Pretty Little Wallflower

Beads of sweat caressed her face from her forehead to her chin. The bulk of her Canon 50mm 1.8 prohibited her from wiping off the beads rolling down her face, but she wasn’t even paying attention to the feeling of tiny ants crawling down her face. Her focus was up on stage, watching Beau Bokan scream his heart out and jump on stage. She’d heard of them, but had never bothered to listen to Bless the Fall’s music; she now regretted it. Beau announced their last song, and she took that opportunity to take a swig of her canteen and wipe off her face with the hem of her shirt. Viola had spent the day taking pictures of the merch tents, as their AV manager had requested, and finished the day off by shooting the Kia Rio Stage.

“Well hey there, little lady,” Viola turned around as she was packing her camera up to find Mallory smiling at her.

“Hey,” Viola smiled back, “Where’d you shoot today?”

“Acoustic basement, Kellin Quinn was there today,” Mallory bit her lip with a wicked smile.

“You know he’s engaged right?”

“Synonymous with ‘look, don’t touch’,” She retorted. Viola laughed at her friend, it seemed she could never keep men off her mind. “Are you coming to the barbeque tonight?”

“Yeah! That reminds me, I have to call a friend, I told him I’d invited him when I was close to home.” Viola pulled out her cell phone and began searching for Evan’s name.

“<i>Him</i>?” Mallory raised an eyebrow, “Is he cute?”

Viola gave her a puzzled look, “I don’t know.”

“No need for attitude, I won’t steal him away. I’ll see you tonight with your boy toy,” She winked at Viola before walking away. She rolled her eyes as the phone rang. Viola smiled at her phone, nostalgia filling her lungs with every breath she took. They were so close to home, but she couldn't go home. She was happy to have a familiar face with her at the barbecue later that night. It was fun hanging out with the people she'd befriended throughout the tour, but she was beginning to feel homesick; maybe Evan could alleviate that.

-------

“I call first shower!” Vic ripped past his band mates as Mike tried to grab his arm to keep him from entering the tour bus first. Managing to have a shower in their tour bus was a gift sent from the heavens that all of them made sure not to take for granted. Sometimes other band members bought them beer, weed, or pills, in order to have access to the glory that was Pierce the Veil’s shower; of course, they always took the bait, unlimited beer and illegal substances made up for limited showers in the long run.

“Fucking prick, I swear,” Tony muttered, taking off his shirt to wipe his sweat.

“The hostility! It burns!” Jaime overdramatized. “What’s up with you guys anyways? Wait, is it about Viola?” Jaime’s grin grew into a mischievous smirk as he tried putting the pieces together. Tony gave him a glare, but to Jaime it was a telltale sign.

“What about Viola?” Tony made a petty attempt at trying to act nonchalant.

“Oh my god, I’m not stupid. Just because I’m not your total BFF like <I>Michaela</I> over here doesn’t mean I know you any less.” Mike playfully shoved Jaime for referring to him as a female.

“Dude, Vic’s just a flirt. One pretty girl in his sights and he turns into a fucking horny bastard. I’ll talk to him if you want, but I think he’s just being his usual self,” Mike tried to soothe Tony’s nerves. He knew his brother, and knew that the chances of him being serious about Viola were slim, but that didn’t mean it was any less fucked up for what he was deliberately putting Tony through.

“It doesn’t matter, she’s not my girlfriend; she’s just some girl. Not even a friend. I’m going to go check the line for the showers, Jesse and Gabe asked to take a shower after their set, and we all know princess in there is going to be a while.” He grabbed a clean shirt from his bunk and headed out of the bus.

“Damn, I think he really likes her,” Jaime stared towards the exit of the bus.

“ Ya think?” Mike laughed at his band mate, throwing him a look before heading towards his own bunk.

----

Viola waited by the Kia Rio stage as Evan had requested. One of his favorite bands was playing the end of the line-up, so she patiently waited for him to take him to the barbecue.

“Hey,” A hand slid around Viola’s waist causing her to jump. Turning around, she came face to face with Evan, a huge grin on his face.

“Hi!” She wrapped her arms around his neck, breathing in his familiar scent of cigarettes and cologne. At least it smelled like a little piece of home.

“Could you get anymore darker? Look at you,” his hands grabbed her wrists as he looked at her. Squirming under his gaze, she tried to find something to say.

“I guess I should buy stronger sunscreen,” she smiled.

