Confessions of a Merch girl
One
“Just a coffee.” I was having trouble understanding how the guys could eat this crap day after day on tour. I could hear them laughing behind me and I didn’t try to guess what they found so humorous, it could have been something as random as the colour of the floor tiles for all I knew. I’d learnt not to ask when it came to them, being the only girl had its challenges sometimes. The server smiled sweetly and handed me my coffee, I thanked him and sat down to the table of rowdy men I call my family for most of the year.
“What’s up with the lack of calories violet? Is it starting to hit your hips?” Ben smiled cheekily and raised his eyebrows. I returned a smile, glaring through narrowed eyes. This was part of the precious time we got to relax and refuel; being part of a crew was so much more tiring than I had thought. But it was still so worth it. I had been on a few tours now and met a lot of amazing people; I knew how lucky I was. Today was the first day of a new tour. The same happens on every tour, there are always familiar faces. These people are what keep my feet on the ground, stop me getting home sick.
“Well, we can’t all pull of a … fuller physique like you Ben.” The group laughed, a wide smile spread across my face. I bit the edge of my lip to let him know I was only playing. Ben mockingly wiped away an invisible tear and carried on eating his burger. They were all as good as my brothers. Just across from us, the rest of the crew sat together, their voices thick with an American accent. The best accent in my opinion, I was a sucker for it. If I sounded like that, you would never be able to shut me up. I smiled to myself thinking of how much I was going to enjoy this tour.
Everybody finished their food and we made our way back to the venue, none of us were in a rush. Apart from occasionally having to deal with a drunken Neanderthal, I had a pretty easy job doing merchandise compared to the boys. Even when I did get grief, the boys always had my back. Just outside the entrance my phone rang, I knew I had a few minutes to spare for my best friend.
“Hello” I said, a smile spreading across my face involuntarily.
“Oh, so you are alive then!” I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. I hadn’t been able to answer her calls lately.
“I’m sorry, you know how it is. So many American men, so little time” She laughed loudly and I knew I had been forgiven. It was good to hear the sound.
“You laughed, I’m off the hook” Just as the words escaped from my mouth, I noticed two men stood in ear shot of me. The smiles on their faces told me I was far from it. I couldn’t remove the embarrassment from my expression. The smirk disappeared from my face; I turned my back to them trying to hide my reddening face.
“…Hello?” I realised Grace had been talking away, unaware of the fool I was making of myself.
“Yeah? Sorry, I’m here.”
“What’s up with the lack of calories violet? Is it starting to hit your hips?” Ben smiled cheekily and raised his eyebrows. I returned a smile, glaring through narrowed eyes. This was part of the precious time we got to relax and refuel; being part of a crew was so much more tiring than I had thought. But it was still so worth it. I had been on a few tours now and met a lot of amazing people; I knew how lucky I was. Today was the first day of a new tour. The same happens on every tour, there are always familiar faces. These people are what keep my feet on the ground, stop me getting home sick.
“Well, we can’t all pull of a … fuller physique like you Ben.” The group laughed, a wide smile spread across my face. I bit the edge of my lip to let him know I was only playing. Ben mockingly wiped away an invisible tear and carried on eating his burger. They were all as good as my brothers. Just across from us, the rest of the crew sat together, their voices thick with an American accent. The best accent in my opinion, I was a sucker for it. If I sounded like that, you would never be able to shut me up. I smiled to myself thinking of how much I was going to enjoy this tour.
Everybody finished their food and we made our way back to the venue, none of us were in a rush. Apart from occasionally having to deal with a drunken Neanderthal, I had a pretty easy job doing merchandise compared to the boys. Even when I did get grief, the boys always had my back. Just outside the entrance my phone rang, I knew I had a few minutes to spare for my best friend.
“Hello” I said, a smile spreading across my face involuntarily.
“Oh, so you are alive then!” I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. I hadn’t been able to answer her calls lately.
“I’m sorry, you know how it is. So many American men, so little time” She laughed loudly and I knew I had been forgiven. It was good to hear the sound.
“You laughed, I’m off the hook” Just as the words escaped from my mouth, I noticed two men stood in ear shot of me. The smiles on their faces told me I was far from it. I couldn’t remove the embarrassment from my expression. The smirk disappeared from my face; I turned my back to them trying to hide my reddening face.
“…Hello?” I realised Grace had been talking away, unaware of the fool I was making of myself.
“Yeah? Sorry, I’m here.”
1/16/13