Guess who has been keeping up with new music for once to serve you more recent bops? This girl!! A lot of more recent music coming up. And keep sending in your suggestions, whether it's new or old songs! Y'all have been sending in some great songs and I'm slowly catching up to using them! Also, don't forget to keep voting on those polls in my profile. They are constantly changing (especially the couples one!) so keep going!
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"I cannot believe you got married," Kitty said as she and Bree walked down the grocery store together. "Without me there! I understand that you needed just two witnesses but Jake and Peyton? Were they the only two people in town who you thought would be up for a last minute flight to Vegas?"
"Yes, actually," Bree responded. It was now Tuesday, April 12, and five days since Bree and Stefan had spontaneously decided to get married. They had taken Jake and Peyton with them and had a very quick ceremony. Jake and Peyton flew back that same night and Bree spent the next two days in the city with Stefan celebrating their union. Now it was her second day back in Lima and while most of her friends had congratulated her, Kitty was the first one to openly berate her decision.
"I'm really happy for you," Kitty said, as she had been repeating over and over again, "but didn't you want a big wedding? With a gorgeous white gown and all of us there to see Stefan attempt to put together decent vows? A performance from the glee club?" Bree gave her a look. "Kidding, kidding, that last part was obviously a joke. But seriously, I wish I could've been there to give my best friend toast."
"I know," Bree sighed, putting a few bottles of wine into the cart. "But you can give a toast Friday at Julie's dinner party if you want."
Kitty groaned. "Nah. That party's going to be a disaster, especially since the others will be back in town. You hear Dan might coming by, too?"
"I didn't," Bree shook her head. "I've been a little busy after all. You know, getting married."
Kitty turned to Bree and saw that she was glowing. Refraining from making any pregnancy accusations, she said, "Wow, you're really happy with Stefan, aren't you?"
"I am," Bree nodded. "We're still figuring some things out, what with him not done moving in with me, and having Ryder, Marley and the baby there, too... But it's a work in process and so far everything's good. I know you think I should've had a big wedding but... The only successful one in the last year was Quinn and Jesse's. And who knows if they'll even last long together, divorce rates are super high... But my point is that I didn't want to have the pressure that John and Leila had. And I definitely don't want any of Sam and Mandy's mess. I just wanted it to work. Sorry you didn't get to be there but you can kick me out of your future wedding if you want to."
Kitty laughed. "Bitch, I'll drag you there in chains if I have to. You're going to be at mine. That is, if I ever get married. The others are right, you know, I'm like some sort of relationship repellent. Even Councilman Kinchen stopped hitting on me already. When I was in DC and at the top of my game, working side by side with the president, I had at least one date per week, you know? Very casual, never went anywhere, but it was something. And now I'm a single mother to a teenage beautiful little devil and one of my best friends is married while the other is probably going to get married soon, too, and... It's a little hard, ok? Seeing everyone be so happy."
"You just have to find happiness in what you already have," said Bree. "Riley, for example. The twins and Ben and all these little ones just popping out. And trust that soon you'll get your happy ending."
"Soon," Kitty laughed, grabbing the shopping cart and pushing it forward. "Yeah, that'll be a while."
She tried to push the cart around the corner but, not bothering to take a look first, crashed it straight into someone else's cart. "Oh, sorry," said the other person, moving his cart out of the way. "Go ahead."
"No, it was my bad," said Kitty, shaking her head. "You go first."
"I insist," said the man. He was tall, with long curly hair and dark, golden skin. He smiled at her and said, "Go ahead."
Kitty smiled politely and indicated to Bree for them to go, moving their cart around his. Before they went, however, Kitty noticed his shirt and said, "You're a Republican."
"Oh god," said the man. "Are you about to attack me for it? Because I swear, this never happened to me in Ohio before but I come to this town and I'm sort of moderate and a lot more liberal than many of my peers but I represent the right a lot with buttons, shirts and hats and it's just—"
"No, no, no!" she stopped him with a laugh. "I'm not going to shame you for your political views, that would be very millennial of me! I'm a Republican, too." Bree nudged her so she added, "I mean, no, I'm a Democrat." The guy gave her a look, confused by her changing answers. "Ok, I'm sort of conservative but I work in government and after being gone for a few years I came back to a more liberal town so I changed to Democrat... I'm a public official, so please don't tell on me."
The man laughed. "I won't. Normally flip-floppers annoy people in politics but I think you have to play the game right."
"Yes!" Kitty exclaimed. "Thank you! That's exactly what I keep saying! I'm still fighting for the same issues, just changing the rhetoric."
The man nodded, smiling at her. Bree made a face as she looked away awkwardly and the man said, "Oh, sorry. I'm Jeff. Jeff Hardy."
"Jeff Hardy," nodded Kitty, shaking his hand. "I'm Kitty Wi—"
"Kitty Wilde, of course!" he nodded. "Your views on abortion almost cost you the conservative vote last year."
