Music is my Boyfriend

Moving Day.

It was a day like any other. The sky was blue and the grass was green. But, the day was a bit different. Delilah was just moving out of her apartment that she shared with Jenny White. She had just graduated the Institutes. She was named Delilah but most people called her by her middle name, Bella. Jenny had been a good roommate. She and Bella were best friends. Jenny had already started to cry. She was going to miss her roommate. But, Bella had dreams and she was pursuing them. Though she was sad to go, she was also excited to move in with her band mates. They were called “Can’t Steal Your Spotlight.” She had three band mates: Andrew, Jude, and Jacob. She was the singer/songwriter. Andrew was the bassist and he sometimes helped with songwriting. Jude was the lead guitarist and did songwriting. Jacob was the drummer and did back vocals. They were like Paramore, one girl and three guys. Their manager, Anna Daniels was making them big. They were currently working on a CD and playing gigs. “The Rising Stars” was what Jenny called them. Bella got in her hybrid and drove off. Their new house for them to share was about 20 minutes away. Jenny could always come and visit. It wasn’t that far. As soon she arrived, the guys were waiting for her. She had a lot of stuff and because of this, she got the big room. It actually was the attic but they converted it into a comfortable room for her to stay in. Andrew nearly knocked Bella over, he was so excited. Watch out for Andrew, she thought. They all helped her unpack her stuff and get settled in her new room. That took forever, though. You can say Bella was a bit of a perfectionist.

2. Tennis

It was a Wednesday and she had tennis practice. She was not on a team or anything like that, but she still played tournaments. She had playing tennis since was 12 or 13 because of her dad. He had always wanted her to have an activity. The activities were as follows: ballet, soccer, piano, and tennis. She was pretty good at it now, seeing as she was much older. She never had the heart to tell her dad that it wasn't that exciting and she really wanted to quit. So, she stuck with it. And now here she was. She went downstairs and called everyone. "I have tennis today", she said, "Try not to wreck the house while I'm gone." She started going out the door but all of them caught her before she could get to her car. "We want to come to see you play," they said. She thought, Perfect. Watch this be the day I mess up. She agreed, though. They all piled into her car. After about 30 minutes, she saw the courts. They were blue for the actual court and green for the outside parts. She pulled over and got her stuff out of the truck. They all went over to the courts and she pointed at the stands where the guys could sit. "Good luck," Andrew yelled. Well, we know who the cheerleader in high school was, she thought. Melanie saw her and told her to take laps. Running cleared Bella's head. She saw William and waved at him. He came over. "Ready for a race?" he asked. She always was and he knew it. As usual, she beat him. Why he even tried, she didn't know. "Still fast, I see," he said out of breath. "Bella and Will court three, ten point tie-breaker." That was Melanie. She went to go get her racket and one of the ball carts. Her court was one of the closest to the stands, ironically. That tie-breaker was really long. William was a formidable opponent but she beat him for the 1st time ever. She was shocked. Judging by William's face, so was he. "You guys done?" Melanie asked. "Mhm." was all she could manage. Melanie called them over for drills on court one. Practice was over sooner then usual because Melanie had a tournament today. Bella started walking out of the gates. The guys came over.
They all looked utterly amazed at her skills.

"What? Haven't you ever seen someone play tennis before?" she asked.
"Not like you," Jude said, "We knew you were an amazing and songwriter, but tennis player too? You are way too talented." She laughed.
"So, what do you do after tennis?" Jacob asked.
"I usually get a smoothie form Smoothie King," she answered.

She stopped there and got out of the car. Chase followed her.
Josh greeted her when she came in. He worked there. She was his high school sweetheart.
They still talked sometimes. He still looks good. He still has the same brown eyes and better hair,Bella thought.

"Caribbean Way, extra honey, correct?" he asked.
"Mhm. Josh, this is my boyfriend, Andrew," Bella said.
"Hello. I'm Josh. What would you like?" Josh said.

Andrew didn't know what to pick so he just decided to go with what Bella had chosen.
They got their smoothies and started to leave.

"Nice to see you again, Bella!" he shouted. She smiled.
"Ok, what's the deal with you and that guy?" Andrew asked.
Could he possibly be jealous? C'mon that was forever ago,she thought.
"We used to date in high school," Bella answered.
"What took you so long?" Jude complained.
"I was talking to Josh," Bella answered.
"Josh?" he asked. There was that tone again.
"He was my boyfriend in high school, okay?"

Why are they all so protective? she thought. She drove back to the house. Once they got back, she challenged Drew to a Guitar Hero battle. That's what they would usually do for fun. As usual, she was beaten by Drew but not by much. She missed 3 notes and he missed 1. She made some Easy Mac and went upstairs to eat in her room. Eventually, she got bored and went to sleep. Nothing could prepare her for the next morning, though.

3. Heartbreak.

Normally, Andrew slept really late because he stayed up really late. So Bella was usually the one to wake him. She was very happy this morning for some reason even though she knew his room was going to be a bit messy. He had so much stuff. There were posters all over the walls: KISS, Metallica, AC/DC, Linkin Park, Guns and Roses, Foo Fighters, Three Days Grace, Three Doors Down, Black Stone Cherry, Lustra, Keane, and other bands he liked. Then he had concert DVDs and guitar picks. She was planning to help him get a bit more organized today. She knocked first to be polite. Usually, he didn’t answer because he was still asleep and when she would open his door, she would see him in his room, snoring. But, when she opened his door, there were 3 things left in his room: his bed, his dresser, and a note. It read:

Dearest Bella,
I wish it didn't have to be this way but it must. I'm so sorry, Bella. I must go.

