Running with Scissors by Unknown Read Free Book Online Page B

straightened. A.J.
    followed the trajectory of his gaze toward the motel and wasn’t at all surprised to see Connor walking across the parking lot, a duffel on his shoulder and a coffee cup in his hand. Both guys
    wore dark sunglasses, but the lenses did nothing to temper the
    poisonous glares that passed between them.
    Then they quickly broke eye contact. Connor sipped his
    coffee. Jude took a drag off his cigarette. Neither looked the
    other’s way again.
    Connor boarded the bus. He stashed his duffel and took
    a seat at the table. Shiloh was sitting opposite him, playing on her phone, but neither spoke. After he’d fastened his seat belt, Connor gazed out the window as he nursed his coffee.
    A moment later, Jude boarded. Connor’s gaze stayed
    fixed on something outside. For his part, Jude focused
    straight ahead as he continued into the back of the bus where
    the racks were. Something unzipped, and something else
    rustled, and then Jude returned, a pair of earbuds in his hand.
    He found a seat that put some distance between himself and
    Connor—a deliberate choice, no doubt—put in his earbuds,
    and pulled his cap over his eyes.
    The engines groaned, and the bus eased into motion. As
    the bus rolled down the interstate, most of the band members
    dozed, and thanks to the motion and the steady hum of road
    noise, even A.J. drifted off.
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    The next thing he knew, the bus was decelerating and
    nosing down an off-ramp. His bandmates were stirring too.
    He sat up, yawning as he rubbed his stiff neck, and looked out
    the window. They were somewhere in the middle of nowhere,
    with nothing but a gas station and a junkyard to break up the
    monotony of cornfields.
    “I’m going in for more coffee,” Shiloh announced as the
    bus pulled into the gas station. “Anybody want anything?”
    Everyone raised a hand. A.J.’s temples were already
    throbbing. Coffee? Yes, please .
    “Of course,” she grumbled, and as soon as the bus had
    come to a stop, she headed inside. One by one, the band
    followed. They browsed the racks for junk food, caffeine,
    and cigarettes before they paid and got back on board.
    Richie and Jude both smoked, then joined everyone.
    Sitting at the table across from Connor, Shiloh cleared
    her throat. “So. I guess we should get rehearsing.”
    Vanessa groaned. “I haven’t had nearly enough caffeine
    for that.”
    “You’re not the one who needs to rehearse.” Shiloh shot
    Jude a look. “How about you? Had enough coffee yet?”
    “I’m good.” Jude sat up. “My bass is in one of the
    compartments under the bus, though.”
    “Well.” She nodded toward the door. “We aren’t moving.”
    Jude chuckled. “All right, all right.” He rose, throwing
    over his shoulder, “Back in a second.”
    Richie went with him, and the two returned with their
    instruments. This wasn’t the best place for rehearsing, but
    their opportunities were going to be limited and they were
    short on time, so this would have to do.
    Connor stayed in his seat, playing with the edge of his
    coffee cup, while the rest of the band gathered in the cramped
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    living area, belting themselves in and making the most of
    what little space they had. Since A.J. wouldn’t be much use
    during this rehearsal, he sat across from Connor and stayed
    out of the way.
    He watched uneasily as Jude tuned his bass. Desperate
    or not, this was madness. They were performing tomorrow
    night. A little over twenty-four hours from now, they’d
    be taking the stage in Denver, playing for a crowd that was
    already impatient for Running with Scissors to get the fuck
    through their set so they could see Schadenfreude like they’d
    paid through the nose to do.
    Jude rested his bass on his leg and positioned his hand on
    the neck. He absently warmed up, plucking his way through
    a few scales. The medical tape was gone now, revealing raw
    fingertips, but they didn’t seem to hinder his ability to play.
    Shiloh handed him a tattered page. “Here’s