‹ Prequel: It Takes More
Status: Being written. Stay Tuned.
Lines Are Crossed
Elena, this is none of your business.
Alex wrapped an arm around Elena’s shoulder, pulling her into his sweat-soaked chest for an after show hug.
“Eww, babe,” she complained.
“Oh, you love it,” he countered.
Elena couldn’t argue, a smile finding its way onto her lips. “I love you.” Alex’s returning smile was cheesy as he held his girlfriend tight against his side.
“So we’re going out to a club tonight,” Matt announced, interrupting the gag worthy couple. “Where’s Jack?”
Everyone looked around for the tall boy who was nowhere in sight. “He’s not answering his phone,” Rian said as he placed his cell phone back in his pocket.
“He’s not replying to my texts either,” Alex added. Jack had disappeared, nowhere to be found by his band, crew, or sister.
**
Alex leaned in close to Elena, his mouth at her ear so she could hear him over the music. “What do you want to drink, Lee?”
“Surprise me,” she answered with a smile.
In Alex’s absence, Matt asked Elena to dance, holding his hand out as the tempo changed. She followed Matt onto the dance floor, finding a small opening in the dancing bodies. Matt leaned in close, as to be heard over the music. “Are you having fun?”
Elena nodded, a smile on her face. “Is it weird having a girl on tour?”
He shrugged, an easy smile on his face. “It’s definitely different, I’ll tell you that. But everyone seems to be toning everything down around you. They don’t want to scare you off too soon; either that, or they’re scared Alex will kick their ass.”
Elena laughed along with Matt. “You guys shouldn’t have to act differently around me. Are you all forgetting that Jack is my brother, or that I grew up around him and Alex? I think if I haven’t been scared away yet, it’ll be pretty hard to do.”
“I guess you’re right,” he confessed, smiling at the younger girl’s laidback personality and ability to blend into his tour family. As he watched Elena dance in front of him, he couldn’t help but notice her easy smile or the way her eyes shown in the varying lights of the club.
“Are you tryin’ to steal my girl?” Alex joked as he found the pair. He handed Elena a drink, her favorite, as she playfully shook her head. Matt, on the other hand, struggled to hold his composer, gulping inaudibly, surprised at Alex’s words. Because Matt had been thinking thoughts that he shouldn’t about the singer, one of his closest friend’s girlfriend; thoughts he focused intently on shaking.
Alex joined Elena as she danced, Matt slipping away at the first chance. A few hours later, when the club had emptied considerably as closing time neared, the pair met up with the rest of the group, ready to head back to the bus destined for the next city.
“Jack still hasn’t texted you back?” Elena asked Alex as he tucked her under his arm as they walked down along the busy street. He shook his head, eyebrows knitting together as he began to worry for his friend. “I wonder where he could’ve gone,” Elena thought under her breath, perplexed by the fact that Jack didn’t know his way around this particular city.
They piled onto the bus, one by one, each following the next. Just as Alex took the final step onto the bus behind Elena, everyone heard Matt’s voice yell, “Dude, what the fuck? Where the hell have you been?”
Jack’s voice followed, considerably lower. “Calm down, Fylzik.”
“Get her out of here, we’re leaving.” Matt’s professional voice stated without inflation before a blonde, half-dressed girl walked out from behind the curtain. She smiled at everyone as they stared after her, Elena included.
As soon as the bus door had shut, Elena pushed past her new friends, coming to stand in front of Jack’s bunk, curtain closed. She pulled the fabric back in one easy motion. “Jack, what the fuck was that?”
Jack hurried to pull the blanket over him, as he had not had a chance to pull his clothes back on. “Nothing,” he spoke desperately, not facing his sister.
“It better as hell have been nothing! How could you do that to Marla? She was already suspicious that something was going on with you; she’s going to be crushed that this was it,” Elena trailed off, thinking of the conversation she had to have with her best friend.
Jack looked at her then, eyes widening. “Elena, you don’t have to tell her…” he started before Elena cut in.
“Oh, yes I do. She’s my best friend.”
“Elena, this none of your business.”
Elena shook her head angrily as Alex placed a hand on her shoulder, guiding her away from Jack’s bunk. She turned her head as they walked. “I won’t tell her, if you do. She needs to know.”
Jack gulped, nodding his head discreetly as her and Alex slid into their bunk. He tried to drown out the sound of his sister as she complained to Alex, obviously struggling with this new bit of information. He only hoped that she would keep her word when she talked to Marla next, even if he truly did have no intention of telling the girl.
