Jane’s phone began to vibrate under her, and she quickly hit snooze without a second thought. After rolling over, her blurry eyes saw Rob lying next to her on his back, his arm stretched out underneath her pillow. She gently nuzzled up to him and laid her head on his chest as her hand rested on his stomach. She missed him, which felt strange, because they had been in close quarters together for the past few days. But, they hadn’t been able to have a decent conversation, mostly because any alone time they did get, Jane wanted to do much more than talk. Her lips gently pressed into his skin, making sure not to wake him, although she wanted to. She would have to settle for the fact that they’d be alone together tonight. But if Jane had learned anything on this tour, it was that a lot could change in a day. She eventually forced herself out of the bunk, and after getting dressed in a black hoodie, jeans, and sunglasses, she brushed her teeth and left the bus to meet with Andy, who was smoking a cigarette outside of his bus with his guitar hanging off his back. It was another overcast day, and the breeze carried a chill that made Jane shiver as it passed through her clothing. The bad weather didn’t help her case of homesickness; all she could think about was longboarding on the boardwalk as the palm trees rustled around her. She had noticed the effects of not surfing and skating: her muscles were disappearing, making her almost appear a sickly type of thin, and the lack of time in the sun had caused her skin to lighten. They greeted each other, ran through the song quickly, making sure that they knew each part, and after a bit of banter back and forth, the cab arrived to take them to the radio station. “Your throat sounds better,” Andy observed as he tilted his head to face her. “Does it hurt?” “A little,” Jane accidentally whispered. “I’ll drink some warm water when we get to the station. Sorry I missed your set last night. I laid down for a nap after I left your bus and almost missed [i]mine.[/i].” Andy laughed. “Yeah, I passed out for a bit, too. That was some good clean fun, huh?” “Something like that,” Jane smirked as she nudged his arm. Words couldn’t describe how relieved Jane was that there was no awkwardness between them. Although she felt strange after, there was a comfortable familiarity to sleeping with someone without any attachment. “Well,” he started, squeezing the hand he had placed on her thigh, “whenever we’re not both fuckin’ someone else, we should do it again.” His expression showed the light-heartedness of his words, no matter how much he actually meant them. She was a sucker for forwardness, both in action and words, and as his hand continued to inch upward, she felt goosebumps begin to rise. “Jesus, Andy,” she whispered, but before she could continue, their driver made the announcement that they had arrived. [center]*****[/center] [b]Alexander]: [/b The American bands Vicarious and In Bloom had both been making a big name for themselves across the pond, and Radio One was lucky enough to get both of their vocalists this morning as they are in the beginning stages of their European tour. Guys, go ahead and introduce yourselves. [b]Jane:[/b] I’m Jane Molloy from In Bloom. [b]Andy:[/b] I’m Andy Ramirez from Vicarious. [b]Alexander:[/b] Okay, well Andy, I will start with you. Tell me a bit about where you’re from. [b]Andy:[/b] I was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. That’s where Vicarious was formed and where we live currently. [b]Alexander:[/b] And you, Jane? [b]Jane:[/b] Long Beach, California. [b]Alexander:[/b] So you both are a long way from home, yes? [b]Jane:[/b] [laughs] Yes. I’m starting to get homesick. [b]Alexander:[/b] Already? [b]Jane:[/b] Well, we’ve only been over here for a couple days, but I haven’t been home in a long time. We were touring in America before we came over here. [b]Andy:[/b] Same with Vicarious. [b]Alexander:[/b] Ah, I see, I see. Well I hope we welcome you enough over here so that you feel at home. [b]Jane:[/b] Thank you. [b]Alexander:[/b] So, one question I am dying to ask, how is it touring so closely with another band? I am sure you guys don’t have much personal space. [b]Andy:[/b] I mean, I would say that it depends on what type of person you are. Usually, I enjoy my alone time and would rather sit and work on music 99% of my day. And it’s kinda hard to do that now, so you just have to adapt. Touring in general hasn’t been easy, but I’ve made a few good friends along the way that make it easier. [b]Alexander:[/b] Are you talking about Jane over here? [laughs] [b]Andy:[/b] She is definitely someone I’ve grown closer to since we’ve been doing the circuit together. She’s low maintenance and relaxed, and we vibe really well together as both musicians and people. [b]Alexander:[/b] Any input, Jane? [b]Jane:[/b] Andy is totally awesome, super chill. It’s nice having another vocalist out here with us that I get along with so well. You never know who you’re going to be playing with, and they could end up being amazing or awful. [b]Andy:[/b] Definitely. [b]Alexander:[/b] So, Jane. Are either of your parents musicians? Did they have any impact on your taste or style? [b]Jane:[/b] Well, my mother always loved classic rock. She had this old record player in the house that was constantly spinning and would sing along so loudly that the neighbors would complain. I guess I picked up a lot of my favorite oldies from her. [b]Alexander:[/b] You talk about her in the past tense. Did she pass away? [b]Jane:[/b] Yes. Two years ago. [b]Alexander:[/b] I’m sorry to hear that. How about your father? [b]Jane:[/b] Well, my