Confessions of a Merch girl
Four
It must have been around half one in the morning when I got to the bus. I rinsed the sticky mess off my face and reapplied my make-up. I couldn’t have been any longer than 20 minutes. I was being as quick as I could; it was no fun being the sober one. I stepped off the bus, slamming the door shut behind me. As I made my way back to the entrance, I could just make out a figure outside All Time Low’s bus. I stopped walking for a second, considering if I should go check it out or not. It was definitely a guy, I could tell by his build. And by the way he swayed and staggered by the door it was obvious he was drunk. Curiosity got the best of me and I walked towards him.
“Hello? You okay?” I called from a distance. His head shot round with a goofy grin, like a child being caught doing something they shouldn’t. It was impossible not to recognise that smile.
“Jack? What are you doing out here? You’re missing the party!”
“I was just…” he rattled the door handle, slurring his words. He really must have been knocking the drinks back; he was fine when I left him by the bar. It made me wonder what kind of mess the other guys were in. I groaned internally. None of the boys dealt with hangovers well.
“It won’t open!” He was pulling the door so hard he staggered backwards; I managed to pull him upright before he fell. He just laughed like a school girl.
“Somebody’s been hitting the bottle pretty hard” I chuckled.
“Do you feel okay hun?” He didn’t speak, he just nodded. His eyes were glazed over and he looked completely out of it.
“Let me try” I took my arm out from around Jack’s waist slowly, making sure he could stand. I turned the handle and the door swung open with ease. I turned to jack with raised eyebrows and a smile as if to say ‘really?’. He just grinned and shrugged, walking towards the door. He must of caught his foot on something because before I could do anything he was flying forward. He smacked his head on a counter on the way down.
“FUCKING.OW” He shouted as he was led face down on the floor. I rushed over to his side cussing under my breath, the sound his head made when hitting the side was sickening.
“Jack? Jack, dude? Can you hear me? Shit” I held my breath as I turned him over to assess the damage. His head was bleeding but it didn’t look deep, it was going to bruise badly though.
“Jesus Jack! You okay?” He looked at me, even more spaced out than before. He held my gaze for a few long seconds before a strange expression crossed his face, it wasn’t an expression I liked the look of.
“Jack?” My face creased with worry. He slowly opened his mouth to speak.
“I think I’m gunna-“ I rushed to the sink to grab a bowl, but I wasn’t quick enough. Jack didn’t even have the time to sit up before he vomited all over his shirt. My nose wrinkled involuntarily. Jack looked at me with apologetic eyes.
“C’mon trouble, let’s get you up” I smiled at him reassuringly, suppressing the urge to gag. The smell was pretty terrible. He picked him up under his arms and sat him down on the leather sofas. Their tour bus was so flashy. Everything was in perfect condition, shiny and tidy. It was immaculate. Well, apart from the blood stain that was now in the carpet.
With Jack’s permission, I pulled his shirt over his head and rummaged around for a clean one in his stuff. I handed him the clean one threw the dirty one straight in the wash. I turned round to find Jack trying to push his head through an arm hole.
“Wait a sec, wrong way round” I chuckled, twisting the shirt round the right way whilst he fidgeted underneath like a 5 year old. I ruffled his hair as it appeared out of the neck hole.
I poured him a glass of water and sat next to him, keeping the bucket on my lap. I held the glass in front of his face.
“Drink! Or you’re going to feel like a trains hit you tomorrow” He groaned and took it from me, taking a small sip before almost dropping it onto the floor. It wobbled violently before it stabilised itself. I wrapped an ice tray in a towel, sat back down and held it against his head. He winced softly. He leant on me heavily, resting his head on my shoulder and shutting his eyes. I wasn’t sure how mortified he was going to be tomorrow, or if he’d even remember.
“What’s your name?” He broke the silence, making me jump ever so slightly. I looked down to meet his gaze, but his eyes were still closed.
“Violet”
He chuckled weakly with amusement.
“Your name matches your hair”
“Yeah, I guess it does” I grinned. Jack went quiet again, he was falling asleep.
“I think Jack’s ready for bed”
He scrunched up his face with disapproval, making a whining noise. With a huff he lifted his head and opened his eyes. I wrapped my arm around his waist and helped him over to his bunk. I sat him down on the edge of his bed and pulled off his shoes. Jack snuggled himself down under his covers, burying his head in his pillow.
“You going to be okay by yourself? You don’t feel dizzy or weird or anything?” I asked, placing my hand on his forehead. He shook his head sleepily with closed eyes, his duvet under his chin. I smiled and turned to leave.
“Violet?” a small voice came from Jack’s bunk.
