Status: I will update periodically.
Somebody to Love
Chapter 8.
I leaned against the guitar rack on the far side of the stage. I had never been to one of their shows before, but I had told myself to expect this. Even so, the amount of energy took me by surprise. It was like they had each and every one of them wrapped around their finger. They said jump, they'd ask how high.
Every so often I'd catch Alex glance over, giving me a quick smile as he continued to sing. Each time my body would go cold and clench up. Why did I get this way? Was it because of how big their band was? Or was Jake right? I quickly shook the thought. No, of course Jake wasn't right. I did my best for the rest of the show to make sure I wasn't staring.
Finally, after taking their bow, the lights went down and the music ended. There was aloud ringing in my ears as I was quickly welcomed by a strong hand in the darkness, taking my arm and pulling me further backstage. Once we got closer to one of the lights, I could make it out. It was Alex. My stomach clenched up again.
"Oh, h-hi.." I said. He smiled, wiping the sweat off his face, then putting his hands on his hips.
"So what'd you think?" He asked, now beaming. I could tell he was pleased with their performance. I crossed my arms, now peeking back up at him, nodding.
"You guys are good." I said, holding back my smile, keeping it to a subtle smirk. He ran his hands through his sweaty hair, then quickly pushed it back into place.
"I'm glad you decided to watch." He said, keeping the same cheerful smile. I felt my cheeks burning again. Why was he so set on talking to me?
"So am I.. So.. what did you want to talk to me about?" I finally asked. His eyes lit up as he bit down on his lip.
"Oh, yeah, right. Um.." He sighed, now looking around, and scrunched up his face.
"You.. wanna get out of here? I haven't gotten a night to myself in a little while. And we're not leaving until tomorrow morning.. sooo.." He leaned forward, now rocking back and forth from the balls to the heels of his feet. I bit down on my lip.
"So, by get out of here you mean.." His smile grew. He shrugged, shoving his hands back into his pockets.
"I don't know, have a drink of something out behind the buses. I hear it's supposed to be really nice out tonight." I sighed. That actually sounded.. really great. I sighed, then nodded.
"That.. that sounds fun." I said. He eyes widened as his smile grew.
"Great." He said, motioning me to follow him. "This way."
I followed close as we passed his team, loading up equipment and carrying it out to their buses. Who knew they had such a big team. Before we got to the back doors, we passed Jake, who looked at Alex, and then back to me, giving me his usual smirk. My cheeks burned. I shook my head, implying it wasn't what it looked like. He shook his back, not buying it for a second. I sighed as Alex opened the door where I was hit with a wave of the brisk autumn air. The slight breeze felt nice on my sweaty forehead.
He brought me back behind the farthest bus to where there were scattered lawn chairs along the side. Something in me probably should of been a little hesitant to follow some guy I had just met today into the dark, behind large buses, but for some reason, I already trusted him. And that scared me.
"Here you are." He said cheerfully, handing me an already opened bottle. I took it from him and took a seat in one of the chairs. As he helped himself, I looked up, now admiring the stars.
"They're bright tonight." I said softly. He came over, plopping down in the seat next to me.
"Hmm?" I heard him say as he took a sip.
"Oh, I said they.. they stars.. they're pretty tonight." He smiled, looking up, nodding.
"Yeah, you're right." He said softly. He was quite for a minute.
"You know, after shows like that, this is the perfect way to end the night." I peeked over at him. He was still staring up at the sky.
"Are.. your shows always that crazy?" I asked. He giggled, taking another sip.
"Usually. Though I did notice there weren't as many bras tonight. Jack was a tad bit disappointed." I giggled, finally taking a sip of my drink.
"What do you even do with all those bras?" He shrugged.
"Honestly? I have no idea. The team handles that." I nodded. It was quiet for a little while.
"So, are you ready for it?" He asked. I looked at him confused.
"Ready for what?"
"For this. All of this. You're.. you're good, Holly. And after this tour, thousands of people are going to realize that." I felt my cheeks burning. I never imagined someone like him, someone as successful as him ever telling me I was that good before. I couldn't help but smile.
"You say this to all the girls you tour with, don't you?" I said, giving him a sly smile. He laughed, now looking down at his feet.
"No, actually. I don't." He said quietly.
"Well.. thanks." I said. He peeked up at me, smiling sweetly. My cheeks burned again.
