Okay – another apology for the delay. I have been super busy – I went to the McFly concert, front row (!) and it was ah-mazing, Dougie stripped and I got in a fight with an angry Glaswegian after I poked her in the eye with my drumstick, but whatever, there were no fisticuffs as Oliver Twist would say. I've been very busy with my singing etc, writing songs, blah blah. Apparently my only problem is that I don't play guitar (too many strings) and I play bass (only four strings) so I'm having to get a band together and blah, blah, blah…and I have a new obsession, which is Son of Dork (as you will find out in this chapter) but enjoy, eat pie, be merry, have glacial cherries – because no one cares for you all like I do! N x
Oh and yes, I changed the name from Roses to Symptoms of You because I generally like a story title with more words in it. I hope this isn't offending (though I don't see how it could be but…) and I hope you enjoy the latest installment!
Kristen threw herself across the two spare seats beside a delicate sunny-blonde girl with big, saucer-like blue eyes.
"Hello," she said brightly, "PCA?"
"Yeah," the girl tucked a lock behind her ear, "you?"
"Yes. No." She paused, "Sort of. Used to be."
"I'm Heather," the girl said, smoothing down her jeans, "I'm new. Yes. No. Sort of. Used to be."
Kristen laughed, assured that the girl was not cold and frosty and her turf was crossable.
"Kristen," Kristen shook Heather's hand loosely, "we've corresponded."
"Fancy word," Heather grinned, bearing all her cute, little straight teeth, "you and Rebecca right? I heard your brothers are totally dreamy."
Kristen snorted.
"Nate's a complete wimp and Art once fell into a garbage can," she rolled her eyes, "they're not that dreamy."
They were interrupted by another person sitting in the vacant seat beside Kristen. A wave of freshly washed t-shirt mixed with Lynx deodorant and a sort of chocolate-y aroma washed over her.
She laced her fingers through Chase's and squeezed his hand tightly, resting her head on his shoulder.
"So how are you finding PCA?" She asked Heather, closing her eyes as the pure bliss of his touch swam throughout her body. She never realized how much she missed him until he was with her again.
She managed to peek out along her nose at Heather without raising her head from Chase's shoulder. Heather had turned, staring blankly into the aisle, her face stony and cold.
"Was it something I said?" Kristen whispered to Chase, turning to him, still holding onto his hand. Chase looked into her curious, glittering green eyes and felt a great wave of guilt sweeping over him. She was so beautiful, every time he touched her, his breath felt like it was escaping him. Now, her sitting there, holding onto him as though he was the key to survival, looking curiously into his eyes, her just-below-the-chin glossy, dirty blonde hair (cut only because of the straighteners incident during her stay at PCA, because everyone knew what a protective freak Kristen was about her once long, silky dirty blonde hair) framing her classically beautiful face, the scandalous smell of Gucci Envy he had lied to Zoey about a long time ago…
Tell her. She needs to know the truth.
The thought of her face crumpling and tears staining her perfect face made Chase want to weep silently.
"No," he said quietly, pulling his arm back around his shoulders, not able to look her in the eye while lying to her, "no, it's nothing."
Zoey dragged her bag along the aisle blankly.
"I can't believe it! You've had your hair cut!"
"Wait, you two are seeing each other?"
"No!"
"You've changed so much!"
The commotion of her PCA classmates echoed throughout her empty mind, ringing with a tinny sort of call. She felt ill when she had seen Kristen jump into Chase's arms and he swooped her away, like an unlikely superman. Everyone else had 'aww'ed and giggled dutifully but she couldn't even bring herself to crack a smile, let alone force a chuckle. She hoped she'd be able to discuss this with Nicole but last Zoey seen was her and Nate somewhere near the middle wrapped so passionately in each others arms it was almost difficult to tell the tanned limbs apart. She contemplated chatting to Rebecca about it, but then she heard the familiar shouting matches near the back of the plane and realized that her and Logan were right back where they started. She didn't dare even try to ask Dana. Ever since the Infamous Departure and that drunken night at Shannon Sewell's beach party (where she'd spotted Dana being lead off by a mystery hand into the shadows of the beach hut), Dana had become even less approachable than before. Zoey swore she once growled like a dog at her. She liked to think of Heather as a close friend, after all, Heather managed to confide in Zoey one or two times, but that's why she couldn't talk to Heather about it. Because 1) Heather's problems always seemed so immensely complicated her little whine would seem pathetic in comparison and 2) Because Heather wasn't exactly one to speak either. Her face when Kristen and Chase swept each other into a passionate and romantic kiss was almost priceless.
She paused, finding her seat and swinging her bag over the chair, and realized how pathetic she sounded.
What's the issue? Are you upset because everyone seems to be paired off for a holiday in the sunshine and you don't have anyone?
