separation//[t.j.]

the first (full) show.

we all woke up, bright and early, the next morning. we were all busy, trying to shuffle around the bus to get ready to head to the venue. it would take almost all day to get set up, which was why we had to be there so early.

i could sense tyler had something up his sleeve. ever since we were young, i could tell when he was planning something. i just didn't know what it was this time.

"you gonna faint this time, mom?" riley joked. i just scoffed and shook my head.

"please don't. i think the crowd will murder me if i stop in the middle of mulberry street again." tyler chimed in.

"it's not my fault i didn't know you were going to be there." i defended myself.

"then maybe you should have looked us up before taking riley." he said, proving a point.

"leave y/n alone." debby stood up for me, wrapping her arm around me. "if i saw someone i hadn't seen in fifteen years, i'd probably faint too."

"thanks, debby." i thanked her.

"no problem." she replied.

"omg girl power!" tyler said in a mocking teen age girl voice. i just rolled my eyes and debby flipped him off. tyler then looked offended. "deborah, there is a child on this bus!"

"you're good." riley just shrugged, eating a bagel. where did they get a bagel? i wondered. then i realized josh brought out bagels.

we all finished getting ready and made our way to the venue.

when we arrived, everyone immediately began to help set up. the crew arrived before we did, and boy was there a lot of crew members.

"can i help? i want to help." riley asked tyler. he shrugged.

"sure, you can help mark film for the tour series." he told them. they smiled and went over to mark.

"what have you got up your sleeve?" i asked tyler. he looked at me.

"what?" he questioned. i let out a laugh.

"i know you and i know when you're planning something. what is it?"

"man, you know me just as well as when we were young."

he still did not answer my question.

i walked over to debby to see what she was up to.

"hey." i greeted her.

"oh, hey." she replied. i smiled.

"what are you up to?" i asked.

"just kinda hanging around until they need extra help. that's usually what i do when i tag along on tour."

"is it always this crazy?"

"oh, absolutely." debby assured me. "it's gotten more chaotic as the years passed and they gained more of a following. i remember when i first met josh and they were only playing at clubs like this."

"they have such a large following, why are they playing at clubs?" i asked.

"yeah, i'm not sure why they did that. but boy, did they sell out quick."

i talked with debby a bit more until some of the crew members seemed to be struggling a bit. we helped them and then walked away. i looked at riley and mark, who were walking around with the camera.

by the time everything was set up, it was after 6. the boys needed to get changed so that they could perform.

"riley, there was something i wanted to ask you." tyler said to our kid. i knew he had something planned.