I froze while Jenica chirped away her drink order, oblivious to Zach and Brooke’s confused gazes.
“Sweet tea,” I said to the waitress, softly.
“I’ll be right back with those,” she promised, before hurrying away.
“Katelyn?” Zach asked.
“Play dumb,” Jenica whispered.
“Oh hey Zach,” I said, with a slight wave.
He stared at me.
“Katelyn Jackson?” Brooke asked, tilting her head to the side.
I nodded, offering her a weak smile.
“What’re you doing here?” Zach asked.
“We frequent this diner,” Jenica said, with a smile. “What’re you guys doing here?”
“A date,” Brooke confirmed. “I’ve never seen you guys here before.”
Way to go Jenica.
“We usually come in way late,” Jenica said, with a nod. “Katelyn has weird eating habits due to her soccer schedule.”
Please kill me now.
“Well we’re just finishing up,” Zach said, his gaze still fixed on me.
“You guys should join us,” Brooke said.
“That’s okay,” I said, with a slight shake of my head. “We’re only here for a quick bite.”
“Okay,” Brooke agreed. “Next time though?”
“Definitely,” Jenica agreed.
Zach picked up the bill and they went up front to pay.
“I’m gonna hit the little girl’s room,” Brooke said, planting a kiss on Zach’s cheek before hurrying off.
“What’re you doing?” Zach asked, bending down my chair to be at eye-level.
“As Jenica said, we frequent here.”
“You’re still an awful liar.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Were you spying on me?”
“Not spying necessarily.”
More like stalking.
“Why?”
“Because nobody second-dates Brooke Valentine.”
He sighed, running his fingers through his hair as he stood up. “How many times do I have to tell you that this isn’t what you think it is?”
“A bunch more apparently.”
He looked over his shoulder, checking for Brooke. “I don’t know what this is, but it’s weird, even for you.”
“Ready?” Brooke asked, coming back from the bathroom.
“Yeah,” Zach agreed.
“Next time,” Brooke reminded me. “We’ll totally have fun.”
“Okay,” I agreed, with a smile.
Zach led her up to pay and then the two of them left, his arm around her shoulders.
“I don’t get it,” Jenica said, shaking her head. “But I think Brooke Valentine has a thing for Zach.”
~*~
“You can’t end the episode like that!” I shrieked at the TV.
“Catching up on The Fosters?” Jenica asked, as she readied to leave.
“Yeah,” I agreed, pressing play on the next episode. “This is so intense.”
She laughed. “I’ll see you when I get back.”
“I’ll be here.”
She left, leaving me in the apartment alone.
Marci had left much earlier, promising her grandma to continue to help her move her stuff to storage.
Apparently her grandma was moving to a nursing home but had some stuff she wanted to keep.
Halfway through the next episode there was a knock on the door.
I sighed, pressing pause and jogging over to the door.
I half-expected it to be Zach, for him to wring me out for the events that took place the other night at Shelby’s Diner.
But instead it was my gorgeous best friend, Sydney Thomas. Jesse’s fiancé. And she was holding a bag.
“Hello beautiful,” she said, with a bright smile.
“Hey!” I squealed, throwing my arms around her. “When did you get back?”
“Last night,” she said, letting herself into my apartment. “And I need to talk to you.”
“Oh Lord,” I said, as she helped herself to a cup of coffee.
“So you remember when I asked you to be my Maid of Honor?”
I nodded. “And I said no.”
“And so I ordered the dress in your size and it came in.”
I stared at the dress bag. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
“You’re my best friend,” she whined. “I can’t imagine anyone else standing beside me at my wedding.”
“But I have to walk down the aisle with Zach,” I pointed out. “And, you know, be his escort.”
“But you love me.”
I let out a groan. “But-”
“No. I am the bride-to-be and I get to be selfish. You are my Maid of Honor, so go try on this dress.”
“Syd.”
“Kate.”
I stared at her and she stared at me, neither one of us breaking the gaze.
“Now please. I still have to go to the flower and cake shop, and that’s just this morning.”
I let out a long sigh, but reluctantly took the dress bag and changed out into the dress.
