Life, Love, & Lies

One

"We are in luck!" Reese breezes into the rehearsal space with a grin plastered across her pale face, Pixie cut blue hair styled all spiked up, the new color causing her blue eyes to appear as if they are glowing, matching silver rings pierced into her eyebrow and lip.

"You found a new personality and we no longer have to put up with the old you?" Zach sits up from his position laid on the ground in front of his drum kit, smirking at the short girl who just entered. As the band's drummer he wears his dirty blonde hair short and well kept with the top slightly longer than the sides, his cleancut hair a stark contrast to his ink covered arms and chest, usually adorned in a torn muscle tee, and always found with a smile on his face and crinkles next to his dark eyes.

"Fuck off." She rolls her eyes, flipping him off as she turns to the rest of the band.

"What's up Peanut?" Matt asks with a laugh. Lead guitarist and cofounder of the band, Matt is often called the heartthrob. His dark hair curling atop his head and tan skin a stark contrast to his pale green eyes. He oozes charisma and charm and often works as spokesperson for the band during interviews.

"I found a photographer for tour, Tin Man." she grins, the nicknames having come from a drunk night where he had made fun of her name being Reese similar to the chocolate peanut butter candy and she had in turn decided to call him Tin Man since his last name is Knight. There was no brainpower behind the nicknames, and yet for the past two years nearly it had been a thing, and it appeared that thing would be sticking around.

"Wait for real?" Milo jumps up, his chocolate brown waves bouncing around his forehead. As the other cofounder of the band, Milo plays the part of shy lead vocal and is often asked if he and Matt are brothers. Though he doesn't see the resemblance, feeling far inferior to his handsome and charismatic best friend. Not confident in his ability to speak publicly with the way his German accent seems to flair when he's excited. Feeling very plain and average with a slightly rounded face, hazel eyes, and acne scars.

"Ya, Thomas has this girlfriend, and she is a photographer, and was looking for something big to help push her work outside Chicago. She's amazing." Reese nods excitedly.

"So your brother's girlfriend wants to get away from your brother for eight months? Sounds like a great relationship." Chaz chuckles, the bassist and final member of the five piece band, also Zach's identical twin brother. His skin covered in tattoos similar to his brother but with his blonde hair grown out and usually braided back in an intricate tangle.

"I mean, I can't blame her for that one, but she's excited about the prospect and I told her I would get back to her as soon as I got back here and showed you guys her work." Reese laughs.

"So show us, we need her, so if she's any good at all we might just go with it." Milo grins, clearing a spot for her between him and Matt on the couch, the twins hurrying over as well to see what Reese has to show them.

"Her name is Lauran Anderson, but she goes by LoLo. And literally she is one of the best people I've ever met, and definitely the best person Thomas has ever brought home for a holiday." Reese explains as she pulls up the website on Matt's laptop, clicking the portfolio link and waiting for the photographs to load.

"So she does concert photography, that's a good start." Milo nods as the page loads, a collection of photos from a festival filling the screen.

"Ya, she's worked a lot of concerts around Chicago, but she wants to branch out, and she wants to travel with her work. Tour photography would be ideal for her, and we are in need."

"She has a lot of potential, and her lighting work is really good." Zach points out a couple of the photos he likes as Reese scrolls.

"Yay, I'm so glad you guys are liking her stuff."

"I say we call up management and get them to send her a contract offer. We need her in New York in three weeks if not here to meet us all before then." Matt nods, "She seems ideal. We need her and she needs us, it's perfect."

"Yay! Another girl will be around to help me deal with all of you." Reese squeals excitedly.

"You love us Reese, don't pretend you don't." Chaz laughs, messing his hand through the back of her hair.

"I do, but that doesn't mean I can't be excited to have another female on the team. Now shut your piehole's, I'm going to call LoLo and let her know we should have an offer sent her way shortly."

"Yes please, then we can get to actually rehearsing our set list." Milo grins, pushing off the couch.

"You don't want to say hi?" Reese asks as she hits speaker on the dialing phone in her hand.

"Nature is calling Reese. I'll be back." Milo shrugs, heading from the room.

"Hello?" Everyone else turns to the phone as the voice rings through it.

"Hey LoLo, it's Reese."

"Oh hey! How is LA? Have you talked to your band about the idea we discussed on Christmas?" The voice is happy sounding.

"That's actually why we are calling you, three of my four bandmates are sitting here with me, and we wanted to let you know that Pier 6 is quite interested in the idea of working with you for our album release and six month tour this year. We have to get your name to our management team but they should be getting in touch soon. I just wanted to give you a heads up. I've got you out of having to hang out with Thomas for the next eight months at least."

"A true godsend."

"HEY!" Everyone laughs at the voice from the background on the other side of the line.

"Hi bro." Reese giggles, "I'm stealing your girlfriend and bringing her on tour with myself and my four single male bandmates."

"Good thing I trust her then. And thanks for getting her the gig, her photography deserves it." Thomas' voice is closer to the receiver now.

"Her work spoke for herself, and we are excited to see what she can do for us." Matt speaks up, excitement in his tone.

"I mean, she'll have her work cut out for her making my bandmates look good and all." Reese giggles.

"I'll do my best. And I'm excited. I'll let you know when they get me the contract and all that Reese. I can't wait to meet the rest of you soon too. I'm a big fan of your music by the way." LoLo is back on the line.

"That's a good place to start, we are excited to meet you too. Hopefully everything works out and we can do that soon." Zach responds.

"Sounds good. Thanks for offering me the job Reese. It means a lot."

"You deserve it LoLo! Talk soon." Reese responds before the call ends.

"So the photographer is figured out, now let's work on this setlist. Three weeks until traveling starts up." Matt pushes off the couch, heading to his position on the makeshift stage set up to get his guitar set for the first song.

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Love you all!!!

~M =)