Rhythm & Grudges (Completed)

Chapter 2

**Sang**

I am back in my old house surrounded by the boys and my father. All the people who left me. I look up at them from my kneeled position on the floor and come face to face with angry sneers and hate filled eyes. Their narrowed eyes gaze at me as they slowly begin to walk backwards, melting into the shadows. A hollow ache forms in my chest, that soon turns into an unbearable burn. I scream in agony, as flames lick at my insides and smoke pour out of my mouth. I'm burning from the inside, and all I can do is scream their names. I scream for them to come back, for them to save me, for them not to leave me. They never come back, I just sit there burning, screaming, dying...

I wake up clawing at my chest with tears streaming down my face. I hear a relieved sigh from beside me and jump before catching sight of Marissa's bright orange locks. I blink up at her, as she takes a seat beside me on the bed. She waits patiently as I calm my erratic breathing and try to clear my hazy mind.

Once I have myself under control, she asks, "You alright Starshine?"

The affection with which she says the nickname warms my heart, pulling a shy smile from my lips.

"Yeah Riss," I tell her calmly. "Just a nightmare. Nothing unusual."

I try to play it off as nothing serious, but honestly, that nightmare left me completely shaken. The flames felt so real.

At least this time I hadn't stopped breathing.

"Are you sure?" She asks with worried eyes.

"Yeah," I reply, mustering up a smile to ease her worry. "I'm fine. What's up?"

"If you're sure," she looks me over once more before telling me why she came down here. "It's time for rehearsal. You'll actually be a part of it this time so you definitely need to be there."

I am genuinely excited to start rehearsal since this is something we've all wanted for so long, but knew couldn't happen because of my home life. The only reason they knew I could sing was because Marissa caught me singing in the girls bathroom one day back in Illinois. They were all a little mad at that since I never told them I could sing, but they quickly got over it once they learned what would happen in my house if I got caught singing. It was really just a coincidence that Marissa caught me. I didn't even realize I was singing until she popped her head over the bathroom stall and scared the living day lights out of me.

I get up and take the clothes out of Marissa's hand that she had grabbed from my suitcase before waking me up. A light pink blouse with light wash skinny jeans and my pink and white converse.

I go into the small attached bathroom and quickly draw myself a bath. I wash and shave my body before getting out and drying off, putting on the clothes and throwing my hair in a low ponytail.

Once I'm ready, I run down the stairs and joined the others. Jaelyn is sitting on the arm of the couch in a pair of dark blue skinny jeans and a white top next to Marissa who's wearing a pair of ripped blue jeans and a dark blue top. The twins sit on the floor facing each other, both wearing matching grins but opposite outfits. Zerric is light in his light blue jeans and white button up shirt, while Darren is wearing dark blue jeans and a black t-shirt. The twinkle in their eyes make me think they're up to something.

The only person I don't see is Ryan, and as if I magically conjured him with my thoughts alone, footsteps sound on the stairs behind me. Ryan walks into the living room wearing a pair of low rise black skinny jeans and an ACDC tanktop, with black vans. His look showing off the Rockstar her is.

"I'm right here," he says with a smirk, somehow reading my mind. "Good morning gorgeous. Sleep ok?"

"No worse than usual handsome," I reply with a smirk of my own.