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Empty Wallets

Lennon

I really needed to go find Daisy. She was pretty much MIA since I yelled at her. I didn't really feel bad about it, but honestly if it was because of that maybe I shouldn't have said what I did.

I knocked on the door that she was meant to share with Daniel but no one answered the door. I couldn't just go in like the last place. I didn't have a key. It occurred to me I didn't have a key of my own. Daisy usually have it to me and since I haven't seen her I've only been inside Calum's room.

I found Hellen and decided to ask her the things I needed to know. She looked a bit mad though. "Hey, so I was wondering if you've seen Daisy."

"Daisy decided since you were no longer playing the rest of this tour that she was going back to Auckland." Hellen said like I should know this.

"She didn't tell me that." I said shaking my head. "Also what's the big deal about firing Daniel? He's-"

"A conflict of interest. Daisy realized she over budgeted and was going to let him go. I kept him on for the extra help. Calum is interested in him now so we can't keep him on." She was very down to business but it was kinda sweet she was thinking of Calum's feelings.

"Okay...." I pursed my lips and sighed. "What about my room? I didn't get a key. Daisy usually gets that all taken care of and-"

"Miss McCarty, you are no longer a member of this tour, therefore you do not have a room with this crew." She said sighing like she was tired of talking to me now. "If you would like a room I would be glad to get you one but it will be at your own expense."

That was harsh.

"No I...." I didn't even know if I could afford to stay here myself. I had savings. I obviously got paid to play this tour. I just didn't know how pricey this place was.

I didn't even know if I should tell her to get me a room or not. I needed to talk to Calum. Or Ashton. Or someone. My phone buzzed from my pocket and Hellen walked off when I turned my attention there instead.

Daisy🌼:
I'm sorry Len. You're right about everything. You have a right to be angry about the way I've been running things. I'm stepping down from my position. We used to be friends before all this. Maybe we should just go back to that. Consider me resigned.

Goddamnit.

I pulled up my messages with Ashton and got distracted for half a second. His last message to me was one of those kissy emojis. I shook my head and started my tying.

Daisy's quit, Daniel's fired. I don't have a room and I don't think Daniel has one either. Idk what to do....

He didn't answer so I went looking for him. I wasn't sure which room was his. He had to be on this block of rooms. I knocked on the one across from Calum and found no answer. Next to Calum was quiet as well. I could sit in the floor and wait until someone appeared but I wasn't sure how long Hellen was gonna let me just hang around.

I slid into the floor by Calum's door and decided that was my best idea even if it wasn't that good.

My phone buzzed in my hand.

Daniel🐨:
Look at these otters!!!

And then he sent me about a dozen photos of otters. Where was he that he was seeing otters?

Omg I love them

I don't know why I didn't mention that I was a bit stuck. He was on a date with Calum. It was their first one and I didn't want to mess it up.

So I sat in the floor for about and hour before Ashton came down the hall carrying a paper bag of greasy food. I got up and he grinned at me.

"Hey!" He said sounding happy. "You okay? Why're you in the hall?"

"I texted you." I pouted and he pulled me close to him. He kissed my cheek which cheered me up almost instantly.

"My phone died while I was out." He scrunched his nose. "I got you something to eat though! Come on in here and you can tell me what's going on."

So that's what I did. We sat on his bed and I told him about Daisy and Daniel and everything Hellen said. It made me more anxious to repeat it all.

"Okay, well you can sleep in here with me obviously," he rolled his eyes, "Daniel I'm sure would be fine bunking with Calum. If not he can share with Shel like he usually does."

"But what am I gonna do about a manager? Daisy outright quit!" My face fell into my hands and I groaned.

"You could ask Hellen." Ashton giggled. I glared at him through my fingers and he laughed harder before he pulled my hands from my face. "I'm joking, Love." He pulled me into his side so I cuddled into him.

"What am I gonna do?" I sighed. I slid my fingers with his as his hand rested against his stomach. His hands were much bigger than mine. "I should have just went along and agreed to do the tour with 5sos."

"No! It's your music." He said kissing my forehead, "You did what you had to do for yourself. You don't want big crowds and big shows. Your music doesn't suit them and you did the right thing even if it was gonna be some big money for you."

"Well now I don't have a manager and I don't know the first thing about this business." I laughed bitterly and Ashton rested his cheek on the top of my head.

This was almost the first sweet quiet moment we ever had together. There was last night but we were asleep through it. Him just lying there next to me right now was helping me feel better.

"You could ask Daniel." Ashton suggested. I could. That was a decent idea. "He seems to know a lot about you and your music specifically."

I shrugged and looked up at him. He was cute. He hadn't done much about combing his hair today and he needed a shave. He looked sleepy. But when he looked down at me he looked content and a little happy. I didn't really know him that well and likewise he didn't really know me, but we seemed to want to get to know each other together.

"You coming to the show?" He asked before he kissed me. I nodded, not even bothering with words. I wanted to kiss him more than I wanted to talk.

When time for the show came around, I was talking to Daniel about being my manager. He seemed really on board. He told me he had so many ideas that Daisy always knocked down because of the direction she wasn't to go with me. He was a bit excited so I was thrilled to hire him in Daisy's place.

I watched the show from the walkway between barricade and the stage. I was kinda following the photographers around at the start.

5sos didn't get too far into their set before the crowd started chanting. I couldn't tell what they were saying from my location.

"What are you saying?" Michael asked finally stopping to acknowledge them. It got louder and Luke seemed to get it.

"Lennon!" Luke shouted down to me and the crowd roared. What the hell? This was an arena. This was a huge venue. Bigger than the last place. "Of course you're all here for her aren't you!"

More screaming.

"Come up here, Len." Calum said pointing right at me. The girls right behind me gasped because they didn't know it was me creeping around here. Michael reaches his hand down and security helped him pull me up on stage.

"Someone get Lennon's guitar." Luke said giggling. Daniel actually skipped out and gave me my little acoustic guitar.

I played the show with the boys. We played a lot more of my songs than the last show. The crowd sang my songs back at me so loud it was a bit emotional.

It was a good last show I think.