"Rise and shine, asshole."
Apollo opened one eye, his gaze falling on Hale. He groaned loudly, rolling over and stuffing his pillow on his face.
"Go away."
Hale stepped up onto the bed, taking the pillow and pushing Apollo with his foot.
"I said, rise, and shine."
He pushed harder, and Apollo rolled onto the floor, hitting it with a loud crash.
"Seriously?"
He got to his feet in seconds, rushing around the bed toward Hale.
Hale laughed, going out the door of the hotel room, a grin on his face.
"Not this time, bat boy."
He slammed the door, and his laugh echoed through the outside hallway.
"Fucking lunatic."
He looked around the room, but he couldn't even remember what city they were in.
One glance out the massive windows of his hotel room and he realized it was definitely Las Vegas.
How could I even forget that?
He threw pillows aside, off of the bed, searching for his shirt from the night before. When he found it, it still smelled like the alcohol he'd spilled all over it. He tossed it into the trash can beside the bed, pulling another one out of the unpacked suitcase on the ground.
He was pulling it over his head when he noticed the blinking light that indicated he had an alert. He didn't even remember it vibrating.
The moment he turned the phone on, and the screen lit up with what he had missed, his stomach dropped.
-Hey Salem and Wisteria are gonna meet us on 4th street around 8 and then we'll follow them to that coke guy's place on Calhoun Drive-
He sat down on his bed, staring at the message for so long, his vision blurred.
He knew the message wasn't to him. And he knew he shouldn't respond, but he did anyway.
-Who are you talking to? Cause I know it isn't me.-
How quickly she responded surprised him more than what she said.
-I was supposed to the be texting my boyfriend, fuck. Sorry. Your name is just fucking conveniently under his.
Whatever
Sorry, bye.-
.Apollo reached over to the bedside table, grabbing the rest of the bottle that was left from the night before. He pulled it to his lips before sending his reply.
-What the fuck did I do to you?-
-You fucked Caelum-
-Not when you fucking said that I did.-
-Why the fuck was she in your fucking bed then?
Whatever, I don't have time for this. I have to be somewhere with my boyfriend.-
-Because Paige put her there.-
-Sure.-
-Whatever, I don't care.
Have fun going on tour with your shitty fucking band.-
-Alright then, Harpia. Have a good night.-
He tossed his phone at the wall, drinking the bottle until it was gone. He laid back on the hotel room bed, staring up at the ceiling.
Something in his chest had replaced the anger that usually resided there. He didn't have a description for it, but it was the closest thing to suffocating he'd ever experienced.
Something in his chest had replaced the anger that usually resided there. He didn't have a description for it, but it was the closest thing to suffocating he'd ever experienced.
It was the first time she'd talked to him since that night in Hollywood. And from what he could tell, she didn't want to. It had been an accident in the first place. He sat up, going through his suitcase until he found his iPod and his last bottle of vodka.
He laid back down, slipping his headphones in, and the bottle cap off.
The first song that played was one he used to play on his guitar for Harpia when they were younger. Everything in him said to change it, but he didn't. He let it play, drinking from the bottle until the lyrics didn't matter anymore. In any of the songs that played.
At least, he was convincing himself that they didn't.
-------------------------------
"You're still just laying there?"
Apollo didn't raise his head, just made a noise, taking another drink. The bottle was almost gone, and he hadn't really moved from the spot he'd taken after he'd thrown his phone.
Hale walked over to the pieces on the ground, nudging them with his shoe.
"It's broken."
Apollo took another drink, shrugging.
"Don't care."
Hale sat on the edge of the bed beside Apollo, pulling the top off of a bottle that smelled exactly like Jack Daniel's.
"What's with you and breaking phones?"
Apollo didn't bother answering, and Hale laid back the way Apollo was, looking up at the same ceiling.
"We're in Las Vegas for the last night. Are we really just gonna lay here?"
Apollo finished the bottle in his hand, tossing it haphazardly at the trash can.