Maybe it is.
But that was your own fault.
How?
For waiting too late.
She took a deep breath, her shoulder shuddering as she sank down in her seat. She already felt claustrophobic, Lisa-Something had ignored all instructions by the in-flight crew and pushed her seat back as far as it would go. The scratchy material on the seats prickled Zoey's bare arms and she was already pressed up against the plane wall.
"Howdy."
She looked up to see Glen Davis' face beaming down to hers as he shifted her bag and slid into the seat.
"Hey," she said wearily, casting her glance out of the window.
The last thing she needed at that point was a little conversation with Chase's enemy, Rebecca's ex and her old flame.
She just wasn't in the mood.
Rebecca was exhausted. More tired than she ever had been as she fought not to let her eyelids drop. She might do something drastically pride-dying if she fell asleep like talk as she dreamt or even worse, woke up on Logan's shoulder. And she knew what she was like when she had just woken from a satisfying sleep – drowsy and way too easy to please. She stifled a yawn and scratched her arm absent-mindedly, turning the page of the one of three magazines a guy down the aisle had given her when she'd asked Heather if she had anything to read and she shook her head sadly.
Hey, beauty equals convenience, after all.
The Titans – Surf, Sun and Sand Bound for Their Screen Debut
The world-wide famous boy band, 'The Titans' are bound this Summer for Hawaii to shoot scenes from their debut movie 'Ticket Outta Loserville' with new 'rock' band on the block 'Son of Dork' and Hollywood starlets Hilary Duff, Amanda Seyfried, Liana Jordan and relatively unknown newcomer, Marina Harper. The movie tells two tales of two newcomers to Valley High School – Ashley (Jordan) and Ashton (debut actor Seth Lainson) challenging the social system in their town. The 'In-Crowd' – lead by the particularly vicious Hana (Harper) and her equally evil best friends Anna (Duff) and Lana (Seyfried) – including their male counterparts are desperate not to let their gender equals progress up the social ladder. When Anna takes interest in Seth, his social status rockets sky high. Ashley hopes to do the same, but is tarnished product since the vindictive In-Crowd spread a nasty rumour about her around Valley High. On a school trip to Hawaii, the pupils bump into recording bands the Titans and Son of Dork while shooting videos for their new releases. Ashley falls for the lead singer of the Titans, the same boy Hana has been vying attention for. Meanwhile, Anna is losing interest in Ashton fast and Lana's doing the opposite. Can they both keep their status without being foiled as total losers? Could this lead singer and high-profile gorgeous blonde be Ashley and Ashton's ticket out of Loserville?
The movie's soundtrack is 'Ticket Outta Loserville' by Son of Dork (who make cameos and perform in the movie) and various other tracks by the Titans, McFly, Katy Rose and Boomkat.
Rebecca scanned the page again. A movie in Hawaii? She checked the dates, and checked her watch.
Corresponding with our trip…
She looked down at the text one more time, trying to absorb as much information as possible. The movie sounded okay, maybe something she'd go see in the theatre with like, Kristen as opposed to Logan.
She paused, pursing her lips angrily for allowing herself to even think she'd go to the movies with Logan.
Not until he apologizes.
Angrily, she pushed the magazine to the side and started on the next.
'Ticket Outta Loserville' in Hawaii
I'm sitting in a vast hall with band the Titans, each with their extreme styles and bottles of coke in their hands, belching every now and then in some sort of twisted harmony. Agents pace back and forth in the background, squawking into cells and the guy beside me is texting Amanda Seyfried. We're on set, ready to film, and I'm desperate to get the lowdown on these boys.
"It sucks though, cause Hilary and Amanda aren't coming until next month because of other projects," Danny Woodsen, lead singer of the Titans says lazily, sitting beside the lead singer of his rival band, "but we've got tours to do so we have to do it now. We have to film the Liana and Marina scenes and then we have to go back to England for a tour there before like, sending some of us back here for scenes with Amanda and Hilary. Hectic, totally hectic."
"I'm looking forward to it though," says Carter Carson, guitarist and 'shouter' of the Titans, with newly platinum dyed hair, "you need challenges in life to get along. Only last year I was like, cleaning my room for pocket money. It's surreal, but I'm looking forwards to it."
"I hear Hawaii's really popular at this time of the year," Joe Taylor, drummer says, "for girls. In bikinis."
Is that what they're looking forwards to?
"Uh, no?" Calvin Carson, Carter's younger brother, bass guitarist tries, "though that's definitely a big factor. It'll be…interesting, to say the least."
Do any of them have girlfriends?
