Just Look at the World Around You

"There is nothing better than touring Australia," Avara Law grinned, spreading her arms out beside her and turning her face to the Brisbane summer sun.

"Except touring the States," Holly Burming, who was standing next to her, disagreed. Avara put her arms down and looked at Holly.

"Touche`, young friend," she said, raising her eyebrows and nodding slightly. "But all of this is irrelevant because I want to go to the beach." Holly gave her a playful shove.

"Well you can't, because today," Holly started, grabbing Avara by the shoulders and turning her to face the Showgrounds that served as the Brisbane Soundwave Festival venue, "is the first day of Soundwave," Holly finished, stretching out her arm waving it across their field of vision. "And we have a show to play. And Jake will kill you if you leave."

"I know, I know," sighed Avara, "But it's boring being on this side of the fence on Soundwave day!"

Holly and Avara had been going to Soundwave together for years. They loved it so much, that they would fork out the $160 for tickets, even if they didn't like any of the bands on the line up. It was the atmosphere. It was the heat, the smells, the crowd, the sounds. They loved it all.

The problem was that there was a lot less freedom for the bands to wander around and they were almost completely confined to the back stage area of the grounds. It also didn't make things a whole lot better that a lot of the bands on the line up were a lot more hardcore than Kill Barbie, and the girls didn't even know who a lot of them were.The only bands they really knew were The Maine, We The Kings, and Forever The Sickest Kids.

"Come on," said Holly softly, grabbing Avara by the forearm, "Let's go and ignore Mr Burns for a bit."

A small building of the grounds had been cleared out and set up with tables for a place for the bands and crews to eat and hang out. This was where Holly dragged Avara, where they sat at a table with Harlee Anchor, Tadem Cefni, Jake Reynolds and Travis Cooper who, as was usual lately, had his video camera on the table in front of him.

"Ah, we were just talking DVD names," Jake smiled when he noticed Holly and Avara.

"I was thinking," Harlee started, sitting up straight with eyes wide in excitement, "Potato," she finished, waving her hand out in front of her in much the same way as Holly had done earlier.

"Don't be stupid, Harlee, we can't name out DVD 'Potato'," Avara said.

"Why not?" Harlee frowned.

"Becuase potatoes are yummy food, and we don't want people to try and eat our DVD," Avara replied.

"What about 'Carrot'?" Holly shrugged. "No one likes carrots." The other three nodded in agreement while Jake did his signature face palm and Travis giggled.

The six of them sat for a moment in silence, taking in the different people all around them, their bodies littered with tattoos and piercings. Holly noticed one guy had a random bright red dread-lock in the middle of his black dread-locks and made a face of disgust.

"I'm really scared of most of these people," Harlee admitted when a guy wearing massive combat boots and a whole lot of chain belts stomped past on his way out the door. Holly and Avara nodded in agreement.

"Don't look now, but the stupidest kids just walked in," Avara whispered suddenly. Holly looked and Avara let out a sigh. "I said don't look idiot!" Holly rubbed the spot that Avara had hit and glared at her.

"Hey guys!" Caleb Turman exclaimed once he noticed the girls, Travis and Jake. "We've been looking for you guys everywhere!"

"Well you have, I haven't," Kyle Burns muttered. Avara gave him a disgusted look and threw Harlee's orange juice bottle at him.

"We can hear you, you imbecile!" He made a face at her and walked off. "I really, really don't like him," she told everyone thoughtfully. The girls nodded in agreement while Caleb and Jonathan Cook scratched their necks awkwardly.

"Anyway," Caleb cleared his throat. "We were wondering if you ladies would like to go with us to the beach tonight, before we have to leave?" He asked. Avara went to nod her head and then decided against it.

"No thanks," she told them. "We're busy doing stuff tonight." She noticed out of the corner of her eye a couple of guys from The Maine walk in and smiled. "Pat's going to show us some stuff..." Pat Kirch heard his name being mentioned and walked over to see what was going on.

"Hey guys," he smiled, taking a seat beside Harlee, who lovingly put her arm around his shoulders. "What are you guys doing?"

