Hauling in the deep breath, Keely let it out in time with the note hanging on the air inside her hotel room.

She didn’t know what else to do, so she just listened.

Maybe the mixing wasn’t as smooth or, well, brilliant as she was used to with Seth’s work, but that didn’t take away from the album. Perhaps it even enhanced the effect. With a little more edge to the songs, playing on the little mishaps like a quickening of the tempo or a messed up chord, it gave the music a wholesome quality. It was pure, and that was enough to make up for everything else.

Now she could only wonder if that had been the point in the beginning. That was a question she’d eventually have to ask.

And maybe the drums weren’t as good as what he’d played on her album, but that only showed the musical development over the years. But she couldn’t really point out a flaw with that either, he just wasn’t as skilled yet as he was now.

Was he a musical prodigy?

No doubt.

As the song she was listening to for the sixth or so time hit the end of the final hook, Keely let out a deep breath while the guitar began to fade into nothingness.

Closing her eyes, she let her head roll back slightly and stretch the stiff muscles that were tense throughout her shoulders. Lightly she ran her hand up her bare knee, her palm skidding along her skin absently.

Why was it so hard for her to understand her life on a daily basis when she took the time to think but when she was listening to music it all made sense within moments?

The only issue was that once the song ended; all that absolution would sprint away.

Hearing the tell-tale sound of her phone vibrating along the wooden table, Keely shoved herself forward with a sigh. Quickly silencing the music, she stretched out to the end table, snatching up her phone and raising it to her eyes.

Unsurprised by who was calling, she just pressed the phone to her ear and asked, “Hello?”

“It’s John,” her guitarist informed her.

Not liking her rather listless mood, Keely just puffed out her cheeks disinterestedly as she tugged the notepad and pen on the kitchen table towards herself. “Yeah, mystery solved,” she replied vaguely as she began to scribble down words on the pad.

“We’re just pulling into the parking lot of your hotel in a moment,” he continued as if she’d never spoken.

“Great,” Keely told him dully before she hung up.

Even as she ended the call, her hand kept moving busily across the page, her writing almost illegible in its haste.

Feeling interested at what she’d just jotted down absentmindedly. To her great disappointment, she found that she hadn’t had a moment of brilliance, but just kinship as she read the words. “I am afraid of falling in love, so I keep myself to myself. I want a cookie and I need a hug, but I keep myself to myself. I keep myself to myself. And when I’m sad, I comfort myself with thinking that, no one understands. Sometimes I dig through shells at a low tide. I wonder if anything fragile, could ever survive in this world without getting broken. I am afraid of things that can hurt, so I keep myself to myself.”

No, she’d had no brilliance in that moment. Just copying another person’s song.

Ten guesses why she was writing down that song of all she had to choose from.

Frustrated, she shoved the paper and pen away from herself and pushed out of the seat.

For an hour straight she’d been waiting for that call, she couldn’t just ignore it completely. In the black skirt that cut of just inches above her knees and travelled up to the v neck and into two thick straps over her shoulders, she was very much overdressed for a night of simply listening to Seth’s solo album in her hotel room.

Not to mention Maureen had had makeup artists set up in her room hours before to make sure she simply didn’t skip out because she was too lazy to do her own makeup, not to mention her hair. With the simple loose red spirals falling over her bare shoulders with her bangs pulled back stylishly into a small braid to keep her hair away from her eyes and a face much more put together than she’d been for almost the entire tour, she was by far ready to make an appearance – fashionably late at Maureen’s orders – at her own record party.

Shrugging on the plain pea coat to go over the dress to brace against the crisp winter air, Keely just took time to shove her hotel key and cell into the pockets before moving hastily out of the room.

Stuck in the elevator with a man wearing nothing but a bathrobe with much more dignity she’d ever possessed in her life, Keely just leaned her shoulder against the wall.

The vacant feeling that possessed her entire body was making her more frustrated by the moment, but not enough to make it flee. She was on her way to her record release party. She had an album coming out tonight. There were music critics, musicians and just all sorts of people she really didn’t know at all coming to her party tonight. So why on earth was she feeling so dull?

Hauling in a deep breath, Keely pressed her fingers to her temple as the elevator came to a smooth halt at the lobby floor. Waiting for Mr Bathrobe to exit in front of her, his shoulders straight and regal, she followed him out a bit more slumped, her hands pushed into the pockets of her open pea coat.

With bathrobe guy gaining all the attention of the people loitering in the lobby, she was able to make a quick escape without so much as getting a glance in her direction.

