Take Your Time

January 10th, 2012
San Fransisco, CA

It was supposed to be a good day. The first day of Everything’s Fine Symphony Soldier tour, the supposedly best tour that will ever happen in the history of tours, but one young woman was unhappy about it, so unhappy that she might start running away when she was supposed to be taking pictures.

The young woman was Adeline Darrell Shirley and she was an intern in Motion Army, which explained Dan Fusselman’s decision to bring her along.

But it did not explain the fact that she was screaming as he dragged her backstage.
“No! Dan I don’t want to be here! I can’t do this, let me go!” Addie trashed around in Dan’s grip, though it was useless.

Dan shook his head, “Addie, you must get out there and have a life! No offense but you don’t interact with other people much and that’s not good. You’re twenty, live life,” He told before stopping, “We’re here.”

It took Addie a few seconds to register what he meant by ‘we’re here’. They were standing in a room filled with about ten people, possibly more. She didn’t meet their stares before hiding behind Dan’s body, too shy and embarrassed to say anything.

She could hear Dan sigh and cowered further behind him, “What’s up guys?” He greeted the group. Silence followed his words, making the situation a little more awkward than it already was.

Addie peeked from behind Dan and saw one man speaking up. He had dark hair and was quite tall, in fact everyone in the room was tall except for her thanks to her 5’2” figure. “Did you kidnap that girl?” He was in a T-shirt and jeans, his hair was short unlike the other dark haired person in the room. He had olive skin and had a certain expression on his face that looked mischieveous at the least.

“He did,” She mumbled, thinking that no one could hear her. But a man with messy dark hair and a sleepy look on his face raised an eyebrow at her words. Realizing this, she hid herself again.

“No, she’s my intern,” Dan pulled Addie so she was standing in front of him. He put his hands on her shoulders to keep her from moving, “This is Addie Shirley, I didn’t kidnap her but she wouldn’t socialize if I don’t introduce her to everyone.”

A series of ‘hi’s and ‘what’s up’ filled the room, all directed to her. She uncomfortably backed away, hitting Dan. Addie just didn’t know what to do, she put her hands in the pockets of her jacket, trying to find some way to make her feel not out of place.

Everyone got back to their conversations and she felt relieved. She glared at Dan but he just shrugged in response. However, he got himself involved in a conversation with some guy with red hair so she really had no choice but to shut up.

“I’m Brian, from The Summer Set,” A man introduced himself, “That’s Josh but you can call him Jobe, Stephen, Jess, John, Singer, Godsey, Marshall, Joey, Frank, Dave,” He introduced everyone else. He had curly hair and a voice Addie would love to never hear, there was something in it that made her feel annoyed at the least bit.

She didn’t say anything, she just gave him a small smile before reaching for Dan’s hand. The reason why she was scared? In her head people who are in a band are usually jerks. They live off sex and alcohol, not to mention irresponsible. Even if there was a girl, like the one with the straight dark hair in the room, she must be a bitch with a diva personality. It was one of the reasons why she didn’t want to follow Dan in the first place.

Brian looked at her in confusion, “Did I do something wrong?” He asked her, only to get a shake of her head as a response. Never had he gotten such a negative response from a girl, and that’s saying something, he wasn’t even sure if it was negative in an ‘I hate you’ way or if she just wasn’t interested.

She looked at Dan for help but he didn’t notice. She sighed before sitting on one of the couches, making herself comfortable as other people talked to each other. The one named Josh approached her and she looked up from her lap as he got closer, “Call me Josh, what’s a pretty girl doing as Dan’s intern?”

Addie flushed, “He’s inspirational,” She answered quietly, before turning on her camera and change the settings, ignoring the bassist who was sitting next to her. She was hoping if she ignored him he’d leave, but he just sat there, staring at her like she was something interesting. “I’m sorry, is there something wrong?” She politely asked, looking up from her camera.

“You’re too beautiful to be a photographer, you should be a model,” He pointed out, still trying to flirt with her. He had that certain glint in his eyes that told him he won’t leave her alone.

“I’m five foot two,” She replied with an are-you-kidding-me look, though her tone was flat. She couldn’t feel anymore insulted, never in her life had she received such a comment about her height.

The bassist froze, “I did not notice that,” He said. She just gave him a small smile before setting her camera again for the show. It took her about ten minutes to notice that he had left already, and she felt a little guilty. She didn’t mean to come off as rude, she just wasn’t good with new people.

“What did you do to Josh?” The guy earlier said, the one that asked Dan if he kidnapped her. His name was John, if she wasn’t mistaken. In all honesty, he looked more threatening than Josh.

Let me elaborate.

Five years ago, before her parents divorce, her mother said something that she’d never forget, and she never did. Guys in bands are just a waste of your time, they live off alcohol, they take drugs and they would do anything for sex. She had never been so afraid of rock stars, including her father, since then.

She snuggled further in the couch, “It was nothing,” She said quietly, turning off her camera before looking at him closely, anticipating his every move. The look in her eyes probably gave it away, but she tried not to look so obvious, unfortunately she failed at it.

She looked at him as he tilted his head to the side a little, still observing her as if she was some kind of weirdo. “You don’t look so good, are you sick?” He asked in concern, leaning towards her. She snuggled further into the couch away from him, “You are, aren’t you?” She shook her head in response.

