Page 137 of Pack Me Up
Aiden’s headphones are off. He’s listening too, head tilted, fingers tapping out a rhythm on his knee.
When the final chorus hits, I feel the tension in my chest snap. For a second, nobody says anything.
Then Oli claps, hard. “That’s amazing. No, that’s fucking necessary.”
Jack whoops from the hallway. “You got a banger!”
Even Dax is grinning, which I didn’t know was possible. “It’s raw. People need to hear it.”
I finally breathe. My hands are still shaking, but now it feels like adrenaline instead of panic.
Oli turns to me, eyes bright green and fierce. “Can we practice to perform it on tour? Fans will love it.”
Tommy jumps in. “See? Told you she’d get it.”
Chase comes over, slings an arm around Oli’s shoulder, and points at me and Tommy. “You three on the same mic will start a movement. Just wait.”
I laugh, giddy and maybe a little lightheaded. “I can’t believe you guys like it.”
Oli shakes her head, then hugs me again, tighter than before. “It’s not about liking it, Britt. It’s about needing it.”
She pulls back, studying my face. “You okay? You look like you just ran a marathon.”
I nod, a little embarrassed. “I was nervous. Still am.”
“You killed it,” she says, dead serious. “You’re one of us now. Don’t ever forget it.”
Tommy lifts up his mug of tea and toasts the three of us, and I toast back, not caring that my hands are shaking or that I’m probably blushing hard enough to light the room.
Aiden catches my eye and gives a small, proud nod.
We discuss arrangements, who should sing which lines, and how to refine the bridge for maximum impact. Oli’s mates all pitch in ideas, some genius, some insane. I’m dizzy with the thrill of it.
By the time for sound check, my throat is raw and my heart feels too big for my chest.
When Tommy and I finally say goodbye, Oli hugs me one last time, whispering, “You’re going to change everything, Britt. Don’t let the world tell you otherwise.”
I leave the bus floating, Tommy at my side, both of us drunk on possibility.
Colton
PHOENIX PACK SECURITY BRIEF #145
SECURITY PROTOCOL FOR BASEBALL STADIUM
June 17th
Stadiums are chaos, and I love chaos. But tonight, it’s not about the crowd or the game, it’s about Brittney.
It wasn’t hard to secure this box with a few connections and Brittney’s name.
We enter through a secure side entrance with Saint and Fox trailing behind us, securing our backs.
I’m glad I waited until things were safer for her because this requires being out in public. If Cody can do it, then so can I.
I keep my palm at the small of her back, a point of contact and a warning for anyone dumb enough to get close to us. The air’s thick with beer, fried food, and the humidity of forty thousand people all screaming at once. We cut through the concourse, and even though it’s private up here, I catch at least three cell phones snapping pictures.
“Is it always this loud?” Brittney says, half-shouting over the announcer talking before the game.
