Take Your Time

Houston, TX
January 17th, 2012

It was another show on the Everything’s Fine Symphony Soldier tour, no doubt about it, the crowd chanting The Cab and The Summer Set’s name and the ornaments gave it all away. It was a really unfamiliar venue, though, she was sure she had never been there before.

Addie found herself standing at the center of the stage, though, dressed in a pair of skinny jeans and a The Cab T-shirt. Why she was there, she didn’t know. The crowd didn’t stop, but she heard something out of place. Someone called her name.

She saw her brother, holding her camera. That was when she realized she didn’t have her camera around her neck. He seemed angry, but the crowd was too loud, she couldn’t hear what he was mad about. She didn’t need to hear what he was screaming though, it was apparent what he was angry about when he crushed the camera.

“Failure.” Was the only thing she heard, and the word echoed in her head until everything-

“Addie!”

“Ahhhhhh!!!” She screamed, she jumped in her seat in surprise and accidentally hit the person who woke her up. She rubbed her forehead and noticed that it was no other than Dan, “Why are you in my room?”

“You’re in my van.”

She was about to deny his statement when she noticed that she was –in fact—in his van, sitting shotgun to be more precise. She must’ve fallen asleep on their way to Houston. She could only say, “Oh,” in reply.

“Walk away from the beautiful sleeping girl sitting shot gun!” They heard. They turned their heads to see Joey and Dave with nerf guns, and it sounded like Dave was the one who said it.

When the two ‘men’ holding nerf guns saw it was Dan, they lowered their gun. Joey looked almost disappointed, which kind of confused Addie a little. “Oh.” Yeah, that’s the sound of disappointment alright. “We all heard your scream, what happened?”

“Nothing,” The two photographers said at the same time.

“Really now?” Joey raised an eyebrow.

“What did you expect, man?” Dan asked back.

Dave answered for his friend. “As Addie’s sworn protectors-“

Hearing this, Addie looked up. “My what?” She asked. She didn’t feel like talking to them after the horrible nightmare, of course, she just wanted to be left alone if she had to be honest. But hey, it was getting a little weird.

“Ma-“

Dave’s glare stopped Joey from completing his sentence...or even his first word. Addie didn’t like that, but she was in no mood to deal with it. She wished she could just tell them to get lost, really. She only let out a sigh and closed her eyes.

She didn’t know if Dan told the two The Cab members to disappear or if they took the hint, but when she opened her eyes, she only saw her mentor. “You...,” Dan scratched the back of his head, he looked like he was struggling to find the right words. “Did you have a nightmare?” He sure sounded like he was trying hard not to sound like he was talking to a seven year old.
What kind of twenty year old young woman would have a nightmare anyway?

Oh wait, she’s got just the answer. The kind with an overprotective mother who thinks she was a failure and would go as far as destroying her career just to ‘put her back on the right path’.
Right.

“I’m fine,” she simply answered. “Are we in Houston yet?” the short young woman changed the topic.

Dan resisted the urge to ask her further about how he trashed around in her sleep and decided to drop the topic before nodding. “That’s why I woke you up, we’re checking in.”

“Come on, then,” she said and then she got out of the van, grabbing her backpack with clothes for the night they’d be staying. She packs the bag everyday, because it was much more convenient than bringing your suitcase everywhere.

After talking to Sinclair and looking at the room arrangements, she found herself roomed with Jess again. Well, who else? The others are all guys and she’d rather die than sleep in the same room with them. Sure, they’re nice, and they won’t hurt her...or at least when they’re sober they won’t.

God, she sure hated being a pessimist.

They had three hours before they have to go to the venue, and for the first hour, all Addie did was lie down on her bed, staring at the ceiling as if it could make her feel better. Jess was gone with Singer, she wasn’t sure where, that was all she knew. She didn’t realize how fast time had passed until she looked at the clock on the bedside table.

She involuntarily sat up and took her camera from the bedside table, putting it around her neck. She stood up and took her wallet next, she also made sure her phone was still in her pocket. It was twelve, and God knows she needed food.

She set out to the restaurant, hoping that she wouldn’t meet someone she knew there. But as she made her way across the lobby, Dan found her. “Adds, over here,” he called. She turned her head to the source of the voice, and saw him with Frank and Cameron along with Sam and Cole from Paradise Fears, sitting on some couches.

She didn’t do anything but run out of the hotel.

-

She was exhausted when she reached Starbucks, she was never good at sports. She tried to catch her breath as she made her way to the counter. “Hot chocolate please.”

The barista was probably around sixteen, he looked young. There was a grin on his face and all, Addie didn’t like that very much. “And what’s the name of the lovely young lady who ordered hot chocolate?”

“Addie,” she answered quickly. She payed for her drink and took a seat at one of the tables, only to be called about five seconds later. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she stood up to take her drink, flipping the bartender off when he gave her a napkin with his number.

She was not in a good mood.

