Elise’s POV
The show has started. And Erin and I are on stage watching our favorite band Of Mice & Men. I think I’m in a complete state of shock. I can’t believe I’m on the stage with them. This has got to be the most amazing feeling in the world. Austin came back to us in the middle of the song Second and Sebring and grabbed my hand.
“So this time I’ll make you proud!” He screamed. His eyes didn’t leave me. He kissed me and then continued to sing. I blushed and felt kind of awkward on stage. There were probably 100 girls that hated me just in this very room. I could almost feel the hate stares I was getting from the audience. I turned to walk back to where Erin was standing but Austin caught my arm. He put the microphone down by his side and touched his forehead to mine. Aaron began singing the last lyrics to the song and Austin sang along to them centimeters in front of my face.
“This is not what it is only baby scars; I need your love like a boy needs his mother’s side…” And then he tilted his head to the side and kissed me. I’m sure there were stares of jealousy in the crowd. But I didn’t care. His lips were mine and no one could take that away from me. He grabbed my waist and held me tightly. I could feel the microphone press into my side as he held me. I cupped his face in my hands. I heard a few girls shout out at me calling me whatever names or saying that Austin wes theirs. I took one of my hands off of his face and raised it up high with only my middle finger to display how I felt. Austin looked over at my hand and I could feel him smile on my lips. He grabbed my hand and laced his fingers into mine.
That was the last song of the night. Now it was going to get complicated. What were we going to do? Were we going on tour? What would we do for sleeping arrangements? What about our clothing? How could we get along with the other band members? Who could house sit for us and watch our dog? So many questions just kept popping up in my mind and I didn’t think we were going to have time to address them all before they had to leave. Bus call was at 1 A.M. It was 10 now we had 3 hours to get everything figured out.
“Tino! Phil!” Austin said storming into the bus. They looked up to see Austin holding my hand. They didn’t seem happy. After the argument we had with them earlier I could understand why. I didn’t know much about this Tiffany that got mentioned but I knew that something about her made them hurt and possibly sick. “We need to talk about this.” He said. I took a deep breath I didn’t want them to be angry with me. Their music saved my life and if they hated me I’m not sure what I would do.
“Maybe I should go help pack everything up?” I asked. Austin nodded his head and let go of my hand. I left the bus and went back inside the venue. I saw a girl with short blonde hair carrying two guitars. “You need any help?” I asked a little nervous. I was always a bit awkward with new people. You never really knew what you could say around them and you never wanted to offend them.
“Sure.” She said in a cheery voice. “My names Nicole. I’m a tech that works here at this venue specifically. I don’t tour. I just help bands that are passing through. But uh, you two put on a nice show tonight.” She said and gave me a wink. I blushed. I’m sure she was talking about me and Austin. “I especially liked the ending.” I let out a small laugh.
“My names Elise and I guess… I’m going to start touring…” I said taking a guitar from her and walking with her back to the bus.
“Oh, really? You must have really hit it off with Austin then huh?” She asked and I nodded my head. “I’ve worked with Austin before and he’s never taken such a liking to someone that I’ve seen he’s never done that on stage with a groupie that’s for sure. You must not be a groupie in his eyes.” She said and set the guitar in its rightful place in storage for the next show.
“I hope not…” I said. “Everything’s really complicated right now though… Phil and Tino must have a hatred towards women or something. They are completely against the idea of me and my friend Erin coming on tour. Do you know why? I think it has something to do with a girl named Tiffany. Know anything about her?” Nicole brushed her blonde bangs out of her face as she stood up from her crouched position.
“Nope, never heard of her. But I’m sure if you ask around someone probably knows something. I’m sure one of the touring techs knows about her. Why don’t you ask Caro? She’s a merch girl she could probably tell you something.” I handed Nicole the guitar I had carried out. She carefully put it away in its proper place.
“Thanks, I think I will.” I headed for the merch booth inside the venue. I walked up to the table and saw a girl looking through a bin she had long brown hair. “Hey, are you Caro?” I asked looking at this girl who wasn’t facing me. She turned around and smiled at me.
“Yeah, why?” She asked. She didn’t say it in a ‘go away’ kind of tone just casually.
“I was wondering if you could tell me about a girl named Tiffany.” I watched her face. Her eyes grew wide. It made me feel like the name was forbidden. Obviously she had something to do with why Phil and Tino were not letting me go on tour with them, and with a white trash name like Tiffany I can only imagine what she did.
“No one really likes Tiffany…” She said slowly. She looked around as if to make sure Tino or Phil weren’t right next to her. “Tiffany was a groupie… Sort of… She went out with Phil… And Tino…” She took a deep breath. “At the same time.” Bingo. That’s what I was looking for. I looked into her eyes urging her to keep going. “Okay, well, they picked her up like she was a normal groupie but Phil fell for her. He thought he was in love; that they were in love. But she was banging his best friend behind closed curtains. Neither one of them knew a thing. They had brought her on tour. She had convinced both of them to not tell anyone of their ‘love’ and that she wanted it to be their ‘secret’. I’m not sure how she kept that up for so long without someone finding out. But she eventually got caught. She got too comfortable in the situation and it caused her to get sloppy at hiding things. When Phil found out he confronted Tino and they both kicked her off of the tour. They put her up in a hotel and she had to call someone to get her 200 miles from home or something like that. Phil and Tino haven’t been seen with a groupie since.” She said. My jaw hung low and my eyes had widened to the size of basketballs. I was not expecting a story like that to come out of her mouth.
“Thanks for telling me.” I said. I turned to leave still feeling unsure about the situation I was in. How could I get them to stop hating me? I was lost in these thoughts when I heard Caro say something again.
“Nice show on stage tonight. You should do it every night. That is, if you’re coming on tour with us. I assume you are considering you’re asking about Tiffany.” My stomach turned. Tiffany. She’s the reason I can’t go on tour or why people don’t want me too. She’s the reason for this big mess. I felt sick just thinking about her. I felt really sorry for Phil and Tino they didn’t deserve that and they had gotten their hearts broken because of a stupid white trash girl. I felt bad for them.
“Yeah well assuming will just make an ass out of you and me.” I said as I kept walking. I wanted to go back onto that bus and tell them I’m not like Tiffany, that I’m not going to break his heart, that the last relationship I had was 2 years ago and I never regretted that break up. I wanted to tell them I’m sorry for what she did and that I can’t change it but making Austin leave me behind would break his heart. I knew how he felt about me already and if they ripped us apart… I don’t think his heart could handle it.
