The bass of you

Chapter 13

After the concert, we headed out of the stadium along with crowds of people around us. I was getting pushed, shoved, hit by accident but with no apologies, and I was dying for alcohol in that moment. The concert ended at 10 p.m but it's now 10.30 and I know, without a doubt, that no matter what I say we'll be going to the hotel Chase invited us tonight. I would protest to Layla that I think it's absurd, that we're only going to get used and that it's all-in-all probably just a bad idea. I know how it is with rockstars, maybe not as bad as it really is, but I know it's bad. Layla knows it too, but she's a big girl and she can make her own decisions, I don't want to sound like her mother. I want to sound like a fun friend who lets her do fun things that are a once in a lifetime opportunity.

We headed to the city centre and popped into a shop to buy some alcohol as a 'victory' drink before we go to the hotel we've been told to go to soon. I'm glad that she wants to drink before we go there because I could not go there stone-cold sober, I need something to calm my nerves, so we bought a bottle of wine each. It's illegal to drink in the street so, of course, we're heading back to the hotel to drink it.

I'm so nervous that I'm hoping I don't cross the line and drink more than I intend to, like I've done so many times before. I've had a few alcoholic drinks to 'calm my nerves' before going somewhere and then unintentionally gotten drunk and just ruined the whole time by doing whacky stuff and talking about things I don't even remember.

As we get into our hotel room, Layla instantly pulls off her boots and starts taking off her clothes. She's obviously changing into different clothes to go and see Black Dagger personally, it was expected. I'm not changing, I can't be bothered and I really don't care much for making an impression, no matter how famous they are. Layla cares about how she looks and the impressions she makes on people, there's nothing with it, but sometimes I think she only does it because she's insecure. Layla can do full-on makeup, dress as glamourous and act as confident as she wants ; I can see the insecurity in her eyes when she looks at herself in the mirror and it makes me sad to know she thinks herself in such a way. Behind the makeup, the smiles and the confidence, is a girl who worries what others think of her, even if she doesn't act like it. It doesn't get brought up on my behalf because if Layla wants to be the way she is, then I'll let her, it makes no difference to how I feel about her either way. I will always tell her how pretty she is though, she needs to know.

I sit on the bed and open my bottle of wine as Layla pulls a top over her head. It's a nice top, a low-cut navy strappy top, but there's only one problem : she's not wearing a bra. Her boobs are basically visible, it leaves little to the imagination, including the nipples - except for the colour of them. I know that there's nothing wrong with that because it's her body, she can do what she wants with it. It's just knowing that she never wears such revealing things and that she's only doing it because the company we're visiting. She's doing it for - who I can only presume to be - Jackson's attention. I don't want to have this conversation with her, I've never had to and I never thought I would, but it seems like as her best friend, I really need to.

Downing seven mouthfuls of wine and grimacing because I don't actually like the wine, I only bought it because I wanted something not too strong but not too weak, I pull my legs up onto the bed and cross my legs as I face Layla. "Uh...Lay...?"

"Yeah?" Layla spins around to face me and I can't help but bare my teeth at the appearance of her chest.

"Lay..." I say calmly. "You sure you want to go like that?"

"Uh, yeah? What's wrong with it?"

"Oh, nothing...it's just that your nipples are pretty visible and well... I'm kind of worried that you're going to get used if you go looking like that."