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See mama when your heart is in its place See that smilin' face It's all I wanna do
Alex was too hungover for this.
Her head pounded to the beat of its own drum as the blazing sun reigned down upon her alabaster skin. The flyaway hairs at the base of her neck scraped and swayed with each step, an endless irritant. She'd long since sweated through her shirt, the residual alcohol taking its leave through the expanded pores.
Yet, Greta Van Fleet collectively had the temerity to appear as though they were heading off to Coachella. Did they ever just dress like normal people? She started wondering how much of it was for show as opposed to authenticity. However, the burn emanating within her lungs as they scaled a partially steep trail could have been to blame for her more cynical thoughts.
"You ok back there?" Josh asked, noting the growing distance between his group and her.
Alex huffed, picking up the pace to join them. She wanted to instruct them to leave her behind so that the elements may claim her body, but that would give Jake too much joy. She had to power through just to spite him. "I'll survive," she grumbled in response.
"You sure? Maybe shoppings more your speed," Jake commented caustically.
Why the fuck was he talking to her? Alex lamented the days when the guitarist just ignored her existence entirely. That was far more preferable to these cocksure comments he kept tossing in her direction.
Her eyes sharpened towards him—and she though he looked stupid in that floppy brown hat. "Why don't you worry about your hair, Jacob?" She remarked, bumping his shoulder none too gently as she passed.
The others snickered, utterly ignorant of the circumstances behind their exchange of barbs. Alex knew Jake hadn't said shit to his bandmates about what had transpired between them, and if he were smart, he'd keep it that way. If he were smart, being the caveat. She didn't hold out much hope for his intelligence, given that he couldn't take the hint and leave her be.
"Keep your eyes open for Sasquatch," Sam instructed, his irises bouncing around the surrounding area as though Bigfoot might step out from behind any tree and make his presence known.
Jesus Christ, Alex was starting to feel trapped in the company of lunatics without any means of escape. Is this what the Midwest did to people?
She needed to rope in the attitude, but the endorphins exercise promised hadn't kicked in just yet. "Pretty sure he's further north, but you keep hoping, Sammy," she said in a bid for participation.
A goofy smile appeared upon the youngest brother's face, his eyes crinkling with it. "Yeah, you're probably right," he conceded, though his head continued to pivot in search.
Eventually, after much huffing and puffing on Alex's part, the group emerged from the woods unto a vast lake. The journey hitherto had been a struggle, but the majestic panorama surrounding them made it worth it.
The birds chirped cheerily in the trees, the tall grass waved in the wind, and the smooth surface of the water rippled with each gentle breeze. Its serenity worked to ease her troubled mind.
It helped that for a brief moment, the boys were all silent—also absorbing the landscape about them.
"Let's take a break," Danny suggested, probably more for Alex's benefit than there's, but she had no intentions of looking a gift horse in the mouth.
Taking a seat amongst the sod, she watched passively as the bandmates took turns taking photos of each other and their surroundings on the camera Josh had carried strapped across his shoulder. Undoubtedly to be cataloged later on their pervasive Instagram.
Laying back, she watched the various cloud formations pass, savoring the tranquility now that her heart had stopped thumping from the overexertion needed to arrive at this point. Her eyes fluttered shut, and she merely listened to the noises of nature and the shuffling of the boys as they meandered about.
However, her repose was interrupted when a shadow crossed her figure, sheltering the light from her face. "Alex, be my muse," Josh declared from above her, followed by the sound of several shutter clicks.
The woman in question lept up as if she'd been shot. "No way, give me that," she disputed, trying to snatch the camera away from him, but he danced away from her with the grace of a fairy, chuckling the entire time at her vexation.
Alex gave chase, but the other three quickly joined in on the torturous game of keep away. Josh passed it off to Danny, who only had to hold it above his head to diminish all chances of her capturing the device. "Come on, Daniel, you're supposed to be the nice one," she huffed, jumping in vain to reach well above his six-foot frame.
"Uh oh, the full name. I think she's mad, guys," he chuckled, his outstretched arm never wavering.
Distracted by her attempts at hurtling over the giant, Sam swooped in and claimed the gadget. His long legs carried him away from her greedy hands before she could even note the change in possession.
Lifting the camera to his eye, the youngest Kiszka snapped several more photos while taunting her. "Don't you want to be our inspiration, Alex?"
She lunged at him, but he sidestepped her with ease. "No, I don't! I hate photos," she bemoaned, but her complaint fell on deaf ears.
She hunkered down to charge him, knowing if she hit his center of gravity, she could take him down, but her assault plans were interrupted.
"Over here," Jake called to his brother, who tossed the camera into his awaiting hands. "What're you going to do now, Alex?" He mocked, shimmying the object in his grasp.
Him, she knew she could take.
Stomping over, Alex extended her hand, palm forward. "Hand it over, so I can delete them," she demanded.
He chuckled at her show of force. "I don't think so, Alexandra. You'll have to take it from me."
Needing no further invite, she surged towards the guitarist, who quickly hid the item behind his back. "Give it, Jake!" She plead in the scuffle, so distracted by her mission that she didn't notice the precarious position she'd put them in.
Chest to chest and face to face, Alex looked like she was attempting to hug him, with arms stretched around his figure to grasp the camera he was withholding from her. The breath of each laugh hit her neck as they expelled from his chest, pleased with her displeasure.
"This position seems familiar," he muttered in her ear so that only they could hear.
It felt like she'd been doused in cold water, with Alex backing away from him instantly. "I concede," she announced, arms thrown up in surrender.
The others whooped in triumph, but she kept her eyes firmly fixed on Jake. Both their chests rose and fell heavily from the exertion. Or had it been the proximity? She didn't want to think about it, but he'd been the one to bring it up, and now her cheeks were flushed from more than the effort. Flashes of the previous night, in the dimly lit hallway, were conjured from her subconscious without permission.
It was familiar, and that was the problem because it wasn't just physically reminiscent. The feeling was similar as well, both visceral and revivifying.
But it shouldn't be, Alex reminded herself. Preoccupied with brushing away the imagined dirt from her shorts, she took the extra seconds to compose her body and mind.
No more falling into the clutches of Jake Kiszka, her consciousness chided.
"You post any of those, and the next headline will read, 'What Happened to Greta Van Fleet? The Case of the Missing Rockstars,'" she waved an accusatory finger at each of the band members. "Now, get me off this stupid mountain."
