Love And Other Drugs

The asphalt sizzled beneath her boot clad feet and Luxe held a hand up to her eyes as she looked around the parking lot. It was the middle of the day-lunch time-and people were moving about, heading to the catering tent or to their stages. It was July and Warped Tour was in full swing. The tour was on the East Coast, North Carolina to be exact, and the bands were all beginning to feel the strain. The Dolls were doing okay, at least in regards to getting on stage and playing their hearts out.

But there had been a few slip ups and that was mostly due to the types of people the girls had around them. Mads had slipped more than anyone-Luxe had caught her a few times slipping sips of something out of a bottle in her bunk, but the blonde singer kept mum. Luxe had been doing a good job of keeping her nose clean, but it wasn’t without some stress and some tears. Warped was a stressful thing-playing every day, doing signings every day and while it was like a normal tour the fact was that the girls were around one another 24/7.

On tour they’d had access to hotel rooms, coffee shops and bars where they could split up and get some private time. Now they were surrounded by all things Warped and there was nowhere to go. It was too hot, especially in the middle of summer, to walk around all day and the girls couldn’t hang out in the catering tent all day long. A lot of Luxe’s time was spent with Andy on the BVB bus, but lately that place was getting to be a bit much for her sobriety.

The thing was that the guys in BVB were slipping in to a depressive and angry state. There was so much bickering and in fighting that any time Luxe hoped to spend with Andy was spent comforting him or calming him down. Ash and Andy especially were fighting and a lot of it had to do with Ash’s current drinking binge. He and CC had decided that they were going to party it up-the two single guys in the band that had nothing to lose. Well, Andy was technically single, but he and Luxe had drifted back towards being together in a more than friendly way.

Luxe smiled to herself, her grey eyes makeup free as they scanned over the lot, the shade from their open air tent giving her enough protection, but it was still scorching. She was looking around, taking it all in and counting her lucky stars that they had actually made it to this point. There had been a time where the Dolls had been deemed doomed-damaged goods. They had come up from the pits of hell, resurrecting in to this new and improved band that had a new EP come out-which had rocketed to number ten on the charts.

They had returned-the Dolls were back-at least that’s what all of the articles and reviews said. It made Luxe angry because really they hadn’t gone anywhere. Sure, they had experimented with their sound, failed and delved in to a deep world of drugs and self loathing…but they were better now.

They were stronger as a band and as individuals and nothing could stop them. Luxe heaved a sigh as she noticed a few people coming her way and she smirked once she recognized them. Andy, Ashley, Char and Pixie were coming towards the tent she was under, all of them covered in a sheen of sweat.


“What’s going on Luxey-poo?” Char asked, smiling as she walked towards her best friend. Luxe was standing under their open air tent, her short legs looking tan against her ripped black shorts. Her dark grey crop top showed off her toned stomach and Char could tell Luxe was still feeling good.

“Just watching…” Luxe smiled at them, taking the group in as they approached. Char and Pixie were dressed in a similar fashion as herself, crop tops, shorts and boots. While Andy looked sexy in a cut to pieces Misfits shirts and skinny jeans and Ash…well he was shirtless and stumbling around.

“Whatcha watching?” Andy asked as he joined her in the shade and looked down at her through his white Ray Bans. It was strange seeing him like this-tanned with dark blonde hair instead of his pale pallor and pitch hair. But for some reason it looked good on him-he looked healthy.

“People. Trying to get off the bus for a bit.” She explained and Andy only nodded. He understood her completely and that had been his mission as well, except the person he was getting away from had fucking followed him.


Ashley and Andy had been at one another’s throats since the second week of tour when Andy began doing his separate signings at the AP Tent. It was all because he had been on the cover of the special Warped edition of AP magazine and was therefore obligated to sign every few days. This infuriated Ashley, who saw it as Andy’s ego getting in the way instead of a circumstance that no one was in control of except for AP.

Also add to the fact that the guys weren’t happy with their newest record-of course they would never say anything to the press, but it hadn’t been anyone’s idea except for Andy’s to do a concept record and movie.

Andy was passionate, everyone knew that, but his passion sometimes turned in to dictating and the guys were feeling resentful. They all kept it to themselves anyways-besides Ashley when he was drinking. Jinxx and Jake were always quiet, knowing that it was better to just follow after Andy than to start a huge blow out. CC brushed it off with a joke, feeling like it would be better to laugh off his feelings than to face them head on. The group all stood around, watching as tech guys walked by carrying equipment for Sleeping With Sirens. Andy smirked as their red haired and feisty manager went trailing behind them, screaming in to her phone as her green eyes scanned the crowd.


“Where are the other girls?” Char asked, nodding her head towards the bus and Luxe only smirked.

“Oh Lulu is off…fucking her boyfriend I’m sure and Mads is…well, she’s passed out I think.” Luxe said and Char only groaned. Mads was falling off the wagon-hard.

“Lulu has a boyfriend?” Andy asked and Luxe only laughed as she nodded her head. Andy followed her gaze and recognized two people instantly. Lulu, all light blue hair and giggles, was holding hands with their sound tech Danny. The couple were strolling across the lot, heading for the catering tent.

“That’s new…” Andy said making both Char and Luxe chuckle. Pixie, however, did not look pleased and Ashley seemed to take notice.

“Someone looks jealoussss…” Ashley slurred from his seat on top of their cooler and Luxe turned, shooting him a serious glare. Pixie looked crushed and Luxe knew it was because in a way she was jealous-Pixie and Lulu were best friends.

“Shut it Ash…” Luxe said quickly and then yelped as she felt someone smack her across her ass. She was standing in front of Ashley, so it had to of been him.

“Or what?” He growled at her and Luxe fell back, her grey eyes looking at the bassist who was now standing, albeit wobbling slightly.

“Luxe…i-it’s okay.” Pixie said in a small voice and the female singer only shot her friend a look before turning to face Ashley head on. Was this what it had been like for Andy and Char to deal with her when she had been using?

God she had been so pathetic.

“No. Ash you need to stop being a dick.” Luxe said, her hands on her hips and Ashely only laughed at her as they came to stand toe to toe.

“Oh? And are you going to be the one to make me?” He asked, his eyes covered in sunglasses but Luxe could tell he was glaring at her.

“Stop it Ash…” Char said, coming to stand behind Luxe, her hand on the singer’s shoulder as the two girls defended their friend and bandmate.

“Oh quit ganging up on me! I was only having fun!” The bassist laughed, reaching out and shoving Luxe’s shoulder.


At any other point in time she would of taken it as a joke or in a teasing way, but this time Luxe knew Ash wasn’t joking. There had been force behind his push and Luxe knew that Ash was angry, but not nearly as angry as Andy was. A low growl left his lips and soon enough he was slamming Ashley up against the side of the Doll’s bus, his Ray Bans falling to the ground.


“I think it’s time for you to head back to the bus. You’re being an asshole Ashley and I’m sick of it…” Andy said lowly, dangerously. Luxe, Char and Pixie only stood by, watching in stunned silence.

“You’re not my keeper…” Ashley said, pushing Andy off of him and then he was storming off, his cowboy boots smacking against the ground.


The air was thick with tension and as the small group stood in silence, Luxe knew that something had broken that very moment and it was going to be incredibly hard to put it back together.

Notes

Looks like the girls are starting to get a little testy...especially with Ashley.

Also did the readers of my other series notice a certain red haired, green eyed beauty pass by the group? Just a little Easter Egg for y'all.

Review to find out if Andy kicks Ash's ass<3