The Dilemma.

The amount I hate not being able to do anything is ridiculous. Over the past four days I’ve been out of the hospital no one has let me do anything, or hardly move off the couch. Chris is trying to make me the least amount of pissed off by constantly having coffee for me. Matt and Max are forcing me to take my medicine so I won’t kill anyone. Josh is even cooking for everyone, well his version of cooking, which is just getting food from the nearest fast food place, he can find. David and Kyle come by at least four times a day to see how I’m doing. Oli’s showered me in oversized sweatshirts, though I don’t really mind that he has some awesome fucking sweatshirts. Other Matt tries to distract me any way possible he can think of, even forced Max to do his article so I wouldn’t get off the couch. And Dan, Dan’s been escorting me, no picking me up off the couch and carrying me to the bathroom when I need to go and refusing to leave my side only for shows and sound check, which is usually when David, Kyle, Oli or Other Matt is around. Everyone gave up their bunks and have converted the front lounge in to a make shift room/prison for me. I’m never left alone, I swear to god I’m going to kill one of them. Probably Josh, just because he’s Josh. “Rae. You’ve been staring off into space for the past ten minutes while we’ve been talking to you.” Max poked the side of my head.

“Cause you’re driving me insane! And I would have committed murder by now if I was physically capable of doing so.” I glared at the lot of them.

“Rude.” Josh scoffed under his breath.

“Don’t test me Franceschi.” I picked up an empty water bottle with my good arm and threw it at him.

“You lot need to leave, time to change the bandages on her ribs.” Dan came down the stairs.

“And we’re gone upstairs now.” Chris drug the other two upstairs. Well more Josh than Max who scrambled up the stairs as fast as he could.

“Are you going to be helpful today or do I need to get Chris back down here so I can do this?” Dan sat down beside me.

“I’d be more helpful if I’d had some sort of alone time the past few days.” I shot him a glare.

“You can hardly walk, how am I supposed to know you won’t fall and get even more hurt.”

“That’s why they gave me crutches Dan. So I can get around.”

“I’ve yet to see you use them.”

“Because anytime I try to get them you carry me to where ever I wanted to go.” I stuck my tongue out at him.

“Just trying to be helpful, now off with your shirt.”

“So demanding.” I rolled my eyes and took off the sweatshirt, with of course Dan helping me. He removed the old wrap and attempted not to look at my wonderful bruises. Didn’t really work so he distracted himself by looking at the bandages as he wrapped them around my ribs. Trying not to wince when he does this is hard, I know it has to be wrapped tightly but fuck this hurts. He got it done quickly and re-did the one on my wrist, thankfully it doesn’t hurt anymore the wrap is just for safety. “I can do my ankle.” I took the bandages from his hand and did it myself with him watching me intently. “Daniel stop staring at me.”

“You’re the demanding one.”

“You’ve know this since the day we met.” I rolled my eyes at him as I felt the bus lurch to a stop. “Now I’m getting off the bus before I kill Josh.” I grabbed my shirt and put it on, putting on the shirt is always easier than taking it off.

“But you can’t.”

“I can and I will. Watch. CHRRRIIISSSSSS.” I shouted for him, and he and the others came rushing downstairs to see what I needed. “Someone hand me my crutches. I’m getting off this bus if I have to kill someone to do so.” Chris grabbed them from in front of the door and handed them to me.

“Can you even use those without hurting yourself?” Josh snickered. I know he’s trying to be funny and stuff but Jesus Christ I’m going to kill him.

“What did I say about testing me Franceschi? And yes, I’ve had to use them before so I know how to walk with crutches.” I stood up using them as a lift and started towards the door. “I swear to god if any of you follow me, I will hurt you.” Chris and Max raised their hands in surrender and the others well they just laughed at me. I rolled my eyes opened the door and worked my way down the steps and out into the parking lot. The other busses weren’t in the lot yet but I could hear them getting closer. I wandered around the edges of the parking lot watching the other buses pulling in and people filing out of them once they parked. I tried to avoid them, but they spotted me, well more heard the sound of my crutches on the pavement. When I say they I mean Kyle and David, I really wonder if those two ever leave each other’s side, they ran up to me.

“What are you doing off your couch?” David looked over at me as I tried, and failed to leave them in my dust, so I just stopped and turned myself around facing him.

“Trying not to kill people and have a bit of alone time for the first time in four days. So if you would kindly, leave me the fuck alone, I won’t beat the shit out of you with one of these things.” I waved the right crutch at him.

