Grey

Twenty-Seven

[FINN]

"Have a pint with me."

"It's 9am, mate."

"You're dating an American, what's that they say? 5'clock somewhere and that?"

"I'm not having a beer right now, Jack."

I was thankful when a pleasant distraction intercepted the inevitable protest that was to come, unable to control my smile as Harrison escorted Anna into the room. We were in Amsterdam for the weekend to play a big music festival and I'd flown my sister in with hopes to cheer her up. Her favorite band was headlining and she was going through a rough break-up, things with Jake having gone south right after their American holiday.

I pulled her into a tight hug, rocking her back and forth.

"I didn't know we got VIP passes," she muttered excitedly as we disconnected, showing off her neon wristband. "Does that mean we get to go backstage everywhere?"

Pete and Ace were already out on the field exploring and surely up to no good, but Jack came over and wrapped his own practical flesh and blood in a hug.

"'Course you get VIP passes, love. Your brother is the belle of the ball."

"Come off it," I mumbled, giving her a sincere smile as I crossed my arms. While Jack's rationale was exaggerated and didn't have to do with me in particular, he wasn't completely wrong - we had a pretty good set time and the band had been given incredible access. I was happy I was able to swing getting Anna there, but was still a bit bitter someone else had declined the invite. "We do get to go wherever the hell we please, though. Want to go explore?"

"Obviously."

We walked out of the dressing rooms and down a short hallway, pushing the door open against a gusty breeze. I took my jacket off, slinging it over Anna's shoulders seeing as she wasn't exactly dressed for the chilly weather, wearing nothing but a sundress. She accepted it graciously, wrapping it further around herself as we walked side by side, my hands blindly digging through the jacket pocket closest to me. I retrieved my lighter and the packet of cigarettes, sliding one out before shoving it in my back pocket.

"I had a hunch the vape wouldn't last long," she sighed with disappointment, judging me as I slipped the cigarette between my lips and blocked the wind to light it. "Still not great, but better than the real thing."

"I lost it," I admitted, inhaling deeply and welcoming the familiar feeling stirring in my chest. "It's a battle for another day."

The festival grounds were fairly empty still since the gates hadn't opened yet, giving us about an hour to walk around before the craziness ensued. I had the lineup pulled up on my phone, pointing out various stages alongside which bands would be playing there. Proudly, I gestured to the main stage, taking in the size of it and the vast field space in front.

"We're fucking playing there, isn't that mental?" I exhaled with pure excitement, though even that felt like an understatement. Our days blended together with packed schedules and new cities so a lot of accomplishments were brushed under the rug, but this particular one felt surreal. "I remember coming here when I was 18, drunk off my arse and just having the time of my life. I would have never dreamed I'd be playing the main stage."

"Big brother is a rockstar," she squeezed my hip, hugging me from the side. "It's going to be amazing, I can feel it. Thank you for flying me out."

I took another drag, feeling my frustrations and disappointment return but swallowing them both for Anna's sake. Given there were just crew members rushing around to get things finalized and a handful of solo band members wandering the property, I figured then was as good a time as any to address the elephant in the room.