Disclaimer: See prologue chapter
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Chapter 42
Storm Delay
"Albuquerque, why would any one name a place Albuquerque?" Jason mused as he looked out of the window of the bus at the state capital of New Mexico. "It's such a weird name!"
"If I ever invent a time machine, Jason, I'll send you back in time just so that you can ask the town fathers." Nate replied as he looked up from his guitar. "All I'm hoping is that no-one has the urge to burst out into High School Musical songs."
"We're not in a musical, Nate," Mitchie responded as she looked up from her song book where she had been writing. "We just burst out into random anything."
Nate turned his head on one side and considered what she had just said. "You may be right about that, Mitchie."
"It happens on occasion," Mitchie replied as she leant back against Shane's back. He was also scribbling away in his own song book as they sat back to back in their chair, legs over each arm swinging to only a tune they could hear.
"And we continue to be shocked by it." Caitlyn added from where she was working on her laptop.
"Consider yourself hit," Mitchie murmured absently as she moved so that she could lay her head on Shane's shoulder and look at him upside down. "Hello there pop star, you're quiet."
"It happens." Shane turned his head and kissed the tip of her nose. "How are you today?"
Mitchie sighed, and he turned so that her head slipped off his shoulder and across his lap, resting where his legs had just been. "I've been thinking…"
"Should we be worried?" He asked as he took her book then dropped it with his to the floor. "Mitchie…?"
"I don't know Shane, I just have this strange feeling that even if Cait is right, there's something more going on we don't know about." Mitchie shrugged. "It doesn't help that my head hurts, it feels like a storm is moving in and you know how I feel about them."
Almost without realising that he was doing so, Shane adjusted their position again so that Mitchie was leaning against him, her head on his shoulder and his arms wrapped around her slender frame. Holding her head there, hand stroking her hair, Shane looked up at Nate.
"Turn the television on, and check the weather." His tone was sharp. "Caitlyn, you're online, check there too."
"I'll get your meds, Mitch." Jason jumped to his feet, bent down and kissed his sister on the head before shooting into the kitchen. He returned carrying familiar looking medication even as Nate and Caitlyn turned from the television and laptop respectively.
"Our personal weather vane is right. There is a storm moving in," Nate frowned, "But they don't know when it is likely to hit us."
"Same here," Caitlyn, for the first time since they had met, actually shut her precious laptop with a heavy thump. "And isn't the concert here out side."
Nate picked up his phone and pressed a button, putting it on loudspeaker. "Rich, have you seen the weather?"
"It shouldn't be anything to worry about. The concert's tonight. The storm isn't likely to hit until tomorrow."
"Mitch," Nate turned to look at her just in time to catch a wince of pain. "Richard, our personal weather vane says otherwise."
"In what way," Megan suddenly asked. "Is her head hurting, have you taken anything Mitchie?"
"Yes to both." Jason replied for his sister as she buried her head against Shane.
"Look, I see what can be done when we get to the arena, I'm not sure but I think they have a roof that can be moved over." They could hear the sound of something being checked. "You have sound check in an hour, Mitch, do you think you can still perform tonight."
Mitchie sighed, "Yes, Richard."
"Mitchie…" Shane ran his hand down the side of her face. "Love, if you're not well, you don't have to, you know that."
"I can do it, Shane, I promise." Mitchie buried her face against him.
"I'll see you at the arena then." Richard broke the call.
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The storm that everyone (except those closest to Mitchie) had predicted would not hit Albuquerque until the following day hit the city during the middle of the opening act's sound check.
And it had taken just one flash of lightening for Mitchie to leave her chair where she had been listening in the empty auditorium to jump into her brother's arms, trembling.
Jason immediately wrapped his arms around her, helping her hide her head against him. "And just how long is this likely to last." He yelled so that he could be heard, the thunder was so loud.
"A while, we just have to hope power doesn't get cut." One of the Albuquerque auditorium staff yelled back as he went past them.
"Great, this is just great." He lifted his sister into his arms and started towards backstage. "Hold on little sister, let's see if the dressing rooms are as sound proof as they said."
Jason rushed as fast as he could to the back stage, almost diving into the dressing rooms that they had been given. As the door slammed shut behind them, he found himself sighing in relief as some of the storm's intensity was also blocked out as well.
Seconds later, he found himself relieved of his sister as Shane took Mitchie from him and carried her over to a chair, sitting down with her in his lap. Mitchie immediately wrapped her arms around him, hiding her head against him, continuing to tremble at the smallest sound of the storm.
Shane lowered his head to her's, humming to her to keep her calm as around them the lights suddenly flickered on and off, making them all gasp.
With a sigh, Jason sank down into a chair and leant his head back; allowing Shane to do what he did best.
Nate jumped up onto the counter. "So…?"
"Bad, very bad," Jason turned to look at him. "Red River Rock was actually practicing what is supposed to be the loudest song in their set and you can barely hear it over the thunder.
The lights flickered again, as the door opened suddenly and Caitlyn slipped in. "I take it you've heard the thunder."
Mitchie actually came out of hiding to glare at her. "It's kind of hard to miss, Cait."
Caitlyn scrunched her nose. "Yeah, well, it's getting worse. The only reason we have lights is because the arena has a back-up generator. We're to all stay in here where they can find us. Rob's orders, he's standing guard outside."
She joined Nate on the counter, sitting closest to him that she had since the tour had started.
"Something tells me we're not going to be performing tonight." Shane drew Mitchie back so that her head rested on his shoulder again, running his hand up and down her arm as she continued to tremble with each rumble of thunder that still managed to reach them.
"Do you know what's really weird about all this thunder," Caitlyn mused as she leant back on her hands. "I took a quick look outside before I came down, and there's no rain."
"Either way, we're stuck up a river with no paddle." Nate replied as he folded his arms.
Before anyone else could respond, the door opened again and this time, Richard came in. "Good, I was hoping you were all here."
"What's happening?" Jason asked as he sat up, smoothing his hair down again.
"There's still a chance that the storm could die down in the next couple of hours so that we can go ahead with tonight's show but, and it's a big but, with the power being down the way it is, we're waiting to hear from the powers that be whether it would be advisable to do so."
"If it's that big of a problem, perhaps we should just go straight ahead now and cancel, that way there's time to get the news out to the fans coming to the show tonight." Nate replied, looking round the room and getting nods of agreement from the others, "Safety first, Rich."
"I would ask if that came from all of you but I saw the nods." Richard sighed and pulled out his Blackberry. "What about tickets?"
"Honour them for a show elsewhere on the tour or arrange to come back here at the tour for a rearranged date." Jason responded, making Richard jump. "The label can cover any that want refunds."
"How can you…" At Jason's knowing look, Richard shook his head. "I keep forgetting you two are the bosses."
"Not hard to do." Mitchie replied, as she tightened her hold on Shane's hand as a particularly loud crack of thunder permeated the room. "I do it all the time."
Richard rolled his eyes. "You should have enough in here to keep you occupied, this may be the safest place until we get the area cleared, and then Rob will take you back to the buses."
"Sir yes sir." The five of them responded, grinning at each other before another rumble of thunder had Mitchie hiding against Shane again.
"Wise assess!" Richard mumbled under his breath as grinning, he walked away.
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Well, there had to be at least one cancelled concert, I just had to get it out of the way
Now on to one of the more emotional and heart rending and yes, the plot emerging, points of the story
We're heading towards Arizona, people and we all know who live in Arizona don't we ;0p
I may even use it to resolve the Jaitlyn, Naitlyn debate too!!!!!!! ;0p
As always looking forward to seeing what you have to say
