Connected: Part 4 of the On The Edge Series

After careful consideration that included slammed doors, stomping feet, and more than a few tears, Viv opted to come to the arena with everyone else, and James dutifully followed. Still, they huddled in the corner on a ratty old couch watching movies on Viv's tablet. It was pretty adorable. Jackson spent most of his time with Billy or the sound and lighting guys. I listened in for all of fifteen minutes before my eyes glazed over from boredom, but it was clear that Jackson had inherited Billy's interest in how everything around him worked. Jackson was willing to absorb anything he was told. I slunk back to Billy's dressing room to read my book.

Tess had made herself useful by taking pictures of everything except me as I refused to drop my book, but she spared few others.

"If you refuse to let me take your picture, then you can at least take some pictures," she scolded.

"I have zero knowledge of photography," I warned.

"It's on autofocus. Just point and click," Tess explained.

"I feel like that is a gross understatement," I argued.

"It is, but if you take one hundred pictures and only one is good, at least we have one. Plus, I suspect you'll get shots I won't." Her words were absent as she focused on a camera before handing it to me.

"Shots you won't?"

"Billy knows I'm armed with a camera and is already avoiding me. He won't be able to avoid you," she smirked.

"Wait, why are we taking pictures if Billy doesn't want pictures taken?"

"Oh, that's the conundrum that is your fiancé. He wants the pictures, but doesn't actually want to think of them being taken," Tess giggled.

"Yeah, that sounds like Billy."

"Come on, let's get some shots of the interview."

I thought about resisting, but I knew it'd be futile. Just before we entered the room set up for the various interviews to take place, I panicked.

"Wait, which button do I click?"

"It's the big green one." Annoyance permeated Tess' tone.

Billy was in full stage presence mode. He leaned back leisurely on the end of a couch with one of his long arms stretched out along the back of the sofa and gave answers that were more like riddles to the poor interviewer. Occasionally, an answer would amuse Billy, and he'd let out a low roll of a laugh. It made me miss his genuine laugh, higher and accented with dimples.

"This tour is coming a bit out of nowhere. It's been over a year since your last album," the interview began.

Billy just nodded, waiting for the point.

"What pushed you to tour now instead of returning to the studio?" The man finished.

"Who says I haven't been in the studio?" Billy teased.

"So, is there new material coming out soon?" Excitement filled the interviewer's voice as he flipped from professional to fanboy.

"There is always something being created; I don't share it all. I would assume you don't publish every shopping list you create, but does that make it any less successful?" Billy challenged.

I snapped a few pictures to appease Tess, but most of the time, I stared at the camera as though it entranced me so I could eavesdrop on Billy without distracting him. Still, I struggled with his analogy of a shopping list to the work he had created over the past year, but had yet to share.

"What made you decide to tour?" The interview redirected, acknowledging Billy's caustic temperament with an awkward shift in his chair.

"It felt right. Sometimes things in life push you in a direction, and the best thing to do is follow the path," Billy shot.