"That's me!" Kitty said with an uncomfortable laugh.
Jeff's expression hardened as he said, "I thought you were very brave, coming forward like that and telling your story. Not very smart... But brave... I actually read about it from Cincinnati, it was big news throughout the state. I just came to Lima very recently but I like it here."
Kitty watched as he waved to them and started walking away, but Bree gave her a look, so she stopped him and said, "Hey, Jeff? This is a bit forward but... How would you like to come to a dinner party on Friday? My friend's hosting and there will be some pretty influential people there."
Jeff rubbed his chin and then said, "Yeah, I guess I can do a dinner party."
She smiled and reached into her purse for one of her contact cards. She handed it to him and said, "Give my office a call later and I'll give you more details."
"Great," he said, taking the card. "Can't wait."
Kitty nodded and waved goodbye to him. As he left, Bree turned to her and said, "O-M-G that was so forward, even I have butterflies."
Kitty laughed. "He's new to town. I was just being nice."
"No, you were flirting," Bree said. "And I'm glad! You need a new person in your life."
"I wasn't asking him on a date. It's a group event."
"Well, it sounded like a date to me," Bree told her. "I do hope when Friday comes you see it that way, too."
"Whatever," Kitty rolled her eyes. "Let's just finish getting everything Julie asked us to get before she calls us to complain that we're taking too long. And not a word about this, ok? I'm just going to tell her we invited a new friend, that's it."
Bree laughed. "Ok, don't get all defensive! Let's go, Miss Flirtypants."
***
"Hello everyone," said Ryder as he stood on the Adonis stage. "For those of you that haven't been by in a while, the last few days I've been introducing to some of our regulars a talented woman who will not only be serving you, but will also be gracing you with your voice. Wednesday is still open mic, but every other day we're classing up the place with the classiest woman that there is, so please give a warm welcome to Adonis' number one performer, Harmony Sawyer."
He clapped his hands and the audience followed. Harmony got up on the stage and as Ryder started walking off the stage, she grabbed the microphone and said, "How about Ryder, everyone!"
Ryder turned around and waved, smiling at her and the audience.
"Why don't you come join me for this one?" Harmony asked him. "Come on, just one song."
Though Ryder initially rejected the offer, Harmony insisted and the audience egged him on. He gave in sheepishly and made his way to the stage, where his sound guy handed him a microphone.
"I think you know this one," Harmony told him. "It's one we both love very much."
Ryder wondered what song it was going to be but when the track began, he knew exactly. He smiled at her—a year ago this was one of their favorite songs.
["Something in the Way You Move" by Ellie Goulding.]
Harmony: It's the strangest feeling. Feeling this way for you. There's something in the way you move. Something in the way you move...
Harmony looked at Ryder and nodded, indicating for him to sing. When he did, his audience roared with excitement. They rarely heard him sing.
Ryder: With you I'm never healing. It's heartache through and through. There's something in the way you move. Don't know what it is you do.
The two started singing and the dance floor returned to its usual state, with many moving bodies grinding on each other and spinning around to the beat of the music.
Both: Not one bone in your body good enough for me. But this heart is open, bloodstain on my sleeve. When our eyes meet, I can only see the end. But tonight I'm here yours again.
As Harmony sang to him, Ryder couldn't help but smile. He loved seeing Harmony like this, so full of energy and life.
Harmony: But tonight I'm gonna lose it all. Playing with fire, I was the first to fall. Heart is sinking like a cannonball. Baby kill it, what're you waiting for?
It was a good thing, considering what had just happened the last week with Shawn.
Both: Something in the way you move. Something in the way you do it. Something in the way you move, oh. Something in the way you move. Something in the way you do it. Something in the way you move, oh. Oh oh oh oh oh. Oh oh oh oh oh. Oh oh oh oh.
Harmony knew exactly how to act with him on stage to make sure he had a fun time. Eye contact. Unnecessary runs. An uncontrolled whistle register. Everything about Julie that Ryder seemed to love on the stage and that made him remember how much he loved performing.
Harmony (Both): But tonight I'm gonna lose it all. Playing with fire, I was the first to fall. (Heart is sinking like a cannonball. Baby kill it, what're you waiting for?)
Ryder didn't notice that Harmony was doing any of this on purpose. All he knew was that something in her was different on stage, likable. Her singing was great but it wasn't as annoyingly immaculate as it often was. It was raw and appealing.
Both: Something in the way you move. Something in the way you do it. Something in the way you move, oh. Something in the way you move. Something in the way you do it, oh. Something in the way you move.
Noting that difference, he appreciated his time on stage with her even more, and as the song drew to an end, he almost wished they could do another one, but he had to get back to work.
Both: Something in the way you move. Something in the way you do it. Something in the way you move, oh. Something in the way you move. Something in the way you do it. Something in the way you move, oh.
"Harmony Sawyer, everybody!" he announced proudly when the song ended. "Please enjoy her set for the night."
