Six hours felt like one and sitting on the shuttle from the hotel to the arena I was struggling to keep my eyes open. Glancing around I wasn’t the only one and I doubt it was because our fellow passengers had been at the organizers after party.
“So…. Looking at the schedule the Mondays are going to be first up for the afternoon on stage B,” Jess glanced at the now worn out concert guide and I tried to hide my smile. “But that clashes with Good Charlotte on stage A. I can’t believe they’d put them on at the same time.”
“They do it every year, that’s why watching it at home is so good. You don’t have to choose which stage to go to.” Because of all the bands needing to perform, each end of the arena had a stage and the center was where those staying all weekend could camp out. I don’t understand how that is classified as VIP, but at least doing it that way would have had us skipping on the crammed bus ride.
“But if we didn’t come you wouldn’t have locked lips with Beau and I wouldn’t have had the chance of going all the way with Grayson. Stupid alcohol ruining that for me” Jess grumbled, elbowing me in the ribs and clearly I wasn't the only one listening to her as the two girls in front of us turned around curiously.
“Did we just hear that? You two know Beau and Gray?” The blonde gasped while her friend looked between us, clearly not seeing anything she thought gave us that right.
“We were at the after party last night.” Jess boasted, glaring right back at the black haired one.
“No way!”
“Way!” Jess laughed, deciding to ignore the other girl completely. “It was amazing, but really, they’re just people like us. Talented, gorgeous, people that is”
“Did you know that Grayson isn’t his real name? His name is Murray Grayson but after the first album he changed it because his managers said it sounded better. Don’t they know we only care about his looks?” The blonde didn’t stop; rambling on about Grayson until we finally arrived and her friend dragged her away.
“I had no idea his name was Murray.” I admitted as we got off.
“Me too. If I see him again, I’m going to ask!” Jess laughed, clearly not embarrassed by how she left him last night. We headed over to gate 5 and sure enough John was standing there as he said he would be.
“Feeling ok this morning Jess?” He teased, his bad mood from last night gone.
“Three red bulls usually do the trick.” She hugged him quickly before I did the same and with his arm still over my shoulders we headed to the closed off gate 7 where John met with a security guard who gave us our new backstage passes for the day.
“Ok, Jess no drinking. Bec don’t go disappearing again. Go slow on the red bulls and don’t do drugs!” He lectured as he led us down the restricted section of the corridor that would take us to the backstage area from last night.
“God John, you’re not Dad and we know what we’re doing.” In true teenage style, I rolled my eyes and pulled a face behind his back which had Jess giggling again.
“Right,” He snapped back sarcastically, holding up his own lanyard to the guard by the door as he passed. “Seriously though, if you need anything talk to security or come find me back here. I’m going to be with Sparky till eleven and then I’ve got to check with catering as everyone will be needing to get fed lunch before the booze comes back out”
“Does that include us? I’m already hungry.” Jess whined, looking around the room we had waited in last night the bar was the only thing there and already one of the bands were ordering beers. Considering it was barely nine in the morning, the thought of drinking now had my stomach churning.
“No, you get to order from the food vans of your choice. You girls know what you’re doing right?” He mocked before kissing my cheek and ruffling Jess’s straightened hair on his way out. She groaned, trying to adjust the headpiece she had around her forehead that she was certain helped to give her the concert boho look she had been going for and in the end I had to help untangle the back of it from her hair.
“Jerk. Ok so Stage B has David Guetta and Havana starting off this morning and Stage A had someone I’ve never head of. You ready to shake your groove thang?” Jess slapped my ass earning a squeal from me, as I hadn’t expected her to do that.
“You know it sister!” I gently shoved her away, laughing and we carried on towards the side entry of the stage talking about how weird it was to have to DJ’s opening a rock festival. Sunday’s were always more varied than the Saturdays and if anything I was looking forward to it more, not just because I was going to get to see Beau perform today.
-
“Oh shit! Bec come on!” Jess reached out and grabbed my hand from where I had been waving it over my head in time to the music and she started running back through the crowd.
“What?” I screamed after her, ignoring the grunts and protests of the other concertgoers as we shoved through them.
“Taking. Back. Monday…. Come oooon!” She gasped out as we ran past the tents and reaching the edge of the new crowd I understood, over taking her we joined the new swarm of a crowd as they started to inch closer to the stage.
“Introducing Taking Back Monday!” The voice boomed over the speaker as the people around us took their screaming to a new level. With one look to each other Jess and I did the same, still pushing and ducking between sweaty men and women who weren’t afraid to pinch. I was still rubbing my arm when we finally made it down the front, where the front rowers were not willing to budge an inch to let us in.
Sticks appeared first, taking his place behind the drums as own section of fans in the crowd got even louder and the same thing happened for the next two guys who came on before the guitarist started to strum out the starting cords of their first song. There was a surge from behind us and we finally made it even closer to the front barrier, just as Beau’s voice joined the music and he started walking out to the center of the stage.
“You made a fool out of me, for the last time.” His voice was so low and broken, two girls next to me burst out crying. They weren’t the only ones as all around the men seemed to disappear and the front section became dominated by females.
