Letters and Murmurs

Chapter Fifteen: Early Christmas

I laid in the bunk starring at the bus ceiling in front of me. I hadn't noticed the time passing before my eyes as before I knew it Rian was throwing my bunk curtain opening and looking at me. I rolled over putting my arm up under my head and looked at him. I was careful of my stitches and staples while rolling over. My head still was throbbing with a pounding headache. It wasn't more so the initial stapling impact though it was the stinging burn from the injury now.

"We stopped for breakfast and your dad wants you in there to eat, so you can hop down. Just be careful Jack is still asleep," Rian said and I nodded my head and yawned.

I carefully wiggled my body out of the bunk and swung my legs down onto Jacks' bunk stepping on him. I didn't mean to but that caused him to grab my ankle. I went to jump up and hand to hold onto my bunk for dear life.

"The fuck!" Jack shouted before rolling over groaning.

"Sorry," I whispered then got down quickly and poked my head in his bunk.

Jack had moved into a fetal position. I leaned into his bunk and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He just groaned again as I rubbed his back. I was trying to be a different person and it didn't be going so well. I quickly made my way to my suitcase. I grabbed clothes and went to the bathroom hearing the familiar sound of a hairspray can. I knocked on the door to a shirtless Alex. He smiled at me and put the straightener down.

"Good morning Log. I see you need the bathroom. Uh, why don't you go change in the backroom and then I will straighten your hair if you want." Alex said and then shut the door.

I held my clothes and went into the back lounge area and shut all the blinds. I placed my shoes outside the door and jammed a sock in the door. I quickly stripped out of yesterday's clothes and I quickly unjammed my socks from the door and pulled them on my feet. I was in the middle of tying my shoes when Alex came in clapping the straighter plates together.

"Dad wants breakfast and Rian said we were stopped," I spoke softly and had to clear my voice to get any noise out.

"Yeah, we are stopping in a few minutes. I think we are having iHop or something like that." Alex said and plugged the straightener in and got behind me.

"You know Beckett is leaving tonight right? It is time for him to go back and be with Kolbi. He will be gone for a few weeks to finish up little things and then he'll be back." Alex said and I nodded my head understanding.

Those next few hours felt like eras though. Breakfast was hard to get through. Everyone was having a good day while they sat and drank their tea, waters, sodas, coffees. I sat at the table and watched everyone wondering about the passing cars on the road beside us. I imagined it had to look weird two big practically charter busses sitting at an IHOP.

It felt like the day had gone by in the blink of an eye. I mean that quite literally because before I knew it the sun was rising again. Everyone had gone out to party but me. Ryleigh went to be the person to bring everyone home. I know she was just worried about Zack cheating or someone making moves on her man. I had Skyped Beckett and some point last night as a really drunk Jack came in and left a really wet kiss on my cheek. Beckett said my face was fucking priceless as I stared at him like please getaway.

It was that time of night again where I was sitting taking a breathing treatment before the show. It was about 2 hours before the show and I was also sitting going through songs we wanted to cover. We had an extra song we needed to fill one more song slot and usually, it went between Ryleigh picking a song and myself picking a song. Seeing as Christmas was coming soon I wanted to pick a Christmas song. I also wanted to go for a song that would tell Beckett I missed him. We had been singing Therapy with the guys as their opening and usually the handoff of the stage.