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Summer 2014- On The Road
Adrianna's POV
Now obviously we wrote and recorded ‘Beside You’ for our first EP almost two years ago, but words *cannot* express how pumped I am for people to finally hear the new version on the album.
Okay, well…“new” by a couple of technicalities. The production was bigger, the vocals were mixed way cleaner, and it had these very subtle orchestral elements woven underneath everything- exactly what I always heard in my head back when we first made it. My original vision, finally real and alive.
When we recorded it last summer I was very adamant in being somewhat involved in the arrangement and the production of the song like I was a little bit the first time around since that track is so incredibly special to me.
When we wrote that and I brainstormed the bridge, that was the first time I actually felt like a real songwriter. And maybe, possibly, absolutely, I cried when we heard the finished product.
*FLASHBACK, SUMMER OF 2013- LONDON*
I remember walking into the studio that first morning like a woman on a mission. The boys were loose and chaotic as usual- Luke balancing a coffee on his knee while tuning a guitar, Ashton using two pencils as drumsticks for no reason, Michael fiddling with a synth patch that made the ugliest noise known to mankind.
Meanwhile, I had a full notebook. Tabs. Color-coded sticky notes. I set it all down like I was prepping for a final exam.
Cal glanced at me and laughed. “Jesus, ‘Tiny’. We recording a song or launching a NASA mission?”
I didn’t dignify that with an answer. I waved him off, as I sat next to our producer Louis, who had produced the original version, my headphones firmly on.
“So, I had some ideas.”
“Clearly.” He joked.
We had recorded our instrumentals the day before so today we just had to arrange them and record our vocals.
I asked Louis to play the raw instrumentals together as I focused hard on each beat before we added anything to it.
I then pulled up iTunes and listened to the original version, closing my eyes and racking my brain for ways I could make all my ideas fit into the songs without making it too different from what the fans already know and love.
In my head, the bridge swelled exactly the way I wanted it to- delicate strings, a softness that built into something almost cinematic. When I opened my eyes, I huffed out some air.
“Oh good, she's back.” Mike joked.
“Let her think,” Luke said, nudging Michael with his elbow. “This song's basically her baby.”
“Exactly,” I muttered, tightening my ponytail. “A baby that’s gonna grow up and graduate and get into a good college if you all just work with me.”
Ashton laughed under his breath. Calum handed me a water bottle like I’d just run a marathon.
I grabbed it and took a swig, “Okay. I want to try something.” My voice was quiet but firm as I looked at Louis real quick. “I think we can go ahead and start laying down some vocals, um- Luke?”
He looked up, “Yeah?”
I motioned with my head towards the booth and he stood smoothing his shirt over and walking in, putting on the headphones.
“Cal, I'm gonna need you to start prepping too, okay? And,” I pressed the button on the talkback that allowed Luke to hear me through the glass, “Luke we're gonna start with the-” I abruptly turned to Louis, remembering I'm definitely not the boss here, “Can we start from the chorus?”
Louis nodded. “Alright. You want to guide Luke first?”
I took a breath and turned toward the glass. “Luke, I want this chorus to hit. Big, clear- like you’re projecting it, but don’t shout. Every word has to land. I want it to feel full, but still natural. Like a slightly better version than the original.”
Luke raised an eyebrow. “So…like epic, but not crazy?”
“Exactly. You can do it. You know exactly what I mean.” I said, “And Calum’s parts, as we know, are going to be softer- lighter, more intimate. You hit hard, he pulls back. The contrast is what makes the chorus work.”
Luke smirked. “So what your saying is, I’m the big guns”
“Don't get used to it.” Calum moved in behind me to say into the talkback system with a glare.
I watched him nail the first few takes, exactly how I’d pictured them. Clear, controlled, just enough punch to make the softer parts shine later. I jotted a few notes as Louis adjusted the levels.
My chest tightened with a mix of pride and nerves- I was practically directing the actual vocals of the band I loved, and I wasn’t even sure I had the authority to say much.
Just as Louis was rearranging some of these new vocal stems, the door opened and our other producers, John Feldman and Joel came in, late but grinning.
