Carmen:

It was a six hour drive to get to Glasgow. We piled into the van Bondy had borrowed from his brother to get there. Martin had offered the guys a plane ride there, but they'd passed it up so we could all take this road trip instead.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Van muttered into my ear when the girls and I didn't bother objecting Bondy driving the van. "He's pure"-

Bondy slammed on the brakes and we all hurtled forward. I grabbed onto Van's knee to hold on, and he brought an arm around me to keep me in my seat.

"Christ!"

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I followed Van's lead and stared out the window the whole time during the trip, halfheartedly joining in on the conversations building up around us. I was stuck in the middle seat between Van and Jesse. Bob and Nicole were wedged in the back with Larry, and Benji rode shotgun with Bondy.

A few times I was sure Bondy was going to get us killed, especially when he let go of the steering wheel to light his own cigarette. "Bond"-

"I got it I got it." He assured us, slamming his hands down on the wheel and giving it a yank to adjust the car back on the road. Van and I shared a look, and then he turned to talk to Larry about some new Fifa game that was coming out.

"Nice huh?" I asked Jesse who was in between talking to Nicole and Bob and looking out the window.

"Better than I remember." She responded.

We made plenty of stops along the way, but Bondy insisted on driving the entire time. Sometimes Jesse, Nicole, and I would shoot panicked looks at each other, glaring at the guys when they made fun of us right after. "Just cause you're used to it." I muttered to Van.

"Yeah well if I had to get used to it now you have to." He pretended to pout, then pushed me against him. I huddled in close to him, listening to the laughter break out behind us but shutting it out for a second as I immersed myself in Van's warmth.

Something in his pocket vibrated. He took out his phone and opened it. I looked away, trying not to snoop. My eyes strayed, I couldn't help it. Something about the gig they were playing tonight. We were barely going to make it on time.

"Didn't you have to have soundcheck?" I asked quietly.

"We'll just get tuned up, no worries." He assured me quickly.

"We're here." Bondy sang out in a high pitched voice, and the car seemed to accelerate as we passed the sign. I inhaled sharply and glared at Van's grin.

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Everything seemed to pass in a blur of directions and introductions as soon as we got there. We didn't even have time to check into where we were staying for the night, and as we pulled into the gated area far from the audience, I could still make out the line of people waiting.

"Right." Bondy shut off the engine and we all piled out. Two people were already heading our way, and Larry disappeared with them to get all the instruments set up.

"Have fun. Throw your top at me onstage, if you're in the mood for it." Van teased as they began to separate from us.

"Shut up." I played with the pass hanging around my neck and watched them jog towards the stage. We would be at the side of the stage while they performed, but since that was still in a bit, Nicole suggested we grab some drinks.

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Van:

"Glasgow, you're incredible." I leaned into the microphone, licking my lips and looking out into the crowd. They yelled back at me, and as I glanced to the side of the stage, I saw Carmen and shut my eyes, grinning. "This is a little song I wrote for somebody way back when, and even now, Christ she knows she drives me mad. This song is called Business."

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"You were amazing, incredible." I leaned against her as we walked, the streetlights casting our shadows on the sidewalk. She grabbed my hand and we trailed behind the others, who were talking loudly in front of us.

"Yeah?" I asked her, enjoying the way her mouth curled up and her eyes stayed on mine.

"Yeah."

"Drinks to celebrate!" Bondy called ahead, pointing to some pub on the corner of the street. We followed him blindly, and soon enough we were sitting around some tiny round table and I was holding a glass of whiskey while Carmen played with her glass and everyone else started playing some drinking game.

"Let's play Never Have I Ever!" Nicole put her glass down and grinned at each of us.

"I haven't played that since I was in school." Bondy spoke up.

"Me too, how do you play it?" Bob smiled at Nicole. The lad was duped up for sure.

"Let's play." Carmen laughed, a new burst of energy coming over her.

"Alright, I'll say something first. Never have I ever, made out with a stranger."

I grew hot suddenly, because everyone was just laughing and no one was drinking. "Come on Bondy, you"-

"I've never made out with a complete stranger. Least I know their name first. What about you Van?" I knew he knew that I had made out with some girls while I hadn't been with Carmen. Christ, I hadn't even gotten their names. I took a quick drink, trying not to see Carmen's reaction.

