Hey hey, yet another chapter. Reviews are always very nice :) Enjoy!

Chapter 9

"Lo are you alright?" Mel asked, Loren and Mel were inside of Mel's parked car. Mel was worried about her best friend who hadn't said a word since she had pulled her away from Cam. Loren's bruises were getting darker by as it seemed the second. Why wouldn't Loren talk to her?

"No, I'm not..." Loren said, she looked at Mel with tears filling up her eyes. Why would Cam do that? Loren crashed into Mel's arms, sobbing. Mel held Loren tightly as she continued crying.

"Do you want me to drive you home?" Mel asked. Loren parted from her and nodded. She sat back into her seat and fastened her seat belt. "Okay, let's go." Mel started driving. Poor Loren, Cameron had completely overreacted, Mel felt guilty because she had put them up to the date in the first place. If only she had kept her big mouth shut for once.

Loren felt helpless and small, she was thankful her best friend was there for her. "I love you, Mel" Loren said. She felt guilty for wishing Eddie was here instead of Mel. Should she call him? He had texed her, she still hadn't replied. Maybe he hated her now, she wouldn't blame her. She was a horrible person.

"I love you too, Lo." Mel said "Do you want me to stay with you, at your house?" Mel asked, Loren wasn't sure if her mom was home. She didn't want to face her mom. She simply nodded as Mel pulled into her driveway.

"I don't want to face my mom right now" Loren said, no noticing that her mom's car wasn't in the driveway.

Mel opened her car door "She's not home, her car's not here." Mel said as she got out of the car and walked around it to open the door for Loren.

"Thanks Mel, I don't know what I would do without you" Loren got out of the car and hugged her best friend tightly. Mel gladly returned the hug and they just stood there for at least a minute. Mel had never seen Loren break down or even cry. Loren was always the strong one, Mel didn't know what her role was. But she was sure Loren was the strong one. Mel knew Loren needed her. But maybe she needed Eddie to be there too, no Mel, you're being silly, she thought to herself. Loren wouldn't want Eddie to see her like this, but something told her Eddie would be there for her.

"Come on, Lo, let's get you inside" Mel said as she guided a still rarely quiet Loren inside. The bruises on her arms seemed to have turned a few shades darker. Mel was sure Loren was going to want to cancel her plans with Eddie today because of this, but there was no way in hell that Mel was going to let that happen.

"Mel, I have to call Eddie... Tell him I'm not gonna be able to make it..." Loren said in a soft insecure voice. She felt like crying again, but she wasn't going to let her emotions take over. Her arms hurt and she tried not to look at the bruises on them, who were getting darker and darker. They were now a dark purple-ish shade. Lore was embarrassed by the bruises, it was all her fault, she had made Cameron mad. She deserved to be treated like he had treated her. Loren was automatically bringing herself down, she always did that when she was upset. She did not want Eddie to see her at another low, but she did want to see Eddie, more than anything.

"Don't be stupid," Mel said abruptly, Loren seemed a bit surprised by her reaction, but she wasn't going to make Loren miss out on a day with Eddie Duran. "I think you should call him, maybe you can move your 'hang out session' to now?" Mel continued, she knew Loren was going to have to give in eventually. Mel could see how much she was looking forward to seeing Eddie again, Loren sometimes seemed to forget how well Mel knew her.


Eddie was still sitting at his piano, Loren hadn't replied to his text. Why was he very disappointed by that? Eddie had some trouble admitting he had a thing for Loren. Maybe more than just a thing, he had thought Chloe was the one to knock him off his feet when she came along, but since he met Loren, he had known the true meaning of that phrase. He wished he could just go there and be with her, nothing more, just her presence around him made him feel real. When somebody knocked on the door he had hoped that it was Loren. Eddie opened the door, Chloe was standing on his doorstep. What did she want? Hadn't he been clear? He could tell she had been playing dress up before coming to pay him a very unwanted visit. Loren would never do that the way she did, he was on to Chloe, she wasn't that good of an actress if you weren't in love with her, he noticed.

"What do you want Chloe?" Eddie asked with an annoyed tone in his voice

"Can I come in?" Chloe asked and she smiled her most seductive smile, her lips shining from the lip gloss, come on Eddie, please buy it. She needed him to fall in love with her again, that was the only way to save her career.

"No, Chloe. I think I wasn't clear when I told you that we're trough." Eddie said "Do you need me to write it down for you because I will." Eddie said as he motioned to the pen and paper on his piano bench which he had just been using to write a new song. Also inspired by the amazing Loren Tate.

"Eddie, I made a mistake" Chloe began, when she got an idea, Eddie had to believe her. That was if Tyler had her back. "He blackmailed me. I was too scared to tell you, Eddie please believe me!" She said acting at her very best.

Eddie chucked humorlessly, Chloe wasn't fooling anyone. He hoped she and Tyler would be very happy together. "Come on Chloe, just get out of here." Eddie shook his head, Chloe had a fake hurt expression on her face. How could he not have seen this earlier? Chloe was fake, he now got what his mom had said about the wrong 'vibe'.

"I'm telling the truth, Eddie!" Chloe nearly jelled. If Eddie didn't believe her, she would get Tyler to back her story up. That is if he would talk to her, what was up with that anyway? Who had he been talking to and why didn't he open the door? She vaguely remembered hearing a girl's voice, no, he couldn't have been with another girl. He loved her, didn't he?

"Bye Chloe!" Eddie waved at her and quickly closed the door to his penthouse before she could reply. He checked his phone and ignored Chloe, who was furiously banging on his door. Still no message from Loren, Eddie was disappointed. Well, she was at school now, maybe she hadn't even got the chance to check her phone. He hoped so.

