School came the next morning and I was again dreading it. I didn’t even put makeup on today. I just put my hair back into a tight ponytail, put on some jeans, a tank top, my black vans, and then slung my backpack over my shoulder.

            I got to school about thirty minutes than I usually did because Sam drove me straight there so I didn’t take the bus and it was nice.

“Thanks Sam.” I said giving him a hug before getting out of the truck.

            I closed the door but he rolled down his window making me stop from leaving.

“Rowan.” He said to me.

“Yeah?” I asked looking at him.

“Have a good day okay? Don’t let Alexei get in the way of expecting the best to come out of your day.” He said completely serious.

            I appreciated his words and it instantly changed my mood for the most part.

“Thanks again Sam.” I said waving good bye.

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            Lunch rolled around. I hadn’t seen Alexei all day which was worrying for me. Even if we weren’t together anymore didn’t mean I didn’t still care about him. I took out my phone and sent him a text asking where he was. He wrote back maybe three minutes afterwards.

“I’m sorry I’m not at school today. I’ll be there tomorrow.” He wrote my back ignoring my “Are you okay?” part of the text.

            I sent him back a smiley face just to be upbeat but in reality I was upset. He had kind of gave me a shitty response and just because we weren’t together didn’t mean he had to be distant, it just meant we weren’t together anymore.

            The rest of the day went by fast and when I walked out of the school Jaxon was there.

“Hey! What are you doing here?” I asked him as I approached him.

“Well hello to you to.” He said with a smile.

            I smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“But seriously what are you doing here? I’m not weirded out or anything but just happy to see you.” I said grabbing his hand.

“Well I thought I would drive you home. We could hang out a bit.” He said pulling me closer.

            I smiled and nodded. We walked over to his truck and he drove me to Sam and Jenny’s. When we walked in through the door Jen was in the kitchen while Sam was in the living room watching a movie.

“Hey.” I said as I took off my shoes.

“Hey hun!” I heard Jen call from the kitchen.

            Sam turned around and waved.

“Hey bro.” Jaxon said walking over to Sam.

            I rolled my eyes and walked into the kitchen to see was Jenny was up to.

“What are you doing?” I asked her.

“Making dinner for us. I guess Jaxon is staying for dinner?” She asked looking at me.

            I shrugged and smiled.

“I’m not sure I’ll ask.” I said walking out to the living room.

“Are you staying for dinner?” I asked Jaxon.

“Only if it’s okay with you Sam.” Jaxon said looking at Sam.

            Sam shrugged.

“I don’t mind having you over.” Sam said standing up.

“I’m going to go help Jen get dinner ready.” He said with a smile.

            Once Sam turned the corner I grabbed Jaxon’s hand and went upstairs into my room. I gathered my pajama top and shorts and got dressed in my bathroom. When I came back Jaxon was looking at the pictures of me and my mom.

“Hey.” I said scaring him a bit even though I didn’t mean to.

            He turned around like he was in trouble.

“Hey, sorry.” He said stumbling on his words.

“It’s fine Jaxon. I don’t mind you looking at the pictures.” I said putting my dirty clothes in the hamper before walking over to him, wrapping my arms around his neck.

            I had to stand on my tip toes most of the time unless he was closer to me when I gave him hugs like these. He was so dang tall. He was even taller than Alexei and Alexei was pretty tall.

“How was today? How was…?” Jaxon started too trailed off but I knew what he was saying.

“He wasn’t there today for a reason we wouldn’t tell me.” I said biting my lip.

            I sighed and kissed him. It was short and sweet but it was still nice.

“I’m sorry Rowan.” He said holding me tight.

“I guess it’s what it is but still. Let’s get off the topic shall we?” I said putting on a smile.

            I let go of him and climbed into bed. He followed and we just talked until I heard Sam knocking on my door.

“Dinner Rowan.” He said to me.

            I got up and grabbed Jaxon’s hand pulling him up too.

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            After dinner Jaxon and I helped Jenny clean up and then after that Jaxon got ready to leave. I didn’t want him to but Sam didn’t know about Jaxon and I yet and I intended to keep it that way. Hell, none of the guys knew that we were together.

“I don’t want you to leave.” I said as I hugged him outside the door.

“I don’t want to either Rowan but if you want we can do this again. Maybe not stay for dinner but I can get you home.” Jaxon said holding my sides.

            I nodded and then gave him a quick kiss on the lips. Sam and Jenny had gone to bed so I was able to do that without feeling like we would get caught.

“Thanks for being her for me Jaxon.” I said looking into his green eyes.

            He took his hand and put a piece of hair behind my ear.

“I’ll always be here for you. Whatever happens I will always be here.” He said to me giving me another kiss.

