123:A

My cramps were really uncomfortable, but I got up and got ready, wearing the dress Rafe had chosen, and the sandals. I wore nothing under the dress except underwear, feeling hot and confined. I put my hair all the way up and stayed in the green room till concert time. Ben and Jeremy had gone to the Museum of the Dead in Aguascalientes, and loved it, coming back with masks and a book of pictures that I looked at while the guys warmed up and got ready to perform. I felt like they had accepted me for the most part, they treated me with far more familiarity than our time together warranted, but I wondered if this was due to their personalities, or mine. Or maybe they just had so many people in and out of their lives, acquaintances, not a lot of close intimates. Maybe they just got closer to you faster, to see if you were one who was going to stay.

Concert time found me side stage, with kisses, and a good view, I sometimes stood and sometimes sat, staying out of other people's way. Rafe utilized the stage to an extent I had not seen him previously. He literally danced and ran, and skipped and jumped all over the place. He chose almost all rockers, and upbeat up tempo songs tonight, really working the audience. They--- for their part--- sang with him constantly, and he loved that. He got them to clapping, he played solo riffs, and excited them to a frenzy.

It was highly entertaining. And I had to laugh, because for the most part Ben stayed on his guitar the whole time, to the right of Rafe, in front of Mutt's keyboards. Jeff stayed to the left, back further, closer to the drums, and Levi joined them tonight on another drum set. Jeremy joined on another guitar, and vocals. Otherwise mostly Ben did the backup vocals.

I felt tired and headachy, and leaned against a pole holding up one of the main screens and scaffolding. My body felt hot and then chilled. Jake stayed close by, asking periodically if I needed anything. My water bottle hung from limp fingers toward the end of the show. I felt really weird.

Eventually, even before the last encore, Jake insisted that I head back to the buses. It would still be at least two hours till Rafe was free. I agreed. As I started to leave though, Rafe saw me. I knew he was watching me out of the corner of his eyes. He pointed at me, gave me the what's up arms, and I pointed to my head, and rolled my eyes. He nodded and almost went back out, he was after all, still singing, and then he put down the microphone, and ran to my side, which was basically off stage, and while the band kept playing and the crowd wondered what the heck was up, the camera followed Rafe to my side, where he checked my forehead, asked if I was okay, and then kissed me soundly for all to see.

Was there no end to the thoughtfulness of this guy?

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