Harmony smiled widely and thanked him with a hug before sending him off to work. Then, as he left the stage, she continued the first phase of her plan complete and focused on putting on a good show.
***
When Luke woke up the next morning, he was glad to be by Travis's side. They had fallen asleep at his place—Travis's was constantly being watched there—but now it was morning and Santana was calling asking where he was.
"Shut it off," Travis mumbled when the phone started ringing again. Luke followed orders but even without the ringing, Travis got up. "Oh god, what time is it?" he asked.
"8 AM," Luke said.
"What?" Travis exclaimed, getting out of the bed and immediately searching the floor for his pants. "I have to go to the studio. Crystal Army will be here the next two days which means I need to take advantage of today to write before they take over."
"Are you going to Julie's thing on Friday?" he asked.
Travis shook his head. "I can't. I'd have to take Whitney—"
"Ugh, Whitney," Luke said with disdain towards Travis's public girlfriend.
"You know I would," Travis sighed. "She's in town. I'm in town. Why would I go to a party without her? I don't want to take her either so I won't go."
"Then I won't go either," Luke shook his head. "We'll come here and—"
"We can't come in here," said Travis. "We already rely on this apartment too much and your roommate may figure out you have a guy in here eventually."
Luke laughed. "Albany thinks I've just been bringing in random guys like I usually do. She has no idea it's the same one and she won't find out that it's just you. Even if she did, we can trust Albany. She's my best friend and way more trustworthy than Santana and Julie."
"No," Travis shook his head. "Those two knowing about me is enough. Albany can't. No one other than Sebastian can find out about us, Luke. Please."
He reached for Luke's hand and gave it a squeeze. Luke rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine, fine," he said. "Sneaking around is hot anyway. Ok, I won't tell anyone. But you have to please spend some time with me before you leave for Coachella, ok?"
"With any luck, I can convince Santana to go, too," Travis said. "And then we'll both get to go."
"Sounds awesome," Luke smiled. "Now go to the studio and tell Shana I said hey, ok?"
"I will," Travis nodded. Giving Luke a quick kiss before leaving, he added, "I'll see you soon."
***
"So how are you feeling about the concert later?" asked Ryder.
He and Julie were sitting at the edge of the pool, their legs hanging in the water, after finishing one of their swimming sessions. Julie was seeing some progress, but she was still being held back by fear. Even her driving had already improved, despite being something that typically took much longer to learn than swimming did.
"I don't know," Julie shrugged. "I want to go see them play but I don't know if I really feel like making the drive. Especially not after this lesson."
"We don't have to go the concert," Ryder reminded her. "If it's what you want, we can just stay in and wait for them to get here. They're driving in late, anyway."
Julie sighed. She wanted to go home and be with the girls, alone, before Sam got there and demanded his own time with them. It was selfish, but she just wanted one more night of having them to herself.
"Why don't you go to the concert?" she asked. "You can just take someone else or go with one of our other friends. I really just want to go home, get some rest, and be with the girls. Alone, if you don't mind."
Ryder nodded. "I appreciate the honesty," he said in an attempt to make their relationship as efficient as possible. "But if you're not going, I don't really feel like going either. I was only going for you. So if you want I can drop you off at home and I'll go to my place. Hopefully Stefan and Bree are at Stefan's house today and not making out on our couch. And then we can just meet up tomorrow to go over some of the stuff for the party."
"That sounds perfect," Julie agreed. Ryder helped her up and once they were standing, their legs dripping chlorine water on the concrete floor, she added, "Thank you, by the way. For all the lessons, I mean. I know the swimming portion has been a little rough so I appreciate the patience you've had with me as a student and a girlfriend."
Ryder smiled and put his arm around her, starting to walk away from the pool. "It's no problem at all. Anyone would be as patient as I am in this situation."
"No," she said, stopping. "That's not true. About a year ago, Alex forced me to go with him to his parent's house and basically pushed me into the pool without any help. He said I should just learn to either sink or swim and unfortunately, I went with the former and almost drown."
"You're kidding," he said, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Apparently that's how he learned!" Julie exclaimed.
"What an idiot," said Ryder. "I can't believe he did that to you."
"Well..." she shrugged. "It was kind of my fault. Maybe his approach would've worked if I hadn't been so high on those pills I'd been taking for energy. It was probably the worst day of my life, actually. I was freaking out about my album and about Sam getting married and Alex was just trying to help me get over my fears. It could've been the day I learned to swim if I hadn't been busy hallucinating and going on a weird mental trip."
Ryder stared at her blankly. She crossed her arms over her chest as the air escaped her, the memory of that day turning her stomach upside down.
"What?" she asked, seeing the look on his face. It felt like she was being judged and she didn't like that feeling coming from the guy she was supposed to end up with.
"Nothing," he said. "Nothing... It's just that... I guess I wasn't here for any of that. I had left Lima and in doing so I left my friends. I left you. And I didn't get to be there for you at your lowest. It feels like I don't know that darker part of you as well as some of your other friends do."
