Nicotine and Faded Dreams

A little over a week had passed since Las Vegas and we had made our way through 5 shows in California and one in Arizona, our next stop was Las Cruces, New Mexico. Travis and I had become even better friends since my whole “Leila’s a failure as a musician” story that day in Las Vegas. The shows had been going smoothly so far, I watched a few of We the Kings sets but made sure to always check with Scooter before going so I wouldn’t be abandoning him when he needed help. I had gotten to know the rest of the band pretty well too. I kind of felt like their little sister at times since they always seemed to be overprotective of me when I wanted to go off on my own or when I wanted to go in the pit for one of their sets instead of on the side of the stage. It was nice to have someone care, I couldn’t ask for better friends.

I sat on the couch in the back lounge, half watching as Danny and Travis played Call of Duty, and half trying to keep track of how much merch we had been selling on my laptop. After finally finishing my work I shut my laptop and let out a sigh of relief.

Minutes later the bus halted to a stop. We had arrived. After the now familiar routine of setting up the merch table and tent, I sat down and took a deep breath. I was tired and it was only 10AM. Once the gates opened it was pandemonium as usual. People were running in all sorts of different directions. Our very first customer of the day was a girl that looked to be around my age, which is 25, with short dark black hair and a matching pink tank top and shorts, which I found incredibly weird looking. She walked straight to the tent and as Scooter and I started to say Hi, she interrupted us and demanded to try on shirts. She couldn’t figure out what size shirt she was and kept trying on different sizes and styles for at least 20 minutes before finally picking a shirt. She then decided to start asking questions.

“Umm like do you know where the band is?” She asked annoyingly.

I didn’t get visibly worked up easily and I answered in a calm polite voice, “They’re getting ready for their meet and great at 2 so you can catch them back here then. They’re set today is at 4 on the main stage.”

She became impatient at my answer, “But where are they right now, I want to see them.”
I replied calmly once more, “Well you’ll have to wait until the meet and great, only a few more hours. Sorry.”

At this the girl huffed, turned on her heel, and left. Scooter and I shared a look and I laughed as I helped more fans with their merch purchases.

When 2pm rolled around, a line had formed at the merch table, which now had 5 chairs set up at it for the guys to sit at. I looked down the line at the excited, smiling faces and saw that about half-way down the line was the obnoxious dark haired girl from earlier. This wouldn’t end well, I just knew it.

When the guys came into the tent a roar of cheers was emitted by the crowd of people. I held up my hand as the guys came by and was high fived enthusiastically by everyone, except Travis, who pretended he was going to high-five me but then picked me up instead so my feet were off the ground and spun me in a circle while hugging me. The crowd of people, and myself, began to laugh as he let me return to the ground and he took his seat at the table.

I watched as excited fans met them, took pictures with them, and had them sign things. Some girls asked Travis to sign their wrists which they swore they would get tattooed on the next day. I loved the idea. The guys received food, stuffed animals, gift cards, and homemade things from all different fans. They loved every second of it.

Soon enough, the girl I had the displeasure of meeting earlier was now waiting to meet the guys next. I was standing towards the back of the tent on Travis’s side, just sipping on a soda, as she entered the tent. I watched as she skipped Coley, Danny, Hunter, and Charles. She ran directly to Travis and as he went to say Hi she grabbed his face and kissed him directly on the lips. I nearly spit my soda everywhere and coughed loudly as it went down the wrong pipe. The rest of the guy’s eyes went wide as they watched. Travis pushed her back lightly, “Hey slow down there, we only just met.”

He laughed it off, but I could tell he was freaked out.

“Oh my gosh Travis come on, we’re perfect for each other.” The girls stated as she kept trying to go back in for another kiss.

“Alright now, it’s time for you to have something signed and go, there’s more people waiting,” Scooter intervened politely.

After getting an autograph and a picture with an extremely uncomfortable Travis, she went to leave, Scooter showing her the way out, but at the last minute she turned back around, “It’s because of that slut isn’t it, I can tell,” she said while pointing at me.

I shook my head confused, “I’m sorry, what?” I was going to start laughing but before I knew what was happening, the girl had ran over to me and punched me in the face. She was gone before anybody could react.

I stood there, holding my hand against my throbbing eye, in complete shock. At the same time I was oddly amused. I couldn’t believe people like that existed. Once what had happened registered, Travis was the first to jump up.

“Leila are you ok, Let me see it. Oh my god, what the hell” he was completely panicked.
I showed him my eye which I felt was beginning to swell a little, the pain wasn’t that bad though, I’d definitely had worse. I put both my hands on his shoulders like he had done to me the time he told me we needed to eat at Chipotle, “Hey, relax I’m fine. It doesn’t hurt that bad.”

I was now surrounded by the rest of the guys, all asking if I was ok. They sat me down on a seat and were all inspecting my eye closely. Travis looked completely worried still and was holding my hand.

I interrupted everyone’s constant talking with a loud stern voice, “Everyone listen,” they all stopped talking and looked at me, “I am fine, do you all understand? I just need some ice. Your fans are waiting for you. Please, please, please don’t worry about me and just meet them!”

I looked at the fans who all seemed to be in shock, “Hey guys, I’m fine,” I said to the very confused looking fans, “If you guys promise not to punch me or anybody else, do the rest of you want to meet the band?” The line of people replied with laughter, a loud Yes, and cheering.

“Ya see,” I said turning back to face the guys, “Your non-crazy fans await you.” The guys chuckled and began to sit back down, high-fiving me again before they did so. All except Travis who still held onto my hand.

“Trav, I’m honestly fine.” He brushed his fingers lightly against my eye, the pain was definitely going away. “I promise, it wasn’t a very good punch.”

“Yeah but that shouldn’t have happened, I should have been watching…” Travis looked so conflicted that I just had to interrupt him.

“Travis Randall Clark stop,” I said while getting out of my seat and pushing Travis into the seat instead, “Sit…stay,” I said to a now slightly smirking Travis, “Now I’m gonna find some ice, be a good boy while I’m gone.” I patted him on his messed up head of red hair that I loved so much and started to walk away to find some ice.

“Scooter…” Travis began.

“I’m on it,” Scooter finished without Travis even having to finish his sentence. I looked back to see a relieved look on Travis’s face as Scooter began to walk with me to find some ice. By the time we found some and headed back to the tent, the line had disappeared and the band was gone, all except for Travis, who was waiting in the back of the tent with his hoodie and sunglasses on again so he wasn’t noticed.

“Hey. How are you? Are you alright?” He asked, once again worried.

“Perfectly fine Trav.”

He sighed and Scooter reminded him that their set was soon.

“Will you come watch us?” He asked simply.

I looked at Scooter who immediately nodded his head yes and smiled.

I followed the still hooded Travis to the back of the stage, where the rest of the band was waiting worriedly.

“Travis, come on, we gotta go on, like right now.” Danny said, twirling his drum sticks in his hands and beginning to run on stage.

“Go.” I said encouragingly.

Travis gave me a long hug and then kissed me on the forehead before running on stage.

I immediately got butterflies in my stomach and smiled as soon as Travis’s lips touched my forehead.

I brought my hand to the place where Travis’s lips had just left and smiled again, until I realized what I was doing, and how exactly I was feeling.

Ugh oh.