across the country (awsten knight)

02

"Aurora looks really familiar, Otto."

It was the first night of tour, production day it was nick named. The bus was driving to the venue, everyone was asleep or in the bunk, except for Otto and Awsten.

"She went to school with us, she was a grade younger though."

"What happened to her, did she move away or something?"

"Something like that, let's drop it though." Otto said sort of defensively.
Aurora went through a lot of shit her junior year. Like shitty boyfriends and shitty parents.
Shit no one knows.

Awsten was in deep thought though. She looked so familiar. She sounded so familiar. Aurora wasn't just someone he saw in the halls or had a class with. It was someone who meant a lot to him, but he didn't know how or why, this mystery girl was getting him flustered.

Aurora wasn't liking her bunk, it was far too small. She felt like she was in a coffin, plus she didn't have an outlet. Awsten was right across from her, him scrolling on his phone and every once in a while double tapping.

"Hey, do you mind if I charge my phone in your outlet?" Aurora whispered as she tried to reach out and poke Awsten. She barely skimmed his arm and instead fell out of her bunk and headed face first for the ground.

"Oh my god are you okay?" Awsten stifled out a laugh, sliding out of his bunk and helping her up.

Aurora's cheeks were bright red, visibly embarrassed. "You never answered my question." She muttered, trying to play it off.

"Yes you can use it"

—————
Day 01

Nobody had to be up until 10 am, but somehow aurora woke up at 7 am, and found Awsten in the kitchen drinking orange juice and staring at the ground.

"I left your phone on your bed, cool lock screen by the way"

Aurora rolled her eyes, realizing not everyone got her Billy Loomis background.

"Who is that guy anyway?" Awsten asked putting the juice carton back into the fridge.

"You've never seen scream?" Aurora stopped, jaw dropped. "It's only one of the best movies to exist of the late 90's"

"I'm not a huge fan of horror movies" Awsten shrugged, smiling at Aurora's demeanor.
She might've only woke up minutes ago, but he thought she looked stunning. Her hazel eyes twinkling since they started talking about the movie.

"You better be glad I brought it, because we're gonna start a movie marathon, and you'll watch it and appreciate the work of Wes Craven."

———-
The first day of tour was rainy and cold, while most would've been put down by the weather, everyone was actually relived. Nobody would want to be hauling boxes of t-shirts and guitars in the heat.

Aurora was inside the venue, taping down wires before she would test the guitar pedals.

Aurora wasn't just their photographer, they had Jawn help with that. The crew mostly just needed an extra set of hands for anything, really. Even if it was taping down cords and folding up hoodies that weren't bought.

"Hey, Aws?" Aurora questioned, looking up from the stage floor.

Awsten shot his head up and walked towards her. His demeanor was calm and cool, reflecting the weather outside the venue. But the nickname sent knots twisting in his stomach. "What's up?"

"I just need you to play some chords on your guitar, I'm trying to set up your pedals" she said, pushing a strand of cotton candy pink hair behind her ear, showing off her multiple piercings in them.
Awsten nodded, playing a simple C chord, holding it out for a minute.

"that good?" He asked, looking down at aurora kneeling , tapping different pedals. and typing in the mac-book.

"Uh huh" she said, half listening to what Awsten said.

Awsten was amazed by how fast aurora was typing and telling awsten to play another chord, barely listening and then typing on the laptop.

"Okay," She said, standing up slowly. "those should work and make your set a lil less shitty" She winked and walked away, yelling out the sound guys' name. "Trevor! how them lights lookin'?" She bounced over to the booth.

Awsten was totally stunned. He didn't give a shit that she insulted his band or anything, just the way she was. He was intrigued and most definitely wanted to know more about Aurora.

----------------------------

Aurora headed back to bus, looking through the pictures she took only an hour ago. The concert was over, and she helped the merch guy pack up the unsold hoodies and cd's. She was walking in the drizzling cold weather, not really minding it.

Awsten was a couple steps behind her, noticing her and walking up to her.

"Hey! What'd you think of the show?" He asked, giving her a big smile and out of the sudden burst of confidence, an arm around her shoulder.

"decent," She turned her camera off and shrugged off his arm."The crowd loves you guys" She looked up to match his eye contact. A big mistake, immediately falling in love with his eyes.

"Your eyes," She whispered. "they're beautiful."

"Oh," Awsten somehow even smiled bigger, a tint of pink flooding his cheeks. "Thanks."

"so, are we still doing movie night?" A third voice,  said, scaring both Awsten and Aurora. Aurora turned around and saw Otto.

"still doing movie night?" Aurora questioned, "What? is it a thing in the first place?"

"No, but Awsten kept going on and on about how you love Scream, as if I didn't know." Otto laughed. If Awsten wasn't blushing now, he definitely was. "I think we're getting pizza, so you should turn it on and we should watch it." Otto said.

"Wow, you had a good idea for once."
Otto pretended to look hurt, putting a hand across his chest.

"I haven't seen you,, in years, and the first thing you do is insult me?" Aurora laughed.

"Why are you acting so surprised? You know I'm a bitch." She winked and opened the bus door.

"You're not wrong." Otto mused walking inside and having Awsten hot on his heels.

"Am I ever?" She smiled.

———————

Everyone in the bus was piled into the designated living room, watching Scream. Aurora was in the corner of the couch, having the wall on her right side and Awsten on her left. They were halfway through the movie, just about at the part where everyone was at Stu's house for the party. Every couple of minutes Awsten would lean over into aurora and ask her what was happening.

"So why is the news lady trying to talk to,, Sydney?" Awsten whispered as he put a hand on Aurora's thigh. Aurora's pink grew hot as Awsten's fingers drummed the inside of her thigh. 

"because, she's trying to find footage for her show," Aurora whispered back. "You would've known if you were paying attention." Aurora grabbed his hand off her thigh and laced their fingers toegther. "Now watch!" 

Awsten couldn't pay attention to the movie even if he tried. he was so busy looking at Aurora. He couldn't stop thinking about how familiar she was. 

That night Awsten dreamed. Not about dumb bullshit he would forget in the morning. But about Aurora