WHO: Soph and EZ Trouble
WHERE: Summer Tour Auguts 4th, 2008
WHEN: Before the Twins, Before Shagging Frankie.
©2008 Nytshaed / Chaoticworks.com

Sophie sat on the top of an Anvil amp road case sucking on a piece of candy as she watched the hustle of activity going on around her in the backstage area of the festival. Roadies were pushing cases, amps, and all of the other necessary equipment for their band's sets. It was 10 AM in the morning, the fog now burned off almost completely in this coastal town, and the first band was already on stage playing to a partially full audience area. The rotation of who played when changed a bit everyday, but it was in Black Widow's contract that they never went on before 1 PM. Three hours to go, and nothing much to do between now and then. They had a Meet and Greet in the Red Bull Tent after their set, then an interview with some radio station or another before they were being taken out to dinner by someone from their label who was local to the area. Soph was looking forward most to the open bar tab, and perhaps a really decent steak dinner. She'd kill someone if they tried to take them out for sushi or some fancy fusion bullshit that was all the yuppie rave.

"Are there even Yuppies still?" she pondered aloud as she shifted her candy from one cheek to the other. "God Soph, you really need to get out of the fuckin' 80's." she said with a shake of her head, and for just a moment, could see why people smoked. It was something to do with your hands when you were bored or nervous. She used sex as a time passer, but it was just a bit harder to sneak in a quickie with a cute willing dude than to grab a cigarette outside of a club or bus. Everyone was coming down on her for that in one way or another. From the girls in the band constantly disapproving of her choices in fuck buddies, to her shrink that kept urging her to get to the root of the disfunctionality, and stop using sex as a substitute for what was really missing in her life. "Grrrrgh!" she growled and leaned her head down as she ruffled her fingers in her dark hair. She was tired, restless, angry, lonely and sad, all at the same time. "I just want to be normal.... I just want to be content...."

"Ya'll just need a beer and a good slap to the head...." a male voice drawled quietly off to the side. Sophie's eyes snapped open as she quickly looked around and spotted the owner of the voice standing just off to the side of her. He was tall, legs for miles, and skinny as a rail. Black shaggy hair pressed down with too long bangs held down with a black wool cowboy hat. He had a duffle bag in one hand, and a soft guitar case slung across his back.

"EZ!!!" she squealed like a girl half her age and jumped down from the case to grab him up in a huge, rib crushing hug. "God, I'm so glad to see you..." he muttered as she pressed the side of her head against his chest and held him tight. EZ dropped the duffel bag onto the ground, and returned the hug.

"Nice to see you. Been way too long. Way too long...." he said and kissed the top of her head. Sophie closed her eyes and just sighed. She was content to stand there and just hold onto him forever. He was like that, so nice to hug, and be hugged by, he smelled great, and it was just the positive energy that seemed to just flow out of him and into the atmosphere surrounding him. Several minutes passed before she was willing to relinquish the death grip on him, and finally let him loose and took a step back to look at him.

"I thought for sure I'd have to come claim you at the gate..." she said and brushed her unruly hair from in front of her eyes. "Are you that famous now that you have ALL ACCESS written all over you?"

"Something like that. Plus.... The guy at the gate..." he said and turned to point, then turned back to Sophie "... is a relation of some sort like a cousin four times removed or something. He brought it up, bein' related to me, so he just passed me on in, 'specially after he heard I was here to meet with you." he said, then winked at her. "I guess he approves of me keepin' company with ya'll or something." he grinned in that slanted, crooked way of his. Inside Sophie felt her stomach flip over. He was just so damned CUTE.

Sophie nodded as she bent down to pick up his duffel bag, then took his hand in hers and started to walk back toward the Black Widow encampment. "Uh huh.... Sure he does...." she said and winked back at him. Just like a couple of school age sweethearts, they held hands, swinging them back and forth all the way back to the bus, and once there, he followed her inside. Sophie led him down to where the bunks were, and found an empty one in the middle row underneath hers. "You can stash your stuff here for now. The bunks in here a bit wider than the norm, but I dunno if we will both fit in one comfortably." she said and turned to watch him drop off his belongings and ran her hand through her hair as she waited.

"I'd be happy sleeping on the couch thing up front, this will be good." He said, then when he was free of his burdens, he turned to face her and smiled. " 's good to see you again girl. You look good, really good." he said as he planted his hands on his narrow hips. "How's that boy of yours? I can't recall his name.... Aaron?"

"Arik." Sophie corrected him with a grin. "He's fine. Just started UCLA this fall." she said with no small amount of pride in her voice.

"Nice. Nice indeed. Too bad he couldn't get into UT though." he drawled. Sophie sneered at that, and punched EZ in the chest. "Right! Like I would let my boy go down there with all them shit kickers. HA!" she retorted as he laughed at her and rubbed the now tender spot on his chest.

"My my.... feisty woman...." he said and started to walk towards her with intent of some sort of childish revenge as soon as the opportunity presented itself.