I have to admit that it was gorgeous. It was a simple dark purple dress. It was mermaid style, tight through the thighs and then released. And it was strapless.
“You look amazing,” Sydney breathed. “You’re totally in the wedding.”
“I don’t know.”
“Yes you do.”
I sighed, running my fingers through my hair as I swished around in the dress.
“Your hair will be curled,” Sydney said, coming up behind me and curling a piece of my hair around her finger. “And you’ll look gorgeous opposing me, since you’re brunette and I’m blonde.”
I sighed.
“Great, wedding pictures are next Friday. You’re wearing that dress and you have to be there at 9 AM for hair and makeup.”
“Okay,” I agreed in defeat.
“Great,” she agreed, planting a kiss on my cheek. “You’re the bestest friend in the whole wide world.”
“I better be.”
She grabbed her purse. “9 AM next Friday.”
“I’ll be there.”
She blew me an air kiss before leaving, having to get to the flower and cake shop.
I stared at myself in the mirror, wearing the purple Maid of Honor dress.
In a few months this will be me, only I’ll be the one in white.
~*~
“You guys better be there tonight,” I said, leaning against the counter.
“We have our tickets,” Jenica said, dangling the VIP passes in front of my face. “We wouldn’t miss your duet for the world.”
Even Marci smiled at me. “You’ll totally rock this. Don’t sweat it.”
I took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly.
“Leave now so you can get a McD sweet tea to calm your nerves,” Jenica said, handing me my keys and wristlet.
I nodded in agreement, leaving before I could change my mind.
I ran through McDonalds and then pulled up to the arena, sipping on my McDonald’s sweet tea.
Jesse was standing outside, his phone pressed to his ear and a worn out expression on his face.
“Hey,” I called, hopping out of my car.
“Hey,” he called back, with a tight-lipped smile.
“What’s the matter?” I asked, joining him.
“I think we’re cancelling the show.”
I stopped short, raising my eyebrows. “Cancelling the show?”
I should’ve been happy, ecstatic even. But instead I was disappointed, not for myself but for the boys.
It’d been a long time since Skyline had to cancel a show.
He nodded.
“Why? What happened?”
“Zach just had a hell of a seizure,” Jesse said, his phone still pressed to his ear.
It was rare for Zach to have seizures nowadays, and even rarer for them to be bad ones.
If the Vagus Nerve Stimulator wasn’t able to prevent the seizure it was usually able to cut back on the severity.
“Is he still here?” I asked, worriedly. “Or at the hospital?”
“He should be at the hospital,” Jesse said, rolling his eyes. “But I left him with Ross for ten minutes, and you can’t trust that boy to do anything.”
So I’m guessing he had his seizure with Ross.
“I’m going to go check on him.”
Jesse flashed me a thumbs-up.
I headed inside and back to Skyline’s dressing room, unsure of what to expect.
Zach wasn’t one to complain, so in order for them to be considering cancelling the show, I knew it had to be bad.
Ross was sitting on the coffee table, talking to Zach, who was stretched out across the couch.
Aaron wasn’t in the room, and neither was Trey.
“Hey,” Ross said to me, with a tight smile.
“Hey,” I answered, letting the door close behind me.
Zach cracked an eye open.
“Hey,” I said, taking a seat on the coffee table next to Ross.
He didn’t answer, closing his eyes again.
“How’re you feeling?” I asked.
“Like I’ve been hit by a bus,” he muttered. “And then dragged behind it.”
Ross let out a sigh, running his fingers through his hair.
“What happened?” I asked Ross.
“It was just Zach and me,” Ross explained. “I was playing GTA and he was warming up some tea in the microwave. He called my name, and I ignored him, because I was playing video games. Then he called my name again, and I gave him my attention, because I figured if he was going to interrupt me twice, it was probably important.”
I rolled my eyes, Ross and his stupid video games.
“And he just stood there and stared at me, and I couldn’t figure out what was happening. And then he fell to the floor and began to have a seizure.”
That didn’t sound like Zach at all. He always knew when his seizures were coming.
“That is not how it happened,” Zach muttered. “I told you that I thought I was going to have a seizure, and you told me you were going to call Jesse. I remember that.”
“Oh yeah,” Ross mused.
