It would be as Mike predicted, Valerie found out after their lunch at the diner, that the bus the band Riverbend was on was irrepairable. They would have to share the bus to Pasedena, the last stop on the tour.
"This is going to be fun." Davy promised.
"Yeah right." Valerie muttered. She had been by Riverbends bus that morning and it stank of beer and stale pork rinds, an interesting and stanky smell combination.
"And how far away is Pasedena?" She asked Mike as they got back on to the bus. The one-time medium sized touring bus was now half the size with Nigels friends and equipment taking up room.
"An hour or two." Elijah answered for him. "As long as we don't stop at any bars and pubs we'll be fine."
"Speak for yourself mate. I aim to taste every brew in the country." Nigel slurred, somehow already drunk. Valerie didnt even recall if the diner they were at served alocholic drinks.
"He has a private stash somewhere." Micky informed her. "We havent found it yet."
"I hope you don't." Mike said. "One sloppy drunk is all this tour needs. Don't you get any funny ideas." Mike said. "Or any non-funny ideas in fact."
Micky pretended to pout but got the general message. He went to his seat next to Cassidy and a red haired woman she didnt know. She was on the tour a day and she only knew the names of two new people.
Luckily for Mike and Valerie they still had their section in the back of the bus, although it now also had a drum kit from the other band.
"Well this is fun." Valerie said as the bus went into motion. "I guess I was wrong." She looked at Mike who was adjusting to his seat. His long legs and the small cramped space didnt make for good sitting.
"It happens once in a while." Mike said. "If we get bored I'll tell you about our first tour bus. It was actually a cab." He said moving a cymbol out of his back. "Better."
"So this is a step up huh?" Valerie asked as they passed a number of small signs.
"Just about." Mike said. "We're doing better now. Back then we doubted whether or not we would actually stay together. So far so good."
Valerie nodded. "I guess the real test of a bands endurance is during a tour. Can you stand each other?" She looked at the other people on the bus. "I don't know half the people here."
"We ususally don't" Mike agreed. "Cassidy is sometimes spot on with her no last name rule. Would you really want to know these people after six months or weeks or even days together?" He asked. Valerie thought about it.
"Too soon to tell." Valerie said. "Will we get there in time? We had quite a pit stop."
"We will." Mike assured her. "Get some sleep. I get the feeling its going to be a long night."Valerie nodded and put her head on Mikes shoulder. She dozed off not long after that.
A few hours later
Valerie roamed around a large room. It was a big dance hall that was usually used for dances and occasionally for bingo. Apparently, from what she learned from the redhead groupy, who she now called Alicia, that Elijah had managed to convince the blue haired patrons of the building to let them have it for the evening. He also contributed twenty dollars from the take that night to the local fire fighters charity. Valerie was surprised to learn it had a small place in what she had thought was a totally tiny heart.
"My father was a fire fighter." He said. "I woulda have become one too if it wasnt for college. Like anything I was going to learn there was going to help me in the real world." He scoffed at her.
"On the contrary..." Valerie held up a finger. "...you probably went to a kegger or two or three cause you sure know how to get Nigel when hes bombed."
"Thats true." Elijah said sitting in a brown folding chair. Valerie sat down in the next chair over. They watched the people on the stage set up the instruments with Peter, oddly enough, in charge of directing traffic.
"So how did you meet Mike?" Elijah asked.
"Ooh getting in to the personal stuff awfully quickly, don't you think?" Valerie asked him.
"I think its only fair enough for me to know." Elijah looked at her. "Seems not to be your type."
"And that is?" Valerie said. "Sure isnt you."
"Are you sure?" Elijah said. "We were good for a while."
"I know." Valerie said.
"Course what happened was my fault, and Mary Sues. It takes two to tango." He admitted.
"I think you did more than tango." Valerie said. "Okay me and Mike met on the street. Long story, pretty good ending."
"Ah." Elijah said. "Classic met him on the street story."
"Yes." Valerie said. "We didnt get along at first, but that changed." She continued while wondering how far to get into her relationship with Mike with Elijah here. "We had good times and bad times. We're good now."
Elijah nodded. "After Mary Sue there was Becky. Ohh Becks." He smiled.
"Don't want to know." Valerie turned her head.
"A gentlemen never tells." Elijah sat up in his chair. He lit a Marlboro.
"So whats your excuse?"
"Ha ha." Elijah said puffing away. "There were a lot of girls. That wouldnt surprise you."
"And it doesnt."
"But I can tell whos right for who and why and I just got a feeling that you and Mike won't last." Elijah said getting up. He took off his leather jacket.
"Why do you say that?" Valerie said. "You've only seen us together a day.
"A gentleman..." He said while inhaling a mouthful of tasty looking smoke, Valerie almost gagged. Chris had smoked but quit soon before her next baby was concieved. "...never tells." He turned and walked away. "Cedric! Band meeting now! And get Nigel away from the beer bong!"
"I'm not right for Mike?" Valerie muttered. "What does he mean? Where does he get off saying that?"
Mike came over to her and sat down. He put his head on her shoulder.
"Hiya." He said. "Sorry I havent been spending a lot of time with you." He apologized.
"Thats ok." Valerie touched his head with her hand. He sat up. "I've had plenty of people to keep me company."
"Elijah? You call that company?" Mike asked as he rubbed his neck. He had a particularly stiff ride to the gig on the bus. He had slept in the weirdest position. He was sore when they got there but it was a great excuse to get a neck massage from Valerie.
"I guess he does." Valerie thought this over. "I guess we needed to talk or something. We didnt exactly break over good circumstances. Maybe I'm getting a chance to finally say good bye."
"Be careful about him." Mike warned as he stood up. "I hear a lot of talk back there about him."
"Like what?" Valerie said with an interested look in her eyes.
"Nothing to worry you about." Mike said as Valerie stood up to join him. "Its probably all backstage garbage anyway." He took her hand. "We have an hour before the gig starts. Well an hour and a half cause Riverbend is performing first. Better to get Nigel up and singing while he still lucid."
"Thats lucid? If I met him completely stone cold sober I wouldn't even believe it was him." Valerie laughed. The band had grouped at the small bar the dance hall provided. Elijah was now trying to ply his lead singer with coffee. Valerie vaguely heard something about making the coffee an "irish" coffee. After Elijah refused him, she definately heard a few words she wouldnt repeat to anyone.
"So what are you saying?" Valerie asked.
"I'm saying we don't have to play for an hour and a half." Mike said wrapping his arms around her waist. "Meaning I don't have to be here for an hour and a half, or you either." He said with his voice low. "And how are often are you in fascinating Pasedena?"
Valerie slowly smiled as she understood what he meant.
"Let's blow this pop stand." Valerie almost whispered.
"Let's." Mike nodded. He then let her go, took her hand and ran out of the building. Davy, Micky and Peter watched from on-stage.
"Where are they going?" Davy asked.
"Who knows," Micky said sitting on the stage. "but its gonna be wild."
