What It Cost

Chaos

Lilly stepped off the tour bus. Phone pressed to her ear as she breathed in the crisp morning air. The chill hinted at the arrival of autumn, her favorite season. The past few weeks had been a whirlwind of travel, late nights, and nonstop work, but for a moment, standing outside in the quiet cold gave her a moment of solidarity.

"Lilly, you have no idea how proud I am of you," Tasha's voice crackled through the speaker. "The Bad Omens fans are, like, obsessed with your work! Your Instagram is blowing up. I mean, you've always been talented, but damn."

Lilly chuckled, tucking her free hand into the pocket of her hoodie. "It's been kinda surreal. I guess I didn't expect people to care this much about my work directly... But I guess it helps when you like who's in the frame." She couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh, they care. I saw a whole Twitter thread about how badass your tour shots are. People are even making fan edits with your photos."

Lilly shook her head, smiling. The idea of fans appreciating her photography was still hard to grasp. "Well, let's hope they keep liking what I put out."

"They will," Tasha assured her. "Oh! And speaking of things to be excited about, there are only a few more days until you're back home! I cannot wait to see you."

"I know!" Lilly grinned. "Feels like it's been forever. You almost done with that piece you've been working on for me?"

"Almost! But I gotta run. I am SO late for class. Love you!"

"Love you too!"

Lilly ended the call and slipped her phone into her pocket, stretching her arms above her head as she took in the morning stillness. The cool air felt refreshing against her skin, a brief escape from the constant chaos of tour life. She let out a content sigh.

The sound of the bus door opening behind her made her turn. Noah stepped out, hoodie pulled over his messy hair, looking as if he had just rolled out of his bunk.

"Morning," he greeted, his voice still laced with sleep.

She smiled. "Morning."

There was an ease between them now, a friendship that had settled in over the past few weeks. The initial awkwardness had faded, replaced by something  familiar.

Noah leaned against the bus, shoving his hands into his pockets. "We've got an off day tomorrow. You got any plans?"

Lilly shrugged. "I hadn't thought about it... Maybe I'll take the rare opportunity to get a full eight hours of sleep."

Noah smirked. "Ambitious."

She laughed softly, and before she could say anything else, the rest of the band filed out of the bus, one by one. Noah straightened. "We're heading inside to mess around with some new ideas. You coming?"

Lilly shook her head. "I think I'll walk around a bit first."

Noah gave her a pointed look. "Just don't forget your lanyard... again."

Lilly could feel her cheeks burn as she recalled the memory of a show they had played a few nights ago. 

Lilly had decided to step outside for fresh air, trying to clear her dizzy head. But in her haze, she had forgotten her lanyard inside.

When she tried to return, security blocked her path.

"I'm with the band," she had insisted, heart and head pounding. "I swear, I work for them!"

The guard barely glanced at her. "No pass, no entry."

Panic crawled up her throat. She had nothing on her to prove it, her phone was dead, her bag inside. Her eyes burned with frustrated tears.