The Dropout

The Offer

Embarrassed at the circumstances and annoyed by her friend's insistent temptation for trouble, Marley stepped a few paces back from the open door, and shied away from the pair of eyes staring at her. 

He had a smug, knowing little smirk on his face that Marley didn't appreciate. He did not however, have a shirt on, which Annie very much appreciated. She was too stunned to speak. "Well," the man started, after neither one explained their presence. "Are you two always so rambunctious?"

"We-we were just-" Annie stuttered.

"We're very sorry, sir, we-we just got lost on our way to find the exit-" The man laughed. He actually laughed. The nerve!

"There's a whole Exodus out there runnin' as quick as they can for the exit after the show we jus' put on," he said crossing his arms. Annie silently admired them. "Try to get away from us as fast as possible, ya' know?" He stood on the tips of his toes for a second before landing back on his feet. "You two seem to have actually liked us, eh?"

Very quickly Annie nodded her head, giving Marley a sharp elbow to the ribs. "Ow! Yes sir," she said rubbing her side. "You were all brilliant."

"Thank you," he nodded with a smile. "Now tell me. What are you two doin' in our closet?" Marley opened her mouth when Annie opened her bigger one. 

"We really love your band," she said. "And we just wanted to see what it was like close up. Backstage and all." Marley noticed Annie rubbing the palms of her hands on her shorts, her face bright red. Marley herself could feel a cold sweat on her forehead, and touch of dizziness coming with it. "We're very sorry to have intruded-"

"Ah," the man said waving them off. "It happens more often than you'd expect what with tight security an' all. Alright, out you get." He beckoned them out of the closet and a few heads turned to see what caused the commotion. Marley turned to see the man had entered the closet himself, searching through the hangers. "Oi lads," he called. "Found a couple of stowaways hidin' in our coat pockets!"

Despite the awestruck hammer of her heart, Marley was humiliated. Every eye in the room had found them, scanning them up and down with uncertain and unappreciated faces. Annie had grabbed her arm and squeezed it, most likely feeling the same thing. The man came back out of the closet pulling a shirt over his head and joining the throng. 

"Be nice, mates, they don't bite," he grinned. "Go on, take a seat over uh..." He scanned the room for an empty chair, most of which were taken by sweaty men and instruments. "Right there, next to that little guy." He smiled to himself. The little guy had a cup of water in each hand and a towel around his shoulders. Due to the rather unpleasant smell, the other men refrained from sitting too close to him. 

"You pick up a couple of friends, Bon?" the man who Annie had recognized as Malcolm said. He also had a drink, this one in a glass bottle. 

"Sure did, lookin' through our clothes, hopin' we'd be in 'em." Annie plopped right down on a bench, pulling a hesitant Marley down next to her. Marley's face didn't betray her heart, and she tried to catch Annie's attention. Instead, Annie was enraptured by her surroundings, surely surprised her plan actually worked. "Sorry, ladies, I didn't catch your names?"

"I'm Annie," Annie began, suddenly regaining a sense of courage. Being welcomed in large groups has that effect. Marley however, lost all courage, as well as the blood in her face.

"I-I'm, um-"

"This is Marley, she's a librarian," Annie finished for her. "A real woman of words." She grinned at the glare Marley gave her. 

"Nice to meet ya'," a man sitting across from them said. He had long hair and seemed to be fiddling with something around his wrist. He looked up at them for a second with a smile, then back to what he was doing. Another man, whom Annie seemed rather excited to see, was standing by a few roadies helping them move equipment, a white towel around his neck. He appeared to have the most energy after the show, using it to help out. Marley couldn't help but notice a few other women there as well, each one with a backstage passes around their necks. They were just as awestruck, looking around the group with wide, curious eyes. Two men with backstage passes were speaking to some roadies, as well as helping out.