by Lyra Parish
Jenny stood and set the plate in the sink.
"You're not going to lick the sauce from the plate too?"
She walked to the pan with sauce, stuck her finger in it, then put that finger in her mouth. "Nope. I'm good."
"I guess I should be getting back to the bus," Elizabeth said.
"What's the rush? You should stay here," Jenny said.
"I need to change clothes and get ready for tonight. I've had a great time though." Elizabeth looked at me, then shyly looked away. She was doing it again—playing with my heartstrings. Jenny let out a humph and glanced at me but held out her hand and helped Elizabeth stand.
"Crap, can you grab my clothes?" she asked.
I stood and picked them from the couch and handed them to Jenny who tucked them into her arms. Before walking off the bus, Elizabeth looked over her shoulder and smiled at me.
"Thank you," she said.
I tilted my head at her and gave her a smile. This was not how I expected the events of the day to take place at all, and though I wasn't happy that she’d hurt herself, I was grateful to be a knight in shining armor for her.
"Anytime, babe," I said.
She gave me one last smile then stepped off. I sucked in a deep breath and watched her and Jenny make their way across the parking lot—slowly, but steady.
I sat at the table and interlocked my fingers while staring out the window. The wind blew through the trees and clouds filled the sky. Light scattered across the parking lot along with the busy crew setting up for tonight's show.
I didn't know what I was doing. I ran my fingers through my hair and rolled my neck around until it popped a few times. Right then I decided I'd go with the flow and see where it brought me, but somehow I knew it would lead me straight to Elizabeth Riley.
Hours passed and I couldn't say how long I stayed in that position staring out the window lost in my thoughts. Before too long, Jex, Nik, and Rex were boarding the bus laughing and cutting up.
"Whoa. What the hell is wrong with you?" Rex asked.
"He's love sick," Nik said.
"Holy shit! You weren't lying," Jex teased.
I shook my head knowing this wasn't a battle I would win. After growing up with them, I learned quick that three against one was a thing.
"We need to be out there in fifteen minutes," Nik said. "Change your clothes, brush your teeth, and put your damn shoes on."
"Yes, Mom," I said.
"Oh that reminds me. Don't forget we have dinner with the parents after the show," Rex said.
"Mom and Dad are going to be backstage. We calling them out?" I asked.
"You better fuckin' believe it. Mom says she hates it but I think she gets a kick out of it." Rex nudged Nik.
I walked to my room and looked through my clothes. I decided on a white t-shirt that had WORD written in script across the front and some black pants. I slipped on a pair of Nike Dunks and was on my way.
As soon as we walked outside, I could hear music echoing from the stage and the crowd was already going wild. I knew that the blue stadium seats were full of people along with the lawn. Twenty thousand people meant a sold out venue, and they weren't unheard of. The four of us huddled side stage, putting our foreheads together and holding each other tight. We were like football players getting ready to make the call that would win the game, but we had already won.
Our pre-show music slowed down and reversed, the lights went low then faded to black. The screams of the crowd overpowered everything. The flashes from cell phones gave away our sneak entrance. We stood there for a few seconds in silence. When the lights blinked on, the song would start.
5…
4…
3…
2…
1…
Guitars and drums all came in at once and the crowd went insane. I stood on the edge of the stage, playing towards the crowd, smiling out at everyone. Hands reached toward me and I took a few steps back and moved toward Nik. We soloed together, then on cue, we jumped in the air at the same time. When I played in front of people, it felt like an out-of-body experience, kind of like I was watching myself entertain the masses. My mouth would sing the lyrics but I never felt like any of it was real. It helped me to not take it all for granted.
We played hard and put all that we were into our music when we played. Sweat rolled down our faces and I wiped mine away with the band I wore around my wrist. Tons of musicians wore them; we actually stole the idea from tennis players. When I was onstage, I couldn't think about anything else but the current song. When I looked down at my list, I realized we were already halfway through the set. Before starting the next song, I placed my hand over my lips and the entire stadium of 20,000 people quieted—powerful!