"Never have I ever,"" Carmen spoke up suddenly, "stolen cash from someone."

"My mom when I was ten." Nicole laughed, taking a drink.

"Never have I ever," Bondy bit his lip while thinking, "had a girl tickle my bum while another one rubs my cheeks."

"Bond you're so fucking weird." Jesse laughed. "Seriously."

"Never have I ever broken anyone's heart." Bob said quietly. We all got awkwardly silent. I looked down at my palms, cursing Bob. But then again, it's not like I had to drink any I think.

"Another one Bob, lighten up mate." Benji spoke up suddenly. "Here I'll go. Never have I ever ditched a bad date."

"Ooh well then." Nicole and Jesse both laughed and took a drink. Carmen took a small drink and I was kinda dyin to know the story behind that. Carmen would never seem the type to do that.

"Never have I ever made out with a girl." Jesse laughed. The guys all took drinks. I suddenly thought of Larry, these types of games were right up his alley. Too bad he'd had something to go to already with his girl.

"Your turn Van." Carmen nudged me.

I licked my lips, studying the half filled glass. "Uh, never have I ever. Christ, uh....never have I ever burnt myself while trying to light a fag."

"One time..." Bondy mumbled, taking a shot.

The game kept going on, our glasses never empty for long. I started thinking everything was funny, and pretty soon we were all laughing at everything.

"Never have I ever....soiled myself while waiting for a gig."

"Christ!" Benji took a drink and everyone burst into that kind of laughter that only builds up more and more. I was wiping tears from my eyes after a bit.

"Never have I ever....uh, had sex with someone named Stephanie." Nicole shrugged her shoulders, laughing.

"Oh hoh, Vanny boy this is all you. Wasn't that the name of that one girl..." Bondy leaned forward, tapping at his temple.

"Bondy." I laughed uneasily. Carmen looked at us both with no expression, her smile faded since Bondy had said my name.

"Come on come on." Bondy always went on a tangent when he was drunk, but I knew who he was talking about. His memory was never affected by his drinking. "Down in Chicago, that interviewer. We said she had a nice bum and well"-

"Bondy!" I said louder, slamming my hand on the table. I was partly sobered up now because of the adrenaline of discomfort. I looked at Carmen. She didn't look at me.

"Uh, alright, I'm tired lads. Ladies, should we head back?" Benji slid off his stool, rubbing his eyes. He took a step forward and stumbled. Good thing this was a short walk back to the guest house we were staying in. It wouldn't be much trouble, and we were a large group anyway.

But I wanted to stay behind with Carmen for a bit more. I know she hadn't had as much as everyone else, and even though I was on the edge of buzzed it didn't mean I wouldn't enjoy having her to myself. And by the way she'd grown silent after these couple of questions, I could tell I had some explaining to do.

"How about you lads head back, with Nicole and Jesse. Carmen babe, there's something I want to show you."

"That's code for shagging in the bushes." Bondy said loudly, bringing his arm around Benji. Bob and the girls trailed behind them and they walked outside the pub.

"Let's go for a walk no?" I slid off my seat and offered a hand. But she slid off on her own and waited for me to lead. We walked outside. "Nice night." I said absentmindedly.

"What did you wanna talk about?" She said suddenly.

"Well uh, about the game, you have to understand, we weren't together. I was just killing time"-

"Reading books is killing time. Listening to your favorite record is killing time. Sex, is not just that." She said rather sharply. She took a breath and wrapped her arms around herself. It must've been a little past midnight at the earliest.

"I know. I didn't word that right." I laughed nervously. "But come on, why bring it up now? Everything's done, everything's over. It's just you and me." I let the silence skip between us, rubbing my eyes. "Now come on, let's head back. I know you want to go to bed with me already."

She rolled her eyes, and suddenly I was heaving her onto my arms. "Van, what are you doing!" She exclaimed as I carried her down the darkened street. "Van, you're going to drop me!" She said, the laughter still dancing around in her voice.

"It's just a short drop, I mean walk." I teased. I could already see the house. I threw the door open and carried her over the threshold, settling her down before the owners of the house could see us. It was like an inn, but more intimate. Far as I knew, we were the only guests they had for the night.

