Rebellious Rock Princess (A BOTDF Fan-Fic) (Book One)

Chapter Twenty-Six: A Bad Encounter And An Unexpected Savior

Two Months Later

Escence’s POV

It’s been two months since I officially started working as BOTDF’s merch girl and we’re on tour again.  Val is out of the braces and is completely back to normal.  She still has nightmares every once and a while, but none of them are even a 15% as bad as that one she had before the wedding.  I sit at the merch table as hundreds of fans wait in line.  This is the third week into the tour and I’ve become quick and efficient at giving people what they ask for, taking their money, and giving them the correct amount of change.  Some of them talk to me and ask me questions and I always answer them.  I love it, I really do, but I can’t help but be relieved when Val, Dahvie and Jayy come out for the signing.  It lasts for about two hours and then we start cleaning up.  We had an early show, so it’s only one in the afternoon.

“Hey, you wanna go walk around the town a bit?”  I ask Val.

“Sure!”  She says, jumping up from her spot on the couch of the tour bus.  I laugh and take her hand.  We start walking around, not really talking.  Just enjoy the nice day and each other’s company.

“We’re in Oregon, aren’t we?”  Val asks suddenly.

“Yeah.”  I say.

“Ashton’s college is in Oregon.  I don’t know exactly where.  We’re gonna be here tomorrow too, right?”

“Yup.”

“Maybe I’ll call him and if he’s nearby maybe he can hang out.  I haven’t seen him in forever, and I want to talk to him about Connor.”  I look at her sadly.  She’s been really missing him.  She doesn’t bring him up often, and we try not to unless she does first.

“That sounds like a good idea.”  I say, hugging her.  We fall back into silence after that.  We turn down an alleyway and Val stiffens instantly.  I remember Dahvie telling me about how he and Jayy found her.  I give her hand a gentle squeeze.  “It’s okay.”  I tell her.

“I know.”  She says, forcing a smile.  We turn around the far corner and I run right into someone.

“I’m sorry.”  I say, not looking at them.

“Watch where you’re going you fucking emo!”  A familiar voice says.  I look up and see Callie, a girl I knew in high school.  She was always a bully and loved to torment me.  She moved to a different town during senior year, though.  I feel Val stiffen next to me.

“Wow, two emos and I have the misfortune of knowing both of them.”  Callie says.  There are two other girls with her.  None of them are very strong, but together they could overpower us, even though Val is a great fighter.

“Wait, you know her?”  Me and Val ask each other at the same time.