How I feel when I'm around you (System Of A Down)(EN)

Photograph / Awkwardness

-Nikki-

I suddenly open my eyes again, acknowledging I fell asleep with the earphone still in, awaken by John and Shavo's loud laugh.

«What's up?» I slobber because of the dry mouth, then I turn and see Daron who's looking at his mates with an expression that's a mix of amusement and annoyance.

«Shavo took a pic sneakily with his Polaroid» Serj explains, still laughing but not as the other two.

«Uhm... can I see it?»

«Here!» John lends me the infamous photography, I observe it and blush suddenly: they took a pic while I was asleep and Daron was asleep as well with the head leaning on my shoulder and half open mouth.

«Isn't it adorable?» Shavo manages to say despite the lack of air due to the laughs.

«You want me to beat your asses up» the guitarist mutters, with crossed arms.

«C'mon, smurf, don't take this so seriously, this picture won't be published or used for some scoop» Serj tries to play down.

«We could give it to Nikki so she'll keep it as a souvenir, do you agree with me?» John says with a wink.

«You can do whatever you want with that thing, what matters it that it doesn't become public and that you don't take sneaky pics anymore» the other grumbles again, pouting.

«C'mon, you live together with them since some time, you should know them well enough» I join the conversation after finally waking up, patting him on a shoulder; he's still quite stiff and I can sense it, but after a while he relaxes and smiles.

«You guys are so dumb» he sneers.

«Says the one who's not dumb...»

Okay, everything came back to normality... the guys' normality, not the usual one.

I look at the piece of thick and shiny paper in my hands for a bunch of minutes, being careful not to leave many fingerprints on it.

«How did it happen?» I say to Daron, who blinks and turns to face me.

«What?» he replies, perplexed.

«How did you manage to fall asleep while listening to Slayer and similar bands!»

«Who knows, probably fell asleep suddenly almost without noticing... but you did the same!»

«Yup, but I'm quite sure I did it while listening to some of the most calm songs of the playlist.»

«Are you saying I listen to boring stuff?»

«No, it's that I've had troublesome and quite sleepless nights lately. What about you? You told you didn't want to sleep yet.»

I see him scratching his chin, thinking about the answer... uhm, there's something wrong with him.

«I've had some insomnia as well recently» he says, grimacing and then looking away.

-Daron-

Ugh, that's embarrassing. 

It's true I had some sleepless nights during the last two weeks, but during one of the last nights I had a dream that left me weirded... I dreamt about passionate and wild kisses and a strict physical contact with a girl who's been faceless for the most part of the time until the end of the dream, when I looked at her face and saw Nikki's face... I woke up with an awkward bulge in my pants and burning cheeks, damn my fuckin' brain that messes up this way. Despite this I call upon all my nonchalance to not make her suspicious and adjust myself on the seat while stretching a bit.

Something like three hours passed since when we left and there are still nine more hours of travel... I kinda hate these long travels because they tend to become boring quite soon.

-Nikki-

My memories about the last part of the travel, the landing and reaching the hotel are blurry, probably because of the jet lag; we're kinda lucky 'cause we left in the early morning when it was still dark and now we arrived in the night, so the jet lag won't be hard to deal with.

There's a day off for everyone and then tomorrow there's the first tour date, the only one here in New Zealand and part of a festival called Big Day Out that's made up largely of Australian dates; I'm very excited because I'll see the guys playing for the first time and because it'll be my first day of work as a tech.

After all my life isn't that bad, lately.

[Author's note: short transition chapter before the chapter about the start of BDO :D I couldn't come up with a better title, sorry xD thanks to everyone who reads, votes and comments on my story, love ya all <3]