‹ Prequel: Running on Adrenaline
Status: im working on it

Ruthless blood

TWO

When we arrived at the venue, we greeted the other bands with smiles and laughter, they were friendly as always. One of them in particular would look at me with a sort of interest. But with the way I felt about Oli-well the way I think I feel about Oli- I wasn’t interested in anything at all.

We hit the stage, and far in the wings was our tour manager, a short guy with dark hair, and a mobile phone to his ear, like always. He yelled over the music in an attempt to have a conversation. It was obviously unsuccessful as he hung up and cursed under his breath.
The people in the crowd were impatient and yelled things at us I was well use to, they were eager for the headliners to play and we knew the opening bands were always the ones who copped the shit.

I sang and yelled, and most importantly screamed, with our deafening bass lines and drums the people eventually moved, and they loved it, as much as they would hate to admit it. I screamed words at the crowd as Hannah hit the snares with all the power she had left in her. We egged them on, drumming faster and hitting them with dirty chords and bass lines. Eventually the words I was yelling escaped from my hoarse throat and turned into screams, they cheered at the end of our song.

As we always did, we stood on the monitors, as a band, took each other’s hands and bowed. I don’t know what it was about that, but we loved it.

My sweat glistened body rose and fell fast with my breaths, I pulled the sleeves of my shirt all the way to expose my shoulders. And tied my hair up in a bun.

The headliners had arrived, and we were greeted with the presence of Blessthefall, Hannah and I stood with mouths open as Beau passed us and patted us on the back for a great show. The two bands spoke laughing and when the crowd finally cheered long enough, they left us and played their show. I peeked out at the crowd from the side of the stage and hoped that we would be greeted like that one day.

“I’m sick of being the opening act” Tom complained, while piling his bass into the trailer.
I laughed loud “Dude, we can’t even pull a crowd, as if we’re ready to be the headliners”

“Tom; keep dreaming. Lia; that’s the spirit” Cameron came out of the venue, with the phone still at his cheek.

“Cam, you have to have some good news about anything” I begged.

He hung up and slipped the phone into his back pocket “Well you’ll be missing the English winter” he announced.

We all stood passively accepting, but not understanding what he meant.

“You won’t be in this country” he casually said “You’ll be in Australia for Soundwave”

We stood wide-eyed; I was the happiest of them all. We huddled as a group and screamed and yelled, jumping and eventually I ended up on Hannah’s back and Jeremy on Toms, they piggy backed us around the place and Cam told us to shut up while he told us the details.

“So basically you’ll be home for Christmas after Leeds, you’ll head up to Australia for Soundwave and we’ll take it from there”

“Cam, I hail to you” Jeremy knelt at his feet and bowed dramatically.

“Just promise, no bullshit and we’ll be right”

“And when are we actually recording something?” I enquired.

“Soon” he responded, like he always did.

“Get to your next show kids” he ordered, he was the most efficient and underappreciated tour manager.

“More like get to your next party” Hannah sat next to me while I drove to a nearby bar, I would touch her face and leave my hand there to annoy her as she tried to ignore me.

“Don’t be a dick” she complained.

“But its funny” I laughed.

“Turn here” Jeremy ordered. And that’s when I realised Tom had been awfully quiet for the past few days. I turned to see what he was doing up the back and the car swerved when I did so, so I looked to the front and concentrated on driving. The bar was filled with people who just came from the show, and I went straight to the bar to get a drink.

I said what I wanted and the guy stood there, like he was waiting for me to realise something.

“Do you want a tip or something?” I questioned, leaning to yell over the music playing.

“Amelia” the way he said my name made a flash of worry overcome me, and suddenly I remembered what I was before, because James stood right there.

“James” I mumbled, he could see I realised it was him “I don’t want anything” I made it clear.

“C’mon Lia” he egged on, patting his pocket.

“She’s fine James” Tom yelled over the music, he took my arm in a familiar way and led me to a corner, I jittered in the bad memories and closed my eyes to relieve myself of the tension.

“You’ll be fine” he said, and I’m guessing he left, so I opened my eyes and breathed slowly.
Night after night, gig after gig, just sleeping through the day to stay up all night. It was finally time to leave for Leeds. With a packed van and us loud kids we drove to meet Cam first.

“Bro get your feet out of my face” I yelled at Hannah, I looked at Tom to see him sleeping.

Cam was outside the Van smiling. He was also in front of a large black bus, a bus with tinted windows and a guy with a beard standing outside the door.

“I thought I’d hook you up with this” Cam pointed behind him.

“A tour bus” we all said simultaneously.

“I think I might cry” I dramatically got out of the car and hugged the bus.

We rolled around the floors and threw our bags into the bunks.

“Your drivers outside, he’s name is Rob” Cam listed the things we could and couldn’t do “No sex on the bus”

Jeremy tutted.

“Don’t damage it too much, your name isn’t on the side, you’re not superstars” he then left us to the bus and we all lay in a row on the floor, taking in all that was really happening.
Well Tom wasn’t lying; he was in his bunk, headphones in.

“Toms being a little bitch lately” I mentioned.

Hannah huffed, got up and got into her bunk.

“I don’t like the bunks so much anymore” I told Jeremy, but he was reluctant to reply and snored instead.

“Shit” I mumbled.
♠ ♠ ♠
adventuresadventures
its more fun, less dark,
and dont worry Oli will be back soon kiddies,
infact, he may have been back this chapter

HOPE YOU LIKE IT :)
tell me if you dont

oh and by the way, THANKYOU so much for the comments already, im so happy you like it so far <3

byyeee