- billboards {h.s.}

2

I couldn't wait to get to the hotel so that I could be alone. It'd only been an hour since Kasey had trapped me in the booth. I was no longer counting billboards. I couldn't concentrate between Kasey blabbing, Ryan and the drummer arguing about a bag of Cheetos, and worrying about my pink song book that Harry had snuck off with.

He went back to the bunks but I couldn't see him. I knew I probably didn't have to worry about much, but my anxiety wanted me to worry anyway, so that's what I did.

I sighed and folded my arms across my chest in defeat as I sat back in the seat. I'd been reluctant to relax because Kasey had snuck an arm behind me and I didn't wanna encourage his flirty behavior, but I gave in.

I began looking out the window again, but this time I couldn't find anything to count. Blades of grass were too small and clouds were too cliche. We were moving too fast to count the litter speckling the highway and other cars had become too seldom to count as the sky grew darker.

"Summer?" I felt Kasey tapping my arm.

"Hmm?"

"When we stop in Smithville, there's this Japanese place-"

"Is everyone going?" I asked looking at Ryan and the drummer, Craig, who liked to be called C, who had also just tuned in to the conversation.

"Uh, no, this was gonna be a me and you thing." He ran a nervous hand through his thick hair.

"Kasey, it's not a good idea..." I said, about to regurgitate the lines I fed him earlier about how I don't like mixing work and pleasure. Which is a total lie. I've dated people I worked with and even worked for. There just wasn't anything there between Kasey and I.

He had gorgeous eyes and hair. He stood what seemed to be around 6 feet tall and his voice was deep and dreamy. He had as much sex appeal as any male model, but to me he was dull. I couldn't find anything I really wanted to talk to him about. I really tried too. I figured since he wasn't gonna leave me alone, I'd try to fall for him, but no. We just weren't clicking.

"Good, because I'd love to go get some Japanese." Craig said, coming to either Kasey's or my rescue. 

I sat back, satisfied with the outcome.

"So uh, Summer, how did the label find you?" Craig asked.

"Well I was freelancing for some underground artists and making beats for a few rappers and they plucked me up and signed me."

"Beats? For who?" Ryan asked.

"Uh, I made a few for Machine Gun Kelly's album General Admission album. One or two for Kodak Black and a couple here and there for 21 Savage... to name a few." I shrugged.

"Did you produce their tracks too?" Ryan asked eagerly. "Because I rap a little too. We could work together-"

"I do a little of everything." I said. "I play piano, I play guitar, I skateboard, I cook."

"Wow, better than I ever could've imagined." Kasey said, still swooning in his imaginary world where I liked him back. I ignored his comment and so did the others.

"Wow, Harry was right. You're the Picasso." Ryan grinned at me, almost with the same hopeful glint Kasey had in his eyes too. Ryan was equally attractive, if not even more. Ryan was more my type too. He had long dark hair that curled slightly at the ends, cradling his face perfectly. His dark brown eyes made his face warm and inviting and those lips. Ryan had the kind of lips people pay for. They were so plump I couldn't help but to imagine them touching mine. I couldn't count Ryan out just yet.

"Summer! Summer!" Harry came bounding down the isle, from towards the bunks. "This one, I wanna start working on this one right now." He placed the book on table and we all peered down at his song choice.

It was a song I'd written during a sour point in my love life where I just felt worthless. "This one? Are you sure?"

He nodded. "It spoke to me."

"Idfc, I like the title." Craig said chuckling.

"We can change some things around. It's a little raw." I said looking at the words.

"No, no, no, I like it like this. It may not be a single, but who knows. People love it when you're real about shit. They can relate." Harry said. "Get up, Kasey, I have work to do."

Kasey huffed. "We have all summer to work on the album, chill Harold."

Harry rolled his eyes at his full name being called. "Kasey she's not interested,"

"You have no idea what you're talking about, we have chemistry." He insisted.

Harry raised a brow and peered over in my direction, forcing me to set him straight in front of everyone on the bus expect the guitarist, whose name I learned was Jimmy, and the bus driver.

"Kasey, I told you I'm an all work and no play type of girl, and I don't like mixing the two." I said, breaking the news for the 5th time in the last hour. Ryan's hopeful glint faded a little as he peered out of the window.

Finally Kasey gave up and lifted himself from the seat, walking away in a silent huff. I made a mental note to speak to him later. I didn't want any bad blood on the bus.

Harry took his seat and Kasey's stiff cologne was gone and replaced by Harry's smooth sandalwood-smelling scent.

"So when Jim wakes up, me, you, and him are gonna have a sit down. There's honestly not much to work on right now, lyric wise, I like it exactly how it is." He smiled. "You just looked really uncomfortable up under Kasey."

I sighed. "He's really nice and so sweet really, I'm just not into him." I shook my head. I felt horrible.

"Don't feel bad. Kasey's like that. He sees a pretty girl and gets stuck." Ryan said. "Really, just ignore him."

I nodded, but I couldn't help but to wonder if Ryan was starting to come onto me. I didn't know how to react. Do I push him away like I did Kasey? Or do I feed into it? Maybe I should just live out those fake ass lines I fed Kasey and not mix my work with pleasure.