"No, which is tragic," Jay Ferrier, internationally known as 'the posh guitarist who knows how to rock out with a cracking voice' sighs, "this movie has done us no favors. Son of Dork have girls crawling all over them and even the sixty year old cleaner Dora is anxious to leave our hotel room. It makes me feel depressed."
"But we can get loads of chicks in Hawaii."
"Maybe," says Calvin quietly.
"Like you'd work up the courage to talk to one," his brother says dismissively, "seriously, he's pathetic. He barely has the nerve to ask our mother for a coke."
Calvin doesn't respond.
Are they bothered that they have so much work to do compared to other co-starring band, Son of Dork?
"No way," Danny says, "we've got all the filming to do in front of the camera. They've only got cameos and they do the lead song – they're not even filming just now. I have lines! Though it's majorly unfair who they get falling for who here."
"Yeah," Joe agrees, "It's cool cause I get Hilary Duff -"
"And I get Amanda Seyfried," Carter finishes, "but Calvin gets Marina Harper and Liana Jordan. Lucky swine."
"And I'm the lead singer!" Danny shouts, "They're supposed to fall for the lead singer but they fall for Calvin who's the lead singer for this movie."
"Cause he looks better," Jay says, "nicer hair."
"Calvin has no personality," Danny proclaims, "I swear, he's like a robot."
At this Calvin blushes furiously. The boys then go on to talk about girlfriends, hookers and groupies. See p34 for a full interview.
Rebecca closed the magazine and smiled to herself. The odds that the Titans were filming their new music video and their debut movie in the exact same place in Hawaii were slim, but it was nice to dream. Liana Jordan was an okay actress and she'd never heard of Marina Harper but she'd heard she was beautiful in a sort of black hair, porcelain skin way. It would be awesome to meet the Titans – the only band except for Son of Dork that she could actually admit she liked without being slated – who didn't love a group of five, totally gorgeous instrument-playing geniuses who sung about falling in love with girls that were really guys and trekkies?
Still smiling, she felt her eyelids dropping. For once, she didn't object.
Logan hadn't moved in over half an hour, he just sat, perfectly still, despite the fact that he was desperate to go to the toilet and Michael and Harry were chatting up a youthful looking air-hostess who giggled every time they said something appreciative.
Rebecca's head lay on his shoulder, her chest rising softly as she breathed, her eyes closed, flyaway waves tickling his skin gently as she slept, completely unaware where she was lying. He had to strongly resist the urge to touch her, hold her in any way where she might wake up.
Logan wished she was like that always – completely at ease with him and at loss for words.
Yeeeeeeeeeee (and yes, I mean yee, not yeah), shout-outs!
AlizabethMinimoto – The only reason I didn't do much of Chase because, don't hate me or anything, but Chase always bored me a little! Everyone else was so much more exciting and interesting he sort of fell on the back burner, but as you could probably tell, a big plot line is coming up for him soon!
aNGE 3 – Yeah, Zoey is less popular. I figured, after everything she's done and everything she's said it was impossible for everyone to like her. And no one's that popular anyway. Unless you're like Nelson Mandela. Which Zoey definitely isn't. There isn't one person on the planet that everyone likes and no one hates, so why should Zoey be one? That's what I was thinking when I wrote it. Zoey annoys me as well. She's a blind fool on the TV show but I've given her the BOD in Symptoms of You :)
Crazy4MaggieGrace – When I signed on and was looking at the updates ages ago and saw Guitar Strings and Southern Mangolias by Crazy4MaggieGrace I was like 'IMPOSTER! COPYRIGHT!' and was about to alert you until I figured out you'd just changed you're username :). Thankies mucho for your compliments, I only describe so much because according to my English teacher, it's my 'trademark.' And she's the one that passes and fails me at the end of the day so anything to please her goes.
Natalie – Yah, since you and Marina have been my most loyal reviewers from the beginning I'm putting you in the story. Because I love you both :) Did Logan and Dana ahem? Maybe. Maybe not. Was that all they did? Who knows…and yeah, flying pigs rock.
Marina – I hope you got my e-mail about the character etc. I will try really hard to make this chat thing, if you e-mail me a time, I will come eventually. I promise. And I want to be in my story too, I want to wrestle dingos and make wisecracks. The only thing I can wrestle in Scotland is Haggis. Haha no, Haggis isn't an animal, just a stuffed sheep's stomach. Bleurg.
Icexxangel – I'm not quite sure what I want Heather's character to develop into yet but I'm glad you like her. And I like Logan's character on TV, because he is very, very, very nice to look at.
And Thankies mucho to chicicutie and xlildancingqt2x. I am going on a break to London since I've been very, very ill recently. Nothing life threatening, just a lot of sick so it's more of a needed break for me. Anyway, I love you all, have a nice day and don't fall asleep on any hedgehogs! N x