Beginnings Aren't So Simple

Roxi woke the next morning. She was burned out; her eyes were sore from last night’s emotional show, and her hair and clothes remained the same. She hadn’t changed last night, she just crashed into her bunk. In her last remaining seconds before she fell into a slumber, she dreadfully wished she could still sleep in an actual bed.

She awoke, this time, to thunder. Being on the road really reminds you how different weather can be in a short amount of time. She could hear the rain bouncing off the window in the next room. Roxi threw off the covers, warm. It was humid. She stretched her arms and breathed out heavily before swinging her long legs over the rail.

Tonight would be the conclusion of the tour, in Roxi’s home of Las Vegas.

She wanted to be happy, she wanted to go and rub it in her old friend’s faces that she was with the best boys on Earth, but, she couldn’t.

She knew she couldn’t.

Roxi walked over to the kitchen, stopping to look through the cabinet for breakfast. Not finding anything appetizing, she frustratedly closed the cabinet and laid back on the couch.

For what seemed like two seconds but was actually about fifteen minutes, she lay there, thinking about everything.

“Morning, Rox.” She looked over to the bunks, and there was Joe, his morning hair worse than usual.

Roxi laughed dryly. “What’s up with your hair, man?”

“You’re one to talk,” he smiled back at her, coming over and kissing her cheek. Roxi’s heart dropped.

“I’m gonna change, alright?” Roxi said, slipping out of sight from her boyfriend.

“…Alright?” he responded as she was already gathering her clothes and closing the door from the bathroom.

Roxi didn’t put on her best clothes, nor did she put on the worst. She did
not expect this to be a good day. Fixing her hair, she turned the doorknob and went back to sit near Joe, who had a dazed look on his face, eyes focused on the floor.

“Hmm?” Roxi poked his arm, and he snapped out.

“Oh, sorry. I’m just super tired,” he yawned, then looked at Roxi. “I hope you liked the show yesterday.”

Roxi winced to herself. “I did, I really did,” she touched her hand to his. “Trust me, my ears are still ringing.”

Joe laughed. Roxi was looking forward, out the window, but she could see that Joe was looking at her.

Damn it, she thought to herself. Her eyes stung.

Joe, not seeing this, kissed Roxi’s cheek again. And again, on her lips. She turned her head towards him, instinctively, and kept her lips still. He kissed her yet again, and she felt the tears spill under her eyelashes and down her cheeks. Between kisses, Joe heard her short breaths.

“Rox? Rox, what’s wrong?” he took her hand and laced their fingers, but she pulled it back and put both her hands over her eyes, drying her face.

“No, no, no,” all the pressure and paranoia that had been building up the last week or so had finally come out. “No. Joe, stop it,” she whispered as he tried to grab her hands again, gently.

“Roxi, what is going on?” he asked flatly, clearly worried.

“Joe, we need to…” she sniffed back tears, but it didn’t do any good.

“What, Roxi?”

“Talk. Joe, w—we need to t—talk.”