Today is a happy day, it's Neil's birthday!! So here's another update and Happy Birthday Neil!!!! :)
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Grace POV
The Arkansas show went great! I woke up and stretched, we were on the way to Nashville for our last concert.
I was still kind of sad, but we were going to figure this out! My hand hit something and I jumped. I looked down to see Reid next to me on the couch! I jumped and he moved, blinking his eyes. That was the second time I have fallen alseep on him, watching a movie! I yawned and smiled at Reid, he was still really out of it. He weakly smiled back at me, looking exhausted. "Sorry I fell asleep on you." I laughed, he looked at me, almost awake.
"Hey, I'm not complaining! You smell like strawberries." He mumbled. I started laughing. "Aww thanks! You smell like a pine tree." I smiled back. "Uh... can we stop sniffing people and eat some breakfast?" I heard someone laugh, I jumped, blushing. Carrie, Kimberly, and my brother were at the tiny table together, coffee cups in their hands! Kimberly was laughing so hard her face was pink. "Oh hush. We all know you know what JP smells like!" I snapped playfully. Kimberly turned bright red, her eyes wide, making me laugh harder.
"Seriously! What's with all the sniffing?" Nick laughed, looking from me to Reid and back again. I just shrugged, laughing, and went to get ready. I grabbed my pretty pink sundress with my all white with blue and red trim cowboy boots and slipped them on. I quickly put on my makeup, double checked the mirror, and walked out. Reid walked into the bathroom to get ready, and bumped into me on the way in with a smirk. "Hey! No more kisses for you!" I half yelled. He pouted at me and shut the door. I turned around to see Carrie laughing at me and shaking her head.
I walked over and Kimberly poured me a cup of coffee. "Thanks!" I smiled, taking it. We had a tiny makeshift kitchen on our bus, we rarely cooked, but mostly made coffee! "Where are we stopping today, chief?" Nick asked Kimberly with a laugh. Kimberly smiled and said, "Well... I thought we could go to Chick-fil-a for some breakfast!" "Yay! Let's go!" I cheered, making all of them burst out laughing. "Wow... someone's excited about food!" Kimberly laughed. Then she glanced at Carrie, "What would you like for breakfast? Since I know you're vegan?" Carrie smiled, "Well.... all you chicken lovers... umm maybe an omelette? I'll make one here!" She said with a smile. "Are you sure?" Kimberly asked. "Hey! KP! There's a diner across from Chick-fil-a that we can walk to!" Jim yelled from the front.
"We can all eat there?" Kimberly asked. I shrugged, looking at her closely, she was still nervous. "We should be to Nashville at noon, and at one you'll have an interview!" Kimberly informed me, I nodded. "Okay! Sounds great to me!" I smiled. "So... What're we doing for breakfast again?" My brother laughed, looking at both of us. "Well.... maybe hmm we could go to both if you'd like." Kimberly said with a smile, I nodded, knowing that's what she wanted to do.
In the end, we picked up a vegetarian omelette for Carrie at the diner and the rest of us ate at Chick-fil-a. We had to sign a few autographs, but it wasn't bad! After we ate, we climbed aboard the bus and headed over the Arkansas/Tennessee border. I sat with my pen in my hand and thought. "Hey, Carrie?" I asked, she was sitting on the couch across from me. "Yeah?" "Where'd Miranda go?" I asked, there was silence. "She's on the other bus, she wouldn't leave completely." I nodded, I did feel bad, she was trying to do the right thing, and I guess it was a risk having people come on our bus.
Kimberly, Reid, Neil, and I, got dropped off for the interview. Carrie and Miranda stayed on the bus. CMT wanted to do an interview, my hands were shaking! It was my first real TV interview! I was so excited! We walked in and saw a woman at the front desk, furiously typing away at her computer. She glanced up and smiled at us. "Grace Oakley! They're ready for you!" She smiled, pointing in the direction of the set. Kimberly handed me my guitar, I didn't even realize that I had left it on the bus! Before we splitted, TBP going to the crowd, and me onstage, Reid took my hand, a pleading look in his eyes.
"What's wrong?" I asked, squeezing his hand. "You know they're going to ask about us, right?" He said slowly, I nodded, feeling even more nervous. "I...I don't want to hide it." I said. "What're you gonna say?" Reid asked, guilt and nerves in his eyes. "That I have an amazing boyfriend." I said, giving him a peck on the cheek. He smiled and seemed relieved. "She's almost on!" Someone said, Reid gave me one last hug, someone took my guitar and I ran on stage. "Ladies and gentlemen, Grace Oakley!" I heard cheers from their studio audience and smiled. There were two western-looking blue chairs on a wooden stage. A pretty, blonde woman sat in one of them, one of their hosts!
The studio had all different hosts and shows, this was one of their main ones! "Thanks for having me! How's it goin, Nashville?" I asked with a smile. I sat down in one of the blue chairs, all lights on me. "What's it like going on tour with The Band Perry? And Florida Georgia Line?" She asked me, I sighed in relief. "What?" She laughed. "I just hope all the questions are this easy!" The crowd laughed with us. "It's so amazing. They are such a great family, they really make you feel at home. And for Brian and Tyler? They're two of the craziest guys I've ever met! They're always so encouraging and entergetic, I just love them. I love everyone who I get to work with, it's like a little family." I said with a smile.
