I walked out of the bathroom sluggishly. I peered through the bus and found it empty. They were doing their set. I went to get a bottle of water from the fridge and looked through some magazines in the front lounge.
It’s been a week since what happened and I’ve mostly stayed in my bunk or risked the front lounge when most people are out. I think Jaime is avoiding me. The only person who is actually talking to me is Tony. I think Mike wants to talk to me but is scared to. As for Vic he hasn’t said a word to me. I can tell just by looking him in the eye that he’s pissed. He just wants me gone now.
I heard the door open and quickly dropped my magazine. I rushed to get up but before I could get back to my bunk Vic walked in with Austin. I sighed and rushed away. I heard Vic laugh bitterly.
“Hey, Lyssa,” Austin said and I reluctantly turned around.
“Hi Austin,” I muttered.
“How’re you? I haven’t seen you around,”
“I’ve been here,”
“Forget it, she’s not worth it,” Vic spat. I looked down and scratched my neck furiously.
“Sorry,” I breathed. I saw Austin look at me sadly.
“I’ll see you later, man,” Austin said to Vic.
“Cool. I’m going to catering anyway,” Vic said and I saw them leave. I sat down on the couch with my water and tucked my knees up to my chest. A tear rolled down my cheek. I wiped it away and laughed softly.
“Stupid bitch,” I breathed. “It’s your own fault. Whore,” I said to myself. Then my cell started ringing. I didn’t recognise the number but answered it. “Hello?” I asked softly.
“Is this Alyssa?” a familiar voice asked.
“Is that you Austin?”
“Yeah, it’s me,” he replied.
“What did you want? I know Alan has probably spoken to you. But I’m not doing that anymore,”
“I’m not phoning for sex, Lyssa,” he laughed.
“Oh, sorry. Then what?”
“I want to see you. Are you free now?”
“I don’t know,”
“Please,”
“Is Alan with you?”
“No, the bus is empty,”
“Okay, give me ten minutes,” I said and hung up. I went over to my case and got some clothes out. I went in the bathroom and changed my shorts and vest for skinny jeans and band shirt. I put on some vans and walked off of the bus. Since what happened I don’t want to wear shorts or low cut shirts anymore. It doesn’t feel right.
I got to Of Mice and Men’s bus and knocked the door. Austin opened it and let me in. I followed him into the back lounge and he sat. I sat down and looked away from him.
“You okay?” Austin asked.
“I’m fine,” I shrugged.
“You’re not,” he replied simply.
“How did you guess?” I teased. “Was it the lack of skin on show or the fact I have no make up on?”
“Neither. Your eyes look dead, Lyssa,”
“Oh,” I muttered.
“But speaking of the lack of skin. How come?”
“I don’t want people thinking I’m a whore. I mean it’s a bit late, everyone knows what a dirty skank Alyssa Fuentes is,” I spat.
“You’re not,” he breathed. I looked up at him and smiled.
“Thanks, Austin,”
“I want you to know that I don’t think you’re a whore. And that if you want to talk you can talk to me. I know what it’s like for people to not really like you,”
“Okay,” I said but my voice broke. I raised a hand to my mouth and sobbed. Austin rushed over and wrapped an arm around me. I leant against him and buried my face in his chest. “I’m sorry,” I gasped as I cried.
“Don’t be stupid,” he laughed and stoked my hair. “Do you want to tell me what really happened?” he asked once I had calmed down.
“And you’ll believe me?” I asked and looked at him.
“No girl will sleep with however many guys because she has nothing better to do. You were hurting right?” he asked and I nodded. “I get fans come up to me everyday and tell me stories. Everyone of them has done something to take away the pain. Some have cut, some have taken drugs or drank themselves into a coma. You just slept around,”
“I went through a lot of pain a few years ago and it’s the only thing that makes me feel loved,”
“I love you and I don’t want to sleep with you, as pretty as you are,” Austin smiled.
“You know when I first came on tour I wanted to sleep around. I’m being forced to go to England because even my own parents don’t want me,”
“I didn’t have that good of a relationship with my dad when I was younger,”
“But you know I stopped. It was because I really liked Jaime. I knew he liked me. But when he rejected me I went back to being a whore. Then I kind of started dating him and when everyone found us I was happy. I was normal,” I explained.
“That makes more sense than what everyone is saying. Do you still like Jaime?”
“I really like him. But nothing will happen because of Vic. Who isn’t speaking to me, which is making Mike not talk to me,”
“You’re hurting so much right now,” Austin whispered and kissed me on the head. “And Vic is doubling your pain,”
“Don’t blame him. I deserve it, it isn’t Vic’s fault. He just gets like that,” I shrugged.
“You don’t deserve it. And even now you’re sticking up for your brother. You love him even though he’s being a asshole towards you,” Austin said and I smiled a little.
“So, am I crazy or just a whore?” I teased.
“Neither. I think you have a lot of issues you need to deal with very soon,” he explained and squeezed me.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“No problem. I’m here,” he promised.
“For another week,”
“You have my cell. And we will get you out of that bus,”
“I hope so,” I muttered and hugged him tighter.

Notes

Hey! I got pressured into writing this by Simone a.k.a. youretheonewhoshotme. I made her guess things about my story for fifteen minutes first though :p what did you think of this? What about Austin? What will happen with Alyssa and Jaime? What about Vic and Mike? :)