“So I can’t just wait to see, what will become of you,” He tapped the microphone in the air three times and a smile that was hard not to fall in love with was shared with the crowd as the microphone was bought back to his lips. “Because baby, we’re through”
I didn’t really know the song, but Jess and I were jumping around with everyone else, fudging our way through the lyrics as the crowd all sang along for the chorus.
I never want to see your face again,
You ruined all the good times and just left me with the pain.
I never want to see your face again,
Cause bitch, it’s over before I go completely insane.
So never. Never. Never again.
It was clearly a break up song and the ache was still there in his voice, yet the way he had everyone dancing and going you’d think it was about candy and puppies. His energy seemed to connect to each and every person in front of his stage, there was no denying why they were so popular at the moment and at the end of their set my throat was hoarse from screaming with my cheeks aching from the smile I couldn’t drop. None of that was helped as Beau did a once over the crowd, thanking us all for coming today and that’s when his eyes locked on mine.
The memory of just how good his lips had felt had me eagerly licking mine and as if he could read my mind he smiled. We were close enough to see that dimple appear and just when it was acknowledged by the crowd that someone had his actual attention, heads began to subtly turn to look around curiously. Every girl either side of me was certain it was them he was looking at and a new wave of tears broke out.
“In a crowd of a million faces, it's only yours I want to see," He winked before finally moving back around the stage, "I've been to a million places and home is where ever, as long as you're with me…” Another round of cheers rang out and I felt my face heat up, but that wasn’t the only part of me.
“That was amazing!” Jess gushed, the second Beau’s band left the stage the majority of the crowd rushed over to the other side while the diehards kept on screaming his name, hoping they’d get another glimpse of their idol.
“I know right” We joined in with some other fan girls, still hyped up from their performance and bounced around squealing.
“He totally looked at you, we need to get backstage” Jess went to head off in the direction of the entry, but I held her back.
“No, what do you think is going to happen Jess?” Despite everything, I couldn’t see him again, especially not after seeing his performance. If I’d considered becoming a groupie last night, I was on my way to becoming the leader of his fan club and that just wasn’t healthy. Besides there was probably actual groupies back there already and now they’d finished their bus would be taking them to what ever was next.
“Oh I dunno…” She smirked and those brown eyes of hers seemed darker as we moved towards the food vans. “Waiting for Bro… Beau back stage after a show was the highlight of going with him on tour. I don’t know whether it was seeing him come alive on stage or the..”
I threw my hands over her mouth knowing exactly what she was quoting. Some of Amelia and Brock’s hottest scenes in the Lyrics of my Heart series happened while he was on tour and my mind had visited scenarios of my own creation without theirs being added to it.
“Jess, come on. I’m not going to walk backstage and find myself being pushed up against the door of his change room!”
“Ahuh! You have been thinking about it you dirty little girl you!” She teased; slapping me on the arm I could feel my face going red and stormed away to join the line for food.
“No, I just know what that sentence leads to” I lied. The smell of the kebabs had my stomach growling and she left it alone as we waited to order. The tiny bag I had over my shoulder started to vibrate and getting my phone out Jess ordered for me while I stepped aside. “Hey John”
“Where are you at?”
“Yeah hi Bec, having a good time? I sure am John, what’s going on?” He sighed loudly through the phone, clearly not impressed with my sense of humor.
“Darling sister of mine, please tell me where you are?”
“Why?”
“Bec!”
“Getting kebabs, want one?”
“Na I’m good, just checking in on you girls” We said goodbye and taking our food, grabbed a couple of drinks and found an empty patch of grass to sit on to eat. The sun was hot on our skin and Jess was already turning a light shade of brown from yesterday while I took the time to put on more sunscreen rather than burn.
“Need a hand with that?” Jess nearly choked on her kebab as two shadows loomed over us, blocking the sun and I didn’t need to look up to know who it was.
“I’m good, thanks” I popped the tube back in my bag and finished rubbing the last of it on my arms as the shadows disappeared and instead Beau and another guy sat down forming a circle where we sat.
“Are you gonna eat that?” Beau asked, eyeing off my half eaten kebab.
“Yeah” I picked it up and took a mouthful causing his mouth to drop open, surprised. “Did you want a bite?”
“I won’t say no” I handed it over while Jess sat there in a shocked silence. “Perry, this is Rebecca and I’m guessing you’re Jess? This is Perry my unofficially official bodyguard”
Perry nodded his head slightly, dressed as casual as Beau in jeans and a Guns and Roses t-shirt with dark ray bans covering his eyes. Looking him over quickly the tiny earpiece was practically invisible.
“Hey! I said A bite!” I yelled, reaching out to grab the sad remains after he mauled the wrap. Scraps of tortilla and fallen lettuce now filled the paper, overloaded with the mayonnaise that had dripped out. Beau only shrugged, handing me back the rubbish I shook my head and guarded my can of coke incase it was set to meet a similar fate. “Don’t they pay you enough to buy your own?”
