Live Again // Bradley Simpson

Chapter 23: Tour

"Brad lighten up, it's like she's dead or anything." Tristan shrugged, as he sat on the couch next to Brad. They were due to go on stage in 10 minutes, so they just sat around listening to their before show music.

"She hasn't texted, tweeted, or anything for the last two weeks." Brad worried. "I've been texting non-stop."

Connor laughed. "Might be an indication that's she's trying to tell you to have a good time and not worry about her."

Brad gritted his teeth. "You don't understand."

"What don't I understand then?" Connor said back, gritting his teeth to mock Brads facial expression

"It's none of your business." Brad replied, crossing his arms and looking back down at his phone. Still no messages. Well, none that he cared of.

"Gee, what secret life are you guys up too?" James laughed, getting up off the couch changing the song from Bring Me The Horizon, to a Taylor Swift song. He thought that the previous song matched the depressing mood that had surrounded the changing room since Brad came in. "Are you guys like Hannah Montana?"

Brads phone started buzzing away, vibrating to the beat of 'Teenage Kicks' which was Charlie's ringtone. His face immediately lighten up and he jumped off the couch and answered his phone.

"Charlie!" He exclaimed, leaving the change room so he had some privacy.

"Brad. I'm so sorry, they took my phone for like the two weeks, it's part of the recovery thing." Charlie apologized as soon as Brad picked up.

"It's okay. I was just worrying and all. Are you okay? How's everything." He asked.

"Good. This place sucks though, I miss you." Charlie sighed.

"I never thought you would say that. We left on such a low note." Brad replied, a little laugh in his husky voice. He was so relieved.

"Brad. I'm sorry about that. It's hard in here, it's literally like prison." Charlie explained.

"As long as you're better when I'm back? I know we never really had that much time to be together and all, but I feel like we're some long-lost couple that hadn't seen each other for years." Brad replied.

Brad could tell Charlie was biting her lip, and avoiding answering even if they were talking on a phone and he couldn't see her face.

"I still don't get why you're so, persistent to get me off the drugs. They're all I know. They're like a part of my life, they help me forget things Brad." Charlie said.

Brad sighed. "There's no need to forget, not any more."

"You're literally the perfect example of a cliché guy in a book, or a movie or a tv show, you get the dealio." Charlie said back. "You're probably going to break my heart, like all the guys in the movies. Or I will, or something will come and fuck everything up again."

Brad sighed. "I'm not that type of guy. I just want the best for you."

While the two continued to talk, Connor, James and Tristan had stuck their heads around the corner of the door and were listening into the conversation.

Connor looked up at Tristan, he could tell that this was going to be interesting. It was incredible how quite Brad had been about Charlie, because he was usually the boaster, especially when getting girls.

Tristan pursed his lips. "What does he mean about all this, not going back, I'm here for you now thing? Brad's known this girl for like, 1 month."

Connor shrugged. "Sounds like he's hiding something."

"Shhh. Listen." James interrupted them, putting a finger of his lips to gesture silence. "I'm trying to figure this out."

Tristan giggled. "Of course, I'll leave you to your work Detective McVey."

"Boys! You're on in 3 minutes!" Joe screamed down the hallway, scaring the shits out of Connor, James and Tristan. "Get here now!"

"I'm so sorry, we'll call later." Brad apologized. "I love you."

"I love you too." Charlie replied, hanging up on Brad first.

Brad quickly dived into the change room and threw his phone onto the couch and followed after the boys, who had just left the change room. He met up with them behind the stage, the music was booming and fans were screaming. The boys quickly did their chin rub, with Dean underneath taking a photo, and they ran on stage one by one.

Before James ran on the stage, he turned around and gave Brad a pressing look. "You better tell me what's up with that Charlie girl."

Brad completely ignored his comment, and ran on the stage before him.

For the first time since the tour began, Brad was happy. Not just 'happy to be on stage' But genuinely happy. He had finally heard from Charlie, and found out she was clean, and doing fine. He now, couldn't wait to get home and see her again, but he knew Charlie was safe now, and he had to keep playing. This was his life.

Connor started to play his bass, Tristan was already drumming, and James was ready to start his guitar part.

He quickly grabbed the microphone and bet James to the greet, since over the past few concerts James had been greeting the audience as Brad was too slow. "What's up Houston?"

The audience screamed in joy. Girls squished themselves up against the barrier, and each other to get a closer look at the boys, and especially Brad.

Brad smiled back at the audience. The venue was huge, and the girls were loud like always. "Are you ready to party?"

They screamed again, louder and wilder and Brad started to sing.