"There's a very special lady I have to introduce before we go any further. She is my everything."
The faces of the women in the crowd slightly went from smiles to straight faces. When I did this, it always confused them.
"I love her with all of my heart," I said, looking over side stage. For a second, I caught a glimpse of Elizabeth's body but I couldn't make out her face.
"She made me promise to never do this again, but I'm not always one to follow the rules," I said. The crowd went crazy.
"Everyone. I'd like to introduce you to my mom!"
Hoots and hollers and cheers and claps filled the entire arena. My mother, as cute as a button, walked out shaking her finger at me.
"Oh and I can't forget the man that helped make all this magic happen," I said, waving my hand for my dad to join us, which he did.
"These two people right here raised us to be good kids. I bet they never thought we'd be here today."
I gave my mom and dad a huge hug on stage. Rex sat his drumsticks down and came and hugged them too then followed Jex and Nik. We were one big happy family.
"Okay, okay. Now cover your ears, Mom. We're about to play a song with bad words."
She smiled and she and my dad walked off hand-in-hand. I hoped to one day have a loving relationship like theirs.
"Aren't they the best?"
The crowd screamed a big "YES!!"
"Now, you better all get your asses up and let's get this place jumping." As soon as I played the first note, everyone went absolutely crazy jumping up and down. The crowd moved in waves as the lights flashed across their faces. People were being lifted up and surfed over hands. It was almost mesmerizing to watch bodies jump to the beat. When I played “One Night Stand,” I didn't call anyone up on stage. There were tons of disappointed women; many who’d gotten all dressed up and fought their way through the pit during the song. It kind of made me laugh. I didn't want to be that desperate guy anymore. The thought of who I was a week ago, disgusted me.
After the last song, I took my guitar off and threw it across the stage to Romeo, who caught it perfectly. The four of us walked offstage, sweaty with smiles on our faces. The lights lowered but the crowd kept on. We chugged bottles of water before going back on and playing our encore. Each show we tried to mix it up with what we played, pulling old school songs from our repertoire. When the show was over, I walked side stage where my parents stood. I made eye contact with Elizabeth and smiled at her as my mother wrapped her arm around my waist. I looked back over my shoulder at her and winked, and all she could do was smile. I hoped my heart wasn't playing tricks on me.
21
Elizabeth
For a moment during the show, I thought Ace would call me on stage. I quickly began to panic, but soon realized the older couple who were watching the band with huge grins were their parents. Thank God. I felt such a huge weight roll off my chest when his mother walked out. If he were to call me onstage, I would have stood exactly where I was and not moved a single muscle. I would have become a chameleon and tried to blend in and become one with my surroundings. Thankfully, though, that hadn’t happened.
Once the show was over, the crowds moved out and the stage crew started their routine. Romeo gave me a smile as he wrapped long cables
around his arms. Miley walked past me as I slowly hobbled backstage and stopped then turned around.
"Do you need help?"
"No. I've got it. Slowly but surely wins the race."
She shook her head and wrapped her arm across my back and I looped mine around her shoulder. I was happy there was finally someone close to my height. It seemed everyone around me was giant sized.
"I heard about your trip," she said.
"Well, it wasn't a luxurious one."
I could tell she wanted to get back to what she was doing, but refused to let me walk as slow as Christmas across the parking lot. I saw Band of Brothers signing countless autographs and the pools of people falling behind the crowd to get something—anything—signed.
"They are probably going to be there a while," she said with a smile.
"I'm sure they will."
She walked me to bus number six, and instead of climbing on, I stood there and texted my mother. Seeing Ace with his family and his parents reminded me that I needed to check in with mine.
Me: Hey mom! I love you.
Mom: Hey honey. How's the tour?
Me: Great other than me falling.
Mom: Oh dear. Are you okay?
Me: Yes, mom. I love you. But I've got to go. Tell Dad I love him.
