Ville's Heart-Killer

Pit Stop

After the first hour on the tour bus, the band members hardly seemed to notice that I was still there. I was able to get cozy in my seat and work on forgetting all of my troubles. The ride to New York would be a long one, which would give me a lot of time to think. Like, what was I trying to get out of this trip? Mainly, I was just trying to get out of town, but other than that? I really didn't know.

I must have dozed off while looking out of the window because it was beginning to get dark the next time I woke up. Ville had nudged me lightly on the shoulder to wake me. "We're making a stop for some food, do you want to come in with us, or do you want to go back to sleep?" He was talking softly, which only made me all the sleepier.

However, my rumbling stomach told me to get up. "I'll come," I said, my voice probably sounding sleepier than he had been soft. He held out his hand for me to grab, which I did. He pulled me up from my seat and led me away from the bus.

The restaurant we entered was a small one; it was more like a cafe than anything else. I didn't know where we were, but I'm not sure that Ville would have known either, even if I had asked him. By the looks of it, we were in the middle of nowhere. As we walked inside, I could see that not many people were there. All of the people who were there were very old, and most likely retired. I felt kind of silly when I asked, "Aren't you and the guys ever worried that you might be spotted if you eat out?"

Ville smiled but was kind enough not to laugh at my question. "We don't eat out often, but when we do, we like to go to places like this. They are out of the way, and even if we are spotted, it won't be by many people. Besides, it's nice to get off the bus every once in a while. It's worth the risk."

A waitress in the restaurant called to us, "Seat yourself! There's a booth in the back that should be big enough for you to fit in." I had been a little worried she would recognize the band, but she just saw them as normal customers. It was nice to see people acting normally around the guys. If a stranger could, then I could too.

We made our way to the back of the restaurant and sat in the booth the waitress had mention. I sat squished between Ville and Gas. I switched between folding my hands on the table and keeping my hands in my lap. I hadn't been around the guys for very long yet, and I was still trying to figure out how to act around them.

The waitress came to the table once she was done with the other customers. She passed out a few menus. "Some of you will have to share, we're running low on menus right now." Ville opened his menu and put it in front of the both of us. I scooted closer to him to get a better look, but we were already so close that I was practically leaning on him. I felt awkward, but if Ville felt awkward too, he didn't show it, which I appreciated.

The waitress took our drink orders. The guys mostly ordered beers, but I settled for a soda. I wasn't a big drinker. Some of the guys looked at me strangely but didn't say anything about it. I didn't want to set the stage for drinking with the guys later. As much as I loved being away from home, I didn't want to become a partying roadie while I was away.

It was time to order food, and man, was that a trip in itself. Most of the guys ordered burgers (as did I), but Gas ordered a couple bacon cheeseburgers, making Ville look a little out of place with his garden salad.

When not munching on burgers (and lettuce), the guys were talking loudly among themselves, talking about everything from the next show they were about to do to where they had tasted a similar beer before. I didn't talk as they ate. I preferred to sit back and listen. I was going to have to get used to a life like this for the next few weeks, after all.

After dinner, the guys left a huge tip for the waitress. I tried to give Ville some money for my meal, but he simply said, "Don't worry about it. You're with us now." I couldn't help but smile.

We loaded back into the bus and got ready to go. I rested on the sofa, looking at the stars that now covered the night sky. I must have fallen asleep this way, but when I woke up, a blanket was over me. I couldn't help but wondered which of the band members had done it. I still haven't figured it out, but what I have figured out is that I am with a great group of guys. I'm in good hands here, I just know it.