“Hey, fellas,” Louis said, standing to greet them. “You missed it. We just started vocals and Adie's been all running this shit today.”
John’s eyes scanned the studio, and then he landed on me. His grin widened at Louis' words, “Well won't cha’ look at that.” He said, shaking his head with a laugh. “Nice to see you jumping in the pool like this, ‘Florida’.”
I froze for a second. Me? Running shit? “What? Uh- oh, no no. I mean- I just…I have ideas but…” I said, fidgeting with my pen, cheeks heating.
“She's being modest.” Michael waved me off from the couch.
“Whatever. I already wrote down all my ideas and I'm more than ready to start group harmonies whenever.” I stood up to greet both Joel and John with a quick hug. “And I promise I'll shut up and do my best not to…you know…overstep.”
“What? What do you mean ‘overstep’? No no no, do you know how important being this involved in your own music is?” Joel said, his voice going up slightly.
“Well yeah but, I'm not gonna pretend I know what I'm doing with this whole production thing.”
“And that's why learning is important.” John ruffled my hair and walked past me, sitting down to go over the stems.
After a while, when Cal was done with at least 50% of his vocals, we ended up having to re-record some instrumental parts- namely we needed to refine some of Ashton’s drums and my keys- when finally, we could make some progress with the harmonies.
“Alright,” Louis said, swiveling slightly. “Group vocals next?”
“Yeah,” I nodded, flipping to the page of harmonies I’d scribbled out last night. “Let’s lock in the big layers while we're properly warmed up. Guys,” I motioned for them to get up with a subtle cock of my head.
Michael stretched his arms over his head. “Group vocals, baby!”
We stepped into the booth and set up, placing our headphones on our ears.
Joel adjusted the pop filter and made sure we were all an equal distance from the condenser mic. A single mic setup is usually chaos with a group like us, but it also creates this warm, glued-together sound you can’t fake with isolated vocal tracks.
“Alright,” Louis said through the talkback, “same blend as the EP version, just cleaner. Keep your chests open and don’t lean in unless you’re on a lead line- and please, for the love of god, no sudden volume jumps.”
Michael snorted, because he absolutely was the reason Louis had to say that out loud.
I shifted until my shoulder brushed Cal’s arm, making sure our breath patterns lined up. Group vocals only really sound right when everyone inhales at the same time.
“Rolling!” Louis called.
We ran the chorus again. And again. Each new take thickened the sound, turning five voices into something that felt like a whole crowd.
In the middle of it all, we filmed some Keeks, wanting to keep the fans updated on what we were doing- which was fun but also absurd, making the task at hand a bit harder since we were trying to be goofy for the video but also not laugh and ruin the takes.
After, like, the seventh pass, Ashton pushed his curls out of his face. “How many more stacks do you guys want?” He called out to our producers on the other side of the glass.
Feldy leaned back in his chair outside the booth, squinting thoughtfully at the stems on the screen.
“Well, kiddos,” He said through the talkback, tapping a pen against his teeth, “you’ve got your big takes. But now I want one that’s barely there. Think breath, not voice. Whisper-singing. Almost like…spooky choir vibes.”
Michael perked up immediately. “Spooky choir? Say less.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “He means airy, Mikey. Not creepy. Like a soft pad under the main chorus.”
“Yes, that,” Feldy pointed at me through the glass. “Adie gets it. Give me the ghost layer. Barely-there vowels, no hard consonants. Float it. It helps add to the anthem-y sound. You get it.”
The second the chorus started, Ashton lost it first- his breathy “she’s sleeps alone” sounding like a Victorian ghost begging for help. Luke snorted, which made Michael scream-laugh right into the mic, which set me off, which in turn killed Calum. Within seconds, the entire booth was vibrating with giggles instead of harmonies.
I wiped a tear from my cheek and nudged Calum with my elbow. “Okay, okay. Sorry. Let's try again, for real. No ghosts.”
He laughed. “No promises.”
After we were given the clear to step out and take five, Louis rolled back from the console, fingers flying across the keys as he soloed a few tracks, comped two lines together, then unmuted everything at once.
“Alright,” He said, exhaling, “let’s hear what we’ve built.”
