Author's note: I'm back! I know it's been a while, so I suggest re-reading/skimming through Track 28: Pretty in Purple before this chapter. It'll remind you of some things, and make reading this chapter even more enjoyable.

Thanks for always being so patient with me. Happy reading!

Misery Loves Company

By: theinkslingerr

Track 33: Try A Little Tenderness

"Where are you going?"

I dropped my backpack on the floor, hand frozen on the door knob as my mom shuffled up to me. "Um...I'm spending the weekend at a friend's."

She raised an eyebrow, but it was hard to take her seriously in her whacky dinosaur scrubs. "Gee, if you'd just said 'Enid,' I definitely wouldn't have known who you were talking about."

It was hard not to roll my eyes. My dad may have been out of the picture, but it wasn't a mystery which parent my sarcasm had come from. "Actually, it's not Enid."

Surprise colored her face, and I was instantly torn between satisfaction and offense.

If my own mother thought me having another friend was this shocking, then maybe I really had been as clingy as Enid described.

"Who, then?"

"Sienna. This girl from school." I decided to keep my answer vague and leave out the fact that we'd be spending the night at Ji-Hyun's house, then driving to another state to see a band she didn't want me anywhere near.

Ever since my mom caught me and Rocco on the couch together and I started fake-dating Dom, she suddenly had a lot of questions. Questions I wasn't used to answering since she'd been uninterested before. It boggled my mind that all it took was the threat of getting knocked up by musicians to make her pay attention. Was she just now realizing I was sixteen and not ten? That statistically, I was approaching the age where most girls lost their virginity, if they hadn't already? I held back a sigh. Paula had been the one to give me and Enid the sex talk (I still had nightmares about the puppet show), so I guess it made sense my mom was wary about the type of girl I'd become while she was off working. The funny thing was she still took long shifts at the hospital, so I didn't understand what she thought her questions would prevent in her absence.

I could just lie and meet up with Rocco, Dom, or anyone else.

Much like I was doing now.

Lying by omission didn't exactly feel good, but I needed to get out of the house. I'd had a stressful day avoiding Josh, and couldn't sit around thinking about what I'd overheard in the bathroom. I'd already obsessed over it during my classes instead of paying attention.

If Josh was still going around manipulating and intimidating people, then what was last night? An act? Phase one of his cruelest stunt yet?

Him telling Jessica to leave me alone wasn't necessarily the problem. In fact, it was kind of sweet that he'd gone out of his way for me. It was the look Jessica described seeing in his eyes that scared me, because it was a look I remembered all too well. Josh had been a scrawny kid, so he was never physically imposing. It was the cruelty, manipulation, and vicious glint in his eyes that had made kids think twice about getting on his bad side.

And if Josh's bad side was still on the table, I didn't want to be in the same state as him this weekend. Not when I was angry, confused, and admittedly, disappointed. We'd been fine yesterday. He'd tried to explain why he bullied me, said I was a good person, then walked me home.

I'd thought we were making progress, but maybe it was all an act or some kind of sick game.

"I take it she lives in town?" my mom asked, interrupting my thoughts about Josh.

"Yes."

She stared at me for a long time, probably trying to see if I was lying. But I'd never lied to her about anything like this before, so I was hoping my track record and blank expression would be enough to do the trick. "OK," she finally groused. "I'll probably be at the hospital when you come back. I'm covering someone's shift."

I grinned. Three cheers for apathy!

Picking up my backpack, I muttered a quick goodbye, locked the door and zipped across the lawn to Sienna's sleek ride. "A Lexus?" I laughed, taking in the silver SUV before tossing my bag in the back.

Sienna made a face as I got in and shut the door. "It's my dad's. My mom said I burned up too much gas this week, so I had to switch to Plan B— dad. It makes him physically ill to say no to me. He doesn't usually work weekends anyway."

"So you finessed the man out of his own car? What a brat!" Another laugh over-rode the pang I sometimes felt when other girls talked about their dads, but I ignored it and buckled up for the fifty minute drive.

"Please, he'll be fine. Ready for an awesome weekend?" Sienna asked, excitement in her voice. It looked like she'd re-done her faux locs, because they were shiny and neat with little gold clasps spread throughout. She was wearing a green shirt that had trendy shoulder cut-outs and black skinny jeans. The faint scent of lavender I was starting to associate with her filled the car, making it easier to push the day's events out of my head and concentrate on what lay ahead.

"Beyond ready. Take me away, kind sir."

Sienna laughed and peeled away from the curb, and I let out a sigh of relief as Beechmill disappeared in the rearview mirror.

