LP's POV

"Alan! Get your butt down here!" I yelled. I had a meeting to go to in ten minutes and they were playing in twenty! Alan sheepishly hopped out of his bunk, holding his hands behind his back. My clipboard with the list of things to do, people to meet, items to acquire was tucked under my arm. My hair was drawn out in a ponytail and I was adorned with an OM&M shirt with jeans. Alan, only towering an inch above me, grinned down to me, still waiting for something.

"Alan, what do you have there?" I asked him kindly. His ginger hair bobbed up and down in anticipation, but he said nothing.

When I signed on to be their manager, I didn't expect to be in charge of four boys in men's bodies plus a ginger princess.

But that was all apart of the fun and excitement.

"Here." He held out a small object, dropping it into my hands. It was the old toy horse, the one with the broken leg that got hot glued two or three times. The old memories rushed back to me.

"It's the broken horse." I murmured, very astonished at how he remembered this. He pulled me into a tight hug after I set the horse on the counter by my other pile of papers.

"Do you remember when you used to beg me to play horsies?" He asked. I rolled my eyes.

"How could I forget! I remember when I was in the hospital, and I was trying to walk, and you kept telling me that the viewing room had green carpet that would make a good pasture for the horses." I thought back to the not so fond memories. That was when I was shot, but of course, Alan was by my side the entire time.

Tino, Phil, and Aaron were already getting set up. Alan and I walked down to the stage, chatting away about the fond memories. I figured Austin and Rae were close by. They normally were.

I was twenty one now, or actually I was turning twenty one today. Alan, Tino, and Phil were taking me out drinking tonight. As a manger, they wanted to bring me into the initiation. It was only two years ago when their old manager retired and I was quickly hired. I had finished school early with my degree in music and business.

"Are you ready to play today, guys?" I asked the four of them. They grinned and nodded. Aaron handed me a Monster, the drink of choice, and I took a swig. The meeting was in the hall way in a building behind the stage.

"Are you ready to go drinking, LP?" Tino joked. No matter how old Tino got, he was always ready to joke around and drink. I grinned and nodded. A popular bar was around here somewhere, and apparently Phil had already scouted out the location. Alan stood next to me, playing with my ponytail like a young child.

"Aren't you supposed to be setting up?" I teased him. He pouted and flipped my ponytail again.

"I already tuned." He pouted. Phil and Tino whistled from across the stage.

"Flirt!" Aaron cupped his palm around his mouth and "quietly" whispered that to Alan. He stuck his tongue out, but blushed deeply. I laughed lightly. Seriously, he was like a big brother to me, and he was fifteen years older than me.

A piece of something white hit my head and got stuck in my hair. Two pieces of the mysterious object hit Alan in the face.

"What the-?" He blinked before reaching up.

"Popcorn?" I asked before turning to the guys.

"Okay, who threw this?" He called. Everyone looked up from their instruments and shook their head. Aaron, always hungry, looked up and stared at him.

"Mmm...Popcorn." He murmured. I looked up, but no one else was around. Austin and Rae weren't trying to chuck popcorn at us either. I shrugged and ate one that stuck to Alan's ginger hair. He ruffled mine affectionately as I waved him off and went to the meeting.

This popcorn was actually pretty good, if a little buttery.

Notes

Okay guys! We're down to the LAST TWO CHAPTERS!

One epilogue for Stryke, and a special one for Mom.

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