I woke up the next morning around nine thirty. Lex was still sound asleep next to me, with most of the blankets tangled around him, showing no signs of waking. Annie and Topher were also laying sound asleep tangled together. Figures. I yawned before forcing myself out of bed to take a shower.

Once I was out of the shower I dug though my bag until I found my red winged hourglass Lawrence Arms T-shirt and my worn out jeans with holes in the knees. I slid on my black flip flops and headed down to the van to see what kind of food we had packed away.

On my way down the hall I ran into Natalie who was on her way to our room to tell everyone to be ready to go by noon. I figured I would save her the trip and offered to do it for her. If not she probably would have wasted 10 minutes banging on the door until one of the three sleeping beauties crawled out of bed.

I slipped my card into the lock and waited for the light to turn green before I turned the handle. As I expected Annie, Topher and Lex were still sounding asleep in bed. I entered the room and let the door fall shut behind me.

I first walked over to Topher and Annie’s bed and shook Annie, “Morning sunshine!” I said over zealously, “You’ve gotta be ready by noon, it’s 10:45. You guys gotta get up if you’re gunna be ready.” She groaned but then shook Topher to relay my message.

I turned around to see Lex lying on his back sprawled out on our bed. I sat down on the edge of the bed next to him and placed my hand on his arm to shake him. He mumbled something when I shook him, then rolled over onto his side with his back to me. I shook him again, but to my dismay he pulled his pillow out from under his head and placed it on top of his head to block me out.

I turned back to Annie who was sitting up in her bed rubbing her eyes with her fingertips. “Annie, can you make sure he’s up by the time you’re out of the shower?” I asked. “I’m going down to see if we’ve got anymore pop tars packed in the van.” She nodded as she slowly yawned and threw her legs over the side of the bed.

I was waiting outside of the elevator examining my fingernail polish when Zac came up behind me.

“Hey,” he spoke, causing me to jump. “Sleepyhead’s out of bed already, surprise, surprise.”

After I calmed down I chuckled at him and nodded, “Morning.”

He crossed his arms over his chest and announced, “I cannot get Kate up for the life of me. I think I'm just gunna have to carry her down to the bus. You girls stayed out too late, you know that?”

I had no idea what he was talking about, because Kate and I had parted ways early in the night. I was about to ask what he was talking about but I was interrupted by the bell. I simply shrugged my shoulders before stepping into the spacious elevator. “Going down?” I asked as I pushed the button for the lobby.

“Where else would I be going?” he asked following me in.

“Shut up” I said shaking my head. I stepped into the back corner and stood with my back to the wall facing Zac. He stood in the opposite corner with his ankles crossed leaning against the wall facing me. Since we were on the 16th floor the ride down was taking awhile. After shifting my weight from my left foot to my right, I was overwhelmed by the awkward silence and the unofficial staring contents we were having. I broke the awkwardness with my attempt at casual conversation.

“I couldn’t get anyone up this morning,” I said looking down at my fingernails, then looking back at him. He didn’t respond, but he nodded his head up and down slightly. I tried again. “I couldn’t get Lex up so I told Annie she could deal with him as long as he’s down here by noon.”

This time he responded, “Yeah, I think everyone had a pretty late night. We were playing video games till like two or something.” Just then the doors opened and he stepped out, but waited for me to exit before he started walking. “What are you doing down here?” He asked as we walked toward the front doors. Fans had started lining up outside of the doors waiting for Zac Taylor and Isaac to leave for the day.

“I’m gunna go see if we’ve got any pop tarts or anything in the van,” I explained. Zac reached the doors first and pulled one opened, waving me through. “Thank you,” I said surprised that he held the door. Lex stopped holding doors for me years ago. “What about you?”

He nodded and followed me out. “I don’t have any clean shirts in the room and I’ve got a few extras out here. I think we’ve got muffins on the bus if you want one of those instead.” He offered as he waved to his fans. He stopped to talk to a few and I waited behind him. He laughed and smiled as he talked with them and explained that he was just running down real quick and Taylor and Isaac weren’t coming down yet. One girl asked for a picture, and Zac smiled as she held her camera out with her right arm and pulled him into a hug with her other arm. I wouldn’t have enough patients to be famous.

There was quite a crowd forming and yelling for Zac. It seemed that they had almost blocked the isle from the hotel doors to the bus. When Zac broke free from the fans he made his way back to me. He grabbed my left arm and quickly pulled me through the fans to the bus.

Even from inside of the bus I could still hear the fans outside, and I could see the flashes from their cameras. “My goodness, Zac, you’re inside the bus and they’re still taking pictures. They can’t even see you. What the heck?”

He nodded and looked up from his duffle bag. “Yep, and you know how many of them would kill to be you right now? I can’t wait to hear the rumors they come up with from this.” He looked back down into his bag and dug around for a new T-shirt. “The muffins are behind you if you wanna grab some,” he added as he pulled out a maroon t-shirt.

I turned my back and walked over the counter and grabbed a blueberry muffin. “Like what, that we’re having an affair or--” I started but stopped as I turned around to see Zac standing just a few feet behind me. Shirtless. He stepped in my direction as I stood motionless. I didn’t say anything, and I was met with a shy smile from Zac. After a moment he stepped again in my direction. My heart started to race. I stepped back and bumped into the counter. I started to lose my balance Zac reached out and held my arm for balance.

“You okay?” He asked raising an eyebrow. “Don’t look so scared, I just want a muffin,” He said as he picked a chocolate chip muffin and took a big bite. When he turned around I secretly took a big breath and shook my head. He slid his new maroon shirt over his head and pulled it down over his stomach.