What the GPS had initially estimated as a fifty minute drive turned into an hour and fifteen by the time Sienna got on the highway. Her pace was glacial, and I soon realized it was because she was always multitasking. Turning to glance at me, adjusting the mirrors, looking for the right song to play on her phone. She couldn't sit still, but drew conversation out of me like water from a well. She even got me to sing along with her at the top of my lungs, something I usually only did alone or with Enid. When the subject of volunteering came up, I kept it at the bare minimum. I didn't tell her about Corey, me and Josh's breakthrough, or what I'd heard in the bathroom this morning. I couldn't escape Josh come Monday, but I was determined not to let thoughts of him monopolize my weekend.

"So, how often do you work at your mom's salon?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Just once in a while."

I'd learned that Sienna's mom owned a successful salon that specialized in hair braiding and her dad was an accountant. He helped his wife with the salon's books, but his full-time gig was working for a prestigious accounting firm.

"I like braiding out of our house more," she continued. "I can sit and watch Grown-ish. There's always too much going on at the shop and it drives me crazy."

"Are you gonna start working there after you graduate?" I could totally see her taking over the business. We were Juniors, so this was the time to start seriously considering our futures. At least, that's what every teacher and guidance counselor kept stressing over and over again.

Sienna glanced at me then back at the road. I knew the person driving behind us had to be livid. We were going 35 on a 50 mile-per-hour two lane road, and they'd been stuck behind us for the past twenty minutes. I was shocked they hadn't veered into oncoming traffic to cut in front of us.

"I don't know," Sienna finally replied. "I've always kinda wanted...to go to law school."

"Law school?" It was the last thing I expected her to say.

"Yeah....me and my mom have actually been arguing about it, because she does want me to take over the business. She says I can't fix everything wrong with the world, and I know that, but I still want to help somehow. I want to do something. I mean, human trafficking still exists right here in the U.S. Can you believe that?" She slowed down even more and the car behind us honked.

"So...you wanna be a human rights lawyer?"

"Something like that," she replied with a nervous laugh. "Even though I'm a spoiled brat that emotionally blackmails her dad into letting her use his Lexus."

I smiled softly. "Looks like the world could use more spoiled brats then."

She beamed at me and accelerated, turning up the stereo because "Kiss Me" by Blue Vendetta had come on. The song showcased Jae's creamy tenor, and its ability to sound bluesy. Combined with seductive lyrics and sizzling chords, it wasn't hard to see why the track was such a hit with women. In fact, many female BV fans claimed that just listening to the song almost got them pregnant. I snorted and added that to a mental list of things my mom didn't need to know. It made sense that the song was one of Sienna's favorites though.

"Jae really is your favorite member huh?" I asked, completely amused.

"Yup."

"How come?"

"Well first of all, he's gorgeous," she gushed. I couldn't argue with that, but his personality left much to be desired. It was funny that someone as warm as Sienna could like Blue Vendetta's resident icicle. "And man, that voice plus the fact that him and Rocco write all their songs? I was a goner from jump street. He's a genius, and I don't know— I wish I could be inside his head for a day to see what all that raw talent feels like...see what he thinks about." She turned to me, slowly working herself into fangirl mode. "You've been around him a lot. What's he really like?"

Mean. Sarcastic. If he were an X-Men, he'd be Bobby Drake aka Iceman.

Instead, I said, "Um...as you've seen, he's kinda quiet but super intense. Doesn't say all that much, but when he does someone usually ends up crying— or wants to."

Sienna howled with laughter. "He's a prickly little porcupine, isn't he?"

I grinned. "Can we call him that from now on?"

"Not in front of him. He'd probably hate that!"

"Yeah, that's exactly why we should."

Ji-Hyun's neighborhood was a surprise, to say the least. I'd imagined her living in a trendy apartment complex in Northern Liberties, not the quaint tree-lined suburb Sienna and I were currently cruising through.

"We're here," she announced over the sound of the GPS.

She killed the engine in the driveway of a modest split-level home with burgundy shutters. We slipped out of the car, grabbed our bags and made our way up to it. An open two-car garage kept Ji-Hyun's cute Mini Cooper safe from bird poop, so there was no doubt she was on the premises. Sienna and I were barely up the steps leading to the front door when Ji-Hyun yanked it open.

"You made it! Was there traffic?" she asked, slightly confused.

"Nope. Sienna just drives like someone's arthritic grandmother," I mumbled.

"Hey!" Sienna cried, then paused. "Is that why no one ever wants to ride with me?"

Giggling, Ji-Hyun ushered us into the house and onto a large rectangular landing. A flight of carpeted steps led up to a spacious living room while another led down to a finished basement.

"Welcome to La Casa Moon," Ji-Hyun said, flinging out her arms. "You can put your stuff in my old room."