"Hi Patty-cakes!" Holly grinned. "We're just telling Caleb and Jonathan that we're hanging out with you tonight so we can't go to the beach with them." She gave Pat a look that told him he better agree with her or there would be painful results. He smiled and nodded, his hair flailing softly around his head.

"Oh yeah! It's going to be a lot of fun!" Avara smiled and nodded her head.

"And, Jared and I are going to jam," she smiled, wiggling her fingers. Harlee made a face and Avara rolled her eyes. "And Harlee is too, but not Kennedy because he looks like a creep."

"We're going to have a two-band jam sesh," Holly nodded.

"A two-band jam sesh," Avara nodded in agreement.

"Two-bands," Holly emphasised.

"A sesh of the jam variety, consisting of bands to the numerical value of two," Avara said.

"Jam," Harlee muttered, grinning.

"Right..." Jonathan nodded after a moment. "Okay, well do you want to maybe go grab something to eat with me later Avara?" He asked. She shook her head slowly.

"I can't... I have a friend over." Jonathan looked confused.

"She can come too?" Avara shook her head again.

"She can't... She has a friend over..."

"Oh," he sighed, "alright. I'll see you later." He grabbed Caleb's arm and they walked off together to where Kyle was sitting with Austin Bello at a table right across the room from them.

"I can't believe Austin didn't come and say hello!" Holly exclaimed at the same time as Avara said; "I can't believe Kent and Marc left the band!" They looked at each other as though offended that they spoke at the same time, and then grinned at each other because, well, they spoke at the same time and thought it was hilarious.

"I can't believe it's not butter!" Harlee added.



Stages 5 and 6 were set up right next to each other, which gave bands and stage hands the forty minutes of the sets on one stage, to set up for the next band on the other stage. Holly and Avara, who should be known by now for their impatience, lack of fore-thinking, and all round craziness, could not wait out the last ten or so minutes of The Maine's set before Kill Barbie's would begin, so they grabbed two tambourines from behind Pat's kit and went on stage to stand behind both Jared and Garrett.

"Girls do what they wan- Holy shit, what are you two doing?" John laughed when he noticed them. Holly shrugged and rattled around her tambourine.

"Joining you guys," Avara said, "duh!" She started twirling around with Garrett who was laughing and kicking up his legs. John shrugged and went back to his microphone.

"Ladies and gents," he chuckled into his microphone. "We've been joined by Holly Burming and Avara Law from Kill Barbie!" While the crowd cheered, Holly and Avara raised their tambourines and rattled them happily. "Alright, where were we? Oh right. Girls do what they want! Whoa, whoa..."

When The Maine had finished their set and were standing backstage with Tim, Travis, Jake and the girls from Kill Barbie, Garrett and Holly were having a mock-argument.

"All I'm saying is, a little warning before you stage-crash us would be great next time! You totally screwed up our set!" Garrett yelled at Holly, jokingly of course.

"You totally screwed up your face!"Holly shouted back.

"Ladies, please," Avara said, walking between them and holding her hands up, "I think Jake is about to have an aneurysm."

Jake, who was just thinking that he had aged about ten years since meeting Kill Barbie, pointed to the stage. "Go. Now." The four girls looked at him and edged around him as though he was a bomb that would go off if they made the wrong move and took to the stage.

The crowd cheered as the girls took their places, stopped cheering as they realised that they did not recognise the intro that Avara and Harlee were playing, and then started cheering even louder as they realised that they did recognise it. Kill Barbie were playing an electronic rendition of the Harry Potter theme.

"Neville," Avara giggled under her breath as the music reminded her of the Deathly Hallows premiere.

"Nevis," Holly giggled too.

"Who the hell is Nevis?" Avara asked as they came to the closing of the song, which would phase into a new song from their album.

"Travis is over there," Holly nodded in the direction of their merch guy, who was filming them from a spot just to the right of the stage. "I mixed his name with Neville. Now shut up I have to sing."



Holly Burming.
Oooh!! A Dinosaur show just came on TV!!

Holly was sitting on a nice, big squishy lounge in the room bands were able to hang out in with John and Pat watching a cartoon about Dinosaurs. She'd been with them both since Kill Barbie had finished their sets. They were going to leave and head to the next venue, but Tadem wanted to wait for We The Kings set to finish so they could come too.

