That Girl And The Lost Boy

Chapter 17:

Things had been a bit odd lately, Alex and Lilly since the breakdown in San Antonio had been a bit distant, Zack and Emery had become rather feisty in their relationship on several levels. Jack and Rian seemed to be the only ones who were too busy with the tour to be bothered with anyone else. The shows were blurring together. Now they were in New Orleans and preparing for a double header the next week playing two shows.

"IS NOT. I need to film.", Emery protested and Zack laughed as he continued to kiss up and down her neck. "Zack, seriously. I have three videos to film and then I have to call the office. I need to work." 

He raised a brow as she spoke more seriously than she had since they'd met. "Calm down, you have time." 

Emery sighed as she fiddled with her camera shaking her head, "No. No I have to start working now. Not all of us get to be playboy rock stars who can do whatever they want as long as at the end of the day you can stand on stage and look good for a few songs. Some of us have to actually work." 

He scoffed and stepped back a bit, "Really? That was fucking low. You know we work much harder than that. Sorry I guess I'll leave you alone to giggle in front of a camera for a few hours." , he said shaking his head and walking out. Emery angrily set down her camera and took a moment to regain her composure.

Zack walked in to the backstage area to find Alex and Jack sitting their with acoustic guitars in an impromptu writing session. Jack looked up and gave a wave and a nod, Alex was busy scribbling down the next verse of lyrics.

 "Can I join in?" , Zack asked and mindlessly Alex nodded as he wrote. 

Jack smiled, "Yeah of course, grab a chair and they set your bass some where around here."

 After a few moments Zack pulled up a chair and sat down with them as they all commenced with the writing session. 

Jack was reading over some of the notes when he corked a brow, "WAIT. This bit has Lilly written all over it. Southern California..bitch..yeah. You guys okay? This is uh, not your average love song." , he said with a laugh.

 Alex shrugged, "I guess it is. Besides we're fine. Just I don't know. We're fine.",  though he sounded unsure when the word fine graced his lips. Jack shrugged and nodded, not asking any further questions as they continued to brain storm.

Rian was a bit busy having a peaceful day with Cassadee in the city. When he was on tour he had few chances to see her so when she rarely flew out to meet him they made a day of it. Valuing the time they spent together.

Lilly groaned as she starred at the white glowing screen of her computer as she sat on her bunk trying desperately to find some sort of inspiration to write. Nothing. Her mind was a blank canvas and the paints had been sitting out so long they were starting to dry and crack. She groaned and pushed her hands roughly back through her hair before slamming shut her laptop and violently shoving it towards the other end of her punk. He was plaguing her thoughts. But Alex the adorably lovable rock star with a sad story and the most gorgeous brown eyes was not the only thing on her mind. Lately she had been thinking of some of the more tragic details of her life, her own personal anxieties and secret safe hatred which manifested as a series of random bouts of depression and self destruction. She was a broken girl, beautiful and damaged and she could only play perfect for so long. Since the breakdown the cracks in her facade of the mysterious beautiful artsy girl were beginning to show. She shook her head and sat back on her bunk, shutting her eyes.

Emery filmed her videos as best she could, she put off editing them, she would do that later. Now she had to call the Los Angeles office. "Hey, Ang? Yeah could you email me the itinerary and the any messages or memos from the last two weeks for me? Thanks!", she said as she listened to her assistant's updates. "Yes, yes. Tell Alfie that he needs to email me that so we can do final approvals...yes. You know what. I'll call you back later. No, everything is fine. Alright, good bye." She hung up and set down her phone as she thought about the harsh words she and Zack had exchanged. Their relationship although not as estranged as Lilly and Alex had been on the rocks. They kept getting into petty arguments, not even bothering to make up between them.