"So you don't live here?" Sienna was looking around curiously, eyes lingering on the pictures of Jae that could be seen from where we were standing.

"Are you kidding? My parents would drive me insane. I've got an apartment in Fishtown, but this is closer to New York, so I figured we could crash here."

After stashing our stuff in Ji-Hyun's very pink room (which was located in the basement), Sienna and I followed her back upstairs. She raided the kitchen for snacks while we wandered around the living room like it was a museum. I wasn't the biggest fan of Jae, but it was still cool seeing more pics of him and Ji-Hyun when they were little. Even without tears and make-up, he was an adorable little boy with big cheeks, and to my surprise, an even bigger smile. Jae was actually smiling in most of the pictures, always wedged between his two sisters. Jeni, the oldest, was just as pretty as Ji-Hyun, but looked like their dad while the other two siblings resembled their mom. Her hair was short in almost all the shots, and in recent photos was a bright red pixie cut. I peeked over at Sienna, who seemed to be seconds away from reaching Nirvana. She kept squealing over Jae's baby pics and swooning over the ones of him in high school.

"At some point this weekend, I may ask you to slap me," she instructed, completely serious.

"Uh...why?"

"To make sure that this isn't a dream."

I shook my head and kept looking around. How would I act if faced with Rocco's baby pictures? His childhood triumphs? Pictures of his entire family? As much as I liked his personality and his face, I didn't know a lot about him. Sure I knew his friends, his taste in music, and the fact that he used to sleep with a stuffed duck, but those things seemed...trivial. I wanted to know more, get closer to him somehow. But for someone so friendly, Rocco was pretty closed off. I didn't know anything about his family or background except for the fact that he was Italian American and called his grandmother Nonna. I wouldn't have even known he was an only child if he hadn't joked with Paula about not being a good sharer.

As I took in the tangible memories gathered in the Moons' living room, I began spotting a younger Rocco in more and more pictures. One was of him, Jae, Dom, and Eli practicing in what looked like a cluttered garage. Rocco's hair looked even more unruly than it did now, Dom had acne, and Jae and Eli looked the same with the exception of Eli's curly afro.

"That was their first band practice in our garage," Ji-Hyun said from behind me.

"Really? No way," Sienna practically ran over to look at it. "They were so adorable!"

Ji-Hyun wrinkled her nose. "Yeah, but they sucked."

Sienna and I burst out laughing.

"And they drove us crazy. My mom wanted to kick them out, but my dad begged her not to. After a while they switched to Eli's basement. His parents soundproofed it. That's where they ended up recording the Basement Tracks EP."

"Wow," Sienna breathed in complete awe.

I was starting to feel like I didn't deserve to be here. So many people would give their left arm for a chance to be standing in this very room listening to intimate details about the boys before they became Blue Vendetta. Whereas, I hadn't even liked them until a few weeks ago. I couldn't help but feel like a fraud.

Ji-Hyun told us more embarrassing stories before we settled around the island in the kitchen to munch on sweet potato chips and cotton candy grapes. We were almost finished the family-sized bag of chips when the sound of the front door opening caught our attention.

"Mom? Dad?" Ji-Hyun called out.

A middle-aged Asian couple strolled into the kitchen. The woman had shoulder-length black hair and high cheekbones while the man, although tall, looked frail and tired. He was wearing a black baseball cap, and there didn't seem to be any hair under it.

"How was the appointment? What're you doing home?"

Mrs. Moon sighed and dropped her purse on the island. "This stubborn old man refused to stay overnight at the treatment center. He tired himself out driving back after all those tests."

Instead of trying to explain himself or make excuses, Mr. Moon plucked a couple cotton candy grapes from the large bowl and presented them to his exasperated wife. Her eyes softened as she accepted them, and my insides just about melted at the quiet display of love.

How had Jae come from this? Was he adopted?

"Anyway, everything's fine. We're set to go back for another round of check-ups next month," Mrs. Moon explained, nibbling on the grapes daintily. She suddenly smiled widely. "Hello, you must be Sienna. And...Misery?"

We introduced ourselves, and they stayed in the kitchen to chat for a bit. Mr. Moon was quiet, but he didn't feel cold like Jae. His presence was comforting and his keen dark eyes seemed to catch every detail. When he did say the odd word or two, I couldn't detect an accent. Not even a faint one like Mrs. Moon. He was either Korean-American or immigrated to the states at a young age. I observed the laidback man that fed his wife grapes and threw fond looks at his daughter. If Jae had the capacity to be like this, I certainly hadn't seen it yet. Before retiring to his room for the night, Mr. Moon finally showed us he could speak in full sentences. "Drive safely, be careful in the city, and don't blast your music."

