She's Just Echo

The next few weeks of the tour passed with an odd discomfort hanging over Ashley and I. Sure, he stuck up for me, but he was Ashley, arrogant, obnoxious, annoying Ashley. I didn’t understand his reasoning and I didn’t want to so I just ignored him, but too often I found him staring at me when he thought I wasn’t looking. Of course I wasn’t looking, but he had a gaze that you could feel, it was just that intense.

We decided to have a party to signal the end of Warped Tour, well, the end of the summer Warped Tour. We still had concerts and everything but we couldn’t have the party sooner to when we left because of the concerts. That was all we had decided to do was the summer, then we were going home and would meet up after Christmas and hang out until New Year’s where we’d go clubbing together. Today was also going to be the reveal of my big secret.
Last week I had Ashley take me to the tattoo parlor and mad him hold my hand while I go a tattoo up my rib cage. It was music notes and stars and it hurt like hell. Ashley laughed at me the entire time. My plan was to reveal it tonight because we were going to the beach for a bonfire and then we’d go swimming and everything like that. So when I got ready I put a bathing suit on under my shorts and band shirt.

Juliet and I walked down the beach towards where the guys where throwing wood and brush to start the fire, other people we didn’t know were coming too, I guess the boys had opened this to fans and everything too. “Hey! Look who’s here!” Andy yelled running up to us so he could kiss Juliet. I made a face and walked towards the fire they’d just started.

“Impressive.”

“Yeah, now, let’s go swimming.” CC said, bouncing up and down before pulling his shirt off.
“I wanted to show you guys something first.” I told them. They looked at me weirdly.
“Ashley and I went out last week and I got something.”
“What’d you get?” Andy asked, a bit more worried. “Not a baby, right?”

“No Andy, did not get a baby.” I told him, pulling my shirt off (Bathing suit underneath, remember?).

“You got a tattoo?” CC sputtered. I grinned at him.

“You gotta get a BVB one next!” Jinxx chimed in.

“Then the whole gang would have one!” Jake cheered.

“I’m not in the band.” I told them.

“You sell merch, you help Andy with lyrics, you sing with him, you are part of the band.” Jake told me. I grinned at him.

“It’s settled then! We’ll go get it with her tomorrow before the concert.” Andy announced.
“I have work tomorrow.”

“And we’re your bosses!” Andy shouted. “You’re getting the tattoo tomorrow.”

“Alright, fine.”

“Now let’s go Echo!” CC whined, working on his belt and throwing his jeans with his shirt, leaving him in his black swim trunks. I pulled off my shorts, leaving my bag and my clothing with Juliet as CC threw me over his shoulder and ran towards the water.

“Put me down!” I screamed.

“Put you down?”

“Put me down!”

“Fine.” And the bastard threw me into the water.

“Christian Coma Mora! You rat bastard!” I sputtered when I’d surfaced.

Ashley then jumped into the water screaming something about how he’d save me, making everyone else laugh, and soon enough I was over Ashley’s shoulder and he was carrying me back to the beach.

Two hours and five beers later I was feeling on top of the world. “Oh, Ashley, did I ever tell you how much I love you?” I slurred, holding my beer tightly and stumbling over to Ashley.

“Alright, Echo, it’s time for you to go to bed.” He laughed.

“Are you going to come to bed with me?”

“You’re drunk and you’d regret it in the morning.” Was all he said before he put my arm around his shoulders, took my beer from me, and put an arm around my waist, helping me back to the tour bus.

After he made me eat a piece of bread and drink a glass of water with Advil he had me put on my pajamas. I’d gotten stuck with a bra so I just ditched it, and put on my pajama pants and t-shirt. He tucked me in and after my constant pleas crawled into bed with me after putting on his own pajamas. His arm slid around me and I automatically curled up against his chest. Sure, I was drunk, but this felt really nice. I felt my eyelids get heavy but I made him sing to me anyways.

I open my lungs dear,
I sing this song at funerals, no rush.
These lyrics heard a thousand times, just plush.
A baby boy you've held so tightly, this pain it visits almost nightly.
Missing hotel beds, I feel your touch.

I will await dear,
A patience of eternity, my crush.
A universal still, no rust.
No dust will ever grow on this frame,
One million years and I will say your name.
I love you more than I can ever scream.

We booked our flight those years ago,
I said I love you as I left you.
Regrets still haunt my hollow head,
I promised you that I will see you again.

Again.
Again.

I sit here and smile dear.
I smile because I think of you and I blush.
These bleeding hollow dials, this fuss.
A fuss is made of miles and travels when roadways are but stones and gravel.
A bleeding heart can conquer every grudge.

We booked our flight those years ago,
You said you loved me as you left me.
Regrets still haunt your saddened head but I promised you that I will see you.

We booked our flight those years ago,
I said I loved you as I left you.
Regrets no longer in my head,
But I promised you and now I'm home again, again, again
I'm home again,
again, again.
I am home again.

And just like that I fell asleep to cuddled up to Ashley Purdy, the most annoying guy in the world, and his beautiful smooth voice singing me The Mortician’s Daughter.

The next morning I woke up in Ashley’s arms, mine around his waist and my face buried in the crook of his neck. I sprang up, doing a clothing check. I barely remembered the previous night. “Ashley!” I hissed, slapping his arm.

“What the hell?”

“What happened last night?!”

“We didn’t sleep together, if that’s what you’re thinking. It’s four in the morning, go back to sleep.” He held out his arms and I hesitantly crawled into them. Sure I hated him, but he was being oddly nice.

I was going to take what I could get.

Notes

Have some Echley!
Let me know what you think.