Nobody, Not Even the Rain Has Such Small Hands

I check my reflection one last time in the mirror before following the guys out of the back lounge and out the bus door. The night sky is lit up by the tall lamps placed once in a while through the lot. I haven't dressed up like this in a while - by dressed up I mean black skinnies, my favorite Fall Out Boy tee and my usual pair of black Vans. Compared to my usual outfit since I've taken up being merch girl, one of the spaghetti strap tank tops I would normally wear underneath shirts matched with a bun at the top of my head, this is dressy.
Tony slips his hand into mine easily and I give his hand a squeeze. Partying has never been my thing and it's comforting to know that he feels the same way. I won't be the downer tonight.
Hip hop music can be heard clearly even several feet away from the party. I can hear happy cheers and laughter getting louder and louder as we approach. We all stick together, Tony and I lingering back from the rest. As soon as we hit the thickest part of the crowd, we're mistakenly separated from them. The music is even louder here. Tony and I continue walking for a few more feet to get out of the area where everyone's dancing and a few people decide, for some reason alcohol aids to, that crowd surfing is a good idea.
"I'll go get us drinks," he says, eyes locked on the crowd that's now behind us. They move to me and he adds, "it's pretty easy to get drinks around here, but I don't want to start off on the wrong foot... I'll be right back."
I nod and he disappears into another swarm of people I assume are all around what's been turned into the bar. Party music is playing from an unseen force and I sway to it as I wait for Tony to come back, watching the other dancers. People grind on each other, others sway and take turns whispering into the other's ear. Some stand out of the crowd talking. I spot a few people I recognize and I can't help but to smile at the thought we're all on the same tour.
Tony surprises me when he appears with two opaque plastic cups both filled with some sort of bubbly liquid. I mouth 'thank you' as I take my drink from him. Bringing the cup to my mouth, it seems to tingle my upper lip.
"Whiskey and Sprite," he says as I take a hesitant sip.
The liquid tastes good against my tongue and I take a more confident taste of my drink this time.
"Do you want to dance?" I ask.
Tony hesitates for a moment before slowly shaking his head.
"Please!" I prompt. "It'll be fun."
"I can't dance at all," he admits, leaning in as if there was a chance someone else could overhear.
Without saying anything else, I take his hand in mine and pull him onto the dance floor. He doesn't resist when I place my free hand by his neck and begin moving to the music.
I took dance classes throughout elementary and middle school, before things really started going downhill. They were fun and I enjoyed them, but I had to quit when we couldn't pay for them anymore and my mom lost interest in bringing me. Tony's eyes light up when I take his hand and place it on my hip.
I lean in close to his ear. "Loosen up, Tone."
I'm surprised when he takes lead, moving us to the music in time and as if he's suddenly gotten a burst of confidence. I kiss his jawline as the song ends and both of our glasses are empty. We stop only momentarily to place them on the pavement beside us. With our free hand, we pull each other closer. At the end of the song, he moves his lips against my ear. Shivers are sent up my spin.
"I'll go get us some more drinks. Stay right here."
I nod and watch as he heads back in the direction of the makeshift bar. When I look up, a pair of brown eyes are on me. Who ever it is pushes their way from the crowd, coming towards me. It's not until he's just feet away that I recognize Alex Gaskarth.
"Hey, I'm Alex." He gives me a crooked smile, like not everyone here didn't know he's Alex Gaskarth.
"Maddy," I introduce myself. I've never been a big All Time Low fan but even I am surprised at my lack of nerves.
"Are you here alone?" He talks loudly so I can hear him over the music, leaning in towards me just slightly.
I shake my head. "I'm with Tony."
"Tony?" he questions.
"Tony Perry from Pierce the Veil."
"Oh," he says with a slow nod of his head. "Do you think he'd mind if I stole you for a dance?" He steps back just slightly and flashes me another one of those crooked smiles. It's obvious he knows how to use his charm. I laugh nervously, unsure of what to say or how to respond.
"Come on," he urges, a friendly tone to his voice. He elbows me playfully. "Just one song?"
I shrug, giving in. Alex doesn't hesitate before wrapping both of his arms around my hips tightly. As soon as he does so, I can smell the alcohol on him. He begins to move in time with the music as the song changes. Despite the amount I can only guess he's consumed, he has near perfect coordination.
"See, this isn't so bad," he jokes with a laugh. "You're good at this."
"You're not too bad either," I compliment.
"How come I've never seen you around here before if you're with Tony?"
Our eyes meet for a moment before I look away. His face is just inches away from mine and there's something strange about the glimmer in his eyes.
"This is my first year as merch girl for them."
"Oh, so you guys aren't together?"
I should have known this question was coming but I'm still caught off guard and stutter a bit before answering. "Not technically, I guess."
He nods and continues moving us back and forth in time with the song. I feel like I should defend my relationship with Tony some more, but I'm not sure how to bring it up again without making it seem like I don't want to dance with him; because I do, despite that I can feel the front of his jeans pushed right up against my own.
A piece of his hair falls down onto my forehead, the part that's dyed pink. The song ends and he steps back.
"I'll see you around, Maddy." My name rolls off his tongue like he's saying something dirty.

"Vic I think that's enough."
