Chapter Two:
Braxton
“You’re not even going to miss me, are you?” Melissa or Mackenzie, or whatever her name is, asks.
I glance up from my pedalboard and into her eyes. “Of course I am; haven’t I told you already that you’re my favorite?”
A blush creeps up over her cheeks, and then a smile begins to form on her lips. “I’m going to miss you, too.”
I brush my fingers across her cheek just enough to make her panties wet. “It’s only temporary, babe. Don’t you even worry. I have to go now, though; we have to get on the road.”
Her face falls. “Oh, okay. Well, call me?”
I nod. “Soon.” I turn around and pack up my bass guitar. There’s no way in hell I’m calling her. There’s too much pussy on the road to focus on; I don’t need distractions from home. That’s what we are doing today, breaking the news about the tour to our groupies. Some of them will follow us out on the road; they’re just that hardcore. The others will find another band to sniff around until we get back into town.
Once we’ve done our due diligence and made headway on packing the van, I pull out my phone and check the time. We should leave in half an hour if we want to make it to the first tour stop on time, seeing as it’s more than an eight-hour drive. “Dude, have you heard from Em?” I address Cade. She blew me off for our five am training session, and I haven’t heard from her all day. Something tells me she is up to no good.
Cade shrugs. “She’ll be here.”
He doesn’t seem worried in the slightest. Finding her number in my cell, I tap on it and begin typing a text. Hey, where are you? We’re almost finished here and ready to leave.
I don’t know why I am so worried if she goes or not, I just know how much fun it is to mess with her, and I don’t want to have to wait months to pull another prank on her crazy ass.
It’s another twenty minutes before I hear anything from her. The sound of knocking, her custom text message notification, comes through the speaker of my phone. Without hesitation, I pull up the message. Come help me.
Relief washes through me as I make my way back outside to the parking lot. “You really had me going there when you didn’t show up this morning,” I say as I approach.
She doesn’t even bother glancing at me, but even then, I can still see her roll her eyes through the long strands of her blond hair. “You’re delusional if you think you’re ever going to get me up that early—training or not.”
I grab the oversized, heavy suitcase she packed and place it on the ground. “Jesus, what did you pack in there? A dead body?”
Again, she barely acknowledges me before closing her trunk.
“What’s your problem?” I ask, irritated that she is not giving me the kind of attention I command from any other female on the planet.
She scoffs. “Just shut up and carry my bag, will ya?”
My mouth drops open on its own accord before I can stop it. “Seriously, we’re not going anywhere until you lose your damn attitude. You don’t have to come.”
She huffs, my words getting to her. “Oh, really? Great! Then give me my suitcase; I’d be more than happy to go back home. I have a Netflix marathon waiting for me.”
“That’s not what I meant,” I say quickly as I scramble to stop her from taking her suitcase and packing it back up in her car.
“Look, I didn’t want to come, this was your doing entirely. I’m sure I’ll have a good time, maybe I’ll even thank you at the end of this… but I was actually looking forward to time away from Cade. We don’t ever spend a day apart, and for once in my life, I was excited about my alone time. Sorry if I’m not jumping for joy that we are on our way,” she says.
“I know what this tour means to Cade, and I also know what you mean to him, so I knew this experience wouldn’t be the same for him without you. Sorry if that makes me a jackass,” I reply snidely as I pull her heavy bag inside.
“There you are,” Cade greets her as soon as we approach the van. “Perfect timing too because we gotta hit the road. Give me this.” He takes the suitcase from me and begins heading around the side to throw it in the back.
Everyone is already packed inside, and the only spots left are in the very back. I climb into the vehicle, making my way past my bandmates to the back seating area. Emerson follows suit, and in no time, we’re off.
***
We’ve been driving for nearly three hours before I need a break from the van. Some fresh air, or maybe even a smoke. I’m thankful when we pull into a gas station in Plymouth, Massachusetts. I make sure to use the restroom, grab a few snacks, and then grab a pack of Camel Turkish Royals before standing off to the side and lighting one up. Naturally, I see Red and his nappy-head come heading toward me. He’s been sleeping the entire ride, so he’s groggy.
He doesn’t even have to ask before I hand him one of my cigarettes and my lighter. He’s the mooch of our group. There’s always one of them. He always claims to have no money even if we just got paid, and we never know where his money goes. I don’t know if anyone does.
“Where are we?” he asks in a gruff voice, through sleep-filled eyes.
“Plymouth,” I respond, blowing smoke out at the same time.
“Plymouth…?” he repeats, confused.
“Massachusetts.”
He nods his head simply, inhaling. “How much farther do we have to go?”
I chuckle, shaking my head. Typical Red, clueless as ever. “We’re playing Washington, DC tonight, man. We still have about six more hours to go.”
“Seriously?” he gasps.
I nod. “Seriously.”
“Oh, shit, I better load up on beers!” he says, the thought occurring to him. “Thanks for the smoke, man. See ya in a few.” He drops the half-smoked cigarette on the ground, stomping it out.
I glance at our van, attempting to see inside from where I’m standing. It’s impossible. Finishing up my cigarette, I begin walking back to the van. Cade is closing the gas cover as I walk up. “Should we ask if she wants anything?” I motion with my head toward a passed out Emerson in the back seat.
Cade cranes his neck to see his twin. “Naw, she won’t even know we stopped.”
“Should we at least see if she has to use the bathroom? When is the next time we are planning to stop?” I ask.
Cade chuckles slapping me on the back. “If you want to wake her, by all means,” he pauses. “But have you ever seen her when she’s been woken up? It’s like the Incredible Hulk… it’s not a pretty sight.”
I shrug off his words, sure that I am going to be the one taking the blame when she wakes up and realizes that no one bothered to see what she needed while we were here. Climbing into the van, I settle back in beside her, taking her in from the corner of my eye. She is a near exact replica of Cade, except the female version. Her long, blond hair cascades off her shoulders as her chest rises and falls. She looks so peaceful.
For a moment in time, I debate pulling a prank on her while I have the upper hand, but I decide against it and instead, watch her sleep. It might sound creepy, but to me, it’s calming. Soon enough I find a matching rhythm to my breathing, and I’m joining her in dreamland.