THAT SHITHEAD FARTSTARD had to give me an all-access pass in the end, because I couldn’t get in without it. The festival grounds thronged with people. The sun shone. The smell of greasy food filled the air, and the music was so loud, the ground trembled. Despite Crow’s reaction, excitement rushed through me. I loved a rock festival.

We jumped out of the van, and I looked around the backstage area. This place was lush. Tarpaulins separated all the different band areas, and slap-bang in the middle was a row of food trucks. I’d get to hang out with real rock stars, not this bunch of bozos. Sure, they might be the headliners of the festival, but I’d seen them at their worst. They held no mystique for me anymore. Well, except for Crow. He had plenty of mystique, but not rock mystique.

I had no idea why everyone was so against him. Not one single person could give me one solid example of why Crow was wrong for me. They just talked nonsense.

He got out of the van, but before I could say anything to him, he walked off. I stared after him, not sure whether to follow or not.

“Come with us and stop gawking,” Elijah said. “We have to find our space, and you won’t know where it is if you wander off.”

I took off after him. I really wanted to go watch some of the bands, but if I didn’t know where the Freaks were set up, I’d never find my way back. 

When we got to their space, I gazed around. They had it all going on. A fridge full of drinks running off a generator. Sofas and a few beanbags set around the place. Lockers to put their stuff in. One day, all this would be mine. We’d be the ones headlining festivals. As much as Polly’s nagging bugged me, I could see why she wanted to hit the big time. Not that we were slumming it on the tour, by any means. We had those fancy hotels, but having luxury was so much more awesome when other people could see you had it.

I snapped a few photos. I needed to update my Instagram with this. The world needed to see me here.

“Do you get foot massages too?” I asked.

“Probably,” Elijah said. “If you ask for them.”

He slumped down on the sofa with a beer in his hand. Rose sat with him.

I tossed up between going to see some of the bands playing or waiting around for Crow. He might not come back for hours, though. He really didn’t want to be seen talking to me.

“I’m heading out,” I said. “I’m far too young and pretty to hang out here with you oldies all day.”

“Chuck your bag in the locker,” Elijah said. “You don’t want to worry about being rolled in the crowd.”

I nodded, then took out my phone and a few bucks and put them in my pocket.

“If you want food, it’s all free,” Damo told me. “Just flash your pass at the vans.”

“Holy cow! You’re kidding me. That’s about as good as life gets.”

Damo and Elijah laughed. They were so jaded. Once you got complacent about free food, it was a downhill slide from there. I’d be eating my fill of that food.

I rushed off, stopping to get a taco. It was true. I just flashed my pass and voila, food. Then I headed out of the VIP area to join the regular people.

There were a few bands I wanted to see apart from the Freaks. I slammed myself into the middle of the crowd. It’d been a while since I’d seen a live band from this side. I wanted to zone out and enjoy the music, but playing with Wreckage had surely wrecked me, because all I could think about was whether I could copy some of those moves and if we’d be better off playing our songs more like that. All the business side. Would I be ruined for life? Damn, I’d never expected that to happen.

A few hours later, I headed back to the VIP area. On my way, I planned out the food I’d eat. Definitely another one of those tacos and maybe a burger and some of that curry. My stomach rumbled at the thought. I thought there was a van selling crepes, too. I might have to go back for them later.

I stood in the queue for the tacos. Tacos were definitely the gold ticket item. Everyone wanted a taco. Then I grabbed my burger and a drink. I was in the queue for the curry when some jerk bumped me, and my delicious burger fell from my hands. I looked down, hoping it was still safe in its container. Nope. Burger splatted all over the ground.

“Watch it,” I said to the guy.

“You watch it. You’re getting a bit uppity for some slutty groupie,” he said.

I was about to give him some lip about that. Double jerk. But suddenly he was slammed up against the side of the van. Crow. Where had he come from?

He had the guy by the shirt front, towering over him. Double Jerk trembled.

“Sorry, dude. Didn’t know she was with you.”

Crow had his fist raised, about to slam it into the guy’s face. “Don’t speak to any woman like that, asshole.”

My heart flipped. Damo had said he wasn’t a knight in shining armor, but it didn’t get any more shining than that. That jerk was almost shitting his pants.

“Don’t hit him,” I said. “He’s not worth the effort.”

Emotions fluttered over Crow’s face, like he warred with himself. Finally, he let the guy go, and the guy ran off as fast as he could.

“And don’t be a jerk again,” I called after him. “You owe me a burger.”

The guy didn’t look back.

“I’ll get you another burger,” Crow said, and he strode off. But he’d have to come back to give that burger to me. We’d walk back to the Freaks’ area together, and I’d have a burger and curry. That jerk might be a jerk alright, but he’d helped bring Crow and me closer together, so he wasn’t all bad.