I watch as my best friend refills his red plastic cup for the fifth time. Bus call is in ten minutes and almost the entire party has left to go back to their buses for another night of traveling to the next venue. Vic doesn't listen, but sloshes the liquid around in his cup before bringing it to his chapped lips.
"Come on, man," I repeat. When he doesn't respond a second time, I question whether or not he can actually hear me. He's consumed so much vodka and whiskey tonight that it wouldn't surprise me if he couldn't. "Bus call is in ten," I add.
He downs the entire cup as if he hadn't drunken anything in hours. I reach out and grab his hand, taking the cup easily from him with my other.
"It's time to go."
Looking around, Mike, Tony or Maddy are no where in sight. Knowing Tony and Maddy, they probably went back to the bus shortly after the party started. Tone hasn't been into drinking much since she came into the picture. Mike, on the other hand, is probably locked up in his bunk on the phone with Hannah. Either that or doing something I would rather remain blissfully unaware of.
Vic resists me pulling on his arm for a moment before giving in. I'm not sure if it's because the alcohol has made it so he can't pull away or if it's because he's tired of fighting me off. I lead him all the way through the dirty parking lot, littered with crushed beer cans and confetti, to the bus door before he collapses.
"Whoa! Are you okay?"
He doesn't respond, but his eyes roll to the back of his head. He's so light that I can easily swing him up into my arms and open the bus door without the risk of dropping him.
"It's about time," Andy says, coming into view as soon as the door is shut behind me. "What happened to him?" He looks down at Vic with confused eyes, his eyebrows coming together and forming a knot in the center of his forehead.
"Had a little too much to drink."
"A little?" Andy mumbles to himself, but not quiet enough to escape my ears. I ignore the comment and carry Vic to his bunk where I drop him.
"Where's everyone else?"
"Mike's hazed and the other two are in the back.
I can tell Andy's mad, so I head to the back without saying anything else. Sighing, I knock on the closed door to the back lounge.
"Come in." It's Tony and I can already tell that he's only half sober.
"Mind if I join you guys?"
Tony shakes his head without taking his eyes off of the small flat screen on the rickety table a few feet before the two of them. Maddy looks less into it, but still doesn't take her eyes off the screen. In all honesty, she looks like she could fall asleep at any second. Mike's high as a kite, sitting on her other side.
"Where's Vic?" Maddy asks in a tired voice.
"Asleep," I tell her quickly. I don't feel like explaining how I let Vic get so drunk he couldn't even walk back to the bus.
Mike simply nods and doesn't question my short reply. Maddy's less excepting, taking her eyes off of the game to give me a look saying that she knows there's more to the story.
"Yes!" Tony exclaims, evidently much less sleepy than she is. There's a noise and Maddy shoots her attention back to the screen just in time to see she lost the round.
"I'm done with this," she says, tossing her controller lightly to the side. "Let's go to bed."
Tony stretches across the couch, which wraps around the entire back wall, and gives her a peck on the cheek. "You did good, babe."
I can't help but to smile when I see them interact with each other. A smile creeps across her face when his lips touch her skin. There's two small, barely noticeable dimples that form in her cheeks when she smiles. She looks so youthful beside him and I'm reminded that it really was only a few short months ago when she turned eighteen.
"I'll kick your butt next time," she tells him bravely.
He smiles, still stretched out across the couch so he's looking up at her and her down at him.
I guess that's why I asked them to keep it on the down low, for 'Vic's sake'. I'm all too aware of the way her hair falls down her back and how she always wears skinny jeans even if it's nearly one hundred degrees outside.
I look down into my lap and see that I've been fidgeting for who knows how long. I force myself to stop, clearing my mind and investing all my attention into the uncontrollable shaking of my legs.
"Jaime?"
She's about to say something when her phone rings from the small space before the window just to the right of where Tony's sitting. He hands her the device and the corner of his lips turn downward. Maddy stands and exists the back lounge without saying anything, yawning instead. Tony's eyes follow her the entire way and continue staring even after the door's shut.
"How're things going, man?" I ask.
He looks away from the spot on the door and turns to me, nodding slowly. "Pretty good. It's nice having her here, you know?"
I shake my head despite the fact I can't really say that I know what it's like to not be alone on tour. I think back to Vic laying completely unconscious in his bunk and remember that I forgot to shut the curtain. Maybe he'll look so peaceful that Maddy won't even notice. Hopefully she won't be able to smell the intense traces of liquor lingering on his clothes and all over the rest of him.
"At least she's not so young that she won't be able to go clubbing with us when we hit Vegas." Mike speaks up from the corner of the couch where he's sitting, eyes half way closed. He laughs like it's the funniest thing he's ever said. "Tony always liked 'em young."
Tony extends his hand out and playfully slaps Mike.
"Just saying," Mike adds, barely noticing when Tony's hand hits his chest. "You know I love, Madsters."
Tony laughs before going silent. I can tell there's something on his mind that he's not sharing with the rest of us. There's something in his eyes that remains hard when Maddy comes up. I don't bother asking because she comes back right then, slipping her phone into the back pocket of those skinny jeans she wears.
Tony puts his arm around her when she sits back down beside him with a small sigh. She leans her head over and rests it on his shoulder, closing her eyes. There's a certain heaviness that came with her when she came back into the room that wasn't there before. It's only about a minute of silence before they both stand and find their way out of the room without a word, leaving Mike and I alone.