[[[all of my flaws]]][[[part ii]]]

28.

I watched carefully as the girls all swarmed forward the second my boys went out. I wasn't convinced this was a good idea. We had no security and the path to the bus was completed blocked. Four guys I could just about control. A screaming mob of girls all trying to get themselves a piece of them, I wasn't so confident. Obviously one of them was my brother, so I was naturally protective, but another was the man I was once in love with and still married to.

Within minutes the amount of fans doubled and I found it hard to keep track of all four of them. Cameras flashed everywhere, some young girls began to cry and I felt pure panic. After just a couple more minutes, I needed to get them out of there.

'Will.' I said, having found him talking to two guys. 'We need to wrap this up.'

'Alright. Bye!' He said to the fans, his arms full of presents and shirts and banners. I got him through onto the bus and went back in to find the rest. Kyle was easy to find, being over six feet tall. He went without trouble. Woody was harder to convince, deep in conversation with a female drummer. And I finally found Dan being hounded and groped somewhere towards the back.

'Dan.' I warned. We needed to go. I knew he'd stay out all night talking to fans if I let him.

'One minute.' He replied.

'Now.'

'Hang on.'

I wasn't waiting any longer. I held his sides and directed him forwards. The girls all began surging with us, making it hard to move anywhere now. I used Dan as a human shield, pushing him through and hiding behind his height. I don't know what happened but somewhere inside the crush we got separated and I panicked. This was one downside to being a woman in this profession, I wasn't the strongest in stature.

'Dan!' I yelled, standing on my tip toes to see his head being mobbed. He turned around with a stupid grin on his face. I held out my hand to him above the girls grabbing arms. He took it and pulled me through like a hot knife through butter. Now it was his turn to get us out of there. He took me under his arm and we ducked and weaved through the crowd. He found the door to the bus and we dived on. Once it was slammed shut, we collapsed down in the stairway, breathless. 'Listen to me next time?' I said in a snarky tone but with a hint of sarcasm.

'Yes boss.'

'Thanks for saving me though.' He still had me safely wrapped up. I looked down at his arms, now musclier than they'd been before. He noticed me looking and quickly let me go.

'Any time.' We picked ourselves up and I told the driver to go. Girls began running along side the bus and I was scared incase one of them went under a wheel. I understood the fascination; they were talented men and all fairly good looking too. But it was gone midnight and many of them seemed too young to be out chasing buses.

'Is it always like that?' I sighed, slumping down into the sofa. Woody handed me a beer and I took it gratefully. I needed it after that.

'Pretty much.' Will replied. The first thing I'd be doing in the morning was finding a beefy security to guy to join us.

We were on the bus for the next ten hours and none of us were tired. We made sure there was plenty of beer and for the first time, I joined in. I put my phone to one side and let my hair down. We found an open pizza place somewhere in Milton Keynes at two am and ordered enough for the eight of us, crew and driver included. Music was blaring through the buses speaker system and I even joined in with some stupid dancing. I found myself howling with laughter as Woody, Kyle and Ben did their best gangsta impressions to a Snoop Dog song.

Someone had found a pack of playing cards and soon shouts of 'strip poker!' filled the air.

'I am NOT playing strip poker with my baby sister!' Woody protested. I giggled stupidly. I hadn't been this drunk since my first year of uni when I'd spent most of it just enjoying myself with my new found friends and my new found freedom. It felt nice to be carefree again. I was going to play strip poker and I didn't care. I wanted to be part of this group and my being a woman made no difference.

'Booo!' A chorus was chanted at Woody as he retired for the night. He flipped us two middle fingers and hid in his bunk.

'Right.' I took up the cards and began to deal.

'Oooooo.' Will said. 'We're in trouble lads.' Didn't they think I knew how to play?

'Start getting naked.' I told them. I saw them all exchange nervous glances.