Bluebird

24

April 2, 2013

"Columbus, here we come!" Mick cheers as literally everybody makes their way onto the private tarmac. 

 Lindsey and Annabel were straggling and when they approached the group, Karen made a face at them. Stevie and her girls were dressed to the semi-nines. Stevie had on a pair of black yoga pants, but she had on a black v-neck and a green lightweight looking sweater over her shoulders. Karen herself was wearing a pant suit so they looked like they were dressed up in business-casual. Annabel on the other hand, did not. She was wearing a pair of black leggings that landed at her mid-calf. She had her waves pulled back into a bun on the top of her head. She was wearing a black sports bra and a grey cardigan that had a ribbon tied up under her breasts so it was showing off parts of her midriff. She had black flip-flops on her feet and her bags thrown over her shoulder. 

"Great, now that we're all here...we can hit the road to Ohio." John states.

"Annabel your band is on the crew plane." Karen pointed to an airplane that looked way less safe and way less luxurious than Fleetwood Mac's plane. 

Her backing band nodded and headed towards it, but Annabel looked back at her father. He just bit his lip and shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. Annabel taking the hint, looked down and then she slowly made her way to the crew plane. But as she was about to board Karen called Cory over. Cory boarded the Mac plane instead of the crew plane and once they were in the air, Annabel just kind of shrunk. She didn't know why that hurt her. But it did. She couldn't figure out if it's because Stevie's people looked at her with so much disgust because of her outfit, or if it was Lindsey not saying anything to her. 

She opened up her notebook and looked at the dates they'd be performing on. She went over the setlist again, and then half way through the four and half hour flight, she hunkered down for a nap. But the plane stunk because of all the men, and she honestly didn't feel safe being the only girl alone with a bunch of men in their forties. In a last ditch effort to try and change things from here on out, she sent a text to her father. 

Daddy, I'm scared.

His reponse was immediate

Why? What's wrong? 

These men just keep staring at me like I'm a meal.

She waited for a response but she didn't get one so she tried to burrow deeper into the seat and under her blanket. 

***

On Lindsey's plane, it was quiet and peaceful and he cleared his throat.

"What Lindsey?" Karen asks.

"Why is it that Cory, a Roadie is on this plane, along with Lori, and Sharon, while Annabel is on that plane?" 

"Lindsey she's the fucking opener, she shouldn't even be traveling with us, she should be paying her own money." Karen shrugs.

"Karen, that's not for you to decide." Mick scowls.

"Did you see the way she was dressed, it was so slovenly." Karen scoffs. 

"I actually didn't mind what she was wearing." Cory shrugs. 

"It was just so revealing. Why do these young singers think that they need to show off their stomachs. It's inappropriate." Stevie shrugs.

"She's not going to wear that on stage." Mick shakes his head.

"How do you know that?" Stevie inquires. 

"Um, I know who she is...John and I know who she is." Mick shrugs.

"What?" Sharon asks from her spot. She had been relatively quiet along with Lori the whole time. 

"She was in Hawaii, she sang at my restaurant a couple of times. I was the one that pushed her into auditioning. If I had it my way she would've just been defaulted into the tour, but she insisted. She said she didn't want to step on anyones toes." Mick explains. 

"Wait so you planned for her to come with us?" Stevie asks.

"Oh yeah, I knew what dates she was going to perform at from the beginning." Mick nods.

"Maybe she should fly with us from here on out." Lindsey shrugs. 

"But why?" Karen asks.

"If Cory gets too, Annabel gets too." He leans back crossing his arms. 

Karen just rolls her eyes and goes back to her magazine. When it's clear the conversation was over Cory went over to her uncle and lowered her voice.

"What's going on?" 

He doesn't say anything, he just shows her the text.

"I'll ride on that plane with her. They respect me." Cory sighs. 

"No, you can stay here...I'll ride with her." Lindsey shakes his head.

"Then they're going to start asking questions." Cory tells him.

"So let them. I don't give a shit. Karen's a judgmental bitch anyway. Always has been, always will be." Lindsey explains falling back into his seat. 

***

Ray Lindsey, made all of Lindsey's reservations, so the band had no idea-Mick, and John did-that Annabel and Lindsey were sharing a suite. When they got up to their room, Annabel immediately walked into one of the bedrooms and curled up. 

"What's the matter?" Lindsey asks standing in her doorway. 

"I don't feel like I belong...Christ dad, my band hit it right off with the Roadies and they were just staring at me like I was a wild animal, or a piece of meat...I couldn't decide." She sighs. 

"I'm going to ride with you from here on out. If they have a problem with me riding the crew's plane then they can make the acceptation to let you on the main plane." 

"Daddy, I can't ask you to do that." She sighs.

"You didn't ask...I'm telling you." Lindsey states. 

"Well, I appreciate it." She sighs.

"Are you going to come down for dinner with everybody?" He asks.

"No, I'm just going to get room service. Like I said, I don't really feel like I'm welcome or that I belong." Annabel shrugs.

"What do I tell them if they ask?" 

"The only ones that know are John, Mick, Sharon, and Lori...they're not going to confront you in front of everyone." She shakes her head. 

"I love you Baby Belle." He smiles.

"I love you to daddy." She sighs.