"Yeah! They really are nice people! Our viewers are wanting to know what if they saw what they saw?" She asked, I blushed, knowing what was coming next. "Bring the picture up!" My eyes widened, they had a picture!? There was a picture of Reid kissing me behind the curtain, a quick peck on the cheek! I laughed. "Where did that come from?" She laughed with me. "A fan sent it in! Everyone's dying to know, are you and Reid a thing?" I smiled at her. "Well... I'm hoping I don't like get egged here, but yes, I have an amazing boyfriend, also known as Reid!" I heard some whistles, cheers, and a few boos, but I smiled.
"So, is it a publicity stunt? We're hoping not!" She said, smiling. I frowned at her, "I am going to squash those rumors before anyone has a chance to start them. I think that any girl that wants to date the guys has a target on their back from Kimberly, so it better not be a publicity stunt!" I laughed, she seemed shocked at first before laughing. "Wow. All right then, country people, you have your answer! Dang!" She laughed. I smiled and looked into the crowd, my eyes landed on a smiling and laughing Reid, he gave me a thumbs up.
She asked me other random questions, like how has my life changed and all those sorts of things. The last questions were hard. "We heard that you got hit with a car for Kimberly, is that true?" There was a long pause.
"Yes. It is very true. I actually had no clue that it was Kimberly, the car came out of nowhere and I didn't even have time to think. I just pushed her out from it, and woke up in the hospital, with THE Carrie Underwood. At first, I really thought I was dreaming... But no! Thank you God!" I smiled. There was a standing ovation! I smiled at all of them.
"Thank you so much!" I smiled. They clapped again. "Man! Do they ever stop clapping?" They all laughed, including the host, Lauren. "We have a few fan questions from the audience!" I smiled, "Okay, shoot!" I smiled.
A nice looking man, around 30, stood up. Lauren brought the mic to him. "I heard you had to cancel some tour dates? What's up with that?" I froze, uh oh.
I recovered quickly, "We had some issues with the bus, we need to get it fixed and the parts aren't in. And also some personal issues. All of the dates will be put online so people can actually vote for what date you want it moved to, and for all the dates missed, everyone that was supposed to go will still have a seat." There was some clapping and I smiled.
"We are really sad, though, I know Kimberly is just heartbroken." There were some shouts of "it's okay!" I looked at Kimberly who smiled back at me. "We have time for two more!" She said quickly.
A guy jumped up, around my age. "I know you have a boyfriend... But can I get a kiss from you to prove my girlfriend wrong?" There was a loooong pause. "Um I'd love to help you out, I guess, but I don't know if Reid would like that." I said as gently as I could. I glanced at Reid, he looked really stunned.
He gestured for the mic. I shrugged and walked over. "Well... Man, I hate to tell you but your girlfriend is crazy." Reid nodded at me "you can give him a quick peck." He mouthed to me. I took the mic back. "What's your name?" I asked.
"Matt!" I froze, I had known a Matt in high school that was so mean to me, ever since I had hated that name! "Alright. Get up here!" I smirked. He climbed on the stage and I gave him a peck on the cheek. He went for a full lip kiss but I slapped him, not bone breaking, but enough to get the message.
He ran off, looking dejected. "Buddy, you just asked for a little kiss, and when you go for the lips, you're gonna get slapped!" I half growled half laughed. The audience howled with laughter.
"One..um more. Stop asking for kisses y'all!" Lauren laughed. I smiled. A teenage girl stood up and looked at me. "What advice do you have for singer songwriters?" She sat back down. Lauren went to take the mic but I said, "give her the mic! This is a great conversation!"
Lauren looked surprised and gave the mic to the girl. "What's your name?" I asked. She smiled and replied "Kimberly." I smiled back. "Well, I have a great friend named Kimberly, and you two act similar! I can tell just by lookin atcha!" She blushed!
"Well, Kimberly, here's what I'm gonna tell ya. Well, hmm. There are so many things! First off, I would take popular songs on the radio and see what makes them work! Start off easy, with maybe "Call Me Maybe." There was laughter.
"Hey! I'm not sayin it's a terrible song, it's just repetitive! Try different styles and work your way up to Taylor Swift and then The Band Perry! See what order works for you! And don't take yourself too seriously, if you're gonna get there, God will let you get there when He's ready!" Kimberly looked at me and smiled, her blue eyes lighting up!
"Thank you so much for answering! A lot of artists tend to shy away from that question, I don't know why that is." I nodded. "Hmm. I'd venture a guess to say it's all different... But that's interesting! Kacey Musgraves and Kimberly Perry will tell you straightforward! Anyway, nice to meet you and thanks for the question!"
To Lauren's surprise, I walked over and gave the girl a hug, she started crying with happy tears. "Good luck! And someday, I hope to see you onstage! I'll make sure to watch!" She cried even harder and I smiled, giving her another hug. I ran and performed "Stupid" "American Honey", and "Back On The Map." The crowd clapped and cheered, there were some whistles! She gave me the mic back and I waved, "Bye everyone!!" I blew a kiss and Lauren said, "Grace Oakley everyone!"
I got offstage and The Band Perry went on. Reid grabbed my hand. I smiled and said, "Okay, one good luck kiss!" I kissed him on the lips, making him smile.
Their interview went great! It was almost over when Lauren asked, "What's it like to have Grace as a girlfriend?" I froze, Reid searched for me in the crowd. He found me and spoke directly to me. "It's... Wow. Completely amazing. Usually, I don't talk much, but she makes me even more speechless than usual! Look at her and look at me, how could I have possibly gotten her?"
There was a cheer in the crowd, I was crying happy tears. He lead me onstage. Before I knew it, he gave me a full on kiss on the lips. I was shocked before kissing him back. "Alright you two!" Kimberly laughed, "Save that for the bus!" The crowd howled with laughter. I smiled at Reid and went to sit back down.
The rest of the interview went great!