MASQUERADE - Bad Omens

New Orleans - 6

(TW, talk about ptsd, assault ptsd, panic attacks)

"Forgetting is difficult,
Remembering is worse." - Unknown

It was only an 11 hour drive between Texas and New Orleans, everyone stayed to themselves most of the time, just relaxing, watching tv, sleeping. Noah working on a new song of his own, Echo still overthinking the song she wrote earlier.

She stayed in the back lounge during the drive watching one of her favorite shows with her headphones in to help calm her mind. Folio ended up joining her and taking one of her headphones to watch the show too. The walking dead.

Echo and Folio watched the show together for a while, until her headphones died and she decided to go ahead and get ready for the show since they would be arriving at the venue within two hours.

Getting ready early gave her time to check over everything for the merch booth, and gave the guys time to get ready without her being in their way. She wore some black ripped jeans, a black backless crop top, and her ankle boot heels. Her makeup simple as usual, hair straightened, and a new perfume she got at one of their last stops.

As they got to the venue in New Orleans, echo was the first off the bus, going to set up the merchandise table and quietly overthink the song she previously wrote.
She set up the table as usual, signs with the sizes and prices of the clothing that she kept in the box behind the table so no one could steal anything.

Arranging the boxes of clothes in a neat order beside her chair. Larger sizes on the left and smaller sizes on the right. Her even checking with the guys to make sure they had everything they needed for the show.

As usual the doors opened to the venue, fans rushed in. Running to try and see the guys, other running to buy the new merchandise. Asking Echo questions about the guys, the new merch and some asking for photos with her since she was the designer.

To her that was crazy, people wanted pictures with her too, and not just of the merch and guys. There was something different about New Orleans, maybe the culture Echo was learning about from different fans, the way they wanted to learn about the music and not just the artist even though The guys were the music makers.

Some fans stayed near the booth, enjoying the music, watching the guys on the stage and talking with Echo, learning about the process she went through to make the merchandise they all loved so much.

As the show went on, everything was amazing. The vibe from the fans, their energy towards the guys and all of the cheering. There was a few things that were different. A few men circling the merchandise booth. It made Echo nervous, she even called a security guard over to stand by her for the rest of the show.

She couldn't tell if the guys wanted to steal merchandise from the booth or just mess with her, but she could tell something was wrong from the look in their eyes. Eyes always say something the voice won't. The way those men looked at echo made her uneasy, triggering her. Her memories. Her anger.

It almost felt like PTSD, she was on guard, tense, on edge. Like her mind was blanking out, flashbacks appearing in her mind but nothing was there. Her breathing getting faster, feeling a cold sweat. Almost like she was about to pass out.

She hasn't had a PTSD attack since she was 21, after a car accident she got into during a storm. Echo had PTSD from many things but she never let them control her.

The security guard excused himself to go break up a small fight between some fans, apparently an extra drumstick got tossed into the crowed and a few fans were arguing over who caught it first. Echo watched the fight get dispersed by the security team, she watched closely as the men that made her uncomfortable earlier come closer to the booth.... To her.

She took a deep breath and watched as the men approached the booth. "What can I get you men today, a hoodie, shirt, some sweats?" She asked as she kept a close eye on both of the men in front of her. "Just a shirt, Extra Large." The taller man said and echo leaned down to grab the shirt. "Is that all." She said sounding bored. "Maybe your number too beautiful." That sentence almost made her puke in her mouth.

"No thanks, your not my type." She said as she took the guys card and swiped it against the reader. "Declined, do you have another card" She said as he held the card out towards man. "Try again sweetheart" The other man said sounding irritated.
She swiped the card again. "It's declined." She said a bit more seriously as she turned to look on the stage and saw Jolly and Nick staring the guy down as they played their instruments.

When echo turned back the taller man grabbed the wrist she was holding the card in, she didn't think. She then turned and punched the man with her free hand causing him to let go of her. A few people in the crowed noticed and gasped causing more attention to be brought to her and the two men in front of the booth.

Noah immediately yelled to stop the music as they all noticed the guy turn back towards her and start to swing but she ducked just in time blocking the guys punch. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. She thought as she knelt under the table, feeling her PTSD being triggered, she held her wrist as the security team ran over, then the guys did too.

They threw the men out and called the police incase they came back. Echo disappeared, as the flashbacks began. Shit. She was outside behind the bus trying to calm her breathing but she couldn't. What the hell was she feeling, what was this. A panic attack?

She sat on the ground with her knees to her chest as she forgot how to breath. Feeling like her throat was closing. She noticed someone out of the corner of her eye and freaked out even more. Nick ran to her and knelt down, he knew the signs of a panic attack, all the guys did.

He just never believed he would see the one woman that always hid her emotions and put on a brave face having one. Looking at her, hiding, and showing an emotion he never thought she would show. Watching her cry, she didn't even know she was crying, watching her struggle to breath.

He knelt down and just hugged her tightly and whispered comforting things to her and she tried to slow her breathing and stop her hands and body from shaking. She felt like she was trapped in a trance of memories.

Nick wasn't even sure what to do, he had never seen her like that, none of the guys have. He didn't know why she was freaking out so bad or how to help her. All he knew is that she didn't need anyone else to see her like this, in pain. She never showed her emotions for a reason and he knew that, just not the reason.

After about 20 minutes she was breathing mostly normal again, still a bit of shaking but not as bad as it previously was. Nick sat beside her, leaning against the side of the bus, not saying anything. Just sitting with her in the quiet, being there for her.

"Thank you" She whispered, her voice barely audible, but he Hurd it and just nodded. "Are you okay?" He asked, unsure if she would even say anything else. "You know I'll just say "I'm fine" so you don't ask any more questions, but I just don't want to talk about it honestly" She said as she held her knees to her chest then wiped away the tears that were staining her face, but it only smudged her makeup more.

"I understand that" Nick said with a small smile, then pulled his sleeve over his hand to wipe her face off. "Dude you makeup is like really smudged" he said with a small laugh causing her to laugh too.

"I punched that guy" Echo laughed a bit. "You really did, he had a bruise forming when we kicked him out" Nick laughed along with her. "God, we shouldn't even be laughing" She said in a laugh a she kept wiping her face off. "Probably not" He agreed as they kept laughing.

"We should get back inside, we're literally at a concert your supposed to be playing in right now" She said as she looked at her camera on her phone to wipe the remaining of the smeared makeup off.
"Yeah but we can just sit here a few minutes more" He said as they both sat there.

"Don't tell the guys, I don't want anyones pity or "sorry's" I just want the rest of the show to go good for you all, and to have a good time." Echo said with a small sigh. "I understand, Promise" He said as he held out his pinky and she linked hers with his.

"Let's get back inside" She said with a small smile.