Page 31 of Our Moon (JACT #1)
“It’s going to be amazing,” I say as I sit at Ally’s bedside, holding her soft hand, rubbing my thumb across her knuckles.
“We’re going to get to visit places we never thought we ever would and always dreamed we could.
The only thing that will be missing is you.
I know I have to do this, for the guys, for you, for your parents.
We owe it to you guys, to ourselves. But I don’t know how to do it without you.
I’m going to miss seeing your face, holding your hand, and singing to you. I love you so much, baby girl.”
We signed the tour contract and will meet up with the rest of the bands in South Carolina tomorrow.
Trevor and Alex came by to say goodbye to Ally this morning, and I lied and told them I had some stuff I wanted to grab from my mom’s apartment this afternoon, but I was really coming here.
I needed to imprint her face, the feel of her skin, and her smell in my memory for the six months we will be gone.
I’m not sure how I’ll be able to squeeze in visits at the same time Trevor and Alex are trying to squeeze in visits.
God, I hope she wakes up soon. As much as I want to live out this dream with the band, I want Ally to be by my side even more. If I had to give it all up for her, I would. We all would. Hence the escape clause in the contract.
I lean in and kiss her forehead, my usual parting gift. “I love you, baby girl. And I will see you real soon. We’ll make you proud, Ally. We’ll make you so proud.”
As I’m walking out, I give the nurse, Amy, the same one who was there the day I sang to Ally that first time, my phone number. “Please call or text me if anything happens. I know y’all have her brothers’ contact information, but if you can’t reach them. Please try me.”
She nods and smiles. “Good luck, Chase.”
“Thanks, Amy.”
***
I head back to the house to finish packing my stuff.
I never left the Monroes’ after the accident; I kind of made a home on the couch.
It was where I felt closest to Ally, and I just couldn’t bring myself to be anywhere else.
Trevor and Alex appreciated the company, as well.
And Joey crashed on the couch most of the time, too.
Eventually, Trevor offered us the attic above the garage.
It was unfinished, but he knew I had the construction skills to finish it, so I did.
There was already plumbing out there because of the bathroom in our practice area downstairs, so it didn’t take much to turn it into a fully functional apartment.
I was pretty pleased with the results, as were Trevor and Alex.
It raised the property value if they ever chose to sell it.
I’m in the apartment packing when Trevor comes up. “You almost packed?” he asks.
“Yep, just finishing up.”
“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” he says as he sits on one of the bar stools in the kitchenette.
“I know, it’s surreal.”
“I wish mom and dad could see us now, and Ally. They’d all be so excited.”
I nod, “Your mom and dad can see us now, and I bet they’re excited.
They’re probably running around telling everyone they know up there all about their boys going on the road.
” Trevor laughs, and I imagine he’s picturing just that, his mom running around telling anyone who will listen that her boys are in a band, and they’re going on tour.
She probably even has her camera in her hand.
“I wish Ally was coming with us,” he says solemnly.
“Me too,” I say. And he has no idea how much.
“She named us, you know? It’s like she has been a part of the band since the beginning. I loved it when she started coming around again last summer. Alex did, too. It was like old times again.”
“She’ll be around again, it will be like old times again,” I affirm. She has to, there’s just no other option.
“I really miss her. I never thought of her as a brat or an annoying little sister, you know?” I nod, though it was rhetorical.
Trevor just needs to talk. He needs an outlet.
Leaving this place after the accident without Ally isn’t easy for any of us.
“I hope she knows that. I hope she knows how special she was… is… will always be.”
I sit down beside him, “She knows. You and Alex are like her best friends. There’s no one she would rather spend time with.”
Trevor nods, “I know you’re right. Just sucks she’s not doing this with us.”
“She’ll catch the next one,” I say, willing it to be true.
Trevor smiles, “She will, won’t she? ”
“Yeah. When we come back and tell her about it, she’ll be so pissed she missed it that she’ll wake right up,” I laugh, “hell bent on making the next one.”
“That’s Ally, for sure,” he agrees. “It feels good to talk about her. Alex is just so fucked up about it. He can’t talk about her. I mean I get they have the whole twin connection thing, but I just wish he would talk instead of keeping it bottled up inside.”
“I’m sure he’ll loosen up some on the tour. Being here in the house can’t be easy.”
“You’re right,” he stands up. “I’m going to finish packing. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“See you in the morning.”
***
So far, the tour has been amazing. We’ve gotten to spend a lot of time with some of the other opening acts, like Challenge Demands and 12 Inches Limp.
Yes, that’s their name. No, I’m not kidding.
And no, I don’t know if it’s true. This isn’t their first tour, so it’s nice to hear stories of their experiences.
The guys from Infrared Flamingoes are pretty awesome, too.
They don’t hang out with us too much because they’re always running around for interviews and other publicity stuff, but considering they’re extremely famous, they’re still pretty humble and hang out with the little people from time to time .
The living arrangements on tour aren’t that bad.
We’re on a double decker bus that sleeps fourteen upstairs in very narrow bunks, and has a small kitchen and several lounge spaces downstairs.
12 Inches Limp and Challenge Demands are on the bus with us, along with a few roadies that didn’t fit on the roadie bus.
There’s an XBOX, Playstation, and satellite TV set up in each of the lounge areas, so it’s really like a home away from home.
If we stay in a place for more than a night, the label hooks us up with hotel rooms for the night.
We have to double up, but at least it gives us the opportunity to stretch our legs and escape the cabin fever of the bus.
Alex and Joey are happier than pigs in shit over all the girls at each of the stops.
Trevor indulges once in a while, but usually ends up hanging out with me on the bus or in the hotel.
He doesn’t ask me why I’m not partaking in all the willing bodies, which is good, because I could never tell him that I’m holding off for the girl I love back home.
Who’s in a coma. Who also happens to be his sister.
Yeah, that wouldn’t go over well at all.
The label was so impressed with our performances and our professionalism on tour that they offered us a record deal after only five shows.
We had Mr. Adelson look over the record contract, and he said it looked solid.
It requires us to do three albums in three years, and at least two more six month tours.
We made sure that our “Ally clause” was in there and signed on the dotted line .
We also negotiated the use of a Charlotte studio to record our albums, part of our “Ally clause,” and as soon as we get back to town, we will begin recording our first album.
We already have several original songs, so we plan to use some of our favorites that the label approves of, and write a few new ones.
I think about using “Our Moon,” the song I wrote for Ally, but it’s just too personal.
I’m not ready to share something so intimate with the world.
***
When we return to Charlotte after the tour, we’re plus one.
Joey met the love of his life, Evie, in Dallas about two weeks in and they got hitched on our tour stop in Vegas.
It was totally insane, but totally Joey, and I have to say that the two of them are perfect for each other and so happy together.
It’s also pretty cool for me because now I get the apartment to myself since they’re moving in together.
We hit the studio almost immediately, and our first single, “Fall Down,” is a huge hit with tons of airtime.
We spend some time in New York and L.A. doing radio interviews and attending award shows.
Who would have thought that not even a year after meeting Bill at the restaurant that all this would have happened?
I steal visits with Ally in between studio time. I can’t believe she hasn’t woken up yet. The doctors are still optimistic and always comment positively about her brain activity. But still, I never would have imagined that eleven months after the accident, Ally would still be asleep.