Dark affairs

"Oh, shit, fuck fuck fuck!"

I'm awoken by Jacks cursing.

"What's up?" I ask confused.

"Oh shit, we missed sound check! Rian is gonna be so pissed!" Jack scrambles from the bed frantically looking for his jeans.

"Why didn't you set an alarm?" I ask, still not quite awake.

"I thought you did!" He wails and jumps around on one leg trying to get the other through his jeans. He collapses onto the bed still fighting with his pants.

I giggle but turn around and shake Alex.

"Alex, you need to wake up, you missed sound check, we have to hurry and get to the venue, like NOW."

He opens his eyes and drowsily looks around. Then the word register in his mind and his eyes go wide.
"No! Shit! Really?" He looks for his clothes on the floor while Jack calls the reception for a taxi.

I shoot up as well and quickly pull on my clothes and run into the bathroom to get my belongings and throw them in my bag.

Five minutes later we jump into a car in front of the hotel and tell the driver the address. Then we have time to take a breath for the first time since we woke up. We all look at each other, the panic still evident in our faces but then we simultaneously all start to laugh.

"At least we didn't miss the actual show, The guys can do sound check without us, although Rian will still flip his shit." Jack tries to reason.

" I don't really know why he hasn't called us yet to scream at us over the phone actually." Alex wonders and pulls out his cell only to reveal 5 missed calls from 'Mother Rian'

That produces another round of laughter and I hug them both giggling. "Oh my, and they sent me here to support you guys, well I think I'm doing a great job!" Which leaves us in stitches.

And just like that it feels alright again. We're friends and when we're together there is always a good energy going on, we make a good team really.

When we arrive at the venue we go to the green room together and all get a lecture from Rian individually.

Alex -

'.....Why do I as a drummer have to act as bandleader, it should be you but you are always late to everything. You have a responsibility here not only for the group but the whole crew as well...'

Jack -

'It's time for you to grow up and finally realise this is not just one big joke, this is a business and so many people are dependant on us doing our job right, we aren't in high school any more and I'm really disappointed.....

Me -

'What has the label sent you here for actually, when you can't even look after two of the members and get them to their designated jobs on time? I mean it can't be that hard to look at the time once in a while...'

We stand there like a group of teenagers that ditched school and got caught by the principal and just like immature kids whenever Rian turns, Jack and Alex make faces behind his back, imitating him.
I can't stop giggling which winds Rian up even more until Cass who has been sitting quietly in the back of the room on her phone calls out,
"Honey, they are not taking you seriously, I think you should save your breath."

Rian stops mid-rant and looks at us startled, "Urgh, whatever, I'm so done with you guys."

Alex is the first to react. "Aw, no Rian, we're sorry and you're right, come here."

He opens his arm for a hug. Rian hesitates for a moment the anger still evident in his features but then he sighs and steps into the hug.

Alex waves us over to join and Jack does so immediately, mumbling a "sorry, mom."

I reluctantly join the circle as I feel awkward being so close to Rian but then Cass suddenly jumps the huddle screaming "group hug!"
And we all have to laugh and the tension dissolves.

I feel a tap on my shoulder and it's Zack whom I hadn't noticed before. "Can I join in as well?"

Awww, can this guy get any more adorable? I just open the circle wider and he joins in on us hugging it out.

These guys are incredible but I think it's part of why they have worked so well as a band for so long.

"Okay," Rian ends the emotional moment and turns away, "I need to warm up, guys and I suggest you do the same"

He walks to his little drum kit that is set up in the corner and Alex and Cass leave for the adjacent room for vocal warm up. Cass will duet with Alex on 'Remembering Sunday' tonight, so I turn to Jack expectantly and am perplexed when he holds out a beer towards me.

"Don't you warm up" I ask with a raised brow. I'm thinking, finger exercises, scales and so on.

"I am," he answers and lifts his beer to say cheers before he takes a few gulps.

I'm confused until Rian shouts over his drumming. "Jack plays best when he is buzzed, not that he is any good though but he's not as terrible as when he's sober." He grins.

Jack puts on some loud music and we drink and dance like idiots to get into show mood.

Once Alex and Cass return they join us and finally Rian is done drumming and snatches Cass away for a slow dance to very fast music.

Zack just watches the whole scene unfold smiling slightly.

I rock out with Jack and we do a competition of who has got the most ridiculous moves. Jack wins!

Then Alex grabs me round the waist and pulls me close and sways us to the music."Mickey, I just want to tell you how grateful I am that you still care for me after all the shit I've done, I don't deserve your love but I need it so bad." He kisses my neck lightly.

I gulp biting my lip but then I smile, "of course I care Alex" I feel bad though because he doesn't know we want to break it off.

When the song ends he goes over to Jack and whispers something in his ear and hugs him or more like clings to him and Jack pulls him closer talking to him lowly.

I watch them and when Jack notices, he shrugs apologetically and I nod an okay, I know how he feels. You can't kick a person that is already down.

Eventually they have to go on stage which leaves me and Cass on our own as her song with Alex is one of the encores.

We keep the music playing and dance until we are exhausted and fall onto the couch laughing.

We talk and joke and I realise she is a really nice and funny girl.
If she is not drilling into your head to find out your darkest secrets she is easy to get along and she loves to make fun of Rian and tells me all his embarrassing moments.
I love it, maybe I can use them against him if he is being mean to me again.

".....and can you believe it," she tells me hiccuping slightly from our giggling, "Rian has this ridiculous theory of you being in this weird love triangle with the boys, I think he watches too much porn when he is on tour, such a weirdo!" She slaps my thigh.

I choke on my drink out of shock but try to mask it as a laughing fit.

"Yeah, those boys! All they think about is sex!" I lamely joke.

Luckily she is called backstage for her performance right then so she doesn't have time to rethink what just happened.

Phew, close call!

Notes

I'm flooded in, so the only thing I can do is write! Lucky for you! As long as the wifi is running, I'm good!