The moment she pushed out of the hotel, the chilly air nipped at the bare skin of her chest and legs, making Keely huddle back into her coat. Hastily moving down the steps as fast as she could manage with the heels she had on, she only raised her eyes up once she’d hit solid ground, scowling slightly.

Limousines were really getting on her nerves.

But according to Ms Jones showing up in a cab wouldn’t be fitting since it was her record launch. Only taking her hand out of her pocket to pull open the door before anyone could open it for her, and then climb inside to the thankfully warm limo.

“Hey guys,” she murmured, falling back into the seat as she slammed the door behind her. Raising her hand, she went to brush back her bangs in a habitually movement, only to remember that her bangs had been pulled back into the pretty braid. Keely sent the Bitter Rivals a small smile as she glanced around at them.

They chanted back their hellos before two of them started talking again, but much to Keely’s surprise, John began to speak to her. Willingly speaking to her? This had to be a record.

“Congratulations,” he told her gruffly.

Not knowing how to respond, she just sent him a light shrug, biting the inside of her mouth in confusion. “Thanks,” Keely responded a bit questioningly.

“I mean it,” John pressed still not looking at her. “I would actually buy this album and I–I’m happy that we got to play on your tour.”

Shocked she stared at him for a moment, so used to only sharing one or two words with him, and usually they were more than angry. When had this happened? She hadn’t seen them since the television show she’d done that had ended disastrously until the other night when they’d played those two songs. What had changed in that time?

Decidedly not prodding at it, Keely nodded slowly. She didn’t want to pester him, because in her experience if not done right, that could only make resentment. And she would like the same kind of peace when they got back on the road. “Thanks,” she repeated, but a definite boost of sincerity in her words this time.

He just nodded before cutting into the conversation with the other two older men.

In just a half an hour, they were arriving at the club that the party was being held. It was the Chrome Palace, the same place that she’d played her first show in New York City. The first time she’d ever played with NSR in front of an audience.

Straightening her jacket, Keely was the first one of them to push out of the limo. Getting a clear view of the paparazzi who had been denied access swarming around the entrance, harassing the people as they walked in with questions and flashing cameras, not to mention the fans that were doing the same but in a much more welcome way. But the moment she’d stepped out of the limo, the attention was on her.

It was as if there was a calm before the storm, one deep breath as her back up band followed her out, standing behind her. And then all hell broke loose.

Pasting a bright smile on her face, Keely stepped into the middle of the throng. Wearing that smile as if she’d been born wearing it, she answered single questions to the reporters though she didn’t pause for pictures with them. She signed autographs as she moved through, stopping to talk to the people for some reason felt the need to come out to see her, she could only manage a few words with each of them even though she felt all of them deserved more for coming out. For the fans she did stop for pictures though, smiling brightly into the cameras for as long as she could achieve.

“Do you think your album will be able to handle itself with the way the musical climate is right now?” someone shouted out, clearing a reporter to her ears.

Smiling sweetly at the boy who had held out a magazine with her picture on the cover with the rest of NSR, she quickly scrawled out her signature. “I think that if this many people care to listen to it, it doesn’t matter what the rest of the world thinks,” Keely replied without so much as a glance to the reporter who had spoken.

Feeling an arm twine around her shoulder, she glanced up, expecting to find some overly friendly fan who had ignored personal bubble rules. But she instead found Maureen, wearing an award winning smile as she looked around at the crowd.

“I’m going to have to steal Keely away,” she informed them, her voice incredibly firm even though it was dripping with pleasantness. How did she manage to do that? “She’s late enough for her own party already, much longer and you’ll have forced her to miss the whole thing.”

Almost instantly Maureen was angling her towards the doors of the club. Hastily Keely handed back the boy his pen, giving him one last smile before she was dragged inside.

“You handled that well,” said Ms Jones in a low voice when they were mere steps away from the door.

Keely arched an eyebrow, replying, “You sound surprised.”

The door was opened for them, and the first thing she noticed was the sound vibrating from the room. Loud enough for the words to be clear, but conversation allowed as Cat Power travelled through the club. After a moment, she focused in front of her, taking in the club crawling with people in their dresses and suits. “I am,” Maureen said bluntly. “Now keep being nice to the people and make your way around. You have two hours before you go on stage to play your album.”

“Ay Captain,” Keely retorted sarcastically before slipping out beneath her arm, handing her jacket to a person awaiting and moving away.

She didn’t even get four steps away before she was waylaid by a man she’d never met before. “It’s a great party already, Keely. Good job.”