-Drew

Once Bella had read his note, she couldn't even stand up. She cried on his bed for a very long time. All she had left of him was this note and a Guns N Roses t-shirt. Her guitar was there too. He had borrowed it a few nights ago. He had stopped talking to her for no apparent reason. She thought he was mad. I guess he really was, Bella thought, but why? He had painted on it. He painted little stars and wrote: My lovely Belle.He was a wonderful artist. That's why he went to the Art Institutes, to develop his skill. She reread the note over and over again. It was so short. He could have said more. He couldn't have left her more of what little she had of him. Eventually, Jude heard her and went to Drew's old room. He found the note and read it. Then he called Jake and Jake also read it. They both wrapped their arms around Bella. They both knew how much Andrew meant to Bella. He was the first person to teach her how to play guitar. He usually would sing to her if she was having a bad day. He made he laugh and could always put a smile on her face. Now, he was just gone. No one knew why but him. That’s got to hurt, Jude thought. She stopped crying, though. She hated crying possibly more than she hated that Drew left right now. She was going to find a new bassist. She couldn't let down the band just because of Drew and his decisions. She got on their shared MySpace and typed up a bulletin:

Auditions for a new bassist: Next Saturday
Fueled by Ramen Record Label
"Diamonds in the Night" are holding auditions for a new bassist.
Our former bassist has decided to pursue other things.
All you need is your guitar.
Auditions will continue until a suitable bassist is found for the band.
If you think you have what it takes, come to the label.

She had over a week to get over it. That would have to be enough. She had to suck it up for the sake of Jude and Jake. She could do this. She had to do this. Jude offered to take her to see a movie. Jude was her friend and he wanted to help her through this. She really needed to get away from anything that would remind her of him so she went. Jude said they could go see a chick flick but she picked some action movie because she knew she would cry if she saw something mushy. She could tell that Jude was relieved, anyway. Plus, she knew he would actually stay awake through this one. She got a giant tub of popcorn for them to share and went to get seats with Jude following her. The movie was actually pretty good. It got her mind of Andrew for 1 hour and ½. She decided to go to the movies more often.

4. Auditions.

Those days had passed pretty quickly. But, the auditions were long. There were so many people coming out. There were so many people to try out and so much paparazzo. They had auditions until Sunday. Finally, the bassist they had been waiting for came in. His name was Chase Edward Andrews. As soon as Bella saw Chase, she thought, He is gorgeous. But she wasn't going to let that affect her judgment on his playing. Chase kept on telling himself, I can do this. I was meant to do this. Even if I don't get it, at least I got to meet Bella. She handed him the music. It was "Sweet Child of Mine" by Guns N Roses. She picked it because she knew exactly how it was supposed to sound and she would know if he messed up. But he didn't. He played it very well. She talked to Jake and Jude to see what they thought. They all agreed he was perfect enough.

She walked over to Chase and said,
"You are definitely a part of this band. The names-"
"Bella,"
"Yeah. So when would you like to move into the house?"
"Tomorrow would be great,"
"See you tomorrow then," she said.

Then he smiled. She smiled back and gave him the address. She went outside and told the rest to go home. The auditions were over. That made her very happy. She probably couldn't have taken another day of that. The next morning there was someone knocking on the door. Luckily she had gotten up early and already done her make-up. It was 9. She went to go answer it. Of course, it was Chase. She showed him to his new room and around the rest of the house. He seemed to be in awe of how big it was. "Chase, we were thinking about having a dinner to welcome you to the band. Would 8 be cool?" she asked. "That sounds great," he answered. Less than 12 hours. Jake and Jude weren't even up yet. About an hour later, Jake woke up and then Jude did too. She told both of them about the dinner she was planning. They decided to go to Black Cat, this casual but cool restaurant not far from the house.

5. Friends, Fun, and Karaoke.

At 6:30, Jude told Bella to start getting ready if they were going to be on time. He knew it would take her at least 1 hour to get ready and he was right. He never knew why it took her so long to get ready. Bella always looked pretty in anything and without make-up.Girls will be girls, he thought. Bella was finished by 7:40. Jude and Jake took 20 minutes at most. Chase was the quickest. He took less than 10 minutes. As soon as everyone was ready, they headed out. The Black Cat wasn't extra packed today which was a big surprise. They got a table and started ordering. As usual, the guys ordered so much that it probably could have fed the whole continent of Africa while Bella just ordered a cheeseburger. When the food got there, there wasn't enough room on the table. Bella ate her cheeseburger quietly while the guys attacked the food like they had never been fed before. Bella couldn't keep from laughing.

Jude said, "Hey Bella, want to get your butt kicked at karaoke tonight?"
"You will never beat me at karaoke for one simple reason. You can't sing!" she said.
Jake chimed in, "Oooh, burn."
"Let’s go to the Star Palace!" Jude shouted.
"Jeez. Do you want everyone to know where we are going? So, I guess we all shall participate in karaoke." said Chase.
"Only if you want to," Bella said.

So they all left and went to the band's van. Bella had worked on it and painted the outside. It was a night sky with stars and diamonds.
It said Diamonds in the Night in silver, cursive letters. Chase stood there admiring it.

"Who did this?" he asked.
"I did," Bella said.
"Oh, I really like it."
"Thanks." was all she could manage.
"Ok, if you are done flirting, can we get in the van now?" Jude asked.
"Shut up, Jude," Bella answered, "Just get in the van."

So, they all got in and Bella handed Jake the keys. After all, he was the best driver out of them all. Jake set the GPS and headed out. When they go to Star Palace, it was packed. It was hard to get through the door. Jude went to go karaoke first. He sang "Rock and Roll All Night" by: KISS. He wasn't that bad but he wasn't exactly good either. Jake went next. He sang "Sweet Child of Mine" by: Guns N Roses. He was good. Chase went. "There goes your crush, Belle,” Jake said. "Stop it, guys. I actually want to see if he sings well." she said. Chase sang "Hey There Delilah" by: Plain White T's. He sounded really good. Bella started blushing again. Jake and Jude laughed. "Chase, Bella's real name is Delilah. We just call her by her middle name because it’s shorter. So, you were really singing the song to her. Ha," Jake said. Jude said "Ha! Now Chase is blushing too." "Ok, my turn," Bella said. That was AWKWARD, she thought. She sang, "Your Guardian Angel" by: Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. When she finished, Jude said, "You're a big romantic, aren't you Belle?" She laughed. "I do like love songs," she said, "Man, I am wiped out. Can we go now?" They all left. When they got back to the house, Bella went straight to her room. She started taking off the makeup and changing into pajamas. She heard a knock on her door.

