Lost In Stereo

They were in another hotel a few days later and had just played their last show before their played their hometown show the next day. Everyone was tired and restless and even Vinny was sitting still for once and not trying to cause trouble. Zo was resting against Alex on the plush couch they were sitting on while Jack was sprawled out on one of the other couches getting glares from the other guests.

“Ok guys, so I have a bit of bad news,” Flyzik said as he and Colussy walked back over. Zo picked up on the annoyed looks on their faces and Rian smacked Jack waking him and he sat up rubbing his eyes trying to figure out what was going on. “So the hotel screwed up and we had only two rooms reserved and the hotels booked. We’re going to have double up.”

“More like triple up,” Alex mumbled as everyone started complaining about it.

“It’s not that bad guys, there are two double beds and a pull out couch so we can do six to a room. It’ll be a little cramped but at least it’s a bed and has a good shower.” Colussy continued.

Flyzik took a deep breath and clapped his hands together obviously trying to fake indifference when Alex knew that he was just as annoyed as the rest of them where. “Ok, so here are the room assignments. Alex, Jack, Rian, Zack, and Zo are with me and the rest are with Colussy.”

Alex knew that Zo wasn’t looking forward to rooming with a bunch of guys but at least it was better than Vinny. He told her just that as they made their way to the elevators and she just muttered as no kidding before falling back into silence. When they got to their room, Flyzik opened the door and as usual, Jack rushed in and flopped down on the bed he wanted. While Jack was sprawled out on the bed, the rest of them stood staring at the two beds and the couch.

“So,” Rian mumbled as he glanced at Flyzik and the others and tried to think of some way to figure this whole thing out.

“Ok since no one is going to speak up to figure this whole thing out, then why don’t we settle this. We can take the beds and Zo can take the couch. How does that sound? Sorry to stick a lady on the couch but the bed’s are a little bigger so we can fit three people on it.”

“It’s fine, I honestly don’t mind sharing a bed with someone. I feel bad making you guys all share.” Zo replied as they all started laughing. “Oh my god, don’t go there! Try and take a conversation seriously for once.”

They all just snickered as she huffed and grabbed her bag disappearing into the bathroom. Alex flopped down on the bed next to Jack and stared at the ceiling for a few moments thinking. The rest of the guys were walking around getting changed since Zo stole the bathroom and Alex knew that she probably wasn’t going to be out for a while.

“So what’s the deal with you and Zo?” Rian asked finally breaking the silence everyone had fallen into. Alex glanced up and Rian who was sitting on the bed across from them.

He was about to pretend that he didn’t know what he was talking about, but one look from the drummer and he knew what he was thinking. “I-I don’t know.”

“Well dude, you can tell that there’s feelings on both sides. Just go for it. What are you scared of? She’s great,” Rian continued as Alex smiled slightly.

“How did you guys meet anyway? How the hell do you know this random girl from a small town in Minnesota?” Flyzik asked as Alex and Jack shared a look.

He left a pause as he figured if he should tell them what really happened. Would they actually believe him? Or would it just be better to tell them what Zo and he had already discussed?

“She has family in Maryland and wrote a letter to them and somehow it ended up in my mailbox. So I wrote back saying that she got the address wrong and then somehow we started exchanging letters and then went to emails since we were on tour.” Alex explained.

It had been the other way around originally that he had written the first letter and she got it but all the guys knew that he really didn’t have any family in Minnesota. So he decided to change it quick and hoped to God that Zo would catch on quick if she came out of the bathroom while they were still having this conversation.

“Do you remember when I disappeared last tour in Minnesota and Jack covered for me?” Alex asked as Flyzik rolled his eyes and nodded. “I was with Zo. She came to the concert and she had sent me a few photo’s of her and her family and I recognized her right away when she came up to us for a photo.”

Rian, Zack, and Flyzik were all staring at him with wide eyes and Jack and Alex just started laughing at their reactions. “So where did you go? Get a hotel room and bang her?”

At that moment, Alex had never been so happy that Zo wasn’t in the room. “Um no, her brother was in the hospital and asked me to go and see him. I had talked to him on the phone a few times and he wasn’t doing that good.”

“Did he- is he still alive?” Rian asked quietly and Alex shook his head.

“No, he died about three months ago. That’s why I left the second time. She asked me to come out for the funeral and I did. We stayed in a hotel together in Duluth and then after the funeral she was a wreck. And suddenly something possessed me to ask her to move in with me and she did. Now we’re here.”

The three of them just stared at him for a few moments, “Wow. I didn’t know it was that intense. I thought you just met and then asked Flyzik to give her a job on a whim.”

All Alex was able to do in response was shake his head since the bathroom door suddenly opened and an adorable Zo walked out. She was wearing an old pair of shorts that were probably stolen from her brother and one of her high school gym shirts. Her hair was wet and messy and he couldn’t help but smile when he saw her. He was acting like a star crossed lover but he didn’t care.

“What are you guys talking about?” She asked as she stuffed her things in her bag.

“You,” Jack replied as her cheeks turned pink and the others just laughed. Jack just giggled with the others and then gave a long over exaggerated yawn. “Is it bed time yet?”

“Please, I’m so tired right now!” Zo replied as she attempted to pull the bed out. Once she finally figured it out, with Alex’s help, she pulled back the covers and flopped down.

