The Story in Me

My eyes fluttered open. The light had changed and it hurt my head. My vision was slightly blurred, and when it cleared, I sat up in shock. Tony Perry was sitting by my knees,I was laid out on a long black leather couch tucked into the wall of a bus. At the end of it was a table that sat, Jaime, Mike, Vic, and Callie. Vic and Callie on the side facing us.

“Easy. Easy.” Tony said urgently. His voice made Callie aware that I was okay and fine, startling her from her chit chat with the other boys. Her loud laugh echoed on the bus before she spoke.

“Oh, God! Cori, thank God. You’re awake.” My head was pounding and I pushed my palms to my temples while she was talking.

“Yeah. What happened?” I asked, looking at Tony first, then the rest of the band and crew and Callie.

Tony looked at his lap, and the rest of the boys laughed while Callie said, “You passed out from the shock of meeting Tony.”

“Tony carried you in here while we tried to finish up meeting the fans.” Vic chirped in.

My cheeks flushed, and I looked at my lap. “Right, I’m sorry aboutthat. It must happen all the time. That’s so embarrassing!”

“It doesn’t happen all the time.” Tony said softly, looking up at me as I looked away.

“Oh. That kinda makes it worse then. Sorry for ruining the meet and greet.” The people at the table started talking together leaving us to our own devices.

“It’s okay. I wasn’t really feeling it today.” I looked back to him questioningly. It was getting darker outside while we sat on the yellow dimly lit tour bus.

“Why not? If you don’t mind answering- that is.”

“I don’t know really, just thinking about a bunch of things. I don’t know, since Steph-my girlfriend, well I guess ex- and I broke up I’ve just been feeling a bit off. Like I had this plan for my life and its not going that way, ya know? Sorry. I didn’t mean to just dump all that on you.” He looked guiltily back down at his hands, folding them and unfolding them in the sleeves of his jacket.

“It’s okay. I understand. It was a long relationship, those are hard to get over.”

“How do you know it was a long relationship?” He looked up. Oops.

“Well, I- uh, I fainted when I saw you right? What does that tell you, exactly?” I looked away, awkwardly.

“Oh. You’re a big fan of mine.”

“Yeah... But not in the creepy fan girl kind of way. Well, kind of. But it’s more that I like your personality, and I really look up to you. Not in the we’re gonna get married kind of way.” I drifted off. “I realize that doesn’t help.”

“Not really.” He chuckled.

“I’m sorry if that makes you regret bringing me into your bus.”

“For whatever strange reason, it really doesn’t. Maybe it should, but I don’t know.”

I smiled into my hands.

“I idolize you. I’m inspired by what you’re able to do. Your music helps me think when I’m having a hard day, and I love all of your guys’ personalities. Maybe yours just inspires me more, that you’re so quiet, but you have this amazing connections with your fans. I don’t really know and this is probably not helping my case. I tend to dig myself deeper holes, but I’m amazed I managed to say all that in the way I did.”

“That was really nice. I’m glad we’re able to help you.” He smiled, perfectly.