"Yep."
Hale took a drink of his own bottle, passing it to Apollo.
"Okay."
They were quiet for a moment, and then Hale spoke, his voice careful.
"What happened?"
Apollo glanced over at Hale, running his hands down his face.
"Harpia."
He mumbled her name so quietly, it was almost inaudible.
"I thought-"
"Me too."
Apollo passed the bottle back to Hale and he pointed at a spot on the ceiling.
"If you squint hard enough, that spot kind of looks like Abraham Lincoln."
Apollo snorted, following where Hale was pointing to.
"You're on some shit, Hale."
Hale took a drink, laughing under his breath.
"Yeah, but a different kind than you're thinking."
They were quiet again, silent except for the passing of the bottle and Apollo's music pouring out of his iPod. He'd ditched the headphones, but could still make out every word.
"She'll come around. You two are the assholes everyone bets on.
Childhood friends into lovers, hallmark card bullshit.
Just like Blake and Paige."
Apollo glanced at him, and something was behind his eyes he couldn't place.
"You are fucked up, aren't you?"
Hale sat up, pulling a cigarette out of his pocket. He flicked the lighter a couple of times, letting the flame illuminate the darkening room.
"No. Not really. I just think I know the two of you better than you seem to admit to knowing yourselves."
Apollo directed his eyes back onto the ceiling.
"Isn't this supposed to be Blake's thing?
Telling me I love Harpia, and that I just refuse to admit it?"
Hale lit his cigarette, gray smoke filling the air in the hotel room in front of him. The one they weren't supposed to smoke in.
"Yeah. It is his thing.
But that's not what I'm saying to you.
I'm telling you that I know you. And I know her. And it's gonna work out in the end."
Apollo sat up and grabbed Hale's cigarette out of his hand, taking a long drag.
"Since when did you become an expert on this shit?"
Hale punched Apollo in the shoulder, getting to his feet. He backed up toward the door, opening it, and leaning out into the hall.
"I don't know. But it sounds like I know what I'm talking about, yeah?"
He smirked at Apollo, shutting the door behind him with a snap. Apollo stared down at the broken pieces of his phone on the floor, and the cigarette in his hand, something foreign picking up in his chest again.
"Guess so."
-----------------------------
Apollo leaned against the brick wall outside of the club they were supposed to play in, scrolling back and forth through the contacts in his brand new phone. The first thing he had done when he'd touched down in Portland, was buy a new phone. The plane had been grounded in Seattle for two days, he'd been worried they wouldn't even be able to play the Portland show.
"What are you looking at? You don't even have any contacts besides ours."
Apollo looked up at Blake, shrugging a shoulder.
"Nothing."
He slid his phone in his pocket, watching Variance and Vega joke around, looking at pictures on his phone. He knew Paige was baby sitting Churro, Vega's cat. He just didn't know on what planet anyone could think that was a smart move.
She couldn't even keep plants alive.
God help her if she and Blake had kids.
"Vari!"
Apollo snapped his head in Hale's direction, watching the way Variance's eyes lit up when she noticed it was him. It was becoming more and more obvious that something was up. Maybe they'd been together too much since the tour started.
Or maybe Hale had just been persistent enough that Variance had started to notice him.
Either way, it couldn't go anywhere good.
Variance needed to be protected. And Hale was a mess.
She walked over to the two of them, Hale leaning against the building next to Apollo. Her cheeks were bright pink already, and Apollo bit his tongue to keep from making a comment.
"What's up?"
Hale smiled down at her, and Apollo let out a breath, pushing off of the wall and toward the door to the club. He heard Hale's voice behind him, questioning.
"Apollo? I was just going to ask her about where she was going to set up because of the shitty lighting in there."
Apollo turned back around at the door, shaking his head slowly.
"It's fine. I want to get a feel for the place anyway."
Variance's eyes shined with guilt for a few seconds, and her voice perked up, the brightness in it not quite touching Apollo.
"Do you want me to come with you?"
