The hotel hallways were busy by the time we reached my room. Carts of housekeeping supplies and groups of friends paraded around the place and we dodged them this way and that. Malcolm's hair had dried in the sun and he wasn't dripping water everywhere anymore. Despite all that he had drank the night before he never once complained about a hangover. These men never failed to impress me with their durability. 

"This is your place, right?" he asked pointing at the number on the door. 

"This is it," I said. I was nervous about coming in. I didn't want to barge in like the unwelcome carry on that I was. I waited for Malcolm to head out and leave me to it but he stood there with his hands in his pockets. More stupid little tears threatened to spill. 

Why did Malcolm have to get sick? It wasn't fair. He didn't deserve to suffer the way he did and his family and friends didn't deserve to suffer watching it happen. Years and years of getting worse and worse....knowing good and well this is how it would end. His wife and kids by his bedside...knowing he would never get better and being helpless to do anything. 

And I was helpless to prevent it.

"I guess I'd better get goin'-"

And just like with Bon, I grabbed him for a hug. I couldn't help it. Also just like Bon he seemed a bit surprised at the sudden display of affection, taking a few seconds to register what was happening. 

He finally hugged me back, probably wondering what on earth got into me. What could I say? Bon and Malcolm needed hugs! Knowing I wouldn't ever see either one again it was the most logical thing to do. 

Unlike with Bon, there wasn't a woman throwing up to snap me out of it. I had to let him go myself. I did so and Malcolm put his hands back in his pockets. "Sorry," I mumbled, fighting back tears.

"Don't worry 'bout it," he said. We stood there for a minute looking at the carpet. 

"I uh....stole your toothpaste," I said. I almost forgot about him lending me the tube until just now. I wasn't sure if he wanted it back.

"Keep it," he said. "I've got more."

Another minute passed. Malcolm sighed. 

"See ya' both at the show then." I nodded.

"Bye." With one final pat on my shoulder Malcolm left me to knock on the door of Stelle's hotel room. It was only a second before it opened revealing Janis.

Or...Joyce? 

No, Joyce was visting their aunt, Janis was dating Stelle. Right? 

She opened the door looking like a whole team of professionals had gotten her ready. Her black hair was silky and done up, her olive skin glowed, and her dress looked straight out of a fancy boutique. She brightened when she saw me. "Hannah! Come on in, we were just talking." She let me in the room where I saw Stelle on the couch looking at a whole new row of freshly developed photos. 

"Hannah, come here, look at how these turned out!" Stelle called me over. I walked over to the couch and sat on the little coffee table, leaning forward to see the photos. There were several of the crowd last night and a few of the band talking backstage. Stelle was bouncing in her seat, thrilled at her new pictures. "They came out so good and so candid!" Janis sat next to her on the couch and wrapped her arm around her. "Janis helped me take a few of the audience...like this one." Stelle held up a photo of a group of women near the front wearing homemade t shirts declaring their love for Cliff. 

"They look great," I said. 

"Thank you! We just got them developed this morning and it didn't take long at all!" Stelle said. 

"The woman there must have worked there for years because she wasted no time getting these done," Janis said looking through some of them. "Where's the one you took of Phil? Oh here it is." Janis held up a photo of Phil standing very close to the camera and pushing his thumbs into his nostrils. 

"Flattering," I said with a smile.

"I swear, no other photographer in the world has a photo like that," Stelle said proudly. I hid my yawn and my stretch. I didn't want to be rude, and the photos were very nice to look at. Stelle must have noticed how tired I was. "You alright, Hannah? Look a bit out of it."

"I'm okay," I said itching to clean myself up. I wanted to look as glamorous as these two did. 

"Heard you went out with Mal last night," Stelle said. "Met his friends, did you?" I nodded. "That's lucky. Janis and I went out to get ice cream and see a film."

"Turns out I'm not a fan of coffee flavor," Janis said with a sigh.

"Coffee is delicious, they probably didn't make it right," Stelle said. "But we had a great time, didn't we, love?" Janis kissed Stelle on the forehead and they went back to rifling through photos. I saw a couple of Angus and stifled a smile. He was making silly faces in every single one he was in. 

If I took photos of this band, the internet back home would never get their paws on them. 

I turned about a hundred shades of red when Stelle thrust a photo of Angus mooning the audience up to me. 

"Handsome, huh?" she giggled. Janis held a couple in her hands comparing them. 

"How's the portfolio going?" she asked. "Think you have enough or you want more?"

"I always want more," Stelle said. "I want to get back with the most pictures of anyone in the entire office and win bragging rights." Stelle looked up at me and nodded at Janis. "Janis meets famous people all the time."

"I'm a concierge at a hotel in Volos," Janis said. "I met Stelle there when she checked into a room. Which band was it that came?"

"Some English band under the radar," Stelle said looking at the ceiling to think. "Can't remember the name for the life of me."

"Anyway, that's how we met. I get lots of famous people staying at that hotel," Janis said. "But usually their managers or someone gets the room rather than the celebrities themselves. One was a swinger group. They'd rent an entire floor just for them."