"Coming," she yelled. She opened the door and saw Chase standing there.
"Um, I just wanted to tell you that I think you are really good at singing," he said.
"So are you," she replied, "I think you should do back vocals for the band."
"Cool then. Night," he said. Then he walked off.

My heart has never beaten faster in my entire life,he thought. He got ready for bed. At the same time, Bella thought, I wonder if he could hear my heart beat. I could definitely tell it was beating pretty fast.

6. Rehearsal.

Bella woke up to the sound of a guitar. Who the hell is playing guitar at 8 am? Not that I don’t like guitars but it is a bit early for that,she thought. She got out of bed and took a shower. Then she did her make-up so she looked decent. She changed into jeans and a Guns N Roses t-shirt. She went downstairs to see what the racket was about. Everyone was already awake. Ok, what the hell is going on?she thought.

"Bella, where have you been?" Jude asked.
"Dude, what the hell are you talking about? Sleeping maybe?" she asked.
"Jake, you forgot to tell her we had rehearsal today, didn't you?" Jude asked.
"Yeah, whoops. Sorry." Jake said. They all started rehearsing and tuning.
"I think we need a new song," Chase said.
"And you all expect me to write it all by myself?" Bella asked.
"No, I'll help," Chase said. He smiled. She was blushing once again.
"Oh no! Bella and Chase are writing a song together?! It will probably be some mushy love song," Jude said.
"Jude, must you make fun of everything possible?" Bella asked.
"Mhm. That's my mission in life," Jude answered sarcastically.

Bella wanted to hit him, but she kept her composure and went upstairs. She brought down a notebook and some of her favorite pens. Then, she started writing. Soon, her cursive letters started filling more and more of the page. Writing was good for her. It was the one thing she could always do without worrying about being hurt. "Judging by that sheet of paper, it looks like you can do it by yourself," Chase said, staring at her. "Well, if you want to help, the go ahead," she answered. She pushed the notebook close to him and he looked at what she had written. He added lines and scratched a few of hers. Then, he handed to the notebook back. They went back and forth like that for a long time. Finally, Jake wanted to see what they had written. Then, he also started adding stuff. They all looked at it and decided it was done. No one had noticed Jude left.

"JUDE!" Bella shouted.
"WHAT?" he shouted back.
"GET DOWN HERE!" she yelled.
He came down and looked at the lyrics. He stared at Bella.
"Who is this about?" he asked.
"That really doesn't matter. Get your guitar."

Chase starting messing with his guitar. He started playing a tune Bella liked.
Then, Jake joined him with the drums. She started singing. Jude finally found his guitar and joined in.

"Well I think we have a new song," Bella said. She high-fived everyone.
"So what are we doing tonight?" Chase asked.
"I want to go dancing," Jude said. Bella laughed. As if you can Jude,she thought.
"Sounds good to me," Bella said. "Which place though?" Jake asked.
"How about that new place that just opened?" Chase said.
"What's it called?" Bella asked.
"Jupiter," Chase answered. Well isn’t that a great name,Bella thought.
“Okay, but I need to go change.”

She left and headed for her room. She really just needed to gather her thoughts. Ok, what the hell should I wear? Maybe I should wear that new blue dress I have over some jeans with blue flats. Nah, she thought.She felt like wearing a band t-shirt. She went to her closet and picked a random one. It happened to be the Guns N Roses t-shirt Drew gave her a long time ago. It fit her pretty well so she decided to wear it. It smells really good. He always smelled really good, she thought.Yeah, that will be good enough. She slipped on the shirt, a pair of jeans, a hoodie, and some Converse on. She went back downstairs. Jake came up and asked her if she liked his outfit.

“You look great, Jake. The green shirt really compliments your eyes,” she said.
“Thanks,” he said, turning to go down the stairs.
Ha, I’m making him blush, she thought. He was starting to get really red in the face.
“Wait, where is Chase?” she asked.
“I think he’s in his room,” he answered.

She was going to say thanks but someone grabbed her by the waist and covered her eyes.
“Guess who!” Chase said.
“I can tell it’s you, Chase,” she said, “Why you felt to need to attack me, I don’t know.”

She went and knocked on Jude’s door.
“Jude, are you ready yet?!” she said.
He opened his door. “Let’s go.”
They were about to but they heard someone knocking on their door.

"Jake, can you get that? I need my purse,” Bella said running upstairs to find it.
Jake opened the door and Andrew was standing there.
“Bella, it’s for you,” Jake called.
“Send them up. I’m still searching,” she said.

Andrew went up the stairs and saw Chase.
"Let me guess, you are the new bassist," he said.
"The name's Chase. Who are you?"
"Andrew, the ex-bassist. I'd love to stay and chat but I really need to talk to Bella."

Andrew walked into the room he used to know so well. He and Bella used to stay up late and make random songs together. He would play her acoustic guitar and she would sing.
As soon as he got to the door, he started remembering all of this. He walked in and said, “Hey Belle.”

7. The Comeback Kid.

Bella heard his voice and knew he was back. She turned around to make sure she wasn’t imagining this and she wasn’t. He was really there. She stared into his blue eyes and he smiled at her. Why is he here? Why did he come back? He got his hair cut. It looks better,she thought.

“I know I’m probably the last person on this Earth that you want to see right now but I have to ask you something."
“What is it? Why couldn’t you just call?”
“I was afraid that you would hang up on. This is a really important question. Bella, why didn’t you try to find me?”
“How was I supposed to search for you? You didn’t even tell me where you were going. You could have been anywhere. I knew we needed a new bassist so I spent my time getting that together. That took a lot of time and by then I knew you were long gone. So, I gave up. I was afraid you wouldn’t pick up if I called. Plus, I knew if I called you that I wouldn’t be able to get over you. That would have broken up the band and I couldn’t do that to Jake and Jude. They would have been devastated.”
"So, you didn't look for me or call me to be loyal to the band. That's nice."
"I couldn't abandon my dreams, Drew. I'm sorry. I couldn’t just throw away everything that we worked for."

