August Is Over

“Took you fucking long enough!” Matt yelled in an exasperated voice.
“Sorry?” I smirked, flipping my hair out of my eyes. “I had to get pretty.”
“The fans think you’re pretty anyway,” Alyson rolled her eyes, which I laughed in response.
“Don’t you think I’m pretty?” I asked her before I took my seat in-between Jack and Rian.
“Sure….adorable,” She stated, moving in front of us. Alyson lifted her camera and smiled widely at us. “Smileeee,”
Jack put on the biggest grin I’ve saw. He’s stupid, but he’s like a brother to me.
“Al, you’re in the way,” Vinnie called playfully.
Alyson rolled her eyes, getting used to her ‘manly’ nick-name the crew, and Jack, gave her a while ago.
“Sorry, gosh!” She said in her best Napoleon Dynamite voice. “Okay…but seriously…smile before I castrate all of you,”
I chuckled at her before smiling like Jack did earlier.
“How was that?” Rian asked with a small amused smile on his lips. “Was my smile big enough,”
Alyson looked down at her camera and laughed.
“It’s perfect, guys,” She replied.
“Good…now get out of the way, woman.”
“Hey! Don’t talk about my woman like that,” I stated as I playfully back-handed Jack. “Now move, woman.”
“You’re in the dog house, Lex.” Alyson smirked at me, causing me to pout. She shrugged in response, and I shook my head.
“Typical Alyson…” I muttered to myself for the second time tonight. Those weren’t exactly the same words, but the meaning was the same…and so was the girl.
“Alright guys, are you ready for the fans? There’s a whole lot more than the last tour,” Matt warned.
“We got this Matt,” Zack laughed lightly and turned back around.
Then the fan came out of nowhere.
I so didn’t have this. Inside I was really freaking out. Matt was right, there was a whole lot more than the last tour. I wasn’t really expecting this many people around here.
“You might want to work on your poker face,” I heard Alyson’s sweet voice behind me. “You look freaking terrified.”
“I am,” I admitted to her. She gave me a light pat on the back before stepping back and letting me get to know the fans. At first I was terrified, but then it started to get easier. I was beginning to relax more around the herds of people. I mean, they were fans, so I was more than willing to try to push my stupid fear aside. It wasn’t as hard as I thought that it would be, but I was still a little on edge.
Then I saw a familiar head of black hair making its way toward a table. She was getting complaints by some fans, whom deemed it unfair that she was cutting them. Mandy simply shot back I knew them before they were signed, bitch! I just shook my head at Mandy, and peeked out at Jack. He smiled at Mandy’s voice. I knew that he still had a soft spot for the girl, and I don’t think that will change any time soon.
“ALYSON MOTHER FUCKING JAMES!” Mandy yelled, paying attention to Alyson first. Alyson jumped, startled by the voice yelling out at her. I think that she thought it was a fan or something. It’s not un-common for the fans to know that she’s our photographer, as well as Marky’s right hand girl. She has her own fan base, of shorts.
“MANDY CAKES!” Alyson yelled back, easily handing the camera over to me. I looked at it like it was an alien before I sat it on the table. The girls ran toward each other and hugged like they haven’t seen each other in years. It was almost true. Mandy’s been here in Allentown, and we’ve been in Maryland, but it’s not like its forever away. They often planned visits.
“And how are my favorite rock stars?” Mandy asked the second that she reached our table. “What? No welcome hugs?”
Jack turned and looked at Matt. Matt shook his head and sighed.
“Go on,” He replied. “You’re just going to be out here longer.”
I shrugged before standing up, and hugging Mandy tightly. Zack and Rian quickly followed before Jack pushed us all out of the way, and literally picked up the small girl in his arms. She laughed, and hugged him back quickly. Jack sat her down, and looked into her eyes, which Jack always does, but this is Mandy.
“I missed you, Mands.”
“I missed you too, Jackie.” She smiled sadly before the two pulled away. Alyson had already picked back up her camera, and when Mandy reached her, she started to show her the pictures from the concert that she had taken. The rest of us sat back down at our lovely table. The fans started to come back up. I made small conversation, getting some to laugh at a lame joke I made about Jack. It was fun. We actually stayed until Mandy was the only one left to meet us, and she didn’t really count.
“What have you been up too girl?”
She rolled her eyes.
“Oh, you know, going to school.” She laughed. “I don’t get to tour the world like you jackasses do,”
“That was kind of mean,” Jack pouted.
Mandy smiled and shook her head.
“Whatever….” She replied. “But I seriously have to go. I came on a whim tonight, and my ass is going to pay for it tomorrow. I need to see my Lexi, and then I gotta get home,”
“I wish you could stay longer,” I said to her. Mandy was like my best girl friend in high school.
“I do too, Alex.” She smiled. “But I can’t. So let’s go see that gorgeous daughter of yours,”
I beamed with pride.
“She’s my baby girl…of course she’s going to be gorgeous,” I stated proudly.
Alyson rolled her eyes.
“I don’t want to head it. I had to give birth to her,” Alyson replied.
I wrapped my arms around her tightly.
“I know, and I love you for it.”
“I thought you just loved me.”
“I do, but it makes me love you more.”
Alyson laughed.
“Okay….”