Moving||C.M

9

The phone rings and rings until after the third ring I hear the voice of my mother come from the other side of the line.
My hands are shaky and sweaty, I had enough. It was time she knows as well, I had been nothing but obedient like a dog to her and it was time to let her know that I am done with it.

"Majora, are you packed?"

"No."

"Well, get on it we need to head back soon."

"No."

"What?"

I glance over at my brother before sucking in a shaky breath, he nods at me and takes my free hand.

"No, we aren't going back with you."

The line is silent and I wonder if she has hung up and I didn't hear it. Hunter tilts his head to the side with a raising eyebrow, I shrug my shoulders, hell if I knew either.

"You aren't coming back?"

"No, I'm sorry. Hunter and I love you dearly, we really do, but we aren't children anymore. We are adults capable of making our own decisions and mistakes, you cannot keep us safe forever because eventually we will stumble and that maybe hard for you..But, you'll be there to be able to teach us how to stand back up. I know you aren't accepting of Chris or his band, but they're just like me and you, they are people. They are people I love, you cast me out for loving someone dearly, now can I ask you this if your beliefs are still strong?"

There is no response, so I continue.

"You always ask what would God do? Momma, would God cast someone away just for being in love? I love you and I want you to accept me and my decisions because you're my mother and I love you. Please, don't tell me you'll cast me out just because I love people who just don't happen to have faith like we do. Please, don't tell me that's true."

Another pause, I almost hang up the phone, but a sound of almost a sob comes from the other end.

"I'm sorry, take care of your brother."

I can barely hear her whisper before the line ends, I slide my phone back into my pocket and look back at Hunter. "Well?" I run my fingers through my hair, letting out a shaky breath as a lump forms in my throat. I swallow the lump and push the forming tears back. "We're staying, so be ready to leave in an hour or two for Texas they'll want to get there by late morning if I had to guess." I stand to my feet and walk back out to the hallway, when I get back to my room, it's empty. I quickly begin to pack while humming to myself to keep my mind off of my mother, I do hope to one day reconcile with her and I hope I have opened her eyes a little to my point of view.
After packing my last item I place my key on the table and walk out of the room. Once down in the lobby I stroll to the front desk and allow them to know I am checking out. "Where is the man by the name of Godric Quain? He's my manager that came with me on a tour with a band I need to tell him plans have changed and my phone is dead right now."

After calling Godric to the lobby I explain the situation, to which he fully agrees upon and has my luggage taken to the bus. "Have you told the band?" I shake my head and then explain I am planning to surprise them. Hunter comes down with his luggage a little while later before allowing me to know his friends have caught a flight home and that he will only be staying one more tour date before having to go home himself. The two of us begin our walk to Bus A, that is now parked behind the hotel.

"Mom didn't flip?"

"Nope."

"Did she—"

"Trust me, it's okay."

The bus is running loudly and no one is outside of the buses, they must be wondering what they are waiting on or perhaps they are already asleep. The band now has enough money to afford bus drivers, though I can recall when it wasn't that easy

xxx

**One Year Ago

"Majora." Chris whined as I tried to focus on my schoolwork that was due late tonight. A noisy tour bus was not the proper place for work, but it was all I could manage. "Oh my gosh, what do you want?" I said, not even looking up to keep my focus. Chris flicked my pencil, causing my notes to now have a nice long line across them. "College, college, college, work, work, work, it's all you do you need to take a break." I rolled my eyes as he settled his head on the small area of my lap that was not taken up by homework.
"Hey, pay attention to me."
I chose to once again ignore him to try and finish my last section in history, I only had a paragraph or two left.
"Hey, it's me, your boyfriend. You know, the person you're suppose to show attention to?"

"Chris, I don't have time, let me finish."

He snagged my pencil from my hand, I groaned and shook my head at him. He laughed after looking at my face before setting a hand on the side of my face, it was hard to say no to him, but maybe that's just the boyfriend effect.
"I know you're trying to be mad, but I think you just look even more beautiful and cute when you're angry."
I felt his hand place pressure on my head to have me move further down, I couldn't help it, I started giggling a little before pecking his lips.
"No, too short."
I laughed more as he attempted another try at a longer kiss, but we were interrupted by an all to familiar voice.
"Chris, it's your turn to drive." We had not even realized the bus was stopped, but Ryan was standing before us clearly in need of sleep. "Is it really?" Chris complained as he got up from our spot and makes his way to the front of the bus. I watched Ryan go back to the bunks and felt the bus starting to move again, at least I could get my work done now.

Yet I couldn't, he was up there by himself and probably already board out of his mind. I sighed and turned in my work online, I was basically done anyways I suppose. I walked up to the bus to see Chris lazily driving while Rob Zombie's "American Witch" played quietly enough so he could hear it, but not to wake the other members that were asleep. I sat down in a seat behind him with a smile. "So, where are we going tonight, bus driver?" He smiled and rolled his eyes at me.
"To hell if we don't change our ways."

"Wow, how original."

"Don't be a hater, Majora."

I gently started playing with his hair and humming along to the song as the night lights passed by. I watched them as they passed by, how beautiful they were in the night. "If I could rewrite City Lights and dedicate it to you it would fit perfectly." I turned my head to him with a small smile and a raised eyebrow. "What a sap."
"It would, when your eyes light up looking at them, your brown eyes have that golden look to them from the reflection of the lights. You can see the stars and the speckles of light in them, it's absolutely beautiful. I love watching you look up in the night, especially when it's cold because whenever you breathe and you can see your breaths while the stars are in your eyes. It's so beautiful to see you enjoying the night...you're so beautiful ."
I slowly started stroking my finger against his temple as I listened to him talk the rest of the drive before Ricky took over the next miles to our destination while Chris and I settled into out bunk together.

That night I fell asleep to the sound of his steady heartbeat and quiet breathing. In his arms, it's never long before I fall asleep, I realized just how loved I was by him.

And now I can't help but hope he is still just as in love with me as he was that very night.