I opened my eyes and felt myself moving. 

Right above me was the bottom of another bed. To my right was a wall. To my left I could just make out a man who looked like Malcolm sitting in the seat working on a crossword puzzle. And to the left of him was the tour bus window, sunlight glaring through.

Wait....

Sunlight???

I sat up fast and hit my head on the bed above me. Wincing in pain I looked through the slot to make sure nobody saw me. Malcolm never looked up at me, he was too busy getting the right answer. I watched him for a bit to see if he'd feel my eyes boring into him. 

Nothing.

The bus was moving at a steady pace down the road and I didn't feel sick at all. I saw some others sitting in the seats across from me, most of whom I didn't recognize. Of course, I could only see the backs of their heads. It had been dark out when I climbed in here and fell asleep and now the sun was out, and we were moving. 

Oh my God, they're kidnapping me...

I stifled any panic that might surface and took deep breaths. Being stuck in this coffin toaster wouldn't help me calm down so I decided to climb out. I got about halfway out, the bus jangling me around, when Malcolm finally noticed.

"Have you been in there the whole time?" he asked getting the attention of a few others. I stood there with one foot still in the slot, frozen, looking at those around me. Most of the passengers were road crew. Cliff was there and he didn't look as surprised as Malcolm did. The other boys and even Stelle must have gotten on the other bus. While looking like an idiot standing on one foot and not giving a damn, I leaned towards Malcolm and lowered my voice.

"Where are we going?" I asked. I could see his crossword puzzle better from here. He was halfway finished. 

"We're headed back to the hotel," he said. "The party went on a little longer than expected..."

I squinted from the sun. I could see that.

Everybody seemed to have forgotten about me and went back to their own business. I pulled my leg out and looked around for an empty seat when I realized to my disappointment I had to use the bathroom. I grabbed my pen and notebook and made my way to the back of the bus behind the curtain, getting tossed around as I did so. 

There were a few people back there to my horror. Just one man and a couple of women. They were talking over their breakfast which looked like some leftover pizza from the night before. They barely seemed to notice me as I grabbed the key off the hook just in case and tried the knob. 

It opened.

So they must have unlocked it for practical daytime use. Taking the key with me in case anyone tried getting in, I closed the door behind me and immediately noticed the smell. Someone had been sick and....it hadn't been completely cleared away. The toilet paper had been replaced thank God, and I carefully got myself comfortable on the tiny seat. My journalist equipment lay on the floor. 

I don't recommend tour bus toilets. At least, not while the bus is in motion.

I had one hand on the wall to hold me in place and I got up as quick as I could. I flushed it and watched in fascination as everything just...disappeared. But the vomit smell lingered and I got out of there. 

As soon as I found my hotel room I'd be having a shower. There wasn't even a sink to wash my hands! Hanging the key back up I left the curtained room, the occupants still not paying me any mind and I headed for an empty seat. "Here, take this spot," Malcolm said scooting over to sit by the window. "Kinda full up there." Happy to sit next to someone I knew I accepted. The seat was so much more comfortable than any folding chair, toaster bed, and toilet combined. I couldn't stretch out very well but I didn't care. "Sleep good?" Malcolm asked.

"Eh," I shrugged. He nodded and looked at his puzzle. 

"Me too," he said. "Drank a lot an' next thing I knew it was mornin'. That's life on the road."

"Where's Stelle?" I asked. 

He didn't look up at me. "Other bus, I expect," he said. "How much of the party did ya' miss?"

"I left shortly after the pizza came."

"Oh, you missed the whole thing," he said. "Someone brought in a keg of beer an' everyone went crazy over it. I had some myself an' it didn't really cut the mustard." He wrinkled his nose. "But...it was free. I only saw Angus up until around three in the mornin' so he must have left like you did. But he must have taken the other bus. Cliff an' I got here...I dunno, soon after the sun started comin' up...an' by then the owner of the place was ready to throw us out." He paused for a minute and wrote something down. "Hm. Anyway, Phil an' some of the crew got together for a round of darts or pool or somethin' an' Bon...well, who the fuck knows where he went."

"I saw him with some girl," someone in front of us said. 

"Could ya' be more specific?" Malcolm mumbled. 

"I dunno...tattoos, earrings...dyed hair..." I vaguely remembered seeing one of the Glamour Girls who fit that description. Now which one was it... "Maybe they went back to her place or somethin'."

Malcolm wrote down another word in his puzzle. "Hey, ya' know what the capitol of Guam is?" he asked me. 

"No idea," I said. Malcolm sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"Hm....maybe workin' on one of these after a night of no sleep isn't my best choice...."

"Nah, it's good for your brain," someone up front said. "Challenges you."

"Cures the hangover," someone else said. Malcolm smiled and kept working. I sat there quietly, wanting to write something for my story but didn't want to risk the car sickness. How humiliating would that be! It would have to wait for the hotel. 