Ji-Hyun replied dutifully, and after saying goodbye, both of her parents disappeared into their room.

"They're really sweet to let us stay here," Sienna enthused. "Especially after being tired because of the— well...tests."

"It's OK, you can say it." Ji-Hyun's voice was soft. "For a while I couldn't. I was scared of the word, but you learn to accept it. He has cancer."

Sienna frowned, "I'm so sorry. I've had distant relatives get cancer, but still. I can't imagine what you guys must be going through."

"When did you find out?" I asked.

"A year after Jae and the boys started the band."

Ji-Hyun then told us that Jae almost dropped out of Blue Vendetta, but Mr. Moon made him keep going because he didn't want Jae to put his dreams on hold for him. "He was very supportive— still is. And sometimes I think Jae feels guilty. He tried to buy them this ridiculous mansion once, and I swear they almost grounded him," Ji-Hyun said. "With dad sick, Jae's put it upon himself to be the head of the family."

Sienna looked more in love, and even though I still didn't like Jae, I felt like I understood him a little bit. As the night wore on, we gradually shifted away from illnesses and family dynamics to lighter topics. When it slipped out that this was the first sleepover I'd ever had sans Enid, Ji-Hyun and Sienna lost it and reverted back to thirteen-year-old girls. They started trying to cram in everything they thought made a good sleepover. That meant painting my nails (and getting yelled at when they saw how horrible they looked), doing my hair, and playing a wicked game of truth or dare in which Ji-Hyun asked me if I found Rocco attractive, and I begrudgingly answered yes. I didn't miss the questioning look Sienna threw me, because like everyone else, she'd seen the "leaked" pics and thought I was dating Dom. I still couldn't tell her the truth, so I told Ji-Hyun to cool it with the Rocco questions when Sienna went to the bathroom.

We ended up going to bed late, which made getting up at five the next morning a test in self-control and endurance. Chaotic was the only word that could describe three girls trying to pack, shower, and get ready for a weekend in New York City. After my turn in the shower, I slipped into my trademark outfit of ripped skinny jeans and a band tee, but instead of sneakers I wore combat boots and a dark purple bomber jacket that complimented my hair.

Ji-Hyun took one look at me and said, "You look adorable, but try this on and see if it fits." She threw a heavy black shirt at me before shoving me into her room to change. I emerged five minutes later in a short-sleeved t-shirt with the sides cut out. Dozens of silver chains connected both sides and flashed tiny slivers of skin whenever I moved. I was surprised to find that I actually kind of liked it. I was still in my skinny jeans, so even though the shirt was a little daring, I felt like myself. It was a far cry from how exposed I'd felt when Enid had forced me to wear the denim monstrosity on my date with Dom.

"Gorgeous," Ji-Hyun squealed while Sienna nodded in approval. "Now let me do your make-up."

We were on the road thirty minutes later, caffeinated and blasting the playlist Sienna had created. It was the exact opposite of what Mr. Moon wanted us to do, but a car ride without loud music was like pizza without toppings— tolerable, but bland. Sienna's "Weekend In New York" playlist featured mostly Blue Vendetta songs, so that's why Ji-Hyun and I clenched up when a Hazardous Materials song started playing.

Oblivious to the tension in the car, Sienna asked, "Have you ever noticed that Hazmat and Blue Vendetta have a similar sound?"

Ji-Hyun glanced at her suspiciously, "What do you mean?"

"Some of BV's arrangements and the things they sing about are a little reminiscent of Hazmat. Somebody even pointed out that one of Hazmat's members died at 27, and BV has a song about the 27 Club."

"They never mention him in it though. Just the greats like Hendrix and Cobain," Ji-Hyun debated, stomping on the gas.

It could be a coincidence, but now that Sienna mentioned it, the two bands did have a lot in common style-wise. That's probably why I liked both of them. Rocco vehemently denied being a Hazmat fan, yet they clearly influenced his music and he'd had one of their songs on his phone. And not a single either, one you'd only hear if you listened to their albums. I frowned in the backseat, meeting Ji-Hyun's wary gaze in the rearview mirror. She knew something— she had to. But what was it, and why couldn't she tell us? She'd told us everything else about the boys.

"That's true," Sienna agreed, scrolling through her phone. "Some of the theories are a bit of a reach. Especially the one about Rocco freezing at the pop-up because he saw relatives of Hazmat in the audience who want to sue for copyright infringement."

Ji-Hyun rolled her eyes, "Ugh, spare me. They've never plagiarized anything. People are so extra."

"And mean. I swear Jimmy Kimmel had something new to say about Rocco's mistake every night for a week straight."