"Eddie! Eddie! Open the door!" Chloe jelled as she banged on the door. "We need to talk, Eddie! Please, you have to believe me!" she was offended when Eddie didn't open the door for her. Not hurt, just offended. Eddie just ignored her, like she was nothing. Maybe she was nothing to him now, no she couldn't be. He was still in love with her. He must be. She banged on Eddie's door again, when he kept ignoring her she decided to leave. No need to embarrass herself any further. Chloe angrily stormed off. Tyler, she needed Tyler, again.


Adriana was walking through the school with Kim, she looked great and felt amazing. Loren Tate appeared to be nowhere near her, she made a mental note to thank Cam for scaring her away. She had already heard some rumors about Cam being deeply in love with that stuck up twit, how could somebody that hot be in love with ordinary Loren Tate? No, he couldn't be. Adriana hated people thinking that, she had spread a rumor about Loren being obsessed with Cameron, she had kissed him and he pushed her off. Then she had made a big scene about it.

"Shouldn't you go to your boyfriend?" Kim suddenly said, Adriana was surprised, how did she know about Tyler. Well Tyler wasn't exactly her boyfriend. "Seems like he came to see you." Kim pointed at a spot behind Adriana, she turned around and saw Phil standing some meters behind her.

"Didn't you hear?" Adriana asked, she answered Kim as if she had just asked the stupidest question thinkable. "Me and Phil are over." Adriana was shocked by the reality, she and Phil were history. She had gave up Phil for a total stranger.

"Aid, can we talk?" Phil had walked over to her, his voice sounded rough as if he hadn't been sleeping, maybe drinking.

"Yeah, sure, whatevs." Adriana answered, she didn't want to talk, she wanted to stay up on her Tyler cloud, just for a moment. Of course she understood that they did need to talk. She had brutally dropped him, she had gave his diamond earrings to Tyler. But Phil was not aware of that. Adriana saw Kim quietly walk off, her friend had understood that she wasn't needed.

"Just explain something to me, Aid" Phil began, she could tell that he was truly hurt by what she had done. "Why would you do that? Why would you just ditch me like that" Phil stepped closer to Adriana and grabbed both her hand, Adriana felt uncomfortable "I gave you everything, Aid. You just dump me when somebody better comes along?" Phil raised his voice just a little bit. Adriana was surprised by all the questions Phil asked, he had every right to ask them. But she didn't have an answer.

"Phil, I'm... I'm so sorry..." Adriana didn't know what else to say, she wasn't even that sorry. She did feel guilty, just a little bit.

"Yeah, I bet you are." Phil answered he narrowed his eyes at her for just a moment. He threw his hands up in the air desperately "I have nothing to say to you anymore, have a good life, Aid." Phil turned around and started to walk off, part of him wanted Adriana to stop him, part of him wanted to just leave and go home. He was a bit disappointed when she hadn't said anything, she had just let him walk off.


Mel had gotten Loren to take a shower, she had stopped bugging Loren about calling Eddie. Still she got the idea her best friend needed him. Mel couldn't control herself, before she knew it she had looked up Eddie's contact and she was calling him. She couldn't help but smile, she was just casually calling Eddie Duran. It didn't take Eddie long to pick up his phone.

"Ehh... Hey... Eddie?" Mel began insecurely, she wasn't sure how to tell him what she wanted "It's Mel, Loren's friend..."

"Hey Mel, Loren had mentioned you, is she okay?" Eddie had been happy when he saw Loren was calling but when he heard Mel's voice, he was getting a little worried. Had something happened to Loren?

"Yes, she's fine" Mel lied, no she couldn't lie to him "Well, to be honest... She isn't" Mel said, she paused, giving Eddie time to react.

Eddie was getting really nervous, he needed to see Loren. "Mel, tell me what happened..." Eddie said carefully

"I can't tell you," Mel said, she heard Eddie sigh on the other end of the line. He really cared for Loren, she could hear in in his voice. "look, I don't know you but I know you already care for Loren. Maybe just as much as I do. Something happened today and she really needs someone like you. I know you have only just met, but you seem to genuinely care for her." Mel was satisfied with her little speech, she hoped Eddie would come over.

"Thank you for calling me Mel," Eddie said as he walked out of his penthouse "I'll be right over." Eddie didn't wait for Mel to reply and put his phone back in his pocket, he was almost running, Loren needed him.

Loren got out of the shower, Mel could instantly tell she had been crying. She hated to have to leave her best friend behind but she didn't want to be here when Eddie arrived. Loren needed Eddie more than her right now, Mel was perfectly aware of that and didn't mind it at all.

"Hey Lo, are you doing any better?" Mel asked, she hoped her best friend would talk to her.

"Yes Mel, I'm doing a lot better" Loren lied, she felt horrible and still kind of guilty. Cam had every reason to be angry at her, she deserved the way he treated her. "You can go home if you want to." she continued, Loren wanted to be alone right now. No she didn't, to be honest, she wanted to be with Eddie. She needed to feel his warm embrace, his arms wrapped around her. She just wanted to be in his arms.

"Okay Lo" Mel said, she knew Loren wasn't going to be on her own for long. She had taken care of it. "But don't get too comfortable, I'll be back to check on you later." Mel shook her finger at Loren with a half serious, half joking expression on her face. She got up from Loren's bed and walked towards the door with her best friend following her. When they were at the front door she hugged her best friend tightly one more time and without words she left Loren's house. Eddie had put her at ease, he seemed to really care about Loren. He was going to be there to comfort Loren any time now. Mel didn't have anything to worry about.