“Eww, babe,” she complained.
“Oh, you love it,” he countered.
Elena couldn’t argue, a smile finding its way onto her lips. “I love you.” Alex’s returning smile was cheesy as he held his girlfriend tight against his side.
“So we’re going out to a club tonight,” Matt announced, interrupting the gag worthy couple. “Where’s Jack?”
Everyone looked around for the tall boy who was nowhere in sight. “He’s not answering his phone,” Rian said as he placed his cell phone back in his pocket.
“He’s not replying to my texts either,” Alex added. Jack had disappeared, nowhere to be found by his band, crew, or sister.
**
Alex leaned in close to Elena, his mouth at her ear so she could hear him over the music. “What do you want to drink, Lee?”
“Surprise me,” she answered with a smile.
In Alex’s absence, Matt asked Elena to dance, holding his hand out as the tempo changed. She followed Matt onto the dance floor, finding a small opening in the dancing bodies. Matt leaned in close, as to be heard over the music. “Are you having fun?”
Elena nodded, a smile on her face. “Is it weird having a girl on tour?”
He shrugged, an easy smile on his face. “It’s definitely different, I’ll tell you that. But everyone seems to be toning everything down around you. They don’t want to scare you off too soon; either that, or they’re scared Alex will kick their ass.”
Elena laughed along with Matt. “You guys shouldn’t have to act differently around me. Are you all forgetting that Jack is my brother, or that I grew up around him and Alex? I think if I haven’t been scared away yet, it’ll be pretty hard to do.”
“I guess you’re right,” he confessed, smiling at the younger girl’s laidback personality and ability to blend into his tour family. As he watched Elena dance in front of him, he couldn’t help but notice her easy smile or the way her eyes shown in the varying lights of the club.
“Are you tryin’ to steal my girl?” Alex joked as he found the pair. He handed Elena a drink, her favorite, as she playfully shook her head. Matt, on the other hand, struggled to hold his composer, gulping inaudibly, surprised at Alex’s words. Because Matt had been thinking thoughts that he shouldn’t about the singer, one of his closest friend’s girlfriend; thoughts he focused intently on shaking.
Alex joined Elena as she danced, Matt slipping away at the first chance. A few hours later, when the club had emptied considerably as closing time neared, the pair met up with the rest of the group, ready to head back to the bus destined for the next city.
“Jack still hasn’t texted you back?” Elena asked Alex as he tucked her under his arm as they walked down along the busy street. He shook his head, eyebrows knitting together as he began to worry for his friend. “I wonder where he could’ve gone,” Elena thought under her breath, perplexed by the fact that Jack didn’t know his way around this particular city.
They piled onto the bus, one by one, each following the next. Just as Alex took the final step onto the bus behind Elena, everyone heard Matt’s voice yell, “Dude, what the fuck? Where the hell have you been?”
Jack’s voice followed, considerably lower. “Calm down, Fylzik.”
“Get her out of here, we’re leaving.” Matt’s professional voice stated without inflation before a blonde, half-dressed girl walked out from behind the curtain. She smiled at everyone as they stared after her, Elena included.
As soon as the bus door had shut, Elena pushed past her new friends, coming to stand in front of Jack’s bunk, curtain closed. She pulled the fabric back in one easy motion. “Jack, what the fuck was that?”
Jack hurried to pull the blanket over him, as he had not had a chance to pull his clothes back on. “Nothing,” he spoke desperately, not facing his sister.
“It better as hell have been nothing! How could you do that to Marla? She was already suspicious that something was going on with you; she’s going to be crushed that this was it,” Elena trailed off, thinking of the conversation she had to have with her best friend.
Jack looked at her then, eyes widening. “Elena, you don’t have to tell her…” he started before Elena cut in.
“Oh, yes I do. She’s my best friend.”
“Elena, this none of your business.”
Elena shook her head angrily as Alex placed a hand on her shoulder, guiding her away from Jack’s bunk. She turned her head as they walked. “I won’t tell her, if you do. She needs to know.”
Jack gulped, nodding his head discreetly as her and Alex slid into their bunk. He tried to drown out the sound of his sister as she complained to Alex, obviously struggling with this new bit of information. He only hoped that she would keep her word when she talked to Marla next, even if he truly did have no intention of telling the girl.