Since getting together, time had been flying by. Three more weeks had gone by, and there were only two more weeks left of the tour.
Kristen was up early this morning, making breakfast for Of Mice & Men.
She had spent another couple nights in their bus, so she thought it would be a good way to thank them.
She was putting everything out onto plates when Austin came out from behind the curtain that covered the bunks.
"Good morning, beautiful." He said before kissing her cheek.
"Morning." She smiled back at him.
He smiled back as he looked around at the food. "You did all this for us?"
"Yep. Even made some for the other guys. We'll take it to them after you guys finish."
"Sounds like a plan! I'll go wake everyone else up." A playful smirk curled onto Austin's lips as he turned back towards his bandmates.
"Guys, get up."
Nothing.
"Guys, we have a gig."
There was a slight mumble, but no one made an effort to move.
"Kristen made food."
Within seconds, all three of the other boys were out of their bunks and crowding the small table.
As everyone settled in and began eating, they started a small conversation.
"So I heard your band was out pretty late last night. Ever played with a hungover band before?" Alan asked Kristen. He seemed to be joking with her, but she knew there was something serious about his words.
"No. Is it that bad?"
He pursed his lips. "Let's just say, you're in for quite a day."
If only he knew.
...
"Ugh! This is terrible!" Caleb screamed, throwing his drumsticks down and walking away from his drumset.
"You can't do that, Caleb." Kristen said softly, but sternly.
"Fuck you I can't! My head is killing me! The sound of a pen dropping would make it pound and you want me to play drums?"
"I need you to play them."
Kasey and Matt were less whiny, but weren't doing much better than Caleb.
This really was a disaster.
"You guys really couldn't wait just two weeks before going out and drinking yourselves into a hole?" She snapped at them.
"Oh, please, princess. Sorry we aren't all Straight Edge like you. My fucking apologies." Caleb fought back.
She rolled her eyes. "It's not about that. We have a show tonight, I can't do it by myself and I can't do it when you guys are like this!"
"Okay, I'm done with this." Caleb darted towards the exit. "Come wake me up when she stops being a bitch or the show starts. Whichever comes first."
She let out a whimper as she looked to Kasey and Matt.
They gave each other a look before turning back to her.
"We'll be back later. Promise." Kasey told her quietly.
Austin walked onto the stage as they walked off.
"What's going on?" He asked, pulling her close to him.
She let out a nervous breath.
"Tonight is going to be trouble."
...
A few hours later, Caleb and the band returned for their set. But all were still tired and weren't feeling it tonight.
Caleb tripped up numerous times, and each time seemed to blame it on something else.
Kristen was embarrassed for all of them, but there was nothing she could do.
She apologized to the fans nonchalantly, but it angered her bandmates further.
They had disappeared after their set, but after the whole show was over, the trio showed back up.
"Why the fuck did you say that?" Caleb hissed angrily at Kristen as he watched her move around equipment.
"Because it's bullshit that they had to watch that. Even if they aren't here for us, they deserve to see an opening band that at least respects them enough to stay sober for the show."
"Oh, because they all respect us so much, right? Most of them fucking hate your guts, and you're worried about us showing them respect?"
Her stomach twisted at his words.
"Yeah, thought so."
"Quit trying to justify what you did and make me feel bad. You are the one in the wrong, not me." She tried to hold back her tears.
"No can do, princess. But I've wasted enough time here tonight. I've got better things to do." He turned to walk away.
"Drink yourself right back into a rut?" She spat sarcastically.
"Hey, that's more than you're doing. Maybe I'll get Carlile to come along. I bet he'd have more fun doing that than he would around your annoying ass."
And that was the end for her.
Because Austin came up to her immediately after.
"Kristen?"
She barely looked at him before pushing past him with tears beginning to fall down her cheeks.
He followed.
"Kristen, stop running!"
She came to an abrupt halt and slowly turned to face him.
"What?" She asked quietly.
"Why don't you just come to me? Running won't help anything."
She knew better than to be offended by that, but her emotions were running high and she wasn't sure she was in control anymore. "Because for years, I've been on my own! All I know is to run!"
"But I'm here now. You'll always have me."
"Do you know how many times you've said that to me?"
"Yes, but now you have me in a completely different way. I mean, you always did, but I just didn't know it. Now I'm fully aware that you have me by the heart. I'm not going anywhere. Ever." He didn't want them to be fighting again. He didn't want this.
"Whatever, Austin. I'm sure in a few weeks you'll get sick of me and be on to whoever else. So thank god this tour is almost over."
That hurt. "What's that supposed to mean?" He asked sharply.
"Ask again the day you end up in someone else's bed; which probably isn't far off."
