Stronger Than You
The Rest of my Life
The trip to the first venue was definitely uneventful. But, Ember's cheeks burned and her heart was racing at the text she had received from Tony when they first got on the bus. Was it because she was his friend? They had grown pretty close in the week they'd known one another. She was never good with members of the opposite sex. Her and Zack dated, yes, but they had known each other for several years. And, before they dated, she was extremely awkward when it came to talking to him.
Tony was great, definitely. He was funny, when he wasn't being shy, and was so passionate about what he did. She could just tell how much he loved music. It was written on his face every time he picked up his guitar. She loved how his eyes would shine when he talked about something he really cared about. And they glistened when she began talking about her passions.
It kind of surprised her how comfortable she felt when she talked to him. She was usually very reserved and never opened up to people so easily. But, there was something about his goofy smile and welcoming brown eyes that just enveloped her with warmth. When he touched her hand, chills ran through her. She used to feel that way with Zack. It was nice the way Tony looked at her.
"Ember! We're at the first venue. You've been zoned the whole time." Zack chuckled, clapping his hands at her. "You still alive in there?"
She frowned and stuck her tongue out at him, childishly. "I'm gonna go get dressed."
He nodded, turning his head back to the movie on the television screen.
**
Ember hated the fact that they didn't have a shower on the bus. She felt disgusting, only getting to wipe down with a wet cloth to save her from feeling dirty and gritty. Grumbling under her breath, she slid into her dress and sprayed herself with a fruity smelling perfume. She made sure to really coat her underarms with her deodorant. It made her sick to her stomach, almost, to be this gross already. They hadn't even been on the bus for a whole day!
"Can you hurry up? There are others that need to use the bathroom." Alex's voice floated through the door.
Rolling her eyes, she hurriedly pack her make up back up and opened the door to her frowning twin. She grinned up at him, flouncing past him and into the back room again. Zack wolf whistled, slapping her lightly on the butt. She smacked him softly, giggling at his goofy grin.
"You're always so good for my ego." She giggled again. "It's not better than my Donald Duck pajamas though."
He laughed. "Oh, never! Those are so sexy."
She shook her head, but her smile stayed on her face. He always made her feel so comfortable in awkward situations. She was never good with people like her brother was and, honestly, she was jealous of how easily he could talk to people sometimes. He had this way about him that just had people flocking to him. Whereas, she would rather have her face buried in a book with her headphones in, hoping that no one would try to talk to her.
They had been that way since she was a little girl. He was loud and boisterous, always moving around and talking animatedly. She was such a shy child, only having interactions with her brother. It was why she was teased as a girl. Alex always stuck up for her though, never letting anyone get away with hurting her or her feelings. It brought a smile to her face when she thought of how close her and her brother were and always will be.
"What are you all smiley about?"
Speak of the devil, her brother flops down on the couch next to her and tugs on her hair. She swatted at him, frowning as she pulled her hair away from him. He took a swig of his water, before handing her the bottle, knowing that she would want a sip.
"Are you excited?" She asked, crossing her legs and taking another sip.
He nodded. "For sure. I love performing. All of those kids singing along, making you feel like you're actually doing something worthwhile? It's the greatest feeling ever. You're gonna love it. You haven't seen us play in two years."
A frown graced her small lips and she set down her Alex's water. She hadn't realized it had been so long since she'd seen them play live. Being in school takes up a lot of her time and she felt a pang of guilt for not being more supportive of her brother. He was doing something for himself, making himself a name. And she has only been on one tour with them. What kind of sister was she? A horrible one, that's what. He has done nothing but support her decision to go to school and she can barely go to one hometown show. Or even a show near her school!
"Hey, don't get in your head. I know how you are." Alex cooed, tapping her forehead. "I don't blame you. You're doing something you love and it's got your life crazy."
She scooted closer to her brother, putting her head on his shoulder. It was comforting to feel him playing with her hair like she used to force him to do as a child. Now, as adults, it was just an unconscious habit for him to just pick up a strand and mess with it. He used to even braid it when she was younger.
"You know, I'm really proud of you, Lexy." She whispered. "You're really making a name for yourself and kids really look up to you."
She felt him shift beneath her. "Yeah? I'm really proud of you, too, Em. Halfway through school, about to graduate? You're amazing. I never would have been able to do it. You're way smarter than me."
Sitting up, she frowned at her brother. "You are plenty smart! I could never have come up with lyrics or chord progressions and half the stuff that you do. You're plenty smart in your own way."
