Leah, Colden, and Stevie all became fast friends. That day in the cafeteria, Leah learned that Colden was a senior, and Stevie was a sophomore, just like Leah. She also discovered that the siblings lived next door to her, so after school, Leah gave them a ride home (they usually walked).

"Okay, well how about Underoath?" Colden asked Leah. The three were discussing all of their favorite bands, and so far, found that they all had the same taste in music.

"Oh yeah, one of my favorites," Leah exclaimed. "Last year, I saw them live, and I got to meet Spencer Chamberlain and Aaron Gillespie. They were actually pretty cool guys."

"No way!" Stevie and Colden both gushed at the same time.

"Dude, you are so lucky!" Stevie finished.

"I guess," Leah sighed. "But my heart will always belong to Tokio Hotel. Specifically to Bill Kaulitz!"

A sour look came across Colden's face. "Are you serious? That group of homos? You gotta be kidding."

Stevie smacked her brother on the arm. "Hey! They are NOT homos! If you even watched the interviews with me, you'd be able to see that! Trust me…" she giggled as she recalled some of the remarks made by Tom Kaulitz, also known as the lover of her soul. "It's amazing how much they joke about….stuff!"

Leah laughed as they pulled up to the duo's house. "Oh yes. They're DEFINITELY straight…"

"Whatever," Colden rolled his eyes. "You guys buy into the fantasy. One day you'll realize they're all a bunch of faggot posers, and you'll get over it. And with that, I bid you farewell." He slid out of the back seat, bowed dramatically, and strolled up to his front door to wait for Stevie, who had the house key.

"Just ignore him," Stevie told Leah. "He gets all idiotic whenever someone brings them up."

Leah flashed her new friend a smile. "Don't worry; I'm used to dealing with people always slamming me for loving them. I've just learned to ignore them."

"I know what you mean," smiled Stevie. "Hey! I'm going to one of their concerts in Ohio in a few days! You should totally come with me!" Stevie grasped Leah's hands excitedly. "It'll give us a real chance to hang out!"

There was nothing more in the world that Leah wanted than to see her "future husband" live and in action. And since Jim would be gone for two weeks…

"I'm in," she said excitedly as she squeezed Stevie's hands. Both girls squealed in sheer joy.

"I'll call you later with the details!" Stevie exclaimed while climbing out of the car. "Talk to you later!"

"Alright, bye!" Leah waved enthusiastically after her new found friend. Her eyes searched for Colden, but he had already found the spare key and let himself inside. As Leah pulled out of their driveway and made her way towards her house, she couldn't help but smile. "I have a feeling that living here might not be so bad after all."

XXXX

"Aggh! Damn razor!" Leah winced at the gushing line of blood on her wrist. That last one had gone deeper than she expected. Before smoking, she liked to carve up her arm, and then wind down with a cancer stick…or five.

She stared at the random spots of self injury up and down her left arm and sighed. "Why am I doing this to myself?" she wondered. If she was honest with herself, she couldn't come up with a legitimate reason as to why she had resorted to throwing away her self-worth in such a gruesome way.

"I just need to relax." She made her way to the balcony to choke her pain to death in cigarette smoke.

By cigarette number three, Leah had calmed herself down quite a bit. She let her mind wander to the plans she and Stevie had made earlier on the phone. They had even picked out outfits to wear to the concert. Since it was an overnight trip (and Leah still had no idea how Stevie had managed to pull this off), arrangements had been made for them to stay at the same hotel as the band! Leah felt like she was going to explode from excitement.

"Oh great, now I've worked myself up again!" She grabbed another cancer stick and lit it, when suddenly she heard a noise. She froze.

Nothing seemed to be happening.

There it was again! Leah let out a drag and listened intently in the cool autumn air. She stood frozen on her balcony. The noise seemed to be coming from the direction of the bushes! "Oh gott, not again."

Pew! Clink! Something whizzed right past her head and bounced off the glass doors behind her. "What the…"

"Leah…" a voice quietly called out. "Leah it's me, Colden!"

Colden…? What's he doing here at three in the morning? "Do you have any idea what time it is, young man?" Leah teased as she saw Colden slink out from behind the bushes.

"Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting in those bushes for you to notice me?" Colden shot right back with a smirk. He made his way to the foot of the balcony and stood there, looking up at Leah. "Can I come up, or what?"

Leah laughed. "Fine, sure. Whatever." She turned to go inside to let him in, but before she could, he had started to make his way up the pillar leading to her balcony.

"What the hell are you doing?" she asked, stifling her laughter. After a minute or two, he scrambled over the railing and landed safely onto the balcony.

"And he sticks the landing!" he exclaimed. "You said I could come up, right?" Those icy blue eyes seemed to radiate in the moonlight. Leah giggled.

"Well, I wasn't expecting you to take the hard way up!" She crushed her cigarette into the floor of the balcony, and then straightened up. "Sorry," she mumbled. "Bad habit." She probably reeked of smoke.

Colden smiled. "It's all good. I light up every now and then, myself." He took a few steps closer to her.

Leah quickly ventured, "So what are you doing here at three in the morning, disturbing my quiet time, and throwing rocks at my head?"

Colden glanced down at his shoes. "I, uh, I wanted to apologize for today. Well, yesterday. I didn't mean to be such a douche bag about that band you like." He looked back up and caught her eyes. "I can be an idiot sometimes."

Leah tingled all over. Amazing how one look from this guy could drive her crazy. "Oh, um, don't worry about it," she stumbled though her words. "It didn't bother me."

"Oh."

Awkward. "Well anyways, I just wanted to apologize. I'll let you get back to your, uh, quiet time." He turned to climb over the balcony.

"Wait," Leah stopped him. "You don't have to go. You just got here." She grabbed his arm. "You want to join me?" She reached for her cigarettes and smiled.

Colden laughed. "Sure. Maybe for a little bit." Oh the things I'd do to you if I could, you little bitch, he thought. Control yourself, Mitchell.