Alex got into bed next to Jack and the other three squished in the other. Thankfully, Alex was able to only have to share with Jack because the boy tended to kick people in his sleep and everyone knew that it was better to give Jack room while he slept so he didn’t attack people. The boys dreams tended to get a little strange and he would flail and talk in his sleep and it was never a good idea to sleep too close.

The lights were turned off after everyone was in bed and ten minutes later, soft snores filled the room. Next to him, Jack was already mumbling under his breath as he slept and Alex rolled over putting his back to his best friend and let his eyes close hoping that he would fall asleep quickly.

“Psst, Alex,” A voice was calling followed by shaking. Alex groaned and rolled away from the annoyance next to him. “Alex,”

“Go away,”

“Would you shut up, you’re going to wake everyone up.” The voice hissed quietly and Alex opened his eyes a little and looked at the clock.

“There’s a reason everyone is sleeping. It’s freaking seven in the morning Jack.” Alex replied keeping his voice low. Even if Jack had woke him up, he still didn’t want to wake everyone else up too.

Jack sighed, “Would you just shut up and get Zo’s camera. This is too good of an opportunity to pass up.”

That got Alex’s attention and raised his head and looked to the bed next to them and tried to hold back his laughter. Flyzik, Rian, and Zack were all snuggled close to each other and had their arms wrapped around each other. And Rian even had his head resting on Zack’s chest since Flyzik was snuggling with Rian’s pillow. To say the least Alex wasn’t actually all that mad his best friend had woke him up.

“Do you know where Zo’s camera is?” Jack whispered as he was about to get up but Alex stopped him and told him he would get it. He knew exactly where it was anyway and Jack wouldn’t be able to find it quickly since she usually folded it in some clothes since she is overprotective of it.

A few moments later, he found it wrapped in a few of her shirts and was making his way quietly back over to the beds while pressing a few buttons on the camera to turn it on. For some reason the camera had been left on to the picture of Zo and him kissing and he felt himself blush as he pressed the camera button and the screen came into focus.

Alex giggled as he took the photo and then walked around the bed to get another at a different angel. Jack was nearly in stitches on the bed and Zo was mumbling something under her breath from where she lay on the couch and he knew that she was about to wake up. Alex told Jack to shut up as he took one last picture and then made his way back over to the bed.

“What are you two doing?” Zo asked sleepily. Alex looked over and smiled as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

Jack started laughing again and then pointed to the bed next to them, “Getting some evidence of a threesome in action.”

Zo followed his gaze and started laughing as she saw the three boys lying there. “Oh my God, please tell me you took a picture.” Alex nodded and held up her camera. She got up out of her bed and sat next to him as he started to go through the pictures he had taken.

They were all laughing so hard that they ended up waking the others up. Rian was the first to notice the way they were sleeping and started swearing as he pushed Zack away from him and woke the bassist up. Flyzik must not have realized what was going on or, didn’t care because he just rolled over and told everyone to shut up as he snuggled with Rian’s pillow more.

“You drooled on me!” Zack said as Rian just glared at him. “What were you even doing cuddling with me? Do you miss Cass that much that you have to pretend I’m her. You better not have felt me up.”

“Cass is way better looking than you!” Rian snapped back as he got up and headed to the bathroom. Zack just laughed and lay back down and pulled the covers over him. “Why the hell are we even up this early?”

“Because all the idiots over there decided to start giggling like girls,” Zack muttered as he sighed and rolled over to try and fall back asleep.

Jack turned the tv on and Alex settled back and watched it since he knew that he wasn’t going to be able to fall back asleep. Zo must have figured the same thing since she settled herself down next to Alex and rest her head on his shoulder as she watched the random cartoons Jack put on.

A while later there’s a knock on the door and Rian is just getting out of the bathroom so no one had to get up and get it. Voices are heard and Alex glances up to see Vinny and Colussy walk in. It only took a few moments for Vinny to notice that Flyzik and Zack were yet again cuddling fast asleep on their bed.

“When did the bromance begin and why aren’t we taking pictures?” Vinny asked as he flopped down on the end of the bed Alex and the rest of them were still on.

“About five this morning and we already took pictures. But it was actually a threesome instead of those two.” Alex replied without taking his eyes off the tv.

“You took pictures?” Rian screeched as everyone started laughing. Alex grabbed Zo’s camera and showed them and then played a epic game of keep away while Rian tried to get the camera to delete the pictures. All while Zack and Flyzik stayed dead to the world snuggling with each other.

Colussy finally had to slap Flyzik awake because he was sleeping too long and they were going to have to leave and pack up soon. By the time Flyzik was done, the rest of the crew were stuffed in their room and all talking and hanging out at once. They left and piled back onto the bus and headed toward Maryland so they could play their last show.

Alex could tell that Zo was a little on edge. But he could understand why, it was finally the show that she was going to find out if she was going to get the job. The show that ended her shadowing and if she did get the job, she wouldn’t have Colussy to help her. Not that she wouldn’t know what to do; it was just that she would be on her own while Flyzik and all the other boys depended on her.

It was a lot for one girl to take in but Alex had confidence that she would do her job well. She was already doing her job perfectly and had a feeling that things were going to turn out just fine.