“Ok, well leave you be.” Kyle nodded before they left to go do whatever it is they do in their free time. I continued my pace around the parking lot and started moving in between the buses when I got to them. I could feel several sets of eyes on me every time I did so, I flipped each of them off each time I caught someone watching me. This is why I’m so angry, no alone time, people constantly watching me to make sure I’m ok and not doing badly. Yes I get that they’re concerned about me, and they’re just worried, but Jesus I don’t like having someone breathing down my neck constantly. I left the parking lot and went over to an empty field next to the venue, thank god for that place. I got directly in the middle of it and lowered myself down moving my crutches on my right side, sitting on the grass and my hair before I leaned back and laid myself out, moving my hair out from under me, closing my eyes and enjoying the sun. Hmm, I should get my hair cut, I’m tired of sitting on it, and when I go home it’s going to be hot as shit compared to here so yes hair cut soon. I got about ten good minutes of peace and quiet before I heard voices getting closer to me. Great fucking people, I opened my eyes and turned towards the voices. I saw two tiny dots of people moving towards me, getting closer. Chris and Oli, well that’s not who I expected. Well Chris yes, Oli no he normally comes in after I’ve texted him to come get Other Matt after he’s been on the bus for an hour or so, he comes in throws a sweatshirt at me and drags Matt out of the bus. The two sat on the either side of me looking down.

“Food?” Chris asked, well his voice floated from his hair.

“Can we do something else after?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Please don’t tell me it’s shopping.” Oli groaned.

“The last time she went shopping Laura and Georgie had to drag her there. So no it’s not shopping.”

“Thank god. What is it?”

“Find a place so I can get my hair cut.” I grabbed Oli’s arm and lifted myself up.

“Georgie is going to have a shit fit.” Chris laughed at me.

“After sitting on my hair for the past four days I figured it’s time to get it cut.”

“You can sit on your hair?”

“I haven’t cut it in almost a year. Yes I can sit on my hair.”

“Well enough talk about hair until we take you to get it cut. But first food.” Chris helped me up and Oli handed me my crutches. “What you aren’t gonna force me to give you a piggy back ride today?”

“I haven’t done anything on my own for the past four days. I’d like to do things on my own.” We started for the sidewalk

“Understood. So where to for food?” Oli laughed.

“Not fast food. Josh has been killing me with fast food.”

“He’s just lazy Rae.” Chris laughed.

“Lazy is an understatement when it comes to him.”

“So there work?” Oli pointed toward a diner across the street.

“Fine with me. As long as they have some sort of chocolate cake.”

“What is with you and chocolate cake?”

“Chocolate cake is fantastic. And it’s chocolate Chris, I’m a woman.”

“She has a point. I’m not gonna argue with her.” We crossed the road quickly, well as quickly as I could get across.

“No one argues with me Oli. Except for Josh, only because he enjoys pissing me off. Then I ruin him.”

“I would enjoy seeing that.” He laughed out.

“The last one was great. He thought he’d argue with her about books. She slaughtered him.” Chris opened the door and let me in first. We sat down at the booth closest to the door.

“What books?” Oli raised an eyebrow.

“Well book, it was The Catcher in the Rye.”

“Do not ask her about the details.” Chris looked over at Oli who had his mouth open.

“Okay.” He laughed as a waitress came over and took our drink orders. We got those quickly, along with our food. I got some kind of chicken thing it was pretty good. Then cake, a glorious cake.

“Is that cake good? You’ve been shoveling it in your mouth as fast as you can?” Chris raised an eyebrow at me.

“It’s fantastic. And no you can’t have any.” I pointed my fork at him before eating some more.

“I wasn’t gonna ask. I’m not stupid.” He shook his head. “So how short is your hair gonna be?”

“Little longer than my shoulders.”

“You’ll look weird.”

“Thanks Oli.” I rolled my eyes and finished up my cake.

“Just being honest. It’ll be weird actually seeing the ends of your hair.”

“You’re the weird looking one.” I set money on the tray for my food leaving a decent tip for the waitress, though the staring from her station was a bit weird she did a decent job..

“I am not weird looking.”

“You have bug eyes.” I pulled myself up using my crutches while they stood up.

“I do not.” He looked offended.

“Compared to her, you do kinda have bug eyes.” Chris laughed at him.

“You two are mean.” He huffed and opened the door for us.

“Just being honest.” I shrugged and went out the door.

“Anyways, before we hurt his feelings let’s find a salon.” Chris shook his head at the pouting Oli.

“Thank you.”

“So, when are you going to do your article Chris?”

“After the show tomorrow, and I’m just going to email it to Catherine so you don’t have to.” He smiled at me while we moved along the sidewalk.

“Fantastic, I’ll let her know.”

“There’s a place like a 5 minute walk from here.” Oli looked up from his phone.

“Awesome. But it might take longer than five minutes to get there.” Chris attempted to point discretely at me, but got caught.