The room went quiet as the last chorus played- our full-power stacks and Luke’s lead sitting crystal clear above it all. Even through the rough mix, you could hear how massive it already sounded.
Halfway through the playback, something in the second stack pulled at my ear- barely a millisecond of drift. Instinctively, I leaned forward and pointed at the waveform on the screen.
“Wait. Right there,” I said softly. “That layer came in a hair early.”
Louis paused the track, eyes widening. “How the hell did you hear that?”
Before I could answer, Joel twisted in his chair to face Louis with a strange look. “You sure she hasn’t done this before?”
I blinked. “Done what?”
“Production,” Joel said. “Arrangement. You’re weirdly natural at this, Adie. You pick up tiny things the others don’t even notice until we tell them.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks. I shrugged, embarrassed but secretly glowing. “I just…hear stuff. In my head. How it’s supposed to sound.”
Feldy just smiled and fixed the stems, before he told us to clear out for a bit and grab some lunch.
“Oh thank god,” Michael said, stuffing the last Oreo from the snack table in his mouth, “I’m starving. Like- real food starving.”
Ashton perked up. “Nando’s run?”
Calum didn’t even look up from his phone. “Yes.”
Luke pointed at the banana he was holding. “Yeah, this isn’t gonna cut it.”
Feldy waved us off, “Alright, go! But don’t take an hour! And someone bring me back peri-peri chips!”
“On it!” I called back at him.
Five minutes later, we were spilling out of the building and into the cool air, jackets half-zipped, everyone moving with that half-delirious energy of people who have been in a studio too long.
Nando’s was only a few blocks away, and once inside, we immediately fell into our usual routine as we ordered.
“Extra hot?” The guy at the counter asked Michael.
“Always,” He said proudly.
I got a butterfly chicken, which Michael gave me a nod of respect for. “Solid choice, ‘Mouse’.”
We grabbed a booth near the window- Ashton and Calum on one side, me squeezed between Luke and Michael on the other.
I was mid-bite of my butterfly chicken when my phone buzzed. I glanced down and saw a name I hadn’t seen in a while: Evan. My eyebrows shot up.
“Uh-oh,” I muttered under my breath.
“What? Who is it?” Luke leaned over, curious.
I sighed dramatically. “Just…Evan.” And just like that, they instantly started groaning.
Evan was a guy I’d hooked up with a little at some rooftop party the 1D boys dragged us to. Nothing serious, nothing wild- just a bit of making out before we both wandered off. The boys hated him on sight though. To be fair…he is kind of a douche.
“Evan? Ugh, seriously?” Luke scrunched up his nose. “Dude’s full of himself. Total fuckin’ player.”
“Gross,” Calum added, shaking his head. “And the way he talks? Always fuckin’ bragging about all the places he's been to. So pretentious.”
Ashton immediately added, “He couldn't stop staring at your boobs the entire time you were talking at that party- swear to god- and he wasn't even pretending not to be.”
Michael, still chewing, gave me a side-eye. “I’m honestly shocked you kept his number.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I said, waving them off with a grin. “Totally shitty, I get it. But I’m not actually gonna see him again. I just…like having someone to flirt with sometimes. Keeps me entertained and it's harmless.”
The guys scoffed a bit and Ashton tilted his head, smirking. “Classic, Adie. Always picking guys who are a little…mean to you, ay?”
I laughed, shaking my head. “Excuse me? I do not-”
Michael, mouth half-full of chips, interrupted defensively, “Not true! I’m mean to her all the time and she still won’t give me shit!”
I smacked his arm lightly, chuckling. “Shut the fuck up, bro.” Then I got an idea and placed my phone on the table.
“In fact, feast your eyes on how unbearably cringe he can get.” I pulled up the text thread and let them read.
“‘Can't stop thinking about having you in my arms again babygirl.’” Luke read aloud, putting on a fake husky voice, before making a face and passing the phone to Ashton.
“Oh this one's,” He perks up and bit and then shakes his head, “awful. Um,” He cleared his throat. “‘Wanna kiss you again so badddd’ Multiple D’s.” He said, explaining the drag in his delivery, “And a winky face. Christ.”
