36 days by Katerina Rose (books you need to read .txt) 📕

The bus parked at our first stop. This was the real deal, 36 days had made it to the big time, and though It wasn’t always easy I was so excited to have this chance with my band mates.

I walked through the bus, it was 5 am. I was too wired to sleep any longer. I put my jeans on and a hoodie and grabbed my headphones; I decided I’d go for a run. Shake what nerves I could get rid of.

My bed was in the back of the bus. As I walked forward I passed my band mates on their bunks. Levi the young drummer, little blonde and naïve, but the killer green eyes girls from everywhere flocked to see. I loved him and I protected him like he was my own little brother. Freshly 21, he was the one I was convinced would keep me young on this tour. Though I was only 2 years older I felt like there was a bigger gap between us. Above him was Kat, bombshell brunette, our bass player, one of my best friends, 22 years old and single as hell. She loved to flirt with everything and she was half the reason our name reached such great levels of stardom. The other side was Daniel, dirty blonde, blue eyes that could pierce right through you, and one of my best friends. We’d been friends since middle school, and he was the one to hand me a guitar to begin with. He was my lead guitarist and most of the inspiration for this band came from him.

I passed through the hall and entered the common area. Our manager Alex laid asleep in paper work, his laptop still turned on in front of him. A picture of his beautiful wife Leah and her very pregnant belly was his desktop picture. I know he missed her a lot, and I felt bad for dragging him on this tour every single day. He’ll tell you it was his idea but in reality I know he needs the money but he’d rather be home with his wife, and who could blame him. He seemed to have the perfect life back home. He was only 27 and he seemed to have everything figured out. I considered him a mentor and more like an older brother, he was usually the only one to talk any sense into me.

I pulled my hood up over my head and put my headphones in as I exited the bus.

The sweet Tennessee air welcomed me and I started walking; I walked up towards the auditorium, thinking it probably wouldn’t’ be open at this hour but much to my surprise when I pulled on the door it unlatched and I went in.

I started wondering the halls listening to paramore, their music seemed to have great insight into my own life so I often used their lyrics as inspiration to keep going.

I made around the corner to the main auditorium doors and walked in. The lights were on but dim, you could just see the stage lit up. From all the way at the back it seemed like an eternity to get up there. I started walking.

When I made it to the stage I Pulled myself up onto it and sat in the middle of it looking around and taking it all in. I felt very small at that moment, I couldn’t believe we had made it here after waiting so long for our big break. This was intense.

I laid on my back and looked up at the ceiling. I pulled my hand up in front of my face, the ring that was on my finger now sparkled more than ever, I wasn’t sure which was more intense, the impending marriage to my highschool sweetheart Jason back home, or this magnificent view of this auditorium?

I laid my hand down and I closed my eyes for a moment to take in this moment. When I opened my eyes Daniel’s blue eyes sparkled up over me.

“Can I join you?” he asked.

I pulled my headphones out of my ears “Yes why are you up this early?”

“I heard you leave the bus” He sat down next to me.

I popped up on my elbows and looked up at him “I’m sorry I woke you”

“I just wanted to make sure you were okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, I just needed to remember this, you know? Took us so long to get here---“

“yeah I know what you mean, seems surreal” he said getting up and grabbing one of the acoustic guitars behind him. Sitting back down next to me he started strumming. “its hard to believe in a few hours this place will be jammed with people waiting to hear you sing”

“—Hear Us play” I corrected him.

He rolled his eyes “You always did sell yourself short”

“This band isn’t about me”

“No but you keep it together”

“How you figure?”

“you’re the reason I’m here” He smiled

“Being a dictator doesn’t exactly qualify me as a good band leader” I returned the smile.

“Your not a dictator Cass”

“I think levi thinks I am” I rolled my eyes and laid back down on my back.

“He’s young and stupid” he laughed. “kat too” he added,

“And we’re not?”

“Well, You’re not, you’re a lyric genius, with a passion for music like I’ve never seen, I don’t know why you don’t realize what an asset you are”

He put down the guitar and lay down next to me. Propping himself up on his side with his arm.