He didn't say anything for a long time and neither did she.
It was really hot in her room. She took off the hoodie she was wearing.
She sat down on her bed and he sat in her chair.

"I see you still have my Guns N Roses t-shirt," he said.
"Do you want it back?"
"No, it looks better on you than it ever did on me."
"Thanks."
"Well, my other band mates are waiting for me so I should probably go now."

He went downstairs. After that, Jake called her down.
"Did you tell him about what you were going to tell him that morning?" he asked.
"Jake, shhh!" she said.

But it was too late. Andrew had already heard her.
"Wait, what were you going to tell me the morning I left?” he asked.
"It's not important. I was going to say that I loved you."
"Oh my god, Bella, I'm so sorry. I wish you would have told me earlier."
"I doubt it would have made a difference."
"Yeah. It would have."
"How so?"
"I would have stayed if you had told me that."
"Well, there's nothing we can do about that now." she said.

"Bella, its 9:00. Can we go out now?" That was Chase.
"I promised the guys we would go out tonight. I'm sorry. I really should go," she said.

She started heading downstairs. But, he caught her by the waist before she could get there. She turned around and he kissed her. "What was that for?" she asked. "I don't know. I just wanted to kiss you again," he said. Then he opened the door and let himself out. She found the rest of the guys and they all went to the van.

"Ok, Bella, what did Andrew need to talk to you about?" Jake asked.
"That's between me and him," she answered.
"Ah c'mon. What is so secret?" Jude asked.
"I don't want to talk about it, ok?" she said.
"Well, someone's feisty today. Did he hurt you?" Chase asked.
"I said I don't want to talk about it. Just leave me alone," she said.

They finally got to Jupiter. Bella was the first one out of the van. She walked into the club. She heard he music blasting and let her thoughts be drowned in it. She started dancing. She needed this. She needed to get away. There's a place off Ocean Avenue where I used to sit and talk with you. We were both 16 and it felt so right, sleeping all day, staying up all night. She didn't see any of the guys so she set her phone on vibrate in case they called. After that, she let her thoughts be erased and she took her hair out of her ponytail. It was curly and it fell over her shoulders. Her hair was long and dark brown. Every boy at the club was making cat calls at her. But, she ignored them and kept on dancing. She felt her phone vibrating. She opened it and saw a text from Jake:Bella, where are you?But as soon as she looked up, Jake was right there. "We are about to go," he said. They all drove home in silence. No one dared to ask her about Andrew. When they got home, she got some pasta out of the fridge, heated it, and went to Jake's room. She knocked on his door.

"Jake, I need to talk to you." The door swung open and she went in.
"What is it, Belle?" he asked.
"I'm sorry for shutting you out earlier. I just needed time to compose my thoughts.”
"It's okay. What happened?"
"We just talked about why he left. It was pretty awkward. Before he left, he kissed me."
"Wow, Bella. Do you still like him in that way?"
"I don't know, Jake. That's the problem."
"Wow. This is complicated."
"Yeah, now you can see why I didn't want to share this with the whole band."
"There's another problem."
"Oh gosh, what now?"
"I think Chase likes you as more than a friend."
"Great, what should I do now?" She took some pasta and stuffed it in her mouth.
"I don't know Belle. You have got to figure out how you feel about Drew and how you feel about Chase."
"I know, Jake. But, I don't know what to do. I'm so confused."
Jake wrapped his arms around her. "You'll get through it, Belle."
"I hope so. Thanks for talking to me, Jake."
"Bella, you're my best friend. I'm always here for you whenever you need me."
"Thanks. You don't know how much I need that right now. I'm so tired. I'm going to bed."
"I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight."

She went up to her room. She changed into some shorts and took off the flats. She loved this t-shirt. It smelled like Andrew. She went to her bed and laid in it. She couldn't sleep though. But, eventually she got to sleep.

8. The Solution to Bella's Problems.

She woke up and found a text on her phone. It was from Andrew. Bella, I need to tell you something. Can you meet me at Prospect Park today? She answered back. Is it important?He sent one back immediately. It is. Meet me at eight thirty. She got dressed and did make-up. Then she found her purse and aviators. It was 8:00. She wrote the guys a note. Be back later. Call if you need something.Then she went to her car and drove there. She saw him sitting on a bench.

"Belle, I never explained why I left and I think you should know."
"So, why did you leave?"
"I thought you were cheating on me."
"Who would I cheat on you with?"
"Jake, maybe?"
"Ha, you can't be serious. He's my best friend and we talk to each other a lot. We are really close. But, he's just a friend, I promise."
"Oh. I wasn't sure because I heard you and Jake talking the night before.”

“What did I say?”

“I believe it was ‘Jake, I’d date you if I wasn’t already with Andrew.’”

“I’m guessing you didn’t hear anything besides that. My next statements were, ‘But it’s not like Andrew and I are breaking up anytime soon because I honestly think he’s the one for me. That color looks great on you, by the way.’ He was nervous about saying I love you to his girlfriend. So he asked me if he looked good. If you ask him what I was like the day after, he would tell you that I was a mess, crying my eyes out."
"Really? I'm really sorry. I just couldn't stand the thought of you cheating on me."
"You could have just asked to me about it. You didn't have to leave."
"I was afraid of what you would answer. I was afraid you actually were cheating. I knew I couldn't have taken it."
"I would never do that. That’s not what I do, Drew and it never will be. Didn't you think of what I feel like if you left and I wasn't cheating?"
"I knew you would be able to get over me eventually."
"The main word here is eventually."
"I'm sorry I never said goodbye."
"All that matters is you're back. So what do we do now, Drew?"
"I'm still not over you, no matter how many times I try to deny it. I always loved you even though I thought you might have been cheating on me."
"Ugh. This is so complicated."
"How so?"
"I'm still not over you either. Chase, I think, really likes me and I don't know what to do."
"You are going to have to tell him sometime."
"But, I don't want him to quit the band. I feel really bad."
"I'm sorry."
"I know. Drew, why did you come back? You just randomly left, out of the blue! I was crushed, I felt broken inside, and my heart was in pieces. Now, you come back saying that you loved me the whole time? How I am I supposed to trust you? I don’t know anything about what happened from then to now. For example, I don’t know when you got that new haircut. It’s nice by the way. It isn’t so long and it frames your face better."
"Thanks? Why do you think I came back? I missed you a lot. I thought about you all the time. I’m not expecting you to trust me. I just want you to forgive for my stupid decision. If I could take it back, I would with no thought about it."
"I thought about you too. Why do you think I’m not so trusting right now?"
"I’m sorry. I got to the point that I didn't care if you were cheating or not. I just wanted to see you again. Nothing else even mattered to me anymore."
"I'm so glad you are back. But you are crazy if you think I would ever would cheat."
"Just thinking of you with some other guy makes me feel insanely jealous."
"Ha. It's nice to know you care about me that much. Do you trust me?"
"Of course I do."
"If you really do, you have to trust my band mates too."
"I don't know Bella."
"Please?"
"All right. I'll try. Just to let you know, I'm in another band and we live close by. Bella, do you still love me?"
"Yeah, I do. But, its going to take me time to trust you again.”