“Do I have to?” Calum groaned, but his eyes betrayed his curiosity.
“Oh, you absolutely have to,” I said, chuckling, stealing some of his chips.
“I don't wanna…” He whined but after a bit of goading he grumbled out, “‘Wanna make my day even better and send me some pics baby.’ Ugh…”
Michael pretended to gag. I just shrugged. “As you can see in my responses though, I’m humoring him but not giving him much. And if he actually thinks I’m gonna send him any pics, he’s fucked in the head.”
“I'll say.” Luke muttered, scrolling through a bit more before he handed me my phone back. “Oh! Ash, before I forget- you should post one of those Keeks we recorded.”
“Oh yeah, defo’. Good idea, breadstick.” He took the last couple of bites of the food on his plate and got to posting the video on his phone, through our band account.
Within seconds, he posted the video- us in the recording booth, belting the chorus of ‘Beside You’ while acting all fake tough and flipping off the camera like absolute idiots despite singing these lovey-dovey lyrics.
When we got back to the studio- and Feldy finished eating his peri-peri chips- we all got back to recording our individual parts and harmonies.
Recording my vocals during my solo was the worst part and the best part. I must’ve gone in for the breakdown eight- no- nine times. Every take felt too something. Too breathy, too sharp, too emotional, not emotional enough.
“Adie, it sounds great,” Luke said through the talkback, sounding genuinely impressed- and a little worried I might combust.
“No,” I insisted, shaking my head inside the booth. “Not yet. Let's go one more time.”
On the tenth take, something clicked. My voice cracked just slightly on the last line- this tiny, fragile tremble I didn’t even do on purpose. The boys froze. Nobody said anything for a few seconds. I just suddenly had seven pairs of eyes on me.
Then Michael exhaled and rushed out, pressing the talkback button and saying, “Okay, that's the one. That’s it. Don’t touch it.” He said this mostly to our producers but he clearly wanted me to hear it too.
John and Louis did a few light comps on the vocals, but everyone agreed- Michael was right…for once. That take was the one. So they saved it, labeled it, and we moved on.
The hours blurred after that. Harmonies, doubles, ad-libs, more stacks, a handful of punch-ins for Luke, two for Cal, and one for Ashton that he pretended not to be offended about. Michael nearly fell asleep on the couch at one point, drooling into a throw pillow that definitely was supposed to be there for decoration purposes only, and Ashton filmed it immediately.
By the time we’d been at it for another three hours, the sun outside had dipped low.
“Alright, guys. Let’s hear the rough cut.” Joel said, stepping away from the mixing board.
Those five words hit harder than they should have.
We all shuffled closer- Michael dragging his pillow with him like a child, Luke resting his chin on the back of my chair, Ashton kneeling on the floor by me, and Calum with his slouching in his seat, his eyes half-lidded from exhaustion.
Louis hit play.
The room filled with the opening guitar, cleaner and rounder than the EP version. Cal’s soft entrance. Luke’s lift into the chorus. The new depth in the production. The subtle strings I’d begged for. The warmth of our group vocals sitting underneath everything like a heartbeat.
Then the breakdown hit- my part.
“She sleeps alone, my heart wants to come home. I wish I was, I wish I was…”
My breath caught the second I heard that crack in my voice. That wobble. That tiny sliver of real, raw emotion. It didn’t sound weak. It didn’t sound wrong.
It sounded…so incredible.
My throat tightened instantly, and I blinked hard. Once. Twice. I tried to keep my face neutral- professional- but the second chorus swelled in, and something inside me just gave out.
A single hot tear slid right down my cheek.
Luke's hand tapped the back of my chair, “Hey now, don't you dare start crying because then I'm gonna cry and it's not gonna be pretty.”
I huffed a laugh under my breath, “M’ not crying.”
“You’re totally crying.” Michael teased- but not in a mean way.
Cal nudged him with his knee, “Lay off, mate.”
“What? It's so cute!” He protested.
Ashton reached over from the floor and gently tugged at the sleeve of my hoodie.
“C’mere,” He said softly, giving my arm a tiny shake like he expected me to just topple into him.
