Pretty Little Wallflower

Viola laid inside her bunk, looking through all the pictures she had taken on her first three days as a Warped Tour photographer. It was only seven O’clock, but she had decided to rest before the barbeque Adam had mentioned would be taking place after the shows. As she scanned through all the photos, Viola focused on the faces of the band members, enjoying the looks on their faces as they played to the masses. Just looking at them made her feel the energy they fed off of the crowd, and she loved it. She wondered what kind of problems they were facing, and how they managed to put them aside and pour all their love and soul into kids they probably didn’t even know existed. When she had first met Evan, she had explained to him how she liked people watching and wondering what kind of lives they were leading, the problems they face and how to them she was probably rather insignificant; it fascinated her. He chuckled and called her a sondering woman, a reply that confused her until she came across Urban Dictionary.
After a while, she came across Pierce the Veil’s pictures, and Viola had to admit to herself that she took some pretty amazing photos of them. Her favorite was one of Jaime and Vic looking at each other as they laughed, with Mike in the background and Tony to the side. Tony looked completely engulfed in the moment, his head tilted back and his eyes shut closed. She could feel his emotions through the picture, and she recalled that particular set as she watched them play their hearts out. Tony had looked at her a couple times, and it had taken her by surprise; it felt like a privilege considering a million girls would have killed to be just a passing glance to him. She remembered smiling back as she enjoyed the way he carried himself onstage because it was different, he seemed more assertive and sure of himself, which pleased her. She wanted to tell him, but after their sets they only had a couple minutes to talk, and Vic had managed to steal all of her time. Now that she thought of it, Vic had managed to always be around, even when it was just her and Adam. He would ask her random questions and reveal small facts about himself. Until now, the oddity of it hadn’t crossed her mind. It perplexed her how comfortable he had gotten in only three days and she wondered what kind of attachment style he was expressing.
“Hey, are you just going to sit in your bunk all night or are you going to mingle like all other normal people?” Adam thrust open viola’s curtain, grinning ear to ear as he looked passed her and onto her computer screen. It was a picture of Pierce the Veil playing, but Tony had been zoomed in.
“Shut up,” Viola rolled her eyes, aware of where Adam’s eyes were. She shut her laptop and rolled out of her bunk, running her hand through her wavy locks in the process.
“I didn’t say anything,” her uncle replied, the cheesy grin never leaving his lips.
“But you were thinking it.”
“The boy has a crush on you, admit it,” Adam followed Viola to the back lounge where she had left the backpack that she carried everywhere.
“Stop saying things you don’t know.”
“God, you can be a pain,” he replied in defeat, and Viola just laughed.
As they reached the small section where the barbeque was to take place, people were already gathered around and beginning to eat. The aroma of cheeseburgers and hot dogs filled the air, and Viola hadn’t realized how hungry she was.
“Hey Vi!” Mallory, one of the photographers she had grown fond of approached her, a man in tow. “What were you doing? It took you forever to get your ass down here!”
“I was just editing some photos, easing my workload,” She smiled at the bright-eyed woman. Her face was impeccable, her black shiny hair in a high bun.
“You’re such an over-achiever,” Mallory laughed, “This is Alex, he’s in All Time Low. Alex, this is Viola, she’s a photographer,” Viola smiled shyly at the man, realizing exactly who he was.
“Big fan,” she admitted.
“Really? I’m glad, pleasure to meet you,” he had his infamous smile plastered on his face, practically making her swoon.
“Viola!” A pair of arms roughly reached from behind and picked her up. “What up, Alex!” It was Vic. She stiffened under his grasp, paralyzed and uncomfortable with the lack of personal space. Her mind began racing, and thoughts of back home began to invade every inch of her brain; hands on her, the pain, invisible hands touched the spots on Viola where bruises and contusions once laid. Vic let her down after a couple seconds, realizing he had made the opposite impression of what he’d intended.
“Sorry.”
“Its fine,” she smiled gingerly. A bit of tension grew from the encounter, as the four stood around. Viola felt uncomfortable, she’d made things awkward without meaning to.
“Well we’re going to go hang with the rest of the crew,” Mallory smiled, trying to relieve the moment. Alex waved to Vic and Viola.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do, whatever it is I did,” Vic apologized, wondering what he’d done to deserve her sudden change in disposition.
“No, its okay, I’m just not very fond of surprises. You just kinda caught me off guard. I’m sorry, I’m awkward.” Vic laughed.
“Well now I know,” he smiled apologetically, “Did you want to come hang out with us at our bus? A couple of bands will be there too.”
“Sure, I just need to eat real quick, I’m starving,” Viola smiled. She was glad Vic hadn’t taken it so personally. She was even gladder he had asked no questions.
There were people all over the lot, music playing from almost every bus, and it amused Viola how Warped was just like a huge party. As they got closer to Pierce the Veil’s bus, she could hear Choke Chain by 3OH!3 playing.