“Oi motherfucker. I’m keeping up with the two of you aren’t I?”

“Okay five minutes it is.” And true to his word we got to the salon that Oli mentioned in five minutes, with little incident. Thank god. We went in and waited around for the receptionist to get off the phone, she did acknowledge us though.

“How can I help you?” The lady asked.

“She needs a hair cut.” Oli pointed at me.

“I may be injured but I’m not mute.” I looked at him.

“Sorry.”

“Excuse them. They can’t behave in public,” Chris smiled at the woman.

“It’s fine, we have a stylist free now if you just follow me. You two can sit there while you wait.” She pointed at chairs before I followed her to the back of the place to an empty chair. “Do you need me to set these somewhere?” She looked at my crutches I had set on my feet.

“No, I’m fine with them there.” I smiled at her.

“I’ll be back with Carey your stylist.” She disappeared for a minute or and came back with a petite woman who stood behind the chair. “I’ll leave you two.”

“Make sure the two I came with are behaving.” She nodded and went back to the desk.

“So, what do you want done with this hair of yours. And might I say that I haven’t seen someone with this long of hair in a while.” She ran her fingers through my hair.

“I just want it cut, being on crutches and surrounded by people who hardly let me do anything or move off the couch I’ve grown tired of sitting on it.” Casey laughed.

“Ah. About how much of a change do you want?”

“I want it still long enough to put up. So about just below my collarbone.”

“Alright. Anything else?”

“Not really, this must seem really boring now talking about it.”

“It’s the first simple cut I’ve done all week. It’s a nice change.” She smiled at me and went to brushing out my hair so she could start cutting it. “It’s so long.”

“I hear that a lot. Mainly when my friends want force me to go out with them and do my hair.”

“Oh fun.” We chatted through out the whole haircut, she turned out to be really nice. I got her number for anytime we were back in the area and I needed anything. I lifted my crutches up and used them to lift myself out of the seat and turn towards the mirror it came to right at my collarbones,
“I love it!” I gave her a quick hug and paid for it before I worked my way up to the front of the place and the guys.

“Holy shit Rae. You hair is so short.” Chris gaped at me.

“Wow thanks.”

“It looks great but it’s so different.” Oli laughed. “Now let’s get back, Dan is blowing up our phones wondering where you’re at.”

“He’s even called me three times.”

“Alright let’s go.” We headed back to the buses.

“People are going to freak out.” Chris looked at me.

“Yes, but they’ll get over it.”

“I bet Dan’s going to flip his shit.” Oli threw in.

“I look forward to it.” Chris laughed. We spent most of the walk back talking about various peoples reactions and a few bets on who was gonna freak out the most, I had a tenner on Max, Oli had ten on Dan, Chris said Georgie. He’ll most likely win; she really is going to flip her shit. We got back to the field next to the venue.

“You two go on. Gonna stay out here for a while.”

“Alright, I’ll calm the masses. Enjoy your piece and quiet. I’m not promising Dan won’t come find you.”

“Figured he would anyways if you told him not to.” I shrugged and lowered myself down.

“See you later.” Oli waved as he and Chris went back towards the buses. I leaned back and shut my eyes enjoying what sun I got, damn English weather, only thing I miss about home really long periods of sunlight. Warmth. Yes, warmth being able to wear shorts all the time. So much rain here. I’ll deal with it though. Only three more weeks until then, and I get to take Dan with me that’s going to be fun. Just us in the house for at least a week, and I’ll be all healed up by then. Gods that’s going to be fantastic, no crutches, no evil wraps, doing things on my own with out people hovering over me constantly.

“What are you doing out here by yourself?” Dan sat down beside me.

“Ignoring the existence of everyone.” I kept my eyes closed.

“You gonna open your eyes?” He poked me.

“Nope. Part of the whole ignoring the existence of everyone thing.”

“Lean up and look at me.”

“Ugh fine.” I opened my eyes and leaned up off the ground.

“HOLY SHIT RAE YOUR HAIR!!!!!” He gaped at me.

“Yeah, so?” I raised an eyebrow.

“It’s gone!” He ran his hands through it now.

“I know. I like it, no more sitting on my hair.”

“It looks nice.” He pulled me into a hug. “Chris has convinced everyone to move back into their bunks, and the front lounge is no longer as you call it your prison.”

“Thank god!! Though I assume your only ok with this if we sleep in your bunk not mine.” I looked up at him.

“You know me so well.” He poked my nose before kissing me. When he pulled away he rested his forehead against mine. “I love you.”

“Love you too, now let’s go to the bus before the others decide to be nose and ignore Chris telling them not to come look for me.”

He handed me my crutches after helping me up. “Come on.” We headed back to the bus for a while until the show.