You've Got to Hide Your Love Away

It was the first hot day of the California summer, temperatures threatening to push mercury over the one hundred degree mark on every thermometer in the state. His hand reached to readjust his dark sunglasses that had slid slightly down his nose and to try to push his messy hair from his sweating face. Denim had been a poor choice in hindsight. He leaned against the part of the bus still in the shade;it may be hot outside, but the inside of the black automobile was a fucking inferno on wheels. Tilting his head back and sighing, he felt the presence of someone beside him. He turned his head just enough to see his fellow occupant, Tre, holding out a lukewarm Miller Light. He accepted the bottle and nodded his head in thanks, it was too hot for any movement more strenuous than that.

“Where the fuck are these kids?” He asked, taking a large sip from his beer bottle.

“Hell if I know. What time did we tell them?”

“Twenty minutes ago.” The voice of a third man, Mike, coming to take his place on the other side of him. “Hey man, got any more beer?” He finished hopefully.

Billie ignored the question, tilting his head back again, causing it to collide with the heavy metal of the bus again. He groaned slightly.

“Hey, I think that's them.” Tre pointed to another bus, similar to the one they were standing in front of approaching in the distance. Billie looked up curiously, examining the situation.

Within thirty seconds, the bus came to a stop about 30 feet away. Finally, their damn support act was here and they could get on the road and out of this heat.

When the door swung open a young man in his mid twenties stepped out, laughing loudly followed by a funky looking blonde, lots of tattoos and wildly styled hair who was talking avidly to the man before her. The next to emerge was another man with dark hair, swinging on his back a red head in a little black tank top and very short denim shorts. Her eyes were covered by classic mirrored aviators, catching in the light. She wrapped her dainty arms around his neck, smiling down at him when he turned to look at her. She laughed at something he said, bell-like echoes carrying over to where the three men stood.

“Oh fuck, what the hell is this?” Tre asked in shock, surveying the group approaching them. What had their manager gotten them into? A girl band? Whining, moaning, PMSing, pining for Patti Smith girl band girls.

The red head slipped off of her man's shoulders and walked ahead of the group to where Billie stood, almost sauntering. He raised his eye brows at her, wondering exactly what this girl was planning. She had balls, this funky, younger girl who should have been cowering at his presence.

She stood in front of him, whipped her aviators off with her left hand and extended her right. Her eyes were rimmed in heavy black make-up, accenting their deep green color. Her eyelashes danced on her pale skin as she blinked twice for good measure.

“Hi, I'm Ava.” And that was all. She had him there.