Trying to hide her confusion, she just sent him that smile she managed to save from outside. “Ah, thank you so much for coming,” she responded, “It means a lot to me.” Sending him one last blast with the smile, she side stepped him, muttering under her breath, “Whoever the hell you are.”

But another person was stepping in front of her, an older man with thick grey hair brushed away from his eyes. “I was given an advanced listening to your album,” he told her with a wink, “I thought it was nothing short of brilliant.”

Knowing that she should probably know who he was since he’d even got to hear her album before it was released, she just kept smiling at him. This time it felt more real though, there was a warm sensation spreading through the pit of her stomach. “Thanks, that’s a relief,” she told him honestly.

He gave a self-important laugh, gesturing a hand to the bartender that was standing behind the counter. Obviously he took her words as her saying that she was relieved he liked it, instead of the truth where she was just relieved someone liked it. “I’d never tell a lie about it,” he promised, handing her one of two delicate glasses that the bartender had brought, filled with bubbling gold liquid. “To your album,” he told her, holding his glass up.

After a moment she just tapped her glass to his, wondering if he realized she was underage and just didn’t care. “And thanks for listening to it,” she added, taking a sip of the champagne in the glass.

“Well, we’ll talk about it later,” the man assured her as his eyes met someone behind her. “For now, I have to talk to Maureen about something.”

When he brushed past her, Keely just moved so she was leaning against the bar. A lot of the people in the room were on the younger side, thankfully, but that didn’t mean that there wasn’t a fair share of stuffy old men wearing ironed suits. Staring around, she was just worried about how much schmoozing Maureen was expecting her to do that night.

With that thought in mind, Keely tipped the glass up to her lips; although this time she just took one long gulp, draining what was left of the champagne.

Thoughtfully she looked down at the cup, moving it lightly between her fingers. She couldn’t even decide if she liked the drink or not. Was she ever going to be able to decide even the most basic things about herself?

“Keely, finally!”

Surprised by the familiar voice, her head jerked upwards, looking wildly about herself. But a smile quickly melted onto her mouth when she found the source.

Setting her glass aside so quickly it was a wonder it didn’t just skitter off the top of the bar, Keely lurched forward a step and flung her arms around the girl who had her dark hair pulled back into an elegant twist and wearing a sunny yellow dress. “I had no idea you were going to be here,” she said happily as she gave the girl one last tight squeeze before pulling away.

Jennifer smiled brilliantly, flashing beneath the lights shockingly. “Yeah, I’m back in town for a month or so before I start filming in Australia, so Marco invited me,” she explained.

As if in tune with her words, Marco stepped into view. “You excited?” he questioned, putting his arm around Jenny’s waist.

“Sort of,” she answered, giving a little shrug as she sent him a small smile.

Marco’s eyebrows furrowed beneath his fringe of blonde hair. “What does that mean?”

Unconsciously she placed a hand on her stomach; his words had brought back the thought that her music was being released into the cold hands of music critics everywhere. It was enough to bring on some nerves.

“Nothing,” Keely said at random. There was no point getting into it here, not with reporters shuffling through the crowd.

At that point Jenny cut in, causing Keely to change her gaze back to the gorgeous actress who almost looked glowing. “Why are you in this part of the crowd?”

“What are you talking about, Coop?” she returned.

Rolling her eyes lightly Jenny reached out, grabbing Keely’s hand while doing the same to Marco’s with her other hand. “You’re standing with all the stuffy industry people,” she explained, tugging the two of them away into the crowd. “We’ve got much cooler people away from here.”

“You saying that just makes me need to disagree,” Keely chuckled, but all the time let herself be dragged in step with Marco.

“You’re killing us all inside,” put in the boy in question.

Before Keely could respond, Coop let go of her hand, though she kept her fingers twined through Marco’s. “See; cooler,” she proclaimed easily, taking a step towards Marco so that their sides were pressing against each other.

Shaking her head she was about to protest further, but then someone else came into sight from the corner of her eye.

“Okay,” she admitted, “Cooler.”

Raising a hand, she hailed Marissa’s attention easily, sending her a broad smile.

Finding her way over to them eagerly, the newest member to their little group greeted them all with a friendly kiss on the cheek.

“I missed you,” Keely informed her, pulling the girl in for a tight hug.

“Yeah, me too,” Marissa replied as she pulled away, her blue eyes twinkling. But suddenly they darkened seriously. “I’m sorry about how everything went down,” she began, her tone obviously apologetic. “I didn’t–”

Not letting her even finish the sentence, Keely shook her head vigorously, gripping Marissa’s thin forearms tightly. “I know,” she enlightened her simply.

