1.2 The Chronicles of Us - Rewound & Retold

Chapter five

The bus comes to a halt, just when my playlist ends. The angry one with lots of SOAD, Disturbed, Slipknot, etcetera. I don't take off my earphones, yet. Instead, I pretend I'm still listening while everyone leaves the bus.

I need a breath, a second of alone-time. During the ride, I came to the conclusion that I might have been going a little crazy, for real. I decided to stop glaring at her and relaxed my muscles. It helped.

That is, until she moved to the back and Axel followed her shortly after. That's when my mind really started fucking with me. They were talking and I couldn't hear what they were saying. I obviously can't ask Axel about it. Coming across as interested would only confuse them. 

I remove the headphones and get out of my seat. Everyone must be outside by now. When I turn, I find Ellie still sitting at the back. She fumbles with a lock of hair, smiling a little.

She's really pretty. Too bad dumb stuff comes out of her mouth all of the time. Though, some of those things are sorta funny in a weird way. A small sigh escapes her lips. Not a sad one, more like she's delighted. What could that be?

The fuck am I doing?

I'm staring at her. Her eyes suddenly meet mine. Like a fucking imbecile, I start moving around like I'm in the middle of something. While throwing away some empty cans, I peek at the bunk Joey cleared out for her. He forgot to give her some bedding. Not that I care if she's cold or anything, but Roy did order me to look after her.

I fetch the items from the cupboard behind me. "Here, I have a pillow for you."

She doesn't respond. She just looks at me with a kinda dreamy expression on her face. The fuck is wrong with her? Is she giving me the silent treatment or something?

I throw the pillow her way. She doesn't catch it. In fact, it lands on her face. Clearly confused, she blinks. "What's with the pillow-throwing?"

Yeah, that probably was a dumb move.

"Joey forgot to give one," I explain, standing with the blanket in my hands like an idiot. "I'll just put this on your bunk."

This seems to surprise her. "Oh, thanks for thinking of me."

Something has changed. She's nicer than she was before. Too nice. Like she's being considerate of me. Why? What did Axel tell her?

She smiles, but it's not a feisty one. Goddammit! It's a pity-smile. Who the hell does she think she is? She's the one who should be pitied. Look at the whole fucking mess she got herself in. My voice hardens. "I wasn't thinking of you. I'm only following orders."

She nods timidly, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Thanks, anyway, and break a leg."

I leave quickly, before I start feeling bad for being the cause of the sad undertone in her voice. I have more important things to worry about. Like getting ready to perform. You know, the actual reason we're on the road.

➖➖➖➖

The show was great—exited crowd, nice venue with big fucking stage lights, and a complementary bottle of The Famous Grouse. No complaints there.

Except for one. Ellie didn't even come to watch the show. It's rude as fuck. This girl has no manners.

I slump down on the backstage couch. Joey hands me a beer and says, "That went pretty well. The turnout was much bigger than I expected."

"Better than last night's show." Axel grins my way, but doesn't address me. "Tex even managed to sing the right words. Guess he wasn't being distracted."