Destined To Explode

Tour is something that takes a little time to learn to enjoy. The first few days were rough, early wake up calls to do heavy lifting and hard math, usually followed by more work, my forte becoming helping Jeff lay out the wires for the lighting but I did my fair share of runner work too, often fetching takeout food or decent coffee for everyone. It didn’t take long for my sleeping schedule to be ruined either; late nights and early mornings meant midday naps and there were days where I completely lost track of the date and time until I had to ask someone to remind me. How these guys did this for the majority of their years, I have no clue but it was going to take me weeks to get it back to normal again.

I also find myself relaxing in the weirdest places, down time is hard to find when the venue is usually bustling with people and the bus is surrounded by screaming girls. Leant against boxes behind the merch table became a favourite of mine but huddled away in the gear truck was also nice, despite the cold weather. By the time we hit the two week mark, the stress of everything has died down and I’m embracing it all, dragging my tasks out a little like Vinny, wasting my time doing menial things and not worrying so much about sleep because that’s what days off are used for; resting.

Alex and I are still remarkably strong even to say that our time together is limited; Alex usually spending his time sound checking or doing a meet and greet while I have my free time for during the day, but it works somehow. I guess that sharing the same bunk has its upsides. Jack and I don’t clash as much as I had expected either, we just both tend to annoy everyone else, bounding around the bus either too early or too late for everyone else’s liking and it’s something that I can’t deny that I get a laugh out of.

After we have been on tour for almost four weeks, it’s like being on a road trip with a bunch of friends. Travis and the rest of We The Kings are a huge source of amusement for me when Vinny goes to help backstage, something that occurs depending on the size of the crowd and previous experiences with the city. Dan and Travis always try to come and help sell Glamour Kills merch with me, pissing off the local help that are unlucky enough to have to work behind the table all night seeing as their presence usually draws a little crowd over even though All Time Low are usually on stage by now. Cass and I often shuffle off to gossip, being the only two girls on tour at the moment can get frustrating for the both of us because no matter how much we love the boys, there are times that occur where discussing nail polish and shoes is just a necessity.

* * * *

“Yo P, you got a spare pin?” Vinny questions as we’re setting up the display board, my merch already counted in for the day and sat in the correctly labelled boxes once again seeing as last night’s rush had made it impossible to keep things in order.

I hand him over the pin and hold the shirt in place so that he can get it secure on the board alongside the rest, smirking as I see just how many more pieces of merch he still has to display. “You need me to go and get some boxes for you, Vin?”

He looks at me gratefully as he nods. “This hangover is kicking my ass. I only need a box of small tour shirts and one box of the large skull logo.”

“I’ll be back in two.”

I’m quick to leave the stuffy venue, tugging my jumper back over my shoulders once I’m back out in the cold, smiling at Evan as he passes me on the way back to the gear truck, searching through the many boxes to find the ones that Vinny had labelled on the first day, thanking the heavens that I can carry both of them at the same time. The only problem comes when I get back to the stage door of the venue, the security guard raising his eyebrows at me as I approach and I have to balance the boxes in one arm in order to unclip my ID badge… that isn’t there.

I want to physically kick myself in my metaphorical balls as I remember changing out of my jeans earlier in the day and having to clip the laminate piece of card to the front of my dress, only to remove it once I was unpacking boxes because it was getting in my face. So now, it was inside, probably on the merch desk while I was trying my best to persuade this huge guy that I was allowed to be in there.

“The boxes won’t fool me, missy. Go and wait in line like everyone else has to.”

“You just saw me come out of there! Come on!”

“No pass, no entry.”

“Fucking great.” I didn’t have my talkie on me either; there was no need for it when I was with Vinny and who knows where I had left my cell phone.

With a sigh of defeat, I dump the boxes back in the truck and head to the bus, thankful that I for once remembered something – that being the code to open the door – but it’s just my luck that no one is actually in there. I guess that eleven am is the time when everyone is actually doing something and not lazing about.

