2.0 The Chronicles of Us - Shame & Blame

Chapter thirty-three

*♡ Ellie ♡*

Jonathan gives me a quick wave before continuing his conversation with Maximilian. The owner of the museum hasn't been around much since Jonathan took the position of assistant manager, but he's planning a charity event so there's lots to go over. I give my friend a wave back and head outside. My shift is over and I'm excited to get home. Tex told me the interview they recently did is published in today's issue of 'Up Next!' The magazine isn't known for its eloquently written articles—its main focus is celebrity gossip—but it's the band's first interview and I'm super-duper proud.

I buy a copy at the metro station, keeping it tucked underneath my arm the entire ride home, despite my uncontainable curiosity. I plan on really sitting down with it, possibly with a tub of mint-chip ice cream, and reading it over and over again. Will there be a picture? God, I hope so!

Once home, I shower, put on a set of comfy pajamas and raid the freezer. Where's that darn tub? Did I really eat it all last night? Yes. I guess normal dinner will have to do. While the plastic container with leftover chicken pasta whirls in the microwave, I sit down on the couch with the magazine. I was going to wait until after dinner, but I can't contain my curiosity any longer.

I run through the pages to find the right one. That article about sleep-hacks can wait. I've already tried every tip I could find—night schedule, no caffeine after eight p.m., stress management, more physical activity, and whale sounds. That last one only made me sad. Those lonesome wails felt awfully relatable.

The face I could dream, and often do, finally appears. My heart swells at the sight of it. The picture covers half a page. Three friends, all dressed in black, sit on a red modern couch. Axel and Joey are goofing around, wearing big smiles. Tex, on the other hand, sits on the far end with his arms crossed and his eyes mid-roll. To the untrained eye, he seems utterly annoyed, but I recognize the slight lift of his left mouth-corner. There's so much more to him than meets the eye.

I kiss his moody face like a star-struck teenager and then focus on the interview, which is titled: The Rise Of Dead Engines Running. It's a two-story spread with a basic Q & A set up. Most of the conversation entails their music and life on the road. Anecdotes of fun times and wild moments. Hey! I was actually part of this one. We all had a good laugh when William nearly drove the bus into a ditch. Okay, it was funny afterwards, not so much during. I remember clinging to Tex' shirt while the vehicle steadied on its tires.

I chuckle and skip to the next topic ... love. My belly flutters. What do they—read: Tex—have to say about that? Axel jokes about the perks of being in a band—female companionship, that is—and Joey speaks about the importance of a deep connection. I can almost hear Tex make a vulgar remark on that last part. There's no answer from him, though. I know he's not very open, especially not to strangers, but it would've been nice to read his take on love.

The interview continues with questions about their hit single. Tex gives a vague answer about how he went through a hard time and needed to put some personal stuff into perspective. He doesn't mention me specifically. That's a good thing. I think?

However, when my eyes absorb the closing paragraph, my heart sinks straight to the dark pit in my stomach that has been nagging me for weeks.

Frontman Tex was determined to share as little information as possible about his time in the hospital but sources revealed to us that he was admitted to a Los Angeles based rehab center shortly after. Tex confirmed that the incident happened in the aftermath of a fight with his ex-girlfriend, who has a taste for drugs and drama. We can only hope he eliminated all negative influences from his life. It would be a shame if the music industry lost another promising artist at such a young age.