He grinned at her. "Aww, you love me!"
A frown creased her forehead. "You're an ass."
****
"Ember! I want a piggy back ride!" Jack hollered, running up behind the small girl. "Catch me!"
Said girl tensed and screamed as his weight hit her full force. She grunted in pain and felt her knees buckle beneath the combined weight of herself and Jack's. Normally, she would have no problem being able to give him a piggy back ride. She worked out enough to have the muscle strength to carry him. But, when he slams into her with the force of a freight train, there was no way she wouldn't slam into the ground with him on top of her.
"Jack! Get the fuck off me!" She hollered, grunting in pain. Her palms stung from the gravel digging into them to keep her face from smacking into the ground. Luckily, she didn't hear anything snap under the pressure. "Jack, seriously. Get off me."
"You were supposed to catch me, Em." Jack pouted, climbing off of her.
"Jack! Please, try not to kill my sister?" Alex teased, walking over to help her up. "You okay?"
"I'm a little scraped up, but I'm fine." She smiled. "Thankfully, no broken bones like last time." She shot a look to the lanky guitarist. "No more jumping on me, please. I don't want any hospital trips."
He had the sense to look sheepish as he scuffed the ground with his shoe. "Yes, ma'am. No hospital trips this time around."
Ember rolled her brown eyes. "No hospital trips anytime around."
"Okay, Ember. I promise I won't accidentally put you in the hospital again."
Alex let his sister go and walked off with Jack, leaving the brunette to huff at their antics. It definitely wouldn't be the first time those two idiots had accidentally put her in the hospital. The time they dared her to jump from the tallest branch in their favorite tree when they were ten was sticking out vividly in her mind. She let out a small chuckle and brushed her dress off once more. She was just lucky that she didn't break her ankle in these shoes.
"Are you alright?"
Ember jumped, so lost in her thoughts she didn't realize Matt had snuck up behind her. She pressed her hand to her chest, attempting to regain her breath.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I saw Jack basically jump you earlier and wanted to make sure you were okay." He grinned, the hoop in his lip glinting from the sunlight.
A smile crossed her face and she pressed a hand to her stomach to quell the pterodactyls rushing about. He was so sweet and considerate. And he was great with the guys, at keeping up with them and making sure they got where they needed to go when they needed to be there. Plus, since they've known each other, (only a week) they've become very good friends and he's very easy to talk to.
"Yeah, i'm fine. Just starving. Wanna grab something to eat?"
Tony was great, definitely. He was funny, when he wasn't being shy, and was so passionate about what he did. She could just tell how much he loved music. It was written on his face every time he picked up his guitar. She loved how his eyes would shine when he talked about something he really cared about. And they glistened when she began talking about her passions.
It kind of surprised her how comfortable she felt when she talked to him. She was usually very reserved and never opened up to people so easily. But, there was something about his goofy smile and welcoming brown eyes that just enveloped her with warmth. When he touched her hand, chills ran through her. She used to feel that way with Zack. It was nice the way Tony looked at her.
"Ember! We're at the first venue. You've been zoned the whole time." Zack chuckled, clapping his hands at her. "You still alive in there?"
She frowned and stuck her tongue out at him, childishly. "I'm gonna go get dressed."
He nodded, turning his head back to the movie on the television screen.
**
Ember hated the fact that they didn't have a shower on the bus. She felt disgusting, only getting to wipe down with a wet cloth to save her from feeling dirty and gritty. Grumbling under her breath, she slid into her dress and sprayed herself with a fruity smelling perfume. She made sure to really coat her underarms with her deodorant. It made her sick to her stomach, almost, to be this gross already. They hadn't even been on the bus for a whole day!
"Can you hurry up? There are others that need to use the bathroom." Alex's voice floated through the door.
Rolling her eyes, she hurriedly pack her make up back up and opened the door to her frowning twin. She grinned up at him, flouncing past him and into the back room again. Zack wolf whistled, slapping her lightly on the butt. She smacked him softly, giggling at his goofy grin.
"You're always so good for my ego." She giggled again. "It's not better than my Donald Duck pajamas though."
He laughed. "Oh, never! Those are so sexy."
She shook her head, but her smile stayed on her face. He always made her feel so comfortable in awkward situations. She was never good with people like her brother was and, honestly, she was jealous of how easily he could talk to people sometimes. He had this way about him that just had people flocking to him. Whereas, she would rather have her face buried in a book with her headphones in, hoping that no one would try to talk to her.