She did know, the girl didn’t need to apologize for the tour and everything that happened in the past weeks. Marissa was her friend, and she knew well enough that what had happened was not like her at all. It all screamed Mr James, but Keely wasn’t about to point that out. It wasn’t something she wanted to talk about anyways.

“Good,” sighed Marissa relieved, a smile breaking over her pretty face. “You excited?”

After a moment of incredulous staring at being asked the same question in just a matter of minutes by two completely different people, Keely just chose to ignore it altogether. “The tour isn’t going to be the same without you.”

“Oh, I know,” she answered easily with a smug grin. “The tour is going to be just boring without me.”

Giggling lightly, Keely shook her head, glancing about them. She very much doubted that, over the beginning of the tour she’d barely seen Marissa, but the boys had managed to keep it very interesting. But she wasn’t about to say that either. “I don’t know what we’re going to do without you,” she responded in mock solemnity.

Easily Marissa just elbowed her in the side. “Don’t worry; I’m sure you all will survive without me.”

Keely was about to respond, sarcastic words on the tip of her tongue, but the song quickly changed from The Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Bang to Van Morrison’s Moondance. Surprised she glanced up, looking towards the stage where she thought the music would be playing, but her view was obstructed by a group of men standing in suits in front of them. She wasn’t complaining about the choices, she adored both songs, but it seemed like it was an odd jump.

“Who’s choosing the music?” she questioned, peering around the men hopefully as the jazzy sound of the song flooded around them.

It was Marco who answered, still holding Jenny’s hand tightly at his side. “Ah Seth did,” he told her, oddly not meeting her eyes, instead looking over her shoulder. “Maureen took out what she thought might be too offensive for some of the people in the crowd, they’re using vinyls because he said you’d like it better.”

Nodding slowly, Keely looked pointedly away from him as well, staring unseeingly at the group of men huddled together. Just the mention of his name making the pit of her stomach drop while a part of her wished vehemently to just see him; she’d always been a bit of a contradiction, right from the start. But now her emotions were going in the same fashion, and she wasn’t exactly comfortable about it.

Almost as if her thoughts had pushed them away, the group of men left guffawing, making a beeline to the bar. But instead of looking immediately to the stage, Keely found her gaze frozen in front of her.

He was standing straight in front of her, although Seth’s eyes hadn’t glanced in their direction as of yet while he spoke to a man she didn’t recognize. However he didn’t seem that focused on the conversation as he pulled on the tie around his neck. Keely couldn’t help but bite her lip as she took him while wearing the plain black suit and matching tie with a white button up shirt.

It was a plain suit, Marco and almost every other man in the room was wearing the same one, but it was different. She couldn’t say if it was just because her own ever growing lust when it came to him or just because he was, well, him, but he was dripping unconscious sex appeal as he stood there. The suit fit him perfectly, from the broad shoulders and lean body, but he didn’t look as if he was too comfortable wearing it. The evidence she was taking being the top button of his shirt being open with his tie loosened slightly even as he tugged on it.

Dropping the tie, he gave a slight nod to the guy saying something to his companion that remained a mystery to her as he raised a hand, ruffling his already mused hair. His lips turned up in a smile, but it seemed half hearted as he glanced in their direction finally.

Gulping deeply, she just stared back as his gold eyes pierced hers from the yards between them.

“What?” she mumbled, a voice bridging on the edge of her thoughts.

“What’s wrong with you tonight?” laughed Jenny, forcing Keely to finally tear her eyes away from Seth to look at the girl speaking. “I was asking why you didn’t come see me when you lot were in Vancouver, I saw everyone but you.”

Blankly Keely looked at her, the stop in the tour felt like years ago. But really, it hadn’t been as long as she’d created in her head. Thinking drastically, she searched in her mind for an excuse, any excuse. She hadn’t told anyone about what had happened, not Colton or Marco, she hadn’t even questioned her father about what she’d learnt there. The only one that knew what had happened was Seth, and for the time being she’d like to keep it that way.

However an excuse was quickly provided for her.

“Go make rounds,” Ms Jones’ raspy voice ordered from behind her.

Surprised, Keely twisted about to look at her, asking, “Huh?”

With a gentle shove that made Keely stumble slightly in the heels she was wearing, Maureen waved a hand around the room. “All these people are here for you, I expect you to make an effort to speak to as much as you can.”

Immediately she sent Marissa a pleading look, but the girl just smirked at her. “I do enough of that for my own music, go have fun, I’m going to get a drink.”

“Not such a kiss ass when it comes to me, are you?” Keely questioned, narrowing her eyes at her friend.