“And why exactly are you here if you’re stupid?” I smiled

“I’m a follower” he laughed.

I laughed.

“And I would of ----missed-----you” he said and faded off.

I looked at him “You would of missed me?” I asked

“Would you have missed me?” he questioned.

“Well yeah you’re my best friend; I couldn’t do this without you”

“Friend” he sighed.

He sat up and pulled his hands around his knees. “Friend huh” he repeated

I sat up “Yes, aren’t we friends?”

“Is that all we are?” he looked at me, very sincere.

“Daniel---“

“Cassie I know you feel this too, I can’t be the only one ---“

I looked down at my hand; I realized I hadn’t had a chance to tell him with the craziness of trying to get this tour together. This was the first spare min Daniel and I had together since Jason had popped the question last night before we started on this tour.
Daniel glanced down to see the ring. He picked up my hand. “He asked you” He said, trying to sound supportive but he sounded more defeated than anything.

“I assume this means yes” he put my hand back down. I didn’t look up at him, I couldn’t say anything.

“When were you going to tell me?” he asked.

“When we had a min alone together” I finally looked up at him.

A moment of silence between us, and before I could say anything else I felt his lips pressed to mine.

My first reaction was to ----kiss back. My heart pounded, I felt his hand slip around my waist, and my hand slipped around his neck to pull him closer. I lay down on my back and he was up over me. His lips were soft, and his cologne was intoxicating. My heart wouldn’t stop pounding, and everything in my head was telling me to stop but my heart was telling me to keep going.

His right hand stayed grounded next to my head, but his left hand slipped up under my hoodie and tank top and his finger tips felt electric. I lifted up and felt my conscious kick in as he started to take my hoodie off. I pushed his hands down and pulled away.

“Cassie---“

Everything in my head was telling me to run back to the bus, but my heart was calling for him. I grabbed his hand and stood up. I pulled him off stage and we went back into the hallways

“Where are we going?”

“shhh, I don’t want to think right now” I whispered.

We ran down the hallway until we stumbled into the first room we could find with a couch.
I pulled him inside turned around and locked the door and turned back around to face him.

“Cassie are you sure you----“

I pulled him towards me and our lips locked once again.

My heart pounded as he pulled my hoodie off, I could feel his heart beating hard thorough his chest, I knew he had been waiting for me as long as I had been waiting for him. I didn’t know why in this one moment I had chosen to give into every feeling in my body rather than listen to my head but at the moment I didn’t care. He pulled me down onto the couch and I pulled his shirt off. The necklace I had given him, a lucky horse shoe was the only thing on his bare chest now, and I was intoxicated by the scent of his skin and the feeling of his hands on my body. My tank top slipped off and he kissed my neck as he laid me back. I stretched my legs out onto the full extent of the couch and he laid over me. I felt every inch of his skin pulling at mine and I couldn’t get close enough fast enough.
I had no sense of time, I had no sense of reality in these moments, his kiss was the only thing I was craving, and it was a long time in coming. I had kept him at arm’s length for too long, my body couldn’t take the pressure anymore.

He unbuttoned my jeans and was at my lower stomach, kissing and working his way down. I laid my head back and let my passion flood my senses in that moment.

“Cassie???” ----“Daniel!?.....—Anyone??”

Daniel stopped, and I couldn’t move. Suddenly reality sank in and we both realized what was going on.

“Cassandra? – I thought she came in here about an hour ago?” I heard Alex outside in the hallway.

Daniel jumped up and flipped the light off.

I jumped up and started searching for my shirt and hoodie in the dark.

The door handle rattled and we both stood in terror at the thought of being caught in this scandalous position.

Alex gave up on unlocking the door and wondered off down the hallway, still calling our names.

We waited a few mins and Daniel flipped the lights back on. He was stil shirtless, the top of his jeans pushed down to show the V I had been waiting years to see. His body was intoxicating, something even Channing Tatum would envy. He walked towards the couch and grabbed his shirt off the couch, slipping it back over his head, I realized I hadn’t moved in a few mins.

“---Cass?” he whispered.

I realized