I give up on even trying to somehow get back inside without someone being there with me so I take a seat in the front lounge, flicking on the DVD to watch some more episodes of FRIENDS, rhythmically eating Goldfish crackers from the box as I just stare, not really taking in what’s happening.

“Poppy?”

I fling my arm out into the aisle so that Grieco can see that I’m actually here. “Sup’, Grieco?”

“What are you doing here? Vinny has been looking for you for ages.”

“I left my pass inside, I don’t know where my cell phone is and that douchebag of a security guard thinks that I’m a fan.”

Grieco just laughs when it really isn’t that funny. I’m twenty-three years old and he thinks that I look on average between twelve and eighteen years old, that’s kind of insulting to me.

“Come on; let’s get you back to work.”

With Grieco, the guy has no problem with letting me in, probably still convinced that I’m a fan that some techie has felt sorry for and it takes all of my restraint as well as some from Vinny to not go back out there and shove my laminate down the idiot’s throat.

* * * *

“You single, darlin’?”

I glance up through my bangs to the middle-aged guy that stood in front of the merch table and raise my eyebrows at just how funny the situation is. What was he even doing here? This place wasn’t usually a club like in previous venues so for him to come here because he’s a regular is pretty impossible so he’s either here supervising someone or he just needed something to occupy his night, like hitting on younger girls.

“Unfortunately not.” I feel like gagging at him, he must be at least fifty years old and sure, age differences don’t really bother me but when it’s a drunk, balding guy then it’s sort of weird.

“Is he your boy?” He roughly gestures towards Vinny who is busy serving a small queue of giggling All Time Low fans, trying to be nice to them even though they are ridiculously excited to be served by him.

“Nope.”

“That’s single enough for me. Drink?”

“No, thank you.” I huff, turning my attention to the girl who had been waiting patiently behind the man, having to wave her forward as she looks unsure. “What can I get you, honey?”

“Can I please have the ‘Exist’ hoody, in a medi – uhm, actually in a large?”

“Would you like to see both?” I smile gently as I pull both of them out of their boxes and lay them on the table so that she can compare them as I don’t want her to regret getting the bigger size just because she’s scared that it won’t fit.

“I’ll have the medium. Thank you.” She smiles gratefully as I hand her over the right garment, accepting the money and thanking her for the tip as she leaves me.

“One drink, come on? I’ll buy you anything that you want.”

I roll my eyes at the persistent guy. “No, thank you. Can you please move, you’re holding up the line.”

“Champagne?”

“Is this guy bothering you, Poppy?” Vinny is at my side, his face stern as he looks the guy up and down. “Is there something that I can help you with, friend?”

“No. I’m asking the girl if she would like a drink.”

“She has one, thank you. Can you please move along now?”

“It’s her choice, son.” The guy practically spits towards Vinny who doesn’t look the least bit impressed and the last thing I need right now is Vinny punching the guy.

“And I have already told you that I don’t want a drink, so can you leave now?”

Vinny is speaking quietly but quickly into his talkie, probably contacting Matt who can send security over for this guy who just doesn’t seem to be getting the hint.

“I don’t see the problem.”

“The problem is that she doesn’t want you hitting on her while she’s trying to work. Now, can you leave, please?” Flyzik is suddenly next to the guy who isn’t really that tall now that someone who isn’t a midget is stood by him and with a quick huff, a few choice words about me and the middle finger he leaves, merging in with the rest of the people that were occupying the huge room.

The situation is brought up again later as we’re all heading to the bunks, Vinny is now howling with laughter about it as I chuckle along because sure at the time it was a little scary but it was pretty funny too. Alex just smirks, mumbling something about ‘the dangers of having a hot girlfriend’ before he climbs into our bunk, telling me not to take too long to join him while Jack, who is a little more intoxicated, refuses to remove his arms from around my waist because he doesn’t want the ‘peado bear’ to kidnap me while I sleep.

Notes