"I'm honestly glad you don't," Julie responded. "Ryder, that girl I had become when I was taking those drugs was scary. She definitely scared off Sam. He pushed me away when I was like that and you may have done the same thing. Nobody really wanted that person—except maybe Bree and Alex, who sort of understood. But I don't blame my other friends for not seeing it. I wasn't very nice and when were in Hawaii I was a total wreck. I'm glad you didn't get to know that Julie because we might not be here together today if you had."
Julie started to walk again and Ryder stayed back a few seconds. He couldn't believe that she thought there was still a part of her that he wouldn't love, but maybe if it was a part that Sam didn't particularly like either, she was right. After all, he had told her he didn't love her when she was at her next lowest, going through her postpartum troubles. And in that moment, Ryder started to reconsider whether he was really the best guy out there for her or not. There was so much of her he didn't realize he still didn't know.
***
When Alex woke up, he saw a lot of strangers in his dressing room. He had taken a pre-show nap and asked not to be disturbed, yet his band mates had broken his one request by letting in all of the local crew. There were three people alone working on Sam's hair, one woman who was attempting to put makeup on a resistant John, and a tailor fixing Tyler's pants, which had a few loose threads at the bottom.
He sat up and scowled at them, wondering how he'd managed to sleep through their ruckus, and when Sam saw him, he exclaimed, "Sleeping Beauty lives!"
The others turned around to look at him, too, so Alex showed him one of his favorite hand expressions, the middle finger, and then got up. "What time is it?" he asked.
"Amity's about to go on," Sam said.
"Did Julie come?" asked Alex as he stood up and reached for his phone. "I feel like I haven't seen her in so long..."
"She called," John answered. "She was really tired so she said she'd just expect us all to drop by her house after the concert."
Alex looked through his phone's notifications and saw that he had a Snapchat message from her. When he opened it, he saw a video of Julie holding the phone up above and spinning in circles on her desk chair. "Wheeeee!" she exclaimed for the ten seconds that it lasted.
"What on earth was that?" Tyler asked.
"Vasquez being Vasquez," Alex said with a laugh. He put the phone down and turned to Sam. "You're going on stage with Amity to sing that song you wrote with her, right?"
"One of the many songs I wrote with her," Sam corrected him. "But yes. Why?"
Alex shrugged. "I was just wondering so that I could go and watch from the sidelines."
Sam nodded. "When they call me up to get ready to join her, you can come along and watch then." His phone started ringing and he stood up. "It's Sebastian," he sighed. "I'll take this outside."
As Sam left the room, Alex took a seat once again and hung his head back. Closing his eyes, he let himself take another nap before it was time for Sam to join Amity on stage.
When Alex got up and remembered that he had said he'd watch, he ran across backstage until he reached the stage area, where Sam, John and Tyler were all watching already, Sam waiting for his cue.
Amity was on stage, about to end her set, and said, "Before I sing this next song, I just want to thank everyone for your support. I started my music career with a partner and I still have one in all of you. So as a special thanks, I want to give you a preview of what my first album will look like, starting with one of my favorite songs that I've written while on this tour."
["Rock Bottom" by Hailee Steinfeld & DNCE.]
Amity: What are we fighting for? Seems like we do it just for fun. In this, this stupid war... We play hard with our plastic guns...
From backstage, John smiled and then turned to see Alex's reaction to Amity's new music. He was just staring at her, his expression hard to read.
Amity: Breathe deep, bottle it up. So deep until it's all we got. Don't speak, just use your touch. Don't speak before we say too much...
He walked over to his side and asked, "What's on your mind?"
Alex shrugged. "She wrote this with Sam," he said. "Just wondering what the inspiration for it was."
Amity: You hate me now and I feel the same way. You love me now and I feel the same way. We scream and we shout. And make up the same day, same day...
"Probably Sam and Julie, right?" asked John, having been wondering the same thing. "I mean, your relationship with her wasn't like this right?"
Alex turned to her and asked, "Like what? Passionate? We were passionate enough, John."
"I didn't mean anything by it," John said. "Don't get all defensive."
"Sorry," Alex sighed, turning away. "I'm just so tired and ready for a break from all of this." John nodded, though he didn't know if that was all it was.
Amity: Oh, we're on the right side of rock bottom. And I hope that we keep falling. We're on the good side of bad karma. Cause we keep on coming back for more. We're on the right side of rock bottom. And to you I just keep crawling. You're the best kind of bad something. Cause we keep on coming back for more.
There was a short instrumental break during which Amity put an arm out and said, "Ladies and gentleman, please give it up for my writing partner and good friend... Sam Evans!"
The crowd roared as Sam walked onto the stage, a microphone in his hand, and joined Amity. They hugged as the extended break continued, ending when Sam lifted the microphone up to his lips.
Sam: You get under my skin. More than anyone's ever been. But when we lay in bed. You hold me harder till I forget.
