Blood for Blood, Hearts Beating
5
The bands playing for Warped Tour got so lucky. They had yesterday off, today, and tomorrow. Vans treated the bands to a nice hotel stay for the next two nights.
Everyone who helped out with the tour including the bands got a stay as well. Everyone was in their rooms, nice and cozy accept for Grace. She had to stand at the front desk trying to get a room for herself.
“No, you don’t understand. I work for a band. I should be having a hotel room.”
“I’m sorry miss, but you aren’t on the list.” The manager said in a very calm voice as he looked through the computer.
Grace was more stressed out than she could express. Trying to be as professional as she could, she fixed her posture and calmed her voice down, coughing and throwing her hair to her back. “There must be a mistake.”
“No. No mistake here. We do have a room open though. It’s the lowest we have at $120 for a night.”
“I don’t have that money.” She said this concerned. Pink Elvira didn’t care about her enough to spend $240 to get their worker get a room. She turned around and looked at the floor in deep thought. The tour bus had already gone to the place where Warped would be next so it was impossible for her to just stay in the bus.
She turned back to face the man. “Please, there must be something you could do. I’m begging you.”
The manager was starting to lose his patience. “I’m sorry ma’am but there is not a thing we can do.”
Grace put her head on the desk and started weeping. She was fucked.
A guy came up to her and put money on the desk. “Get this young lady a room right this instant.” It was a familiar voice.
The manager went right on it and had the key in no time.
The two of them just looked at each other; Grace and the man who had paid for her room.
Immediately, she knew exactly who it was. “You! Why?”
It was Tony. “I guess you could say this is my apology.” He took the key and the card from the manager and handed it to Grace.
“I’m Graciela Marquez.”
“Tony. Tony Perry.”
“It’s nice to formally meet you.” She then picked up a bunch of her shit from the floor but she still had another two bags. “Hey, do you mind helping me bring these to my room?”
Tony just smiled at her and grabbed the remaining bags and took some of the ones that she was holding.
Once they got up to the room, Tony opened the door for her and they dropped everything in a corner that probably would not be used.
When they were able to catch their breathes from the long walk upstairs because one of the bands broke the elevator, they both smiled. Tony’s smile was brilliant. It was the first real smile he had in weeks. “Is there anything else you need me for? You deserve the world after last night.”
“Yeah, I’m really sorry for everything.”
“You shouldn’t feel regret or sadness. It’s me who deserves that pain. I’ve been an ass bag to everyone.”
That word, ass bag, made Grace let out a laugh. “Sorry for laughing. You shouldn’t be so down on yourself. We were drunk.” She began blushing like out of control. She tried to contain herself but she couldn’t. Tony was even cuter than she remembered from the night before.
“Well, I better get going now. The boys will wonder where I am.”
Grace stood in front of the door way, blocking his path. “Don’t go. At least not yet. We need to talk. You gave this room to me for a reason and I want to know why.”
Tony took off his hat and scratched his head. Seeing that he seemed rather really confused, she laid off the subject. She grabbed him by the hips and gave him a big hug. “Well, thank you.”
He took his hand off the door and put his hand around her. “Don’t even think about it.”
Grace stepped away from him, back to her last position against the door. As she looked at him, she opened it for him and watched him walk away. “Bye, Tony.”
When he was a few doors down from her, he looked back. “Gracie, one more thing. I don’t think we should see each other again whether or not it was just to be friends.”
She didn’t even allow him to finish the sentence before she shut the door as quickly as she could. As she began to cry, she fell against the door. It was like he had her hypnotized. It’s not like she knew the guy all that well and yet she was still crying and feeling bad about not seeing him.
Yes, they were drunk and she almost prostituted herself to this stranger, but she felt like he could have been something that made Warped Tour bearable. Since she was not one to go up to talk to someone about a problem that she was having, it would be impossible for them to have something special.
On top of that, Freddy was also a guy who she had begun to have feelings for. He was always so sweet and made her feel like she was worth something. Now that he saw her doing something rather disgusting with one of his friends, he was friend zoned whether he loved her or not. In his eyes, she was a skank but would have never said that to her.
After a few minutes, she was finally finished with feeling sorry for herself. She lifted herself up and checked her face in the mirror of her bathroom. When she was done fixing herself up, she walked out onto the balcony. It was an amazing view. You could see all of Pomona California.
She heard the large door of the balcony open and she turned around to Tony being there. “I forgot to give your keys back.”
“But you gave them to me. I put them on the table.”
“I know, I just needed another reason to talk to you.”
There was a few seconds pause before Grace put her arms around his neck and kissed his lips. They were perfectly in rhythm and they seemed to be meant for each other. It was their first real kiss. A kiss that was on the lips and not the ones between her hips.
He detached himself from her. “Gracie, listen. There was a little reason behind giving you this room, but it’s not like I want to force you to do anything. I’ll walk out right now if you want me too.”
Grace was kind of irritated by that. Why couldn’t it have just been a sweet gesture instead of him wanting some sexual pleasure to come out of it? She took the key out of his hand and threw it at his chest. She closed the door on him, picking up as many of her bags as she could and stormed down the hallway. Because of how annoyed she was, she ended up dropping everything.
Tony was at her side in a minute. He didn’t say anything in a rude manor. He was just rather monotone. He put the key back in her hand. “There are no refunds and I bought the room for you. If you don’t use it then it will go to waste. I’m sorry for saying that to you before. It was stupid and disgusting of me.” He then just walked away, leaving her with her bags.
