Scream Over The Sound

Later that day.

I didn’t see Vic again until we were at the concert venue. Toby—TB for short—had been told to take them there instead of me as I was told to go get lunch for the band.

As I walked to the concert hall, the Styrofoam boxes with the hot noodles squeaked, rubbing against each other in it’s plastic bag, making my ears itch. But just when I thought the itch in my ears couldn’t get any worse; I heard a voice like white noise coming from behind the hall’s doors.

Knowing who—or rather what—I was gonna see on the other side of the doors, I took a deep breath and pushed them open.

That little ho—There I saw Samantha, screaming playfully as the backdrop for the stage fell back upon her. My eyes darted around for TB, keeping as calm as possible. Pierce The Veil were scattered on the stage, getting their instruments tuned and of course, there was Vic, sleepy eyes, damp hair and comfortable, airy clothes on.

My heart melted just at the sight of him. I’d even zone out the squeaking Styrofoam.

Just then, he looked up from his paddles to look up at the sound booth dude, whom was right next to me. My lips slowly spread into a small smile. “VIC! Could you help throw over that masking tape at your feet?” clearly I couldn’t zone out white noise. Vic’s attention immediately turned to Samantha, or better known as Manta, and he did as he was asked.

She winked at him as she caught the tape and yelled over, “Nice throw.”

The heat in me was building up like an erupting volcano. I could feel my purple hair turning red from its roots all the way to its ends. Okay, I might be a little dramatic. But there was a roach on the loose and I hate roaches.

I opened my mouth to yell for TB. I heaved in a big breath, “TOOOB--,” and my mouth got plastered closed by no other than Tony Perry. He pulled me backwards, out the doors and pushed me against the wall where I was faced with TB. Tony and Toby. That’d be a great name for a TV show.

Wait, what was I thinking, back to reality, “What on EARTH is she doing here?” I exclaimed, waving the boys’ lunches in the air.

Tony immediately reached for my hand, saving his lunch from splattering all against the walls. “Whoa, sweet cheeks, not the lunch!” Tony fished out one of the Styrofoam boxes and started helping himself to the noodles, sitting on the floor next to me.

“I don’t know, okay?” TB responded, being the only one that knows my situation with Manta. “Papa said he needed more hands and I swear to you, I suggested they call my girlfriend but he said he’d call Manta instead!”

Just when I thought I could spend time with my favourite boy—and band—without a creep around.

I leaned the back of my head against the wall behind me and suddenly felt Tony wrap his hand around my wrist. I looked down at him sitting on the floor, noodle poking out of his mouth and he tugged on my arm, asking me to sit. I slid to the floor, “I really don’t want to see her face.”

“Why? What’d she do?” Tony asked, his mouth full of noodles.

“It’s a long story,” I signed, spacing out on the tiles I sat on. What if she tried to ruin my reputation with the boys like she did all my friends? What if she threw herself all over Vic?

What if Vic will like it?

“NO!” I yelled at my thoughts out loud.

TB squatted in front of me and laid a hand on my shoulder, “You maybe overreacting a little right now, but let’s just get inside and get to work, alright?”

Tony set his lunch aside and offered me a hand, “C’mon. Let’s go save your man from the blood sucking Prey-Manta,” he smiled.

“Prey-manTIS,” I corrected him and then realised, “… My… Man?”

Tony pulled me up to my feet and dusted off some white sediment off my back, probably from the paint, “Oh, please. The way you look at him? The little tete-a-tete this morning?” he smirked, his gorgeous eyes dancing in its sockets.

My, oh my, “He told you about that?”

“What? What happened this morning?” TB asked with eyes sparked with interest.

“I’ll fill you in on that but for now,” Tony tugged on the elastic that was holding my hair up in a ponytail, letting my hair fall past my shoulders. “Go get him, tiger,” he flicked my nose, turned me on my heels and pushed me through the doors.

They shut the door loudly behind me, causing the boys on stage to look up. Vic’s eyes met mine and my heart stopped. He put his guitar down, leaped off the stage and trotted over to me. I looked behind him for Manta but she was nowhere to be found.

“Hey, breakfast,” he winked, placing an arm around me and leading me back to the stage. Trying not to melt in his arms, I waved at Jaime and Mike. “Your hair looks nice when it’s down,” he whispered in my ears, tickling them with my breath.

“Thank you,” my fingers instinctively found its way to my hair, making sure it’s in place.

“Since Vic already got his breakfast, do I get to eat his lunch?” Mike shouted over the drum set, flashing me his biggest smile.

Vic’s eyes snapped back and forth from me to Mike. Face flushed, he started pulling me away. I guess he didn’t think Tony would tell me that he was talking about it. Haha. Leading me backstage, we went into the boys’ waiting-slash-dressing room. He shut the door behind him and quickly looked for something to talk about, “I saw Tony pushing you in. I’m guessing he has our lunch?”

I looked at him; all pressed up against the dressing room door, and all I could think about was what Manta would do to him if she were in this position right now.

“Hey, are you okay?” he asked, arms suddenly dropping to his sides.

Should I tell him? I didn’t want him to know anything about the past. Being where I am now is perfect. Okay, so what if I told him? What wrong would it do? Then again, what if he thought I was just trying to cover something up? Cover up something I didn’t even do? What if he thought my life was too complicated that he didn’t want to get involved anymore—or rather, get involved to begin with.

My lack of response forced him to hold me by the arms and carefully seat me down on one of the plastic chairs provided. He kneeled on both knees in front of me and looked at me deep in the eyes, “Is something or someone bothering you? Do you need me to punch the lights out of someone?”

My eyes started going weak; like when you look at a proposal happening right in front of your eyes and you’re thinking, that girl is so lucky. I placed a hand on his bare shoulder, pulling the fabric of his tank up a little, fixing its position. “I’m okay, Vic,” I lied, for the first time to him.

“Don’t lie to me,” and he caught me, almost immediately. What do I do when someone I don’t even know, knows me better than anyone else does? “I know we’ve only known each other for about three days, but I feel like I could tell you anything. Can you tell me everything?”

His eyes begged me for a response. And with all the willpower I’ve had over the past three days—not jumping all over him and all—I was surprised to find I still had a lot in me to not let him into my past.

“No,” I breathed out and his eyes fell to the floor. He looked so disappointed in me.

“Look,” he started, standing up. “I know something’s wrong and I want to be here to help you, I want to be here for you. But I can’t do that if you don’t let me in, Alex.”

“Vic,” I said, and he started to head back to practice. “Really, it’ll be okay.”

He stopped at the door and turned around to face me, “I just want you to feel at home with me just as how you’ve made me feel at home here, in a whole new country, in less than 3 days, with you.”

He turned the doorknob and headed out without looking back this time. I buried my face in my palms, not knowing what to do. Not only was Manta on the loose but now Vic is upset with me.

I ruined our connection. Plus, I have to face Manta everyday till they go back. It killed me to think if Vic would start connecting with Manta since I had obviously pissed all over ours.

When I looked up at the opened door, I saw Manta standing not far out from the dressing room, looking at me, one eyebrow cocked.

Was it just me or did I see her smirk?

Shit.