Lost In Stereo

“Everyone give a shout out to my girl Zo who’s going around with the camera taking pictures!” Alex yelled into the mic on stage as Zo felt her cheeks heat up as she hid behind her camera.

She was standing next to Jack on stage in fact taking some pictures and videos of their live performances. She didn’t know that Alex was going to announce her presence to everyone in the venue. She was going to kill him once the show was over. Alex laughed when he saw the death glare she gave him and continued to go on.

“Aw Zo, don’t give me that look. You know I love you!” Alex said as Jack started laughing and poking her in the side. She squirmed away and Jack got an evil look in his eye as he started to chase after her. Rian started a beat as he laughed from where he sat behind his drums and she ran over to Zack and hid behind him.

Alex scoffed, “Really? You’re hiding behind Zack?” She just stuck his tongue out at Alex as Jack tried to get her again but she dodged out of the way. “You know Zo, just because he works out doesn’t mean he’s all strong and scary.”

“Haha, you know, this isn’t good for Zack’s ego. It’s already big enough because his arms are huge and he’s got a six pack, but now it’s going to be even worse.” Jack continued going over to his mic and all the girls started screaming.

Alex started laughing, “You know Zo, and it’s almost offending that you chose Zack over me! I mean seriously!” She just rolled her eyes and flipped him off as he laughed and turned back to the crowd strumming a few notes. Zo took that distraction to hurry off stage and hide in the darkness. She was seriously going to kill Alex when he came off stage.

“What the hell was that?” Zo asked loud enough to be heard over the loud music as the boys started playing their next song.

Flyzik gave her an amused look next to her as he replied. “Don’t let him get to you. I’ll help you kill him when they finish their set. Maybe we can even make them help packing up tonight as punishment.”

When the show finished, Zo went to go hide in the dressing room until the rest of the boys got there. As they walked in, she busied herself by pretending to look at the photos she took on her camera and ignore Alex’s gaze that she could feel on her. Though she knew she wasn’t lucky enough to be left alone for long since the couch that she was sitting on suddenly bounced and a overly excited Jack flopped down next to her.

“So do you really think my arms are amazing?” Zack asked as Zo felt the all too familiar feeling of her cheeks heat up. She was beginning to realize that she had blushed more while she was on tour than what she would usually do in a year’s time.

“I hate you,” She replied ignoring Zack’s comment and glaring at Alex. The boy just shrugged and took a long drink from the water bottle he was holding.

Zack probably figured a subject change was in order before things got awkward and began to ask Zo if he could see the pictures she took that evening. She gave him a small smile in thanks at his attempt to save her from humiliation and handed her camera to him and watched as he began to look through the pictures.

By the time they had gotten through all of them, the rest of the guys were busy talking about other things. Sighing in relief she asked Zack to watch her camera as she got up and followed the rest of the crew back out to the stage area when they announced they were going to pack up.

“Yo Zo!” Jeff called as she turned on her heel and made her way over to the sound booth. The venue was strangely quiet considering that less than two hours ago the room had been full to the max and the band had been playing. Zo always found it a little creepy to see it so empty after seeing how insane the room got when the boys played.

She walked over to the sound booth and stepped up on the platform that it was set up on and started to help Jeff since the rest of them were busy doing their thing. She had already grabbed all the things that the boys had left from the dressing room like the food and clothes that they decided to throw around.

It was like babysitting. Literally. Only instead of them being little five year olds who didn’t know any better, they were 20 year olds. It was pretty sad but Zo wouldn’t have it any other way. She was beginning to love these boys like brothers and never wanted to stop working with them. It was one of the best jobs she ever had.

When everything was finally packed, it was nearly one in the morning. She slowly climbed up the steps on the bus and sighed when she found Jack and Alex passed out on the couch holding beer cans. Vinny came on behind her and she rolled her eyes as he started to plot something to do to them while they were sleeping.

“You touch me and you die,” Alex said without even opening his eyes. Zo laughed knowing that Alex probably had actually been sleeping but Vinny was so loud that he was never really good at hiding what he was doing.

“You’re no fun Gaskarth; you’re turning into a old lady who never has any fun.” Vinny complained as he flopped down on the couch laying on Alex and Jack, who was still dead to the world, Zo was convinced nothing could wake that boy.

Zo yawned as she heard some of the crew call it a night. She gave up on trying to keep her eyes open and followed the rest of the crew back to the bunks. Rian and Zack’s curtains were already closed but Zo could hear a faint voice behind Rian’s and figured he was on the phone with his girlfriend Cassadee. She hadn’t met her yet but from what the boys said she figured she was a really nice girl.

Grabbing a pair of shorts and a shirt, she went to change quick and then when she walked back to her bunk, she found Jack lying there. Giving a huff, she turned to where Alex was lying in his bunk above her and glared.

“What?”

“Why is dumbass in my bed? Doesn’t he know where his bus is?” She asked as Jack mumbled something under his breath but didn’t wake up.

