
Inside Alec’s bus
(with Zach)
You talk all things Sunset Motion on your way to Alec’s bus. You and your best friend have been dying to know more about their recently signed deal with Alec’s record label!
“We’re working on it,” Zach replies when you ask about their first album. “The label wants more…new titles, so we’ve been writing as much as we can on tour.”
“I can’t wait to hear the new songs!” your friend squeals.
And Zach gives her an uncomfortable smile.
You’re not an expert in body language but you can tell something is wrong here. He was supposed to be happy that his band is being recognized—that he’s about to become famous! But for some reason, Zach seems distant from reality. As if he was in fact upset about the whole thing.
“Here we are. Home sweet home.” He changes the subject, pointing ahead to a beautiful red bus.

You’ve seen photos of it on the internet—from fans who’d been fortunate enough to cross Alec’s path on the road.
Zach opens the bus door and gestures for you to climb in.
Gosh, I’m the luckiest of them all!
“It’s absolutely gorgeous!” your best friend says, taking it all in.
The first thing you notice is the big black couch on both sides of the bus lounge. You can totally picture Alec relaxing here after a show.
Or opening the fridge to find something to drink. Or having a snack at this very table with James and Zach! Your fangirl heart races out of control.
“This is where we spend most of our time,” Zach explains. “There’s not much to do on the bus besides sleep, so whenever we’re awake, we’re here playing video games or watching TV.”



Your friend picks up one of the cushions and hugs it to her face. “I can’t believe Alec Brock has sat on this!”
Zach laughs out loud. “Come check out his room! I’m sure we can find something more interesting for you to smell in there.”
You think he’s joking, but he’s not. The next thing you know, Zach is leading the way to the back of the bus.
Oh my God. You hold your breath as he opens the door. I’m in Alec’s room! This is the actual bed he sleeps in after the shows!


“Things are pretty serious between them, huh?” Your friend sounds disappointed, making you notice Linda’s suitcase on the other side of the room.
“Yep.” Zach nods, his eyes twinkling. Almost as if he’s happy to see your reaction to Linda’s presence in Alec’s…
That’s when you understand James’s reaction on the stage. The whole “getting involved with fans” joke.
This is what Zach does! He brings the fans here, straight into Alec and Linda’s love nest, just so we can see we have no chance with our idol before Zach can opportunely—
“Would you like to see my bunk?” he says in a flirty way.
You bite the inside of your cheek to hold back a smirk. So this is your move, huh? You stare at Zach McLaren, wondering how far he’s planning to go with this.
“I’d love to see it!” Your friend takes the bait.
And Zach bolts out of Alec’s room, leading you back into the narrow corridor.
Only now do you notice the two closed doors between Alec’s suite and the bunk area.
“What’s in here?” You point.
“Toilet.” He opens the door on your right. “And shower.” He opens the one on your left.


“It’s cleaner than I imagined,” you confess. I mean, there are, like, ten guys living in this place together. You would expect things to get a little…messier.
“We knew we’d have visitors today, that’s why.” Zach winks at you.
Like, literally—throwing all his charm into it!
And the worst part is that your heart freaking races as he flashes you that devilish smile of his.
Stop it! You turn your gaze away. You’ve already figured out his game, you’re not falling for it!
“Which one is yours?” your friend asks, examining one of the bunks.
“The top one to your left.” Zach reaches out to pull the curtains open.

You have got to be kidding me. I can’t help but chuckle. There’s a teddy bear lying in his bed.
“Aww!” Your friend picks it up. “He’s so cute! What’s his name?”

“Bobby,” Zach admits, embarrassed. “But, no—you shouldn’t have seen this! I swear I don’t… It was a gift from a fan!”
“Hey, it’s okay!” Your friend comforts him, an enchanted look on her face. “I won’t tell anyone behind this punk, I-don’t-give-a-shit mask, there’s a soft guy at heart.”
Oh, wow. You’re as amused as impressed now. Zach has mastered his game to perfection.
First, he plays the “helpful guy” to lure you in. Then he shows you how unavailable your real crush (Alec Brock) is, right before “accidentally” letting you know how sweet he secretly is.
Well done, Zach McLaren! You exchange a glance with him. How many girls have fallen for your tricks since the tour started? Ten? Twenty? A hundred?
“Zach?” someone shouts from the door.

“Uh-oh. Party’s over,” he murmurs as you recognize AJ, one of Alec’s bodyguards.
“They’re here!” AJ turns around.
And your jaw drops when you see who’s behind him.
“Matt!” Your friend sprints in his direction. “Oh my gosh, you look so much like Alec!”
You’re super excited to talk to Matt too, but you can’t stop looking at Zach now. For a fraction of a second, you really see raw emotions behind his rehearsed reactions.
Is it…loneliness? For the first time, you’re genuinely intrigued about the real Zach McLaren.
“Let’s go, girls. I’m taking over this ‘backstage tour.’” AJ shoots Zach a stern look.
“You don’t have to be a jerk, you know that?” Zach barks back. “Let me at least…” He searches for something in his bunk.
Drumsticks? You widen your eyes at him.

“It was a pleasure meeting you.” He hands you one, then reaches out to give your friend the other. “Maybe we can hang out some more later? After the show?”
“Yes!” the answer bursts out without your consent.
You may have figured out his game, but something tells you there’s so much more to learn about him. So much more you want to know.
Zach smiles at you in silence, but AJ interferes, “Let’s go? Ben was going crazy, searching for you.”
Like a broken spell, you come back to reality. “I’m so sorry! He must be super mad at us for sneaking out…”
“He knows it wasn’t your fault, don’t worry,” AJ reassures you.
“He’s—” Matt trails off while reading the text on his phone “—waiting for us in the green room.”
Does he mean Alec’s dressing room? Adrenaline pounds through your body as you follow Matt and AJ out of the bus.
AUTHOR’S NOTE: A super special thanks to Village Coach for inspiring me with their photos when I was writing the Alec Brock Series, and for letting me use these images (of their Brookland Entertainer Coach) to illustrate my vision of Alec’s tour bus.