Perfectly Dysfunctional

The room was spinning. I mean, literally spinning. I opened my eyes and rolled over, jumping in fright when I nearly fell off the edge of my bed.

“Good, you’re up. Sorry if we woke you,” Jay had popped his sweaty little head through the curtains then disappeared again, “Nath! She’s awake!” Hang on a minute, curtains? I realised that the room wasn’t spinning but rumbling, so it didn't take me long to figure out that I was on their tour bus... again.

Next was Nathan’s sweaty little head to pop through. “How’re you feeling?”

“Uh, confused...”

“I’ll explain it later, but how do you feel; killer headache?”

I considered, “Yeah but other than that okay.”

“Good. C’mon, Max made you food.” He pulled back the curtains fully and laughed, “Don’t look so scared, he didn’t actually cook it, he put it in the toaster.”

“Was it that obvious, huh?” I swung my legs out, ducking my head. I paused and thought over what Nathan had said, and was actually quite relieved when my dirty mindedness kicked in; it meant I was normal again.

He frowned then laughed, “You will fit in just fine.”

As I shuffled my way towards the smell of strawberry pop tarts I could hear Siva talking to himself. As more and more of the bus came into sight, I realised he was not talking to himself, but to a girl sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest and a hood up who was simply not responding.

“What is up with you lately? You’ve been quite weird...” he muttered to her in her ear, wrapping his arm around her back. I gave them the privacy Siva obviously wanted and pretended not to hear them. The characteristically named pop tarts popped from the toaster and Nathan grabbed the four before yelling and throwing them back.

I raised an eyebrow, “Yes, they tend to be quite hot when they’ve just popped...”

He mimicked me in a high pitched voice as he ripped bits of kitchen roll but winked as he handed me my pop tart. He picked another two up and gave them both to Siva before tearing into his own. Siva offered it to the girl sitting beside him who pushed his hand away and moved her head to the side. Siva looked helpless and I felt kinda sorry for him.

“Oh, Nareesha, this is Jenny. Finally we have another female presence that you can bond with and do that girly stuff you hate to do!” Nathan grinned and the girl - Nareesha - looked up. Her eyes were a lovely shade of brown and her hair dark brown, almost black. Her hair fell around the side of her hood and I saw that it was really long. But when she looked up she was not smiling, more glaring. Her eyes were shining as if she was just about to cry, but they were also lined with red and purple, letting me know at just a glance that she’d already been crying and that she hadn’t slept much. She rolled her eyes at Nathan and stood up, and I could guess what was bugging her but didn’t dare even think it in case I was wrong. She set her jaw and marched straight past me, slowing down slightly to stare me down before she got to the bunks and slipped in one at the bottom across from where I’d been sleeping.

“Did I say something?” I whispered, confused.

“She’s been having a bit of an off-week,” Siva sighed, “Goodnight, I love you honey!” He called, but was greeted by silence. He sighed again and smiled, “Nothing personal.” He smiled weakly and stood up. “Well, I’m off - way too tired. I’m glad you’re feeling alright, Jenny; night guys.”

We mumbled goodnight as he stood up and jumped in the bunk above where Nareesha had just disappeared into, leaving the two uneaten pop tarts on the table where he’d been sitting. Nathan held out his hand lazily, indicating me to sit down. I did as he said and looked up at him leaning against the counter. It was clear that his hair had been matted to his head from the sweat from the gig, but he’d quite obviously put on a different t-shirt as there was no sweat marks, and I decided in that moment that he might have been the most perfect thing I’d seen so far in my life.

He glanced over at me then sat opposite me. I turned right around to face him. “Do you remember much from earlier?”

“Yes, up until I went into the bathroom. How was Siva, by the way? I forgot to ask him.”

“He’s fine. We managed to get him up and looking alive for the gig; he done pretty well considering. Everyone else is asleep.”

“That’s good...” I trailed off, “Nathan why am I here?” I said quietly.

“Well,” he started then leaned over taking one of the discarded, untouched pop tarts from the table, “You had just collapsed in front of me and you had nowhere to go. I couldn’t just leave you there, could I?” I fought the urge to argue my point ‘anyone else would have’ and chewed on my pop tart. “So I called Tom to come and get me, I took your bags and carried you downstairs. We took you onto the bus and left you there to sleep. Don’t worry, we left Nareesha too. She wasn’t feeling too well and didn’t feel like coming out so she wanted to stay in and she offered to watch over you, and Siva, until the last minute.”

“She offered to watch me?”

“Well yeah, she really is having an off-week, any other time she’s just as mental as the rest of us.” He frowned, “I’m really worried, actually.”