One Chapter Ends

Chapter Fifteen

Ryan blew smoke across the van to Haley, who batted it away with a scowl. Scott tucked her closer into his side and flipped Ryan off. Hazel just laughed, watching it all from the backseat with Theo. After Jonah had called Theo a few days after her birthday to invite them to the band's Halloween gig, they'd organised to drive into Surfers, park at the band's hotel and drive Belinda to the venue.

"Ryan, stop smoking," Ali complained from the passenger seat, eating a packet of Sour Patch Kids. She passed a few to Hazel. "It stinks and we're almost there anyway. Couldn't you have waited, like, five more minutes?"

"Smoking waits for no man, Albert." Ali threw a cherry-flavoured Sour Patch Kid at him.

"Don't call her Albert, asshole," Jonah called from the driver's seat.

"And actually, it's 'time waits for no man'," Haley added. Hazel grinned, popping a green Sour Patch Kid in her mouth.

Ryan flipped Haley off without looking at her. "Don't call me asshole, asshole."

"Nice comeback, Ryan," Scott snorted. "Seriously, put it out. It's gross."

Ryan rolled his eyes and leaned forward, stubbing the cigarette in the ashtray in the front of the car. "There. Everyone happy?"

"Ecstatic," Hazel quipped, now chewing a lemon-flavoured Kid. Theo laughed and tucked her head under his chin. She grinned mischievously at Ryan.

"Can't wait to get there, away from all of you morons," Ryan grumbled, leaning against the headrest and crossing his arms over his chest. "I need a drink already and we haven't even played yet."

"Just wait 'til after the set, okay? If we're drunk during the performance, they won't let us perform there again," Jonah warned.

"Yeah, yeah."

"What's the club called?" Hazel asked, eating her last Sour Patch Kid.

"Actually..." Ali began, peering out the front window. "We're here. Look up."

She did – a large silver sign dominated the brick wall above a large door. The Avenue.

"Is this the front door?" she asked.

"Nope." Ali popped one last lolly in her mouth, before rolling up the packet and stuffing it in her bag. She turned to wiggle her eyebrows impishly at Hazel. "We're VIPs and VIPs roll up to the club unexpectedly."

"The green room's out the back anyway," Jonah explained. "We hang out there before the show, then after we perform, we stash our instruments back in Belinda and go party. Scotty, don't forget to grab the spare auxiliary cord, dude. You forgot it last time and we nearly missed the start of the gig."

"Ready?" Theo whispered into Hazel's ear, as the band began piling out of the van. Hazel smiled and turned to press a kiss to his lips.

"Ready," she answered.

~

The club was packed full of people. Elbows and stilettos kept finding their marks and drinks were being spilled all over the place – she was deeply thankful that she had decided on jeans and a top. Trying to navigate this space in a skirt and heels would have been impossible.

"Want a drink?" Theo yelled over the din. She had to stand on her toes to try and hear him – the bass was pounding through her eardrums like the speakers were inside her brain.

"Yeah," she yelled back. "Vodka lemonade?"

He gave her a thumbs-up and pointed towards the bar as he began moving towards it. Hazel reciprocated and quickly found an unoccupied table, sitting down with a sigh of relief. Ten minutes later, Theo was shoving through the crowd, her drink and a glass of dark-coloured liquid in his hands.