Broken Strings

Chapter Two

Hayden is singing. But not in his usual way. You know with his good voice?

Instead he is singing one of The Faults songs at the top of his voice. My eyes open slowly as I survey the room. The dead cat sound is still attacking my ears. There is a cold space beside me in the bed where Hayden was supposed to be sleeping.

"Esther get up." Hayden moans at me jumping into my line of vision.

His hair is wet and he is sporting his 'I'm with stupid' shirt. But the arrow is pointing to himself.

"Leave me alone." I push one of my pillows in his face and turn away from him. The bed sinks as Hayden lies down beside me.

"I will spray you." Hayden threatens but I ignore him. He then shakes his wet hair spraying me in the face. I throw my duvet off of me and run for him. But the boy knows me two well. He is already half way down the hall.

"Hayden!" I scream after him. His hair's dripping all over our floors.

My Mother walks out of her bedroom. Hayden twirls to avoid her but slips and hit his head against the wall. I clamp a hand over my mouth.

My Mother looks at me. Her eyes skim me and she sighs. Disapproval is written across her face. Well I think it is. I can't really tell with all the make up on it.

"If he is scarred for the tour I blame you." She simply says as her heels click away from me. No 'Good morning darling I hope your friend is ok'.

"Course you will." I mumble.

Then Hayden groans on the floor. I skid down the hall and stop right at him. I smile in triumphant and begin to dance at how awesome I am.

"Ok you're amazing now help me." Hayden groans holding his head. I roll my eyes at him.

"You're fine you're not even bleeding." I tell him as I pull him up. Well I held his hands while he stood up.

"Let's bang your head against the wall and see how you feel shall we?" Hayden asks as he walks to the bathroom to get headache pills.

"I dare you." I tease leaning up against the doorframe.

Hayden pops a pill in his mouths and swallows it without any water. I shudder.

"That is disgusting how can you even do that?" I ask looking away from him.

"Practice." Hayden mutters.

I turn back at him but his smile has already returned.

"Now go get dressed. We don't have long left till we're on the road." Hayden pushes me out of the bathroom.

At the mention of the tour my stomach does a cartwheel. We've done shows before, even been a support group. But this was us.

This was mine and Hayden's first ever tour. Our own tour. Finally Broken Strings had their own tour.

How awesome is that?

All these thoughts rush through my head as I step into my own shower. The hot water hitting me. I begin to sing songs.

None of mine and Hayden's. I sing enough of them already.

I sing some of Cara's and other artist's songs that I like.

After about an hour in the shower I slip into a pair of Nike sweats and a t-shirt with BS written on it. The name the true fans call us by. Or people who just aren't bothered to say the full name.

Hayden finds the abbreviation hilarious now only ever referring to us as BS.

I half dry my hair and then throw it up in a bun. I won't get many days like this while on tour. May as well savour them. My usual bracelets are sitting on my dresser. I look at them for a while then shake my head. I don't need them in my own house.