"It's Not Love If It Hurts" //5sos

/135/

  "People don't realize how much work you boys need," the stylist commented, washing Calum's hair in the large sink.

  Annie laughed at Calum's face. "So many of the fans are under the impression that they wake up like this."

  The stylist laughed. Her name was Indie, and Johanna had informed Annie that she needed to memorize all of the staff's name's ASAP. Indie, Indie, Indie...

  Calum pouted. "You guys are so mean. I look beautiful in the morning." He cocked his head to the side, but the stylist- Indie Indie Indie- made him move his head back. She dumped some white gunk from a bottle into her palms, then began messaging it into his scalp. "If you woke up like this I wouldn't have a job," she joked.

  Johanna called Annie over, and she sent Calum and Indie a quick smile before hurrying over. Johanna was really the one in charge- Annie may have the same job title, but she was basically just Johanna's assistant. "Yeah?"

  "I need you to check on the other boys, and then ask Joeb from outfitting if he needs to take new measurements for the boys." Then Johanna was walking away, leaving Annie to try and decipher what she'd said.

  Walking around, Annie tried to put face to name for the people she saw. She'd already been introduced to some of them, but there were so many people. It wasn't just Johanna and the boys and one person with an iPhone- it was teams of people, carrying huge lights and bags of clothes and electric fans and clipboards and cameras that were likely more expensive than Annie's entire wardrobe. It was huge.

  They'd been at the set for an hour now, and they hadn't yet started with pictures. It'd be another hour to get the boys ready, and then they might start taking pictures. They had a few different pictures they needed to take today, for a few different magazines as well as to post to their own media. Most of the time, if a band or what have you was being interviewed for a magazine, they would have a photoshoot that day. That didn't work for 5sos. They had a list of requests, with representatives from each company on set to make sure they got just what they wanted.

  Annie ducked into the dressing room, where the boys were all in the process of getting their hair washed, except for Michael, who was getting the purple touched up. She kept walking, going to talk to Joeb about the measurements.

  When Annie had scheduled her first interview, her eyes had widened when she saw the sum of money they had sent in return for a short interview with the band. She'd called Johanna over, who just shrugged. "That's nothing. You should see what each convert brings in."

  Annie ducking into the area where the boys clothes laid in wait. A few carts of predetermined outfits in bags hung, and Annie poked around for Joeb. When she saw him, she asked the question for Johanna, then sped walked back the way she came to report back to her.

  It was this way for at least another half hour, before Johanna told Annie she could go make small talk with the stylists. There was still lots of work to be done, but Johanna knew how important it was to know people. You couldn't get anywhere in this business without talking to people.

  So Annie went back, and found Calum in the same place she'd left him, only now he was sitting on the seat getting his hair cut.

  "It's not easy, is it," he said snarkily, seeing Annie's weary expression.

  "How would you know," she teased tiredly, "you've been sitting in that chair for the past 45 minutes."

  "Hold still," the stylist requested. Calum let her adjust his head, before replying.

  "It's exhausting getting my hair cut. And when they wash it? It's honeslty draining."

  Annie snorted. "Whatever. Indie, how are you?"

  Calum groaned about being ignored, but both of the women ignored him. "I'm good. I've been washing this boys hair for the past half hour, but good." She had a melodious voice, deep but smooth. Annie couldn't help but liking her. She was a large African American woman, with dark brown skin that resembled that of a coconut. Her hair was piled on top of her head under a scarf, and she smiled as she snipped at Calum's hair.

  "Which boy is the most annoying, do you think?" Annie questioned, smiling as Calum made faces in the mirror.

  "This one, definitely," Indie replied, putting away her scissors.

  Calum rolled his eyes. "That's a lie. Indie adores me." He gave her puppy dog eyes, saying "right?" In such a sweet voice Annie wondered how anyone could ever win and aeguement with him.

  Indie shook her head with a smile, shaking up a can of hair product. "So, your his girlfriend and his manager? How exactly does that work?"

  "Don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong," someone called over the makeshift walls.

  Indie laughed, spraying some of the product in her hand and rubbing it into Calum's hair. "Ignore her," she said quietly, giving Annie a look like 'go on'.

  Annie shook her head, making sure she was smiling too. "I'm not his manager, just his handler. I help Johanna out with scheduling, mainly."
  Indie gave her a look, like she was trying to decide whether to believe her. "Okay," she decided, still not completely sure. "Model or singer?" She asked.

  "What?"

  "Model or singer?"

  "God Indie," Calum muttered, face palming.

  Annie blinked, realizing what she was asking. "Oh. Ohhh."

  "Neither," Calum defended for Annie. "She can't sing for shit and half of the time she wears my shirts. She's dating me because she likes me, not for publicity."

  The larger woman shrugged, massaging more goop into Calum's hair.

  Annie realized what Calum said, and looked at him indignantly. "I can sing."

  "Trust me, I know," he teased. "She sings in the shower. Sometimes our songs, sometimes random ones. Last night was Ed Sheeran, I think."

  Annie crossed her arms. "Well, not all of us can be world famous pop stars."

  "I can sing and play the bass," he added cockily.

  "And he's good looking. Try that for fair." Indie laughed.