A few nights into the tour, on the female dancers bus, there was a lot of commotion.
"Who on earth has all their crap in the middle of the floor?" Serenity demanded an answer, seeing a magazine in the middle of the floor of the bus. Erin looked up from the novel she was reading and raised an eyebrow, then ignored her and went back to reading. Zoë was painting her nails and didn't pay attention to her. Tanya and Natasha didn't care, for they were too involved in a card game. Ebony was talking on the phone with Howie and didn't hear Serenity. Alice was asleep, while Linna wrote her family. Melanie had finally lost it with Serenity.
Unfortunately, Serenity loved to boss people around and make fun of everyone else. Zoë, Tanya, Tatiana and Erin had all gotten used to Serenity's snotty attitude, so they all knew how to deal with it too well.
Melanie on the other hand, had a low tolerance level for people like Serenity, and earlier, Serenity had been making fun of her hair and this was the last straw.
"Serenity, instead of bitchin' about it, why don't you just pick it up. I bet that would be a lot easier." Melanie suggested, trying not to punch Serenity.
"Me? Are you talking to me Clifford?" Serenity snarled.
" For you information, my name is Melanie, Stupidity." Melanie said through clenched teeth.
"Oh, piss off. Well, if you would excuse me. I must go freshen up. The bus is stopping in 3 hours and I am sure Nick is getting a little anxious to see me. The bathroom is going to be in use for the next little while." Serenity said, nonchalantly, then grabbed her make-up duffel bag and pranced into the bathroom and locked the door,
"How the hell do you put up with her tour after tour?" Melanie sighed and sat down beside Erin.
"Trust me. She's gotten a lot worse since she and Nick got together. But Nick is too good for her." Erin said, putting her bookmark in her book.
"Ah. You can see it when they're together, she's always clingy and it's disgusting." Melanie said and began to braid a small section of her hair.
"Yup. But he was really happy when he and Alex were together." Erin said.
Erin and Melanie had become like the best of friends not long after the tour started. They had a lot in common, including their flaming red hair.
"What do you mean when he and Alex were together? I've been touring with her for almost 3 years and not once she mentioned to us about her and Nick being a couple." Melanie's confusion was apparent in her voice.
"I worked as a stylist on one tour in 1996 and they had been together for 2 years, then they broke up a year later due to management shit. From what I hear, they were really in love and didn't want to break up."
"Oh, man. Poor Alice. She always used to go on about how her and Nick could be the perfect couple." Melanie whined.
3 DAYS LATER
"You guys nervous about tonight?" AJ asked everyone on the bus as he walked out of the bathroom.
Tonight, those who chose to, were going to attend a major European awards show.
"As hell. But at least we get to spend the night in a hotel." Alex laughed.
"Alex. You get nervous for anything." Kevin chuckled, remembering their earlier years.
"But anyway," Alex giggled. "I don't wanna perform tonight." She whined.
"You whine too much." Leighanne mimicked.
"Shut Up. I am having a crisis here. And you're my family. You're supposed to help me out."
"I don't need to do nothing." Leighanne said, point blank.
"How have we put up with you for 8 days so far? " Brian laughed and then picked Alex up and slung her over his shoulder.
"AGHHHHH!! Put me down!" Alex screeched. Brian carried her around the bus, then dropped her in her bunk and pulled the privacy curtain across and held it shut.
"Brian let me out!!!" Alex yelled.
"Nope. Not unless you promise not to whine for the rest of the tour." Brian laughed.
"I can't do that!" She whined.
"Well, you're not coming of here, then." Brian said with a laugh. Just then, Nick stuck his head out of his bunk.
"Can you guys try and keep it down? I'm not feeling well." Nick frowned. The look on his face told Brian that he wanted to talk.
"You wanna talk about it Frack?" Brian asked just as Alex pinched his ass.
"AHHHHHHH!" He yelled.
"Sorry, I think." Alex laughed.
"Fine. I'll let you out." Brian pouted, then moved aside.
"Thank you." She sang, then ran to the front of the bus.
"So what's up?" Brian inquired.
"Serenity wants me to have sex with her. But, I'm not over..." He paused and pointed below him, towards Alex's bunk. "But I can't tell Serenity I'm in love with someone else. She thinks I love her."
"Nick. Why don't you break up with Serenity? Then at least you'd have a chance with Alex." Brian whispered.
"No. You know what she told AJ at that party. I'm not going to sleep with Serenity, but I hate telling her I love her when I don't mean it."
"Well, tell her that you aren't ready to move that far into your relationship. Is she coming to the awards show with us tonight?"
"No. I guess only 9 of us can go, so we're picking up Ebony. Everyone else will go back to the hotel." Nick said. Just then the bus came to a screeching halt.
(Author's note: The name of the bus driver comes from a trip in high school. We had 2 drivers, nicknamed Pothole and Road Kill. Don't ask. Please. It's a long story.)
"Everyone, we only have 15 minutes, so, if you ain't goin' leave." The bus drive, who everyone called Pothole, yelled.
"Thanks Pothole. I think we're only picking someone up and not getting rid of anyone." Kevin laughed.
"As long as y'all keep it down." Pothole said and then left the bus so that he could get a coffee.