As they sang together and their audience cheered with excitement, the fan girls piled up against the stage and shouting their love at them, Amity looked up and smiled at Sam.
Both: That you hate me now and I feel the same way. You love me now and I feel the same way. We scream and we shout. And make up the same day, same day...
Once they had gotten past their artistic differences, they had began making beautiful music together, and this was just one of them. Amity had loved this song so much, however, that she had begged Sam to be a part of it as the featured artist on the track when it went into her album, and he had agreed.
Both (Amity): Oh, we're on the right side of rock bottom. And I hope that we keep falling. We're on the good side of bad karma. Cause we keep on coming back for more. We're on the right side of rock bottom. And to you I just keep crawling. You're the best kind of bad something. Cause we keep on coming back for more. (Whoa) Keep on coming back for more. Cause we keep on coming back for (more...)
What Sam had yet to tell her about was that Sebastian had called after hearing their plans to perform the song together, and had said he was going to release the song as her first single that very same night, so that hopefully everyone who had been in the room to hear it would buy it immediately, giving them great numbers.
Amity (Sam): Oh oh. What are we fighting for? (Seems like we do it just for fun) In this, this stupid war.
He wasn't sure how Amity would react to those news and to not having a say in what her lead single would be, but he didn't have a chance to warn her in time because he had to come up on stage and sing.
Both: We play hard with our plastic guns. Oh, we're on the right side of rock bottom! And I hope that we keep falling! We're on the good side of bad karma! Cause we keep on coming back for more! We're on the right side of rock bottom. And to you I just keep crawling. You're the best kind of bad something. Cause we keep on coming back for more.
While they finished their song, Alex left the area and went back to his dressing room. He wasn't even sure why he was so cranky suddenly. He just was.
Both (Amity): (Whoa) Keep on coming back for more. Oh oh oh oh oh oh. Cause we keep on coming back for more. Keep on coming back for more. Oh oh oh oh oh oh. Cause we keep on coming back for more.
The song ended and Amity hugged Sam again, waving at the crowd. As she was about to say her goodbyes and lead into the intermission, Sam stopped her and addressed the crowd. "I hope you all enjoyed our new song, 'Rock Bottom' for Amity's upcoming album. This song is so special to us that it's going to be Amity's first single, launching her first ever solo debut album. So at eleven, everyone here needs to get on their phones and go buy it on iTunes!"
Amity looked as she shocked as he had imagined she'd be, but she managed to compose herself and say, "Thank you so much everybody! Enjoy the intermission and get ready for all of Crystal Army to come up on stage and play you some awesome music! Goodnight, Cleveland!"
As Sam hurried off the stage to prepare himself for his band's set, Amity followed after him. Ridding herself of all microphones, she asked, "What was all of that back there about a single?"
"I'm sorry," Sam apologized. Tyler and John followed after them, wondering what the problem was. "Sebastian called before I went up there and told me to say those things."
"Without talking to me about it first?" Amity asked. "Sam, how could you do that?"
"I'm sorry, ok?" he repeated. "I really am. But Sebastian has final say on the single and he said he wanted it to be this one. It's a song we both love. I don't get what the problem is."
Amity sighed. "I wanted my first single to be this statement about who I am as an artist. And while yes, I love our song, I thought maybe I could lead with something I wrote myself, something with me unattached to other artists. I don't want what happened to Julie to happen to me."
"What does that mean?" Sam asked, crossing his arms.
"Just that..." she said, slowing down and trying not to offend anybody. "I don't want to constantly be associated to this band, ok? I love all of you guys and each one of you is special to me, but let's face it. Julie faced a lot of hate and criticism for her connection to you guys. And I just don't want that to be me."
"Amity—" Sam began, but before he could get the rest of his sentence out, they were interrupted.
"Erick?" Amity said, surprised. The guys followed her gaze to the end of the hall, where the guy she had met on a plane to Seattle and had been texting with ever since was being escorted over by a security guard.
"What's he doing here?" John asked.
"I invited him," Amity explained briefly before rushing over to him and telling the guard he could leave them. "Hey! I wasn't sure you were going to make it!"
"I was watching from the audience," he said with a smile. "And as soon as the concert ended, I came back here to see you."
"Actually the concert hasn't ended," Sam told him. "Just the opening act."
"That was the concert to me," Erick said, smiling at Amity but angering both Sam and John.
"Cool to see you again, dude," Tyler said. "Enjoy the rest of the show."
"Actually," Amity said. "I was hoping you'd want to get out of here and go out to a late dinner. I'm starving."
"Wait, you're going to miss our show?" John asked.
She turned to him and, seeing the disappointment, said, "I mean, it's just one show, right? I'm here for every single one. You'll go on without me just fine."
She forced a laugh and then began leading Erick away. When they were gone, John turned to the others and said, "Unbelievable! Did you see that? How she just left with that guy like that? She barely even knows him. And how about him—Oh, that was the whole concert for me—well, fuck you, too."