She felt her phone vibrating.
She took it out and saw that Jake was calling.

"Belle, where are you? Chase needs to talk to you."

“I’ll be back soon.”

“Drew, I really have to go. Chase needs to talk about something.”

"Ok. Bella, will you be my girlfriend again?"
"I don't know."
"I won’t ever leave again. Please."
"I don't want to be hurt again."
"I don't hurt the people I love and I love you."
"Remember that you hurt me once."
"I won’t ever do that again."
"You are going to have to prove I can trust you."

He kissed her. She went home and up to Chase's room.
"You need to tell me something?"
"I like you, but I don’t like you in the romantic way. Bella, I have a girlfriend."
" I don't like you in the 'more than a friend' way either."
"I'm glad we got that cleared up."
"Me too. Friends?"
"Yeah, definitely."

9. The Best Birthday Ever.

She woke up and found herself in her bed. I don't even remember walking up to my room. That's weird,she thought. She didn't redo her make-up. She just put on a Paramore t-shirt and called Andrew.

"Ugh. Hello?"
"Hey, Drew."
"Bella?"
"Mhm. Morning, sunshine. Did I wake you?"
"Yeah. How did the Chase thing go?"
"Well, he doesn't like me that way."
"That's good. I'll pass by later and take you to lunch."
"Sure. I'm going to get breakfast."
"Well, I'm going back to sleep."
"Sweet dreams."

She went downstairs and knocked on Jake's door.
"Jake, wake up."
"I'm already up. Come in."
"I figured out everything."
"Good. Tell me."
"Alright. I love Andrew."
"Bella, he left. How do you know he won't leave again?"
"He loves me too. He told me why he left."
"Would you like to share?"
"He left because he thought I was cheating on him."
"With who?"
"With you."
"Haha. He seriously thought that? I love you Bella but not in that way."
"Mhm. I know. I love you too Jake, in the friend way. "
"Did you tell him that?"
"Yeah, I told him I wasn't."
"What about Chase?"
"He doesn't like me that way."
"So are you and Drew an item again?"
"Yeah. He asked me to be his girlfriend again."
"And I’m assuming you said yes?"
"Yes, I did."
"Are you happy?"
"Mhm." She hugged him.
"I'm glad. Bella, did I tell you I have a girlfriend?"
"Yeah, but you never told me her name."
"Her name is Kate."
"How long have you two been going out?"
"I think its six months on Friday."
"I'm happy for you."
"Thanks. But, I'm starving."
"Me too. I'll make breakfast. Wake up Jude and Chase for me. I don't want their food to be cold."

Bella really made a great breakfast. There were waffles, pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs, grits, and other things. She set out plates, utensils, and glasses of orange juice. When everything was done, the guys came downstairs. "It smells good in here," Jude said. They all sat down and ate breakfast. The guys, as usual, attacked the food. Bella didn't stay to watch. She needed a shower. She decided to wash her hair today. She washed it, combed it, and then blow-dried it. I'm tired of the same old hair. I think I'm going to cut it and donate to Locks for Love. She did her usual routine and went back downstairs. It was 9:00.

"Who wants to play Guitar Hero or RockBand?"
"Ooh, I do!" Jude shouted.
"Which one?"
"RockBand."
"Alright."
They played RockBand. But eventually, they got tired so Jake and Chase played.
"I haven't talked to you in a while, Bella," Jude said.
"I know, sorry."
"So, what's up with you and Andrew?"
"He loves me and I love him back."
"Even though he left?"
"Yeah. He's taking me to lunch. We talked about it."
"Oh. That's good. So, are you two an item again?"
"Yep. How are you?"
"I'm good. I think I'm the only single person in the house."
"You are but I'm sure you will find someone."
"How come?"
"Jude, you're amazing. You play guitar really well and you're a great friend even though you annoy me sometimes."
"Thanks. You're a great friend too."

Someone was knocking at the door.
Bella opened it and saw Drew.

"Hey beautiful."
"Hey Drew."
He took her hand and led her to his car. He held the car door open for her.
"Well aren't you the perfect gentleman?" She was smiling.
"I try to be." He smiled back.

He got in the drivers seat and took off. He put the radio on the classic rock station. Right now, the Beatles were playing. Drew and Bella started singing the song because they both knew it. It was "When I'm 64." When it went off, they both started laughing.

"I love how we both knew that song. But you sang it better than me," Drew said.
"I love the Beatles. I wish I could meet all of them. But John and George are dead."
"They're ok. But, I like singing their songs with you. Oh yeah, Bella, before I forget. I got you a present."
"Thanks. But what did you get me a present for?"
"Your birthday is today."
"Really?" She looks at her phone. "Ha, it is! I totally forgot." He handed her a bag.
"At least I didn't. Open it." She looked inside. She saw a Beatles t-shirt.
"Ahh! Drew, I love it. It's so cute."
"I thought you would. But that's not all. Keep looking."
She looked and gasped. "Well, are you going to open it?" he said.

