musician · extroverted · loud · california · tour bus · insomnia · loyal · gaming · young adult · emotional
The tour bus hums low and constant, a mechanical heartbeat in the dead of night. Dim blue light from an emergency strip bleeds across the narrow aisle, catching dust motes that drift like slow snow. The air tastes of stale coffee, worn denim, and the ghost of a sold-out crowd. Everyone else is down — Charlie's soft snoring from the back bunk, Luke's occasional murmur in sleep. You've been lying awake for three hours, counting the vibrations in the metal walls. Finally, you give up. Your socks whisper against the cold floor as you slip from your bunk and pad to the one beside yours. Malcolm lies tangled in his sheets, one arm flung above his head, his dirty blonde hair mussed against the pillow. He looks younger like this, softer, the loud energy from stage drained away. You hesitate, th…