Camping Trip

Chapter Nineteen

"Instead of the rave, you want to go listen to the hill billies?" Roma groaned. "I hate country music."

"It's not country music. And you don't hate it. You liked Clare Bowen."

Roma stared at him blankly.

"'This town'." Aiden added, "It was on Nashville."

"Oh now I gotcha." She nodded. "but no, still not going."

"They're a good band." He turned over his pamphlet. He'd circled the performances he'd wanted to see and discovered that there was an alternative to the rave tonight. A series of bands would be doing a 'laid-back' performance on the stage to give everyone a taste of what was to come tomorrow.

"I'm up for watching some bands instead of the rave." Connor sat at the table next to him and picked up his leaflet, looking at all the people he'd circled. "Wow. It's like you went out of your way to highlight everyone I don't know."

"You don't know Two Cellos? The Acagirls? Lindsey Sterling? I really want to see her." Aiden murmured. She played the violin, and she was awesome. Every song she'd played -original or cover- Aiden had listened to. He needed to see her live.

"She's playing at the same time as Ed Sheeran." Connor pointed out.

"He'd be rubbish live anyway."

There was a collective gasp from everyone in the tent. They all looked offended. Aiden snorted. "Babies."

"Rubbish and Ed Sheeran don't go in the same sentence together." Lucas scoffed, joining them at the table. Hugh sat down between Lucas and Connor.

"He'll only have the guitar, it won't be nearly as good live as bands. The main draw for him is his voice, and he can't nail that live every time." Aiden argued, for some reason enjoying that they were all equally offended by him. It was the truth, though. Sheeran was okay, but far from Aiden's favourite.

"I'm rethinking our friendship." Connor said wryly.

Roma rubbed his shoulder like he had a terminal illness, and was to be pitied.

"You're crossing the line." Lucas said seriously.

For the first time since those words-that-shall-not-be-named had left Lucas's mouth, Aiden found himself able to smile at him. "Oh yeah?"

"We can sort the performances out later" Roma said suddenly and forcefully, jerking Aiden's attention back to her. Her eyes were narrowed at him, and he frowned back. Was she really that mad about him not liking Ed Sheeran? No. She already knew that. Possibly the fact he was sharing their schedule with everyone. "For now, we're going to the showers to get changed for tonight."

"Right." The guilt came back. Ditching everyone.

"We can do a mix, can't we?" Lucas suggested. "Hill billies first and then rave later. There's loads of bars set up to help people get through the Camp Rock Cringe."

"Why don't all of you go to the rave and I'll go sing Old McDonald with the hill billies?" Aiden suggested.

Lucas snorted.

"The bar doesn't do much good for us."

"Hugh's over eighteen." Lucas said immediately.

Roma looked at him with something other than contempt for the first time that night.

"You don't mind getting us drinks?" Connor sounded surprised.

Hugh shrugged, eyes flicking to Lucas. "It's fine."