Alpas

Chapter 2

Present day

"Dakota, come on! You can punch that bag later!" I hear Tonya say from the doorway.

"You know once we start practicing we won't stop for several hours, right? That's how it goes every time." I chuckle as I throw one last punch at the punching bag hanging before me. I start unwrapping the tape from my hands and walk over to the lockers on the far wall.

"Well yes I know this. But you gotta save that aggression for practice. You know it helps." She smiles as she walks over to me.

Her curled, deep brunette locks of hair bouncing ever so slightly as she steps. "What's going on in that head of yours girlfriend? You've seemed distracted lately. Are you having nightmares again?" She asks as she rubs slow circles on my back. So much concern hidden behind her teak wood eyes.

"No, no nightmares. Thank goodness. I've just had this strange feeling for a few days that something is going to happen. You know, like whenever Andrew's knee starts hurting before a big storm. Cause of that weird metal screw he had in it? It's like that. You know my senses are strange. I've just felt like something big is coming. And I'm not sure if it's bad or good."

"And you've been in the gym a lot just in case it's bad?" She chuckles. The worry lines on her forehead slowly start to fade back to their original smooth, golden brown color.

"You know me too well. Alright, let me towel off real fast and I'll be down there."

"OK. And hey, just take a deep breathe. No matter what it is, we are here for you, k?" She smiles again as she leaves the gym.

Something in my gut is telling me to prepare for war. Something is telling me that I'm about to start something new. And I can't tell what it is. But we have tour dates coming up soon. We have to practice our new material or we will sound crazy singing songs from last year. It's all about the new hits it seems.

I dry my face with a towel and pull my hair up into a tight bun. I let my bangs hang down, seeing as they don't interfere with my eyesight. I grab my new mask and start to secure it on. It's a blue, sequenced piece, with beautiful Paisley designs flowing about. I grab my phone and head for the sound booth.

"Everyone ready?" I ask as I lay my phone down on the table in the corner.

"Ready over here Mac." Andrew states. His dirty blonde hair is poking out around his black Zorro mask, making him look like the kid version of Boy Wonder. I chuckle to myself as I walk over and fix his hair. His winter grey eyes staring straight into my soul it seems. That's how it always feels when he looks at you. Those eyes could tell you a story like no other. His toasted vanilla skin matching his rose colored lips just perfectly. He's like the perfect man, except he's Andrew. And Andrew is just, well..

"Look, all I'm saying is I could so rock a blue Mohawk." He argues with Ranger.

"A. Seriously. No mohawks." I chuckle as I finish tucking in the last piece of hair. He playfully shoves me forward as he adjusts his grip on his drum sticks.

"He still might try to do it." Ranger laughs as he fixes his microphone stand.

"And he will have to be stopped. Jimmy didn't hire any smurfs." I smile and Ranger proceeds to double over in laughter. The joke really isn't funny, but he loves anything corny. So that's why we tell the bad jokes, to see him laugh this way.

His toffee colored hair sways just a tad in his face as he leans down to grab his guitar. His baby blue eyes twinkling slightly as he gives you that sly, cowboy casinova smile.

"Mac, you did that on purpose." Jake nudges me from my right side.

"So? It's like the cutest thing ever whenever he laughs." I smile. He walks over and pulls me in for a hug. Not gonna lie. Jake is definitely my all-time best friend. I feel like I'm closest to him. And even crazier, this guy is like the spitting image of a hipster. Lean cut, dark espresso colored hair, deep brown eyes, always has Starbucks, and loves beanies and skinny jeans. I mean, come on now? Can't you tell?