“Well yeah, but then I wouldn’t have had a reason to come over and see you” His words made my heart race and Jess finally found the ability to speak again. Well if you could call it that, an ‘aw’ sound left her in place of words and I had to laugh.
“Still a charmer?” The second I said it I regretted it, my lame attempt at flirting was just as corny as what he said.
“Is it working?” I couldn’t stop my smile and he returned it with one of his own, tugging the cap down over his face a little more, he didn’t exactly stand out in the crowd. “Take that as a yes. So did you enjoy the show? I wasn’t expecting to see you here today, especially front row”
“I thought The Black Keys were going to be playing, but you guys were ok.” I shrugged, hoping he couldn't spot my lie. They had been amazing, he had been amazing. In fact, I had no idea how I was keeping it together speaking to him like this.
“Really because I swore I heard you screaming just a little bit louder when I walked out on stage?”
“No, that was probably Jess.” I threw her into the conversation and this time she nearly sprayed her coke all over us.
“Probably. Love your Broken album, I listened to Fish In The Sea like million times after my last breakup.” She finally stuttered, going as red as my skin felt as Beau’s attention turned to her. That wasn't a lie, it was their one song I knew all the words too and it clicked in my mind who they were exactly. I enjoyed their music and I hadn't been a diehard fan - until now.
“At least one of you knows who we are!” He offered a smile and I could see her melting on the inside yet the mention of the album had him looking a little uncomfortable too.
“Sir, you guys are required in the press room for your interview with Rolling Stone” Perry interrupted and stood up. Jess and I went to stand too and while Perry offered her a hand up, Beau took mine.
Just being so close to him again made last night seem like a cruel form of an entrée to what I had no doubt would be something amazing. All I wanted to do was look into those green eyes again, but our sunglasses stopped that from happening and instead I stared at his lips. Jess, Perry, the arena full of people – all disappeared as his thumb came up to the corner of my mouth and he wiped something away.
“You had had a bit of sauce there” A new flush of heat raced to my cheeks, and I quickly tried to wipe my mouth incase I had more mess all over my face yet his touch had left its mark on my skin.
“Thanks” I hated how breathless I sounded and knew Jess would never let me live this down.
“My pleasure” I realized he was putting something in my hand that he still had hold of and smiling at Jess the pair of them walked away, disappearing into the crowd.
“I’m in love” Jess swooned, leaning against me her arms went around my waist as she rested her head on my shoulder. “You have to do it with him. How many people can claim they lost their virginity to a real life Brock”
“I don’t even know him and I wouldn’t be loosing my virginity” I couldn’t help but bristle slightly, hating the fact my sex life or lack there of, always came up for discussion.
“Kyle York doesn’t count” I shrugged out of her grip at the mention of what had been my first time. I was seventeen, we were a little drunk at a party and all that ended up happening from it was an unexplainable white stain on the purple rug in Brittany Dartson’s parents bedroom when he stopped what we were doing to put on a condom. He had been a little worked up over his first time, struggled to get the rubber on and before he could do anything more our time together came to end to soon.
And then he ran away.
“I hate you for bringing that up” Walking back towards the stage where some new band Jess was eager to see was about to come on I took a second while sulking to look at the piece of paper Beau had placed in my hand.
‘In a crowd of a million faces, it’s only yours I want to see. Call me. BM’
His number was printed neatly below and the lyrics of one of their songs they had performed barely an hour ago now had a whole new meaning.
“What is that?” Jess snatched the paper before I could try and stop her, gasping she stopped dead, looking at me and then paper a bunch of times before I managed to taking it back. “Oh Bec, you have to call the guy”
“We leave in like eight hours, it’s not going to work. They’ll be off touring somewhere and I work for my grandmother and a college library”
“Stop being so negative. For a dreamer, you’re being really close-minded. Why are you fighting this?”
“I’m not fighting anything, come on or you’ll miss your band.” I grabbed her arm in an attempt to keep moving her, but she wasn’t budging.
“It’s ok to be scared about new things Bec, he clearly likes you. I can’t imagine he’d just give out his number to anyone.”
“Just drop it ok?” I let her go and kept walking towards the crowd, her presence felt just behind me I knew she was following. What was holding me back? I was attracted to him, he seemed really nice, but was there even a chance for a future? Did he want that or was I just the one picked from a million faces as a onetime tour thing?
The concert closed at six and John took us back to the hotel. Unlike the party atmosphere last night, all the performers were strictly business with their schedules demanding interviews, photo opportunities and final meet and greets with fans.
Saying good bye to John was hard, I loved my brother and we hardly spent any real time together this weekend, but he promised to come over once he was finished with all the after work of the festival. That made it a little easier and come Monday night it was as if we had never been away from our normal lives.
Sitting on my bed, the dim lamplight was enough for me to see Beaus note. I was familiar with every crease of the paper and imprint of ink as I stared it at for nearly an hour. With his number burnt deep in my memory I took a deep breath and picked up my phone, deciding to make the call.
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Hey guys, sorry for the delay in updates. >> Song isn't really relevant to the chapter, but it did inspire me for the lines to the song Beau sang and used in his note to Bec. :)