Sydney didn't have much, but that was fine with her. She didn't need much. Growing up on the Washington coast in a lonely beach town, working quietly behind the scenes was what she was good at. Living on the beach was much less glamorous than most p...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Heaven's dead when you get sad.
It was a two and a half day journey to their first show in Montréal. Sydney had spent most of that time sleeping, never seeming to be able to feel as though she had gotten enough. Chris noticed this, and it worried him. While she was pretty reserved and quiet with the general public, on tour it was just them and she had always at least hung out with them sometimes. She had barely been out of her bunk since they had hit the road, even to eat. He worried about her, but she insisted to him that she was fine. Their first show was great. Setup and soundcheck had gone smoothly, and the performance was invigorating. Sydney was happy to be back. With how things were going back in Seattle, the road had become a welcome resting place. Meeting Voivod was cool, for Jason especially. He was a huge fan of theirs and Sydney thought it was cute to see him rather star struck. Faith No More was also accompanying them on the tour, and as a whole they got along great. Sydney enjoyed also meeting other techs, exchanging ideas and talking shop that most of the band members wouldn't understand. The morning before their second show, Sydney had been the first off the bus to call Susan to let her know they'd arrived. She had been lying awake for hours listening to the guys snooze. Fully expecting to reach her answering machine, she was surprised when Susan not only answered but sounded excited. "Guess what?" Sue asked. "What?" "The guys were nominated for a Grammy!" "A what?" Sydney didn't register what she meant. "A Grammy! Ultramega was nominated for Best Metal Performance!" Sydney didn't respond right away, trying to process this information. "Syd? You there?" Sue asked after a few moments. "Yeah! Sorry... you mean like an actual Grammy? That, like, famous people get?" Sue laughed. "Yes. They'll get to attend the 32nd Annual Grammy Awards next month, in between shows. It's a big deal. They're up against Faith No More, Queensrÿche, Dokken and Metallica." "Holy shit." "Yeah. I can't wait to hear how they take it!" Sydney scoffed. "You know them... they'll act unimpressed, but I know they'll think it's hella cool. Even Kim." "Yeah, you're probably right." Susan laughed. "They won't be happy to be classified as 'metal' I don't think... but they'll be excited enough." After she hung up with Susan, Sydney practically skipped back to the bus. Her exhaustion from not sleeping was forgotten as she crept quietly on board and into the sleeping area. She approached Chris's bunk- which was above hers now after she had fallen out of their last bus- and pulled open the curtain. He was still asleep, and she smiled down at his resting features. She loved watching him sleep. Hell, she loved watching him when he was awake. Crawling into the cramped space, she kissed his cheek as she wrapped her limbs around him to keep from falling out. His eyes blinked open, looking alarmed for a moment before he registered her smiling face so close to his. "Morning." She whispered quietly. "Hi." He smiled, snaking his arms around her and smiling into her hair. This was the best way to wake up. With her in his arms and a smile on her beautiful face. She had even kissed his cheek, which she rarely did. He wished he could wake up this way every morning. "I know it's early, but I have to tell you something." She whispered again, pulling just far enough away to look at him. "What?" He mirrored her smile, whispering also. "Ultramega OK was nominated for a Grammy." He didn't answer right away, and she saw a few different emotions cross his eyes. He ran a hand through the front of his long hair, letting out a breath. "Wow." Was all he said at long last. "Yeah. I just got off the phone with Sue. She's excited for you guys." "I'm sure she is. You guys are the ones who put in the hard work." "Quit being so humble and admit you're excited, damn it." "You can't make me." He smiled, pulling her against him again and closing his eyes. "You're impossible." She sighed, enjoying this. She wished his arms didn't feel so welcoming. It was so hard to fight the pull she felt toward him, and no matter how much she tried to fight against it, that feeling only grew the longer she knew him. They lay there a little while longer before the bus got off the highway and Sydney forced herself to get up. They hadn't spoken anymore, not wanting to bother anyone else. That was a rule in the sleeping section, to be quiet. He followed her into the front of the bus, checking in with their driver and making themselves a crappy cup of instant coffee. When the bus was parked in front of the venue and the sun was fully up, the rest of the guys found their way out of bed except for Kim. He often slept late, and even though they had spread the good news to the rest of the guys she crept into the sleeping compartment again. "Kim. Kim! Wake up." She said. "Ugh, what?" "You're missing out on all the fun." "It's too early for fun." "Not for a band who just got their first ever Grammy nomination." She smiled to herself, still unable to believe it. He opened the curtain just enough to stick his face out, his hair wild. "Sorry, what?" "Mmhm. Soundgarden was nominated for a Grammy for best metal performance." He sat stock still for a moment, trying to get his brain to catch up. He then rubbed a hand through his long beard, sighing and closing the curtain. "Wake me up when it's time to eat." Sydney, laughed, rolling her eyes. "Try to contain that excitement, Kim. You're going a little overboard." He only groaned in response, and she joined the rest of the guys up front.