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            The rest of the week ended up being the same as it had been on Monday. Yes, Alexei was back and we still hung out together but it wasn’t the same. It was weird and awkward. It was unnatural. Our conversations lacked happiness and the upbeat part of them that I really was kind of bored with them. I found myself only happy when Jaxon picked me up from school or when I wasn’t around Alexei because he just didn’t act the same way he did when we first met.

“Alexei? What are you doing tomorrow? The band is having another practice and I would like to invite you.” I said with a smile.

“I can’t Rowan. We have finals we have to study for remember?” He said looking at me like I was stupid or something.

“You can study while they play. You study with music playing.” I said taking a drink of my water.

            He shook his head.

“I can’t Rowan alright.” He said getting up from the table.

“Hey! Wait! You can’t just leave Alexei.” I said following him.

            He stopped in his tracks, turned around, and looked at me no expression on his face.

“Why can’t I?” He said to me.

“Because that’s a dick move that’s why and you’re not a dick Alexei.” I said, my fists curling up at my sides.

            He shook his head and turned around walking away from me.

“Fuck you!” I yelled at him before storming out of the building.

            I was so mad. I just wanted to leave but then I remembered what my mom said to me.

“I want you there every day after today unless it’s actually canceled or a family emergency happens or if there is not school that day, I want you to be there. Understand me?”

            I wasn’t not going to listen to her, dead or alive. I took a few deep breathes then entered the school again. I made my way to my locker and got ready for my next class.

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Friday Night

            I got home and got ready to go the practice. I was excited to go. One, because it was practice and I liked seeing all the guys and two, after practice Jaxon was going to take me on a date.

            I decided on going a little bit edgier tonight. I don’t know why but I wanted to so I did. I put on my black lace crop top, black skinny jeans, black boots, and then put on my skeleton necklace and these really cool earrings I found at a shop I was looking in one day about a month after my mom died. Then I went to the bathroom, fixed my hair and stuck with the natural makeup that I always did. Before I left with Sam I grabbed my Polaroid camera. I hung it around my neck and then we were off.

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Jaxon’s P.O.V.

            When Rowan stepped in the front door Keith, Dustin, Bentley, and my mouth dropped open. She looked so sexy and I wouldn’t blame the other guys if they thought so too but I would be pissed. But I almost couldn’t at the same time because none of them knew Rowan and I were together now.

“Hey guys!” She said running over to Bentley first because he was closest to her and gave him a hug.

            She then made her way to Dustin, then to Keith and then finally me.

“Why are all you guys’ mouths wide open? You’re all going to swallow flies.” She said in a whisper but she laughed at the last part.

“I’ll tell you later.” I replied with a smile.

            A couple minutes later we were getting ready for our first song. I was excited for after practice to the first song I suggested we preform was “I’ve Lost the Moon” by SayWeCanFly. We amped up the song a bit with more electric guitar and drums.

“Here I am, with blue eyes and heart in my hand, ready to give it away, but after tonight, I think I'll think twice. Before I go and say things like, "Trust me, I swear you can trust me," That's just been my way of hoping that someone will love me. But this lovesick boy, is getting sick again…” I sang into the microphone, my eyes not leaving Rowan’s.

            She had a big smile on her face and that was what made tonight great for me. Was seeing her smile. I continued to sing the rest of the song and after that we went a bit heavier with more rock music than acoustic. Animals by Nickelback was the next song we practiced and I saw Rowan sing along with us. These were pretty dirty lyrics so seeing her say them was kind of weird for me.

“…You're beside me on the seat, got your hand between my knees, and you control how fast we go by just how hard you wanna squeeze. It's hard to steer when you're breathing in my ear, but I got both hands on the wheel, while you got both hands on my gears...” I saw her sing with a smirk on her face.

            Yes it was just a song but damn. I could not stop looking at her though and I think that be both were thinking the same thing about each other. After a few other songs, we stopped to take a break. Get some water and food but since I was taking Rowan out tonight I only had a handful of trail mix.

            I had my back to the guys and Rowan so when she tapped my shoulder it stunned me for a second.

“Hey.” I said wanting to wrap my arms around her.

“I’m excited about tonight. Where are we going?” She asked with a smile.

            I smiled and shook my head.

“You know I’m not going to tell you that.”

“Fine.” She said to me before walking away.

            I heard her name called over by Dustin and I turned around to see them talking. Dustin must have said something funny because they both started laughing. I smiled. I loved when she was happy.

            I wonder if Alexei knew we were together. It wasn’t like I wanted to rub it up in his face or anything but I think in some sort of why he deserved to know. It wasn’t my place to tell him that though.

“We ready to start again?” Bentley asked me as he got a drink out of the fridge.

“I am if everyone else is.” I said to him.