“God, you’re still ridiculously awkward,” Evan threw his head back and laughed, putting his arm over her shoulder as she blushed, “Come on, let’s go meet your new friends. You’ve made friends, right?

“Duh! I’m not that bad, am I?”

“Um..” Viola nudged him, “I’m kidding, I’m kidding! Well, you’re kind of bad, a little. Okay, A lot. It’s okay, you’re still great.”

They passed the swarm of remaining kids watching the last bands play, some running around trying to get to the few booths that were still up. Some stages were already coming down, and it sucked thinking that that was somebody’s job. She couldn’t imagine having to put something up to just tear it back down hours afterwards, day after day. She hoped the kids left soon so they could finish as soon as possible and get to spend time with the bands and rest of the crew.

“This way,” she guided Evan past the rows of buses, towards the back. The sun was starting to go down, but the heat still lingered around. It felt good on Viola’s skin; she’d always prefer a little heat to the cold any day.

There were a lot of people already gathered around, drinking and biting into burgers. Viola looked around, trying to find any familiar face. She spotted Mallory with Alex once again.

“Hey,” she came up to the lovebirds.

“You made it! I thought I was going to have to drag you out of your damn bunk again,” Mallory laughed, giving her a warm hug.

“You mean to tell me that she isolates herself? What a shock,” Evan’s hands went to his mouth, feigning shock. Viola furrowed her eyebrows at him, a small smile playing across her lips.

“Mallory, Alex, this is Evan, Evan, Alex and Mallory,” She introduced the trio. It felt good to know someone that Mallory didn’t already know, considering she threw herself into any social situation.

“It’s nice to know Viola had at least one friend back home.”

“Can we please stop talking about my lack of social endeavor now,” Viola rolled her eyes.

“I guess, Adam was looking for you anyways. It was nice meeting you,” She winked at the pair and walked off, rock star in hand.

“Great, well this is fun,” Sarcasm spilt over Viola’s lips.

“Oh come on, I like her,” Evan smiled.

“Of course you would.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Evan stopped, looking at her playfully.

“You two are two peas in a pod,” The tiny brunette clarified.

“I see, and here I thought you were a little jealous,” Evan smirked, causing a scoff to roll out of Viola’s throat.

Viola and Evan approached Adam, who sat underneath a sun tent; that’s when he saw them. He had his arm a round Viola, laughing, enjoying the close proximity. Adam caught sight of Tony staring, stood up, and said something to Viola and the asinine of a man next to her. They were coming their way.

“I’m gonna go get some more beer,” Tony excused himself from the rest of the people around him before the three could approach them.

“Where’s Tony going?” He heard Viola ask.

“To get more beer apparently,” Mike replied. He looked at the ice chest behind him, finding his excuse redundant, but the man around Viola provided a clear explanation.

Maybe he made it out to be more than it was, Tony thought to himself about the previous night. Maybe it was just a moment, nothing special, just an insignificant exchange of words meant to make him feel better. Viola was a nice girl, maybe that’s all she was being: <i>nice</i>.

No, fuck that. She was playing him. There was Vic, in the bus, that wasn’t just something normal; and now this random guy that he can’t ever recall seeing shows up. She pretended to be awkward, and sweet, and normal, but she was acting like everyone else. He had to assume the worst; there was no way in hell he was going to be played. Tony grabbed a bottle of Jack from a nearby table and settled on sitting with a bunch of roadies; at least they had no reason to ask him about girls and shitty relationships, he could drink in peace.

By the time nighttime hit, Tony couldn’t tell you what day, month, year, or what his last name was. The bottle of Jack sat on the floor, shattered to a million pieces after finding a nice half empty bottle of Patron to replace it with. He climbed up on top of one of the buses, deciding it was a good place to watch the world spin.

“What the fuck Tony!?” Mike screamed up to him, “Why are you on top of the roadie bus?”

“Why are you not on top of the roadie bus?” Tony managed to slur, laughing at his own ‘joke’.

“You’re sloshed man, let’s get you down before you break your fucking hand…or profess your undying love for Viola to everything and everyone,” Mike laughed.

“I am <b>not</b> in love with her! You wouldn’t even know what love is, you cheating fuck!” Mike looked at him in disbelief as a few surrounding people caught sight of the spectacle Tony was making.

“Tony, get the fuck down, I’m serious,” Mike climbed up the ladder grabbing a hold of a protesting Tony.