I laughed weakly, swiping under my eyes. “Ash-”
“Nope,” He cut in, scooting closer on his knees until his head was practically resting against my hip. “Group rule. If one of us cries during playback, the rest of us have to be annoying about it to make it stop.”
“That’s not a rule,” I said deadpan.
“It is now,” Luke said from behind me, and then he dropped his chin fully onto my shoulder, letting his whole weight slump forward so hard I had to brace myself with one hand on the armrest.
“Luke- you’re heavy,” I complained, even though I didn’t move him off.
“Shhh,” He murmured dramatically into my ear, “let me comfort you.”
They kept poking me and trying to make me laugh until I actually did, and when I finally wriggled myself out of their grasps, Feldy turned to us.
He leaned back in his chair and said, “That’s the version you’ve been hearing in your head,” he pointed at the speakers, “And that’s the version we’re putting on the album.”
“Really?” I sat up straighter and now I was fighting even harder to not full on weep with pride.
“Absolutely.” Joel responded, “we just need to polish it some more, master it, and then lock it in.”
“Woo! Alright, now can we go home?” Ash said, throwing his arms up.
“Yeah, yeah, get out of here.” John waved us off as we hollered and grabbed our things. “And go to bed early! We need you guys back here at 9AM sharp, okay?”
“Yes sir.” We all said with varying levels of enthusiasm.
__________________________
The cab Joel called for us dropped us off in front of the tiny brick house we’d been calling home for the past few weeks. It wasn’t glamorous- three bedrooms, slanted floors, a door that got a little stuck when it rained- but it was warm, familiar, lived-in in that comforting, temporary way.
Luke fumbled with the keys, half-asleep on his feet. “Ugh- why’s this door always stuck?”
“Because it hates you specifically,” Michael mumbled, lightly shoving him aside. “Move, Hemmo.”
He pushed the door open with one dramatic shoulder slam.
We spilled inside and there, standing in the middle of the living room, folding a small mountain of laundry on the couch, was Liz.
She looked up with a gentle smile. “There you are. I was wondering when you’d all wander home.”
“Muuuuuum.” Luke dropped his bag instantly and trudged toward her like a toddler returning from preschool. He wrapped his arms around her waist and dropped his forehead to rest on her shoulder. “I’m tired.”
“I figured,” She said fondly, smoothing down his hair. “You all look exhausted.”
“Gee, thanks,” Michael said dryly, kicking off his shoes without untying them.
Liz turned to me next. “Hi sweetheart.” Her smile warmed instantly. “How d'it go today?”
“Um…really good, actually.”
“Good?” Ashton scoffed as he dropped onto the loveseat like he’d been shot. “She ran the place today. Louis' words.”
“Oi, no I didn’t,” I said, tossing my hoodie onto the nearest chair.
“Yes, she did,” Luke insisted, flopping onto the couch beside his mum’s folded shirts. “Tell her what Feldy said.”
I shook my head furiously, “No.”
“Oh?” Liz raised an eyebrow, amused. “What did Feldy say?”
“That she’s basically, like, the secret producer of the band,” Calum called from the kitchen, already rummaging for leftover pizza. “Like some undercover music ninja or some shi- stuff.” He said, clearly catching himself mid-swear knowing Liz was within earshot.
Liz’s face lit up as she reached over and nudged my arm. “I’m not surprised. You’ve always had an ear for detail.”
My cheeks warmed instantly. “Aw, thanks, Liz.”
She gave me a look- the type moms give when they see right through your deflection. “You cried, didn’t you?”
I froze. Ashton died laughing. “She so totally did!”
“Oh my god-” I covered my face with both hands, on reflex. “It was one tear. One singular tear!”
“Like in a movie!” Michael yelled, now with Cal somewhere in the kitchen.
Liz just smiled knowingly and continued folding towels. “Crying at your own music isn’t a bad thing, darling. Means you care.”
“See?” Luke grabbed one of the folded shirts and smacked my arm with it. “Mum said it’s fine. Therefore you’re not allowed to be embarrassed.”