“Ladies first,” Vic opened the door for her, releasing an uproar of laughs and music. She stepped in, seeing a beer pong game taking place. There weren’t as many people as she’d anticipated, at the most about fifteen. She scanned the quarters until her eyes laid on Jaime and Adam taking shots, she smiled and walked towards them.
“Viola! Pretty lady!” Jaime yelled out obnoxiously as he acknowledged her presence. Adam simply waved and swayed, the liquor taking over his senses. She laughed at her uncle. He’d always been more of a cousin, maybe a brother, than an uncle. Seeing as her mother had had Viola quite early and Adam was her younger brother, Viola and Adam weren’t many years apart; it was odd, but a good story.
“You want one?” Vic asked as he approached them as well, holding up some shot glasses and a bottle of Jack. Viola just shook her head, imagining the burning liquid seeping down her throat.
“More for us!” Jaime grinned. The night went on that way for a while. She watched them all drink until they were dizzy and sloppy. By a little after midnight, most artists were in their respectable buses, leaving the Pierce the Veil crew along with Viola and Adam in the band’s bus. They all now resided in the back lounge, with the occasional trip to the small toilet by those who drank a little too much for their stomach to bear. Vic was sprawled on the ground, in a drunken stupor, along with their sound guy, Chris. The rest were laughing, conversing, and trying to sober up.
“I’m gonna go for a smoke,” Mike grunted as he got up from the couch. He was the only one Viola saw who had drank a good enough amount, but was still functioning.
“I’ll go too,” Viola piped up, receiving looks from the drunken company. Mike raised his eyebrows at her, surprised.
“Okay?” He extended his hand out for her to take, and she accepted it, using it to push herself off the couch. They exited the bus in silence, and the tall tattooed man pulled out a pack Marlboros as soon as they were out. He leaned against the bus, handing the pack of cigarettes to Viola.
“Oh, no thank you,” she turned down the offer.
“So you’re just here for my pretty face?”
“I like the smell,” the petite brunette admitted, cracking her knuckles. Mike let out a roar of laughter, and Viola couldn’t help but smile. It was contagious.
“You’re a strange one, Elmakias,” he said as he took a drag. Viola just smiled as she sat on the concrete. It was warm, the sun’s heat trapped underneath. She placed her palms on the ground, letting the heat run up her arms and throughout her body.
“Would you care to elaborate?” Mike asked as he sat down next to her, tapping his cigarette on the warm pavement. Viola thought about it for a while. She’d never talked to anyone about it, and the idea of talking to someone, anyone really, and yet especially some guy in a band who she’d known for no more than four days intimidated her. However, she felt an attachment to the man sitting next to her, he may look intimidating and just plain scary, but underneath she’d seen he had a softer side to him than he led on; she felt like maybe he genuinely cared, as opposed to just asking to make conversation. Viola swallowed the lump of indecision down her throat, licking away the nerves on her lips.
“My dad smoked,” she began, looking in front of her as if the words were strategically placed in the darkness, “my mom never let him smoke in the house, so he’d be outside smoking most of the time. I’d go out there with him, and we’d talk, about nothing and everything. He was the most intelligent man I knew. It was fascinating, really, he talked to me about physics, politics, art, music; he knew something about everything.” She stopped, taking a couple deep breaths. Mike didn’t say a word, just looked at her and nodded.
“So where is he?” He looked ahead, not expecting an answer.
“I’m not sure. He left, not that I could blame him. My mother wasn’t exactly pleasant company.” Mike took a minute to think about everything that had been said. On the outside, this woman looked so perfect. She had a flawless face, big innocent brown eyes. The idea of her living anything but a perfect life made his stomach churn. He wondered how someone as sweet as Viola could ever have lived in a broken home. It made him wonder what other hardships she’d experience, because on the outside she never portrayed them.
“I’m sure he still loved you, cares about you,” Mike finally spoke up.
“Yeah, maybe,” was all Viola could manage to say. She missed him, but she understood why he left. It was the same reason she’d left. She couldn’t blame him; it was a logical solution to a complicated problem.
“Well even so, I know a man who does,” Mike looked Viola, breaking the serious atmosphere with his smile.
“What? Who?”
“Tony,” he replied. Viola couldn’t help but throw her head back and laugh. If she’d only had a dime for every time she heard that.
“I’m serious, the boy’s in love with you. Since the first time he saw you, actually.” Viola thought back to their first encounter, their small exchange of words. She looked at Mike, puzzled at how someone’s feelings could develop out of relatively nothing.
“I don’t know.”
“Don’t pull your cynical bullshit on me, I know you’ve seen the way he looks at you, and I’ve seen the way you look at him whether you admit it to yourself or not. He gawks at you every time you speak, like every word you say comes with an orgasm. He’s a good guy, and I know you’re one of the good ones, I’m sure he sees that too.”
Viola scoffed at herself, right, one of the good ones.