Page 51 of Omega Rock

“We will.” Aiden gives Wes a clap on the back. “Thank you again, Wes. For all of this.”

Wes smiles sheepishly. “You guys are doing all the hard work. I just made some phone calls. Remember that you’re not a replacement band, you’re the real deal and deserve to be there. And don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

Mia moves to give Wes a big hug which I’m not sure he appreciates. Still, he laughs. Mia says, “We won’t. Talk soon, Wes!”

We say our goodbyes to our manager and board the bus. It opens up into a kitchenette situation including a four-seater table. Beyond that is a narrow space with couches on either side, a fridge, and then a toilet and sink opposite a shower. The next section holds six bunk beds total, very narrow sleeping quarters, and then opens up to the back of a bus with a u-shaped sectional couch that has fold-out cushions to make into one large bed. It’s not very typical, I don’t think, but Wes understands.

We leave Mia to set up her nest there, which she does, adorning the bed with blankets and pillows, and the walls with band posters, string lights, and strips of black fabric with more lights sewn throughout. By the time she’s finished, it’s homey and looks cozier than I could ever imagine a tour bus being.

Leo and Aiden fold in behind me. They’ve spent the time tucking away all of our gear, snacks, drinks, and toiletries as well as claiming bunk beds.

“Wow,” Leo exclaims. “This looks great, Mia.”

“For real,” Aiden adds.

It doesn’t really encompass the sight very fully, though. Especially not when Mia dives into the middle of her nest and, with a smirk on her face, asks, “Anyone want to help break the nest in?”

Truly, it becomes a race to get to her first.

Today we’ll focus the pack again. From tomorrow onward, we’re Exit Fate on tour. The focus begins.

Until then, my focus is a very specific pleasure spot on Mia’s neck that makes her moan my name like a prayer.

ChapterFifteen

MIA

Today is the day.Like,theday. Our first show set at Knotty Tour, our biggest debut as a band with a fully original set list.

We pulled into the tour bus lot late last night and didn’t have time or desire much to mingle with the other bands. Aiden is understandably not wanting to risk a run-in with anyone from Designation Outsider this early on. How they even got a replacement lead singer and guitarist while Knotty Tour is ongoing is anyone’s guess. They’re also joining the tour at about the same time. I saw online people were wondering if Aiden was going to play with them as well as Exit Fate.

Sorry to disappoint, I think as I do one last check in the only full-length mirror on our tour bus. I’m wearing black shorts and an Exit Fate band t-shirt we printed on our own. Wes managed to get a limited run very, very quickly of merch for our merch tent, to be manned by someone Wes hired last minute. That merch mainly consisted of this exact t-shirt, a muscle tank-top, and some stickers.

It’s meager in comparison to what even the smallest of the other bands has to offer, but at least it’s something. Wes is doing his best, so we have to meet him and do our portion, too.

Which means stepping out in front of the largest crowd I’ve ever played and presenting up to 15,000 people our new, as yet unheard music.

The guys pile into and out of the shower one by one. Eventually we make our way out of the tour bus and across the parking lot to the venue itself. This stop is set for the weekend at a site that has a large amphitheater that’s partially covered with a huge lawn seat area, but scattered across the rest of the grounds and a larger parking lot are three other stages.

The amphitheater stage is the largest, but we won’t be playing there. Instead, they’ve set Exit Fate up on one of the medium stages out in the blaring-hot sun. We head there through the backstage space, out of sight of the crowd which we can hear over the high fence separating us. Our road crew has already transported our gear over first thing this morning, so there’s nothing for us to do but hang out backstage until 3 p.m.

Other bands pass in and out of the space, but not Designation Outsider. Still, plenty of those musicians clearly know Leo and Aiden, who introduce us to them in turn. Everyone’s so nice and chill, the atmosphere not unlike that of the party Noah brought us to.

I hate it—sort of. It makes me feel like I’m the only one stressing out about performing in front of such a large crowd. Which, yeah, I suppose after a few weeks into the tour, even the smallest and newest bands are now used to the crowds. But even Noah’s not outwardly worrying about it.

I spotted the open alcohol fridge backstage the second we got here. It’s been staring me down for the last few hours. While Leo and Aiden introduce some other Knotty Tour veterans to Noah and the group delve into conversation, I take my chance to make my way toward the fridge. It’s mostly stocked with beer, which I avoid, and find instead a set of chilled, single-serving bottles of white wine. It strikes me as an odd choice for this sort of thing, but I’m grateful for the option instead of beer.

I drink two, tossing the evidence quickly into nearby trash bins, before Noah appears beside me.

“Nervous too, then?” he asks.

I jump a little and press a hand against my chest. “Me? No.” A pause. “Well, yes. Very.”

He chuckles and then grabs a beer for himself. “I keep wanting to go find my guitar and practice, but I know it’s futile at this point.”

My brow creases. “You know these songs inside out.”

“Exactly,” he says with a tip of his beer bottle. “And so do you. We’ll do great.”

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