She took her previous spot again, and she took a small sip of her drink. She thought back to her dream and felt a chill running down her spine.

She was a failure.

Honestly, she never liked that word, and she never will, especially if it was used to describe her because she knew she wasn’t.

Well at least she believed she wasn’t.

It was just a dream for God’s sake.

She sure wished that she was over 21, then she’d be able to drown her sorrows in bottles and bottles of beer and whiskey. She never tried getting drunk, she thought it was irresponsible and dangerous, and it’s not good for her health either.

She put down her paper cup when she saw who walked through the doors. It was Marshall with Jess and Singer, and she really didn’t want them to see her.

She acted normally as she watched them walk over to the counter. She relaxed in her seat, because they didn’t seem to notice her. But then Marshall looked around for a table, and his eyes caught hers.

A smile made its way to his lips and he walked over to her. “Adds, we didn’t see you there, why are you all alone?” He asked using one of the friendliest tones she has ever heard.

She really wanted to tell them to fuck off. Behave, she reminded herself. “I couldn’t find anyone,” she lied. She found Dan, she found Frank and Cameron and Sam and Cole, but she ran away from them. Hell, she’d run if it wasn’t for the fact that Jess, Marshall, and Singer were too close to her and if she did try to run, Marshall could easily reach for her.

Damn.

“Really? I saw Dan-“

“I couldn’t find anyone,” she repeated, her tone a little firmer.

Marshall seemed like he was a little surprised by her tone, but he managed to keep the smile on his face. He glanced at Singer and Jess, but none of them seemed to notice. He grinned and told them his order before taking a seat across from Addie. “Why did you avoid them?”

“I don’t want to talk.”

“You just did.”

She rolled her eyes as she took another sip of her drink. Marshall chuckled a little, ridiculed by how she was acting. “What’s wrong?” He asked, his tone was serious and so was his expression.
She chose not to answer, it would make her sound like some whiny little girl. It was just a stupid dream, it shouldn’t even make her act like this, but it did. Okay, she hated how much this was bothering her, and she hated the fact that people were starting to notice even more.

“Adds...” Marshall started, but he didn’t get the chance to finish his sentence because Singer and Jess came with their drinks, along with his.

“Addie! I didn’t expect to see you here, you looked pretty tired when I left our room,” Jess took a seat beside her roommate.

Addie forced a small smile. “I thought I’d get something to eat or drink,” she answered the drummer.

“Have you eaten yet?” asked Singer. She shook her head in response. “I don’t think you should drink coffee when you haven’t eaten lunch yet, Marshall’s worried about you because he knows you didn’t eat dinner last night.”

The photographer raised her eyebrows at the pianist, but he only shrugged. “It’s hot chocolate and I bought a burger at the rest stop this morning,” she said, trying to convince them that she’s fine.

Why would Marshall be worried though?

“How can you not eat like that?” Singer asked her with frown, ironically while he was chewing his chocolate muffin. Really, if she wasn’t in a bad mood, she would’ve at least a small laugh.
Jess rolled her eyes. “Men,” she said.

Marshall snorted a laugh. “Said Jess,” he said with a chuckle.

After thinking about numerous excuses, Addie looked at her watch and stood up. “Actually, I have something to do,” she said and didn’t wait for a response before leaving the three. She needed a time alone, dammit.

She walked to the pool in the hotel, expecting it to be empty. When she got there, though, she found Stephen and Godsey messing around together, laughing loudly. She wasn’t sure about what they were doing, but they looked like they were having fun.

You’d expect her to leave and go back to her room, but instead she took out her camera and started snapping pictures. Godsey and Stephen were so absorbed in their activity, whatever they were doing, they didn’t hear the sound of her camera, and she was glad they didn’t.

Everyone’s so close to each other, and she knew Godsey and Stephen has been best friends since they were in high school, Dan told her that. She wished she had a best friend like that, Mia’s not even close to that.

She could see how close they are with her own eyes, but the bond between them were more apparent through her lenses. In photos, she could analyze every gesture, how they look at each other, and the sound of their laughs as she took the pictures made it really easy for her to see the bond.

If she had a friend like that she wouldn’t be brooding right now, she’d be telling that friend about her nightmare, how worthless she felt, how she was such a failure...
In the end, Stephen and Godsey both fell into the pool, and she couldn’t help but laugh at them, she forgot she was undercover. She immediately ran inside, hoping they didn’t notice she was there.

As she ran, she bumped into Dan, just her luck. “Adds, what’s wrong? Why are you running?” He held her shoulders to keep her from running away from him again.

“Godsey and Stephen fell into the pool, FYI,” she answered. This time, she also let out a little laugh, she couldn’t help it. “They’re wet.”

Dan grinned. “That’s what she said,” he said, he was so happy that she looked like she was feeling so much better than earlier. “We’re leaving in twenty minutes, are you ready?”

“Yeah, of course,” she answered.