"Yeah...but those jokes were actually funny. Even Rocco thought so," Ji-Hyun said with a laugh.

~~~

"OK. Wow. Uh...sorry!"

Developing claustrophobia by the end of the night was looking like a real possibility, because even though the Pavilion was three times the size of the Iron Barrel, there were still too many people in it. I'd barely finished apologizing to a roadie for being in the way before another one raced by. Sighing, I flattened myself against the wall with Ji-Hyun and Sienna, and let the backstage chaos reign.

After shopping in Manhattan and grabbing food at Zora's Cafe (where I cajoled Ji-Hyun into trying oxtail), we dropped our stuff off at Jae's apartment and drove over to the concert venue amidst the traffic and the setting sun. I was expecting Ji-Hyun to pull into the expensive parking garage across the street, but all she had to do was flash her ID to security and we were pointed to a small lot in the back.

I traded amused looks with Sienna as Ji-Hyun shut off the car. Must be nice sharing DNA with a rock star.

Now inside, we were in constant danger of getting swept away by hordes of people with headsets, iPads, and stage equipment. The show was starting in twenty minutes, and the looks on their faces told me I was dead weight. Ji-Hyun must have been immune to it, because she ushered Sienna and I onward until we found Rocco's dressing room. He was hunched over a vanity putting stuff in his hair to make it stand up. When we trailed in, he turned around with a smile. "Hey-" He stopped abruptly, eyes sliding past Ji-Hyun and Sienna to look straight at me.

I'd taken off my jacket in the hallway, so I stood there fidgeting in my outfit. As flirty as Rocco had been in the past, he'd never openly checked me out before. My face burned as his gaze traveled down then back up, caught for a moment on the skin peeking through my shirt.

Ji-Hyun smirked at Rocco. "You're welcome."

Tearing his eyes away, he cleared his throat and muttered, "Took you long enough. Did you guys buy up the whole city or what?"

"Probably," Jae said from behind us. I felt an immediate energy spike from Sienna.

"H-hi," she stammered, virtually hypnotized.

Jae glanced at her from the corner of his eye and nodded, which was shocking because I was used to him just ignoring people he didn't feel like talking to. He walked over to Rocco and grunted, "Do you really have to do this tonight?"

"Yeah. Quit whining, we've already been over this." Rocco motioned for Ji-Hyun to come closer, and she joined the little huddle cheerfully. Sienna and I glanced at each other in confusion, then watched Rocco whisper something to Ji-Hyun. She jerked back, startled before a huge smile broke out across her face.

When she came back over to me and Sienna, she looked excited but failed to mention what they'd talked about.

"OK ladies," she said. "We're gonna watch the show from the VIP section, aka the balcony."

As Sienna was nodding in agreement, I remembered what Ji-Hyun said the night I met her at the Iron Barrel. "I thought you liked to be where the action was? Don't you wanna watch from the pit?"

She opened her mouth to respond, but Jae cut her off, "She can't do that, because she's with you. You're 'dating' Dom now, and there are people out there that know he dated Ji-Hyun. If you guys watch from the pit, they'll eat you alive."

I frowned, blinking furiously. "If we're careful, we could still-"

"Don't be stupid. It's a bad idea," Jae snapped.

"Alright, cool it," Rocco said, a hard edge in his voice. He turned to me. "The balcony's right over the stage and you won't have to deal with people bugging you all night. It'll be good, I swear."

I nodded sullenly, avoiding his eyes. Why did my presence always have to complicate things?

"Hey," he murmured, putting a hand on my shoulder. I looked up. "I— we just want you to be safe."

That was when Eli decided to stick his head into the room. "You guys ready? Everyone's waiting on us."

Rocco hesitated before removing his hand. He looked a little nervous, something I hadn't observed in him last time. "Yeah. Let's do this."

With the exception of Josh and Adolf Hitler, everyone I had a problem with seemed to be up in the VIP section.

Ackerman, his sycophants, and Enid were practically waiting for me when I finished climbing the stairs to the balcony. I closed my eyes and held back a groan. If Ji-Hyun and Sienna hadn't been behind me, I would've turned around and taken my chances with the pit.

To my surprise, Enid wobbled over in outrageously high platform boots with a saccharine smile plastered on her face. That surprise melted into irritation when I noticed she was wearing something similar to the denim monstrosity; a long-sleeved bare midriff jacket and a mini skirt. I didn't know what she thought she'd gain by wearing the same outfit I wore on my date with Dom. Was she hoping to get dragged into a bathroom and mauled too? With Ji-Hyun in the building? I stuck my hands in my pockets to keep them from curling into fists. For six years Enid and I had been so close, we finished each other's sentences. I'd always known what she was thinking. But these days I had no clue. She was becoming a stranger with a familiar face.