            We walked over to everyone else and started a small conversation.

“You should hear Rowan sing dude. She’s wicked good.” Keith said wrapping a arm around Rowan’s waist.

“Nah, I’m not that good guys. I was simply just a fill in for Jaxon when he was gone.” She said with a bashful smile on her face.

            Everyone but me stood up in protest saying, “Rowan!” over and over as they fist pumped the air.

“I want to hear you sing Rowan.” I said with a smirk as soon as they finished.

            Rowan looked around nervously.

“Okay. I’ll sing. On one condition though.” She said walking on the stage.

            We all followed her wondering what she was about to say.

“Every one of you have to sing at one point in the future. It doesn’t have to be tonight but I want to hear you guys sing… without Jaxon singing himself.” She said grabbing the mic off of the stand.

”That’s fine with me.” Keith said walking past Rowan to his drums.

            The rest of the guys agreed and this time I got to sit out and watch her sing.

“What should I sing?” She asked everyone.

“We know a lot of songs. Most likely we know how to play a song or at least mimic it a bit to the point to where it sounds like the song.” Sam said holding his guitar.

            Rowan thought for a moment and then her face lit up.

“Do you guys know the song “Familiar Taste of Poison” by Halestorm?” She asked them.

“Yeah we know it.” Dustin said shifting his weight to the other side.

            Sam and Dustin began with the guitar intro and when it was Rowan’s time to start singing her voice melted into my soul.

“Drink the wine, my darling, you said. Take your time, consume all of it. But the roses, were only to drain my inspiration. The promises, were spoiled before they left your lips and... I breathe you in again, just to feel you. Underneath my skin, holding on to. The sweet escape is always laced with a… familiar taste of poison.” She sang into the mic but the whole time she sang her eyes were closed.

            She had so much emotion in this song that it almost didn’t matter that her eyes were closed. At the end of the song on the last line she opened her eyes and that for some reason gave me chills.

“There. Are you happy?” Rowan asked all of us after she stopped singing.

“Uh, Jaxon. You’re fired. Rowan your hired.” Keith said with a laugh.

            Rowan stepped of the stage and walked over to me.

“Very funny.” Rowan and I said at the same time.

            Everyone laughed and then I got on stage. We practiced a few more songs before it got around eight-thirty and everyone was ready to go home. Everyone except me and Rowan that is.

“Hey Sam. Jaxon and I are going to hang out for a while tonight before I go home. Is that alright?” I heard Rowan say to him.

“Yeah just don’t get into trouble.” I heard Sam say back to her.

“Thanks.” Rowan said hugging Sam.

            When Rowan was saying her goodbyes so the other guys Sm came over to me.

“I am legally her father now Jaxon so I’m responsible for her. I really care about her Jax. Please take care of her.” Sam said giving me warning looks.

“I will. I’ll have her home before midnight alright?” I said with a smile.

“I’m holding you to that.” He said before walking away from me, giving Rowan one last hug and then exiting the building.

            I walked over to the guys and said goodbye to them.

“How does Tuesday sound?” I asked them all.

“Sounds good to me.” They all said at once.

“Sweet. See you guys then I guess.” I said to them.

            Rowan walked out of the building a couple minutes before I did so she was already out by my truck by the time I got there. What I had planned for tonight was just an idea and hopefully it would work just the way I wanted it to.

“Ready?” I asked as we stepped into the truck.

“Yeah.” She said with a smile.

            I started the truck and pulled out her hand in mine.

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“So you were telling me where we were going then?” She said when we stopped at a stop sign.

“Nice try.” I said looking to the left and then to the right before started driving again.

“A girl’s gotta try.” She said to me before turning up the radio.

            The 80’s station was her favorite s before I got out for practice I turned it there for her. The song that was playing was Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. Rowan started laughing and then looked at me.

“If I sing this you have to sing it with me.” She said with a long smile.

“Deal.” I said turning it up a little bit louder.

            We both got ready to sing but when it started up I didn’t sing and Rowan did. At first she didn’t notice but she looked over at me and saw I wasn’t singing.

“Hey!” she said punching my shoulder. “You promised.”

“Sorry.” I said with a laugh. “I just wanted to hear your voice again.”

            She had her arms crossed over her chest, her lower lip in a pout.

“Hey, no sadness tonight.” I said grabbing for her hand.

“Fine.” She said giving me a slight smile.

            I turned right and then we began our journey up the hill.

“Seriously though, where are we going?” She asked me.

“This is the part where you put the- oh so famous blindfold on.” I said handing her the blindfold I had sitting on my lap.

            She looked at me funny and then sighed grabbing the blindfold from me. She put it on and then I started up the hill again. When I got to where I had set everything up I backed up the end of the truck so we would be facing everything.