She began to walk up the stairs and I followed her. She had the room key, and we tossed our jackets off and laid down on the bed. Carmen wrapped her arms around herself, closing her eyes. "I loved Glasgow." She said slowly.

"I liked it a lot, but I think you just made me fall in love with it." I whispered.

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Carmen:

All too soon, three weeks had flown by and we were already heading back to London. The shows had been huge and loud and everything I'd known Van had wanted since I met him in one of the tiny bar shows he'd been starting off with. I saw the way he looked at the crowds, and the way he got caught up in the music, and it was hypnotic. In the middle of one of the sets he'd even slid off his guitar and thrown it in the air, almost hitting Bob.

And it had been incredible and amazing and I don't think I'd ever forget this trip in particular. Days filled with music and shows and nights when we could be tourists, moving around without having the spotlight of daylight on us.

Van had been acting off in the last couple of days though. Not just him, the other guys too. Even Larry was a little more thoughtful, and sometimes when me and the girls walked into the room or back from the bathroom at some pub, they'd break away as if they were having some heated discussion.

Maybe it had just been some talk about a performance or the album they were working on. That was all.

We got back to the flat in the middle of the night, but we were too wired from coffee we'd had earlier. At least I was. Van had only had tea yet he seemed to be even more energetic than I was.

But we all went to our separate rooms, and as I laid down on Van's bed and heard him rustling around, I sat up and watched him.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked without looking at me.

"You, like always."

"Ha." He said, straightening up and looking at me. "Just how I like it."

I rolled my eyes, and made room as he moved into the bed. I laid my head down on his chest and felt his fingers dig into my hair. When I glanced at him his eyes were fixed onto the window in front of us, his expression set in a frown of conversation.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked then.

"Just uh...label issues." He said with a sigh.

"Oh. Like what?"

"Rick called me up on Tuesday and told me that our sound for this new album is too...different. The man wants to scrap everything we've been working on."

"But he can't do that. That's not even legal. Besides, you have a contract with them to release more albums."

"Creative direction is unfortunately to some extent a power for the company. But I dunno, I really want this album to keep going the way it is." He responded. "It's a very important album for me, cause it has some songs I wrote way back when. And these new ones that I just can't let go of."

"Well then you have to fight for it."

"And risk losing this contract?" He asked suddenly.

"Well then what do you want?" I asked. "Because if you can't have both then you have to choose what matters the most."

"I dunno. I don't want to talk about it anymore. Let's just go to sleep, please." He reached a hand for the lamp and turned it off. I sighed quietly and turned away.

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Van:

I woke up before Carmen and left the bed, moving outside to the kitchen. The guys were way gone, Bondy's snores deafening.

While I waited for the kettle I thought about what I'd talked to Carmen about last night. It didn't let me sleep for a bit, just like it hadn't let me these past few days. I wanted this album to work out, but then I was also afraid of what Rich would say. And he was our boss. Martin was a cool manager but he didn't really care about what way we wanted our music to go, so long as we kept playing and getting more rep for the company. Cause Rich was his boss too.

It was either go with the album and risk this riff with the company that might result in them kicking us out of the label or have it their way and release some album with our names attached and not much else.

And the songs I wanted for the album. They might be crossing boundaries, maybe even in my personal life. But that was the thing, I only felt right when the words were on the page and they'd come from everything I was feeling.

I snapped out of it when the kettle shrieked, and turned it off quickly. I was craving a fag, but if I opened the door to the balcony the guys would be awake and then the arguing would start. Even if Carmen and her friends didn't notice, that's all we'd done for the last couple of days. Argue about what to do.

I dropped the teabag in my mug and stood there in the kitchen, thinking about how close yet far away everything seemed. Rich was downright against the album, he said the lyrics were too "whiny" and our sound was a step away from who we'd established ourselves. I couldn't even fathom how he'd gotten that.

"I'm telling you. It won't sell. You lads did a bangin job with the last one, but do you want your first to be your last? Because that's how it'll be with this one. And I won't put the label's name on it." I remembered his exact words, and rubbed my temple. Christ.