Hysteria, The Girl Of Rock Royalty, Love, and Eternal Beauty

Backstage Part 2

The question I was preparing to ask them: Do you guys believe you play hard rock or heavy metal?

I asked them that very question.
Rick: "Well, what do you think?"
Me: "I'd say it's somewhere in between."
Phil: "Why's that?"
Me: "Because some songs you guys play are heavy metal, and then there're other songs that are very melodic and give off hard rock vibes, you know?"
Me: *Turns the corner of my shoulder to see Joe giving me a death stare*

Joe slitters, "That's the best description I've heard in a long time... Somewhere in between. Your brain really is amazing, lady."
I open my mouth into a wide smile and giggle with my eyes squinting, my face pointing down on the floor.
I open my eyes and look back up at the light before letting out a sigh of relief.

Things are silent for the next few minutes as I sit close to Joe, our upper arms and shoulders touching, along with the sides of our legs and thighs.
After this silence, Rick finally stood up.
"Alright, don't you think we should get up and run around or something?" He inquired of us.
Steve finally spoke, standing up quick.
"Yeah.. I think we should." He slurred, in a sly tone.

The six of us all stood up and started going around. Sav was mainly by the fridge, grabbing food and glasses of water. Phil and Steve were practicing their guitars. Rick was chatting with a security guard. I have no clue what Joe was doing. He was doing a bit of everything, I should say.

I mainly just walked the hallway of the backstage room. But this is when everything goes weary for Joe and I. I said hi to him in the hallway. But he ignored me and walked away.
"What?" I wondered.
"He's a nice guy.. why's he acting like this with me?"
I kept walking around, trying to get used to being in the presence of my idols.

When I walked through the corridor of the backstage pantry room, Joe gave me a bunch of dirty looks and acted like I wasn't there. 15 minutes ago, he was nice to me. But now he was the opposite. I really thought he disliked me, and that was all to it. I wondered why. What did I do to him?

I walked into the women's bathroom backstage and took the biggest stall. I locked the stall door and sat on the floor beside the trash can.

I put my purse in my lap and started crying softly. Tears were streaming down my face as I kept wondering why Joe was the way he was towards me.

I grab my phone to pull up a picture of Joe. I stared at it in detail, his sandy hair, his blue/green eyes, and that accent of his echoing in the back of my head as my body was going through a bunch of the pain and sadness I felt, not to mention, the disappointment and the shame on top of all that.

My back is urged against the wall. My legs are spread out on the floor. I hold up the picture of Joe. Tears stream down my cheeks as I talk to myself out loud.

"What did I do? What have I said?" I cried.
"Joe doesn't like me.. but I love him so much! Why is he behaving like this toward me??" I sobbed.
A female security guard appeared in the bathroom door. She noticed my cries and came to help.

"Autumn... Is everything okay?" She glances down at me.
"I'm very upset right now, ma'am.." I cried.
The security guard knelt down beside me.
"Why? What's making you cry?" She inquires.
I looked at her.
"Joe is not being very nice towards me.. and I don't understand why. I've never done anything to him." I explained.

The security guard looks at me with pity.
"It's okay.. I'll talk to him." She reassures.
She hands me some paper towels to wipe up my tears.

I came back out after 12 minutes. It was as if I was walking around taking slow steps when I heard a conversation between Joe and Sav. Turns out, Sav was confronting Joe about his jealous behavior toward me. I couldn't believe it.

Sav: "Joe, why are you being so mean to Autumn? You know she doesn't even know you, mate?"
Joe: *takes a deep breath*
Joe: "Sav..."
"I'm actually in love with Autumn."
Sav: *gasps in shock*
"What exactly do you mean?"
Joe: "She's such a cool, sweet, and funny girl. She's beautiful and she's a great performer."
"I treated her like that because I was jealous of her.. I was worried she was gonna take away what I had."

Sav eased up nicely.
Sav: "Thanks for being honest, mate."
Joe and Sav part ways as I leave the window before they can see that I heard him.
I went into another room on my own, trying to process what I had just heard.
"Is this true? Does he like me after all?" I quizzled to myself, in a startling voice and a chilling mood.

I walk back out to see Joe across the hall from me. I gulp nervously as I walk up to him.
"Hey... Joe.." I sizzled out, trying not to make eye contact. I could feel myself blushing.
I was expecting him to ignore me, but instead, I got this..
"Hello mate.." He smiles.
I immediately act confused.
"Hehe.." I giggled.
"Sorry for being so awkward.."
Joe smiles and pats my shoulder.
"It's alright, lady.." Said Joe with a smile.
I take out my phone to take a picture with him. That was the first picture he and I took together.

Another moment between Joe and I came 20 minutes later. I was sitting in the backstage living room on the couch. The room was silent for about 7 minutes. It was just to take a moment and relax.

Suddenly, Joe walks up to me as I scroll through my Instagram. He has two bottles of Diet Coke in his hands.
"Hello mate.." He greets me with once more.
"You mind if I sit here with you?"
I blush once again.
"Yes.. you're more than welcome." I smile with a gleeful voice.
He gives the Diet Coke bottle in his left hand.
"Here.. have a Diet Coke."
I open the bottle and take a sip, thirsty after a night of singing and dancing.

I turned to face the wall painted in crisp white and some black chipped paint by a black door in the room. Suddenly, a hand gets placed in my hair, and my brain immediately sends shivers down my spine. Joe was playing with my hair and putting his arm around me, his hand on my shoulder.

I turn to Joe to smile at him. I lean my head against him as he comes closer. We take two more sips of the Diet Coke bottles and put them on the side table. He brings me into his arms and holds me to him. I couldn't understand. I met this guy a couple of hours ago, and now he wants to cuddle with me. This seemed insane alright?

"I'm sorry.." Joe said, breaking the silence.
I look up at him.
"What do you mean?" I shizzle.
"About how I treated you earlier.." Joe answers.
"I was just jealous of you because you're a better performer than I'd ever be. I've finally accepted that I'm good where I am because of you. I'm sorry about it all."

I smile up at him.
"I forgive you.." I sultured.
Joe and I stand up and share a giggle before he embraces me in a very long hug. My arms wrapped around his neck and upper back. His arms around my hips, holding me close to him.

Little did I know, Joe and I would be sharing a huge hug and more when we get the time alone in an open field behind the building. But till then, I remained confused yet happy.

I decided to leave the backstage area and head to the dining hall to get dinner. I was starving after a long performance and an hour and a half of being backstage with them.

Joe leads me to the door and opens it, holding it for me. I walk out the door, purse and all, waving to Joe promising to return as soon as I was done at the restaurant. The backstage door closed, and there I was, alone in the empty concert venue.

I walked through the open corridors of the now bright concert venue area, which leads out to the hallways.. and there I was. Walking through the venue hallways to get a glimpse of its actual layout.

I am puzzled by everything I see because it was literally New York City, but in one big building layout.