Laughing loudly, Marissa just waved her hand at her. “Not at all, now, go away.”

With a roll of her eyes, Keely spun around, submerging herself in the crowd.

Surprisingly she found that it wasn’t as horrible as she’d expected. She’d managed to hold her tongue all night, though she’d been tempted to say a few choice words more than once. But for the most part, the people weren’t bad. A lot were musicians, although she thankfully saw a notable absence of Miss Rachael Gosling, she was hoping the girl had gone into recluse for a while.

Then there were quite a few music critics that she could talk to easily, a few reporters that she was stiff with but thankfully only asked about her music and not her social life. And then a major assortment of people, but most of them were artists.

It wasn’t until about an hour and a half since she’d arrived – as much as she was enjoying the people at the party, she was itching to get on stage and counting the minutes until she was allowed up – that she found a very familiar face in the crowd.

“Hi,” she said in surprise, stopping in her tracks, having to tip her head back to meet the eyes of the incredible tall boy.

The drummer she remembered from the Cavern Jets blinked down at her, then tugged on the lapels of his suit nervously. “Hey Keely,” William answered with an anxious smile.

For a moment she couldn’t help but stare at him, as if seeing a face from her childhood even though she’d only met him a handful of times before the tour started. With his light brown hair falling easily over his forehead, kind dark eyes and reaching at least six five in height, she remembered him easily. Will was easily recognizable as the boy she’d discussed the band name with as well as drummer for her on that Cold War Kids cover they’d done at the warehouse.

Apparently taking her silence as a hostile one, Will blanched under her scrutiny. “I don’t know if you hate the whole band now, but I’m sorry. I mean, I’d hate us too, we totally just bailed on you and it was unfair. I swear that I didn’t…”

Suddenly she smiled up at him, shaking her head so that he trailed off. “Oh, I was pissed before. But I kind of like the way that things turned out,” Keely answered with a shrug. “Anyways, you guys got a record deal now? That’s great for you guys, a lot better than being my back up band.”

Seeming apparently relieved, a little colour came back in his face. “It is cool,” he answered, but there was something in his voice that confused her. “We can’t wait to go on tour with you guys. And, just so you know, Jordan who was the reason we backed out on you is out of the band.”

“Makes more sense,” she replied with a chuckle.

She was going to ask who they had gotten to replace him, but the words died in her throat as a new boy walked around the corner.

This one she’d never met, but she knew very well who he was. From the blonde hair that swung almost down to his shoulders to the very much loosened tie that was more like a lasso around his neck, he could be no other. And the smile that he sent her before stopping beside them almost made her faint like the little fan girl that she was.

Putting her hands over her mouth, she stared at him with wide eyes.

“You’re Jake Beck,” she whispered in an awed voice, it coming out muffled from behind her hands.

He sent her an odd look, crossing his arms over his chest and answering in the strong British accent, “And you’re Keely Staub.”

Unable to hold in her obsessive side, Keely dropped her hands, her face brimming with her smile. “Oh my god, you’re like a punk rock god. The bass lines that you turn out for The Dynamic are just, amazing. You guys played this club show in Seattle that I snuck out to go see by myself because none of my friends would go with me and I had to sneak into the club. You guys are incredible.”

She wasn’t lying or exaggerating. Keely had no doubt that the bass held the magic for that band, she used to listen to their albums and just let it hit her full on. She’d always been a huge fan of bass, feeling that people never gave it enough credit, the bass having such an impact on music that people would never realize until it was gone. Plus, she’d always loved the bass driven music from the nineties alternative scene.

He laughed slightly, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his suit. “I like the songs you’ve turned out so far,” Jake replied simply with a shrug.

“Oh, I used to go everywhere to find your albums when The Dynamic released albums,” she reminisced. “You guys were never on a major label, which makes you so much better, so it wasn’t easy to find your music but it was so worth it.”

Abruptly William stuck out his hand, reminding Keely that he was still standing there. “Will Johnston,” he introduced himself.

“Jake Beck,” the other man told him casually, shaking his hand.

“Why are you here?” Keely blurted, gaining eyes on her again. Sheepishly, she lowered her eyes, her voice coming out much softer than before. “Well, your band is known for only putting out music on indie labels, I didn’t know you had any connections to UAE.”

Dipping his hand back into his pocket, he told her nonchalantly, “Band broke up a couple weeks ago. I’m here because they’re considering taking me on as a session bassist.”

Horrified she stared at him. “The Dynamic is over?”

“Yup, hold onto all the records you have. We were never commercially successful; no one is going to reprint albums. The only people that are going to have them are hipsters soon.”

