Ace Huxley's Daughter

22

I could see it now. The phone call from mum tomorrow about what I was wearing today. Honestly, I didn't really care. The outfits she makes me wear back home, she always backs them up with 'this is what we wear Olive' and 'you have to be presentable, you've got the family name on your shoulders'. Well, the people I'm around now wear band shirts and leather jackets. She's going to shit herself when she sees the tattoos. I could have not worn the jacket today to be honest. I could have given her both shocks at the same time but I thought it might actually kill her.

Hannah lifted from my door as I walked down the hallway, sweet smile on her face, armed with makeup. I don't know why I expected less when I text her telling her I had a date tonight. I date. I've been on dates. I've lost count of how many. But I don't date here. Not in this world. Not with a guy I'd class as my type. Not with a guy who mum didn't select and set me up with. I'd set this up myself. So naturally you'd think I do it all the time and I'm sure I'd caught Sonny in a trap where he thinks I do.

She didn't say a single word as I approached, just beaming at me like she was some psychotic porcelain doll from a horror movie.

"You're creeping me out."

"You've got a date." She almost giggled and I pushed the door open, letting her in first. "With Emerson. Not some pompous lawyer your mum picked out. And it's not Blake."

"Don't Han. He's fuming at me."

"Blake is?" She sat me down in a chair, not even giving me a choice on how this was going to work. She was getting me ready. I wasn't going to argue. I was exhausted. "Why's Blake pissed?"

"Because Sonny's been sleeping with Vanessa since tour started. Seems to think he's using me."

"Wait. No, hold on. Hasn't Blake had a new girl every-"

"Every night. Yeah." Hannah's perfect eyebrows raised. We continued to chat about the whole situation. About last night and this morning with Sonny and getting it off my chest was like a weight off my shoulders. The only other people who knew were dad and Blake. Dad was excited about everything. I could tell him I'm dating a plastic bag and it would the best thing to happen since the Big Bang. And well, Blake. Blake put the biggest downer on it just because it wasn't him.

It sucked.

I felt like I was losing him. Blake has been my best friend for 15 years. The thought of losing him over something so stupid was heart breaking and it's one of the reasons I am glad it didn't go further. It would have been guaranteed to end in disaster.

Hannah and I set off to the stadium as normal, checking through security, heading to the dressing room, laughing with our parents. Nothing out of place except the obvious lack of Blake in here. Dad assured me he was just checking everything over and asked me about what I wanted to sing for sound check today. I don't know when me doing their soundcheck became the natural thing we did but it was fun.

I'd always loved singing with dad. From the moment I could. Though back then it was nursery rhymes and Disney songs. That never died. After the divorce, when I was dropped off here, we'd sing backstage. Me and dad and the guys. It slowly just bled onto the stage and then soundcheck I guess. I was comfortable up here.

"Hey." He appeared. As if from nowhere. Blake just showed up beside Nigel. Crossing my arms, I shifted my weight onto one hip.

"You okay Blake?" He nodded at me. "Better than this morning?"

"Yeah. Fine." Good. We might be alright then.

"How about-" Zeb pulled off his guitar, looping it over Hannah and kissing her temple. "You three have some fun today."

"Us three?" I gestured between me, Hannah, Blake, and Zeb nodded. I turned my attention to dad who smiled, flipping the mic, and passing it to me. "This is supposed to be your sound check not us pissing about. It's bad enough that we high jac-"

"Callie." Blake raised an eyebrow. "No rules."

"You cannot be on board with this. Han?" I turned to her and she shrugged, pulling at the guitar strings.

"Pops. We've been doing this for 30 years. We can miss one sound check doll." Joe spoke, voice gruff as he passed Blake his sticks. "Break it kid and it's on your head."

"Do you know how long I spent setting that up? Not a chance." Blake sat down in his spot and looked at me, nodding with encouragement. A few quick words passed between us, song names we'd played backstage, on the tour bus as kids or that we'd pissed about playing between the 3 of us when we had free time.

We landed on one of Valor's songs which was a massive surprise to us but playing it was beyond fun. Dad and the group settled in at the bottom of the stage with the rest of the team and honestly, if this was it. If this was what music was about just the enjoyment of being on stage and the crowd, I reckon I'd do it pretty easily. But constantly being on the road isn't for me. I don't think I've ever seen dad look as proud as he did in this moment. Which was exceptionally hard to do, he was always proud. But with words he'd written and performed for longer than I've been alive blasting through the speakers, I swear his heart was about to burst. All of the band had the same look.

It was all over a lot quicker than it felt. Almost making me concerned I'd missed something. Hannah came over, laughing in my ear as she hugged me.

"Your dad looks like he's going to have a heart attack." I chuckled as Blake turned me around by my shoulders, pulling me into a bone breaking hug. I exhaled, wrapping arms around his waist softly.

"I'm sorry Pops." He whispered in my ear and I let out the last bit of air in my lungs. He finally let me go, scowling slightly before giving me a soft smile. "You're hair's a mess now."

"Doesn't surprise me." He started smoothing it out, stopped and put his hand on my cheek. "Blake-" He shook his head, pulled me close and settled his lips on mine. I scowled, forcing my hands onto his chest, and pushing hard to get him off me. He stumbled backwards. I didn't even know what to say to him. What the fuck gave him the right to do that?

"Callie-"

"WHAT THE FUCK BLAKE?" I turned around, walking off the stage, thrusting the mic at the first person I walked past. "Callie, wait up." I had no intentions of waiting for anyone. I pulled my bag off the side, walking out of the building not knowing what exactly just happened.

I had to be making it up right? That can't have fucking happened. Maybe this was all some fucked up nightmare and I'm going to wake up not even on tour yet. I'll be at home, in my bed, with mum knocking on the door and Buddy's paws tapping on the tile beside her and I'll wake up and say that's a fucked-up dream and I'll start the past 8 days over again.

It was quiet as I walked back through the hotel. Lobby, quiet, lift, quiet, hallway, quiet, bedroom, quiet. I walked into the bathroom, slowly slipping down the door as I closed it. The more doors I had between me and the world right now, the better.