Keeping Secrets

Rockstar Hotelroom

PEYTON
We followed Dane and Beau into their hotel room on the fifth floor of a slightly above-average hotel downtown. The room itself was nothing special. It had the usual, two full size beds with the customary kitchenette.

I felt out of my element and kept reminding myself that this was exactly what I wanted, what I promised myself I wouldn't shy away from—new exciting experiences. And it was definitely that, being in Trudge Lite's hotel room.

Dane dropped onto the bed closest to the door and kicked off his shoes.

"Damn, man," Lucas grumbled. "Your feet stink."

"That's nothing new," Justin called from the other bed, where he sat next to Lucas. Amanda had hopped up on top of the desk, while I settled into the desk chair. Beau remained standing, leaning casually against the wall.

"Oh, your stuff smells too, man," Dane retorted. "Don't even play that."

"Maybe," Justin conceded with a grin, "but not as bad as yours."

Amanda rolled her eyes. "Is this a stink competition?" she asked. "Because I might have some stories to tell."

"Oh, please," Justin chuckled, while Dane's eyes lit up like Christmas Eve. "You wouldn't."

Amanda raised an eyebrow, staring her cousin down. "Why not?"

"Because I know yours too, Mandi," Justin shot back with a mischievous glint in his.

I tried to hold back a laugh as Amanda's eyes went comically wide.

"Beau," Amanda said, quickly changing tactics and turning her attention to him and ignoring Justin. "Are you sharing a room with Dane now because you've had enough of Justin after being his college roommate for years?"

Beau laughed, while Justin gave Amanda a mock glare. "Actually, Lucas snores," Beau said, "and Justin is such a deep sleeper that it doesn't bother him the way it does us." He gestured between himself and Dane.

"Figures," Amanda said, grinning at her cousin.

Their playful banter filled the room, lightening the mood even more and making it easy to feel like part of the group.

"That does makes sense," I agreed.

"Thank you," Justin said, while Amanda just laughed, which made me smile. The two of them still acted the same way they used to growing up. Always bickering and teasing each other, but all in good fun.

"Want a beer before we go down?" Beau asked, pulling the door to the small refrigerator open.

"Yeah," the other three guys said at once.

Beau handed them out. "What about you, ladies?"

"Sure, thanks," Amanda said, while I just nodded. I didn't particularly like beer, but I wasn't about to tell these up-and-coming rock stars that their choice of drink wasn't good enough for me.

I bit my lip to hold back a giggle. I was such a dork.

"To a great show," Justin said, and raised his beer in the air.

"To a great show," the rest of us repeated, and then we all drank.

Justin and Beau finished their beers in one go, laughing as they slammed the empty bottles down on the small countertop.

"And we need another," Justin grinned, grabbing two more from the refrigerator.

"When are we going to the bar?" Lucas asked after he finished his beer.

"I don't know? Why?" Justin asked, handing Lucas another one.

"Because I want to shower and change."