The Sound of a Ghost

"Eeuw, Watson, what is THAT?"I shrieked, staring at the contents of the bus sink. Nick peered over my shoulder.

"Lunch."

"From when? 3 BC?"

"Noooo. Tuesday." I sighed and let my head hang. It was Saturday. It was an extremely trying thing to be the only girl in a band.

"Hey ladies, can we please try to keep the bus a little clean? Just a fucking little bit?!" I cried, completely exasperated. FIve heads turned to stare at me.

"Y'know, the ladies bit doesn't work well if the one saying it is actually a girl." Theo said from his position on the couch next to Pat Kirch, Trusting Yesterday's drummer.

"Shut your mouth, Theodore Anderson." I hissed, throwing a dish towel at him.

"What's with you, Kai? You've been in a muddle of nerves all morning. Shouldn't you be excited? New tour!" I sighed and sat down on the couch, resting my head on David Waters, the rythm guitarist's, shoulders. Trusting Yesterday had been added to the Emery Tour a couple months ago. It was a coveted spot and I had been pumped up for it. Emery Headlining, Mayday Parade, Trusting Yesterday, As Cities Burn, and Cry of the Afflicated. But then the As Cities Burn's Drummer broke his wrist and they had to pull out of the tour.

"Toby called this morning. The band replacing As Cities Burn is in." This had been what had been contributing to my bad mood. I looked at Theo and Nick,

"It's Pierce the Veil." Theo choked on the redbull he was drinking.

"PtV? Like Mike and Vic's PtV?" I nodded sullenly.

"Am I missing something here?" Pat cut in, glancing between us.

"Aren't Pierce the Veil another band from San Diego? I love local bands." David said, completely oblivious. I looked over at Pat.

"The band I was with before you guys turning into PtV" I mumbled.

"The bass competition band?" I snuggled deeper into David's shoulder and nodded.

"Well there's a bright side here! You'll see your best friends and brother!" I sat up and looked at Nick, weighing the positives and negatives.

"Yeah, and I'm pumped for that, seriously, but I'll also see Hi-me." I grumbled.

"Oh my God, I remember! Isn't that the jerk that took your spot?" David exclaimed.

"Thanks for joining the conversation, Dave. And I sorta left, I guess." I shrugged.

"But that means we got to keep you!" David said, pulling me into a tight hug. I giggled and ruffled his hair.

"Exactly. Totally worth it, David." I flicked his nose. THe bus slowly rolled to a halt. I jumped up, fixing a positive attitude in place. I mean, I do get to see my friends, right?

"Everyone who doesn't talk funny, off the bus!" I shouted.

"Hey!" Nick and Theo shouted.

"I'm just worried you'll embarress me, boys." I laughed and jumped off the bus, Pat following after me. Pat Kirch and I had immediately connected, with his hyperactivity rivaling Vic's, we became fast friends and I was definelty tightest with him in the band.

"Walk away, me boys, walk away, me boys. And by morning we'll be freeeeee. Wipe that golden tear from your mother dear and raise what's left of the flag for me!" I shouted as I skipped across the tar, light heartedly. Pat raised an eyebrow at me.

"How old are you again?"

"20...shut up." I laughed pushing his shoulder and laughing.

"Hey, It's Pat Kirch and Kailyn Perry of Trusting Yesterday...singing Flogging Molly..." We both stopped and turned at the sound of a third voice.

"Yo, Dj Rosstar!" Pat called, waving. I smiled and gave him a two finger wave.

"What's up?" He strode over to us, a guy holding a handheld camera following him.

"What's going on guys?" Rossstar asked when he reached us.

"Not too much, you?"

"Filming some stuff from the start of the tour for buzznet. You wanna say yo?"

"Yes, sir mr. rossstar, sir! Camera man, warm her up!" Pat shouted, pointing his hand in the air.

"And how old are YOU, Mr. Kirch?" I mocked, hands on hips. Pat rubbed the back of his head abashed.

"22...shut up."