"Oh," I said, my eyes wide. Swingers??

"Very nice people," Janis said. "But uh...they'd keep their doors open...."

"...oh," I repeated. I couldn't relate. 

"When is Joyce coming over?" Stelle asked. 

"She's picking me up at about..." Janis looked at her diamond watch. "In an hour or so."

"Say hi to your aunt for me," Stelle said. Janis sighed.

"I will."

I wondered what beef their aunt had with Janis. Maybe some long time family disagreement I had no right barging in on. I kept quiet. The conversation turned back to me. "Hannah here's been making all kinds of friends with the band," Stelle said. 

"Of course she would, she's cute," Janis said and I suddenly felt very small. "Any salacious stories, any scandals?"

"N-no," I stuttered. "None of that." Even if I saw one of them surrounded by female fans in a bathtub I wouldn't gossip about it. Not to any nosy reporters, anyway. 

"Aw, that's too bad. Bet you're excited to type all those notes out though, huh?"

"Yeah," I said, going along with it. Damn right I was ready to type my story out on Wattpad. I'd have it all on my computer instead of lugging around a notebook that was only getting heavier. 

"What kind of typewriter do you have?"

My heart sank. 

Typewriter...?

The only typewriters I'd ever seen were in television and movies and I had no clue what kind they were. I couldn't possibly tell her I had a MacBook! I had to be quick and think of something. 

"The magazine I'm writing for lent me an electric one," I said. "I don't know what brand it is."

Janis nodded her head and I sighed in relief. "I remember writing with a plain one in school," she said. "Kids today have it easier."

You don't know the half of it...

Before the conversation could turn back to my job and how I was clearly a time traveling fraud I stood up and backed toward the bathroom. "I think I should get cleaned up," I said. "I feel awful."

"Oh, of course," Stelle said. She looked through some more pictures and organized them. Janis smiled at me. "Love, look at this one!"

I left them to gush over their photos and grabbed my things to take to the bathroom. I closed the door and relished the quiet. 

Now to have that heavenly shower I coveted. 

Stripping down I grabbed some extra shampoo and conditioner and stumbled my way into the shower. I poured the stuff all over my head and scrubbed it squeaky clean. While I showered I thought about all the secrets I was keeping from these people. Maybe Angus was on to something but the others were completely clueless. And I wanted to keep it that way, didn't I?

But it was so exhausting keeping this from everyone. Excusing myself to leave the room when things got too personal or struggling to keep my story straight. I was shocked they weren't holding me under a microscope with all my hiding around. 

Couldn't I tell...just one person?

Maybe....maybe I could tell Stelle? It'd be easier to tell her since I'd been staying with her so long. We'd gotten comfortable enough around each other to talk about some more private things. At least, Stelle did. If I could just get her alone, maybe I could confess to her where I was actually from and I wouldn't have to walk on eggshells anymore. 

Or maybe she'd think I was nuts and throw me out on the street.

Maybe she'd be heartbroken I'd lied for so long. 

I leaned my head against the shower wall and banged it a few times. This was all so confusing and frustrating! Either way, I was a journalist fraud looking for nothing more than a good scoop for a fanfiction. Someone who took advantage of a wealthy photographer for a place to stay and follow around her favorite band like a little lost groupie.

Er, puppy. 

And what if Stelle told the entire band? What if she got them all rounded up, told them the truth and they all turned on me? For lying, for tricking? What if they all collectively threw my ass out on the street? Telling me to never come back? Angus shaking his head, knowing the entire time I couldn't be trusted? 

And what if I couldn't get home? Nowhere to go or stay in a time so different from my own and...

I took a deep breath. I had started to rock back and forth on my feet and my breathing was growing unsteady. I had to calm down. 

Stelle had proven over and over again the kind of person she was. She had lots of friends and for good reason. Surely telling her the truth about where I came from and who I was wouldn't be cause to throw me out. 

Okay, yes it would be.

But even so, Stelle wouldn't do that. And who knows? Maybe she wouldn't believe me anyway. Maybe the worst she could do is laugh. 

And I enjoy making others laugh. 

After changing into a fresh set of clothes, wearing my mustard seed necklace, I brushed and flossed my teeth and fixed my hair. Nowhere near as glamorous as the others I looked okay and left the bathroom. Stelle was alone on the couch, putting her collection into an envelope. 

"Joyce came by early," Stelle said. "Janis left about a half hour ago."

I could still smell the perfume she had been wearing waft around the room. Now that Stelle was alone, I might as well take the plunge. Taking slow, deliberate steps toward the couch, I braced myself for the complete act of stupidity I was about to commit. "Stelle?" I asked. She looked up at me. "Can we talk?"

"Sure," she said making room for me on the couch. I sat next to her and curled into a ball, wrapping my arms around my knees. I could feel Stelle's gaze boring into me. "What's wrong?"

"I...." I almost choked the words out. "I need to tell you something..."