On Your Side

Sarah spent the next day ignoring everyone until she had to get The Maine on stage at 9.30.

“Can you get to the stage please, you’re on in 3 minutes.” She said, completely monotone walking into the dressing room, not looking at any of them.

Jared gasped “SHE SPEAKS”

“Shut up, just get there now.”

“Cranky.” Kennedy muttered standing from the sofa.

“Dude.” John said, looking disgusted with Kennedy‘s attitude.

“Sorry.” He said, carrying his guitar and brushing past her.

John draped his arm over her shoulder “C’mon you, smile.”

She gave him a half hearted, slight lip turn. John sighed “it’s better than nothing.”

After the band ran out onto the sage, Sarah sat on top of the large guitar box, once again ignoring the world around her.

“’sup with you?” snapped her out of her trance

she glanced at Nick but didn’t reply.

“You’ve been weird all day, talk to me.”

“I don’t want to talk to anyone right now.”

“definitely not like you.” he sighed “Eric told me you and Joel broke up?”

She nodded.

He patted her leg “I’m here, if you need to talk or anything you know, as a friend.”

She half smiled “Thanks.” then added “‘anything’, you say?”

“Anything.” he confirmed

“You could fetch me a beer from the bar?”

He stood up with a laugh “I’ll be back.”

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The guys had finished their set and were back on the bus after Jess had taken over as Sarah was still knocking back drinks with Nick. Noone really cared though, they were just happy she wasn’t sulking anymore.

Though only tipsy, she’d got to the point where she didn’t really think through what she was saying, before she had already said it. “It’s funny, Santino, because you’ve been on my mind all tour and Joel only has been when he’s been right there with me, y’know?”

Nick dropped his hand to the table “huh?”
“What?” she said, as if she’d never said anything

“You said you think about me?”

“I did?”

He stood up then bent down to level with her, “stop fucking with my mind, dammit.” he smacked his hand on the table before heading for the door. “Bye.” he said simply to noone in particular.

Everyone looked over at her as she dropped her face into her hands “seriously, why the fuck did I say that?”

Jess rolled her eyes “time for bed.” she linked her arm with her best friends and lead her to her bunk “Sarah, tomorrow needs to be different, ok? You’re working, don’t let guys jeopardise your career.”

“I fucked up, didn’t I?”

“Forget it, when you wake up tomorrow, all of this never happened.” Jess smiled

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You know that feeling when you wake up with a hang over and you blame it on the blinding light bursting into your room? The light has nothing to do with it, it’s just the hangover.
So maybe Sarah was more drunk than she wanted to remember last night because even in the darkness of the near pitch black bunk, her head was pounding. All she could hear was the light snores from surrounding bunks, she know everyone else was still asleep so she couldn’t blame them for a. her headache b. waking her.

Sitting up she found a pills for her head and a bottle of water at her feet. She laughed, as she took the pills she thought about the first day of tour when Garrett woke her up pretending to be Darth Vader and the bump on her head.

After a while she heard someone walk through to the front lounge, so Sarah got up too.

“You wanna talk about last night?” Jared asked, rubbing his eyes.

She smiled, remembering what Jess had said “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Whatever, but can you and Joel try to be civil because this whole you ignoring him, him begging for your attention thing is kinda awkward.”

The smile dropped and she sighed “he cheated on me, Jared, no I’m not going to be nice to him.”

“I didn’t know.” he paused “Sorry.”

“Yeah well, don’t moan at me about things that don’t concern you.”

She headed for the door, she’d find breakfast away from the bus if she had to pretend everything was ok.

“Hey! How’re you?” Eric smiled as she almost walked into him getting off the bus.

She glanced at him “I’m fine.” she muttered before heading off down the main street away from tonight’s venue.

She eventually stumbled upon a quiet Starbucks, smiling inwardly she walked in, instantly hit my the strong aroma of coffee.
“Hey! What can I getya?” the bubbly brunette behind the counter asked.

You know that thing when people say something along the line of “one smile could make a strangers day.” in this case it was true, Sarah knew this girl had to be friendly as part of her job but she didn’t act that way, she knew back home the barista would fake a smile while judging her for being stood there in her pyjamas.

