"Hey guys!" Drew sprang up from the backseat of our band's pedo van.
"Damn it, Drew...this better be good." Said Brady, the bassist of our band, Late Nite Reading.
"No it's not good, it's awesome!" Drew cried. "I finally know what to name my new set of drums!"
Dalton, our lead singer, rolled his eyes. "This should be interesting."
"Well..." Began Drew, " l'm naming them Clayton."
Now this got my attention. I whipped around to face him. "Why the hell would you name your drums after me?" I asked, giving him a dead stare.
"Because," Drew replied, cracking his signature Cheshire Cat grin, "I'm banging Clayton all day." "Jesus Christ." I breathed, turning back to face forward again. But I had to silently admit it...it made me happy to hear that Drew made all these weird-ass sexual comments about me. I ruffled my hair; careful not to mess up the blonde tuft in the center of my head. I honestly shouldn't be so happy when Drew talked to me like that. But I can't help it...his dopey grin, his devilish green eyes; gah. The Indiana weather was getting to me again.
"PRAISE THE LORD WE FOUND THE HOTEL." Brady practically flew out of the car, with his girlfriend Jordan close behind. We always have trouble finding the damn hotels during our tours. I'm always begging to drive because with me behind the wheel, we actually find the hotel before midnight. I gotta admit though, I was jealous of Brady's and Jordan's relationship. Like how they managed to goof off and be idiots around each other while loving each other all the same. Come to think of it...it's all I wanted with Drew.
What.
No.
Nope. I didn't just think that. I sighed and shook my head, following the rest of the band into the hotel lobby. Dalton lagged behind them with me, and walked through the parking lot silently thinking to himself. "It's insane, you know." He mumbled to me.
"What's insane?" I asked.
"This whole band thing. I mean, look at us. Just a few years ago we were nothing. Now were touring. We have a fan base for gods sake!"
"Yeah," I replied, smiling. "It is pretty awesome."
"So dude, why aren't you happy?"
"Happy? What makes you think I'm not happy?"
"Clayton, something's bugging you. No one else notices, but I can see it. You've been different the past few weeks. You've been quieter in the van and in the hotels. And on stage, you literally pour your soul into your guitar. That amount of emotion on stage isn't possible unless something's up. Trust me, I know."
I snickered, tossing my skunk hair to the side. "You sound like you know what I'm going through." I replied as we strolled into the lobby. We were still lagging behind the rest of the band, out of earshot.
"I probably know exactly what you're feeling." Dalton replied softly, dropping his gaze.
"Oh yeah ?" I asked. I was pretty sure that Dalton was bluffing just to get dirt on me.
"Well if you're in love with someone you can never have then yeah, I know how you feel." I followed his gaze to Brady and Jordan, who were now kissing by the front desk. Of course, Dalton loved Brady. They were friends since the hell days; the hell days being middle school. They have multiple interviews together, and Dalton made it pretty obvious that he wanted to go farther than just being best friends and bandmates. But Brady and Jordan were a couple. They honestly loved each other and we all knew, even Dalton; that nothing was coming between them anytime soon. Besides, Dalton was too softhearted to interfere with their relationship. Both Brady and Jordan were happy together. And although it hurt, I knew Dalton well enough that he wouldn't interfere with anything that made Brady happy.
