The Girl In The Dirty Shirt

Chapter 28

I frowned looking up as she sat next to me on the stage.

"Morning" she beamed

I looked at her sideways and said nothing; just drank my coffee.
I looked her up and down and snorted rolling my eyes.
She had long, pin straight brown hair, almost as long as mine. A pair of tight jeans hugged her hips and a red crop top a belly button ring rested on her stomach; Platforms on her feet and way too much eye shadow on her face.

"I'm Pepper" she grinned

I choked on my coffee looking up at her raising my eyebrows and swallowing hard. "Pepper?" I repeated.

She nodded enthusiastically. "Who are you?"

I rolled my eyes getting up ignoring her and sitting in the front row fishing my smokes out of my jacket.
I frowned when I couldn't find my lighter; I pulled the cigarette out from between my lips.

"Babe," I called to Liam up on stage; Pepper looked at me and up at Liam on the stage before she got up and plunked in the chair next to me; "Your lighter?"

He reached into his pocket and tossed me my lighter before he turned back to Guigsy. I lit my smoke with a sigh watching them on stage.

The road crew congregated in front of the stage, having finished their job for the timing being they enjoyed a free show.

An hour and a half later I sat sideways in one of the chairs, my legs hanging over the side as I took a drag off another cigarette. I'd been chain smoking just to keep myself awake.
Finally, Liam jumped off the stage strutting over to where I sat.
He gave Noel's new toy the once over before looking at me.

"Who's she?" He asked

"She belongs to Noel" I rolled my eyes sitting up and putting my feet on the floor. "Are you done?"

He nodded taking my smoke from between my fingers and finishing it off.

"Good, let's get the fuck out of here; I want to go to bed"

I walked out ahead of him sliding my sunglasses down on my face.

"Lyla!"

I frowned turning in the direction I'd heard my name. A group of girls came up the sidewalk and stood in front of me; all four of them had scowls on their faces and hands on their hips.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?"

The one with short blonde hair turned to her friend with dark hair and smirked. "Told you it was her"

She turned back to look at me. "She's the one our Liam's been fucking"

I closed my eyes realizing just who they were. I pulled my lips against my teeth suppressing a laugh.

"Oh goody, groupies" I muttered to myself.

"We aren't groupies" A third one snapped. "We're fans"

The one with the short blonde hair was clearly their leader. She stood out in front a little further than the rest of them, her hands on her hips and her lips pursed.

"I don't really care what you are" I said "I just want to go back to bed."

"I can't believe Liam's fucking you" the blonde one sneered.

I pulled my glasses down on my nose looking at her with wide eyes. "Excuse me?"

"You don't even wear makeup" she scoffed.

"It's eleven o'clock in the fucking morning!" I said in disbelief. "I...." I thought for a minute. "I don't have to justify anything to you."

"Our poor Liam" one of them shook her head.