Total Chaos (A.T.O.C. Part Two)

Dancing and Smoke

Chapter 16:

I was the first one up today, which wasn't anything out of the ordinary. The guys were up pretty late from the show and needed their sleep while we headed east.

I could only guess that Mikey would be up next, since he tends to wake up before the others to make coffee.

But since I was alone, I went to the kitchenette and grabbed a box of cereal and poured myself a bowl. After I fixed my breakfast, I situated myself at the booth and began eating.

Sure enough, Mikey came down the little hallway and stretched his arms over his head and bending backwards a little.

"Morning," he yawned as he sat across from me. He laid his head on the table and sighed.

"You okay?" I asked as I scooped another spoonful of cereal into my mouth.

He looked up at me and rested his chin on his arms. "Yeah, just a bit tired still."

"I'll make some coffee," I replied, sliding out of the booth before he could argue.

"Thank you," he mumbled as he rested his head on the table again.

Once the pot started to collect the coffee, I sat back down to wait for it to fill up.

"By the way," Mikey said, sitting up, "I got a call from Matt yesterday. Something about a video shoot?"

I nodded. "He wanted me to be in a scene with Zack, but I declined."

"Why?"

"It'd be weird. Things aren't exactly running smoothly right now for us."

He ran a hand through his hair. "We can tell."

When I furrowed my eyebrows in response, he added, "We can tell you've been stressed. Remember the panic attacks you had several weeks ago? Stress."

I couldn't help but think back to the air port when I had a panic attack when all of those people surrounded us. Even walking through town in the winter gave me one.

"But I understand. He updated me on everything and told me that, so I figured that I'd ask," he explained.

I nodded and looked down at my cereal, no longer feeling hungry. Mikey got up and poured himself a cup of coffee and sat back down, taking a drink.

He continued to sip his coffee as Frank entered the room, erasing some of the seriousness from the air.

"Good morning all," he announced as he also poured himself a cup of coffee.

Mikey and I mumbled a 'morning' back to him. Frank slid in the booth next to Mikey and asked, "So what's on the agenda for today?"

Mikey shrugged and blew lightly on the surface of he coffee. "We're playing in Des Moines tonight. I want to stop somewhere along the way and get a model kit to build."

Frank nodded. "Good. I need to stop somewhere and shower."

I scrunched my nose. "When was your last shower?"

He shrugged and looked down at his shirt, which held many darkened stains.

"I dunno. Four or five days ago?"

Mikey smirked and took a sip from his mug. "We're so gross."

"Pigs," Frank added.

"What about pigs? Is someone cooking bacon or something?" Lindsey asked as she joined us.

"Morning Lindsey." "I wish." were two of the responses she got.

She turned to me and smiled. "Anna, are you going to be backstage at the show tonight?"