Watch You Take The Fall

I hate my ringtone, always have and always will. That, I suppose, explains why I was in such a bad mood when it rang at 8.30am on that Monday morning.
"Shut the fuck up, seriously, shut up." I groggily yelled, thrashing around until I held the offensive object in my hand.
"Hello?" I grunted, pissed off already.
"Miss James? I'm sorry about the timing of this call."
"No, no, that's fine." No, it really wasn't fine. Really, really, not fine.
"Mr Hyde has requested a meeting with you today, in the Inspyre Management building." Ah, fuck. There was really only one reason my boss was calling a meeting in with me.
"Listen, if this is about the noise complaints at the travel-lodge, I'm smoothing it over."
"I'm sorry Miss, I can't tell you what it's about, I don't know myself."
"Oh, okay. What time do I need to be there?"
"10.30 Miss, in his office." So about two hours away. That bastard.
"Alright, thanks." I muttered, shutting my phone off. I threw myself back onto my pillows and sighed loudly, before deciding not to waste anymore time. I stumbled into the shower, letting the hot water wash away my early morning blues. Stepping out of the bathroom, I plugged my iPod into the surround sound system, Steal This Album by System of a Down filling my small apartment. I suppose that was why my neighbours hated me so much. It would make sense, though, with my equilibrium, that I fell over attempting to put my socks on. I gave up on standing upright a few years ago, given that I spent most of my day tripping over my own feet.
The Inspyre Management offices weren't a short walk from my flat, about three quarters of an hour or so. I never really minded, until it got to the point where I had to walk the journey. Being the north of England, it decided to piss it down with no warning. Within ten minutes of the walk, the hoodie I had shrugged on before I had left was drenched, turning the grey to black. I, of course, didn't have an umbrella. I would've harpooned someone with it, knowing my luck. However, I was doing well in the horrible weather. I could have fallen into an enormous puddle and have to be pulled out by one man and his dog, which had happened more than once. No, instead, my entire outfit was completely drenched, but not as badly as it could be. The illusion of slight grace that I had so far managed to keep up, though, was shattered right outside the door of the offices, as confidently strode into a puddle that filled my converse. I stopped for a moment, slumped my shoulders but carried on into the offices of my employers.
"Hi, I'm here for a meeting with Chris Hyde?"
"Sierra James?" I wheeled around to meet the voice, seeing that it was in fact, the devil himself.
"Come on through." I limply waved at the receptionist that I interrupted, before following my boss into his office.
"How's life treating you then, Sierra?" Chris questioned from the other side of the desk we were sat at. Posters of various bands and singers adorned the walls, a portfolio of management success.
"Can't complain, apart from the times you've decided to call meetings at."
"Sorry about that, but this is important. It's something of a touchy subject." I only nodded, encouraging him to carry on.
"As you may have heard through the rumour mill, Inspyre Management is merging with a record label." Actually, no, I hadn't heard that. I wasn't exactly friends with the other managers at Inspyre, we were all away from each other at different times. Too complicated to keep up with each other. As if he sensed my uncertainty, Chris carried on with his explanation.
"It was confirmed two days ago that we are, in fact, merging with Hopeless Records. I would have told you earlier, but you only just got back." Hopeless Records? Who the fuck are they? I scratched the side of my head slightly, attempting to think of a band that were signed to them that I may know of. Nope. Nothing. Zilch. Nada.
"Hopeless specialise in pop-punk, that sort of thing." Well, that would explain that then.
"It's a little of an awkward subject, but a few of our other tour managers have decided to leave us instead of carrying over with the change. We were hoping that that wouldn't be the case with you. We have a proposition for you, a promotion of sorts."
"Go on."
"You see, Hopeless Records have signed a very promising up and coming band. They're doing all dates of the Warped Tour, and their current tour manager has requested help with the tour management."
"So, if I take this, I'll be a co tour manager?"
"In simple terms, yes, but on a larger scale. The band is already tipped for success, and as they get further towards that, the workload will increase, meaning you take on more work than you do already. Being a co tour manager, is not a demotion in any way."
"I don't know, Chris, this is all so sudden. What will I do after Warped Tour?"
"It's all down to you, depending on how well you get along with the band and crew." Seriously? No guarantee of even a semi permanent job? Inspyre had been the controlling factor over my life for the past two years, to throw it away now would mean effectively throwing away my future, and the founding of the best friendships I'd ever had.
"Er, yeah. I'll go, I guess." I said, dazed slightly from the amount of information that had been thrown at me. Everything after that moment seemed to happen in a blur, forms were signed, a packet of information thrown at me, and a quick hug and handshake before I was gently pushed out of the door, back out into the pouring rain.
"Oh for fucks sake." I muttered as I stepped back into the puddle, soaking the converse and jeans that had just about dried off in the duration of the meeting. I ambled to the edge of the pavement, and raised my hand, attempting to signal a taxi to take me home. Just as I was about to give in and walk home, a taxi pulled up in front of me, splashing me further with freezing water. I stood, shocked, for a moment, before giving in and crawling into the black car in front of me. It's times like this that I regret never taking my driving test.
I wasn't long at home before my phone rang.
"Oli? Why are you awake this early?"
"I could ask you the same thing, miss 'I must really love you if I wake up for you before 1pm'"
"Funny. No, Chris called a meeting this morning, with two hours notice. He's just lovely."
"Yeah? What'd he want? Did you find out who you're off with now?" He questioned, more excited than anyone should be in the morning. I heard the click, and the echo that told me I was on speakerphone. I rested my mobile between my shoulder and my cheek, and slightly smiled.
"I don't really want to do this on the phone. When's the next time you're stopping by?"
~*~
Alex's P.O.V:
"Alex, wake up you fucker!" Rian yelled from the front. Nothing new really, I was usually the last one awake. Who can blame me? Mornings really fucking suck.
"Alright, alright, don't get your panties in a bunch." I yawned, before practically falling out of bed. I staggered, zombie style, into the front lounge where the majority of the band and crew seemed to be assembled. My never ending search for food started, just as Matt joined us in the overcrowded area.
"I just got off the phone with Keith." He began, dodging a flying banana, which was a rare sight. We almost never had fruit on the bus. "Our new co-tour manager is joining us in a week. This week can't go fast enough, we've only done two dates and I'm already swamped." He sighed, running a hand through his closely cut black hair. Right at that instant, Jack skipped (and yes, I do mean actually skipped) into the front area, knocking people out of his way as he went. That kid always got so excited at the mention of a new person to spend time with, although we were always hard pressed to find someone who's immediate reaction wasn't to run from him, screaming.
"Matt, new person, what do we know about him?!" He yelled at the top of his lungs. Nobody should have that much energy in the morning.
"Jesus, Barakat, inside voices. Vinny and Grieco already have bad enough hangovers." Matt smirked, no doubt planning some horrible way to get them out of bed and to work.
"Anyway, yeah, you know how Hopeless merged with Inspyre Management?" Everyone (aside from Jack, who was preoccupied tying shoelaces together by the doorway) nodded, as I sat there in silence. I had no idea that Hopeless had merged with anyone, let alone a management company.
"Well, he's come from them. He's always toured with metal bands, not really our sort of scene. Keith said he did a year with one band, and a year with another, I can't remember the names right now. He's been touring since he was eighteen, which makes him around the same age as you guys. He's British, and I got no more information than that." This was already shaping up to be a very interesting summer, I mused. However, I wasn't left to my own thoughts for long, as Jack tackled me to the ground and beat me over the head with a loaf of bread. Like I said, interesting.