(Un)Lucky Coincidences

“Lydia are you awake?” Sandra was kneeing in front of Lydia's tent.

She heard a yawn, “Hm? Yeah. Why?”

Sandra looked around, “Can I come in?”

“Of cause?!” Lydia sounded bemused.

Sandra got herself and her sleeping bag into the tent and rolled herself up next to her friend. Lydia stared at her, “What's wrong?”

“I took a walk with Chris yesterday to get him sober.” Sandra paused.

“Yeah, I know. You were away more than two hours and we all thought of where you ended up.” Lydia summed up. Sandra inhaled a deep breath, but Lydia continued, “Rory seemed really worried though. Mumbled something about 'tipsy Chris with touchy hands' or some like that.”

“If he'd know.” Sandra said under her breath, but not quiet enough.

Lydia jumped right in, “What do you mean?”

Sandra stared at the ceiling in thoughts and said slowly, “We sat down next to a bus, because Chris was really dizzy. And we somehow fell asleep – that's why it took two hours. After we woke up and got up, he kind of stumbled into me and pinned me against a bus.” She paused and tried to think. “He kissed me and I wasn't able to push him away. He was just so strong.” She covered her face with her hands, trying to wipe away the scene. Now after having time to think, it all was more frightening, because it has awaken demons, that were suppose to be silent for ever.

“Oh, sweety. Are you alright? That's why you two were acting so strange.” Lydia sat up next to Sandra.

“It was that obvious?” Sandra looked up at her friend, searching for support.

“Well. Rou and I wondered.” She took Sandra's hand, “But you didn't told Rory about it, did you?”

“I can't. He would punch Chris in the face and probably be disgusted by me.” Sandra stared at the ceiling and tried to avoid the eye contact with Lydia, because she knew what kind of expression laid on her face.

“You have to!” Lydia yelled at her friend, “Don't start with a lie!”

“I know, but ...” Sandra wasn't able to finish her phrase, as Lydia interrupted her, “There's no 'BUT'! Do it. Go and tell him!” She seemed really angry about Sandra's doubts.

“Wow. Don't get pissed about it.” Sandra sat up, too and looked at her hands, “Chris is a nice guy, but yesterday he really scared the hell out of me. And now I don't know how to act to him. Of cause, I have to tell Rory about. But I just want to escape, whenever Chris is around.”

“Maybe it gets better after telling Rory ...” Lydia tried to encourage her friend.

“Maybe ...” Sandra said under her breath.

Lydia took her hands and pulled her into a hug, “You didn't told him about last years summer trip, did you?”

Sandra swung her arms around Lydia, too, “No, he has no idea. He was so concerned about us hitch-hiking and I just met him, that I haven't told him. But it has nothing to do with yesterday, anyway.”

Lydia sighed, “You're a terrible liar, you know? Go and talk to him. You'll feel better afterwards.” She held Sandra out at arm's length and smile, “Go.”

===

“What's with you? You seem really confused and uninterested throughout the whole day?!” Sandra looked up to Rory, who stopped walking and now stood right in front of her, “Are you alright?”

“Um. May we get something to drink and sit down for a moment?” Sandra couldn't hide her anxiety. She tried to find the right time and words to tell Rory throughout the entire day, but now there was no way back.

“That doesn't sound good at all.” Rory frowned.

“It's okay. Just lets get some water first and than I'll tell you.” Sandra took his hand to encourage him to follow her. But the worries in his expression stayed.

===

“So, what's wrong?” Sandra was ripped out of her thoughts, “Um, I'm not quiet sure where and how to start, to be honest.”

“Just do it!” Rory seemed nervous, but unpatient about the up-coming confession.

“Well, I ... didn't told you the whole truth ... about-” - “I knew it!” He jumped up, “and now you wanna choose him over me?” He almost yelled at Sandra, who was completly confused by his reaction. “What are you talking about?”

He pierced her with a wild stare, “You and Chris!”

Sandra's jaw dropped and she wasn't able to say anything.

“You don't even defent yourself?” Rory dropped to his knees in front of her and took her hands, “Sandra, talk to me! Is it true?”

She stared at him without any sense of understanding and quietly answered, “No.” Her eyes filled with tears, “He scared me so bad. And all the memories came back and I ... I ...” Rory embraced her in a hug, “Shhh. Everything will be fine. - Even I don't quiet understand, what you are talking about.”