Apollo pulled the door open, glancing between the two of them. Hale was touching her arm, almost out of instinct. Like he didn't even notice he was doing it. It made something turn in Apollo's stomach and he shook his head again, disappearing inside the club.
He didn't know if something was going on with Hale and Variance.
But he did know that Blake had Paige.
Vega was content sleeping with whoever, and as much as Apollo had tried to get into the groupie thing, it wasn't doing much for him. Meaningless girls, and meaningless sex. It got old faster than he'd thought it would.
He needed alcohol to even want to touch those girls.
And he sort of had Caelum, but in the end, what was she?
They had sex, but there wasn't much else there. It was almost the same thing as the nameless girls in the back of the bus.
Maybe Hale was wrong, and he and Harpia weren't one of those stupid childhood friends turned lovers romance tropes.
But would it really be so bad if they were?
Yes.
He shook the thought from his head, wishing that he had a drink. Anything to get rid of the thoughts circling in his head.
He glanced around the empty floor and up at the stage, walking over to it.
He took a seat on the edge, the sounds of the crew putting together their set behind him. He pulled his phone out again, scrolling until he found Harpia's name. He typed and deleted the message three times before he finally sent it, turning the phone off and sliding it into his pocket when he was done.
-I miss you.-
-----------------------------
The blood in my veins
Is made up of mistakes
**
'Cause I’ve got a jet black heart
And there’s a hurricane underneath it
Trying to keep us apart
He laid back down, slipping his headphones in, and the bottle cap off.
The first song that played was one he used to play on his guitar for Harpia when they were younger. Everything in him said to change it, but he didn't. He let it play, drinking from the bottle until the lyrics didn't matter anymore. In any of the songs that played.
At least, he was convincing himself that they didn't.
-------------------------------
"You're still just laying there?"
Apollo didn't raise his head, just made a noise, taking another drink. The bottle was almost gone, and he hadn't really moved from the spot he'd taken after he'd thrown his phone.
Hale walked over to the pieces on the ground, nudging them with his shoe.
"It's broken."
Apollo took another drink, shrugging.
"Don't care."
Hale sat on the edge of the bed beside Apollo, pulling the top off of a bottle that smelled exactly like Jack Daniel's.
"What's with you and breaking phones?"
Apollo didn't bother answering, and Hale laid back the way Apollo was, looking up at the same ceiling.
"We're in Las Vegas for the last night. Are we really just gonna lay here?"
Apollo finished the bottle in his hand, tossing it haphazardly at the trash can.
"Yep."
Hale took a drink of his own bottle, passing it to Apollo.
"Okay."
They were quiet for a moment, and then Hale spoke, his voice careful.
"What happened?"
Apollo glanced over at Hale, running his hands down his face.
"Harpia."
He mumbled her name so quietly, it was almost inaudible.
"I thought-"
"Me too."
Apollo passed the bottle back to Hale and he pointed at a spot on the ceiling.
"If you squint hard enough, that spot kind of looks like Abraham Lincoln."
Apollo snorted, following where Hale was pointing to.
"You're on some shit, Hale."
Hale took a drink, laughing under his breath.
"Yeah, but a different kind than you're thinking."
They were quiet again, silent except for the passing of the bottle and Apollo's music pouring out of his iPod. He'd ditched the headphones, but could still make out every word.
"She'll come around. You two are the assholes everyone bets on.
Childhood friends into lovers, hallmark card bullshit.
Just like Blake and Paige."
Apollo glanced at him, and something was behind his eyes he couldn't place.
"You are fucked up, aren't you?"
Hale sat up, pulling a cigarette out of his pocket. He flicked the lighter a couple of times, letting the flame illuminate the darkening room.
"No. Not really. I just think I know the two of you better than you seem to admit to knowing yourselves."
Apollo directed his eyes back onto the ceiling.
"Isn't this supposed to be Blake's thing?
Telling me I love Harpia, and that I just refuse to admit it?"
