Chapter 3
On The Road Again
“Tony will you get my suitcase please? It’s too heavy for me to carry.” Madison asked Tony smiling sweetly, early the next day.
“We should have a rule if you can’t carry your own shit then you need to put less shit in there.” Jake said as he looked at Shane who walked in the room.
“That’s stupid.” Madison replied putting her hands on her hips, as Tony walked out of the room.
“Why because you’re weak?” He asked smirking; he enjoyed pushing everyone’s buttons especially early in the morning when they were all in a bad mood.
“Jake stop it, its way to early in the morning for me to hear you two argue.” Shane said as he rubbed his eyes.
“Fine.” Jake said rolling his eyes.
Madison grinned at Jake as Tony walked back into the room and headed towards the door the other three following close behind him.
“Well it’s good to see you guys on time today.” John, Y5’s manager, said as he looked at his watch and then up at them as they entered the hotel lobby.
“We’d rather be on time than have you scream and yell at us for an hour.” Madison mumbled as they made their way outside to their awaiting bus.
“So, you guys ready for one hell of a ride?” John asked with a smirk as they all got situated on the bus.
“What are you talking about?” Madison asked.
“Well, in exactly one month you’re album will be released as you know already I’m sure. Until then you’ll be making lots of appearances and shows here and there and then when it’s released you’ll be going on a tour, we’re not sure who with yet or if you’re going to go by yourself. We want to get you on with a big named band so there will be big crowds but we aren’t really sure right now.”
“So what kind of appearances?” Tony asked curiously.
“Well, some shows in Europe at the end of this month. It’s all on your schedules, I don’t know them by heart, and there is one almost every day.”
“Are you serious?” Madison asked as she started looking for her schedule.
“Yes, and this week is going to be a few small concerts for radio stations. Tomorrow we’ll be in Chicago; we’re headed to the airport now we’re going to fly there so you’ll have more time to practice because I know you haven’t played in a while. After that there’s a show in Philadelphia, two in Boston and then one in Milwaukee. Monday you’re going to be on a new late night show Jimmy Kimmel Live and Tuesday you’re going to be on TRL. Then off to Denver, Phoenix, there are three shows in California and then Las Vegas.” John replied as he looked at all of them.
Madison stopped looking through the papers on the table and looked up at John quickly with wide eyes. “John what are we doing Tuesday?” She asked slowly.
John laughed slightly, “You’re going to be on TRL.”
“Oh my god.” Madison whispered putting her hand over her heart.
“‘I’d Do Anything’ has been in the top three steadily for a while now. They want you guys there. This is big for your career and album sales.”
“Holy shit!” Jake snapped causing Madison to jump.
They all looked at him strangely.
“Sorry, it just registered we’re going to be on the most successful show for musicians or whatever you want to call it; it’s popular. Just a little shocking I guess.” Jake said looking at them while they continued to stare at him strangely.
“This is crazy.” Madison said shaking her head.
“This is just the next two weeks. You guys are going to be busy but this is what you wanted right?”
“I’m excited.” Tony said smiling as he looked around the bus at them.
“Ok what songs are we going to play and in what order?” Jake asked Madison and Tony as they sat on the plane on their way to Chicago.
“John said we’d have enough time to do about a five song set, so we definitely have to do ‘I’d Do Anything’ and then four other songs.” Tony said and then looked at Madison.
“I want to do ‘Perfect’ ‘Lonely Girl’ and ‘I’m Just a Kid’.” Madison replied as she doodled on a piece of paper.
“We need one more.” Jake said after he wrote down the songs and then looked between Madison and Tony.
“Where’s Shane?” Madison asked as she looked up.
“Sleeping, the fuck wouldn’t get up.”
Madison nodded and then went back to doodling on her paper. Jake shot a weird look to Tony and Tony just shrugged.
“So what about a fifth song?” Tony asked trying to look Madison in the eyes.
Madison shrugged and said, “You guys pick.”
“How about we do ‘Grow Up’?” Tony asked as he looked between Madison and Jake.
“Sure.” Madison said softly.
“So well start with ‘I’d Do Anything’, ‘Perfect’, ‘Lonely Girl’, ‘Grow Up’ and then close with ‘I’m Just a Kid’. Is that cool?”
“Sure.” Madison replied sighing.
“Ok.” Jake replied looking at Tony strangely as Madison got up and went back to her seat.
“What’s up with her?” Tony asked Jake.
“I was going to ask you that.”
“Something was definitely up with her.”
“Maybe she was just tired or something.” Jake suggested as he shrugged.
“I don’t know.” Tony said as he got up and went back to his seat.