"Dude, calm down," Tyler laughed. "Hey, where's Alex?"
"I think he want back to the room," John shrugged. Tyler nodded and went searching for him. As John began heading back towards the stage, ready to go on and get the show over with, Sam followed him.
"Are you alright?" he asked. "That seemed to really get to you."
"It's no big deal," John rolled his eyes. "I just don't trust the guy. Especially with Amity, I mean, she's so innocent and... good. Pure, you know? We don't really know anything about the guy."
"Well, we can probably do a background check but something tells me that's not really what's bothering you," Sam said. He pulled John aside where nobody could see or hear them and asked, "Do you like Amity? I mean, as more than friends?"
John shook his head and laughed. "That's ridiculous," he said. "She's my best friend's ex."
"Second best friend," Sam corrected him. "I'm your best friend."
"Sure," John said.
Sam ignored the sarcasm and said, "I don't want to start any problems but if there's something you do want to get off your chest, I'm here to talk. You can tell me if there's something going on there, John."
"I know," John nodded, but he didn't tell him anything. Instead he said, "Let's go put on a show."
***
It took the guys a lot longer to get back to Lima than Julie had anticipated. She was glad to have the extra time with the girls until they fell asleep, at which point she wanted to go to bed, too. But she had promised her friends she'd wait on them and apparently, they were waiting on Amity.
She was out at a random IHOP in Cleveland with a guy she'd met a few weeks back and the guys were getting angsty waiting. She was getting Snapchat messages from Alex, annoyed and anxious to get home, and from John, who was going on a rant about Amity being so forward with a stranger. Sam had messaged her on Facebook, too, but only to ask if she was still up and if she had known about John and Amity.
"I'm still awake," she told him, not commenting on the John and Amity situation in case he was just trying to trick her into revealing what she knew.
Eventually, she got tired of all of them harassing her, so she called Tyler instead. When he answered, she said, "Hey, Ty. Are you with the other guys?"
"Yeah," he said. "We're on one of our buses outside of IHOP waiting for Amity and that guy to stop talking so that we can leave. But she's pretty much in her own world right now."
"Ok, can you put me on speaker?" she said.
"Ok," he agreed. After a few seconds he added, "Ok, you're on with all four of us now."
"Great," she said, clearing her throat. Then she very angrily added, "I am cranky as hell and so tired but I desperately want to see all of you guys so I won't be going to sleep until you get here. That said, one of you better grow some balls and walk into that restaurant. Tell Amity it's time to go and that if she doesn't end her date already, you are going to leave her there. Got it?"
The guys exchanged looks, all of them a bit frightened by Julie's reaction. "We can't just leave her here," Sam said after a long pause.
"Sam," Julie said, taking a deep breath. "Sam, Sam, Sam... I have been changing diapers and tending to your crying daughters all day. They miss their daddy. I miss their daddy. So if you value your life, you will personally go and tell Amity to hurry her ass up or so help me I will—"
"Ok, ok, ok," Sam stopped her. "I hear you. We will be on our way soon, ok?"
"Great," she said before clicking off and ending the call.
Tyler put his phone away and said, "So you're going in there to get her out of her date?"
"Nope!" Sam exclaimed, turning to John. "You are."
"Me?" asked John. "Why me?"
"Because she's mad at me!" Sam exclaimed. "She really shouldn't be since our song just hit number 10 on iTunes after just two hours but still... She is."
"Why can't Alex go?" John asked.
"I'm her ex, dude," Alex told him. "I can't just walk in on her date and end it. It would be super messed up."
"Same from me!" John exclaimed. "I mean... Because I'm your best friend and stuff, that's all."
"Ugh," Tyler groaned, getting up.
"Where are you going?" Sam asked him.
"To go end the freaking date," Tyler said. "I don't know what power Amity holds over you three but she's a harmless little ball of fluffiness. Like a Powerpuff Girl or something. So I'm just going to go tell her it's time to say goodbye to what's-his-face."
"It's your funeral," mumbled Alex as Tyler made his way off of the bus. It was a bit windy outside, but humid, as though it might rain soon. He looked up at the sky, though, and saw that there weren't any clouds.
His weather observations distracted him long enough to make it into the IHOP without turning back. There weren't very many people inside, so it was easy to spot Amity. She was sitting next to that Erick guy, on the same side of the booth, a pet peeve that made Tyler roll his eyes in annoyance. When he finally made it to their side, Amity was so busy laughing at something that she almost didn't see him.
"Oh hey," she said after just a few seconds of him standing in front of her. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to get you," he told her.
"I told you guys I'd be out soon," Amity said.
"That was almost two hours ago!" Tyler exclaimed. "We were supposed to stop by Julie's to drop off Sam and say hey, remember? At this point she's going to have to wait like another three hours for us. It'll be morning by the time we all get some rest."
"Then just tell her to go to bed and quit complaining," Amity shrugged. "We don't have to go to her immediately."
