1.2 The Chronicles of Us - Rewound & Retold

Chapter six

My ears still beep from last night's performance. I slap the palm of my hand against my ear to get rid of it. It's morning, still quite early. For me, at least.

I could turn around again but she is probably already up. I can't have her buddy up with all my friends. Who knows what she'll say about me? Nothing good. That's for sure.

I wait a moment for my morning wood to go. Can't take a piss with that thing and I don't wanna scare the others. Once decent enough, I get dressed and do my morning routine. Teeth, miserable attempt at hair, deodorant, that sorta thing.

When I exit the post stamp-sized bathroom, I notice crazy's bunk is still shut off. Good. She can stay there all day. My feet dawdle when I pass her bed. The fuck is that sound?

Jesus! She snores like a woodworker with apnea. Probably lying all tangled up in her sheets, drooling on her pillow. Maybe not. Maybe she smiles in her sleep.

Before I fucking know it, I'm sliding her bedside curtain half an inch to the side and tilt my head to take a peek. She lies on her side, lips slightly parted and fingers clasped around the neck of her shirt—my shirt.

My breath rises and my entire body floods with unfamiliar warmth. I'm from the Lone Star State, I'm accustomed to heat, but I haven't felt this warm in a long time. Cold winter is all I know.

I quickly get away before anyone catches me being a creep. Looks like she's not the only one who's fucking crazy.

Roy stands next to William, probably discussing where to stop for food. Santiago and Elijah are nowhere to be seen. Maybe they're still sleeping.

I sit down next to Joey, who sits opposite of Axel on a window seat, and say, "What's up."

"Nothing much." Joey hands me a bottle of water from the six-pack. "How did you sleep? You were tossing a lot."

Who is he?

The goddamn sleep police?

I shrug and screw off the cap. "What can I say? I was asleep, I don't know what I was doing."

Axel grins way too widely at this early hour. "You were probably dreaming. I wonder what you dreamt about. Was it a girl? One with long red curls?"

Yes.

"Fuck no. I don't dream." I drink half the bottle to hide the lie. No fucking way I'm telling them about the way she whispered in my ear and walked her fingers up my chest. 

Joey gives me a dumb smirk. "Keep telling yourself that."

Before I can argue, a dull knock, followed by a pitched groan, comes from Ellie's bunk. Did she hit her fucking head?

Axel looks over his shoulder, chuckling. "Are you okay, Ellie?"

Her voice squeaks. "Yep, peachy-keen."

I bite the insides of my cheeks to keep myself from smiling. My annoying bandmates, unfortunately, notice and are now snickering in their fists.

Nosy fuckers.

Not long after, she hurries into the bathroom. I absolutely did not crane my neck to watch her move. She's nice to look at but not so much to talk to.

I was pretty pissed after last night, but she was sweet in my dream, so my annoyance mellowed. I'm sure she forgot all about our confrontation. It's a new day, after all. She seems like the kinda girl who finds that enough reason to let anger pass.

Or not.

Dressed in that damn skirt and a form-fitting shirt, she walks our way with her chin in the air. Her eyes don't meet mine at all. No, she sits down next to Axel and ignores me completely when she greets them. "Good morning."