It was a blue Tiffany's box. She always loved the color of the box.
She opened it and saw the charm bracelet she had been wanting for a long time now.
She thought that it was a bit of a splurge. She was planning to buy it sometime soon and now it was right there.
She couldn't help it. She started smiling.

"How did you know?" she asked.
"Know what?"
"I've wanted this bracelet for a while now."
"Ha. That's funny. I bought it because I thought it looked like something you would like."
"Well, you were right. Thanks for everything, Andrew. You're awesome."
"Anytime. I got you a charm too. It's a music note. By the way, we're here." He attached it to the bracelet.

She had totally forgotten about lunch but her stomach was growling. They got out of the car and went into the little cafe. They ordered their food. Before it got there, she called Jake.

"Jake!"
"Hey Bella. What's up?"
"It's my birthday today."
"I know. That's why I got you a present. Chase and Jude got you stuff too."
"Ha. It looks like I'm the only one that forgot my birthday."
"Nice. Well, when you get back, be prepared to get something."

The food was there now. She ate all her pasta really fast. That was good,she thought.

"Well someone was hungry! Do you want something else?"
"No! You have given me enough for one day."
"It's not that much. A t-shirt, a bracelet, a charm, food."
"You're forgetting something."
"Hmm?"
"You gave me your love too and that's worth a lot to me. Stop giving me things."
"Why should I?"
"I want to be able to give you the same amount of things that you have given me someday and if you keep adding on, I never will."
"You don't have to try."

He led her back to the car and then took her back to the house. Her band mates were in the living room. They made room for her on the couch. They all handed her presents. She got a notebook from Chase. It was beautiful with very pretty paper inside. Jude's present was a new guitar strap that said her name in cursive lettering. Jake got her a new photo album. "Thanks everybody. The gifts were great. But I'm exhausted," Bella said. She went up to her room and took off the jeans. She put on some shorts, got on her bed, and closed her eyes.

10. Drew's Band Mates.

When she woke up, she heard music being played by someone.
She looked over and saw it was Drew. He was playing "Hey There Delilah" on her guitar.

"Drew, why are you playing my guitar?"
"I wanted to see if it was tuned the same."
"Oh, okay then."
"I was also wondering if you wanted to meet my band mates today."
"Like now?" He nodded. "I can't."
"Why not?"
"I have a hair appointment in 30 minutes."
"Oh, do you want me to take you?"
"Yeah, but I need about 5 minutes to get ready."
"I'll wait downstairs."

She got ready and went downstairs.
She walked out got into Drew's car. She also had rehearsal today. It had slipped her mind.

"Drew, I have to be back by at least 4:30. I have rehearsal today."
"I'll get you back by then, if not before. I promise."
"What are you going to do while I'm getting my hair done?"
"Look at some stores."
"Try not to go overboard.”

He shops more than me and I’m the GIRL. That’s the really funny part, she thought.

“So, why do you need your hair done at Aveda?"
"I don't. I'm getting it cut."
"But, I like your hair."
"I really want it cut. I promise you'll like it."

They arrived at the mall and she went to her hair appointment. She got her hair cut short and layered. She loved it. Drew was waiting for her outside. He smiled when he saw her hair.

"Do you like it?" she asked.
"Yes."
"I told you so."
"Alright. C'mon."

He took her hand. They walked out of the mall and drove to Drew's house. It was gorgeous. There were pretty flowers outside and trees. She stood there admiring it. Drew pulled her towards the house. He opened the door for her. The inside was better. Drew introduced her to his band mates. There was Matt with black hair and brown eyes, Mark with blonde hair and green eyes, and Jeff with blonde hair and blue eyes. After she met all of them and chatted for a bit, Drew took her upstairs to his room. It was almost exactly like it was before. There were posters all over the walls, CDs & DVDs on his dresser, and his guitar lying on his bed.

"What's up with the random space in the middle of your wall?" she asked.
"I was going to paint something to put there."
"Oh, can I paint you something?"
"I don't want to burden you."
"It won't be a burden. I can start repaying you for what you've done for me."
"You don't have to. I told you that already."
"But I want to. I'm going to need some paint and a canvas though."
"Ok."
"I like your room. It's actually neat for once."
"Yeah, I got bored one day."
"You organize when you're bored?"
"Sometimes."

"Sweet Child of Mine" filled the room. Her phone was ringing.

"Hello?"
"Belle, it's Jake. Where are you?"
"I'm in Drew's room."
"Bella, we have reahearsal today."
"I know, I'll be back in time."
"Don't get your heart broken again. I hate seeing you crying."
"I can make my own decisions."
"I think you're making a stupid one."
"Stop it. I don't want to have to choose between you."
"I don't want to see you hurt again Bella. I think that Drew is only going to hurt you."
"No, he's not. The only person hurting me right now is you."
"I hate to break this to you but he's going to break your heart."
"How do you know?"
"He left you once. He'll leave again."
"Jake, just stop it. Stop talking about my boyfriend."
"Fine. Bye Bella."

She hadn't noticed that she had started crying. She couldn't believe that he would say that to her. Drew came over to her and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight.

"What happened?"
"Jake was telling me things… about you. It was…”
"I knew you shouldn't trust him."
"You two have got to stop."
"Stop what?"
"Stop saying mean things about each other. It only hurts me."
"I don't trust him."
"See, there you go again. I don't want to have to choose between the two of you."
"You don't have to."
"You sure make it seem that way."
"It's not that way. I just don't like Jake."
"Ok, that's it. I don't want anything to do with either of you. Until you two figure it out, I'm not talking to either of you. I'm also not going to kiss you anymore either. I love the both of you in different ways. Until you two can fix whatever is making you hate one another, I'm now out of both of your lives. I'm sorry Drew, but I have to do this."
"That's totally unfair!"
"No, what's unfair is you two hating each other and putting me in the middle. I have rehearsal soon so take me home."
"No, I don't want to."
"Fine, I just call Jake then."
"Don’t, I'll bring you."