“What’s going on? Is that Tony?” Vic turned his attention from Jaime, Viola, Evan, and Adam.

“He looks wasted, dude,” Jaime responded, “I should go help Mike out.”

“I’ll go, uh, if that’s okay, I’m pretty good at remedying hangovers,” Viola feigned. She was worried about Tony.

“I guess, but if he hits you, you can’t sue me,” Jaime raised his hands.

“I’ll be right back,” Viola stood up, patting Evan on the shoulder before heading over to the commotion.

“Mike, what’s going on,” Viola approached him. Tony was sitting on the floor, throwing out profanities.

“He won’t go back to the bus. He’s drunk as fuck.”

“Tony, come with me, let’s go to the bus,” Viola tried to help.

“No, go away, I don’t like your face.”

“He’s drunk, don’t listen to him,” Mike tried to alleviate Viola’s shock. He picked him up, practically dragging him towards the back of the buses.

“Alright, alright. I’ll go, just fuck off,” Tony stood up, holding on to a bus for support. “Go back to the party. Go!”

Mike looked at Tony, and then at Viola, who he didn’t even seem to acknowledge.

“I’ll make sure he gets into the bus,” She assured. Mike nodded, trusting her with his band mate.

“You go too,” Tony ordered.

“Not until I see you’re tucked in your pretty little bed, Perry,” Viola retorted. Tony tried to protest, bringing a finger up for debate, but ended wobbling, unable to stand still. Viola took a hold of his arm. Wrapping it around herself, she slowly carried his weight towards the bus.

“You’re like a pretty little wallflower, aren’t you?” He hiccupped, looking into her eyes with a goofy grin.

“Do you even know what that means? You’re drunk,” She laughed at Tony’s alcohol induced confidence. The closer they got to the tour bus, the heavier he seemed to get, Viola wasn’t sure how much more weight her shoulders could manage.

“You find a way around everything. You pretend like things don’t faze you. Oh, so rational Viola. Always calm and collected. Bullshit.”

“You’re drunk.”

“I’m the most sober I’ve ever been, actually. With Jack in my system, I can see right through your façade. So tell me, what made you this way?”

“You’re drunk.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m not right,” Tony smiled.

“Do you even know what you’re saying? Where did this shit come from,” Viola was becoming impatient the closer they got to Pierce the Veil’s bus.

“She curses! Yes!” Tony laughed, bringing his arms up in victory. “You’re not as innocent as you pretend to be.”

“I’m not pretending to be anything. I just…am,” Viola rolled her eyes. They reached the bus and she punched in the code. “Get in.” Tony scoffed, but complied.

“I know what I’m saying, by the way. I’m not that drunk,” Tony protested as Viola led him to the back of the bus.

“Yes you are. You’re not making any sense,” She didn’t want to continue arguing, but she detested the idea of him making assumptions about her. He didn’t even know her.

“No. I’m not,” he turned around, facing her, “You smart mouth me at your job; which, for the record, I could have gotten you fired for. You pretend to be nice to me at the bar the other night, and oh look! Now your coming to my rescue! Which doesn’t even make sense, because from what Adam’s told me, you’re life’s a little more fucked up than my night is.”

His face felt hot, and before he knew what happened, Viola slapped him again, this time pushing him against the bunks. She couldn’t believe the words that came out of his mouth. She never took him for this kind of man, to completely obliterate her with words. She told herself it was the alcohol, but she knew there was something else inside of him, taking a toll in his patience and self-control. Tony stumbled, but managed to break his fall. He pushed her back. Her back cracked against the other side of the bunk beds. His hands remained against her shoulders, and he looked down over her, making sure he caught the fear in her eyes.

“You don’t know me,” she managed to choke out. She tried her best not to show apprehension towards the situation, but she couldn’t even begin to understand what was going on.

“Do you like Vic?” That’s not what he wanted to say, but the words slipped out.

“What? No!”

“Do you like me?”

“Tony, stop, you’re hurting—“

“Do you like that guy?”

“What guy?”

“That guy you let parade you around all afternoon long.”

“Evan? He’s my friend! Why are you acting like this? Get off me!” Viola tried to push him off, but her 120 pounds didn’t compare to the testosterone running through Tony’s veins.

“Just answer me!” Tony stepped closer, hovering over her.

She wasn’t going to take another second of this. She brought her knee up, watching Tony’s face contort as it made contact with his groin, and she watched the lights go out inside his eyes.