Burn It Down

After the breakfast mishap, Larry took Matt, Brian and I to starbucks up the way. We ordered our coffees and sat down in a corner table, the guys facing away from the door, me on the side with Larry facing all of us. Larry placed copies of papers in front of us and looked at me before beginning, “First off, I’d like to apologize in the part I played in Scott even getting on tour. I should have confirmed with you that he was your friend.”

I nodded and gave Larry a half smile, “It’s okay Larry. It was an honest mistake, I know it won’t happen again.”

“No it won’t,” Larry shook his head, “because I’m promoting you to a secondary title of hiring assistant. When we need someone on tour, you are going to help me hire them. I’ll do preliminary interviews, you will do on site interviews with a stress test of the job. If they don’t get on your good side or do a good job, they don’t get hired.” Larry pointed to this first paper. “All I need is your signature here.”

I looked at him stunned, “Larry…thank-you, but it’s un-“

“It’s not unnecessary. This was a fuck up. A Bad one that could have been a lot worse. It started with me. We’re not going to have another close call. We’re willing to tack on an extra 5 grand a tour to your salary for helping me with this,” Larry told me looking me in the eye.

My eyes got big, “Larry that’s too much. I don’t mind helping out, you don’t need to increase the pay.”

“Keep pushing, I’ll make it 10,” Larry said with a smile.

“Damn, I wish we got raises like that,” Matt whispered to Brian and I heard Brain laugh.

I glared at the boys and instantly nodded, “5 will be fine. Thank-you Larry. Where do I sign?” He pointed to the dotted line smiling at me. I rolled my eyes and signed.

“Great,” he signed below me. “Now that that’s finished. We have a couple of options about Scott. First, did anyone get pictures of the bruises?”

I shook my head, “No sir.” I looked away from him not meeting his eyes, Brian instantly reached an arm and wrapped it around my shoulders.

“How many people do we have as witnesses?” Larry asked raising an eyebrow.

“All of us have seen it except Matt,” Brian replied instantly.

Larry nodded, “Would everyone be willing to make a statement against him to press assault charges and get a protective service order?”

“Yes sir,” Matt nodded, “We’ve already discussed this.”

Larry nodded and gently rested a hand on mine, “We’ll get this taken care of as soon as possible. I know you have make up on, but if there are any bruises left; please photograph them. They should have been documented at that time, but you know that. We have enough proof. We will get him.”

I nodded wiping tears from my eyes and then took a drink of my white chocolate mocha. I swallowed and looked out the window having an awkward feeling that I was being watched. Then shook my head, not believing my eyes. No, it’s just the stress. I closed my eyes trying to rid myself of what I was seeing and decided it was just stress and focused back on Larry.

“Alright, so I’ll be back in two days time, I’ll pull our attorney into this, I’ll bring him with me, we’ll get official statements from everyone so that way the press doesn’t get involved and we can keep this as quiet as possible,” Larry smiled at us and stood checking his watch.

“Got another flight?” Matt asked him smiling.

“How’d you know?” Larry chuckled.

“You always do Larry,” Brian smiled at him and shook his hand as did Matt. I smiled as Larry pulled me into a side hug.

“Take care, behave, and keep these boys in line,” Larry smiled and kissed my forehead.

“Will do Larry,” I smiled up at him innocently, oh if only he knew how many times they got in trouble because of me.

He smiled and waved at us, grabbing his coffee then grabbed his rental car and took off. I smiled at the boys, “Guess we should have asked him for a ride back to the bus eh?” I asked giggling.

“Ah fuck,” Brian said as he put his hands in his pockets.

“Eh, it’s only about 3 blocks, we can walk, it won’t kill you Ember,” Matt chuckled at me.

“It might! Then what would you do?” I asked him giggling and kissed Brian’s cheek.

Brian leaned down, “Hop on, that way they have to go through me.” I jumped up on him after having Matt hold my coffee and I wrapped my legs around his waist, my arms around his neck as he wrapped an arm around my thigh.

“I’ll carry this over here, so you don’t accidentally burn Brian, we kinda need him for the show tonight,” Matt laughed when I reached out for my coffee.

Brian nodded, “Thanks dude, want to grab mine too?”

Matt looked around and set the cups down on the table outside and ran back in asking for a drink carrier, the girl behind the counter gave him one and he jogged back out. “Yeah, no problem.” He put all three on the drink carrier and we set off for the bus.

When we reached the bus the guys were outside waiting for us, “EMBER!!!!!!!!!!!” Jimmy ran to me and hugged me tightly after Brian set me down.

I laughed and hugged him back, “Hey Jimmy.”

“I missed you!” Jimmy said hugging me tightly.

“I missed you too Jimmy,” I smiled at him hugging him back, gently patting his back.

“I’m gonna go check my e-mail,” Matt said and I smirked looking at Brian.