“Can I take it off yet?” She asked me when I turned off the truck.

“Nope, not yet.” I said getting out of my side.

            I heard her call my name and I laughed to myself. I wondered how well she would be able to walk because she had heels on but I think she would be fine. I opened her door and got her out of the truck. To my prediction though she almost landed on her face but I caught her just in time.

“So you brought me her so I could fall?” She asked me jokingly.

“Come on.” I said leading her to the back of the truck.

            I picked her up by her sides and places her on the end of my truck. I walked over to where I had everything set up and then told her to take off her blindfold. She gasped when she saw everything.

            What I had done was make a drive in theater. I had bought a plain white sheet and taped it to two poles and stuck them in the ground. Then I got a projector that had a DVD slot in it so I could play movies on it. I had also got a portable popcorn maker and brought a small ice cooler full of drinks.

“This is amazing Jaxon!” She said jumping off the truck and walking over to me.

            She wrapped her arms around my neck and I spun her in circles.

“You’re amazing.” I said when I stopped spinning her.

            She smiled and then finally really looked at everything. She looked at the movies I picked and then she looked at how I had put everything together.

“Did you have to buy all this stuff?” She asked me.

“Yeah most of it but it was worth it.” I said wrapping my arms around her waist.

            She looked into my green eyes and blinked before smiling again and giving me a kiss.

“Thank you Jaxon. This means so much to me.” She said to me before going to the truck to get her jacket on.

            It was colder than it was down in town where we practiced so I followed her and did the same thing. I had noticed how reveling she had dressed today so it surprised me that she hadn’t covered up earlier. I mean I thought she looked amazing and I would like to see her like that more often but it had just surprised me.

“So what are we going to watch first?” She asked me as we set the blankets and pillows out.

“Whatever you want to watch first.” I replied to her.

            The movies I had brought was the movie Mr. Nobody that had Jared Leto in it. I had never seen it but I was sure Rowan had by the way she jumped when she saw it. The second movie I brought was Labor Day, another movie had not seen yet and a movie I didn’t know if Rowan had seen. The last movie I brought was World War Z. That I had seen before.

“I haven’t seen Labor Day yet but I wanted to. Do you mind?” Rowan said looking at me with a smile.

“Of course not. Here, I’ll put it in the projector.” I said to her.

            She gave me the DVD and I put it in the projector before joining Rowan in the back of my truck like we did the first time I ever took her out on a date. We got under a blanket and got close together so we could stay warm. We watched a couple old previews for movies and then after that we started our movie experience together.

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            After finishing all of the movies which I had to admit, I liked a lot, (even the romance ones) we packed up the things and headed back down the mountain. Rowan feel asleep three times which is good for her so she said the parts that she saw she really loved.

            I had about half an hour to get her home before Sam sent the dogs on me so I kind of drove a bit faster than usual but we got there just in time. I walked her up her steps and like last time we said our goodbyes. This time was different though because I could now kiss her without her thinking I was a freak.

“I had so much fun. You did a great jobs at making this night memorable.” She said looking at me.

            With her heels on we were just about the same height. Her eyes were bit greener tonight which I thought odd but kind of cool at the same time.

“You’re worth it Rowan. I would do anything for you.” I said running a gentle hand through her hair.

            We kissed one more time and then she headed inside. Tonight was defiantly memorable.

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Rowan’s P.O.V.

Monday

            The weekend was pretty normal. I hung out with Sam and Jen for the most part but I did got get dinner for us because no one felt like cooking and so that was the highlight of my weekend besides Jaxon’s date which I have to say is the most amazing things anyone has done for me on a romantic level. Now it was Monday and I had to face the asshole I had come to know.

            Alexei wasn’t really an asshole but jezz he was just not the same guy as he used to be. I was going to sit him down today and just talk to him about this because ever since we split he hadn’t been the same guy. I mean this could not have been his first break up and I was taking it better than him!

            I was wearing a greyish green crop shirt that hung just under my belly button with a pair of light wash shorts. I wore my black Vans and left my hair down curly. I slung my bag over my shoulder and made my way to the bus.

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“Alexei!” I yelled trying to get his attention.

            He kept walking and that just set me off. The hell does he think he’s doing?

“Alexei!” I yelled louder.

            He stopped in his place but didn’t turn around to see me. He has been so rude to me the past few days that I don’t even know why I’m trying to talk to him. I made my way over to him breathing hard but the intensity in the situation was more important than getting a drink of water. I spun him around with one hand and looked at him clean in the eyes.

“You’re being an asshole, Alexei. You need to stop whatever this is and get your head out of your ass. You need to listen to what I’m saying and then I’ll listen to you. Obviously something’s wrong and you need to tell me what it is because you’re not the same guy as you used to be with me.”