After introducing herself to Ji-Hyun and making small talk while pointedly ignoring Sienna and I, Enid went back to working the room for connections.

"So, that's the infamous Enid?" Ji-Hyun murmured thoughtfully.

"Yup," Sienna replied dryly.

"Interesting..."

She didn't get a chance to ruminate on just how interesting Enid was, because the lights dimmed and the show started.

The boys played beautifully, taking my mind off everything that was bothering me before the weekend started, as well as Enid's catty behavior. Jae's voice sounded amazing, and he seemed to be in a rare playful mood. Picking up a plushie someone had thrown on the stage, he kissed it and threw it back, almost inciting a riot among the wild audience. Sienna shrieked and leaned so far over the railing, Ji-Hyun and I had to pull her back to keep her from falling over. Rocco was doing his usual acrobatics, the slight nervousness I'd seen in the dressing room had been replaced with a heart-stopping smile. In fact, him and Eli kept glancing up at the balcony, so I waved even though I wasn't sure they could actually see me because of the bright lights. Dom was the only one that looked low energy, but hey, at least he was sober. They'd already played through both EPs and a couple songs from their debut album. The only song they hadn't played was "Long Live the Underdog," but they usually saved that for the finale.

There were waiters walking around taking drink orders and passing them out to people with wrist bands that signified they were twenty-one or older. I'd ordered a coke, but when I tried to pay for it the waiter said it was on the house. I soon noticed that no one in the VIP section had to pay for their drinks, alcoholic or otherwise, and halfway through the concert my bladder started feeling the effects of this privilege.

"Hey, I've gotta use the bathroom," I announced during a song called "Trust Me." Sienna and Ji-Hyun nodded at first, but Ji-Hyun's eyes widened and she jerked her phone out of her bag to check something.

"Wait! Wait, don't go yet!" she exclaimed.

"Why?" I asked slowly. "I'll be right back."

Ji-Hyun wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me right up to the balcony's railing. "Just...trust me."

She laughed at her own joke, and I gave her a strange look, but stayed. Five minutes later, I was getting ready to pee on myself when something unexpected happened. Jae and Rocco switched places. The crowd lost it as Rocco adjusted the mic stand in the middle of the stage to his height. Was he going to sing or make a special announcement? The former rarely happened even though he had a great voice. Eli usually handled backing vocals, and it was a topic discussed at length on fan forums and under YouTube videos. It was also something Rocco himself never addressed— until now.

"I don't do this a lot," he said into the mic. "But tonight I'm in the mood." He gave everyone that lopsided grin of his. "Sorry if I hurt your ears, but I promise I won't freeze again."

More screams and laughs erupted from the audience, and I waited in anticipation, the memory of him singing "Love Song" under his breath in Ackerman's car flooding my brain. That was when Rocco looked right up at the balcony and started singing a very familiar song.

It wasn't an unreleased track.

Or even a Blue Vendetta song.

It was "Try a Little Tenderness" by Otis Redding.

The song Duckie lip-synced to Andie in Pretty in Pink.

All of the air rushed out of my lungs as I watched Rocco sing. He'd teased me about this song the morning after we'd watched Pretty in Pink. I was a wreck because the picture of me and Dom kissing had gone viral, and I'd argued with Enid. But Rocco had been there for me, promising to be my Duckie even though he couldn't serenade me in public.

But here he was...doing just that.

The song had been tweaked, and gave off a distinct bluesy rock vibe that only Blue Vendetta could pull off. Jae was on lead guitar, Eli tore it up on bass, and Dom looked uninterested, but kept the beat going. By nature, Otis Redding's voice was big and soulful— a direct contrast to Rocco's velvet tenor, but he made it work and each time his voice went low and gravely my stomach flipped.

I couldn't believe he was doing this.

For me.

A big smile stretched across my face and my hands tightened around the balcony's railing. Ji-Hyun and Sienna were practically screaming in my ears while the rest of the VIPs (Ackerman and Enid in particular) looked confused. I wanted to laugh. This was definitely not on the set list. Down below, everyone in the crowd was either jumping or singing along, most likely caught up in the temporary unity concerts inspired.

Ji-Hyun chose that moment to move closer and jab me with her pointy elbow. "In the dressing room, Rocco gave me strict orders not to let you go anywhere after 'Trust Me.' He wanted you here for this."

My heart swelled until it felt like my chest was going to burst. Even though Jae, Eli, Dom, and Ji-Hyun knew Rocco was doing this for me, they probably didn't know why. Out of the millions of songs ever written, why an old standard like "Try A Little Tenderness?"

I knew why, and it became a secret that linked us in the sea of people; a coded message in plain sight.

