Chapter 11: Take Them Down
7 shows and two weeks later, the band was in route to Alabama for their next show. It was midafternoon and everyone was getting antsy being trapped on the bus. Cooper was on a business call in the back of the bus. Qaasim, Thomas, David, and Luke were playing Call of Duty on the front TV while Alex lay on from the opposite couch, playing around on his iPad, with his head rested in Kristina's lap, who was half asleep. Rosalina was sitting at the table, coloring in a coloring book, while Nat sat across from her, humming and scribbling down lyrics in his notebook.
"Holy crap, that's a lot of girls!" Alex said without looking up from his iPad.
"What are you even doing on that thing anyway Al?" Kristina groggily asked, rubbing her sleepy eyes.
"Looking at all the pictures girls put up on my website last night." Alex said.
"You have a website?" David asked, not taking his attention away from the TV screen.
"Of course, ." Alex proudly said. The gang all busted out in laughter. "Hey! It's not funny; it's totally going to work."
"Okay Alex, how does this website work?" Rosalina asked in between laughs, trying to show support.
"Well, I put every city we have a show at on this interactive map thing. And girls can post their own profile and on their profile, it shows stuff about them, kind of like a dating profile, only better! Because I wrote all the questions. And then all the girls can post what shows they're going to. Then, they will get a text blast when we're in their city so they know where I'll be doing my meet and greet mixer." Alex explained. "Then at the mixer, I walk around and mingle, take pictures with the girls, you know, look for someone to stick out. Then the girls can post pictures from the night that we took together so that I can see them later. By the end of the summer, I will narrow it down and bring my soul mate with me as my date to the album release party."
"So did you find anyone that stands out yet?" Qaasim asked.
"A couple girls, I don't know. I don't want to get my hopes up, I've got a month and a half left of this and I'm loving it!" Alex said with a smirk, focusing his attention back on his website.
"Guys guess what!" Cooper half yelled, barging in from the back room.
"What's up Coop?" Nat asked, looking up from his notebook.
"People Magazine just called me; they want to do a cover story on State of Grace!" Cooper exclaimed.
"Uhh…what about us Coop?" Thomas asked, obviously irritated. "You're OUR manager!"
"Yeah I know, but this is a huge break for the girls and an even bigger break for me!" Cooper said. "I gotta get back there, I'm getting another call."
"Okay, what the heck!" Alex said when Cooper went in the other room.
"Those girls are ruining everything for us." Rosalina groaned. "Taking our manager, taking our food, taking our boy…other stuff."
"Alright I didn't agree with you guys at first but now I'm totally on board." Nat told the band.
"Heck yes Nathaniel! Okay me and the boys will put a plan in motion." Thomas said. "It's time to take State of Grace down!"