They went to his car and drove home in silence. Nothing could change Bella's mind about this. They were going to have to work it out eventually or she couldn't be a part of their lives. When she got back, she went into the living room.

"Hey Jake."
"Hey Bella. Are you done with seeing that heartbreaker?"
"For now. But, I'm also done with you. I'm not talking to either of you until you work it out. So, fix it."
"That's insane."
"If you both really care about me, it shouldn't be a problem."
"I do care about you and you know that."
"Then, talk to Drew. I'm not changing my mind about this."

They had rehearsal and when they were done, Bella went to her car. She drove off and didn't know where to go. I'll go see Jenny. I haven't talked to her in a while,she thought.

11. Old Friends.

Bella drove to Jenny’s apartment. When she got there, Jenny came out and met her.

"Hey rock star. I haven't talked to you in a while."
"I know. I'm really sorry about that. My life has been pretty hectic lately."
"It's okay. Come in so we can chat."

The walked up to the house and went in.

"You re-painted the living room. I love the color."
"Thanks."
"How have you been?"
"Good. I have a new boyfriend. His name is Harry."
"That's great. I'm happy for you."
"So what about you?"
"My life's a bit complicated now."
"How so?"
"My best guy friend, Jake, hates my boyfriends guts and vice versa."
"Why?"
"Well, Drew, my boyfriend, thought I was cheating on him with Jake. So, he left and Jake saw me in pain. He hates Drew for doing that to me."
"Did Drew come back? Stupid question. He's your boyfriend, of course he did."
"Drew doesn't trust Jake and hates his guts for some unknown reason."
"Wow, that sucks. What are you going to do about it?"
"I'm not talking to either of them until the work it out."
"I hope they do. I can tell that it tearing you apart inside."
"It really is."
"It was nice talking to you, Bella, but, I have some people coming over soon."
"Oh, that's okay. I need to go to an art store anyway. Bye, Jen."
"Bye Belle.

Bella walked back to her car and drove to Michael's. She went in and bought some paint. She got almost every color. Then she bought some small canvases and one big one in case she decided to actually paint Drew something. She paid for everything and went back to her car. She turned on the radio and put it on the classic rock station. They were playing Aerosmith. She blasted the music even though she had never heard them before.
Write me a letter. Write it today. I'm going’ away. Well I've been away forever. She just sat there for a few minutes listening and then drove to the house.

Drew couldn't stand it anymore. It had been about a week. He was now cracking under the pressure. He had to call Jake and make everything right. He missed Bella a lot. He really wanted to talk to her but he knew he couldn’t until he fixed everything with Jake. This must have been how Bella felt when I left, he thought, Helpless and unloved is not a good feeling."Hello?"
"Jake, it's Drew."
"What do you want?"
"We keep on saying mean things about each other and it's affecting Bella."
"I can tell. She is not talking to me until we work it out."
"So why do you hate me?"
"I don't hate you. I just don't trust you because I don't want to see Bella hurt. What's going to keep you from leaving again?"
"Everyday, I regret leaving her. I would never do that again. It hurts too much."
"I really don't want you to break her heart."
"I don’t want to. I'm jealous of you, Jake. That's why I say the things that I do."
"What?"
"I admit it, I really am. That was really hard to say, by the way."
"Why the heck are you jealous of me? You’re the boy with one of the prettiest girls on planet Earth."
"You are always there for Bella and I wish I was. I know I wasn't before. If I could go back, I never would have left Bella, but I can't do that. She tells you basically everything. I can only accept what she decides to tell me."
"I admit I'm also kind of jealous of you. You are all Bella talks about and probably all she thinks about. Do you really care about Bella?"
"I really do and I wish I could prove that to you."
"She really cares about you too. Because of that, I’m willing to try to trust you. But, you'll have to earn it."
"I'm fine with that but no more of this. Truce?"
"Truce. Take care of her, Drew. She's here now. Do you want to talk to her?"
"I will take care of her and that would be great."

Drew hung up. He thought for a moment and decided to call Bella.

"Hello?" she said into the phone.
"It's Drew. Jake and I worked it out."
"Thank you. It really means a lot. "
"I'm still sorry for leaving you. When you stop talking to me, it felt like you left me. Now I understand how much I hurt you by leaving."
"It's okay. You're back now and plus you’re not fighting with Jake!"
"It's not like I had much of a choice. Can I come over soon?"
"Yeah, you can come right now if you want."
"Be there soon."

He did get there pretty quickly. I hope he wasn’t speeding, she thought.He came up to her and gently grabbed her by the waist.

"I'm okay with you two being together but this lovey dovey stuff is grossing me out," Jake said as he passed them in the hall. Bella just laughed. "It's pretty late. I'm going to sleep." She didn't go straight to sleep though. She took out her journal and re-read it for some reason. She looked at the entry she wrote when he left.

The funny thing is that someone who you thought would make the least impact on you makes the BIGGEST. They are the one you can turn to when thing go wrong. They help you through it. They make you laugh. You smile at the smallest thing they did for you. You have many memories with the person though you might not realize that when you are making them. They change you for the better. They help you grow as a person. You are different because of them and you can’t change that. & when they leave out of your life, you hurt more than you thought you possibly could. That person actually meant something to you at some point in time. The more you want to hate them, the more you can’t. It’s like there’s something that triggers inside of you. Every time you try to focus on the dark side, the light side comes back to you too. You remember what it was that made you like them in the first place. You remember the times you spent with them, the times you laughed with them, the times they held you when you were crying, and most of all the times they kissed you like nothing else mattered. Then you think: how the heck did I get here? Now all that’s left are the remains. A great ending isn’t it? I’ve stopped crying but the pain is still here inside of me. All I want is for him to be back now. That’s not much to ask for but it would make me enormously happy.

