The next day started our photo and interview part of the tour, the actual concert dates finished up and only a few more days lay before us until we could get off this bus and go home. Mitchel, our bus driver, came in to give us our wake up call.

"Wake up!" he called, going to all of our bunks and shaking us awake.

"It's four in the morning," I heard Cameron complain.

"Yeah, your first interview is in two hours."

"Wake me up then." He rolled back over to go to sleep.

Dien, Zeke, Nick, and I hopped out of our bunks and decided to go help Mitchel out. Zeke grabbed a small bucket, Dien got the ice, and Zeke handed me the bucket to begin filling it with some water. Once we had our icy water ready, we motioned for Mitchel to move aside so he wasn't in the Splash Zone. Making sure Nick had his fair share of the fun, we let him pour the water on the lump we knew was Cameron.

"What the hell!?" he yelled, jumping up and nearly knocking his head on Dien's bed above his.

"Get up," I said, laughing along with the others.

"Fine, I'm up."

Just for revenge, Cameron began shaking like a dog, throwing water all over us. Too bad only Dien minded.

"Go dry off, and all of you need to start getting ready," Mitchel said and then walked back to the driver's seat and began the journey to the studio.

Bloody Winter had been a band for five years, but we only got big enough to be able to have a  tour and a bus and have enough people show up for the shows to be counted as concerts two years ago. This tour was only our second because our record company didn't want to pull us out of school so close to graduation last year, so we only toured that summer and then just now. 

All of us had gotten used to changing on a moving bus, but the make-up was a little tricky. For one thing, there was only one tiny bathroom and five of us, one being a girl. The other tricky thing was that the bus was moving, which means we all had to have steady hands.

I know what you're thinking: guys wearing make-up are gay. No, not all the time. Our band was like Mötley Crüe or Black Veil Brides, nothing like KISS or Twisted Sister. We were all done getting ready about 45 minutes before the interview was scheduled.

"Alright, the audience is already lined up out front," the interviewer, Jared, told us as we walked around the set. "Once you're back stage we'll be letting them in."

"Okay," replied Zeke.

"When the light goes off back stage, that is your cue to come out. You'll be led a certain way so that you won't be seen by the camera too early."

"Where will we be back stage?"

"He'll take you. See you soon."

We left with one of the security guards to our designated waiting place. There was some food, a couch, and a television.

"Sweet! I'm starving!" exclaimed Cameron as he ran to the table and began stuffing his face.

"You better not embarrass us on camera," Dien warned. 

"Neber." He laughed, cheeks bulging.

Dien rolled her eyes and sat down as we waited until we were able to go out there. "Such a thin guy, where does he put it all?"

"That was off Bloody Winter's newest album," Jared said once the music video ended. "And they're here joining us today. Please welcome Cameron Moncrief, Dien Justice, Jakob Kantian, Zeke Rhine, and Nick DeMarco."

There was an uproar of shouts and yells from the audience as we made our way past them to the stage and sat down on the large couch, facing Jared. 

"Okay, now, people are wondering about two of your names," Jared said after everyone calmed down. "Is that really how your names are pronounced, Dien and Moncrief? I realize I should have asked sooner."

"You were close," replied Dien. "My name is die-en. It's a long E."

"My last name is French, so most don't pronounce it right," Cameron stated with a chuckle. "Mow-crief. Crief like thief and mow like you're going to pronounce the N but you don't."

"Okay, that makes things easier," Jared said. "Now, you guys just got off tour, last concert two nights ago. Did you miss anything while on it?"

"Same as everyone," Zeke answered. "Personal bathrooms, big beds, and family."

"What are your families like?"

"Mine is a big, traditional Irish family," said Nick. "Moved here about three years before I was born, so I am happy I missed out on having that accent."

"I'm an only child, my parents are still together, and I have a dog I have had since I was in middle school," stated Zeke. "All these years of having Maris, she's part of the family. And she just had puppies yesterday!"

"My parents divorced six years ago and I have a younger sister," Cameron declared. Then he turned to the camera and waved. "Hi, Anna. Told you I'd be on TV and wouldn't be getting arrested." We all laughed.

"I've got an older brother, Brian, who taught me everything I know and pretty much raised me when our parents divorced when I was little," responded Dien.

"These guys are my family," I said.

"What about your biological family?" Jared inquired. "The one you knew before these guys?"

"Next question."

                                                                      ******************

"You know, we've been in a band for five years, and friends since kindergarten, but none of us know anything about your family," Zeke said as we all climbed into our bunks on the bus that night.

"Or even met them," added Cameron.

"Count yourselves lucky," I told them.

"Why is your family such a touchy topic?"

"Just is. Can we go to sleep now? We have an early photo shoot tomorrow."

They all sighed and shrugged, but I knew this wasn't the last I was going to hear about this. I rolled my eyes as I turned the lights off, my bunk closest to the switch. I pulled my blanket up to my shoulders and turned to face the wall. After a while, I could hear the others begin to whisper, apparently assuming I had already fallen asleep.

"Do we know if he has any siblings?" Dien inquired.

"Or if his parents are together?" Nick asked.

"No one knows anything," Zeke stated. "Not once has he slipped up and said something about them since the day we met."

"But it makes you wonder," said Cameron. "Why would someone keep their family so under wraps?"

I could feel their eyes on me, their heads full of questions I knew they were dying to ask. Every part of me wished I could turn to them and answer every question burning inside of them. But some secrets are best kept as just those, secrets.