trace.