Amnesia

Chapter 24

A little over two weeks on tour and Penny has learned that sleep on a tour bus is an art form. Sleeping in the middle bunk leaves you vulnerable to the person above you and below you, which she might have been able to deal with had she not been touring with five rambunctious people and their friends and family.

Pressing the button on her phone, the screen illuminates the time—2:14 AM—and she groans into her pillow. The shrill, snorting laughing of Mitch, Kirstie and Scott fill the entire hall of bunks and through the curtains, she can see bright light of Ryan's camera, obviously filming the whole thing. Above her, Scott laughs and pounds his feet, her whole bunk shaking from the motion.

The last five days have been nearly non-stop touring, with a brief day's break which was used for the five of them to film a music video. Penny was there to photograph the entire day as well as use any down time to upload each venue's photos onto the group's main website. According to Esther, the fans have responded extremely well to the photos, enjoying the personal feel the photos gave to their concert experience. But despite Penny's deep sense of pride and accomplishment, and the excitement of working again, she desperately wants to sleep.

I think I finally understand this lack of sleep business Avi always mentions.

Above her, Scott thumps again and Penny sighs. Peeking out through the curtain, she squints against the bright light and finds Avi's curtain tightly closed. But she knows better than to think he could be sleeping through this, so she pulls out her phones and texts him: if you're sleeping through this, I'm never talking to you again.

A few seconds later, her phone vibrates in her hand. My parents back home aren't sleeping through this.

Penny laughs to herself and bites her lip as she smiles. Wanna join me in the back?

From outside her bunk, she can hear Avi roll from the bed and land on the floor. Her curtain opens a few inches and Avi's sleepy gaze greets her. Penny rolls onto her side and props herself up on her elbow. "I'll take this as a "yes" then?"

"Is there food back there?" he asks, voice quiet under the noise of the other three.

Penny hums in thought. "Pretty sure Scott left some Pop Tarts back there."

"Good, let's go," Avi says, nodding towards the back door and letting the curtain flutter close.

Penny snorts to herself and rolls from the bunk, ignoring calls from Mitch and Scott to join them in whatever game they're playing. Walking into the back lounge, she finds Avi stretched along the longest couch on the back wall, legs crossed at the ankles, eyes closed as he breaks off pieces of Pop Tart and pops them into his mouth.

"Food at two in the morning, Avi, really?" Penny teases, falling down on the couch along the short wall, lying with her head next to his.

"Yes," he answers his voice firm and resolute. "If I can't sleep, I should eat." Avi turns his head to face Penny, chewing the last of his Pop Tart. "Do you want one? There's another package in here."

Penny doesn't have time to respond before she hears Avi opening up the remaining package and handing her one of the two pastries. Avi quickly begins working on his as Penny takes a bite and says, "I will never understand how you don't weight four thousand pounds."

"Must just be my good Jewish man genes," he replies and laughs as Penny inhales sharply and pounds her chest, attempting to dislodge the piece of Pop Tart that got stuck in her throat.

"You're so full of shit," Penny says, her voice slightly hoarse from coughing. At Avi's deep chuckle, Penny flings out her arm and smacks him on the arm. The action only makes him laugh harder and she reluctantly follows him, giggling against her fingers.