Mom: Will do. I love you too. Call me later.
Me: I will.
The cool breeze brushed across my skin and I leaned one shoulder against the bus and watched the crowd dissipate slowly. Most people would get their souvenirs signed then stand around and wait for the brothers to walk away. It was cute. After thirty more minutes, they waved to everyone, signing last-minute items, then stepped onto the bus. People waited around for quite a while before realizing they weren't coming back out. A black SUV rolled up outside of the bus and Ace's mom knocked on the door. The brothers stumbled out one-by-one, laughing. They had all changed clothes. I turned my head for a second feeling like I was imposing on their family moment. From the corner of my eye, I saw a body run across the parking lot. Ace stepped out of the SUV and wrapped his arms around Jenny. She playfully punched him in the stomach and he placed his hand on her back as Ace's mother got out and hugged her. My mouth dropped open and I was so confused as to why she would be going with them and why they all seemed so close, unless she was or had dated one of them. It made no sense. I heard the clearing of a throat behind me and I turned to see Sarah, who looked me up and down and made a face.
"Can I help you?" I said, not intimidated.
"Where is your best friend going?" she asked.
I crossed my arms and glared at her. "It's not my business."
"It should be. She and Ace…" She stopped abruptly but my face didn’t change.
"Are you done now?" I asked, feeling my insides burn.
She laughed, rolled her eyes at me, then stepped onto the bus. So many different scenarios jogged through my mind. There was no way she was dating one of them. Was she? Would she keep that a secret from me? I had asked her, but she did have the code to their bus. She showed up at inopportune times. My breathing increased and I had to get ahold of myself, but I felt like a fool, a dumb girl. My head was spinning around thinking about Ace. Jenny. I tucked my bottom lip into my mouth and leaned my back against the bus and looked up at the sky, hoping to see stars. Clouds swiftly moved across the moon and covered my heart. I couldn't think straight. Too many things didn't make sense and I wasn't seeing things clearly.
Frodo walked past me, pulled a flask from his jacket and smiled.
"You look like you need a few swigs of this," he said.
I grabbed it and drank and drank. My throat burned and I sucked in air while coughing.
"Geez, girl. Watch out. This is moonshine, not regular juice."
"You watch out. I might finish your flask."
"I like your style. Help yourself. There's more where that came from," he said.
I took the flask and let the burning trickle down my throat like a cinnamon-flavored forest fire. After a few seconds, I closed my eyes and coughed to try and clear my throat. He walked onto the bus, refilled the flask, and came back. Because he was smart, he took small sips. We rested our backs against the bus and made jokes as people walked by. My filter had vanished and so had my taste buds. I wanted to forget tonight. I wanted to forget what I saw and what the bitch said and let loose.
"We're going to the Howling Moon after we're finished because we aren't leaving until tomorrow. Want to join us?”
"Are you kidding? I fucking love dueling piano bars." I raised the flask in the air and hummed a song swinging it back and forth. The moonshine had taken away all my inhibitions and I felt like I was looking at myself from afar.
"You're already wasted. This should be fun. We're leaving in about thirty minutes. It's around the corner. Can you walk?"
"Pffftt. Yes," I said.
He laughed and patted me on the shoulder, took the flask from my hand, then walked across the parking lot shaking his head laughing.
I took a few steps forward and wobbled from the booze.
I didn't know what tonight would hold, but I welcomed it with open arms even though I was a hot mess.
22
Ace
Dinner with the family was the best. Of course we cut up in the normal Hathway fashion. It had been almost a year since we were all together in one place at the same time. People stared at us, our parents told us to keep it down, and we ate as much as a small village. On the way back to the bus, all I could think about was Elizabeth and what she was doing. I unlocked my phone and typed three different texts and deleted them all.
"Just text her. You're being ridiculous," Jenny said.
"Don't make me tell on you," I laughed.
"Don’t make me tell on you," she repeated.
"I dare you." I whispered.