However, he didn’t seem to listen because the next second, he was looking for Dan. “Marsh, have you seen Dan?” He asked to a man she assumed was called Marshall. It surprised her how much he actually cared about her, he didn’t even know her.

“No, he was taking care of some technical things,” Answered Marshall, motioning to the door leading to the side of the stage, “What’s wrong, man?”

“Addie’s sick,” John answered, glancing at Addie.

“I’m not sick,” The photographer muttered.

“That’s what they always say.”

Addie sighed, “I’m perfectly fine,” She said in a pretty loud voice, it was loud enough for John and Marshall to understand that she was serious, but wasn’t loud enough for everyone to shut up.

“The girl’s fine,” Marshall said before sitting where John was. “I’m Marshall,” He introduced himself, offering a handshake. But that hand was never shook, instead Addie just stared at him, “You don’t really talk much, do you?” He asked. She just shook her head in response, trying to prove a point.

“You don’t look like you’re fine,” John said again, this time looking at her with a serious stare, “Are you afraid of us?” He asked after a few seconds of silence. Addie stared at him, why was it so easy for him to read her?

“I’m not,” She mumbled.

“Yes you are, or you wouldn’t be mumbling right now,” John pointed out with a winning smile. “C’mon, what’s wrong with us? Why are you afraid of us? We’re just a bunch of normal guys living our dreams... are we too loud?” He asked her, he was quite fast at talking, it confused her a little.

Marshall raised his eyebrows, “That’s ridiculous! Why would someone be afraid of us? She’s not afraid of Dan and he’s bigger than us,” He tried to prove a point.

“Well, she just met us and Josh suddenly flirted with her. I don’t think she’s like us, Marsh, she’s so silent and things,” The guitarist of The Summer Set said.

Addie felt uncomfortable that they talked about her like she wasn’t there, but she couldn’t say anything. She was afraid they’d be mad at her if she jumped into the conversation, she didn’t even know how to join it. So instead she just listened as words were exchanged between them, arguing whether or not she was afraid of them.

It was stupid.

Just like how she thought rockstars supposed to be.

“Addie,” Marshall’s voice surprised her. She looked up from her lap but instantly looked down again after meeting his eyes, “Are you afraid of us? Honestly?” He asked him, hopeful that she’d say no.

She bit her bottom lip, should she tell them the truth? She wasn’t quite sure, not when they were practically arguing about her when she was right there. “My mom once told me rockstars are bad people,” She answered honestly, her voice could barely be heard by them, especially in the crowded room.

Marshall laughed, she couldn’t be serious could she? But when when he noticed her expression was one of embarrassment, he realized she was serious. He stopped laughing, “Seriously?” He asked, tilting his head to the side slightly, “But we’re not even rockstars,” He
frowned.

Addie raised an eyebrow at them, she couldn’t quite understand. “You play music for a living, you go on tours...” She trailed off, trying to find more reasons why they’re rockstars.

“Yeah, with that definition even Lady Gaga’s considered a rockstar,” John sarcastically pointed out. Addie thought he had a point, but what else could she describe them as? “Our genre is not even rock, we’re not Foo Fighters, The Summer Set is a powerpop band,” He said and caught a certain expression on her face, “But that doesn’t mean the members of Foo Fighters are dangerous, they’re cool.”

“You’ve met them?” Addie asked. Despite the fact that she thought rock stars are dangerous, that doesn’t mean it clouded her judgment of good music. Being in the same room as the members of Foo Fighters must be amazing!

“No, he hasn’t,” Marshall looked at John, “You haven’t have you?” He asked him.

John shook his head, “Pfft, I wish,” He asnwered before being lost in thought for a few moments, “Must be awesome,” He mumbled. Addie could only assume he was imagining what it’d be like meeting Foo Fighters.

Realizing that neither John nor Addie will say something, Marshall decided to break the silence, “The point is, rockstars are not dangerous, and we’re not rockstars. I’m from The Cab and I really think our genre’s pop,” He pointed out.

“So,” John changed the topic, “What kind of music do you like?” He had a smile on his face and he looked quite excited. In all honesty, he looked like a kid, it was adorable.

“Umm...” She tried to think of the bands in her iPod, “Well, Foo Fighters, Linkin Park, Blink-182...” She trailed off, “What’s his name? Ryan Adams?” She asked to no one in particular.

“Did someone say Ryan Adams?” Addie heard someone said. Marshall, John, and herself turned their heads to the source of the voice. It was the man earlier, the one who raised an eyebrow at her when she said she was kidnapped. It seemed like he had a good ear since he was across the room from them.

“Addie did,” Marshall answered.

John frowned, “How did you hear her anyway?” He asked. His brother could be so not normal sometimes, in a good way.

The man, Stephen, just shrugged, “I have a Ryan Adams radar,” He answered before he looked at Addie, “Hi Addie,” He waved at her, “It’s nice to know another Ryan Adams fan is on tour.”

She stared at him weirdly for a few seconds. Still though, she waved awkwardly in return, “Hi,” Her voice could barely be hard that he could only read the movements of her lips.

He nodded before going back to his conversation with Godsey. Addie was confused so she just leaned back on the couch as Marshall and John stared at her. After a few seconds, she finally spoke up? “Um... did I do something wrong?”

“Let’s get mass lunch,” Jess said and that took everyone’s attention, who doesn’t want to get lunch?

“Are you coming, Adds?” Asked Marshall.

Addie shook her head, “I’ll be fine,” She politely declined.