We sat there for a moment, just looking, smiling at each other. Any other time I would of felt uncomfortable, so why did it feel.. normal now? He then broke the stare, biting down on his lip, and bringing his eye back to his feet. I did the same.
Every so often I'd catch Alex glance over, giving me a quick smile as he continued to sing. Each time my body would go cold and clench up. Why did I get this way? Was it because of how big their band was? Or was Jake right? I quickly shook the thought. No, of course Jake wasn't right. I did my best for the rest of the show to make sure I wasn't staring.
Finally, after taking their bow, the lights went down and the music ended. There was aloud ringing in my ears as I was quickly welcomed by a strong hand in the darkness, taking my arm and pulling me further backstage. Once we got closer to one of the lights, I could make it out. It was Alex. My stomach clenched up again.
"Oh, h-hi.." I said. He smiled, wiping the sweat off his face, then putting his hands on his hips.
"So what'd you think?" He asked, now beaming. I could tell he was pleased with their performance. I crossed my arms, now peeking back up at him, nodding.
"You guys are good." I said, holding back my smile, keeping it to a subtle smirk. He ran his hands through his sweaty hair, then quickly pushed it back into place.
"I'm glad you decided to watch." He said, keeping the same cheerful smile. I felt my cheeks burning again. Why was he so set on talking to me?
"So am I.. So.. what did you want to talk to me about?" I finally asked. His eyes lit up as he bit down on his lip.
"Oh, yeah, right. Um.." He sighed, now looking around, and scrunched up his face.
"You.. wanna get out of here? I haven't gotten a night to myself in a little while. And we're not leaving until tomorrow morning.. sooo.." He leaned forward, now rocking back and forth from the balls to the heels of his feet. I bit down on my lip.
"So, by get out of here you mean.." His smile grew. He shrugged, shoving his hands back into his pockets.
"I don't know, have a drink of something out behind the buses. I hear it's supposed to be really nice out tonight." I sighed. That actually sounded.. really great. I sighed, then nodded.
"That.. that sounds fun." I said. He eyes widened as his smile grew.
"Great." He said, motioning me to follow him. "This way."
I followed close as we passed his team, loading up equipment and carrying it out to their buses. Who knew they had such a big team. Before we got to the back doors, we passed Jake, who looked at Alex, and then back to me, giving me his usual smirk. My cheeks burned. I shook my head, implying it wasn't what it looked like. He shook his back, not buying it for a second. I sighed as Alex opened the door where I was hit with a wave of the brisk autumn air. The slight breeze felt nice on my sweaty forehead.
He brought me back behind the farthest bus to where there were scattered lawn chairs along the side. Something in me probably should of been a little hesitant to follow some guy I had just met today into the dark, behind large buses, but for some reason, I already trusted him. And that scared me.
"Here you are." He said cheerfully, handing me an already opened bottle. I took it from him and took a seat in one of the chairs. As he helped himself, I looked up, now admiring the stars.
"They're bright tonight." I said softly. He came over, plopping down in the seat next to me.
"Hmm?" I heard him say as he took a sip.
"Oh, I said they.. they stars.. they're pretty tonight." He smiled, looking up, nodding.
"Yeah, you're right." He said softly. He was quite for a minute.
"You know, after shows like that, this is the perfect way to end the night." I peeked over at him. He was still staring up at the sky.
"Are.. your shows always that crazy?" I asked. He giggled, taking another sip.
"Usually. Though I did notice there weren't as many bras tonight. Jack was a tad bit disappointed." I giggled, finally taking a sip of my drink.
"What do you even do with all those bras?" He shrugged.
"Honestly? I have no idea. The team handles that." I nodded. It was quiet for a little while.
"So, are you ready for it?" He asked. I looked at him confused.
"Ready for what?"
"For this. All of this. You're.. you're good, Holly. And after this tour, thousands of people are going to realize that." I felt my cheeks burning. I never imagined someone like him, someone as successful as him ever telling me I was that good before. I couldn't help but smile.
"You say this to all the girls you tour with, don't you?" I said, giving him a sly smile. He laughed, now looking down at his feet.
"No, actually. I don't." He said quietly.
"Well.. thanks." I said. He peeked up at me, smiling sweetly. My cheeks burned again.
We sat there for a moment, just looking, smiling at each other. Any other time I would of felt uncomfortable, so why did it feel.. normal now? He then broke the stare, biting down on his lip, and bringing his eye back to his feet. I did the same.