“Could I get a black coffee and a ugh,” she looked at the food “bagel, please. To go.” she returned the smile as the girl put her order into the register, just as Sarah’s phone started pinging signalling today’s fangirls arrival at the venue and finding the bus.

“Sure can. Find a table, someone will bring it over.”

“Thanks.” She found a seat in the window and pulled out the phone and resting it on the table. She put it on vibrate so the noise wouldn’t annoy the few other customers in there.

“Someone’s popular!” the same girl laughed bringing over her order.

She glanced at her phone “Yeah, unfortunately. I’m on tour at the moment and I have the bands twitter account connected to my phone.”

“Tour? Are you in a band?”

“No, I’m tour managing.” She smiled, thinking how weird it was that she could finally say that.

“Awesome! What band? Sorry, I hope you don’t mind my questions.”

“Not at all, it’s fine. I‘m with The Maine.”

“You’re kidding? You know The Maine?” The girl gasped

Sarah laughed “Grew up with ‘em.”

“That’s insane! Wow, the tours with A Rocket To The Moon and This Century, right?”

She nodded, breaking a piece off the bagel and popping it her mouth.

“I love all three bands. You’re so lucky!”

“Are you coming tonight?”

The girl shook her head “couldn’t get tickets.”

“You’re coming now, I’ll get you on the guestlist.”

“Oh my god!” She shrieked “Seriously?”

“Seriously. What‘s your name?”

The girl smiled “Katy, Katy Jones.”

Sarah wrote the name on a napkin and folded it under her phone “well Katy Jones, bring a plus one and I’ll see you tonight, drop me a tweet when you’re near and I’ll come to find you.” she wrote her twitter username on a torn bit of the napkin and handed over.

“You’re amazing!”

Sarah laughed “thanks, I guess. I better head back to the bus, they’ll all be waking up soon. I’ll see you later.”

“Tell them I say hi!” Katy laughed “I’m kidding. Bye, thanks again!”

Back at the bus, Joel was just leaving as she opened the door “looking for something?” she said, all but glaring at him.

He held up his phone “I left it on here when I stopped by last night.”

“Right, bye.” She said pushing past onto the steps

“Sarah, I really am sorry.”

“Whatever.” she muttered, tapping the door shut with her foot. Noticing Kennedy on the sofa, she smiled “’sup?”

“Good morning. You better have got me food!”

She shook her head pulling out the bagel “nope.”

“Why?” he whined

Hearing movement she knew everyone else was awake “because 1. everyone was asleep, 2. if I got you breakfast, everyone would know you’re my favorite.”

Jess and John both burst into the room “I thought I was you’re favorite!” they said in unison.

She laughed “John, the whole time we were growing up, you hit on me. Jess, you know you’re my favorite.”

Jess grinned “and you’re mine!”

Kennedy grumbled something about Sarah being a meanie then pretended to sulk until she threw a piece of her bagel at him.

Slowly the rest of the band emerged, Jared apologised again and she forgave him.

Garrett claimed what was left of her coffee and Pat shared the remains of the bagel “you know guys, Starbucks isn’t that far. You could get your own.”

“Why would we do that?” Garrett asked, spraying the crumbs of some bagel he’d taken from Pat.

“because there’s a cute girl there.”

“I’m listening.” he replied, Pat wasn’t vaguely interested in the conversation

She laughed “her names Katy, I put her on guestlist because she couldn’t get tickets.” she turned to everyone else “Oh yeah, did you guys know tonight’s sold out?”

“Wait, don’t change the subject! Katy, you say?”

“Yes Katy, now shush, you can meet her later.”

The door to the bus creaked open and Nick walked in “Guys, I know this sounds weird but did I leave my shoe here last night?”

Jared threw him the black Vans Authentic that was on the kitchen counter top.

Nick chuckled lightly “thanks.” he looked around, his eyes landing on Sarah and his smile dropped “I have to go.” and then they heard the door shut.

Sliding her phone into her pocket she stood up from her seat, going after him.

“Nick, wait.” she called stepping of the bus.

He spun around, his face full of mixed emotions “why, why should I wait, are you done playing with me?”

She half smiled “about last night, a drunk mind speaks sober thoughts, right?”

He dropped his shoe to the floor and walked to her quickly, he placed his hand firmly on the side of her face, crashed his lips to hers and snaked his free arm around her tiny waist.