On Tour

Chapter 25 - Prank Day

OZZIE

People pass me by and I find the situation ridiculous and unbelievable! I know they have done this for our safety, but this is extreme.

"Jimmy, please, let me in or I'll be late for the sound check."

"No backstage pass, no entry," Jimmy, one of our security guys, says and continues to check whatever pages he has on his clipboard.

"You can't be serious. The show can't happen if I'm not there!"

Jimmy gives me an unamused look, shakes his head, and continues checking the people showing a pass. Since the light rail accident, Gabriella and every other manager in the tour team have tightened the security at the venues. My backstage pass is probably in the tour bus, but I can't get it anymore since those were moved away already. I tried calling everyone I know and no one answers, which is understandable because we are meant to be on stage right now.

I spot Erica inside and shout to call her attention. She walks to where I am and I feel relieved.

"Jimmy won't let me in."

"Do you have an access pass?" She asks, unfazed.

"Oh, Erica, come on!"

Erica smiles and walks away. She enjoys teasing me and now even more that our relationship has become public. She's powerful, because she manages to keep what the media says about us controlled. They can talk about us and publish photos, but any commentary not based on facts gets whipped by her. Since we are together, I have been at my happiest. Even though she's fun to be with, she also has a sober character which helped to keep me in one piece when Joel was hospitalized. 

I've liked her for a long time, but she was dating someone else, and I also felt she wasn't really into me so I didn't push it. I guess I was also afraid of being rejected by someone who I care about deeply. I don't understand what changed, but then we started spending time together at our hotel rooms; just chilling, making out, getting to knowing each other. She isn't the kind of woman to get in bed at the first chance. Things fell in place for us and one night I asked her if she wanted to be my girlfriend. She laughed and said that we had not even been on a proper date. We went out a few times and managed not to attract attention since people know she works with us. On the night we ended at the same restaurant as Gabriella and Daan, we decided we didn't want to hide what we feel anymore. When we came out of the restaurant, I held her hand while waiting for a taxi. The papparazzi surrounded us and I didn't know what to do. There isn't anything as unnerving as having so many cameras and flashes in your face. Erica kept talking with me as if they didn't exist. 

"Alright, Jimmy, let him in," Gabriella says and hands me a pass. "I hope you learned something."

"Isn't this too extreme?" I ask as I walk next to her.

"If it guarantees me that no one will try to hurt any of you, then it's worth it."

Gabriella's phone rings so she parts with me to take the call. I drop my bag next to Erica as I come inside headquarters and close her laptop with a snap.

"Hey! I better not have lost my marketing plan!"

"You deserve it!" I say as leave the room towards the direction of the stage and hear her laughing behind my back.

I join my bandmates and Lexy looks at me with a disapproving look. Since it's not worth trying to excuse myself I just grab my guitar and start tuning. 

"Are you feeling as paranoid as I am?" I hear Lexy say to Alec.

And then I remember what she means, and wonder why I forgot, likely because my head is filled with Erica and everything else. Tonight is Halloween and it's the yearly 'trick' evening for the crew. If you have been nice to them, consider that as a 'treat'. I rake my brain trying to think of how many people I've pranked in the past year and hope I'm spared of anything nasty.