Close as Strangers

Next to You

"I can't believe you took pictures."Effie grumbled from her seat beside Arwen. 

Arwen laughed, and turned to face her friend. Voice hushed so the boys in the back lounge couldn't hear her. "How was it? Was it good?"

Effie turned bright red, but gushed anyway. "Oh my god, you have no idea. He was so sweet and gentle when needed, but rough at all the right times." She smirked. "Mmm mmm mmm." 

"Well, I have to thank you." Arwen smiled, gleefully. "You and Ashton deciding to have sex in here, proved to be the perfect distraction." 

Effie cocked an eyebrow and stared at her friend. 

"No one noticed this morning that I was wearing just Michael's shirt, or that we slept in the back lounge." She winked. 

"Oh my god. You didn't?" She laughed loudly. "You did!" Then she realized something that started making her laugh even harder. 

"What?" Arwen questioned, a smile on her face as she watched her friend laugh hysterically. 

"You know how we always talk about how we are like literally the same person?" She said between laughs. "We both had sex with our boyfriends for the first time, on the same night, in the same bus." They both started laughing loudly. 

"Hey." Ashton came out from the back lounge, Michael in tow. "We have to have a phone meeting with our manager. We're going to stop in the next town for a bit. You guys wanna go grab some lunch?" 

Effie stood and walked to Ashton placing her hands on his chest, she shot a pout up at him. "You're just trying to get rid of us." 

The bus suddenly came to a stop, and Michael pushed them towards the door. "Yes, we are. Okay, byeeee." He pushed them out, and followed them out the door. "Here's some money. Go treat yourself somewhere nice. Even though you'll probably still only go to Taco Bell." He gave her a quick kiss. 

"And KFC." Effie added, when Ashton came over to her. 

He placed kisses on her face between words. "I... Love... you."  

She giggled and pushed him back. "Sure you do." 

"It's just a business meeting, we don't want to bore you. Go eat and have fun." He ducked down and kissed her lips. 

The boys boarded the bus, while the girls took their phones out to find somewhere to eat.

"Where even are we?" Arwen wondered looking around. 

According to Google maps, we are in Austin, Texas. MY lord we get around." 

"Well, lets go find some good food." Arwen discretely held up the money that Michael handed her. 

"One time. We had sex one time, and now I can't stop thinking about him. I crave him all the time." Effie told Arwen as they were headed back from lunch. "But I don't want to do it with you guys on the bus now, because you'll be on high alert!" 

"So, what you're telling me is you're into public sex?" Arwen laughed. 

"You laugh, but I was seriously contemplating it. It was hot, and electric, and I'm addicted." 

The boys were all sitting in a circle harshly whispering to each other, but stopped once they heard the girls get on the bus. 

"Uh, what's going on?" Effie asked, nervously shifting on her feet. 

"We talked to our manager. He is worried about you guys finishing out this tour with us." Luke explained, biting his lip slightly. 

"Why?" Effie's eyebrows drew together in worry. 

"He thinks you guys have been a distraction, because we haven't written any new music yet. We've got idea, they just haven't turned into anything." Ashton wrapped his arms around Effie, with a sigh. 

"So, unless we can prove you aren't a distraction to us. He wants you guys shipped off back home." Michael kicked slightly at the ground, his eye's raising to meet Arwen's. "He wants you gone before we end up in the hotel."

Michael had previously let Arwen in on a tiny secret. Their manager was putting them up in a hotel soon, so they could have a short break while on the road. Michael was going to try to make it romantic, and take her on a date, and bring her back to a rose covered room. 

Arwen's face suddenly felt hot with all the eyes now on her. She swallowed the lump in her throat as tears began to well. "Then we better get writing, yeah?" 

"I know we aren't on the same level, musically, as you. But maybe we have some new ideas?" Effie nodded enthusiastically. "We can start now, how do you normally write?"  

Calum shrugged. "We usually just sort of play off each other, and throw out suggestions until we end up somewhere." 

"Then let's get started!" Arwen walked forward, grabbing Michael's hand and dragging him back to the back lounge, everyone else following behind, ready to hopefully write something new.