Strung (Rock & Romance I.)

Chapter 18. - After

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to GoddessWarlord ! ;) Thank you for the comments and support!

***

The knocking was insistent, loud, and never-ending. Until finally, I gave in and opened my eyes.

Groggy, and only half awake, I walked to my door-

-and my brother nearly fell in. "Finally!" Fitz groaned. "God, London, you sleep like the dead!"

I crinkled my brows as I looked up at him. "And you're here, because...?"

But instead of giving me answer, he just rolled his eyes, and barked "Get dressed. Ten minutes!" And with that, he turned around. "Don't make me come back!" He yelled over his shoulder, and threw my door shut.

***

Ten minutes later, I was crowded around the small kitchen counter with Callie and Fitz. Even my mother joined us on Skype. "What is this about? An intervention?" I inquired, still annoyed that my brother would so rudely awaken me on a Sunday morning. Especially since I didn't get in until very late last night.

Or very early, depending on the way I looked at it.

Callie chuckled. "Even better!" She dialed Ginger's number, who came on Facetime on her phone, joining the foursome we already had going. "London is a celebrity now!"

"What?" Ginger and I asked at the same time.

My mom spoke up next. "It's okay, sweetie. You did nothing wrong, this will all die down in time!"

I was too confused and sleep deprived to put it together. I needed coffee like I needed my next breath, and instead of letting me lie in for once, everyone in my life came over to shout at me. Or dialed in, same difference. "What will?"

Fitz frowned as he exchanged a worried glance with my mom. "London, honey... Someone took a picture of you last night."

While my mom was explaining the photo, Callie managed to pull it up on her phone and send a copy to Ginger as well. I was sitting on the back of Lukas' bike, with the black helmet he gave me hugged to my chest, grinning at him carrying the bags of food like a lovesick fool. Thankfully, Lukas has kept his head on – literally. "How did they-" I asked, but Callie was ahead of me.

She swiped to the next photo, which showed Lukas sitting on the same bike while chatting with Ash. No helmet this time. The picture was taken in the daytime, and I wasn't sure if it was before or after our date...

But then again, it didn't matter. It was clearly the same bike. Obviously the same rider.

I swallowed. I knew what was coming next all too well – after all, I've been a part of Hazmat's fandom before it consisted of more than a dozen people.

When there was a girl, there was drama. Aside from Nikki of course, who started dating Brian before Hazmat rose to fame, making her just as much part of the band as her now-husband.

But for the rest of them? There was hell.

Women were inherently jealous creatures. It was in our bones, our very joints to hate each other if a man we admired paid attention to another. No matter how unlike the chances were of the relationship ever furthering. I knew from first hand experience the rage and anger of the dark side of the fandom, which swept over the innocent girlfriend like a tornado. There was a reason the three boys were single, and it wasn't simply because they chose to be.

Callie squeezed my hand. "It's not that bad, London. Honestly."

I shook my head. "At least don't lie to me."