Besitos

9

By Friday morning the shrooms are fully out of our systems. We took more Thursday around 3am when we felt a dip in the effects. The travelling is long, after all, we needed more to keep us going. The sights aren't exactly pretty either on tour. Its just trees, roads, cornfields, and the occasional town. Not really much to brag about.

Now that I'm thinking clearly, I have some regrets. Namely, Mac. Not that I regret him or anything but I know what we did was stupid. We avoided our sexual tension for years, and now we keep slipping up more and more each tour. This time was especially dumb since Lila could've walked in at any time. Luckily she didn't. She walked in maybe five minutes after we were done thanks to the fact that apparently everyone had ordered food at the same time as us so it took longer to get it.

My phone buzzes beside me in my bunk. I hope its not Mac.

I hold my breath and look down and see its from Vic

'hey, you promised you'd text me'

I smile a little. Poor guy, I completely forgot to text him.

'its been a crazy two days' I reply.

'...we've been travelling for them.' he responds almost instantly.

I try and think of a good comeback, one that doesn't elude to the fact that I was on a little shrooms trip while we travelled, but nothing comes to mind, so I just tell him the truth.

'ya, but we kinda took shrooms' I reply.

A second after I press send, my phone starts buzzing. Vic's calling me now. Probably still thinking we're on shrooms.

"I thought you weren't going to answer." Vic says before I can even greet him.

"Honestly I wasn't." I joke.

"Thats messed up." he replies and I can almost hear the smile in his voice. "First you don't text and now you don't wanna answer calls? I've been good to you, I don't deserve this."

"I have a feeling you're good to everyone." I say, the words slipping before I can catch them.

"Whats that mean?" he asks, his tone losing the teasing it had a second ago.

I feel my face warm up. I'm glad he's not here to see it. "I just mean as a lead singer you kinda represent your band so you have to always, you know, like put on a performance."

"Is that what you think I'm doing with you?"

I stall for a second. "No."

"Wow." Vic says, dragging out the 'o.' "You think I'm playing you!"

"No, not playing!" I say defensively. "I just think you're being very nice because we're on tour together and its kinda your job to be nice."

"Not behind closed doors it isnt." he points out. "Plus, I'm not this nice to Lila or Mac."

I consider this for a second. He is decent to Mac, but its true, hes nicer to me than either of them. But thats just because I'm nice right back.

"Look, at 10 our bus is stopping for an hour to gas up and just take a little break." he says. "You guys are probably doing the same, yeah?"

I look down at the time and see its 9:45. "Yeah, we're supposed to be." I say.

"Come on our bus when we stop then?"

Ray would kill me. We travel as a team no matter what. ...But then again Ray isn't here. He left us. But I think he'd notice if we don't all get off the bus together like we're supposed to.

"I don't know..." I say slowly. I want to, I really do, but I know its not smart.

"We're only travelling for six more hours afterwards, its not a huge deal." he says.

"I just don't think Ray would love it."

"No problem, I can come on yours?" he asks.

Oh yeah, that would be great. Between Lila who apparently hates him, and Mac who I fucking slept with the other day. What a time that would be.

"I'll join yours." I say. "No one would notice anyways."

"Perfect, I'll get the bus ready for us." he says.

"Now what does that mean?" I ask in an accusing voice.

He laughs into the phone then hangs up, giving me no info at all.

I set my phone down beside me on the couch in the back lounge. I guess in ten minutes I'll be joining Vic on his bus. Which I am excited about, but I can't help but feel somewhat guilty. I know we're not together and we're just friends, but sleeping with Mac made me feel like I betrayed him somehow. I guess if all does go well with Vic I wouldn't mind being more than frien-

"Are you leaving the bus?" Lila asks, cutting off my thoughts.

She's dressed in her pjs still, which today consists of the shortest plaid shorts I've ever seen and a cropped black t-shirt that has our band name on it. Her hair is up in a cute high bun with half her hair falling out of it. Its clear she fell asleep with her hair up and hasn't bothered to fix it yet.

"Yeah, I'm gonna join PTV for the last like six hours." I say.

"Ray's gonna be pissed."

"Ray left us, why can't I go too?"

She crosses her arms at me. "So you're just gonna leave Mac and I alone?"

"Li, you guys are friends, I think you'll be okay."

"Thats not what I mean." she says, dropping her arms in a helpless manner before she turns and walks away from me.

I know Lila likes being the center of attention but at this point its getting to be a bit much. I can't continually just be waiting around for her to hangout with me - which she rarely does when I'm on the bus anyways.

I sigh as I stand up. Its annoying of her, but I still need to go pack my stuff.

As I get to the bunks I see her curtain shut and it takes everything in me to not make a comment.

"Can you keep it down?" Mac's groggy voice says, filling the room.

"I unzipped my bag." I say, my voice slightly tinged with annoyance. "How did that wake you up?"

"I was awake already listening to you guys." he says. "You were loud then."

I start zipping and unzipping my bag over and over again, bringing the back right outside of his bunk.

"Man, fuck you." he says. "Go to another bus."

"I am."

His curtain pulls back so quickly that it scares me.

"Where you going?"

His hair is a mess, its thrown all over the place. Hes not wearing a shirt either and from the looks of it, nothing on the bottom except for the blanket thats wrapped around his middle half.

"I'm, uh, going to PTVs bus." I say as I turn and put my bag back down on my bunk.

"Ray wont be happy." he says.

It kind of annoys me that thats the first thing he says. He doesnt say that he'll miss me, or ask why, just says Ray will be mad. Well good. Because Im mad that Ray fucked off.

"I dont care." I say, the annoyance in my voice becoming clear.  

"Hey maybe I'll come." Mac says. "We can all go."

I turn around and look at him to see if he's serious. He looks like he is which is the craziest part.

"Dude, no." I say. "Terrible idea."

He grins at me. "Why? Because you don't want anyone to know we–"

"We're here!" Lila yells, cutting Mac off at the perfect time. "Time for you to leave us!" she says as the bus doors open and she exits.

"Jesus Christ." I say with an eye roll. "Between you and her I don't know why I'm still in this fucking band."

I grab my bag and turn away from Mac, not even saying goodbye.

Before I get off the bus I hear Mac say quietly "I know why you're still here."

It pisses me off even more.