Page 72 of Half Notes and Highlights
They didn’t have time for small talk because they needed to make room for the next band. Security whisked them away before the guys even had a chance to catch their breath or come down from the high of the performance. They were full of big smiles and talking among themselves as they all headed back the way they came.
A large group of fans were pressed against the barricades that bordered the catwalk, but unlike the craziness of the fans when Wolf Pack left an arena, it was pretty chill in the desert. No one pushed or screamed. They simply called to their favorite band member and said how much they enjoyed the show. So, the guys stopped to sign a few autographs.
“Tyler!” someone shouted.
“Me?” Surprised, Tyler looked into the crowd, wondering if he knew someone behind the barricades. He didn’t see anyone at first, then a guy pushed his way to the railing.
“Tyler Kennedy!” the guy shouted again.
“Hi.” Tyler didn’t recognize the guy but was happy to meet a friendly fan.
“I got something for you.”
Flattered and smiling, Tyler approached the railing.
“Wait!” Security shouted a half second before the guy behind the railing yelled, “Get lost, twink!” and something was thrown in Tyler’s face that blinded him with color.
People were yelling. Some were laughing. Ethan was cursing. Security was trying to pull Tyler along, but he was rooted inplace. Wiping his face and eyes, he was finally able to focus and looked down at the glaring reflection of colorful lights covering his body. A soft chuckle rose up from his throat which quickly morphed into a full-blown incredulous laugh. “You glitter bombed me?” He threw his head up to the sky and laughed heartily. “That’s priceless!” He rotated his outstretched arms, so the glitter sparkled in the sunlight. “I look fabulous! I’m shimmering! Where’s that shoe thrower from St. Louis?” He looked into the crowd for effect, knowing that the shoe thrower most likely wasn’t among them, and held up his sparkly arms. “This is the way to get someone’s attention! Not throwing a stupid thrift store shoe!” He gave the glitter bomber a huge smile. “Thank you, glitter guy!”
“Are you alright?” Ethan asked, as security literally pushed them away from the railing and into the waiting car.
“I’m fabulous!”
“No, you’re not,” Ethan snapped. “Someone threw glitter all over you. That’s fucked up. You could have been blinded.”
“Oh, please.” Tyler fluffed the length of his long hair and a spray of red, silver, and blue glitter fell into his lap like colorful sprinkles. “I feel like an ice cream sundae.”
Wolf let out a loud laugh, while Harris and Marshall just stared at Tyler with wide eyes.
“It’s not funny,” Ethan scolded.
“It is!” Tyler insisted. “Someone give me a mirror.” He wanted to see what his face looked like. “I’ve glitter bombed myself plenty of times. Not usually this much,” he shook his arms. “But I’ve done it. I went to a Halloween party as a sparkly unicorn once.”
The last remark made Ethan smile, and his anger at the incident disappeared. “I can’t believe you sometimes. How do you laugh this stuff off so easily?”
Tyler’s expression and voice turned completely serious. “I’ll never get mad at glitter. It’s way too pretty.”
“You’re too pretty. Especially with different color sparkles all over your face.”
Wolf handed Tyler a mirror. “You know that’s never going to wash off.”
“Why would I wash it off.” Tyler looked at his reflection in the mirror. “I’m gorgeous.”
Once they got back to the RV, Tyler shook out his hair and clothes as best he could. A huge circle of glitter brightened the drab sand at his feet, but he was still covered in the stuff. Not only was he covered in glitter, but the static-cling effect ensured that everyone had at least some of the sparkly stuff all over them. Ethan had it the worst, with his entire left side a glittery mess.
“I need to shower.” Tyler wiped his face but couldn’t tell if it did anything because glitter was stuck to his hands. He washed his hair twice and scrubbed his face, but it would probably be at least a few days before he was glitter free. But he was fine with that.
By the time he rejoined the guys outside, the sun had already set and everyone was sitting in a circle around the firepit, and Tyler joined them.
“Feel better?” Ethan asked.
“Infinitely. But this stuff is stuck to me like glue, and I have glitter in places it should never be.”
“We don’t need the fire,” Marshall joked. “The reflection of the moon off Tyler’s hair can light up the whole desert!”
Tyler looked down at the beautiful way his hair shimmered. “I think it’s a good look on me. Don’t you?”
Ethan raked his eyes over the length of Tyler’s hair and touched it softly. “It’s like little fireflies framing your face.”