"That's really selfish," Tyler said, crossing his arms. "I know you're having a good time, Amity, but we had commitments, ok? Sam, John and Alex are all dying to see her and the babies. So come on." He grabbed her arm and pulled her up. "See you around, dude," he said to Erick.
"Wait!" Amity complained as Tyler pulled her away. She was practically being dragged off by force as she turned back and said, "I'll text you, ok?"
Erick laughed and nodded, waving goodbye casually as Tyler took his date off with him. When they were back in the bus, Alex didn't even wait for Amity to sit down before calling out, "Alright let's get moving! Now!"
The bus began to move and Amity nearly fell over, Tyler holding her arm up to keep her from touching the ground. "Gee, thanks," she mumbled at him before making a face at Alex spitefully. To the others she said, "I'm sorry that you all are so anxious to see your precious Julie but I didn't want to leave yet. So thanks for ruining my chance at having a possible relationship with someone who isn't a part of this crazy world."
She stomped away to the backroom where their beds were at and shut the door loudly. John couldn't help laughing. "She's acting like a freaking teenager," he said.
"I could've gone without her having this phase," said Alex, annoyed. "Alright, I'm letting Julie know we're on our way."
As the guys settled down, finally on the road home, Sam let them relax and went to face the beast that was currently Amity. He knocked but she didn't respond, so he just went ahead and walked in. As soon as he was inside the room, she said, "I could've been naked."
"Are you?" he asked, closing his eyes immediately.
"No," she said, sitting up.
"That's Alex's bed," he told her once he had opened his eyes and seen where she was.
"I know," she sighed. "He's the one I'm least mad at right now. Between John being rude to Erick, Tyler pulling me away right now, and you making that announcement about the single—"
"Come on, can't you forgive me for that?" Sam asked her. "I really didn't mean to step on your toes but this was a good call for your career. Trust me." She seemed unsure, so he grabbed his tablet from his bed and took a seat beside her. "Take a look at this," he said, handing it to her.
She grabbed the tablet and looked at the screen. "What is it?" she asked. There was a chart on there with different rows, all colored different shades of green and red. There were numbers beside them but she wasn't sure what it all meant.
"That's the iTunes grossing," he said. He pointed her to the bottom. "We're number ten and you see how it's a darker green than all the other ones? It means the song is going up very quickly. The ones above us are either light green or red so we'll be passing them up pretty soon."
"Wow," she said, letting out a deep breath. "I've never been at the top of any charts."
He took the tablet and put it to the side. "I know you think being associated with me like that is a bad thing because of Julie but... That was because she and I made so many mistakes along the way. I can help you make it big but not if you don't want me to."
Amity looked back at the chart and shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so mean about anything. I guess I'm just a little anxious about how the public will react to me. Maybe they'll hate me, maybe they won't care. And I know that many of your fans tend to send hate to the women in your lives so—"
"They already love you though," Sam laughed. "Most of them have seen you and appreciate that you're our opening act. The Twitter reactions from my fans have been great, so far. They really like you and your voice. It's not my fans you should care about anyway, it's yours. You have a lot of your own and according to Scarlet, your fan count has been going up all night."
He got up and made his way towards the door, ready to give her a little bit of privacy.
"I'm sorry about your date, by the way," he added.
Before he opened the door, she said, "That's ok. I don't think it was going to work out anyway."
Sam turned to her and smiled. "It's a good thing you have better things to focus on then."
He walked out of the room and Amity pulled out her phone, turning her attention to all of the love she was being sent from her old fans and her new ones.
***
When the band finally made it back to Lima, only Alex, John and Sam made it to Julie's house. She opened the door for them quietly, Isabella resting in her arms as she bounced her up and down.
"Shh," she said immediately. "She woke up like thirty minutes ago and I finally got her to sleep." She hurried the guys inside and, once she had closed the door, asked, "Where are Amity and Tyler?"
"They went home," Alex said. "To her place. Tyler didn't want to wake Jake and Amity was asleep when we got into town so we split up." He took one look at the baby in her arms and asked, "Where's my girl at?"
"Upstairs, sleeping," she said. She indicating for him to go ahead and go see her. As he headed up the stairs, Sam carefully took his daughter from her and admired her in awe.
"Oh, look at this precious girl," he whispered. "She's so big."
"Are you kidding?" Julie asked with a laugh. "She's super tiny."
"Well, she looks bigger to me," Sam said, and she saw his eyes shining. "Mind if I take her up to my room and spend some time with her?"
"Not at all," Julie said. He smiled and she watched with John as he went up the stairs with their daughter in his arms. As soon as he was gone, she turned to John and pushed him into the living room.
"Whoa!" he said, getting shoved onto the couch. "What's this aggression for?"
"Because," Julie hissed as she sat down next to him, "Sam was asking questions about you and Amity. I thought you said that you were going to put that aside. For Alex."
"I did!" John exclaimed.