Sandra hold tight to him, “When I told you, I was never harmed while hitch-hiking ... That wasn't completely true ... There was this guy, who shared a bit of the way with us. One evening we were sitting by the fire and talked.” She paused and took a deep breath to brace herself. “He tried to kiss me and when I told him no, he ... just took, what he wanted. ... Luckily Lydia was around and helped me. But I was so scared!”

Rory squeezed her even tighter, “Oh my. And I thought ... I'm sorry.”

“You were right.” Sandra quietly replied.

He jerkily pulled back from the hug, “What?!”

“Chris kissed me yesterday and pushed me against a bus.” Tears were falling from her eyes, “I wasn't able to push him away and the memories came back.” She dugged her face in her hands and let herself cry.

Rory pulled her back into his arms. “This bastard,” he breathed out between his teeth.

“I'm sorry, that I cause so much trouble.” Sandra managed to say.

“It's not your fault. He always does that. 'Look I'm so handsome and I play bass. Come and fuck me.'” She chuckled and looked up to Rory, “You sound jealous.”

He turned his head aside, “Maybe ...”

“You don't need to. You won me already.” She smiled brightly at him.

===

The two women were sitting around the barbecue with the gents. Chris and Rou finished building up their tent and Rob wanted to stay for just an hour and then drive to his girlfriend.

“Yeah. And remember the time in Yorkshire? When the back of the stage broke down and burried me?” Rob was holding his belly from laughter.

The lads shared some tour stories, while Lydia and Sandra told some of their experiences of traveling.

Sandra stood and went for the toilets, when she realised that Rou cought up with her. “Hey, keeping me save?” She smiled at him.

“Yeah. Some like that.” He scatched the back of his head, “I actually wanted to talk to you in privat.”

Sandra frowned, “Why?”

“Well,” he wrung his hands, “what happened between you and Chris the other night?” He gazed at her, “He keeps quiet about it, but you two are still acting really wierd. There has to be something.”

Sandra stopped walking and watched her shoes, “You probably think, we made out or something, don't you?”

“To be honest, some like that. You behaive like a cat got cought steeling a fish.” He locked his stare to her.

“But it's not like this.” Sandra inhaled a deep breath, “Chris tried something yesterday and wasn't stopping, when I told him to.” She hardly fought back the tears, that were coming. Rou took her hands, “Did you talked to Rory about it?”

She looked up, “Yes, I told him.”

He squeezed her palms, “Rory was really concerned about the posibility, that you may would choose Chris instead of him, you know?”

Sandra raised her eyes to his in confussion, “But why? What made him think there's something between Chris and I?”

Rou released her hands and wrung his fingers, while watching his feet, “Maybe I played a little part in that.”

“What do you mean?” Sandra put her hand on his shoulder to make him raise his eyes to her again.

Rou's looked pityful and stuttered, “Well. Rory was already concerned and I may made a few stupid comments.”

“What kind of comments? What did you told him, that made him so uncertain?” Sandra shook his shoulders. She was getting more and more anoyed by his prevarications.

“Um. Something like, 'They were always really intimate.' or 'It takes them really long for only a walk.' or 'Of cause they're just friends having a chat.' “

Her eyes grow wider with every word, “WHAT!? Are you insane? Why did you say that?”

“Well, I must say in my defense, that I wasn't sober and a little voice in my head told me, that there's something wrong!” He took a step back and hold his hands up.

Sandra crossed her arms in front of her chest, “Great! Being drunk is not an excuse, you know! And what voice? Where the heck comes the idea from, that there's something between us?”

Rou lowered his hands and voice, “Well, after we first met you, Chris was talking about you in a similar way Rory did. And I was just worried, that you keep both of them in line, you know? And when you wasn't coming back yesterday, the little voice in my head told me to watch out.”

Sandra looked down, “You really think, I could do that? Keep the two of them in line?” She turned around, “Well.” And left him standing there.

Rou tried to catch up with her, “Stay here. I'm sorry, I know it was wrong!”

“Stay away from me. I don't want to give you the satisfaction to see me cry. It's enough what you said.” Rou stopped walking and watched her leave without another word. “Damn it,” he said under his breath.