She crossed her arms and smiled, looking out the window up at all the buildings.
When we pulled into the parking lot, Dad turned around and looked at the group of us. "You kids behave. We love you."
Mom smiled and Rex filled in with a big loud "Awwwwwwwww".
Dad shook his head and we all climbed out of the SUV. We exchanged hugs and I love you's and promised a big get-together in Los Angeles as soon as we returned from the summer tour.
"We’ll be home for a few weeks after the tour," I said. "Get the barbecue pit ready, Dad."
He laughed and patted me on the back. "Proud of you, son."
I couldn't help but smile. It would never get old hearing my dad say those words. Never.
After we all stood and waved them good-bye, I pulled my phone from my pocket and texted her.
Me: Hey you.
No reply. I waited another five minutes.
Me: Hey. What are you up to?
Her: None of your business.
I guess I deserved that response.
"Hey. Everyone is at the piano bar. Wanna go?" Jenny asked.
"Do you think . . ." I trailed off thinking about Elizabeth and Jenny understood.
"Yes, she's there."
I smiled. "Good."
We walked across the parking lot and down the sidewalk. I could already hear the pianos screaming out Journey. I wrapped my arm around Jenny's shoulder and we were laughing as we walked inside. “Don't Stop Believing” rang out throughout the room. People were dancing and drinking and having a good time. My eyes searched through the crowd until I found her sitting at a bar stool laughing with her mouth open and head thrown back. She saw me enter as well and lifted her drink at me, then shook her head. I removed my arm from Jenny's shoulder and looked at her. Jenny nodded her head at me, knowing that I would go to Elizabeth.
When I made my way to her, she plopped down from the bar stool and limped toward the bathroom and I followed her. In the hallway, icicle lights hung from the ceiling creating a warm ambient glow.
"Elizabeth," I said.
She stopped and looked up at the lights but refused to turn around. I placed my hand on her should
er and she turned and looked up at me. Her face was serious.
"If you and Jenny have something going on…"
I narrowed my eyes at her. It took a few seconds to process what she was saying, then the laughter followed. It was deep, hearty laughter that came straight from the tummy. She tilted her head and scrunched her face at me. Apparently the joke wasn't funny to her.
"I don't think so," I said between chuckles. "I'm not into dating my sister."
Her eyes widened. "Hardly anyone knows. It's a huge secret."
Her mouth dropped open and she looked as if she were recalling every single instant of us being together. I took a few steps forward. Elizabeth leaned her back against the wall while she stared at the floor.
"I'm sorry. I thought she told you," I whispered and ran my thumb across her bottom lip.
We stood inches from one another. She blinked slow, then looked up at me.
"I feel absolutely ridiculous," she said.
"Don't."
She wore a shirt that fell off her shoulders and showed the softness of her skin. Her hair was parted on the side and she was wearing bright red lipstick. Elizabeth was a tigress, ready to rip out my heart.
"You look beautiful."
When she bit her bottom lip, I couldn't stop staring. I wanted and needed to taste her. I ran my fingers up her neck and threaded them through her hair and pulled her close to me. She gasped and closed her eyes, causing me to hesitate. My heart pitter-pattered in my chest and a burst of adrenaline shot through me. I wanted to kiss her. I wanted to feel the softness of her lips on mine. Thinking about it was driving me crazy. I placed my palm flat above her head on the wall and closed my eyes. We were close, so close that her breath was warm against my skin. I moved in, teasing her, not touching her lips, and the anticipation of what was about to happen was almost too much for me to handle. Her breath became ragged and I couldn't hold back any longer. Slowly I moved forward, grazing my bottom lip against hers. She held back a moan and I threaded my fingers with hers before our lips completely pressed together. Once they touched, I became lost in her taste. Light playful kisses soon turned into a tumble of lips. I thought I was greedy, but nothing compared to Elizabeth as she wrapped her arms around my neck and playfully threaded her fingers through my hair. She stood on her tiptoes as her tongue twisted with mine.