Wrinkling her nose, she answered frankly, “Hipsters annoy me. I mean the music they listen to is incredible, that’s my type of music. I love it. But they’re so focused on not conforming to mainstream society, that they’ve begun conforming to being hipster. They’re just a parody of themselves,” she finished with her potent feeling of hipsters that she felt like sharing with everyone.

Jake looked at her surprised through his amber eyes, saying, “I agree completely.”

“Hey.”

The simple greeting did not come as a surprise, but the voice sent a shiver running up her spine without an ounce of effort.

Since she’d seen him while standing with her small group of friends, she’d known that she’d be talking to Seth at least once during the evening. Glancing behind her, Keely found that he wasn’t even looking at her, continuing on with his greetings of the rest.

Silently, she looked around at the little circle they’d formed. Seth beside her with Will to his right then Jake standing between her and Will.

“What are you guys doing, hiding away?” asked yet another new voice, breaking into their four person group.

This time she was surprised, glancing as Jenny and Marco broke in, shoving between Seth and Will. As the song switched to Radiohead’s very much familiar All I Need, she glanced at the boy standing beside her while Coop began talking rapidly, finding that his eyes had switched over to her finally.

Silently she looked at him as he returned the gaze, not knowing if she just didn’t want to speak or she didn’t need to.

Suddenly he shifted towards her slightly, placing a hand on the small of her back. Momentarily she closed her eyes as her muscles went taut at the simple pressure of his warm hand through the fabric of her dress. “Do you want to dance?” he asked, quiet enough so that only she could hear.

Still not speaking Keely just nodded, biting down on her bottom lip.

A reassured flash flickering across his face Seth just moved them around, not so much as addressing the other four as he maneuvered them towards the dance floor.

But just because they didn’t acknowledge the others, it didn’t mean that Keely didn’t hear their words as they moved away. “What’s going on between them?” asked Jenny, not bothering to hide the clear confusion in her voice.

She wished she knew.

“No one knows,” answered Marco, voicing her sentiments.

Not even bothering to send them a sharp look even if what they were saying was true, Keely just turned towards Seth when they’d stopped on the dance floor. Not being one to really dance her whole life unless it had been joking and lighthearted, she awkwardly put her hand in his and her other on his shoulder, staying a good distance a part.

Without a word, he just tugged her closer by the hand on the small of her back. At the gentle movement she felt a gasp escape her lips, though it was mostly because she found herself pressed against his hard chest.

“So do you know Jake?” she questioned, unable to stay silent while they moved subtly to the music, the most demure of couples that happened to be dancing. She found that a part of her was scared if she didn’t say something; Seth would bring up the kiss and whenever they spoke about that they just seemed to manage to fight about something. She just didn’t want to fight.

“Yeah,” he confirmed. Although Keely could feel him nod from their pressed together position, she didn’t see it as she happened to be staring away into the crowd without seeing one face. “I saw The Dynamic playing a club show a couple years ago that they had to sneak Jake into because he wasn’t old enough to play in a bar.”

Finally she looked back at him, a smile turning up the edges of her mouth softly. “He wasn’t the only one sneaking in,” she pointed out as Tom Yorke continued to sing behind them.

“I’m all the days, that you choose to ignore.”

When he didn’t respond, just continued to look down at her with his eyes searching her face, Keely found it impossible to look away. His thumb was stroking the soft skin on the inside of her palm with the guitar callous, driving her mad in a far too good way.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked quietly, the music building from the speakers behind them; “I am a moth, who just wants to share your light.”

Feeling suddenly very tired of it all; Keely just pressed her lips together and shook her head. “No,” she told him weakly while meeting his eyes. For once she understood the flicker of hurt that travelled across his face.

Hiding the look easily, his forced his mouth into a strained grin. “Do you want to fight about it some more?”

Seriously Keely just shook her head again, not taking her eyes away from him.

Resting her cheek casually on his shoulder, she just closed her eyes, feeling his heart beat beneath his suit. “No,” Keely repeated at a whisper, feeling like they were in their own little world as she leaned against him.

“You are all I need, you’re all I need,” came from the speakers as she tried to speak again.

But the words “I missed you” died on her tongue, refusing to come out.

“I just don’t want to fight anymore and I don’t want to run,” she finally told him.

Without even considering saying another word, Keely let them drift into silence, swaying slightly to the song. And as the song ended, “It’s all wrong, it’s all right. It’s all, it’s all” she didn’t want pull away.

However a new song didn’t begin, she reluctantly opened her eyes, staring at the stage.