"Well gee, I really fucking appreciate all the faith you have in me." Austin's voice rose with his hurt.
Kristen's eyes widened slightly as her own words began to sink in.
"Austin,"
"No, I get it. Whatever." He finished as he too turned to leave.
He hoped to God that she would stop him, but she didn't.
Both wanted nothing more than the other to turn around and tell them it was okay, but neither would be the first to break.
...
Austin went with the first idea that popped into his head.
Unfortunately, the first was also one of the most stupid he could've come up with.
Immediately after the fight, he ended up at some bar.
Five shots later, he wasn't sure if it was just the alcohol or if he really thought everything tonight was his fault.
He was barely upset anymore. More so a drunk type of numb.
The feelings were there, he could still feel them. But all the alcohol in his system was saying, "Oh, fuck it! Do whatever and worry about it later," Which seemed pretty reasonable to him.
The sixth shot was the kicker, as he took it once he saw a skimpy little blonde making her way over to him.
Everything was beginning to blur, including his thoughts.
He barely even made out her words, much less his own.
But no matter how much alcohol he had in his system, there was the smallest spark that was telling him it was a bad idea to be following this chick out to her car.
Against his better judgment, Austin went back to a hotel with the girl.
Tony watched from his and Mike's table in disbelief as Austin drove off with some random chick.
His first thought was to tell Kristen, but he remembered how bad today had been.
Not that it would help. He figured he would give her the rest of the night to not know this.
He was going to hate himself when he had to be the one to destroy her everything, but she deserved to know. So until then, he tried to focus on his own evening.
...
Tony woke up bright and early the next day, at 7AM.
Everyone had decided to get hotel rooms for the night to get a break from each other and a real bed.
Tony crossed the hall to Kristen's room slowly.
He took a breath and knocked on the door, hoping she would be asleep and wouldn't answer.
To both his dismay and relief, she did.
She stared back at him sleepily, but she had been awake watching TV.
He took another deep breath before he spoke.
"Kristen, we need to talk…"
...
Austin didn't open his eyes when he woke up.
He felt a warm, soft body against his, and he leaned into her.
He knew she would come around at some point.
Granted, he didn't remember it happening, but clearly it had.
He caressed her arm softly a few times before slowly opening his eyes.
When he did, his hand froze. As did the rest of his body.
He was face to face with someone that appeared to be some dainty blonde in the dim light.
He jumped out of the bed.
"WHAT THE FUCK!"
The girl stirred, and gave him an annoyed look. "What is your problem?"
"Who the hell are you?" He shook as he spoke.
What had he done?
She eyed him, but said nothing.
"Oh my god. Oh my god." He felt as if his heart was about to stop as he scooped up his clothes.
Kristen.
He got dressed quickly before literally running out the door.
Once outside the hotel, he realized that whoever that girl was, must have brought him here, and he had no idea at all where the bands could be. He knew they were somewhere here, because he'd heard that they were just getting hotel rooms.
But where?
Lucky for him, he didn't have to search long before he spotted the buses parked at a hotel only some feet away.
...
After rushing up to the desk, he found out what room she was in and hopped into the elevator.
He was sure it couldn't have gone any slower, but he still darted out of it the second it opened and down the hall until he reached her door.
He didn't bother knocking, and opened it on his own.
He was slightly surprised at what he saw.
She stood there with Tony, crying her eyes out.
She looked at him with a look that should've stopped his heart right there.
"Are you kidding me, Austin?" She cried. There was no anger in her voice. Only pain.
"I only said what I said because I was upset; I didn't think you'd actually cheat on me! Already…"
"Kristen, I can explain,"
"No need."
"I was so drunk. I don't remember anything,"
"Oh, because that makes it better." She looked away from him. "I knew I would never be good enough."
"No," He put his hands on her shoulders. "You are enough, you're more than enough. You're perfect. I don't deserve you."
She rolled her eyes.
"Look, I can't deny that the drinking was all my fault, I should've known better. But the other part, I couldn't help. I would take it back right now if I could. You have no idea how scared I was waking up next to someone else."
She sighed. "Look, just don't. You should go."
His own tears made their way to his cheeks.
His voice broke as he spoke. "Is… is this it, for us? Already?"
"I don't know."
His heart fell. He nodded to her, respecting her decision.
He knew he deserved this. There was no way around that.
He walked out into the hallway and tried to start looking for Alan's room, but he was too out of it to think about anything else.
Everything he'd waited years for was finally his, and he threw it all away for booze and cheap sex.
Waiting on her choice was going to tear him apart, but he knew that he deserved it.
This time, everything was on him.