After about fifteen minutes with both Calum and Alyssa's absence, Kassi noted this occurrence and stopped what she was doing.
"Where'd they run off to?" She asked aloud, suddenly worried.
"Oh, you know..." Michael insinuated with a suggestive smirk.
Frowning, she peered over at Luke for clarification. "He's not serious, right?"
He avoided her gaze, but succumbed to it anyways.
"I mean, I don't really know what to tell you," he admitted, slightly embarrassed.
Without the exact words being spoken, Kassi knew well enough to guess what they meant and she immediately panicked.
"What?!" Her voice rose, catching them all by surprise. "She's not like that, she would never..."
"Try telling that to Calum," Ashton expressed, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.
Exhaling loudly, Kassi placed a hand on her forehead, shaking her head after a few moments. "You know what, I think I should go get her. And then we're going to leave. I don't think we should have come tonight."
Luke's eyes widened when he saw her heading for the door. "Wait, what? No."
Kassi spun around abruptly, her eyes casted over with annoyance. "What do you mean wait? No, I will not. What kind of girls do you take us for?"
All three boys were speechless.
"What, you thought you could just use us for your own satisfaction and then kick us to the curb?"
"It's not like that--" Luke started, attempting to grasp her arm but she pulled away.
"Not like what? Some kind of sick gang bang?" By now Kassi was positively fuming and was dangerously close to shanking someone. "Alyssa and I are most definitely not interested in being your next pair of groupies, thanks."
Kassi let out an exasperated sigh as she took out her phone to call Alyssa. After a few rings, it went straight to voice mail. "Oh, Jesus..."
"Look, Kassi," Ashton clipped evenly, a bit shaken up by the current tenseness in the air. "We don't like it when Calum does this either."
Kassi scoffed. "Please, like you're any better. I've never believed in any of the stuff people said about you guys online, but now I don't know what to think!"
Luke bit nervously on his lip as he watched her continue to reach Alyssa.
"Where are they?" Kassi questioned out loud, frustration seeping through her tone.
"Most likely the tour bus," Michael proclaimed.
"Oh God," Kassi groaned before finally walking out of the room and heading towards the parking lot.
All three of the boys exchanged looks before making the choice of following her.
. . .
"Can you teach me a couple bass chords?" Alyssa requested, seating herself on the couch at the back of the bus where Calum's acoustic bass was propped up.
He smiled before joining her and picking it up. "Sure, here."
Placing it on her lap, he scooted a bit closer so that he was sitting behind her and guided her arms to the rightful positions. Alyssa felt her heart speed up again at their close proximity, but pushed the feeling away.
"Lemme teach you a D chord." His voice vibrated down her neck and she shuddered. "Put your fingers here," he instructed, coaxing her fingers with his. "Now, strum these two strings."
She did as she was told, a deep buzz sounding from them in response. "Like that?" Her voice was barely above a whisper when she felt his face lean into the crook her neck.
"Perfect," he rasped, sliding his hands to her sides and placing a soft kiss to her skin.
Entranced for only a second, Alyssa suddenly realized what was happening and jumped up, startled; the bass guitar nearly slipping from her grip in the process.
"What... What are you doing?" She sputtered, gripping onto the instrument tightly.
"I think you know exactly what I'm doing," he replied lowly, a lustful gleam in his eye.
"But you just..." She started, feeling her palms begin to sweat again.
"You're so beautiful, I couldn't seem to help myself," he told her as he tried to reach out to her, only to have her take one giant step back.
And suddenly, everything started to make sense.
"What exactly were you trying to do here, Calum?" She questioned, the expression on her face hardening. She looked around her frantically, hoping to find some means of an escape.
Calum sensed her uneasiness and stood up also. "Alyssa, I just thought you--"
"Thought what? That I would just be another one of your one night stands?" Her heart deflated at the realization as her eyes began to sting from forming tears.
His mouth fell open to say something, but she was already making her way off the bus before he could do so. Blinded by tears, Alyssa hadn't managed to see where she was going and ended up running into someone else.
"I'm so sorry, I just--"
Instantaneously, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her frame and she relaxed when she recognized them.
"Oh my god, Lys! Are you okay?"
She had never felt so relieved to hear Kassi's voice.