As Rocco belted out the song, his eyes lingered on the balcony and everything I felt the night he stayed with me came rushing back. How he'd made me feel vulnerable and safe, but most of all...happy. I swallowed the lump in my throat, and tried to shove down feelings that were cresting like a giant wave approaching the shore.

I liked Rocco Alden.

I really, really liked him.

Man, this wasn't good.

After the show, there were so many emotions coursing through me, I didn't know which one to latch onto and feel. Everything was a blur as the venue cleared and Ji-Hyun, Sienna, and I went to wait for the guys in Jae's dressing room. I was expecting (and dreading) Enid's presence, but she never showed up. Sienna said she'd seen her leave with some guy. A small part of me was worried, but Enid seemed to be a woman on a mission these days, so I stubbornly refused to text her.

A few minutes later the boys piled in, giddy and high off adrenaline, but Rocco wasn't with them.

As everyone chatted, I waited for him to show up, but after twenty minutes I got antsy. Eli must've noticed, because he came over. "No angry mobs, no fights, no mistakes. This was probably boring compared to last time."

"Yeah, I was having a hard time staying awake," I replied, laughing. "Seriously, you guys were amazing as always. I had fun."

Eli's smile warmed. "Good. If you're looking for Rocco he's still on stage."

"Really? Why?"

"Don't know. Maybe you should go and ask him..."

I hovered on the outskirts of different conversations for a few more minutes before leaving to locate the stage entrance. I got turned around and had to ask someone for directions, but made it there in no time. Taking a deep breath, I moved a heavy curtain aside to see Rocco strumming his guitar on a mostly empty stage.

"Hey," I said once it registered that the guitar wasn't hooked up to anything.

He glanced in my direction. "Hey."

No inflection. No smile. No clue to suggest he'd done something incredibly sweet and confusing less than an hour ago.

I stood there awkwardly waiting for Rocco to acknowledge it. When he didn't, I sat down on a large amp to watch him play.

He was playing "Icarus," number eight on their debut album. In Greek mythology, Icarus was the son of a master craftsman, and that master craftsman made him wings out of wax. Like any deity/safety-conscious parent, Icarus's father warned him not to fly too close to the sun. Carried away by the rush of flying, Icarus ignored the warning and did exactly that. The sun melted his wings, and he met a fiery demise in the unforgiving sea. I'd rolled my eyes whenever I heard anybody use the idiom "Don't fly too close to the sun," but it seemed fitting now. I felt very much like Icarus, so that made Rocco the sun. He always had been from the moment he appeared on my doorstep. Most of the time his warmth was comforting, but sometimes he shone so brightly, so intensely, he left me blinded and disoriented.

I had to be careful not to get too close. I didn't want to assume things, and make a fool out of myself like Enid had done with Dom.

Clearing my throat, I attempted to start a neutral conversation, "I've tried to learn this song before."

"Yeah?" Rocco asked, grinning. "Dennis didn't cooperate?"

I perked up at the teasing in his voice, realizing I could deal with it much better than his apathy. He'd called me out on this in my living room right before we'd watched Pretty in Pink, and I'd denied it, but he was right. I liked it, even when it made me a little uncomfortable.

"I'm not skilled enough."

"Nah. That day you were jamming with Eli and Geraldine you sounded pretty good. C'mere, I'll show you."

I hesitated slightly then stood up and walked over to him.

Rocco pulled the guitar strap away from his broad chest and lifted it over his head. "Turn around," he instructed.

I did, and he moved closer, placing the strap on my shoulder and the guitar in front of me. He was close. Too close. I could feel the heat emanating from him as he helped me adjust the strap so the guitar was at a comfortable playing height. The hand I had around the fretboard was damp as I struggled to make sure I wasn't breathing loudly.

"Icarus is easy," Rocco said from behind me, breath tickling my ear. Goosebumps broke-out all along my neck, and my shoulders bunched at the sensation. I'd expected him to move so I could see him, but I guess our lesson would be strictly auditory. "Do you know the first couple of chords?"

"Yes," I said in a broken whisper. Embarrassed, I cleared my throat and started to play. "Icarus" started off light and happy with Jae repeating the words: "I got my wings today. I got my wings today." It was easy. Any beginner would know how to play it, but with Rocco standing right behind me, coaching me, I kept messing up. It only got worse when his arms came around me. One large hand enveloped mine on the fretboard and the other slid underneath my fingers, showing me the right way to finger-pick the taut strings.

"See? Easy..." he murmured against my ear.

That's because we hadn't gotten to the hard part.

"Why'd you sing for me tonight?" I blurted out.