“Oh yeah,” Zach mocked.
The door opened and Trey came in, carrying a bottle of Gatorade.
“What’d you find out?” Ross asked.
“Drink this,” Trey said, tossing the Gatorade at Ross.
“Me?” Ross asked.
“No dumbass, Zach,” Trey said, rolling his eyes. “But I don’t really think he’s in any condition to catch anything I throw at him.”
“Watch it,” Ross warned, before offering his hand down to Zach. “You’ve got to sit up to drink this kid.”
Zach let out a long sigh before gripping Ross’s hand, letting out a groan as he sat up. Zach shakily took the Gatorade in his hands and took a few sips.
“How’re you holding up?” Ross asked, concernedly.
“Okay,” Zach said, breathlessly.
“Don’t bullshit,” Trey ordered.
Zach didn’t answer, handing the Gatorade back to Ross.
“How’re you holding up?” Ross repeated.
“The pain is unreal,” Zach answered, panting slightly.
Jesse came into the room, his phone pressed to his ear.
“I need a decision,” Jesse said, raising his eyebrows at Zach. “I’ve got Marlene on the phone and the arena needs to know.”
“There’s no way,” Ross said, shaking his head.
“Go ahead and tell her that we’ll be performing tonight,” Zach said, breathlessly.
Jesse stared at Zach.
“You can’t be serious,” Ross said.
“Serious as a seizure,” Zach said, with a half-smile.
Jesse rolled his eyes, informing Marlene that they’d be performing tonight before hanging up.
“How the hell do you think this is going to work?” Trey demanded.
“Apparently Zach here has it all figured out,” Ross said, clapping him on the shoulder.
Zach let out a groan, his face contorting in pain.
“Apparently not,” Trey said, rolling his eyes.
“Please don’t touch me,” Zach begged, letting out another groan.
Aaron came in, looking down at his phone. He paused when he saw us all.
“What’s going on?” he asked, looking around the room.
“Look who graced us with his presence!” Trey announced, rolling his eyes.
“I’m sorry,” he said, tucking his phone into his back pocket. “Apparently I missed something.”
“Zach had a seizure,” Ross informed him. “And can’t move. But is certain he’s going to go onstage to perform in an hour.”
“We’ve got to get Katelyn to wardrobe,” Jesse said. “Zach, drink the Gatorade. I don’t know what the hell you’re thinking, but it better be good.”
I left the room, going down the hall and meeting up with Skyline’s team.
They ran a straightener through my hair layer-by-layer and then did my makeup for me.
I was wearing a pair of white jeans and a blue button-up shirt, the same outfit I’d worn to the hospital with Zach the other week.
“I think she’s good,” the stylist said to the assistant.
“One more thing,” the stylist said, taking the eyeliner and adjusting one of the wings on my eyes. “Okay, you’re free.”
I laughed, thanking them before rejoining Skyline in their dressing room.
Zach was now standing, his hands on his hips and a clear grimace on his face.
The last time he’d had a seizure this bad it was in France. And it had been just me and him.
It was an awful experience for me. We were out exploring the city and we’d gotten to a back room of a museum before he’d began to convulse. The convulsions lasted for well over 2 minutes, so I called in an ambulance.
He spent the afternoon in the hospital and was in too much pain to do a show for three consecutive days.
So I knew that he was in no condition to do a show right now.
“Please cancel the show,” Ross said to Zach. “Please.”
“It’s too late now,” Zach said, dismissively.
“Ross, you’ve got to get to wardrobe,” Jesse said, poking his head in the door.
Ross looked over at Zach.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Zach promised.
I could see the guilt written across Ross’s face as he left the room, and I did feel sorry for him.
He knew he should’ve called an ambulance, but Ross freezes up in high-pressure situations. He’d never handled Zach’s seizures well.
“What can I do?” I asked, taking a seat on the coffee table.
“Nothing,” Zach said, shaking his head. “Jesse slipped me an Oxycodone, so I should start feeling some relief soon.”
“Zach,” I scolded. “You can’t just go around popping high dosages of pain killers.”
“Tell that to me when you feel like this.”
Okay, ouch.
I knew he didn’t mean it; he was just in a lot of pain and under a lot of stress. But it was still a slap across the face.
