This is terribly short, I know. It was going to be much longer, but half-way into writing the second half of the chapter, I realized that it was definitely not what would happen next. So I scrapped it for later use. Also, I rewrote the ending so that it was a little bit longer, but I'm not sure how well it flows. Oh well, at least it's an update :)

Songs used: Stay by Hurts and Right Here Waiting by Richard Marx

"Are you sure it's alright? You don't need some extra help with the new orders? I mean, it's not too late for me to get a taxi back…" I swung my legs compulsively from the edge of the stage as I tried to calculate how soon I could be back at the comfort of the shop.

"Ally, sweetie, you're rambling." I drew my mouth shut as I listened to him, "You act like I've never run the store without you. I think that if I can survive months on my own while you're off at college, I can keep the shop in business for a few days while you're on tour."

"It will only be a few days… then he leaves the state." I mumble, more to calm myself than my father. "I won't be going with him."

"No, actually the eye doctor's a few buildings down. They put the wrong address on their website." I heard his echoing voice, followed by a muffled customer. There's a thud somewhere in the distance that doesn't quite sound like a fallen instrument and I hear Maria calling across the store to see if someone's alright. "I… I've got to go."

Before I could make sure that everything was alright, the line was dead. He'd hung up on me.

With a sigh I stuffed the phone into my pocket.

Standing up, I found the room to be empty. Everyone had left for the dressing room after setting up the instruments.

I walked toward the middle of stage and took in the view. There were thousands of seats here, there had to be. And in just a few hours, the whole stadium would be packed with screaming fans waiting to hear Austin. I would never be able to handle that… I wasn't even sure if that I could handle performing on stage without anyone watching.

As I turned to find the others, a baby grand piano to my right caught my eye. I made my way over to get a better look at it… it was actually quite nice. I took a seat on the piano bench and, once more, took in the view for the stage. My eyes fixated on a key… the center C. I gently pressed it letting the soft note fill the empty stadium.

"We say goodbye in the pouring rain, and I break down as you walk away." my fingers roamed the keys producing a familiar melody, "Stay… stay." I closed my eyes, swaying with the music as it ran through me, "Cause all my life, I've felt this way, but I could never find the words to say stay… stay."

I sighed, reaching the abrupt end to the lone chorus. I'd been trying to work on it for about two years, but could never find the right words to complete it. A few moments later, I began to play another, more familiar song.

"Oceans apart,

Day after day,

As I slowly go insane.

I hear your voice

On the line,

But it doesn't stop the pain.

If I see you next to never,

How can we say forever?"

My eyes were shut again, lost in the rhythm and the emotions. My fingers danced across the familiar keys.

"Wherever you go,

Whatever you do,

I will be right here waiting for you.

Whatever it takes,

Or how my heart breaks,

I will be right here waiting for you."

I jumped, my fingers landing on a sharp note, as there was a crash of drums behind me. Horrified, I turned to find none other than Austin Moon steadying himself against the cymbal. His cheeks were flushed as bent to pick up the snare that he had tripped over.

"Wh- what are you doing here?" I stammered, all comfort vanished from the room.

"Actually," he began, setting the drum upright, "I was just about to ask you the same thing."

"I was on the phone with my father," I looked away, eyes roaming the stadium once again. I wasn't sure why I was answering. "And when I turned around everyone was gone."

It was quiet for several moments.

"Your turn."

"I was just making sure that all the instruments made it to the stage." The footsteps behind me were noticeably closer. My eyes flickered down to my hands as he strolled into view. "You still play that old song?" His question came out just above a whisper, and I wasn't sure that I would have heard it had me not been two feet away from me, leaning against the piano.

"Not often." I defended, watching my fingers trace the black keys, not daring to discover his current expression.

"I haven't heard it in forever, not since…" his voice trailed off. I bit my lip guiltily as I stole a fleeting glance in his direction. We both knew exactly what he was talking about.

"Do you still write?" He broke the silence, signaling his return to the present.

I blinked, taken back by the abrupt change in conversation.

"Of course… I have to for one of my classes." I shook the feeling that I should actually be working on them right now… I promised my professor that I would keep writing in my spare time.

"Can I hear something?" There was an air of hopefulness in his voice as he made his way to sit beside me on the bench.

"I- I can't." I stammered, wishing that time had made it less easy for him to see through me. "I don't have any music with me… I left my book on the bus."

"Oh." The flat tone of his voice seemed more offended than his words would lead me to believe. "It's okay."

The room lapsed into a long, uneasy silence, as he didn't push the conversation any further. Instead, he mindlessly played a few notes on the piano.

"There all here." I stated, meeting his confused brown eyes for the first time that evening. His eyebrows were puckered in silent question. "The instruments… they're all here."

My stomach dropped at the pained expression that spread across his face. For a moment, I met his empty brown eyes. Maybe I should have ended the conversation differently.

The chord he had been playing faded away and was replaced by the sound of faint footsteps.

"Everyone's in a room just down the hall." I turned to find him standing in the middle of the doorway, "Ask security for directions if you decide you want to join us."

As the door fell shut behind him, I knew I was even more alone.

Alright, so one major problem that I'm running into is that I have no idea how to write a concert scene without it being so boring that I don't even want to finish reading the chapter. So, my question for the chapter: Is it necessary to have a concert scene, or would it be alright if I just wrote around it?