Erin William's Guide to Warped Tour

I woke up to the sound of my entire band yelling at me to get up. What time was it? I looked at my phone. 7:00? What the fuck? I rolled out of my bunk and headed towards the bathroom. I went inside and got into the shower. I took a shower that in my mind was quick, but apparently not in everyone else’s mind. Before I was halfway done I started hearing load knocks at the door, and people shouting that they had to shower too. When I got out and rapped a towel around myself, four boys ran into the bathroom, pushing each other down to get to shower first. I just laughed, and headed toward my bag to pick out an outfit for today. I grabbed a glamour kills shirt, some dark skinny jeans and my favorite hat. It was fuzzy and had ears and those pompom tassel thingies. Damian laughed when he saw it. I just stuck my tongue out at him

Twenty minutes later we were going on stage for sound check. I waited for the guys to get their instruments ready and then counted us into the song.

And then I was lost in the music.

I harmonized my vocals, matching them with my brother and Ryder’s. I jumped around to Jasper and Damian’s rhythm. I sung as loud as I could, and with all of my heart. I looked out and I could see some people watching us, but I was to in the moment to know whom it was. I stopped my singing for a moment catching my breath and letting Dyl play an amazing guitar solo, and then I began to scream.

We finished the song, and I helped the guys put their instruments away. Then I walked off stage and over to the food area. I was starving.

I was getting food when I felt someone tap on my shoulder I turned around to see Alex standing there.

“Umm hey,” I said, awkwardly. I hadn’t spoken to him since I ran off after he kissed me.

“You were awesome on stage,” he said. “And I don’t normally like screamo, but Ryder was right you are an epic screamer.” All I could do was blush.

“So can we talk,” he paused, and I looked up at him, looked him dead in the eyes. “About last night,”

I nodded and then mumbled.

“If you can keep my brother from seeing us,”

He laughed. I couldn’t help but smile, his laugh was intoxicating.

“I think I know a place, wrap up your burger and then lets go,” I grabbed some napkins and folded them around the burger, as carefully as I could. I heard Alex laughing behind me, still intoxicating, but not as much because I thought he was laughing at my slightly OCD habits.

“What?” I asked him, turning around with the meticulously wrapped burger in my hand.

“You are just so careful about it,” he said gesturing to the food.

“Yeah, well I like the things I put into myself to be clean,” I said.

“You’re such a girl,” he said, taking my hand and leading me to his bus.

“You better hope so,” I said. “You kissed me,” We both laughed and soon we had reached the bus. I went up first taking the steps two at a time, Alex following me. All the guys, who were sitting around watching some movie, turned around to look at me. Jack and Zack smiled, and Rian gave me a look that reminded me of my brother. He was warning me.

“Hey guys!” I said.

“Hey Er,” Jack said. “Whatcha got there?” he asked gesturing to my painstakingly warped burger.

“Food,” I said.

“Ooo can I have some?” Jack asked like an excited child.

“Nope,” I said.

“Why not?” he whined.

“Because it’s mine,”

“Fine,” he said pouting. We all laughed.

“Come on,” Alex said, leading me back to the bunk area. I sat down on one and he sat on another facing me.

“So look about last night…” he trailed off.

“Yeah?” I asked. I wanted to know his side of it.

“Well you said it was nice, does that mean you like me?” he asked, picking his words carefully.

“Yeah, but I also said we had only just met,” I told him.

“So you don’t like me?” he asked.

“I don’t know yet,” I said.

“Alright,” he said. “You going to eat that?”

“Yes!” I said. “I definitely am,” I unwrapped the burger and took a bite.

“Are you just going to stare at me while I eat?” I asked him.

“Why not?” he asked.

“Because…” My phone buzzing interrupted me. If it was my brother so help me god.

“Dylan?” Alex asked.

“Probably,” I groaned taking my phone from my pocket. To my surprise, it was a number I didn’t know, not my brother. “Actually not,”

“Hello?” I asked the unknown person on the phone.

“Hey Er,” a familiar British accent greeted me.

“Oh hey Ben,” out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alex stiffen, bad history maybe?

“You still want to come hang out with us?” he asked.

“Yeah sure,” I said. “When? And how did you get my number?”

“You gave it to me last night, were you really that drunk? Well umm nowish,” he said. “We have to go on stage in about an hour, when do you?”

“Apparently and umm, four fifteen I think,” I answered. “Where are you guys?”

“Back at our bus,” Ben replied.

“Okay be there in a minute,” I told him and then hung up.

“So I told these guys I’d hang out with them today. And I used to know Dev, like we were best friends in middle school and shit so I really need to catch up with him you know? But if you’d like to come that would be totally cool,”

“Nahh,” Alex said. “We have to get to the stage soon,”

“Alright,” I said “Well, bye,” I walked toward the main room of the bus.

“Bye guys!” I said to the boys who were still sitting on the couch. They all turned around and waved.

Well all, except for Jack. Jack jumped over the couch and hugged (read tackled) me.

***

I made my way over to Asking Alexandria’s bus. When I got there, Ben ran out and gave me a huge hug. Ben wasn’t short, he wasn’t amazingly tall like Andy was, but I was still totally short, and so the hug almost suffocated me as my head was squashed to his chest. When I tried to breathe in my lugs were filled with his signature scent of cigarette smoke and booze.

“Ben?” I managed to croak out.

“Yes short girl buddy,” he said patting my head, still hugging me.

“I can’t breathe,”

“Oh!” he said, immediately releasing me like I had burned him. “Sorry,” he mumbled, scratching the back of his neck.

“It’s fine,” I said giving him a reassuring smile.

“Well come on,” he said and I followed him into the bus.

“Erin!” I heard one voice yell out.

“Hey Er!” another greeted me.

“Hey guys!” I looked around the room, and saw that BVB was here too along with Bring Me and I See Stars. Devin was smiling at me and patted on the seat next to him gesturing to the spot next to him.

“So Er,” he said, turning to me. “When do you guys go on stage? I want to hear this scream of your,” A chorus of ‘me too,’s echoed from the rest of the boys.

“Four fifteen,” I told them.

“Damn it!” Oli said. “We’re on at four and there’s no way we’re doing a fifteen minute set,” We all laughed.

“Well you’re just going to have to come see me next time,”

“Deal,”

“You never told us the name of your band,” Danny said. Everyone nodded in agreement.

“We’re called ‘Conspiracy Theory’,”

“Sweet name,” Ben commented. “Nice three syllables,”

“Why does that matter?” I asked, confused.

“Easy to chant,” he told me. “Have you ever tried to chant ‘Asking Alexandria or Bring Me The Horizon? No, you two have it easy ‘cause you were smart enough to go with three syllables,” he said gesturing at Devin and me.

“I guess the cold in Michigan made us smarter,” I joked.

“You lucky bitch!” Devin suddenly shouted.

“What?” I asked, hesitantly.

“You moved to Florida! You didn’t have to deal with the cold anymore.”

I laughed. It was funny because I never really minded the cold, unlike Dev who hated it.