Blood Sugar

Part One Hundred Thirty: Coffee and Rum

John's POV

It was night time and we were driving to the next city by bus. Everyone was asleep but I was still up with a little night light, scribbling random words and lines in my notebook.

Then I looked to my left and startled. I was looking right into Tash's face. She pulled the curtain and smiled at me. "You're awake", she whispered. "I can't sleep."

I put my notebook and pen down and looked at her tired eyes. "You gotta get some rest. Tomorrow's gonna be stressful."

"But you're not sleeping", she said and grinned.

I chuckled. "You're right."

"Can I come up to your bunk then and we can talk 'til I get tired?", she asked. She caught me by surprise. But what was wrong about that anyway? I shrugged and helped her come in.

She looked at my notebook and asked me what I was doing. I told her about the little lines and poems I wrote and that I was constantly thinking of new songs and lyrics and putting the music together in my head.

She smiled. "I like that. I think it's so creative. You're surrounded by music all the time, aren't you?", she asked and I nodded.

"What's the things that inspire you the most at the moment?", she asked. "I mean.. for writing songs and stuff."

I thought about it for a while, took my notebook and looked through the pages. "I think it's my girlfriend", I said.

She smiled. "You love her, right?"

"Yeah, I do."

"I don't believe in love", she dryly said.

I knit my brows and asked her what she was talking about.

"I just don't", she said and shrugged. "But it's okay. I'm glad you've got someone that inspires you like she does. It makes your music better, doesn't it?"

I pursed my lips and nodded.

"I think I'm tired now", she said and yawned. Then she just let her body fall down next to mine, turned her back to me and grabbed my blanket. I put my notebook and pen away and shook my head. Wasn't she something? Just sleeping in next to me like that. 

I thought about why she didn't believe in love for a while before I decided to ask her about it again tomorrow and fell asleep next to her.

When I woke up, I was alone again. I heard Tasha talking to Flea and rolled back around. Then I saw my notebook was gone and my eyes grew wide.

"Taaaasshaaa", I yelled.

She jumped up to my bunk and smiled. "Good morning, John", she said with her happiest voice.

"You got my notebook, kiddo?"

She started grinning and pulled it out of her hoodies pocket. "Yea, you can have it back now", she said and smiled. "But don't call me kiddo."

"Tash, you do know this is personal, right?", I asked and she didn't stop smiling.

"Come on, John. I wanted to know what love feels like to you", she said.

"And what do you know now?", I asked.

"It's fucking painful. I wouldn't want that", she said and threw the little book into my bunk and jumped down.

I grabbed it and packed it back where it belonged. Painful, huh?

"You don't know nothing about love", I called after Tasha and I heard her dirty laugh from the back of the bus.

Then a pillow flew into my bunk. I crawled to look out and saw a grumpy Anthony looking at me. "Your yelling wakes up people. Do you realize that?", he asked and I shrugged.

"Kiddo stole my notebook", I said and pointed my head in her direction.

She threw evil looks at me and walked up to Flea.

"So, he any good, Tasha?", Tony asked as he poked his head out of his bunk.

"It's about love", she said and turned her nose while saying the last word.

"Well, John's so full of it, that's why he jacks off in his bunk all day", Anthony said and I threw his pillow right back at him.

"Last time I checked, it was you with his dick in his hands", I said and he started laughing and shrugged.

Anthony jumped down from his bunk in only his boxers and called Tasha over to ask her what was for breakfast. She just rolled her eyes and told him to get lost. I chuckled and grabbed for my shirt and jumped down, too.

I sat down in the corner of the bus in my shirt and boxers and grabbed the pack of cigarettes that was lying on the desk. I pulled out a cigarette, grabbed a match and lit my cigarette with the burning flame. I inhaled the smoke and watched the match quickly burn down until I blew it out with my smoke and let it fall into the ashtray.

I watched Flea check the cupboards in the small kitchen for eatable stuff and he shrugged. "Guess we're having cigarettes and cold instant coffee for breakfast", he said and Anthony walked by with a disgusted look on his face.

I looked to the floor and saw a half empty bottle of rum and picked it up.

"Maybe it's better when you mix it with this", I said and held the bottle up.

Flea approached me and took the bottle from me and smiled. "I'll fix us some drinks", he said and got out some cups.

"Gross", I said and laughed as I took a sip.

The rest laughed with me but we decided to down our coffee mix anyway and smoked up our last cigarette. By the time we had to do a radio interview, we were completely wasted. At least I was and I crawled up to my bunk and thought it was gonna free me from tagging along. I just didn't have anything to say.