“Rehearsals went well don’t you think?” Tony asked Madison late the next night in her hotel room. She was quieter than usual and he was doing everything in his power to get her to talk.
“Uh… huh.” She replied keeping her eyes on the TV.
“Seeing as we haven’t played in a few weeks I think it was really good.”
Madison shrugged. “I went flat a few times. Shane sped the beat up a little on two songs with the drums, threw me off a couple of times.” She said still not moving her eyes from that TV.
“Well besides that.” Tony said as he moved a little to look her in the eyes.
Madison shrugged in reply.
Tony sighed and turned back to the TV, he wasn’t even really watching it. He cocked his head to the side to look at Madison again; she was intently watching the infomercial. He shook his head and looked back at the TV crossing his arms.
“You know you can talk to me about anything right.” He said a few minutes later breaking the silence.
Madison looked at him. “Yeah, I know that.” She replied simply.
“Just making sure you knew that. Anything, I’m here for you. You can tell me anything.” He said looking her in the eyes.
Madison smiled and nodded.
“Ok.” Tony replied smiling.
Madison smiled wider as she looked back at the TV and then cut eyes back over to Tony and then back at the TV still smiling.
“Oh my god, that was great.” Shane said the next night after their show.
“Shane you act as if you’ve never played a show before.” Jake said laughing.
“Shut up, there were a lot of people out there and they like us.” Shane said grinning.
“Will you ever get used to playing to people that know our songs?” Jake asked looking at Shane.
Shane put his hand on his hip and stood there thinking for a minute. “Probably not.”
Jake and Tony shook their head laughing.
“I just love it, knowing that people like our music and shit its great.” Shane said smiling wide.
Madison rolled her eyes and said, “Shane you’ll probably never change huh?”
Shane started to laugh and said, “Probably not baby.”
Madison shook her head and started to follow John out to the awaiting car, with the boys slowly following her.
“I think Madison should stop wearing the tight pants and tank tops on stage.” Jake said to Tony as they walked outside.
“Yeah I suggest she picks out some different clothes.” Shane said from behind them, shaking his head.
“Why?” Tony asked confused looking at Jake and then at Shane.
“Because she looks too good in them.” Jake replied grinning wide.
“Keep it in your pants Adams.” Tony replied as he got in the car while Jake just laughed.
“Come on Madison you know you want to go out clubbing with me.”
Madison turned around and looked at Tony. “Not especially, you always find a hot guy and go off with him and leave me all by myself. I hate that.”
“Maybe if you went and found a hot guy then you wouldn’t be by yourself, now would you?” He asked cocking an eyebrow.
“You don’t understand.” Madison replied quietly shaking her head and then turned back around walking into the bedroom.
“What do you mean?” Tony asked following her into her room.
“Never mind.” Madison replied shrugging.
“Come on, come with me. You know you want to girlie.” Tony began to beg.
Madison started to laugh and shook her head. “No.”
“Fine I’ll let it slide tonight but tomorrow is Friday you have to come out with me.”
“Tomorrow is a traveling day, we’re going to Milwaukee.” Madison retorted grinning.
Tony rolled his eyes and said, “Fine Saturday, you have no excuse.”
“The show?”
“That’s Sunday baby.” Tony replied grinning.
Madison looked down at her hands and then back up at him sighing. “Fine I’ll go out with you but you have to promise to leave me alone right now so I can sleep.”
“Fine, night girlie.” He replied as he got up gave her a kiss on the forehead and ran out of the room.
Madison sighed heavily as she walked into the bathroom. She stared at herself; it seemed the bags under her eyes were getting bigger each day. She leaned against the wall behind her still staring at herself; completely disgusted with everything about herself.
She stood up straight and turned to the side. She lifted up her tank top revealing her flat stomach. She sucked in a breath trying to make her stomach appear flatter; if that was possible.
“God I’m so fat.” She whispered looking down at her stomach disgusted. She sighed as she pulled her tank top back down.
She looked around the room; holding back the urge to cry. “What is wrong with me?” She silently asked herself.
And before she knew it she was kneeling in front of the toilet, putting her finger in her mouth forcing herself to throw up any food that she had eaten earlier that night. She began to cry uncontrollably as she fell back leaning against the wall. She was mad; mad at herself for losing the power that she thought she had. She promised everyone she’d never do it again, but most importantly she promised herself she’d never do it again. There was only one reason why she did it, why she felt she had to do it. And she knew it was stupid, but it always happened and it was always the reason she never had a boyfriend.
She controlled her crying and sat there looking at her hands as the twisted the hem of her shirt over and over again. “This was a one time thing; I’ll never see him again.” She whispered as she leaned her head back closing her eyes.