Avara Law.
I love Dinosaurs!!!!

"Who are you texting?" Pat asked, resting his head gently on her shoulder. Holly showed him the screen of her iPhone with a smile. "I guess I should have known that, right?"

"Yup."

"Avara?" John chuckled.

"Yup," she replied as she typed out a response to Avara's text.

Holly Burming.
I love Dinosaurs too!! I want a Stegosaurus. Just FYI in case you ever have the opportunity to go to a Dinosaur infested island, you have to snatch me one...

"I wonder why their arms are so small..." Pat wondered. He was sitting with his elbows resting on his knees, and his head in his hands. Holly shrugged.

"Because they have to have something wrong with them Patrick. They can't be Jesus at everything." Pat laughed.

Avara Law.
I don't know, I think I would have to accommodate for my own needs first. I want a Velociraptor. There might be some complications if I bought both home at the same time, Velociraptors being carnivores and all...

Holly sighed and slumped into Johns side heavily.

"What's up?" He asked, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. Holly sighed once more before she glanced up at his face.

"Avara said she won't get me a Stegosaurus because her Velociraptor might eat him on the journey back." John laughed. "Don't laugh!"

"I'm sorry," he said seriously. "Avara should really think about her priorities with you as well." Holly gave him a look and he cracked a smile.

Holly Burming.
Just bring me and egg so that I can sit on it and hatch it myself. So I have that mother/ baby Dinosaur relationship with it, ya know? You'll need to give your Velociraptor some ground rules because I don't want to wake up one day and it's standing over my bed...

"I told her to just steal me an egg from a nest." John nodded.

"You should tell her to be careful," he nodded, "Stegosauruses are really territorial when it comes to their young."

"How do you know?"

"Jurassic park."

"That makes sense," Holly nodded.

Avara Law.
I'll try, but Velociraptors are notorious rebels and they're also pretty crafty. He might sneak out without me knowing.

"She's making excuses now," Holly sighed. "When I go to the island, I'm not bringing her back anything!" John laughed just as the doors to the room swung open and Avara walked in with Garrett.

Holly Burming.
I'll buy him a Cow-bell so I'll know when he's coming. So I can hide.

Avara's phone jingled and she pulled it out of her pocket and started typing out a reply to Holly when Garrett tapped her on the shoulder and pointed at Holly.

"Oh," Avara said, sticking her nose up at Holly and returning her phone to her pocket, "You're here." She walked over to where everyone was sitting, followed by Garrett, and sat down next to Pat. She flipped his hair and smiled a cheesy smile, trying to make it obvious she was ignoring Holly.

"Hello Ratrick, how are you?"

"I'm confused," said John, "Why are you ignoring Holly?"

"Because she wants to put a cowbell on my Velociraptor, and I think that's rude."

"You wouldn't bring me home a Stegosaurus, I think that's rude!" Avara responded by sticking her tongue out at Holly and everyone laughed.



Later that night when the girls, Jake, Travis and the guys from The Maine and We The Kings got off of the plane in Sydney, Holly and Avara were talking about this, that and the other.

"I just talked to my cousin the other day," Avara told Holly. Holly smiled and nodded. "And he's like... Seven."

"Kevin?" Holly asked. She liked Avara's seven year old cousin Kevin because he was the greatest small kid ever and he had an awesome name. Avara nodded. "I love Kevin."

"Shut up, I haven't finished my story," Avara said, shoving Holly lightly.

"Oh, right. Carry on then."

"So he was like; 'How many music awards have you won?' and I was like; 'none' and he was like; 'oh... Well... When you see my friends, can you say that you won some cause I told them that you did.'" Holly burst out laughing. "I was like; 'oh, okay, sure dude.' It was so weird."

"I love Kevin so much, he's so fricking cool."

"When we win a music award, I'm going to dedicate it to him." Holly nodded. "And Sponge-Bob Square-Pants," she added.

"Why Sponge-Bob Square-Pants?" Avara asked.

"Because he too is fricking cool."