Sugar Spell it Out

Five: A Bruised Rock Star

"Get up, man. We don't have time for this," a familiar, gruff voice said. I groaned, furrowing my brow and mumbling incoherently as I rolled over to my opposite side, purposefully turning my back to the voice.

The new position felt uncomfortable as I stretched my body on the cold floor.

Glimpses of luminescent brown skin, a shy smile, bright soul-opening eyes – I sighed just on the brink of drifting back to sleep—A large blinding pain enveloped my lower torso and my eyes snapped open.

It was too much. This asshole just kicked me in the back.

Already I was thinking of the cruelest possible methods of revenge. Wondering if they worked for me, regrettably I thought of the most embarrassing ways to fire an employee.

I rolled over quickly, attempting to get up, and failed miserably. Landing right on my ass, my eyes closed shut and I don't know how, but I could feel the muscles in my face twist together as the pain shot up my back and over my shoulders.

I clenched my teeth, trying to gather my bearings before I attempted to open my eyes.

When I did, they landed on Dan's face. I almost hesitated at the flicker of regret in his eyes, but it shook off real quick. 

"The hell was that for?" I yelled, wincing again as the pain shot through my ribs.

With one arm already holding me up, I used the other one to wrap around my bare stomach.

"Hurts that bad?" His slightly smug face turned into a full frown.

In return, I gave him the nastiest glare I could muster before looking away.

"Sorry, man. But at least you're up." His voice rumbled as he spoke.

"I've been trying to wake you up for almost twenty minutes. We're supposed to be at the shoot by now,"

The photo shoot. Damn. I leaned forward and rested my arms on my jean clad knees.

Glancing at the watch on my wrist, I groaned.

"Who in their right mind has a photo shoot at two in the morning?" I shook my head, both an attempt to clear the rest of the fog from my mind and at the ridiculousness of the situation.

Dan just shrugged his one shoulder before striking his default pose; tucking his hands in his pockets, hunching over, and leaning against the nearest surface. In this case, it was the railing of the balcony outside of my room.

I scoffed at him, eyeing his form.

He gave me an indignant look. "Who the hell in their right mind sleeps on the balcony floor of their room? Your bed is perfectly fine."

"It's cooler out here," I muttered without hesitation.

I shook my head at myself. I could already feel Dan's gaze bore into my face.

I looked to the balcony; not wanting to see the pity that I knew was already there on his face. The jabbing my lower torso throbbed louder as I looked through the iron railing and into the dark sky. Bright streetlamps and all-time fairy lights illuminated the otherwise dull neighborhood.

And although we were quite aways from the general festivities of the city, I felt as if we were standing dead in the middle of it.

It would be an understatement to say I've been off my game the past year and a half. Too much was on my mind and now I was being forced to wake up three in the morning just because Manager Ray said it was convenient.

Convenient.

I laughed in his face a few days ago when he called us to go over the schedule for the new and upcoming album.