Rocco stopped plucking the strings, but didn't move an inch. His chest constricted and expanded against my back, and his warm breath continued to fan my ears and neck. My hands soon fell away from the guitar, because I couldn't hear the melody over the sound of my own heart. It sounded like it was plugged up to an amp, broadcasting its erratic heartbeat over the empty venue. There was no way Rocco couldn't hear.

"Why, Rocco?" This time it came out as a whisper.

After a moment, he let out a harsh breath. "It's really bright up on stage. Most people don't know that, but it is. Half the time I can only see what's going on in the pit, so I have to imagine how everyone else is reacting. Tonight, I knew you were watching from the balcony and even though I couldn't really see you, I was hoping...I was hoping you were up there smiling. I imagined it the whole time I was singing."

My heart sputtered to a stop in my chest, and I turned my head so I could see his face. "Why are you so nice to me?"

He stared back, hazel eyes unblinking. God, he was close. His face was centimeters away. I didn't know what Rocco was thinking. I never did, but suddenly he surged forward and pressed his lips against my cheek.

I gasped, and his eyes widened as if he was surprised too. "Sorry," he began. "I-" His pupils dilated, and I saw it. Saw the moment when whatever was holding him back slipped away like water through grasping hands. Rocco was always smiling and joking around, so sometimes that made him look like he never took anything seriously, but in that moment, staring into his eyes, I saw everything. The resolve, the depth of feeling he kept locked under a sunny veneer, the self-control. Staring all of that down was magnetic and a little unnerving— like being outside in a thunder storm.

He pulled back a fraction, seemingly on the edge of some kind of precipice. His ragged breath warmed my lips, which were dry with anticipation. Unconsciously, my tongue darted out to moisten them, and Rocco abandoned everything to go over the edge.

His lips crashed into mine, hands slipping around my waist and turning me to face him fully. He tried to pull me closer, but the guitar was lodged between us, all steel strings and hard wood. Growling impatiently, Rocco felt around my shoulder for the strap then ripped it over my head, only breaking the kiss for a millisecond to toss the expensive instrument aside. I heard it clatter to the floor noisily, but neither of us could be bothered to check if it was still in one piece.

The kiss deepened, exhilarating and overwhelming me, because Rocco kissed like he did everything else: once he was in, he was all in. He immersed himself in it, wrung out every ounce of feeling he could from it. That's what he did when he was playing guitar, and that's what he did with me.

The palms of his hands slid up my sides, tangling in the chains attached to my shirt, fingers grazing the skin underneath, then crossing at my back in order to crush my body to his. My head was spinning. The air around us felt charged with electricity. Rocco's lips were soft, but his tongue was even softer when it slid out and began tracing the seam of my lips. An intense heat flooded my body, prompting me to open my mouth and let him in. I almost ruined it all by giggling, because of course, he tasted like sour patch kids.

This was unlike anything I'd ever experienced, and for once I didn't just sit back and let it happen. I surprised myself by being an active participant. Slipping my arms out from where they were wedged between our bodies, I slowly placed them around Rocco's neck. He squeezed me again and made a sound of approval deep in his throat. I tangled my fingers in his thick, dark hair and stood on my toes, so he wouldn't have to bend down as far.

I lost track of time, forgot I was in the middle of an empty stage in New York City. Finally, when the need for air grew too strong, we pulled away from each other, panting heavily.

Rocco gazed at me in wonder before slowly leaning down to rest his chin on my shoulder. I closed my eyes, drinking in the feel of his hard body and the way he smelled; citrusy and a bit sweaty from performing.

I could hear my own shaky breath as I felt Rocco turn his head and brush his lips against my neck.

A shot of lighting raced through me and I trembled involuntarily.

"I shouldn't," he whispered.

"Shouldn't what?" I croaked in a daze.

His lips trailed kisses up my neck to the spot right below my ear. "Tell you this..."

"Just tell me, Rocco. Please?"

"I've wanted to kiss you for a long time now."

~~~

Author's notes:

It's happened.

It's finally happened! (But to be fair, you were warned this was a slow burn.)

They've kissed!

Did it happen the way you imagined?

How do you think Miz and Rocco will act after this?

For those of you who aren't familiar with the movie Pretty In Pink, below is an excerpt of Duckie singing "Try A Little Tenderness" by Otis Redding at Andie's job:

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

This is a little closer to how I imagined Rocco doing it though:

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

(Obviously with a band and no famous judges haha)

Thanks for reading, especially since it was such a long chapter. I probably won't write one this long again. Please VOTE, COMMENT, and SHARE.