“Put that down,” Liz scolded, snatching the shirt back before he could wrinkle it. “Honestly, Luke Robert. I just washed these.”
I moved to help Liz sort the laundry, because the boys sure wouldn’t.
“You don’t have to do that,” she said, eyeing me.
“I know,” I shrugged. “But I’m choosing to be the only responsible adult in this house.”
Calum poked his head out of the kitchen with a slice of pizza. “Oi, I’m an adult.”
“You’re eating refrigerated pizza from a plate that’s been in the sink for three days,” I said with a contorted look on my face.
He paused, then sighed. “Alright, fair point.”
Liz snorted quietly behind me.
Then she leaned in a little. Quiet. Almost conspiratorial.
“You know,” She said, “I’m proud of you.”
My hands stilled mid-fold. “Me? Why?”
She nodded. “You’ve found your place with them. And it fits you more every day. You’re growing into it. I just…think you should know that.”
I didn’t even know what to say, so instead I pressed my lips together and nodded once.
“Thank you,” Was all I could manage.
She patted my arm. “Go get some rest, love. You’ve got another long day tomorrow.”
“Yeah,” I exhaled. “We really do.”
Michael groaned. “Okay, stop with the feelings. Can someone carry me to bed?”
“Yeah, no.”
“Absolutely not.”
“I’ll drag you.”
“Roll yourself.”
Every answer came at once.
Liz set the last folded shirt on the pile, hands on her hips.
“Alright, that's more than enough, it's getting late and you all need to be up by six. Bed,” She said sternly. “All of you. Now.”
“Yes ma'am.” We weakly responded.
“And Adie-”
I straightened instinctively even though she didn’t raise her voice.
“Mm?”
“Don’t stay up replaying the demo,” She said with a light tap to my cheek. “I know you. Your brain will chew on it until 4AM if you let it.”
The boys all turned to look at me.
My eyes widened in spite of me. “...I absolutely wasn’t planning to do that.”
Three simultaneous snorts.
Luke didn’t even try to hide his grin. “She absolutely was planning to do that.”
“Shut up,” I muttered, pulling at the hem of my shirt.
Then Luke went to shower first. Ashton shuffled off to brush his teeth while Mikey changed into his pajamas.
I was digging through my bag trying to find my shorts when Cal walked by shirtless with an armful of laundry. I didn’t comment, because I’d gotten used to this house’s complete disregard for modesty. I just changed, tied my hair up, and padded down the hall barefoot.
By the time I wandered into the room he shared with Mike, Cal was already on his bed, half-scrolling, half-dozing. The lamp was on and the room smelled faintly of Ashton’s eucalyptus lotion.
“Scooch over.” I mumbled, nudging his leg.
He looked up at me, blinked slowly like a sleepy dog, and shifted just enough that I could drop down next to him. I leaned my shoulder against his letting my head slip into the crook of his neck.
We were quiet for maybe twenty seconds.
Then Ashton walked by and made a noise like we were puppies in a basket.
“Ohhh, look at the little babies.”
“Don’t,” I warned.
Soon enough Luke and Michael came into the room, and as soon as the latter saw us, he gasped.
“Aw, I wanna be a part of the cuddle pile!”
I blinked at him. “Mike, there’s no-”
Michael took two running steps and launched himself.
He landed right on top of me and Cal and placed his full weight onto us.
“Oof- Mike- get- off-” I said between wheezes.
Cal groaned under both of us. “You’re actually crushing me.”
“Good,” Michael said, snuggling in closer.
Before I could even catch my breath, Luke flopped down sideways onto the pile, letting out a dramatic groan as he tried to wedge himself in by me. And untimely failing. So instead he just draped his arm over us.
Ashton, of course, refused to be left out. He dove in from the foot of the bed, landing with a soft thud and immediately sprawling over Mike’s back. “Cuddle pile rule number one,” he declared, “You do not call a cuddle pile into action without all of the participating members present.”
“The fuck is up with you and making up all these fake rules today?” I managed to grumble.
Suddenly I was in the middle of a slow-moving pile-on, surrounded by limbs and hair and tired giggles.
“This cannot be happening right now,” Cal complained.