Hale lit his cigarette, gray smoke filling the air in the hotel room in front of him. The one they weren't supposed to smoke in.
"Yeah. It is his thing.
But that's not what I'm saying to you.
I'm telling you that I know you. And I know her. And it's gonna work out in the end."
Apollo sat up and grabbed Hale's cigarette out of his hand, taking a long drag.
"Since when did you become an expert on this shit?"
Hale punched Apollo in the shoulder, getting to his feet. He backed up toward the door, opening it, and leaning out into the hall.
"I don't know. But it sounds like I know what I'm talking about, yeah?"
He smirked at Apollo, shutting the door behind him with a snap. Apollo stared down at the broken pieces of his phone on the floor, and the cigarette in his hand, something foreign picking up in his chest again.
"Guess so."
-----------------------------
Apollo leaned against the brick wall outside of the club they were supposed to play in, scrolling back and forth through the contacts in his brand new phone. The first thing he had done when he'd touched down in Portland, was buy a new phone. The plane had been grounded in Seattle for two days, he'd been worried they wouldn't even be able to play the Portland show.
"What are you looking at? You don't even have any contacts besides ours."
Apollo looked up at Blake, shrugging a shoulder.
"Nothing."
He slid his phone in his pocket, watching Variance and Vega joke around, looking at pictures on his phone. He knew Paige was baby sitting Churro, Vega's cat. He just didn't know on what planet anyone could think that was a smart move.
She couldn't even keep plants alive.
God help her if she and Blake had kids.
"Vari!"
Apollo snapped his head in Hale's direction, watching the way Variance's eyes lit up when she noticed it was him. It was becoming more and more obvious that something was up. Maybe they'd been together too much since the tour started.
Or maybe Hale had just been persistent enough that Variance had started to notice him.
Either way, it couldn't go anywhere good.
Variance needed to be protected. And Hale was a mess.
She walked over to the two of them, Hale leaning against the building next to Apollo. Her cheeks were bright pink already, and Apollo bit his tongue to keep from making a comment.
"What's up?"
Hale smiled down at her, and Apollo let out a breath, pushing off of the wall and toward the door to the club. He heard Hale's voice behind him, questioning.
"Apollo? I was just going to ask her about where she was going to set up because of the shitty lighting in there."
Apollo turned back around at the door, shaking his head slowly.
"It's fine. I want to get a feel for the place anyway."
Variance's eyes shined with guilt for a few seconds, and her voice perked up, the brightness in it not quite touching Apollo.
"Do you want me to come with you?"
Apollo pulled the door open, glancing between the two of them. Hale was touching her arm, almost out of instinct. Like he didn't even notice he was doing it. It made something turn in Apollo's stomach and he shook his head again, disappearing inside the club.
He didn't know if something was going on with Hale and Variance.
But he did know that Blake had Paige.
Vega was content sleeping with whoever, and as much as Apollo had tried to get into the groupie thing, it wasn't doing much for him. Meaningless girls, and meaningless sex. It got old faster than he'd thought it would.
He needed alcohol to even want to touch those girls.
And he sort of had Caelum, but in the end, what was she?
They had sex, but there wasn't much else there. It was almost the same thing as the nameless girls in the back of the bus.
Maybe Hale was wrong, and he and Harpia weren't one of those stupid childhood friends turned lovers romance tropes.
But would it really be so bad if they were?
Yes.
He shook the thought from his head, wishing that he had a drink. Anything to get rid of the thoughts circling in his head.
He glanced around the empty floor and up at the stage, walking over to it.
He took a seat on the edge, the sounds of the crew putting together their set behind him. He pulled his phone out again, scrolling until he found Harpia's name. He typed and deleted the message three times before he finally sent it, turning the phone off and sliding it into his pocket when he was done.
-I miss you.-
-----------------------------
The blood in my veins
Is made up of mistakes
**
'Cause I’ve got a jet black heart
And there’s a hurricane underneath it
Trying to keep us apart