"You guys do know the camera's been on the entire time, right?" Our heads flew to the camera lens and I felt my cheeks heat. Pat and I waved shyly.

"Hiiiiii Buzznet." We said. DJ laughed and turned to the camera.

"Alright, kids. We've got Kailyn Perry and Pat Kirch, the Bass and drums of Trusting Yesterday. They're on the tour with Emery and have agreed to talk to us for a bit so let's get started. This question is from SuperXHighX Are you excited to get started?"

"Totally. We haven't toured in about a month and it's great to take a break but after a couple of days you're like 'ok, I'm bored, let's go tour again.'" Pat supplied the answer.

"Not to mention they usually start doing really dumb stuff around that time, like sneaking into water parks and thinking that because they're in a band all the cops know them and would let it slide." I added.

"Once, Kai! I did that once!" Pat squealed.

"This one is from alexATL for Kailyn, who's better in bed, Alex Gaskarth or Jack Barakat?" DJ let out a little laugh and looked back at the card and then up at me. I burst out laughing.

"Jesus, that's Alex Gaskarth's screen name, isn't it? Christ." I said though my laughter. We had toured with All Time Low about 6 months ago and I had sent in a question when DJ Rossstar had been interviewing them. Pat raised his hand.

"I can answer that! It's Jack, all the way!" All four of us laughed, including the camera man.

"Whoa, dude. You can't laugh! You'll shake the camera and make it all wobbly like in Cloverfield, like this-" I grasped the sides of the camera and started shaking it.

"Ok, now that we have made our viewers sufficiently motion sick-"

"Builds character!" I interjected.

"-next question. From Songbird: There's a rumor going around that Theo is gay. Is it true?" Pat and I shared a glance and I was about to answer when Theo walked off the bus and over to us.

"Please, you think a straight guy could have this great of hair?" he said. I rolled my eyes.

"You get used to the whole diva thing."

"...ok then. From TrustingAmanda: Who are you most excited to be touring with?"

"Probably Pierce the Veil." Pat answered.

"Aren't they from San Diego as well?" DJ asked.

"Yuh huh. We're really tight. Basically family." Theo supplied.

"Literally." I laughed. DJ's head cocked to the side.

"Tony's my older brother and Vic and Mike were my best friends for basically ever up until about 2 years ago when I joined Trusting Yesterday. I haven't seen them in a little over six months because of touring and stuff, but they called me on my birthday and whatever. I'm stoked to see them again." I replied.

"What about Jaime?" My heart stopped and I had to fight to keep a pleasent look on my face.

"I only knew him for a little bit before I left California and haven't really kept in touch. He's an amazing bassist, though." Dj Rossstar seemed to accept this insanely vague answer and moved on.

"You're related to Tony Perry? How's it feel to have scores of girls after your brother?" I wrinkled my nose.

"Ugh, ew. I'm still claim blissfull ignornance of all the nasty things girls want to do to him. I question these girl's fucking sanity, man." I replied, shaking my head in disgust.

"Alright, well we're all set for now. Gotta go talk to some others. Thanks a lot, guys." DJ said. We all thanked him and joined David and Nick who were just stepping off the bus. Nick draped an arm around my shoulder.

"You okay, love? He kind of blindsighted you with that Hi-me question." He asked quietly. I sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"You know what? Yeah. I'm good."

"Good. You've grown up a lot, Kai. A lot looser, less uptight, happier then you were when I met you. Don't let him bring you down, yeah?" I smiled and nodded, patting his hand.

"Of course not. Hi-me will never get to me. Please." I laughed. Nick lifted his arm off me and walked a couple paces ahead, stepping up the stairs onto the Emery bus.

"I mean, it's not like you're still in love with him or anything." I froze. Still in love with him? Not possible. Not after not seeing him for two years, right?

"Kai?" I looked back up at Nick.

"What? Of course not!" I forced lightly. Nick returned the smile and walked into the RV. My smile dimmed, but I followed after Nick.

There was no way I was still in love with Hi-me.

No way.