Bea & the Broken Record

Roger opened the door for us to exit his office ten minutes after we entered. We talked about what days we'd play, about how much money we'd make, and the smaller details. It made me so excited for the upcoming weeks.

"Bye, guys. Can't wait to hear Ablaze play next time!" Roger exclaimed as we passed him. The guy was definitely the laughing type which made him easier to get along with. But this was only one side of him. I've heard he could be a douche at times.

We said our thanks and made our way up to where we left our instruments. I grabbed my PSR guitar and placed it in its case. Bea was standing beside me in a matter of minutes.

"So, where to next?" She asked as she rocked back on her heels. I looked up and smiled.

"It's a surprise," was all I said before we packed all our stuff up and began the drive back to the barn. It was going to be dark, which would be perfect.

We all climbed into the van and Brody turned the radio up slightly. He had a smile on his face that seemed permanent and it made me so happy to see him like that - we don't get too many happy moments in our lives. Quentin had already stuck his headphones in his ears and was staring out the windshield by the time we drove out of the parking lot. It made me mad the way he was acting and I hoped Bea didn't notice his coldness to her.

Grayson and Ben passed out as soon as we got in. That was good, though, so when we got back we could do what we always do after good shows.

"So, can I ask you something?" Bea asked quietly. I was suddenly very aware of how close she was to me. She was almost whispering in my ear.

"Shoot," I said as I sat lower in my seat so she didn't have to lean up to talk to me.

"Why does Quentin not like me?" She asked. I sighed and ran a hand over my face. Of course she noticed. I looked at her and saw she was staring at me with confused eyes.

"Honestly, I don't know. He's been kind of bitter to everyone though. Don't worry about it," I reassured her. I could tell she wasn't fully convinced but what else was I going tell her? Quentin doesn't like you because he thinks you're fake. Yeah, that would build her self-esteem.

"Okay," she mumbled and snuggled farther down into the seat, resting her head on my arm. I watched her get comfortable and before I knew it, I fell asleep.

When we reached the barn I was just waking up. Bea was sleeping soundlessly on my arm and everyone else apart from Brody were sleeping. I moved slightly and that moved Bea's head, making her eyes flutter open. She rubbed them before sitting up and looking at me. A sleepy smile formed on her face and she looked out the window beside her.

"Where are we?" She asked. Her voice was sweetly scratchy, like a little kids.

"We're at the barn," I told her quietly. Brody had already gotten out of the van and was walking over to the passenger side to shake Quentin awake. Her face fell slightly.

"Barn?" She asked. I chuckled then and unbuckled my seatbelt, opening the door to step out.

"Yeah, it's where we live. But don't worry, it's a lot nicer than a real barn," I joked and helped her out of the van. I yelled at Ben and Grayson to get them awake and they grumbled and griped at me for yelling. It got a giggle out of Bea, so I didn't care.

"Here, I'll show you inside before we have to go," I told her, taking her hand. The moon was the only thing lighting out way to the barn doors.

"So you live in a barn, huh?" Bea asked as we walked through the doors. I flipped the lights on, revealing our messy living room, kitchen, and dining room. I wished that we would've cleaned up at least a little bit; maybe thrown away a few pizza boxes and taken the dirty clothes to the washing machine.