They had been that way since she was a little girl. He was loud and boisterous, always moving around and talking animatedly. She was such a shy child, only having interactions with her brother. It was why she was teased as a girl. Alex always stuck up for her though, never letting anyone get away with hurting her or her feelings. It brought a smile to her face when she thought of how close her and her brother were and always will be.
"What are you all smiley about?"
Speak of the devil, her brother flops down on the couch next to her and tugs on her hair. She swatted at him, frowning as she pulled her hair away from him. He took a swig of his water, before handing her the bottle, knowing that she would want a sip.
"Are you excited?" She asked, crossing her legs and taking another sip.
He nodded. "For sure. I love performing. All of those kids singing along, making you feel like you're actually doing something worthwhile? It's the greatest feeling ever. You're gonna love it. You haven't seen us play in two years."
A frown graced her small lips and she set down her Alex's water. She hadn't realized it had been so long since she'd seen them play live. Being in school takes up a lot of her time and she felt a pang of guilt for not being more supportive of her brother. He was doing something for himself, making himself a name. And she has only been on one tour with them. What kind of sister was she? A horrible one, that's what. He has done nothing but support her decision to go to school and she can barely go to one hometown show. Or even a show near her school!
"Hey, don't get in your head. I know how you are." Alex cooed, tapping her forehead. "I don't blame you. You're doing something you love and it's got your life crazy."
She scooted closer to her brother, putting her head on his shoulder. It was comforting to feel him playing with her hair like she used to force him to do as a child. Now, as adults, it was just an unconscious habit for him to just pick up a strand and mess with it. He used to even braid it when she was younger.
"You know, I'm really proud of you, Lexy." She whispered. "You're really making a name for yourself and kids really look up to you."
She felt him shift beneath her. "Yeah? I'm really proud of you, too, Em. Halfway through school, about to graduate? You're amazing. I never would have been able to do it. You're way smarter than me."
Sitting up, she frowned at her brother. "You are plenty smart! I could never have come up with lyrics or chord progressions and half the stuff that you do. You're plenty smart in your own way."
He grinned at her. "Aww, you love me!"
A frown creased her forehead. "You're an ass."
****
"Ember! I want a piggy back ride!" Jack hollered, running up behind the small girl. "Catch me!"
Said girl tensed and screamed as his weight hit her full force. She grunted in pain and felt her knees buckle beneath the combined weight of herself and Jack's. Normally, she would have no problem being able to give him a piggy back ride. She worked out enough to have the muscle strength to carry him. But, when he slams into her with the force of a freight train, there was no way she wouldn't slam into the ground with him on top of her.
"Jack! Get the fuck off me!" She hollered, grunting in pain. Her palms stung from the gravel digging into them to keep her face from smacking into the ground. Luckily, she didn't hear anything snap under the pressure. "Jack, seriously. Get off me."
"You were supposed to catch me, Em." Jack pouted, climbing off of her.
"Jack! Please, try not to kill my sister?" Alex teased, walking over to help her up. "You okay?"
"I'm a little scraped up, but I'm fine." She smiled. "Thankfully, no broken bones like last time." She shot a look to the lanky guitarist. "No more jumping on me, please. I don't want any hospital trips."
He had the sense to look sheepish as he scuffed the ground with his shoe. "Yes, ma'am. No hospital trips this time around."
Ember rolled her brown eyes. "No hospital trips anytime around."
"Okay, Ember. I promise I won't accidentally put you in the hospital again."
Alex let his sister go and walked off with Jack, leaving the brunette to huff at their antics. It definitely wouldn't be the first time those two idiots had accidentally put her in the hospital. The time they dared her to jump from the tallest branch in their favorite tree when they were ten was sticking out vividly in her mind. She let out a small chuckle and brushed her dress off once more. She was just lucky that she didn't break her ankle in these shoes.
"Are you alright?"
Ember jumped, so lost in her thoughts she didn't realize Matt had snuck up behind her. She pressed her hand to her chest, attempting to regain her breath.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I saw Jack basically jump you earlier and wanted to make sure you were okay." He grinned, the hoop in his lip glinting from the sunlight.
A smile crossed her face and she pressed a hand to her stomach to quell the pterodactyls rushing about. He was so sweet and considerate. And he was great with the guys, at keeping up with them and making sure they got where they needed to go when they needed to be there. Plus, since they've known each other, (only a week) they've become very good friends and he's very easy to talk to.
"Yeah, i'm fine. Just starving. Wanna grab something to eat?"