The Darkness Of Healing // Ruel // English

Chapter 69

It's absolute chaos on the bus now that the show has been over for a while and everyone is trying to get ready for bed at the same time. There is not a hint of structure in the air. Everyone wants to occupy the bathroom, so that a group has eventually formed around the kitchen sink to use the water. The teeth are brushed collectively. The toothpaste drips down Andy's chin and falls into the deep sink.

The hustle and bustle that has been hanging around me for the last few hours is now starting to take its toll and I find myself wanting to flee. That I want to shake my hands loose to get rid of that gross feeling that rests on my skin. I am locked up.

On the other side of the bus I see Ruel looking around with wide eyes. His hand rests on his chest and presses down on the place of his heart. His eyes dart in my direction and I can see them filling up from that distance.

I make sure Ruel gathers the things he needs and then pull him off the bus to lead him back to the venue. It doesn't officially close for an hour anyway.

Following me, Ruel jumps out of the bus, which is quite high on its wheels, and lands with a thud. Immediately his name is called by a number of girls. We both have to look around to identify exactly where the sound is coming from, but behind the fence a little further on, under the yellow light of the street lamp, a number of fans are standing together.

Ruel runs a hand through his hair and walks towards them, whereupon I obediently follow him with a bag in my hand. Full of the things we need, although not much. It is mainly the towel that takes up space.

My blood is pumping faster and faster as we approach the fans and I can't help it. It's different now that they've seen my face titled as girlfriend. Before that I was just a friend or acquaintance, not the girlfriend of.

The five of them are standing under the streetlight behind the barred fence. The street around us is otherwise quite dark, as is the terrain behind us. I'm surprised that from this distance, and with the amount of light there was, they could see that it was Ruel jumping off the bus.

"Ruel, would you like some crisps?"  asks the girl who is almost our age as she puts her hand with the bag of crisps between the steel bars.

Enthusiastic and without a doubt, his hand disappears into the bag and takes out a whole handful, which he then puts into his mouth little by little.

The arm moves a little more towards me, although I keep my distance from the group.
"Do you also want some?" With a friendly smile she looks in my direction, which causes Ruel's gaze to return to me.

I shake my head gratefully.
Yasmine: "No, thanks. He can have my bit though."

Understanding, the bag moves his way again, causing Ruel to take a few more crisps. He wears a glee on his face when he looks towards his fans. A kind of hope for the future and a gratitude for the present.

For a while they chat with each other without an uncomfortable atmosphere in the air. That's often the case when fans meet Ruel, but I get that. It is also quite scary and new, such a conversation often always has to start up.

A shiver because of the wind that is blowing a little harder shoots through my body. Slides from the top of my head all the way down my back to my toes. Without losing his story, Ruel puts an arm over my shoulder and pulls me against him to seek out that little bit of body heat. I would have preferred to slide my cold hand under his shirt, but I let it disappear into his back pocket.

"You had been shooting the last few shows, right?" asks another girl with curly hair slightly past her shoulders to bring me into the conversation, which I hadn't quite consciously pulled out of.