Lost in Stereo

Chapter 2: Weightless

I stood there, frozen. Well, what else was I supposed to do? Alex Gaskarth, Jack Barakat, Zack Merrick, and Rian Dawson from All Time Low were all staring at me. I felt like I was in a fishtank. I gulped and tried not to look too frazzled, but I had a feeling that I wasn’t doing a very good job. The boys were all sprawled out on couches, lounging around before the show started. Their eyes were fixed on me.

“Um, hi,” I said, waving my hand awkwardly.

“Hello,” Jack said casually, “What’s your name?” He asked while getting up off the couch to come and greet me.

“California.” I told him. I couldn’t believe this was happening.

“Well, California, what brings you backstage?” Alex asked, getting off the couch, setting a laptop ,he’d been holding, on the table, and walking over to me. A playful smile was dancing across his lips.

“I, uh, was looking for the bathroom, then I found it and I couldn’t find my way back outside.” I told them the honest truth.

“Well, since you’re here, can we get a second opinion about something?” Rian asked picking up the laptop that Alex had just set down.

“Um, sure?” I said cautiously.

“We need help deciding merch prices for this tour. We haven’t figured them out yet since this is the first date of our new album’s tour.” Alex told me, leading me over to have a look at the laptop.

I examined the prices for a minute, “Now why in hell are the posters more expensive than the bracelets?” I asked them

“What do you mean?” Jack asked, giving me a confused look.

“No one likes buying posters at concerts. Then you have to lug them around the entire time and most of them get ripped up in mosh pits and things like that. So, why not, instead of making the posters ten bucks and the bracelets five, switch the prices around?” I told them, “People love buying bracelets at concerts. They’re small and you can put them on right after buying them. That way, you guys will make more money off of merch.”

“Oh, I see what you’re saying,” Alex said. He looked like he just had an epiphany, “Hey, you know, we’ve been looking for a merch girl. How old are you?”

“I’m seventeen.” I told them, “I just graduated high school and I’m taking a year off before I start so I can explore the world.”

“Well, what better way to explore the world than go on a world tour with us!” Jack said, enthusiastically throwing his hands up in the air.

“So you’re asking me to go on tour with you as your merch girl?” I asked them, “A world tour?”

“Yeah!” Zack said, speaking up for the first time.

“How much does it pay?” I asked. If I went on a world tour, I’d still need to pay rent for my apartment.

“About 65 to 100 bucks. Depending on the concert. Sometimes 150. Plus, you get to keep all the tips you make.” Zack told me.

“Interesting,” I said, pretending to stroke my imaginary beard, “On one condition.”

The guys rolled their eyes, “What?” Alex asked.

“Can I bring a friend?” I asked, thinking about how Logan would kill me if I went on tour with All Time Low and didn’t bother to take her.

“Is she hot?” Jack asked.

“I can go get her and you can tell me.” I said, jokingly.

“Alright,” Alex said holding out his hand, “Then it’s a deal.”

And I shook his hand.