“Alright, we’ll be chilling here man,” Brian called trying to keep a smile out of his voice.

Matt nodded and went inside the bus. I high fived Brian and then looked at Jimmy, “Jimmy, did you do what we talked about while we were gone?”

He saluted me, “Yes ma’am. I got all the beers disposed of and there’s apple juice and urine replaced in the bottles waiting for someone to try to drink them, so don’t drink them.” He whispered to me.

Everyone laughed and Simone looked slightly guilty, “Y’all are vicious.”

I giggled, “It’s all in good fun. We don’t mean nothing bad by it.” I told her smiling.

She nodded, “I know, but still.”

The bus door swung open immediately, “EMBER MARIE SANDERS!”

I cringed at the full usage of the name, “Yes Matthew Charles Sanders?”

“In the fucking bus, NOW!” Matt yelled and looked at Brian, “YOU TOO GATES!”

We walked in to the bus and sat at the table with Matt, “WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?” He hissed at us.

“Uhm….I don’t know a video?” I asked innocently.

“a SEX tape of you and Brian,” Matt glared at both of us.

Brian couldn’t keep a straight face and broke first, “Fuck. I’m sorry Em, it’s only a prank man. We filmed it, but you can’t see shit, we created the new e-mail and sent it to you. It’s only yours.”

Matt glared at both of us then got up and went to the fridge, taking out one of the beers and popped the top off of it and took a drink then spit it out all over the place. I laughed like a maniac at the guys came back on the bus with Simone.

“WHO THE FUCK RUINED THE BEER!?” Matt yelled groaning and Jimmy laughed manically.

“What do you mean?” Johnny asked with a smirk on his face.

“That last one tasted like piss,” Matt said and then took another one out and took a drink. “This one tastes like apple juice. What the fuck?”

Everyone started laughing, “There’s no more beer.”

Matt groaned and sat back down sighing, “You guys suck balls.”

Simone smiled and came back from the backroom and handed him a cold bottle of Budweiser that was untouched. He raised his eyebrows at her, “Go ahead. It’s safe. I promise, I stashed it.”

“Awww, you’re no fun!” Zacky teased her as Matt popped the top and took a swig then closed his eyes.

I smiled as Jason and Matt ran on the bus, “Guys, we gotta go! We got sound check, you two gotta get to the tent and set up. You guys got your set bumped up!” Jason said then grabbed a beer from the fridge and spat it out immediately, “WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT?!”

Everyone busted up laughing again, even Mattie laughed at him as M.B. took the beer from him and took a swig then did the same thing, “Who the fuck would do such a thing?!”

“That would be me,” Johnny held up his hand. “To pay back fuckhead over there for spicing up my food this morning.”

“Dude that’s just wrong,” The Berry’s shook their head as we all headed off the bus.

(THE NEXT MORNING)
****MATT’S POV***


I got up early the next morning making sure no one had heard me. I had a plan, and made sure everyone was asleep. I went to the front of the bus after hearing nothing but snores coming from every bunk. I smirked to myself and shook my head knowing that I would get bitch slapped for this at some point but knew I had to do it.

Last night we had stopped at a convenience store, most of the guys had already gone to sleep; however, I hadn’t, I had gotten out and picked up some fireworks…I knew I had one shot at this and I picked up a metal pot as well with clamps to keep the lid on. I also bought a cake pan to stick under it. I pulled all this out of the very top cabinet and looked around deciding where to put it. I needed to put it right in a spot where everyone, including Simone would hear it. I had left the back room door open, knowing she was dressed in a tank top and shorts as pajamas and I decided I would put it under my bunk. Mine was in the center of the 3 rows and on the bottom right hand side. I knew it would attract attention, I looked out the windows and saw we were stationary I knew we were stopped at the next venue.

This was the time I’d been waiting for. I needed to do it now, before someone woke up. I put 3 of the fireworks in the pot. I squirted red hair dye onto my chest and wife beater so it looked like I had gotten shot and was bleeding. Then I put the pot under my bunk with the cake pan underneath it, I moved everything else away and lit it. I clamped the lid down, knew I had about 5 seconds and I heard the pops.

God damn it worked perfectly, the pops sounded like gunfire. There were screams coming from the girls as they scrambled.

“What the fuck was that?!” The guys yelled everyone jumping out of their beds. Ember stared at me in horror the blood draining from her face, she ran towards me as I fell to my knees. I heard Simone scream out my name. All the guys looked at me like they’d seen a ghost as they ran to me.

Brian pulled out his phone as Simone and Ember tried pulling off my shirt, “What the fuck?” Everyone froze except Ember who was smearing around the hair dye.

“WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK MATTHEW!?” She screamed out at me. Her Green emerald eyes filled with tears and anger.

She started beating the shit out me and I knew this was the end of the prank wars, this would go no further. I instantly pulled her to me holding her close, “I’m so sorry Em,” I whispered.

Notes