Alex shrugged, “Vinny passed out on the couch and I moved him back here but I couldn’t lift him in his own bunk so I just tossed him in yours.”

“And where am I supposed to sleep?” She asked. She could hear the bitchiness in her voice but at that point she didn’t care. All she wanted to do was sleep.

“Go in Jack’s bunk,”

Zo glanced behind her to Jack’s bunk and bit her lip. “Um no. God only knows what Jack does in there and I don’t want to be a part of it.”

Alex shrugged again and she saw a small smile play at his lips, “Sleep with me then.”

She was about to snap something back, but honestly couldn’t think of anything. Then she realized that maybe she actually wanted to. The last time they had been that close was when she had that dream and at that point she would much rather be in Alex’s bunk than snuggle Jack who was snoring loudly.

Giving herself a moment more to think, she shrugged and then climbed in. Alex laughed lightly as he moved over and she snuggled into him as the blanket was pulled over them. She let her eyes close and felt Alex wrap an arm around her and smiled to herself as she quickly fell asleep.

She woke in what seemed only a matter of seconds to hear voices close by. Groaning, she rolled over and buried her head into Alex’s chest and tried to ignore the voices. But then she heard something snap that oddly sounded like a camera and opened her eyes.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” She muttered as her eyes focused and she saw Vinny, Danny, Grieco, and Colussy standing there watching her. Vinny had a camera in his hand and she rolled her eyes.

“Good morning sunshine, did you sleep well?” Vinny asked as she felt her cheeks burn and wanted to just roll back over and hide.

“Stop moving Zo,” Alex mumbled making the boys laugh and she blushed even more. Another snap came followed by the flash of a camera which woke Alex up fully. “What the hell is going on?”

“I don’t know, you tell me. You’re the one snuggling with Zo.” Danny replied as Alex flipped him off.

“So does this mean you two are officially a couple now? We have a pool going and I’m going to lose all my money soon if you two just get it over with.” Grieco said as Zo groaned.

“You bet on us?” She asked but really didn’t understand why she was so surprised about it. Even though she only knew them for a while, it wasn’t totally unheard of for them to bet on things.

“Why wouldn’t we? You guys are so freaking cute it’s sickening. And you’re annoying too. What the hell are you even waiting? You know you guys are meant to be together.” Vinny added and Zo couldn’t help but just stare at him. “What?”

“That is the most serious thing I’ve ever heard you say. Who are you and where did the real Vinny go?”

Vinny just huffed in annoyance. “What? I can’t actually be serious for once?”

“You’re never serious Vin,” Jack added below them followed by a muffled groan and Zo figured Vinny had kicked him.

Flyzik decided to walk by at that point and when he saw all of them there and raised an eyebrow. “What are you all doing here? We’re almost at the venue and we have to load everything in. You all should be getting ready to go and not staring and Zo and Alex while they have a moment alone. You guys are so nosey!”

Zo gave Flyzik an appreciative look as he herded everyone to the front of the bus leaving them alone finally. She rolled over again to face him and he gave her a small smile as he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers quickly. But, not quick enough because just as their lips touched another camera went off.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. Excuse me while I go kill them!” Zo said as she avoided his gaze and turned over and got up to run after Danny who was screaming like a girl.

“No! No! Don’t hurt me!” Danny was yelling as she got to the front of the bus where he was holding the camera away from her and everyone was watching the two of them wondering what the hell was going on.

Zo sighed and held out her hand, “Give me the camera.” He hesitated and was about to give it to her when he pulled his hand away again and held it protectively to his chest. “I’m not going to delete it or smack you, just let me see it.”

That time Danny carefully gave it to her and when she took it, she realized that it was her camera. She let it go not wanting to act like a total princess at the fact that he had somehow gotten her camera even when she hardly ever let anyone touch it. Going through the pictures, she found it at the front and couldn’t help but stare. It was adorable. She couldn’t help but love Danny for taking the picture when he did even though she was still embarrassed about it.

“Oh nice picture,” Alex said behind her making her jump. He laughed and kissed her cheek as he headed to grab something to eat.

They made it to the venue about a half hour later and the crew all got up from where they were scattered around the front of the bus to start load it. Zo got up from where she sat next to Alex still holding the camera as if she had to protect it from the others seeing the photo again. As she started to head out with the others, Alex grabbed her arm to stop her.

He was the only band member up and the rest of the crew was already at the trailer getting the boxes out and checking out the venue so they were all alone. She noticed that he seemed a little nervous which was totally unlike him.

“Can you send me a copy of that picture?” He asked and she bit her lip and smiled.

“Of course,” she replied as he leaned forward to press his lips against hers once more.

“Now get going or everyone’s going to know what we just did, again.” She blushed and leaned in to kiss him once more before skipping off the bus to go and help the others. Yeah, it was going to be a good day.