We Try And Run Away, But End Up Running Back

Backseat Serenade

I heard him cheering in the background and chuckled. "Matt. Matt. Matt!" I shouted, trying to return his attention to the phone.

"Sorry," he laughed.

"When should I be ready for?"

He thought about it for a minute. "The bus can come and pick you up at around one. What's your address?"

I nodded and quickly told him where I lived. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then, Matt."

"See you, Hayls." I hung up on him and sighed. Tomorrow was going to be a very interesting day. I climbed the stairs and walked into the bedroom. Connor was already passed out underneath the covers. I quickly got changed and slipped in to bed beside him. As the bed sank down, Connor stirred slightly. He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer go him. My eyelids fluttered shut and I sank into a very deep sleep.

******

A few minutes past one, I was standing on the pavement outside my house, saying an emotional goodbye to Connor.

"Hey, hey, don't cry," he whispered and pulled me closer to him.

"I'm j-just going to miss you s-so much," I sobbed. A few stray tears made their way down my cheeks.

"It's only for two weeks, you'll be home before you know it. And we'll text and call each other every day," he tried to console me. I nodded and wiped my tears away. I should be used to saying goodbye to people by now.

"I love you."

"I love you too. Now get your butt on that bus and go enjoy yourself." Chris wandered off of the bus and picked up my suitcase. I kissed Connor one final time, before following Chris on to the bus.

My mouth hung open in a wide O-shape. This was an entirely different world from the last You Me At Six tour I had been on. We were standing in the front lounge. Two couches were against the walls and a large tv screen was mounted on the wall facing them. Different games consoles and hundreds of games and dvds surrounded it. A small kitchen sat behind the lounge and there was a corridor, which I could only assume led to the bathroom and the bunks.

Most members of the band and crew were scattered around the lounge, although a certain lead singer was absent. I stood awkwardly at the door whilst Chris introduced me to the people I didn't know. The smile on his face as he introduced his girlfriend, Georgie, was so cute. I smiled and waved at everyone before plonking myself on the couch beside Max. He grinned at me and smothered me in a hug. He seemed slightly hungover, like most people on the bus, but still managed to be cheerful. "I didn't think you'd come."

"To be honest, neither did I," I admitted.

"Well I'm glad you did," he smiled and I aww'ed at his cute behaviour. He shoved my shoulder, making me laugh. We sat for a few minutes, not talking about anything important.

"Connor seems like a nice guy," he told me.

"Yeah, he is. He's amazing, I admire him so much." I said with a small smile on my face. Max gave me a curious look. I wasn't sure if Connor wanted anyone to know about his past but I thought telling Max couldn't hurt. "Connor didn't exactly have the best start to life. He was brought up on a really rough council estate. When he was a teenager, he got in with the wrong crowd. He started causing trouble, smoking and drinking and stuff. It doesn't sound that bad but he got addicted and he became an alcoholic. But when Connor drinks, he gets kind of violent." I paused, waiting on Max's reaction. All the colour drained from his face.

"Hayley, he hasn't hit you before, has he?" He sounded as if the very thought made him feel sick.

"No! God no. He would never do that. Connor knew what he was doing was wrong so he checked himself into rehab. He got the help he needed and completely turned his life around. When I met him, he was on his way back from an alcoholics anonymous meeting. He hasn't had a drink since the day he met me. That's why I admire him."

Max seemed pretty shocked by my story. He nodded his head slightly. "Wow. Well, good on him for sorting his life out."

"Anyway, enough about all that stuff." I bit my lip as I tried to find the words to voice the question that had been nagging at me since I arrived. "How did Josh react when you told him I was coming?"

He chuckled nervously and suddenly found his fingers very interesting. "We um, we haven't exactly told him yet."

Just at the perfect moment, Josh wandered out of his bunk and into the lounge, rubbing his eyes tiredly. Our gaze met across the room and he froze. His eyes widened in shock. He looked down at the suitcase at my feet and then back at me. It was as if everyone in the room was holding their breath, waiting on his reaction.

"What is she doing here?"

His voice was filled with disgust. I felt a sharp stabbing pain shoot through my chest. He hated me.

"We asked her to come on the last couple of weeks of the tour, mate. We wanted to spend some time with her before the wedding," Dan spoke up and I shot him a grateful smile.

He glared at each of his band members. "You're all arseholes."

He turned and stormed back into his bunk. Not even an hour in, and I was already wishing I had just stayed at home.