“Yeah Jack?”
“Thankyou” He held his arms out, asking for a hug. I turned and bent down, hugging him.
“Night Jack”
"Night Vi" I smiled at him using my shortened name. It made my cheeks warm for some reason i didnt understand. I turned out the light and softly closed the door as I left.
“Hello? You okay?” I called from a distance. His head shot round with a goofy grin, like a child being caught doing something they shouldn’t. It was impossible not to recognise that smile.
“Jack? What are you doing out here? You’re missing the party!”
“I was just…” he rattled the door handle, slurring his words. He really must have been knocking the drinks back; he was fine when I left him by the bar. It made me wonder what kind of mess the other guys were in. I groaned internally. None of the boys dealt with hangovers well.
“It won’t open!” He was pulling the door so hard he staggered backwards; I managed to pull him upright before he fell. He just laughed like a school girl.
“Somebody’s been hitting the bottle pretty hard” I chuckled.
“Do you feel okay hun?” He didn’t speak, he just nodded. His eyes were glazed over and he looked completely out of it.
“Let me try” I took my arm out from around Jack’s waist slowly, making sure he could stand. I turned the handle and the door swung open with ease. I turned to jack with raised eyebrows and a smile as if to say ‘really?’. He just grinned and shrugged, walking towards the door. He must of caught his foot on something because before I could do anything he was flying forward. He smacked his head on a counter on the way down.
“FUCKING.OW” He shouted as he was led face down on the floor. I rushed over to his side cussing under my breath, the sound his head made when hitting the side was sickening.
“Jack? Jack, dude? Can you hear me? Shit” I held my breath as I turned him over to assess the damage. His head was bleeding but it didn’t look deep, it was going to bruise badly though.
“Jesus Jack! You okay?” He looked at me, even more spaced out than before. He held my gaze for a few long seconds before a strange expression crossed his face, it wasn’t an expression I liked the look of.
“Jack?” My face creased with worry. He slowly opened his mouth to speak.
“I think I’m gunna-“ I rushed to the sink to grab a bowl, but I wasn’t quick enough. Jack didn’t even have the time to sit up before he vomited all over his shirt. My nose wrinkled involuntarily. Jack looked at me with apologetic eyes.
“C’mon trouble, let’s get you up” I smiled at him reassuringly, suppressing the urge to gag. The smell was pretty terrible. He picked him up under his arms and sat him down on the leather sofas. Their tour bus was so flashy. Everything was in perfect condition, shiny and tidy. It was immaculate. Well, apart from the blood stain that was now in the carpet.
With Jack’s permission, I pulled his shirt over his head and rummaged around for a clean one in his stuff. I handed him the clean one threw the dirty one straight in the wash. I turned round to find Jack trying to push his head through an arm hole.
“Wait a sec, wrong way round” I chuckled, twisting the shirt round the right way whilst he fidgeted underneath like a 5 year old. I ruffled his hair as it appeared out of the neck hole.
I poured him a glass of water and sat next to him, keeping the bucket on my lap. I held the glass in front of his face.
“Drink! Or you’re going to feel like a trains hit you tomorrow” He groaned and took it from me, taking a small sip before almost dropping it onto the floor. It wobbled violently before it stabilised itself. I wrapped an ice tray in a towel, sat back down and held it against his head. He winced softly. He leant on me heavily, resting his head on my shoulder and shutting his eyes. I wasn’t sure how mortified he was going to be tomorrow, or if he’d even remember.
“What’s your name?” He broke the silence, making me jump ever so slightly. I looked down to meet his gaze, but his eyes were still closed.
“Violet”
He chuckled weakly with amusement.
“Your name matches your hair”
“Yeah, I guess it does” I grinned. Jack went quiet again, he was falling asleep.
“I think Jack’s ready for bed”
He scrunched up his face with disapproval, making a whining noise. With a huff he lifted his head and opened his eyes. I wrapped my arm around his waist and helped him over to his bunk. I sat him down on the edge of his bed and pulled off his shoes. Jack snuggled himself down under his covers, burying his head in his pillow.
“You going to be okay by yourself? You don’t feel dizzy or weird or anything?” I asked, placing my hand on his forehead. He shook his head sleepily with closed eyes, his duvet under his chin. I smiled and turned to leave.
“Violet?” a small voice came from Jack’s bunk.
“Yeah Jack?”
“Thankyou” He held his arms out, asking for a hug. I turned and bent down, hugging him.
“Night Jack”
"Night Vi" I smiled at him using my shortened name. It made my cheeks warm for some reason i didnt understand. I turned out the light and softly closed the door as I left.
1/16/13