The way you held me in your arms made me feel at home. But then you went away and left me all alone. You never judged me, even when I was dumb. That always made me smile. Now all I feel is numb. You held me in your arms when I cried at night. Then you said words to make everything all right. You were the only boy I loved so far. But now all you have left me with is the scars of what used to be. You make me laugh like no one else could have. Hold on to you, maybe I should have. Now you are gone. I don’t know what I did wrong. I want to tell you how I feel but I don’t think I can. It will hurt too much for me. I wish you could be back now. If I could change the day you left, I would, pretty quick. Now I just feel lovesick. I know you are the only person for me. I wish you could see how much I love you. I always do.

He’s back now, she thought, I’m not letting him go.

12. The Song.

She woke up the next morning and found her journal still in her hands from last night. She put it back in her drawer with all of the rest of her old journals. She went downstairs to fix breakfast and found that Drew was still there.

"Hey Belle, what's up?" Drew asked.

“I’m a bit stressed trying to put everything together for the tour in a week.”

“We are going on tour soon, too.”

“Good luck. I still have to create a CD cover and decide on which tour bus to use.”
"I know you will do fine. You always do.”

“Thanks, I really hope I can pull through for the band.”

“You will. I have something for you. It's small, promise."

He took out a blank CD with her name written on it.
"Do you want me to play it now?"
"If you want to, you can.”

She went over to the CD player and put it in. Immediately, a song started playing. It was one of her favorite songs. "Everlong" by: Foo Fighters. It was the first song she ever heard by them. She had always liked it because it showed the calmer side of Foo Fighters. Usually, they were all guitars, drums, and loud vocals. She didn't say anything. She just waited to see if it was the concert version. It wasn't the concert version. It was the calmer version. She sat in a chair and just listened to it. Then she listened to the rest of the CD.

The other songs were:
"Your Guardian Angel" by: Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.
"Hero/Heroine (Acoustic)" by: Boys Like Girls
"Calling You" by: Blue October
"Stolen" by: Dashboard Confessional
"Home" by: Foo Fighters
"Sweet Child of Mine" by: Guns N Roses
"If Everyone Cared" by: Nickelback
"Stop and Stare" by: One Republic
"Dreamers" by: Push Play
"When Did Your Heart Go Missing?" by: Rooney
"Vulnerable" by: Secondhand Serenade
"Here Without You" by: Three Doors Down
"Sorry" by: Buckcherry
"Statues" by: Foo Fighters
"The Reason" by: Hoobastank
"Dance Inside" by: All American Rejects
"Hey There Delilah" by: Plain White T's.

“Thunder” by: Boys Like Girls

“Fall for You” by: Secondhand Serenade

But, the last song she didn't know. She had never heard it before. It sounded pretty though. It was acoustic, just like she liked it. They sounded like a pretty good band.

"Drew, who plays this song?"
"My band does. I wrote it."
"What's your band called?"
"We are The Chemicals React."
"Like that Aly and AJ song?"
"I didn't pick the name, okay?"
"I like it actually. What's this song called?"
" ‘You.’ Matt edited it. He said the original was too mushy and the title was too long.”

She just listened to the lyrics.

I would hold you close.

I would never let you go again.

I would say sorry & promise you that my love would never end.

I would make you laugh until you couldn’t anymore.

I would tell you I love you until you were always sure.

I never should have left you.

I can’t erase you from my mind.

You are the only girl for me

You’d have big brown eyes.

They are one of the biggest things I’d remember you by.

You would have the prettiest face.

You would be my saving grace.

You’d be the only girl I’ve loved so far.

You would be a shining star.

I never should have left you.

I can’t erase you from my mind.

You are the only girl for me.

"I love how it’s slow & acoustic.”
"Yeah. I remembered that when I was writing it for you. My band wanted a new song so I wrote this one. As you can tell, I thought about you a lot."
"It's beautiful, Drew. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"Do you want to stay for breakfast?"
"Sure. What are you making?"
"That depends on your preference between pancakes and waffles."
"I like waffles better."
"Plain, blueberry, chocolate chip, or strawberry?"
"Blueberry's good."
"Can you wake everyone up for me?"
"Sure."
"Thanks. Je t'adore."
"What?"
"It's French. It means I love you."
"I love you too."

She made herself and Drew blueberry waffles. She made Jude and Jake chocolate chip pancakes. Then she made Chase blueberry pancakes. Soon everyone was downstairs eating. Bella pulled Drew off to the side.

“Drew, we need to talk.”

“Please don’t say you are breaking up with me.”

“No, I’m touring next week and you said that you are too.”

“Well, how long is the tour?”

“We are going from June 30th to August 2nd. We are thinking about doing a show here, but we are still debating it.”

“Our tour is from July 1st to August 5th. Then we come back here. We also want to do a show here. But we haven’t decided on a date.”

“So we are going to be apart for a little bit over a month.”

“Yeah, I guess so. How are we going to communicate?”

“I’ll call you, promise. I just had a great idea.”

“Would you like to share?”

“We could open for you guys if you decide to have a concert here.”

“That sounds great. I’ll ask the guys later. I really need to go see our manager today.”

“Ok. I’m supposed to be back by 10:00 and it is 9:30. I should get going.”

“I’ll see you later, then.”

“Count on it.”

He kissed her then he left. She drove her hybrid over to Anna’s house. Anna’s house was always gorgeous, even from the outside. This was mostly because of Mark, Anna’s assistant. Mostly, he worked with her flowers and her house. At first, Bella though they were a couple. But then, she found out Mark was gay. So, it was no wonder why he was so good at decorating and gardening. She went inside the house and into Anna’s office.

“Bella!” Anna ran over to her and hugged her.

“Hey. I’ve decided on a tour bus.”

“Which one?”

“I think the blue one.”

“Did you finish the logo for the t-shirts?”

“I did.” She pulled out the paper in her bag. It was a rain cloud against a dark background with diamonds falling out of it. Diamonds in the Night was put in script font.

“This is great.”

“I was thinking about using it for the CD cover too.”

“That’s a great idea. But what are we putting on the actual CD?”

“I was just thinking of making the top of it blue and writing the band name in silver letters, seeing as it is our first CD.”

“Ok. So, the tour starts next Friday and the tour bus will pick you up at 10.”

NIA WE HATE YOU!