Rising Star: Book 3 of The Orion Series

Airplanes and Rabid Fans

Design everlasting

Forever collapsing

You're the calm before the storm

Encapsulate

Suffocate

Lay me down with my sins

Buried in this endless apathy

Covered in this seamless agony

Why get up? Just give in

This surrender is sinking in

--From the song Kill The Silence

Lyrics By: Orion Bauwens

"Are you okay?"

"I've never been on an airplane before," Orion admits.

"First time for everything," Ben tells him with a grin.

"Y-yeah," he replies, adjusting his glasses nervously.

We have a late flight out of Detroit Metro Airport. At Orion's insistence, Gloria is going separately on a different flight. Likewise, she had insisted we take a late departure in an attempt to avoid large crowds.

I personally wasn't worried, and I could tell Ben wasn't, either. We had a security detail. Our flight was at three in the morning. What could go wrong?

Coordinating our first tour outside of the country was a surreal experience. We had most of our belongings flown separately with the band's gear. This flight was just our respective personal effects, so we were delegated to just a backpack each and a small suitcase. We all planned to sleep on the flight out to Japan, so we carried pillows.

Orion was dressed normally. He didn't want to deal with his contacts, which was why he was wearing his glasses. Ben was dressed in some nicer sweatpants and a shirt. I, however, could care less, and wore full on blue plaid pajama bottoms, a faded shirt and my jacket. My feet were covered in socks and black flip-flops. I was comfy as fuck and loving it.

"You brought gum, right?" Ben asks Orion as we enter through the sliding doors, flanked at either side and behind us by our security.

"Yeah," Orion replies.

"Okay good. Your ears are probably going to bother you. It helps, kinda."

Orion takes a swig from his water bottle, turning to our detail. "What terminal are we at again?"

"Three," a guy named Chuck replies.

"Three," Orion says, swiveling his head around. He points to a sign. "It says three is this way."

Even in the wee hours of the morning, going through security takes a while. We're relieved when we pass through. That relief doesn't last long.

"Oh my God, guys, I think it's Saturn Mutants."

The three of us look off to the side. There's a girl on her cellphone, holding it out, obviously recording. She flips it around a second to film us. She then flips it back and continues to record herself. "Guys--it's them!"

Our security people move to intercept her, but Orion stops them. He smiles at the girl and we all walk over.

"Hi," he says to her. "Are you recording?"

"Oh my God," she squeals, "Orion Bauwens is talking to me, guys!"

Orion laughs. She looks at him. "Yes, oh my God, I'm sorry."