Paparazzi Boy

5. Time With You

"Okay, I'm officially exhausted," Scarlett scoffed into her microphone once the last song played through the speakers, the entire stadium still echoing the last words throughout the entire room.

She was drenched in sweat, her skin a tint of bright pink. She had her hair up in a bun, her dark roots already peeking through her bleached hair. It was adorable. Scarlett had been Anabelle's best friend since they were both in middle school and last minute she had agreed to join in on tour. She had contemplated for a long time whether she wanted to drop her entire life for three months of being on the road and singing in front of crowds. Just last week she had agreed and let her job know she was leaving to do so. She wasn't sure if she still had a job when she came back, but it didn't seem like she cared much.

"That's it for tonight. Tomorrow is the big day. No more practicing, it's the real thing," Belle said to the group behind her, grinning as the excitement built inside her chest.

"Time has really flown by, I can't believe the tour starts tomorrow."

"Here it is again," Annie said, laughing in her seat at the front of the stage.

"Don't make fun of my album, Annie."

Everyone started to disperse, grabbing their equipment and some staying behind to chat with the group. Belle noticed how Max stayed behind to talk to the back up dancers. He had this flirty way to him - the way he talked, the way he carried himself and just the way he naturally was around other people, especially women. She shook the thought away and focused on Annie and Scarlett who were now in front of her, discussing more thorough details of how tomorrow was going to go down.

"So you're going to come up from here at the beginning, and we're going to have some smoke running to hide that at first," Annie said, pointing at the ground, "and then once you're fully on stage, we'll go ahead and clear the fog and cue the first song."

"There's going to be a lot of running around tomorrow night, since there are two stages," Scarlett pointed out.

"At least everyone gets a little bit of Belle that way," Max interjected, winking at her as he approached her.

Annie couldn't help but wiggle her eyebrows and laugh.

Belle shook her head laughing, "You think you're ready? You know all my songs by now?"

Rain and Annie were walking away, leaving Max and Belle alone to talk. He was standing right in front of her now. The room was already warm but him being so close, she could feel her face heat up. "I've known most of your songs for a while now, Belle. They're always on the radio."

"Or you just like listening to my stuff."

He smirked, "I like your music, it has a good feel to it. At least when it's not making people cry."

She nodded with a soft smile on her face, "Maybe if people would stop making me cry, I would be able to do the same."

He shook his head and rolled his eyes. "I need to take more pictures of you."

She was hesitant when it came to pictures with people she barely knew because people could sell them for money, basically another thing she could be used for. But she wasn't sure why Max rubbed her differently - she didn't feel like she had to be on the fence when it came to him. "We'll see about that."

"What, you don't trust me to get your good angles?"

"Are you saying I have bad angles?"

"I think you're lovely." What a rush. Her eyes fluttered to the floor. "You could be my muse."

"I thought I already was."

"I just think you'd look really good in front of my camera."

"You'll get your pictures, don't you worry. It's fifty dollars per snap." He laughed.