mom had a one night stand during a fight between her and her husband. I guess she went to a show and slept with the front man of some big band, and nine months later, I was born. She would never tell me what his band’s name was, or his name. I guess when she told him she was pregnant, he lost all contact with her. She always said I was better off not knowing who he was. [b]Alexander:[/b] Wow, that’s fascinating. Maybe it’s in your blood. [b]Jane:[/b] [laughs] Could be. [b]Alexander:[/b] Do you ever wish to find out who your father is? [b]Jane:[/b] Eh, not really. I’ve made it this far without him. If he was in such a big band like my mom said, then he’s probably either dead or burnt out by now. [b]Alexander:[/b] Well, who knows. Maybe with all of this exposure you’re getting, you’ll be approached by him. [laughs] [b]Jane:[/b] Oh, god. I wouldn’t even know how to react. The interviewer began to dive more into Andy’s home life, how each band was formed, and where they saw themselves in the future, and much to Jane’s approval, Alexander didn’t ask once about any personal relationships or drama that had been speculated on others news sites. For the first time during an interview, she was actually having [i]fun[/i], so much so that the hour block that was dedicated to them seemed to speed by. [b]Alexander:[/b] Before we wrap this up, do you guys have anything that’d you’d like to play for us? [b]Andy[/b]: We do. You ready, Jane? [b]Jane:[/b] Yep. [b]Alexander:[/b] Alright, everyone, this is Andy from Vicarious and Jane from In Bloom, performing…. [b]Jane:[/b] [url=https://youtu.be/jTwdGRHl5Mw]Murder Song by AURORA[/url] [b]Alexander:[/b] Ah, very nice choice. Andy began to pluck the guitar lightly, and Jane, behind her sunglasses, closed her eyes and swayed gently back and forth before coming in. [i]5, 4, 3, 2, 1 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 He holds the gun against my head[/i] Jane’s voice had always possessed a smoky tone which she remained true to with any song she covered, but because of the performance she gave the night before, it was very pronounced, especially with how quietly she was singing. [i]I close my eyes, and bang, I am dead[/i] Andy began to sing along with her on the next part, his lower harmonies meshing perfectly underneath her voice. It was impressive, honestly, since Jane was fairly certain that Andy had never heard the song before last night, but there wasn’t one hint of it. [i]I know, he knows, that he’s killing me for mercy[/i] Jane popped her eyes open for a moment and looked at him momentarily, and based on his expression, it seemed as though as he was enjoying it as much as she was. A louder, higher part was coming up, and Jane winced a bit as she forced her sore throat to hit the notes. [i]and he holds me tight[/i] Luckily, her voice only cracked slightly. [i]Oh, he did it all to spare me from the awful things in life that come, and he cries and cries[/i] Their voices matched each other’s as they lowered their volume back down to the quiet tone they had been singing in before, and after a few more lines, the song finished. [b]Alexander[/b]: That was great, guys. Thank you so much for coming in to chat with us. Vicarious and In Bloom will be playing tomorrow night in Oslo. Venue and ticket information will be on our website. [center]*****[/center] The two arrived back where the busses were parked and said their goodbyes. Jane had explained on the way that she and Rob were getting a hotel room that night so that they could get some alone time together, and Andy was surprisingly supportive, stating that he thought it’d be good for them both to get away from all the madness. “Thanks for saying that,” Jane spoke quietly. “Of course, Jane. At the end of the day, I’m still your friend.” Jane smiled faintly and nodded before kissing his cheek and heading back to the bus, which she found to be completely empty. She walked to the back to pack a bag for the hotel, throwing in a bikini, her tooth brush, and a few articles of clothing. She took out her phone to shoot a quick text to Rob. [i]Jane, 10:36 AM:[/i] [b]Hey, I’m back. Check is at 2. Maybe we can grab a bite to eat or something on the way.[/b] It was eerily silent in the bus, far too quiet for Jane to be comfortable, so she began to play [url=https://youtu.be/XSQUjWD8DSU]Killing Time in Hawaii by The Money Pit[/url] over the speakers and grabbed a joint and a beer. It was a bit early, maybe even for Jane, but with no performance tonight, who cared? Jane mumbled along to the words as the lit joint bobbed in her mouth, and her feet swiveled her body side to side as she rummaged through the cabinets for something to eat. Settling on some crackers and peanut butter, she sat down on the couch and finished her joint. For the first time since they had landed, Jane felt excited for the night ahead of her. Hopefully, Rob felt the same way. He was always so hard to read, and how he felt about her was always a mystery, but she crossed her fingers that a night with her would make any lost feelings of his return. It felt childish – to desperately want someone to love you like you love them – but it was, at this point, impossible to control. Albeit it was through physicality, Jane had no problem expressing how she felt, and hopefully Rob knew that for each time she came on to him, it wasn’t only for selfish reasons. After she put out the joint and finished her snack, she sunk back into the couch, letting herself be engulfed by the plush leather. Maybe the night could truly be the cure for all of the tension between them. But perhaps it was something incurable. Fate.