"I call bullshit," she responded. "Because if you had really done that, Sam wouldn't have any suspicions that something had happened."
"Nothing else has happened," John assured her. "It's just that... Ok, you know how Amity has been seeing this guy?"
"Sure."
"Well, I sort of got a little ambushed by him showing up tonight so I overreacted and I guess got a little jealous. That's all."
"That's all?" Julie asked.
"Yes!" he assured her. "Nothing has happened since the Miami kissing thing. And I do feel like I'm getting over her. The only issue is watching her go on dates while I'm not seeing anyone. It makes it weird. But I am moving on, even if it's slowly."
"Good," Julie nodded. "That's the way it should be. If it's not love, don't go ruining your friendship with Alex, ok? And if those feelings aren't going away, you need to—"
"Tell him the truth," John sighed. "I know."
"Good," she nodded. "Are you going home or taking the spare room for the night?"
"Whatever Alex wants," John shrugged. "He's my ride."
"Ok," Julie said, standing up. "I'm going to go talk to him." John nodded and lied down on the couch, relaxing for the first time in a while. On the way up the stairs, Sam was walking back down, Isabella quietly sobbing in his arms.
"She woke up," he whispered apologetically. "I think she's hungry."
Julie nodded. "There's breast milk in the fridge."
"Gross," Sam said, descending down the stairs.
"Oh grow up," she said with a laugh before making her way to the nursery. There, Alex was standing by Gabriella's crib, just staring at the baby as she slept. "Hey you," she said quietly.
Alex turned around and forced a smile. "Hey," he responded. "How are you?"
"Tired," she admitted. "As I'm sure you are, too. But you're going to have a lot of fun at my party on Friday to help you relax."
"Right," Alex laughed, rolling his eyes. "Because a party thrown by you and Ryder Lynn could possibly be fun."
"It'll be fun!" Julie exclaimed. "Besides, we have some special guests. Nick is coming."
"So I've heard," said Alex. "Good for you."
She crossed her arms. "Ok, I have to ask. What's with the attitude?"
"Nothing," he sighed. "I should get home. Maybe John should stay here with you."
She nodded but as he tried to walk off, stopped him and pulled him back towards her. "Talk to me, Alex," she said. "Please. If you're just tired—"
"I'm just tired," he interrupted, and she knew instantly that he was lying. He sighed and pointed at the baby monitor, which started to flash as static came in. "You put the wrong one in here by the way. The one with the microphone is in the living room."
As Alex left the room, Julie turned to the baby monitor, confused. The static subsided and instead she heard Sam's voice say, "Look at her little fingers, dude. She's so precious."
"Yeah," John responded, and Julie's face turned red immediately. She rushed out of the room and down the stairs to follow Alex, who was already out by the door. Sam and John saw them pass by, but neither of them went to see what was going on.
When Julie caught up to Alex outside, he was headed for his car. "Wait!" she exclaimed, getting in front of him and blocking his way.
"Why?" he asked. "So you can keep lying to me?"
"Alex," she said softly, her eyes tearing up as he looked at her angrier than he ever had. "You heard..."
"Yes, I heard," he responded bitterly. "I heard you and John talking about Amity and... You know what sucks? You're my best friend, Julie. And so is he. And neither of you bothered to tell me for the last month that he and my ex-girlfriend had something going on. They just kept denying it and... And you didn't think I deserved to know."
"Alex!" she exclaimed as he moved past her to open his car. "Don't go without hearing me out. Without hearing him out."
"I'll see you on Friday," he said, getting inside his car and shutting the door. As he drove away, Julie walked back inside the house, where Sam and John were quietly waiting for her return.
"What happened?" Sam asked. "Did Alex leave?"
She nodded and reached for the baby monitor on one of the couches. Lifting it up for John to see, she said, "I'm so sorry, John. I must've brought the wrong one downstairs with me. But he could hear everything and he knows."
"He knows what?" Sam asked, confused.
John stood up immediately. "I should go talk to him," he said.
"What's going on?" said Sam.
Julie shook her head. "No, he's really upset. Just... Wait, ok? He's still coming by here on Friday so just give him some space. He needs time to take this in."
"Take what in?" asked Sam, highly concerned now.
John turned to him and sighed, "When we were in Miami, Amity and I kissed. And we had some feelings for each other but I think she's gotten over it and I'm trying, too."
"I knew it," Sam said. "You should've told me earlier when I asked, John."
"I know, I know," John said, taking a seat again. "I should've told him from the start. Actually, it just never should've happened. But now we're here and... Man, this really sucks."
"It really does," Julie nodded, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Do you want me to take you home?"
"No, I think—" John began. "Wait... You can drive?"
"Yeah, yeah, I can make short distances," she rolled her eyes, not wanting to talk about that now. "Ok, why don't we go upstairs and you can just take the spare room. It's late anyway and I don't want any more of you driving. Don't worry about Alex; I'm sure come Friday we'll be able to resolve all of this so... Let's just go to bed."