Washroom Color

count em, one, two, three .

I wiped the blood away from my bottom lip with the sleeve of my cardigan. I must have been biting it too hard when I was having my freak out moment.

I kept my eyes down as Seth made small talk to John and a couple of fans and sold shirts.

“Comin' out tonight right man?” John's voice came in, and I tried not to listen, I just wanted to get out of there.

“Wouldn't miss it,” Seth replied, then his voice was closer and I knew he was addressing me: “You're going to be taking Anna back home right?” Yeah sure that's what I was here for, chaperone and chauffeur, at your service.

“Yeah sure whatever,”

“Are you okay? Your lip is -”

“I know.” I snapped, interrupting him. “Where's the door to the back, I need a minute.”

Seth frowned a little and handed me his backstage pass. “Go through there.” He jerked his head and turned away from me, obviously annoyed by the fact that I was being an asshole.

I picked up my handbag and headed back with no trouble pushing through the crowd, my head down. Once I'd found the way to the back parking lot I immediately began to pace back and forth, letting my chest heave up and down as I took in huge breaths to calm myself down. I stared at the concrete as I walked around in the dark, lifting my sleeve to my lip again, and looking at the blood as I pulled it away.

I licked my lips. The door I'd come through burst open, and two boys came speeding out. One was on the other's back in a piggyback ride. The one who was the legs was stumbling, but laughing never the less.

I slide down the wall behind me and watched them. Why was I never to have fun the way they seemed to?

“Giddy up horsey!” A shrill voice echoed in the dark from where they'd run off to, and laugher ensued. They two turned around and came galloping back just as the door opened again and John, Seth two other boys and Anna came filing out.

“What the fuck!” One of the unidentified boys laughed loudly at the who running around wildly. I stood up and crossed my arms over my chest, suddenly a little bit chilly. John wandered passed me, his head down as he stared at the screen of his cell phone, muttering to himself.

The two boys finally approached, and I recognized the one carrying the other as Garrett, the boy who'd pointed out my lip, the other I hadn't seen before. I looked at Garrett, and when we made eye contact as he got closer I quickly looked away and busied myself with tapping Anna on the shoulder and jerking my head. “Let's go,”

“Wait, I haven't talked to Pat yet!” She whispered.

“Who...?”

He looked toward Garrett, who I caught sight of just as the other boy planted a huge kiss on the top of his head before jumping from his back. Garrett scrubbed at his head with one hand and made a face, following the boy over.

“Pat! You played a great set.” Anna was gushing now to the guy who'd been riding on Garrett's back. Pat laughed, and bend down to give her a hug.

“Aw, thanks. Great you could come.” He straightened a little and looked at me, pushing long brown hair away from his eyes. “Are you and Seth twins? You look a like.”

I sucked in my bottom lip just in case it was still obviously wounded. “Yeah, it's fantastic.” The sarcasm was thick in my voice.

Another boy came up, who'd obviously been eaves dropping. “Is he younger? That would explain somethings. Jared.” He gave me a nod and I smiled a little. He was cute, but I couldn't see much of him in the dark.

“Nah, older by a few minutes. He never lets me live that down.” I rolled my eyes.

“So why haven't we seen you around, where've you been hiding?” That was Pat, and I shrugged my shoulders a little bit. “I go to school in California, I'm just here for a month or so, I leave to go back in January.” I said.

He nodded, connecting the dots. “College eh.”

“Yeah... but I promised our mom I'd get the kid home.” I looked over Pat's shoulder to where Anna had wandered off to talk to Seth and another boy.

Garrett had been quiet the entire conversation, and now I noticed him trudging off toward where John had disappeared to.

“Gary I love you!” Pat called after him when he saw that he was walking away. Garrett turned around. “I hate you!” He called back and I looked down with a smile.

“We're in love,” Pat explained, “He's just shy.” I could tell that he was kidding and I shook my head.

“Anna come on, we need to go now. Bye Pat.”



When I got home and undressed and into my bed, I lay on my back and stared at the ceiling for what seemed like forever until I rolled onto my back and stared at the wall. To say I'd had a good time would be a lie.