“Katelyn,” he muttered.
“It’s fine,” I said, before he could say anything.
He sighed, his hands on his hips.
Silence filled the room.
“How’re we doing?” Jesse asked, coming into the dressing room.
“Good,” Zach agreed.
“Yeah you really look it.” He stood in front of Zach, placing his hands on his shoulders.
Zach winced and then let out an involuntary groan.
“What’re you trying to prove?” Jesse asked, his eyes searching Zach’s face. “This is reckless and stupid.”
“I’m 21 years old,” Zach informed him. “I don’t need you to watch me anymore.”
Jesse looked over at me. “Has he been a dick the entire time?”
I couldn’t help but smile.
“Get it together at least? I don’t want to play a show with you when you’re taking my head off.” Jesse took his hands off Zach’s shoulders. “Want me to warm you up some tea?”
“Yeah,” Zach said, with a defeated sigh.
Jesse left the room to go and find some.
“Will you pass me my guitar?” Zach asked me.
I did as he asked.
He winced as the guitar’s weight settled on his shoulders.
“What if we called in someone to stall?” I suggested.
He raised an eyebrow at me as he strummed a few strings on the guitar, his face contorted in pain.
“We could call in my brother,” I suggested. “He could play like an opening act for you guys. Just a couple songs until you’re more situated for a show.”
“Is that your subtle way of telling me that I’m being an ass?”
“And that if you play a show with that look on your face your fans will think you hate them.”
He let out a breathless laugh, slipping the guitar back off.
“So I had an idea,” Jesse said, coming back into the dressing room with a couple of tea packets.
“What’s that?” Zach asked, slowly taking a seat back down on the couch.
“What if we called in Connor to do a little opening for us, just to give you some time to come around?”
Zach and I exchanged glances and busted out into laughter. Zach quickly sobered up, letting out a groan of pain.
“What?” Jesse asked, looking between the two of us.
“I suggested like right before you walked in,” I said, still laughing.
“Great minds think alike,” Jesse said, reaching over the top of Zach to high-five me.
“Alright,” Zach agreed. “Just a couple of songs though.”
~*~
“Well it’s not my favorite show,” Trey said, handing me a bottle of water. “But it’s not terrible.”
“That’s supportive,” I agreed, with a laugh.
Skyline finished up their current song and Jesse began to talk about how lonely they were onstage.
While Jesse went off on his monologue, Zach slipped offstage.
“What’s up little bro?” Trey asked.
“Do not call me that,” Zach ordered, with an eye roll. “And I just need 2.5 seconds to breathe.”
Trey offered him the stool he was sitting on and Zach took a seat, taking in a few deep breaths.
“Anything I can do?” I asked, my heart going out to him.
“I just don’t want to move,” Zach muttered, closing his eyes. “My entire body just aches.”
“You know,” Trey said, “if you’d gone to the hospital like you should’ve, you wouldn’t have that problem.”
“You know, if you shut up, I wouldn’t have to hear your voice.”
Trey chuckled, cracking open his water bottle.
“I hate this show,” Zach clarified, reopening his eyes.
“Girl is making her way to stage,” Trey informed him.
He sighed, standing back up with a wince. He stretched out his arms before ducking back out onto stage.
“I hope she doesn’t touch him,” Trey said, watching as Jesse greeted the winning fan.
Zach’s back was turned to the audience when he greeted the fan with a smile and a congratulations.
But she wrapped him up in a tight hug, excited to be onstage with Skyline.
Jesse immediately swooped in on the situation, taking her over to a provided stool while informing her of the choices of songs she had to choose from.
Zach stood with his back to the audience, his body tense. And a look of absolute pain on his face.
Ross and Aaron exchanged glances, and then they both jumped into action.
“You know what we haven’t done tonight Jesse?” Aaron asked, coming out from behind the keyboard and to the front of the stage.
Ross began to talk into his earpiece, and the lights on the stage cut out, a spotlight remaining on the winning girl, Jesse, and Aaron.
“What’s that Aaron?” Jesse asked, playing along.
“Just breathe,” Ross said, bringing Zach over to us.
Zach was clearly in a state of shock.
