The Edge Of Yesterday

Chapter 10

I wasn't sure what to bring on tour with me. It would last for the month and the next. So, I decided to bring the necessities (soap, tampons, clothes, toothpaste, and other bland things) along with my sketchbook, a couple of books, my little notebook, and some stationary.

We had to board the tour bus in the early hours of the morning. Our first destination was Boston, and we just slept the entire ride there. 

The bus was kind of cramped. Kind of was an understatement. It was just like the van that Alex and I had moved to New York in, expect we weren't surrounded by cardboard boxes - the seats were just very small and close together. 

I was next to Rosie, on the window seat. I didn't realize it, but I had ended up sleeping with my head on her shoulder, which I was a bit embarrassed about since I didn't want to be an inconvenience to her, but Rosie didn't seem to mind at all.

"No, no, it's fine, it is." she said, stammering slightly, which was unusual for her, although I didn't think too much of it in the moment.  "It's, it's nice."

I still sat up straight anyways, staring out of the window, but I was sleepy, so very sleepy. Not too long later, I ended to falling half asleep on her shoulder once again. 

 She smelled like Marlboro Reds. It was weirdly comforting. 

Once I finally woke up, my eyelids still slightly heavy, I took out my pen and began doodling in my sketchbook. I wasn't drawing anything special in particular; just shapes that came to mind, ones that looked oddly like ghosts.

As I glanced around the bus, looking for things I could use as a reference, an idea sparked to me. I could use Rosie as a reference. She was very, and by very I mean very, focused on the book I bought her. Her legs were crossed around each other, and she was slightly slumped in her head. She was completely still, her eyes swerving across the pages, her lips slightly parted as she took in the words of the book. She seemed to be enjoying it. 

And so, I began sketching her. A rough outline of her, her book, her face and all of her earrings appeared onto my paper. I remained ultra focused on my drawing until the van drove over a bump, which caused me to drop my pencil, which ended up flying under the seat in front of me.

Rosie was startled by the bump as well, and she nearly dropped her book, but she caught it just in time, before she could lose the page she was on. "Jesus Christ." she said. "I thought that we hit somebody."

"It was just a speed bump" Bones reassured us. "Or a hole in the road."

Somehow, Alex had managed to sleep through all of this, not bothered the slightest bit. I envied him for that talent of his 

Rosie had noticed what was on my sketchpad, and was trying not to blush, although her cheeks were turning slightly pink. "Avril." she said, softly. "Avril. You, you shouldn't have."

"But I wanted to draw you" I said. "Only I don't think I can anymore, since my pencil had ended up in the vortex." 

Rosie unbuckled her seatbelt, and dived under the seats, crawling around the van, until she eventually found it in a tight nook, which she fished it out of. She pulled herself back to her seat, handing me the pencil.

"Found it." she said, handing the pencil to me. "It has been saved from the vortex." 

"Thank you." I took the pencil, and began to continue the drawing.

"No problem." she said, going back to her book.

Although we were silent, just doing our own thing, it still felt so comfortable with each other. If the bus rides were going to be like this, then I was really looking forward to each and evrey one of them.