But the record player was being wheeled away, and she found that instead there microphones set up on stage along with instruments waiting. What was happening only became clearer when The Bitter Rivals migrated onto the stage.

“You’re up,” voiced Seth from beside her as she finally pulled away.

Straightening she finally let her hand fall away from his shoulder while her other she just tugged from his grasp. “Yeah,” she answered simply, sending him a smile as turned around.

“You look beautiful,” he said from behind her, causing Keely to halt in her steps towards the stage. “Just so you know.”

Unable to help it, the smile spread across her face as she cut through the crowd up to the stage.

John sent her a suspicious look as she joined them finally, moving up to where her guitars were waiting while the rest of them were already in place. “You look happier,” he informed her, not asking what had happened.

“Thank you?” she questioned, sending him a bewildered look.

Since he didn’t bother to respond, she just slipped her guitar over her shoulders. It felt strange with the dress she was wearing, so used to playing concerts in clothes that were easier to move around in. Yet just because it felt odd didn’t mean it was bad, having her guitar strapped on was the best feeling she could ever have.

Absently she plucked a string on the tattered old Stratocaster before looking up to the crowd.

Swallowing the nerves that washed over her seeing the crowd staring at her expectantly, Keely took a step forward to her microphone.

“Well, this is the album,” she told them for lack of better words. In her head she could almost hear Maureen groaning, just because she was a lyricist didn’t mean she was always good with her words.

Searching through the crowd, she found her friends all smiling at her from the bar. And when she searched further, there was Will and Jake still standing beside each other even though they were completely focused on the stage. And finally there was Seth, his arms crossed in front of his suit clad chest as he too stared up at her. Smiling automatically at him, she reached out with her toe, going to press on the pedal in front of her.

In her head she counted them in, knowing they were playing the album front to back and that the first song she started on her own.

Playing the first chords of For You so easily it was as if she’d been doing nothing else her entire life, Keely closed her eyes, leaning in to the microphone.

From that song to Yesterday’s Gone as their closing number, they played through the entire self-titled album that had posters plastered everywhere around the club. And by the time they finished, the crowd was surging towards the stage, jumping up and down with the music as they played.

But they weren’t done when her album finished and people were beginning to buy the CD’s that were for sale on one corner of the bar. Because Maureen gestured at them violently, telling them to keep playing. With shrugs as they hadn’t been ready to stop anyways, they just began to play any cover that the four of them knew in no particular order, one of them calling out the song. Keely was sure that there were mistakes, but the happy glow in her stomach and the raspy tinge her voice was getting with the overuse was making her ecstatic. She really had missed performing that way.

Finishing the Sonic Youth song, Keely hit the chord on her guitar a bit too hard as she jumped back. Her heart was racing causing her chest to move up and down rapidly, there was sweat coming off her brow, and her feet were aching with dull thuds from the hours spent performing in the high heels. And she felt amazing.

“Do you guys want to do Rebellion (Lies) from Arcade Fire?” she called out behind her, spinning around only to find her band waving at her as they left the stage.

Blinking in surprise, she just stood there gaping at them stupidly.

But she closed her mouth abruptly when Seth hopped easily up the steps on the side of the stage.

Ignoring the fact that there was a club full of people watching her actions, she let her hands drop away from her guitar as she took a step from him. “Why did my band just haul ass out of here?” she asked with her back to the crowd.

“Maureen wants you off,” he told her simply, “You’ve been playing three straight hours. She doesn’t want you to blow your voice tonight.”

Feeling disappointment course through her veins, her face fell as she answered with, “Oh.”

“But,” he started, causing her eyes to flash up to his. “She wants us to do a song to close it off, more dramatic for the magazines, I guess.”

“What song?” Keely asked hurriedly.

“You’ll see,” he informed her, holding out a hand, “Guitar.”

Rolling her eyes she just slipped it from her shoulders, handing it by the neck to him. Easily he fixed the strap on him, pulling on his tie again so he loosened further. And as she watched him, Seth just looked down at the guitar, turning away from her and walking across the stage as he turned the volume down on the knob so the overdriven amp she was using would become a cleaner sound before he began playing the opening chords.

Finding that she really did know the song he was talking about, Keely kicked her shoes off, letting her stand barefoot on the stage as she made her way to her microphone at the front of the stage. Pulling it down so it fit her new height, she wrapped her hands around the mic that remained on the stand, closing her eyes as she began to sway lightly with the guitar and counting for her opening.

Keeping her eyes closed, she kept her voice easy and smooth as she began to sing.

