Textbook Romance

I was getting used to the routine of the night. Set up the merchandise, sell the merchandise, watch the kids shuffle into the venue, and then listen to the muffled sounds of the bands as they played their hearts out on stage.

Tonight was no different than any other. Nothing weird happened at all, but as I served a few kids I thought a lot about Craig and Leila and my own parents.

"Tey," I murmured as the two of us sat on stools.

He looked up to me. "What, kid?" he asked.

"Do you talk to your parents?"

Tey nodded his head. "My dad, yeah," he said, a small smile on his face as he thought about the man who raised him, "My mom died when I was eleven."

"I'm sorry," I replied automatically, feeling bad that I even brought it up. I looked to the floor where my feet scuffed against the grime.

Tey shook his head. "No, don't worry about it. She's in a better place now. But why do you ask, Gin?"

I bit my lip and shrugged my shoulders. Not once had I felt guilty about leaving my mom and dad the way I had, until now. The week before I took off towards the tour bus my mom and I had gotten in a large fight about Neil, about what I was going to do with my life, and who I was spending it with.

My mom was completely conservative. She hated every piece of artwork that was etched into my arm, every messy hair style, and every friend I had that didn't wear skirts to her knees.

"I haven't talked to my parents since I joined the tour," I said to Tey as his eyes searched to meet my gaze.

Tey frowned. "It bothers you?" he asked, tilting his body towards me.

"I guess so," I said, "I mean, it was my doing but I just feel..." I trailed off, not wanting to say it out loud.

But Tey did for me. "Guilty," he finished, nodding his head.

"Yeah," I concluded.

"Why is it bothering you so much now?"

"Because we're going to be near them tomorrow," I answered, "And Craig thinks I should go see them and try to make up with them."

Tey chuckled under his breath. "That sounds like Craig."

I nodded. I moved my gaze from the floor up to look at Tey. "What do you think I should do?"

Tey shrugged his shoulders. "Do what you want to do, Ginny. They're your parents, you're going to have to live with them... or without them."

I tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear as Tey hopped up to sell a shirt to a harsh looking man.

"I think I'm going to go see them tomorrow," I said as he sat back down, "They might not want to talk to me, but at least I can show up on their door step and try to understand why they won't accept anything about me."

"That sounds harsh."

"It kind of is," I agreed, "They like me and all, but they only like me if I'm doing what they want."

"Then maybe you should go see them and learn to accept the fact that they'll never accept you," Tey said, sounding wiser than I'd heard before.

"You're right," I replied simply.

Tey smiled and reached over to mock-punch my arm. "There you go, kiddo," he murmured, "You'll feel better afterwards."

I rolled my eyes at the nickname, even though I honestly felt younger than I ever had since I joined this tour. When I was with Neil, I never felt that much younger than him, or even when I started hanging out with Escape the Fate. The band was on average seven years older than me and not once, including the time they made jokes about still being a teenager, had I honestly felt like the age gap was there at all.

I made it back to the green and black bus at the end of the night, my shoulders aching from lugging the large boxes around. I climbed onto the bus and sighed when the sound of shouting met my ears. It wasn't arguing, just rough but playful banter between band mates.

"Hey guys," I greeted when I marched to the back of the bus. I sat down on the couch next to Robert, who held a XBox remote, and rested my head on his shoulder.

"Hey Ginny," they greeted in reply, "How was work?"

I rolled my eyes at the sarcastic smile on Craig's lips and reached out to kick him, since he was sitting on the floor. He just laughed and shoved my bare feet away from him.

"Where's Max?" I asked as I looked at the three boys.

Monte and Robert didn't answer since they were preoccupied by the cars racing around the track on the TV. But Craig, who was rooting for Monte, waved his hand towards the bunks and murmured, "He wasn't feeling well after the show."

I frowned. "You guys don't care?"

"We care," Craig said, moving his eyes from the TV to me, "But there's nothing we can do to help him with this problem."

I nodded and stood up, pushing myself up off of Robert. I padded across the floor and out of the back room. Max was completely silent as he laid in his bunk, that was why I hadn't realized he was there as I walked past him the first time.

"Max," I murmured softly as I stood on the floor. I looked up to his bunk and waited for him to react to my voice. When his head didn't pop up over the edge of the bunk, I sighed and climbed up. I stood on the bunk below his and looked at Max as he slept.

He was stretched out over the blankets, the side of his face pressed into his pillow as sweat collected on his forehead and matted his hair.

I held my breath as I climbed up into the bunk next to him. He shifted slightly in his sleep to accommodate me as I laid down against his side.

"What are you doing?" he asked drowsily as he scooted over towards the other side of the bunk so that I could share his pillow.

I frowned when I felt the heat radiating off of his body. "You're burning up," I told him, reaching up to press my palm against his forehead.

Max just groaned. "I'm fine," he groaned groggily.

I shook my head and rolled over on my stomach. I rested my arm on his stomach and cupped his warm face with my left hand. "You need to take some Asprin or something, Max."

"Too tired," he moaned.

I slid my hand down to his stomach before I pushed myself up. "Take your shirt off, Max," I said, glancing at his attire, "I'll be right back with Asprin."

Max opened his eyes and looked at me. "As much as I'd love to take my clothes of, Nev, I don't think right now is the best time for me. What about a rain-check?"

I shook my head as Max closed his green eyes. "Your shirt is drenched, Max, take it off. Your pants too, I guess, but please keep your boxers on Max, we just need to cool you down."

Max smiled lazily and nodded his head against the pillow.

I slid out of the bunk and moved towards the cupboard where the guys kept their hang-over medicine. I grabbed two pills from one of the bottles and grabbed a Gatorade from the mini refrigerator.

When I climbed back into Max's bunk, his clothes and comforter were balled up at the bottom and he had covered himself with the thin sheet. He was dozing again as sat cross-legged next to him.

"Max, wake up," I murmured, reaching out to lightly push his bare shoulder.

"What?" he asked softly as he rolled over to face me.

"Fever reliever."

Max sat up on his elbows and blinked the sleep away. I held the pills out for him to take, but instead he opened his mouth since he was resting on his elbows to hold him up.

I chuckled and dropped the two white tablets on his tongue. I then opened the blue Gatorade and helped him take a sip so that he could swallow the pills easier.

"Thanks, Nev," Max murmured as he laid back. He reached out and wrapped his arms around my shoulders to pull me down next to him. I rolled the Gatorade to the bottom of the bunk. I laid on my stomach with my arm thrown over his chest. His arm stayed wrapped around my shoulders.

"You're too good to me, Nev," Max muttered drowsily, his nose tracing against my cheekbone.

"Max, be quiet," I whispered back to him.

"Why?"

I dug my fingers into Max's skin and shook my head. Laying with Max was slightly overwhelming. The way he held me against him made me forget about everything except the feel of his silky hair as it fell into my face. Even when he wasn't feeling well he still managed to make me feel secure when I should've been the one helping him.

"Max," I murmured, "Will you come somewhere with me tomorrow?"

Max just nodded his head, not bothering to ask where I wanted him to go.

"To see my parents," I added, hoping to get a reaction out of him so that I'd know he wasn't just nodding because he was tired.

"Why?" he asked groggily. "They'd hate me."

"It's not about them," I replied softly. I bit my lip and waited for his reply.

"Okay," Max said simply.

"You'll go with me?" I asked skeptically, looking at his face as he laid there with his eyes closed, peacefully.

Max nodded once. "If you need me, I'll be there."

I closed my eyes and nestled my face against Max's pillow.