Lˊetoile Brilliant

(Alex Gaskarth P.O.V.)

Shining stars. That’s what the street lights looked like on the interstate. To the left of the bus, there was nothing but vehicles cruising the other way, but to the right there were always street lights on the horizon, marking a town I didn’t know the name of. ‘Just another Town.’ I looked at the digital clock on the microwave. It read twelve thirty-seven p.m.  My eyes shifted back to the shining stars as the headlights played around the interior of the bus and cast patterns on my exposed skin.

I couldn’t sleep, that girl’s words played through my head. It was like I had a VCR tape playing and I wanted to watch a scene over and over again. Play. Rewind. Repeat. Fast forward. Stop.

My hands rubbed sleep from my eyes as I laid the side of my head on the small table inside the Minnie kitchenette of the tour bus. I found myself watching the lights wondering if she was beneath one of those lights right now, listening to one of my songs, wishing I was there, right now. With her. With a fan I never knew breathed until a few hours ago.

I fiddled with the necklace she had given me at the Meet and Greet, admiring the delicate silver chain and little charm that was a small star. The star was made of translucent glass that shined when the light caught it, outlined with shiny metallic sliver. It shined just like her. God, I wish I heard her introduce herself to Jack, I was too busy with another fan to hear her, but she was something new. She was a star I wished I could catch, pull her into my orbit and stick her in the obsidian darkness of my pants pocket. Or in the middle of my heart where the blood pumped hardest and everything that was vital collected.

I squeezed my eyes shut, rewinding, replaying, and fast-forwarding her for the thousandth time.

~

It was hot.

Like really hot.

Like death valley hot.

“It’s hot…” Jack complained for the millionth time as we headed over to Meet and Greet.

I nodded. All I wanted to do was take a cold shower, change into clean un-sweaty clothes, and drink a little beer. ‘Maybe some Stella.’ I mused to myself.

“Look, all we have to do is meet the fans for a few hours, get our stuff, then we can do whatever the hell we want.” Rian said, giving us the familiar pep talk he always gave us after we were burned out.

Zack nodded then bumped me making me stumbled. “Ready to be mauled by fans Alex?”

“Hell yeah!” I said with some genuine enthusiasm. I may not want too but these people deserved a moment of my attention.

“How about you Jack!?”

His eyes flicked up under his bangs and he flipped us off, making the rest of us laugh.

“C’mon, if you can come out of a mosh-pit of fans overseas with a shit eating grin, you can handle sitting behind a table and conversing with U.S. fans.” I reasoned throwing an arm over his shoulder.

He perked up slightly then tickled my side making me duck my head in laughter. “HEEERRREESSS JACKY!” He yelled taking the seat closest to the first person in line.

Rian shook his head and took a seat next to Jack, and then Zack sat down until the only chair left was farthest from Jack. I plopped down rubbing my sweaty palms on my skinny jeans and shaking the hair out of my eyes.

I looked up at a girl with pin straight blonde hair and a grey beanie with an All Time Low shirt on. Zack passed a poster with our faces on the front.