“I saw you standing in the corner

On the edge of a burning light

I saw you standing in the corner

Come to me again in the cold, cold night

In the cold, cold night

You make me feel a little older

Like a full grown women might.

But when you gonna grow colder

Come to me again in the cold, cold night

In the cold, cold night.”

Leaning her cheek against the mic she just continued to sway slightly, with her eyes closed, feeling Seth come closer behind her. Lifting her head so she could sing easily again, she continued, her heart racing again even though the song had slowed it down in the beginning.

“I hear you walkin' by my front door

I hear the creakin' of the kitchen floor

I don't care what other people say

I'm gonna love you anyway.”

An hour later found Keely off the stage, standing with Colton and Marco as she laughed easily, feeling completely light and untroubled for the first time in ages.

“You’re going to be all over the magazines tomorrow morning,” Colton informed her as he gulped from the beer he was holding.

Even that thought didn’t bother; she just shook her head, giving a loud laugh before she took a sip of the drink that was in her hand, although hers happened to be water for her voice that had gone hoarse with such use. “I don’t care,” she told him honestly, her stomach brimming with happiness as she watched person after person going up to buy her album.

“That’s good,” Maureen interjected, taking a delicate sip from the wine glass she held. “We’re down to one box of CD’s left in here and outside we’ve run out,” she informed them gleefully.

“Really?” Keely asked in shock, “That’s insane.”

Winking at her, Colton said, “It’s the hipsters. They’ve heard about your rant and now love you.”

Rolling her eyes she couldn’t help but chuckle as she looked forward, listening intensely to Elvis Costello from the speakers.

Maureen began talking again, but Keely didn’t even bother listening even though she caught enough that there might be another television show in her future. But for the second time tonight, she found her eyes catching Seth through a group of people in the crowd.

He was standing with a beer in his hand as well, laughing as he talked to Jake Beck and Will Johnston who seemed to have become inseparable over the night. Now he had unbuttoned the black suit jacket completely, his tie hanging around his shoulders since he’d pulled it off his neck completely and the top three buttons of his white shirt open. His eyes looked lighter than they had since before everything had happened.

Not bothering to even try to look away, Keely watched as he brought the bottle to his lips, snorting as his eyes flashed in front of him to meet hers.

They were already light and sparkling with humor.

But when his eyes met hers, he sent her a smile across the space separating them, the dimple in his cheek coming out obviously.

Instantly it caused a chain reaction. Her heart jerked in her chest violently, the muscles around it tightening as her knees weakened slightly and her stomach dropped out.

And only then did she put the pieces together.

When he just smiled at her, it made her heart jerk.

When he touched her, she felt sparks.

When he played music, she had never felt like that before.

When he was sad, it was as if she was in physical pain.

When he told her it had been a mistake, it had torn at her heart.

He was the only person who really understood parts of her that she sometimes couldn’t make sense of, knowing more about her as a person than anyone else on the planet did.

She was in love with him.

Oh god, she was in love with him.

Feeling the panic raise into her throat, Keely didn’t hesitate. Without a word, she shoved her water bottle into Colton’s chest and fled from his gaze.

Without a thought, she found her way to the bathroom just in time. Slamming her way into one of the stalls, Keely dropped to her knees onto the tiled floor, gripping the edges of the toilet as her throat constricted and she lost all the contents in her stomach.

Two tears streamed down her cheeks, but she couldn’t say if it was an automatic reaction to vomiting or a result of what she’d just realized.

She couldn’t be in love.

She didn’t want to be.

But what say did she have in it?

- Oh, Keely, you're so elegant lol.

Anyways, hoped you liked it. I dunno how I feel about it. I wrote most of this last night and I'd been drinking more than a little bit, so I dunno how even I feel about it. Actually, I do know, I think it sucks something very crude not for young children's eyes, but that's just me.

Well... In The Cold Cold Night by The White Stripes on the side. I adore that song, my favourite lines "I don't care what other people say, I'm going to love you anyway."

Gorgeous cover on the side made by Midnightriter.

I know you guys want me to post more often, but listen to this. I work a full time job, clean sixteen stalls before I go to work, feed and let out horses, when I get home I bring those horses in and then muck their paddocks. Then I ride four horses because I'm training for the summer show season. By the time I get inside, I'm almost dead. I pretty much pass out right away. I've been going to sleep at 11-12 and waking up at 5:30 almost all week. It's a lot of work, okay?

I try my best. 

But it's officially my weekend now, I get Friday and Saturdays off. Yay! Now I'm going to spend $300 on a new pair of paddock boots. Yay for me.