“What the hell do we do?” Ross asked me.
“I just need a minute,” Zach muttered. “A minute.”
“Sit,” I ordered, standing up and giving him my stool.
“I need to sleep,” he muttered, taking a seat. “Just sleep this damn thing off.”
Aaron looked over in the wings at us, shooting Ross a questioning look.
“I’m going to go and do some damage control,” Ross informed us. “Zach, don’t move.”
“No problem,” he agreed.
The three boys, in the time Zach spent offstage with Trey and I, sang happy birthday to a few lucky fans and did a little Q&A session with the winning girl, who was still waiting for her special song.
“Okay,” Zach agreed, standing up. “What do I have Trey?”
“Serenade this girl, duet with Katelyn, closing song,” Trey instructed, flipping through the sheets.
“Okay.” He retook the stage, throwing an arm around Jesse and answering a question for him from the girl.
The boys continued on with the concert from there. She chose a more recent one of their songs to be serenaded with, and was given an I Love You teddy bear and a rose afterwards.
This time Zach disappeared before she gave her goodbye hugs, and she left the stage.
“Ready?” Zach asked me, trading out his guitar with the stagehand.
“No,” I said, my stomach twisting into knots.
I knew this moment was coming the entire show, but now that it was here, I was going to throw up.
“Look at me,” he ordered, his eyes sincere. “Don’t worry about the audience, they don’t mean anything. Just concentrate on me.”
“We’d like to welcome our special guest,” Jesse announced, as I took in a deep breath. “Please welcome Katelyn Jackson.”
The crowd’s reaction was absolutely insane.
I took the stage with Zach and he informed the audience of the duet we’d be singing, Say Something.
As I situated myself on the stool and was handed a microphone, Zach was informing the audience on how the song would be a bonus track on the new album. And how they were the first ones hearing it.
Cue the insane crowd reaction.
Zach took a seat on the stool next to me, adjusting his microphone before smiling at me.
I couldn’t even muster up a smile in return.
“Look at me,” he mouthed, before Aaron began playing the beginning on the keyboard.
He started off the first verse, and his eyes never left mine, as he promised.
“Say something I'm giving up on you. I'll be the one if you want me to. Anywhere I would have followed you. Say something I'm giving up on you.”
As it came time for our duet, my stomach began rolling, and I was actually afraid I was going to throw up.
“And I am feeling so small. It was over my head, I know nothing at all. And I will stumble and fall. I'm still learning to love, just starting to crawl.”
As I made it through the first verse, I felt myself starting to relax, my eyes still locked on Zach’s.
“Say something I'm giving up on you. I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you. Anywhere I would have followed you. Say something I'm giving up on you.
And I will swallow my pride. You're the one that I love, and I'm saying goodbye.”
The song began to have the same emotional effects it had on me in the studio, and I began to tear up. The lyrics were too powerful not to.
Zach offered me a warm smile when he saw me start to tense, and I somehow managed to remain calm.
“Say something I'm giving up on you. And I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you. And anywhere I would have followed you, oh. Say something I'm giving up on you.”
Say something I’m giving up on you. Say something.”
I didn’t even hear the reaction of the crowd at the end. It was like Zach and I were in our own, separate world.
And it was almost perfect.
“Give it up for Katelyn Jackson!” Jesse announced.
I snapped away from Zach’s eyes, looking out to the audience. I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly.
I stood up and waved at the audience, thanking them for their time, before exiting the stage.
And this time I did puke.
**************************************************************************************************************
So what did you guys think of Zach & Brooke's reaction to Jenica & Katelyn? What about Sydney? Did you expect the Maid of Honor thing? And then the show, the seizure madness and the duet, what did you think about all of it?
This chapter is dedicated to xxsunsetxx because she was the first to guess that the special guest in this chapter would be Sydney. Congratulations!
Also congratulations to you ALL on earning the early update. You guys never fail to surprise & impress me. I love each and every one of you.
The picture off to the right was submitted by MsMacadrian. Check it out! -->
Currently listening to Everfound while I write & update this. I love them. That's where the original idea of Skyline came from you know?
Teaser: Wedding pictures! Can someone say awkward?
Update: Monday