4

I walked past a girl who looked like the drowned rat version of someone I may have known, but kept walking along with my long-time bodyguard and friend Marcus to my room. As I stood in the hall waiting for him to check my room for stow away fans I heard the wet woman on her cell phone. She was locked out of her room, and I could have sworn she’d mentioned our drummer’s name. She looked damn cold. I was cold enough as it was fully clothed from dashing from the car to the hotel, but she was soaked with rain and had to be freezing her ass off.

When Marcus came out of my room and told me that it was clear I whispered to him, "Do you know that chick?"

He looked down the hall to the girl who was now sitting with her eyes closed and her head resting against the door. I could see her shivering and it made me cold just watching her. "I think that’s the chick who is always with Skinner… Her name is Emily or something."

"Oh yeah…" I said quietly looking down the hall at her. She was just a room away from mine. I vaguely remembered meeting the girl once or twice before, and I knew she traveled with us on the tour. What I didn’t know was whether or not she was with Skinner, or just with Skinner, not that it really mattered, but that’s where my head went.

"You need me anymore tonight?"

"Nah… I’m just going to go to sleep or watch television…" I said pulling my gaze away from the girl and focusing on Marcus again. "Thanks, man."

"No problem… just call me if you decide to go out again. There’s a lot of fans in the hotel tonight, and they’re roaming."

We said goodnight and I walked into my room and closed the door. As I took my coat off and threw it in a chair I decided that I needed to turn the heat up in the room and when I fiddled with the thermostat, I thought about the girl in the hall. I immediately turned around and opened the door propping it open with the dead bolt. I walked toward the girl and hoped that I wouldn’t scare her, seeing that her eyes were still closed. I cleared my throat rather loudly and she opened her eyes, "Hi…"

"Hey…" she said, her voice nearly as raspy as mine was, probably from the cold though, not from smoking like a chimney through rehab like I did.

"You’re Skinner’s friend right?"

She laughed a laugh that I couldn’t quite figure out but nodded, "That’s me… I think he introduced us once. But then again, he probably didn’t even tell you my name, his manners aren’t the greatest. I’m Emma…"

I nodded and smiled at her, "Hi… I’m, AJ…"

"Yeah I know…" she said with a tired smile.

"Yeah, I guess you would…" I said and nodded again. "I um… I overheard that you’re locked out, and couldn’t help but notice you’re soaked. Do you want to wait for Skinner in my room? I can give you something dry to wear and stuff…"

She looked at me without saying anything for a minute and then shook her head. It was almost like I could see her inner dialogue fighting over whether or not to accept my offer. "I don’t even know if he’s going to call me back… he’s sort of pissed off at me. I wouldn’t want to burden you by waiting for him and have him never show up."

"He’s gotta show up some time…" I said with a gentle smile. "He’s got a gig tomorrow night. Come on, you’re making me shiver just looking at you. At least come with me and get dried off, then if you want to hang out in the hall and wait for him you can do it without getting sick in the process."

Again, she looked at me for a moment before letting out this little sigh and nodding, "Okay…"

I smiled and reached my hand out to help her stand up. When her skin met mine, I nearly jumped back and let go, she was ice cold. I wondered what had happened to her that she ended up standing in the rain for so long. Once she was on her feet I smiled and let go of her hand, "Let’s get you warmed up…"