Everyone who helped out with the tour including the bands got a stay as well. Everyone was in their rooms, nice and cozy accept for Grace. She had to stand at the front desk trying to get a room for herself.
“No, you don’t understand. I work for a band. I should be having a hotel room.”
“I’m sorry miss, but you aren’t on the list.” The manager said in a very calm voice as he looked through the computer.
Grace was more stressed out than she could express. Trying to be as professional as she could, she fixed her posture and calmed her voice down, coughing and throwing her hair to her back. “There must be a mistake.”
“No. No mistake here. We do have a room open though. It’s the lowest we have at $120 for a night.”
“I don’t have that money.” She said this concerned. Pink Elvira didn’t care about her enough to spend $240 to get their worker get a room. She turned around and looked at the floor in deep thought. The tour bus had already gone to the place where Warped would be next so it was impossible for her to just stay in the bus.
She turned back to face the man. “Please, there must be something you could do. I’m begging you.”
The manager was starting to lose his patience. “I’m sorry ma’am but there is not a thing we can do.”
Grace put her head on the desk and started weeping. She was fucked.
A guy came up to her and put money on the desk. “Get this young lady a room right this instant.” It was a familiar voice.
The manager went right on it and had the key in no time.
The two of them just looked at each other; Grace and the man who had paid for her room.
Immediately, she knew exactly who it was. “You! Why?”
It was Tony. “I guess you could say this is my apology.” He took the key and the card from the manager and handed it to Grace.
“I’m Graciela Marquez.”
“Tony. Tony Perry.”
“It’s nice to formally meet you.” She then picked up a bunch of her shit from the floor but she still had another two bags. “Hey, do you mind helping me bring these to my room?”
Tony just smiled at her and grabbed the remaining bags and took some of the ones that she was holding.
Once they got up to the room, Tony opened the door for her and they dropped everything in a corner that probably would not be used.
When they were able to catch their breathes from the long walk upstairs because one of the bands broke the elevator, they both smiled. Tony’s smile was brilliant. It was the first real smile he had in weeks. “Is there anything else you need me for? You deserve the world after last night.”
“Yeah, I’m really sorry for everything.”
“You shouldn’t feel regret or sadness. It’s me who deserves that pain. I’ve been an ass bag to everyone.”
That word, ass bag, made Grace let out a laugh. “Sorry for laughing. You shouldn’t be so down on yourself. We were drunk.” She began blushing like out of control. She tried to contain herself but she couldn’t. Tony was even cuter than she remembered from the night before.
“Well, I better get going now. The boys will wonder where I am.”
Grace stood in front of the door way, blocking his path. “Don’t go. At least not yet. We need to talk. You gave this room to me for a reason and I want to know why.”
Tony took off his hat and scratched his head. Seeing that he seemed rather really confused, she laid off the subject. She grabbed him by the hips and gave him a big hug. “Well, thank you.”
He took his hand off the door and put his hand around her. “Don’t even think about it.”
Grace stepped away from him, back to her last position against the door. As she looked at him, she opened it for him and watched him walk away. “Bye, Tony.”
When he was a few doors down from her, he looked back. “Gracie, one more thing. I don’t think we should see each other again whether or not it was just to be friends.”
She didn’t even allow him to finish the sentence before she shut the door as quickly as she could. As she began to cry, she fell against the door. It was like he had her hypnotized. It’s not like she knew the guy all that well and yet she was still crying and feeling bad about not seeing him.
Yes, they were drunk and she almost prostituted herself to this stranger, but she felt like he could have been something that made Warped Tour bearable. Since she was not one to go up to talk to someone about a problem that she was having, it would be impossible for them to have something special.
On top of that, Freddy was also a guy who she had begun to have feelings for. He was always so sweet and made her feel like she was worth something. Now that he saw her doing something rather disgusting with one of his friends, he was friend zoned whether he loved her or not. In his eyes, she was a skank but would have never said that to her.
After a few minutes, she was finally finished with feeling sorry for herself. She lifted herself up and checked her face in the mirror of her bathroom. When she was done fixing herself up, she walked out onto the balcony. It was an amazing view. You could see all of Pomona California.
She heard the large door of the balcony open and she turned around to Tony being there. “I forgot to give your keys back.”
“But you gave them to me. I put them on the table.”
“I know, I just needed another reason to talk to you.”
There was a few seconds pause before Grace put her arms around his neck and kissed his lips. They were perfectly in rhythm and they seemed to be meant for each other. It was their first real kiss. A kiss that was on the lips and not the ones between her hips.
He detached himself from her. “Gracie, listen. There was a little reason behind giving you this room, but it’s not like I want to force you to do anything. I’ll walk out right now if you want me too.”
Grace was kind of irritated by that. Why couldn’t it have just been a sweet gesture instead of him wanting some sexual pleasure to come out of it? She took the key out of his hand and threw it at his chest. She closed the door on him, picking up as many of her bags as she could and stormed down the hallway. Because of how annoyed she was, she ended up dropping everything.
Tony was at her side in a minute. He didn’t say anything in a rude manor. He was just rather monotone. He put the key back in her hand. “There are no refunds and I bought the room for you. If you don’t use it then it will go to waste. I’m sorry for saying that to you before. It was stupid and disgusting of me.” He then just walked away, leaving her with her bags.