“Oh, it’s happening,” Luke said cheerfully.
“I can’t feel my ribcage,” I added and before I squeaked, trying to maneuver without getting squished further. “You guys are insane! Just…stop moving!”
Michael laughed, burying his face into my shoulder. “Mate…I’ve never felt so warm…and so crushed at the same time.”
Eventually we settled into an easy conversation about our day, the discomfort becoming manageable.
Michael gave a happy sigh, snuggling closer. “Best cuddle pile ever.”
“Yeah well, you got five more minutes because someone's elbowing my bladder and I need to pee. And we all gotta go to bed. For real.” I told him.
He whined but they all eventually relented and moved, all of us stretching and groaning from all the pressure being relieved- except for Ashton.
Tell me why the strongest of us somehow ended up on the top of the pile? Anyway…
We said our goodnights to Cal and Mike as we left their room and I used the bathroom down the hall.
Ash's spot on the pull out sofa by the window was ready, so he just gave us both a goodnight hug as Luke and I went to our room.
“Alrighty- g’night Ads. Sweet dreams.” Luke said, rubbing my shoulder and then climbing into his bed on the opposite side of the space.
“Nighty Hemmo. Love ya.” I mumbled back before shooting my mom a quick text. We're we in the same timezone? Not exactly but our ‘good morning’ and ‘goodnight’ texts were sacred to me.
I left out one last sigh…as I popped in my earbuds and replayed the demo at least 4 times before drifting off to sleep.
Sorry Liz.
*PRESENT DAY 2014- ON THE ROAD*
So yeah. Maybe I’m a little extra about ‘Beside You.’
And could ya fuckin’ blame me?
“Adie!”
I whipped my head in the direction of my name and there stood Ashton, with his shoes in hand…oh boy.
“Yeah?” I looked at him up and down, with one of my eyebrows automatically arching.
“So, listen-”
“You need me to cover for you because you gotta go meet with a girl and you know that if you make it back to the bus late- or right before we have to go- Liz and/or anyone from management are literally going to kill you?” I pretended to ask in the most monotone voice I could muster.
“...Maybe?” He smiled guiltily.
“Ugh, Christ Fletch.” I put down my phone and huffed as I got up from my seat in the back lounge of the bus.
He shuffled a little, trying to look innocent, which only made him look more guilty. “I swear, it’s not what it looks like- I mean- well- okay, it is but, c'mon.”
I crossed my arms, leaning against the wall. “Right. Okay. Because sneaking out of the bus as it's getting dark is always…wise. And just so we’re clear- I’m covering for you because I don't want to be yelled at by our tour staff again, not helping you get your dick wet,” I added, smirking. “Big difference.”
Ashton’s grin faltered for a second, then he laughed. “Ouch. Harsh, but fair.”
“Yeah, ‘harsh but fair’ is my middle name,” I said. “And just make sure this girl isn’t an international pop sensation’s sister this time, alright?”
He groaned dramatically. “One fuckin’ time.”
“Oh, it was actually several fuckin’ times, hell, it was enough to write a damn song about-” I mumbled before sucking in a breath. “Sure, sure,” I said, waving him off. “Okay, get out. Quick, before anyone notices you’re missing. And seriously…don’t get anyone pregnant tonight, got it?” I added, smirking as I pointed a finger at him like a warning.
He laughed, holding up his hands like I’d just scolded a child. “Fine, fine! No accidental parenthood tonight, promise.”
“Good,” I said, shaking my head. “Now go before I start adding more rules to your stealth mission.”
He pulled my head in and kissed the top of it enthusiastically while I protested and he made his way out the door. “Remember to get here before six! I'll text you your alibi if Liz asks! You owe me, Irwin!” I called out after him.
“Dually noted, Garcia!”
The other boys were on the other bus, playing video games, completely oblivious to this plan for now (at least this time I only had to worry about one of them breaking the rules) and I sank back into my seat, muttering, “These goddamn boys, I swear…”
All I did to decompress though, was play that incredible demo out loud, alone in that tour bus, savoring those few moments I did get on my own as I practically fangirled over my own band's song, counting down the days ‘till it came out.