Stella's POV
I'd be lying if I said I didn't have to sprint from the van that dropped us off at the venue to my dressing room to get ready. I rushed through make up and threw on the first outfit I saw, which was one of those tiny crop tops and cargo pants outfits Ava was always picking out for me. It felt fitting. Today was Ava's day. Speaking of Ava's day, her birthday was coming up the day after tomorrow and my brother and I had big plans. We just had to get through these two shows and it would be time to celebrate Ava again. I was never able to celebrate my own birthday growing up, but I always liked celebrating Ava's with her. Her Abuela always got her a sparkly birthday crown, and they made her a sash out of paper taped together that always ripped within like 30 seconds of playing. But Ava always got this cheesy smile on her face when people sang happy birthday to her, and got super happy and giddy when me and Peter gave her presents. Usually my presents to her were things I already had, like Barbie dolls or t-shirts, but Peter's aunt and uncle always took him to Toys R Us to buy her something special for her birthday. After I started working at Oscorp I started to be able to buy her presents, but the store bought gifts never made her as giddy as the hand-me-downs so this year I was trying something new.
But we weren't there yet.
Show days without Ava were pretty bland. Ava was and always had been the life of the group. I'm sure you're wondering by now why, if I was bullied so heavily, I didn't just leave school and be homeschooled or something, and the answer is because of Ava. Ava was honestly the reason I got up in the morning most days, and not just because she would break into my room and drag me out of bed if I didn't.
"Has anyone ever told you you're like... really boring?" Louis asked. We were both bored, laying on the floor of his dressing room.
"I'm really boring? What about you? All you do is drink and make out with my best friend." I pointed out.
"That's what we should do! We should drink!" He exclaimed. He didn't move though.
He had suggested that at least 5 times at this point.
"Don't you ever get tired of being drunk and hungover every day?" I asked.
"Never."
"What about that time in Phoenix when you almost lost your voice because you drank too much in Vegas?" I wondered.
"I don't remember that." He shrugged.
"I bet you don't, because you drank so much in Phoenix you probably don't even remember being there." I pointed out.
"I remember you drowning yourself in vodka." He said.
"I'm pretty sure that was a Leo tricking me thing because he had this stupid drinking game where he'd flip and a coin and if it ended..."
"If it ended up heads you'd have to take a shot? Yeah, it's a trick coin. Both sides are heads." He said.
"Wait, what? Did you know that this whole time?"
"Remember that time you were locked in a cage and we had guys' weekend? He got me with that trick too. Although I'm really sure I didn't take quite as many shots as you."
"Hey, I'm book smart, not street smart."
"Clearly. You know, maybe that's something you should work on." Louis told me, and then he took the pillow he was laying his head on and hit me with it.
"Why do I have to be the entertaining one? Why can't you entertain me?" I asked, after a period of silence.
"Becauuuuuuse." Louis whined.
"You're such a baby." I laughed.
"I don't know what to do without Oli." He replied.
"We could smoke." I suggested.
