Somewhere in the Middle

For the Sake of the Band

"Was it that obvious?" Evie smiled, her cheeks hot.

Henry chuckled. "You were doing a pretty good job hiding it."

"Good to know." She laughed along, and though she still felt like she had swallowed a bowling ball, it was a relief to know that Henry thought well of the guys. It just meant that they treated their team well, and probably meant that they would be good to her, too.

She felt a little more confident as she walked past the tiny kitchen and slid the door open. As she had guessed, there was a narrow hallway flanked by 2 rows of horizontal bunks, stacked one on top of the other. Each bunk had draw curtains, pushed wide open on all but one. She couldn't help but glance into them as she passed, noticing the different belongings in each.

One had pictures of who she guessed were family and friends near the pillow, with the compartments near the foot of the bed brimming with everything from wires, to pens, to what appeared to be small books. Other than that the bed was made and very orderly. Another bunk had a less lived-in feel—no pictures, but still plenty of things bulging from the compartments. Another was rather messy, with not only pictures and full pockets, but clothes strewn about the unmade sheets. As she neared the end of the short hall, there was a totally empty one—a top bunk, which she assumed would be hers, directly across from the one with the closed curtain.

She paused a moment at the second closed door, all too aware of what she would find on the other side. The sharp noises of the TV, as well as a low rumble of voices were muffled through the shiny wood, and she didn't know if she should knock or just head inside.

Then, there was movement behind the closed curtain to her left—a sigh and the soft rustle of sheets—and there was no more time to think about it. Startled, Evie raised her hand and rapped on the door twice.

Her heart felt like it was trying to break free from her chest when the voices on the other side were no longer there. There was an obvious hesitation before she heard a loud "Come in!" that sent the wrecking ball to work once again.

With one last deep breath, she grabbed the handle and slowly slid the door open. The first thing she noticed was the end of a wraparound couch, and as she pushed the door further, the two guys sitting on it came into view.

Greg Willen and Lucas Nook of Crossing Astor.

*

Jamie woke feeling more tired than when he had fallen asleep, but his headache was a little better. His bunk was almost pitch black, and he knew that opening the curtain would probably make his head pound again. Keeping his eyes closed anyway, he fumbled around in the sheets for his phone.

11:24 a.m.

To his surprise, he had been asleep for over 3 hours. And he was parched.

Which meant getting up.

He pulled the curtain back, and sure enough, had to close his eyes immediately. With a long groan, he swung his legs out and let them hang there for a moment, his eyes still adjusting the dim lighting in the bus hallway. They were moving, so he tried to be careful climbing down, afraid his hangover would come back to bite him in the ass as the bus rumbled beneath him. There were muffled noises and laughter coming from behind the closed door of the lounge to his left.

Too exhausted to feel any kind of curiosity, Jamie made his way into the kitchen, where he poured himself a cup of black coffee, silently grateful to whoever had the presence of mind to make a pot. As he was taking his first sip, the door leading to the back of the bus opened, the sounds of voices and laughter getting louder, than quieter again, as footsteps grew closer and Greg entered the kitchen.