**********

Our bus stopped behind another bus that was sitting in the parking lot. There were a couple people milling around that I could see out the window. I saw Phil and Angus among several others. I had to look away for fear Malcolm might notice me staring at his sleepy brother. Malcolm barely paid any mind to what was going on out the window. The doors to our bus finally opened and some people got off while others stayed on and relaxed, probably in no hurry. I found a well dressed woman with a camera around her neck standing by a road sign and leaped out of my seat, slipping past the others in the aisle. 

Jumping out into the bright sun I could feel my stomach rumbling and I looked around for where Stelle had gone. She was chatting with a few roadie friends she had made and I shyly walked over to them. "Hannah, where have you been?" she asked upon seeing me. 

"I fell asleep on the bus," I said. 

"No kidding? Me too," she said. "Remind me never to drink more than three beers in a single night."

"You two heading in?" one roadie asked. 

"We should really get back to my hotel," Stelle said. By the looks they were giving each other I could tell they had become very good friends overnight. I was sure she had filled a whole roll with photos. 

"You're sure?" he asked. Stelle hesitated for a minute, pretending to think it over. 

"No, I'm sorry," she finally decided. "We really should get going." The man smiled and nodded.

"Alright, we'll be seeing you?"

"Of course," Stelle said holding up her camera. They waved goodbye to each other and the other roadies waved us off. Stelle grabbed my hand and rushed us out of the parking lot and down the busy street, avoiding the morning traffic. We weaved our way around a baby pram and its mother and a group of teens coming out of a burger place. My stomach started growling again and I could feel a layer of sweat forming already. Breakfast and a shower was all that was on my mind. 

**********

As I brushed my teeth in Stelle's bathroom I got to thinking. When people went to parties, did they brush and floss their teeth beforehand? Or do they just not brush at all? When they wake up the next morning on their friend's couch, have they gone all night without brushing? That's certainly what I was feeling at the minute. I took my hair out of the towel and left it to air dry. 

I came out of the bathroom to see platters of room service. Eggs, bacon, an omelet, potatoes, and another basket of muffins with a ribbon. I grabbed some eggs and a couple bacon strips and dug in. "Have whatever you like," Stelle said hanging the phone up. She had changed into a nightgown and a sheer bathrobe. I wish I had thought to buy pajamas. I'd have to sleep in my jeans for now. "I'm not that hungry."

I would have thought otherwise with the massive spread she called up.

"So how was your night?" she asked changing the subject. "Have fun? Get a good story?" When we came back to the room I looked over my notes and sighed in disappointment. Everything seemed to happen after I left and fell asleep. People wanted the exciting stuff, the things that happened early in the morning. People getting drunk and dancing on tables. Cops getting called because the music is too loud. Someone swinging from the chandelier. 

Something!

And all I got was Angus' interview, the pizza riot, and the tour bus toilet. 

Oh, and the drug dealer. Can't forget him. 

Some groupie journalist I was. I couldn't even stay up to record the fun parties. Stelle must have gotten tons of candid photos. She'd be swimming in money and room service. I'd have one read per chapter on Wattpad.

And they'd be mine.

"I interviewed Angus," I said giving her some kind of response. 

"Sleep with him?" she asked. I blushed a hot red. I couldn't possibly do that to him, or any of them! Maybe other people liked one night stands but I didn't. They simply weren't for me! I'd want to get to know them first and have that emotional connection. I couldn't possibly have casual sex and then leave the next morning. Angus deserved hugs and hand holding, and that took time! They all deserved the wait.

Yes, even Bon.

"N-no," I said hoping she didn't notice my face. "Not at all."

"Hm. I didn't sleep with anyone either, surprisingly," she said. "Made new friends, though. And got great pics. I'm getting them developed today. Unless you wanna come with me you can..." She shrugged. "Do whatever I guess."

A day to myself? In Sydney Australia? In 1978??? Despite having a couple days to myself already, this excited me. I had a place to come back to. I had a bit more money with me. I had a plan. I could do this! 

"Is there a show tonight?" I asked. I forgot about the flyer in my notebook with all the dates. 

"Don't think so," she said. "But I can check with Scott. The roadie, not Bon. But I'm sure he'd know too. I saw him leave with one of those birds you were talking to." I racked my brain trying to remember her name. 

Hollywood!

"Hey, was he on your bus by any chance?" Stelle asked. 

"No," I said. "We wondered if he was on yours." Stelle smirked.

"I see," was all she said. "Well, after my bubble bath I'm getting my pictures developed. You can do what you like." She stood up and went to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her and turning the water on. After finishing my breakfast I looked out the window and watched the vintage cars drive by. 

Getting another taste of the seventies might be just what I needed.