Backstage Pass

Chapter 1: Hop In!

Mild use of mature language

>Ellie's POV

"Surprise!" I yell, throwing the door open to my best friend, Vivian's, apartment.

"What are you doing here?!" she screamed, running to sweep me up in a hug.

"I rented the apartment across the hall from you for the summer. Paris is boring without you anyways."

The worst part of Vivian moving back to America after school was having to talk to her through a screen. I complained about it a lot, and I even told her that I was coming to see her in person. But, she didn't believe me.

Vivian continued to squeeze the life out of me with her hug before dropping me to ask, "What about your parents? I thought they wanted you to stay at home for the summer."

"What are they going to do? I'm an adult now." To be honest, I don't care. I needed some time with my bestie.

"True true. Ugh, I can't believe you're here!" she says ecstatically. She's even more excited than I thought she would be.

We've been apart for a year since she graduated—Vivian is a year older than me. It has felt like forever though.

"Well here I am! So, what's on our summer agenda?"

"Well, you know my boyfriend, Jasper. He has a band and they are taking their first tour this summer. Right now, I'm packing for a road-trip, following them across the country."

"Ok, that sounds amazing! Let's do it! I'll go get packed," I say rushing across the hall to my new apartment. I grab my bags and walk back to Viv's room. "Done!"

"That was quick," she laughs.

"Well I haven't had time to unpack yet, so it didn't take long. Here, I'll help you finish."

...

Once we have the car packed, I hop in the passenger seat and plug my phone into the aux. I start the playlist we made last summer, and Vivian starts driving out of the parking ramp.

I forgot how gorgeous New York is in the morning. Before everyone is awake, the city is still and the sunrise glows against the window panes.

I turn to Vivian, "So, what's the first stop on our trip?"

"Well, first we have to stop at Jasper's. We have to pick up Jasper and Shayne, one of his bandmates. We are meeting Asher, another bandmate, at the gig later tonight. Oh, and after tonight they get a tour bus, so it'll be just us in the car."

"Ooh, I can finally meet the infamous Jasper," I say, poking fun at Viv.

I honestly don't know much about Jasper. Other than the fact that Viv is obsessed with him, and he sounds really nice.

"Oh shut up," she laughs.

We spend the next 20 minutes singing along to the music in the car while we drive through the New York traffic.

"Hey babe," Jasper coos, leaning through the window for a kiss. "Who's this?" he nods at me.

I have to lean down to see him through the window. He's exactly how Vivian described with light brown hair, brown eyes, average height, and a big smile—not my type, but exactly Viv's. They're cute together.

"Hi," I wave, smiling. "I'm Ellie, Viv's best friend from Paris."

"Oh yeah, I remember her talking about you. Are you coming along for the tour?" Jasper asks as he hops in the back seat.

"Of course! You guys better be worth it though," I joke.

A hand reaches up and touches my arm, "Don't worry. We are gonna knock your socks off."

I whip my head around to see who I assume is Shayne. He's got blonde hair and green eyes, and he looks very responsible. I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing, but he seems trustworthy.

"You scared the shit out of me!" I yell, slapping Shayne in the arm.

I turn back around and see Vivian laughing her head off at my actions. "Geez, don't beat them up too much. You just met them," she comments.

Just from the last few minutes, I can already tell this road-trip is going to be amazing. I'm having the best day of my life.

"Viv, hit the gas," Jasper says, leaning up from the backseat. "Onward, to venue number one!"

...

An hour later, we arrive at the venue. The traffic on our way over was terrible, but nevertheless, we made it.

I exit the car and see a very modern looking club. I instantly know tonight is going to be fun.

We all grab some of the band's equipment and start our walk to the club entrance.

"Hey Shayne, wait up!" I call out, running to catch up.

"So, what kind of music do you guys play?" I ask.

"Well, we play a mixture of different styles. We actually write our own music, but for the first show of the summer, we are playing it safe and sticking to covers," he explains.

"Woah, that's amazing! I love that you guys are starting to write your own music. I can't wait to hear some of your originals." I pause to nudge his arm. "If you're as good as you say you are, then I'm sure I'll love every single one."

Shayne chuckles lightly at my comment. He seems very chill, but also kind and really fun. I think this is the start to a great friendship.

My thoughts are interrupted by the two guys yelling out, practically in sync, "Asher!"

I whip my head to see who they are yelling at. Standing in the doorway is the most gorgeous man I've ever seen—dark hair, ocean blue eyes, big smile, tall, and muscular.

I'm frozen in place, until Vivian bumps me and whispers, "I knew you'd like him."

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(965 words)