When he turned back around he saw that I hadn’t moved or taken a bite of my muffin. He shook his head and laughed before he suggested we head back out. I slowly walked toward the front of the bus keeping my eyes on Zac the whole time. He watched me watch him and tried to reassure me by saying, “Don’t worry, Jovie, I don’t bite.”

He started down the stairs, and then turned around once he reached the bottom. Once I got to the last step he reached out for my hand. I took his hand and jumped to the ground. I nodded to him and said thanks before we headed back into the hotel.

A couple hours later I was sitting behind The Love of Belladonna’s merch table telling Annie was happed earlier. She thought it was more amusing than I did, and couldn’t stop giggling. “Shut up, Annie!” I yelled once her laughing wouldn’t stop. “It was awkward!”

“Oh right, like your fiancé’s best friend would try a move on you” She started, but I hushed her.

“Annie! Shut up!” I snapped. I looked around to see that the fans had started walking into the venue. I turned back to her and explained, “I don’t want any rumors starting.”

Just then we both looked up to see that Kate had appeared out of nowhere, and was now standing in front of the table. “I always love a good rumor,” She said looking at us. “What is it this time, me and Natalie are both pregnant?” She joked.

I let out a nervous laughed and tried to cover by replying, “Apparently.” Annie started laughing and I kicked her leg under the table.

Kate crossed her arms over her chest and shrugged her shoulders. “I’m not surprised. It was bound to happen sooner or later.”

I shrugged and thought back to earlier to when Zac said something about me and Kate staying out so late. “Hey Kate, why’d you tell Zac me and you stayed out late last night?” I asked changing the subject.

She looked confused and replied with a confused expression, “I didn’t tell Zac that. I haven’t even talked to him yet today. I didn’t feel good last night and didn’t get much sleep, so he probably just assumed I was with you,” she shrugged.

“Oh,’ I said relating to her, “Lex does that sometimes too. I guess those two are a lot alike.”

“Minus the tattoos and piercing,” Kate corrected. I nodded in agreement before Kate excused herself to go find a spot in the balcony.

Unfortunately, I was stuck behind the merch table after being cornered into it earlier by Annie. Lex and Zac’s friend Davey had been doing the merch this tour so far, but he had to fly back home to Oklahoma earlier that day. Apparently his wife went into early labor or something. I wasn’t really sure. Davey was kind of shy and really never said more than two words to me. Annie said that Davey wasn’t really shy; we just intimidated him with our good looks. I guess you could call Annie a little conceded.

A couple minutes later Annie and I were busy not selling merch when I noticed a girl watching us from a couple of feet away. She was standing in a group with 3 other girls and she watched me as she talked to her friends. After a couple seconds the three girls looked at me, but quickly turned around when Annie acknowledged them by sticking her tongue out at them. Annie and I started laughing, but stopped when we saw a bright flash.

“Annie!” I exclaimed in shock, “They’re taking pictures of us!”

Annie laughed and posed for another shot. Instead of taking another picture the girl who had been staring was being lightly pushed by her friends in our direction. She slowly walked toward us looking over her shoulder every few steps to her friends who encouraged her from behind.

When she reached the table Annie greeted her, “What can I do for you? You wanna buy a CD or something?”

“Actually, um,” the girl started, obviously nervous “I just have a question for her.” She said pointing in my direction.

I scratched my head before saying, “Shoot.”

“Okay, I was just wondering, I mean I heard from someone, and I was wondering if you were, uh, that girl, who, who you know…” she said slowly drawing out her sentence.

“That girl, who, you know? Jo!” Annie cut in mocking the curious girl. She gasped and placed her right hand over her heart pretending to be in shock. I rolled my eyes and looked back at the girl in front of us who was shifting her weight uncomfortably from foot to foot.

“The girl who did what?” I asked.

The girl nervously leaned in over the table and said in a whisper, “Who Zac had an affair with.” At that my eyes grew wide and I placed my right hand over my mouth not sure of what to say. “No!” I paused to collect my thoughts. “What? Who told you that?”

The girl raised both of her hands up by her chest and replied, “No one, some people just saw you this morning with him and you guys were on the bus alone and Zac came out wearing different clothes. I didn’t mean affair I guess if him and Kate aren’t together anymore.” At that moment a light bulb went off in the girls head. “Oh my God! Are you why they’re getting divorced?” For some reason that thought excited the girl.

I made a face at the girl, still confused about the situation. “We were getting muffins, and--” I started but shook my head and decided I didn’t need to explain myself. “It doesn’t matter. No, and he and Kate are still together, I don’t even want to know why you think they’re not.”

“Some other fans said she with the drummer of that band,” she said pointing at the Love of Belladonna T-shirts behind me.

Annie answered for me, “What the fuck? No! Get a life.” The girl looked offended, and quickly turned around and hurried back to her friends after that. I turned to look at Annie, but didn’t have to say a word. She simply answered my look by saying “I know, that’s fucked up. Who in the hell makes up shit like that?”

I ran my fingers through my hair, “From now on don’t call me by my name in front of their fans. I don’t want anyone knowing my name or anything about me. This is messed up.”

Annies face lit up as she smiled and enthusiastically asked, “Do I get a play name too?”

I laughed and nodded, “Yes, Camille, you do.”

“Ooo,” Annie replied, “Thank you, Sadie.”

I turned back and sat quietly for a minute before Annie broke the silence, “Joves… What were you two doing on the bus?”

I looked at her giving her my best are-you-an-idiot-face. “Annie! We were getting MUFFINS!”