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HARMONY
Who knewthe world could be so loud? Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful for everything I’ve been given. Sometimes, though, I wish I could just disappear for a while.
No one told me when I climbed on that stupid picnic table and belted out Kelly Clarkson that my life would become one whirlwind after another. Now people belt out Harmony Ellis at the top of their lungs, which is weird since that’s me.
Tonight is just like every other night when I’m on tour. Greeting fans and singing has become my life. I’ve just walked off stage, hot and sweaty, to find fans lined up and down the hallway to my dressing room.
Of course, I greet them as I walk by. Without them, I’d be sunk. But, just once, I’d love to walk right out the back door, shower, and flop into bed with a good book. I can’t even hide at my parents’ house tonight because the one time the tour comes to Austin, they’re on vacation somewhere else.
“Harmony. Hurry, sugar, we need to get you changed so you can meet your fans,” Robin, my assistant, says.
It will be clothing change number five for me tonight. As quickly as possible, I change, and someone touches up my hair and makeup. Wasn’t there a time when musicians simply flopped in their dressing rooms all sweaty after a concert while fans drank, smoked and shot the bull? Whatever happened to that?
“How many are there tonight?” I ask.
“Not that many,” she answers. She opens the door and security starts sending them in. It’s the same thing everywhere. They fangirl, I gush humbly, they take selfies, we take PR photos, they’re finally escorted out, and I prepare for the next group. I love them, but I’m mentally exhausted.
“There’s my rowdy girl.” I turn around at the sound of a familiar voice.
“Travis?” I can’t believe my eyes. Standing in front of me is a man I graduated from Dansboro Crossing high school with. It seems like a hundred years ago. “I can’t believe it’s you.”
“In the flesh.” Travis Rayburn was always the guy everyone wanted to hang out with. He wasn’t necessarily one of the cool kids, but he was always fun. If Travis was around, you were guaranteed to have a good time.
“Well, are you just going to stand there gawking, or are you going to give me a hug?” He doesn’t have to ask twice. I throw myself at him, and he spins me around with my feet off the floor.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” I say when he sets me back on my feet. “How long has it been?”
“Five or six years at least? Since graduation anyway. How do I look?” He sucks in an almost non-existent gut and flexes his arms.
“Better than any man should.” I’m not kidding, he does look good.
“Well, you look like a million bucks.”
“Hey, do you have time to hang out?” I ask. “I don’t have that many more people to greet, then we could get something to eat. I’m dying for some real Tex-Mex.”
“Sounds perfect,” he agrees.
I motion to Robin who shows Travis to a chair in the corner. He settles in, and I go back to work. Half an hour later, I’m ready to go.
“Where are you taking me?” I ask Travis as we climb into his car.
Robin was not happy when I told her we were going to get dinner, just the two of us. She argued about taking security until I finally put my foot down. Travis isn’t a small man, and he can handle anything that may arise. Besides, he’ll know some backwoods place to eat around here where no one will bother us.
“Do you mind a drive? I was thinking about getting out of town. There’s a little place that serves the best chili rellenos you’ll ever put in your mouth.”
“That sounds amazing. The farther, the better.” He gives me a strange look but doesn’t say a word. We drive in silence for a few minutes before I can’t stand it anymore. “Have you heard anything from the rest of our classmates?”
“You heard Brontë had a baby and married some rich guy?”
“I did. I can’t believe she moved back. It seemed like she was the one who was the most likely to get out of that town.” We run through the rest of the class.
It seems that Travis is the guy who keeps up with everyone. After I left for Nashville, I drifted away from my friends. I just didn’t have time to keep in touch.
We pull up outside of a tiny restaurant with only a small sign advertising that they’re open. I hop out of the car and meet Travis by the door. He pulls it open to a mix of spices that makes me sneeze. We find our seats and pull out the menus frombehind the napkin holder. Following Travis’s lead, I order the rellenos.
“Tell me everything you’ve been doing in the last couple of years. Don’t leave out anything, I want to hear it all,” I say placing my chin in my hand.
