Shut Up & Make Music

Chapter Seven~ Shane

SHANES POV (yes I know that’s two in a row, it’s all good though, oh well).

               The first two weeks of tour had flown by.  I wasn’t sure if that was good or bad, all I knew was I was having the time of my life.  My bandmates and I had gotten pretty close with Creatures of the Night, Lance and Clayton in particular had hit it off.  And if I was being entirely truthful, I had grown to consider Dakota another extended member of our band.  She was with us at least as often as she was with her own band, and we had even discussed writing a song together.

            The guys had all gone out to the nearest pizza parlor for some lunch, Dakota and I staying behind to get ready for the show.  Well, she hadn’t wanted pizza so I said I needed to get ready, so I could keep her some company.  I wasn’t really sure what my feelings were for her but I was pretty sure even if I did have interest in dating her, she wouldn’t return the feeling at all.  I sighed and picked up a brush and a tube of paint, having finished making my hair stage ready.

"Why don't you just tattoo your paint on?” She asked, sitting on the stool next to me, spinning in a circle as I leaned over the counter drawing a jagged line under my eye in black. She had been hovering about since the guys left, claiming to have nothing to do.

"I like changing it. Also putting it on is a method of preparing myself for the show.  And besides, it’s not like I wear it all the time.  Off tour and on days off and such I don’t wear any usually.”

She looked at me for a minute then grinned a little.

"Can I do some? Just a little, under your other eye or something?" I studied her, this strange girl I had only just met. She confused me a little bit, I never knew what to expect from her.

"Only if I can return the favor," I told her, my voice deep compared to hers, echoing through the room.

She hesitated before picking up the white pen, placing one cool hand on my cheek and turning my head to face away from her.

"Sit." She commanded, keeping her grip on my face as I lowered myself onto the stool she had just occupied.

I watched her through the corner of my eye as she put the pen down onto the rise of my cheekbone biting her lip in concentration. She was silent for a second, her wild brown hair falling across both of our faces, tickling my throat, until she pulled away, stepping back to admire her handiwork.

"There! I like it." I spun to face the mirror scrutinizing the paint. It was symmetrical to what I had done on my other cheek, but instead of black, it was white.  She had also added a bit small straight line of white under the black.

"Me too, actually," I told her.  She beamed proudly, and I felt a small smile growing on my face to match. I stood up and stretched then turned to find her looking at me expectantly. I smirked and began to walk off.

"Wait!" Came her cry from behind me; I felt a hand land on my shoulder and pull me backwards. "What happened to mine?"

I smirked "I knew you wanted to try it."

She scowled, but I could tell it wasn't a real scowl; she was definitely hiding an excited smile.

"Come here," I told her quietly, taking her chin as she watched eagerly, sitting herself on the stool and tucking her legs up underneath her.

"Nothing too extreme or my fans won't be happy with me."

"Wait you're going to leave it on?"

"Of course I am stupid. Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know. I guess I assumed you didn't want to make your fans upset."

"If it matters to them that much what I look like when I perform then I don't want them as fans anyway."

"Fair point," I said with a shrug. I picked up a fresh brush and started filling the space on my open hand with thick makeup. She raised an eyebrow as she watched, but didn't make a comment.

When I had finished covering my right hand in black paint, I used my left to brace her neck then put my hand on her face, pressing so the print would be transferred onto her cheek and chin. The palm of my hand was covering about half of her mouth, and I could feel her starting to laugh.

"None of that now," I said chuckling as I felt her try to respond despite my hand over her mouth. Slowly I took it off, a near perfect, skeletal looking handprint across her face. The corner of her lip quirked up and I set my paint covered hand on her bare arm, leaning in just the slightest bit, my mind not even registering the motion.