Alex's P.O.V

I led her out into the quiet garden outside the hall. Who are you? I found myself wondering.

"So…" she said quietly.

"You are a fantastic singer but why have I not heard that song before?" I interrupted, the question had been on my mind since she sang.

"Oh…well…I-I wrote it," she admitted quietly.

I stopped walking. Seriously I couldn't help it.

"You wrote it?" I asked and she confirmed with a nod.

"Whoa," I breathed in spite of myself.

"What about yours, who was your inspiration?" she asked.

It was a fair question but I was reluctant to answer just in case she knew Alexis was my ex-girlfriend, emphasis on the ex.

"Em…my parents and my ex-girlfriend, Alexis Hay," I told her.

"As in: head cheerleader Alexis?" she asked and I nodded. "As in: the schools "it girl" Alexis?" again I nodded. "As in: Alex Austin's ex-girlfriend Alexis?" she deduced and I nodded meekly.

I was unsure whether she had worked out I was Alex.

"Look I should go," she said quietly as she started to walk towards the hall.

"Wait!" I said catching her wrist. "Why do you need to go?" I asked.

She raised her eyebrows.

"You're Alex Austin! I'm just…" she said.

"You're just what?" I said but it was more of a statement than a question. "Look," I sighed. "Please stay," I said gently letting go of her wrist.

She didn't move. "Why?" she queried. "I'm a nobody," she said quietly.

"Have you ever heard the expression 'nobody's perfect'?" I asked causing her to nod confused. "If nobody's perfect and you're nobody then you're perfect," I said slyly.

She smiled slightly and so did I.

"Fine, I'll stay," I smiled at the fact that I had gotten her to cave.

"Good," I replied.

I held out my hand and she took it as we began to walk again.

"So what about you, who was your inspiration?" I asked.

"Em…it's a long story?" she said trying to avoid the subject.

I sighed and let it slide but told myself I would ask her again later.

"Well you know who I am now who are you?" I finally asked.

Her eyes looked everywhere but me and mine were fixed on her.

"How about you try and guess? You can ask me…fifteen questions and if you don't even come close to guessing I won't tell you," she said.

I had a feeling she was trying to put off me finding out who she was but I nodded and thought of a question.

"Have I seen you without your mask before?" I asked.

"Yes," she replied.

"Where did I see you?" I asked.

"Yes or no answers only," she told me.

We came to a stop at a swinging chair and sat down.

"Have you been writing songs long?" I asked, OK so it was more of a conversational question but I was curious.

"Yes," she replied with a smile.

"Have I talked to you before?" I asked thinking it would narrow the list of people down.

"Yes," she replied again.

I took a good look at her. How could I have seen her before? How could I have talked to her before? For the first time I looked into her eyes. They seemed to bore into mine and look into my sole.

I recognised her eyes and then looked at her hair. The blue streak I was looking for wasn't there which caused me to sigh.

"What?" she asked.

"Your eyes reminded me of someone's," I admitted.

"Whose?" she pressed.

I didn't know whether to tell her about Jess or not. I knew I really liked them both and there was something about her that made me want to tell her so I did.

"A girl I think I like," I said.

"You think you like?" she questioned.

"It's complicated. I don't know her that well. In fact I have only met her twice but I kind of felt like there was a connection or something. I know that sounds really corny but it's true," I explained.

I glanced up at the girl in green and she had a warm smile on her face but there wasn't one in her eyes.

"What's her name?" she asked

"Her name is Jess," I admitted without looking at her.

She inhaled sharply which caused me to look up.

"J-Jess who?" she asked.

"I don't know her second name but I know her friend is called Mel and she knows Mary," I replied which caused her to swallow hard and stand up.

"Em…I think I do need to get back inside. Me- my friend will be waiting for me," she said and then started to walk away.

She was a few paces away when the penny finally dropped. She was Jess. I sprang up and caught her wrist making her turn and face me. Her face was neutral and unreadable.

"Yes?" she asked.

"I still have a lot of questions left and I have thought of another one. Are you Jess?" I asked but the question came out a whisper.

She took in a shaky breath and nodded. A smile spread onto my face when she finally looked up at me. She half-smiled up at me.

"What happened to your blue streak of hair?" I asked after a while of staring into each others eyes.

"Mel got me some hairspray to cover it up for tonight," she told me.

I nodded in understanding. "Do you still have to go?" I asked jokingly but with a serious note in m voice.

Jess's P.O.V

I glanced around after he asked the question.

"No. I can stay a while," I answered.

He seemed relived but my mind was kind of buzzing. Wouldn't yours be if Alex Austin had said he thought there was a connection between you?

We began to walk back to where we had been sitting.

"So is Jess short for Jessica?" Alex asked randomly.

"Em…yeah I think it is," I replied slightly sarcastically.

"So can we play twenty questions?" he asked.

It was weird because all of a sudden it was like he had known me for years.

"Sure," I said reluctantly as we sat back down.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" he asked.

I'll be honest; I was totally taken aback by the question. It was quite personal but I answered anyway. "No,"

"Do you have a girlfriend?" I asked.

"A crazy ex one yes, but a proper one? No," he admitted.

I chuckled at his comment and so did he.

"Do you have any brother or sisters?" Alex asked.

"Two mean bitchy stepsisters yes but actual ones? No," I said mocking him slightly.

"Touché," he laughed.

"You?" I asked.

"I have a two big brothers and a little brother," he said to which I nodded.

He took his mask off and I slipped mine off too, forgetting that half the bruise would show. Alex's brow knitted together when he saw it and I tried to slip my mask back on but he gently took it off me.

I looked down at my hands in shame. I felt his thumb and forefinger against my chin as he lifted my head up.

"Who did that to you?" he breathed.

"It's nothing…I slipped that's all," I lied but he saw straight threw it.

"Please don't lie to me. There is a mark where a ring hit your face," he said running his soft hand lightly across my cheekbone.

"Look it's not that big a deal and if I did tell you there is too much to explain right now," I said whilst holding back the small tears hat were desperate to fall.

"Why?" he asked.

"I need to get back to my room and get changed again by midnight! That is when they are going to get back and if they find out I was gone he'll…" I trailed off and dropped my head so Alex wouldn't see the single tear slipping down my cheek.

I felt him scoot closer to me then his strong arms wrapped around me as he pulled me into a hug. For the first time in a very, very long time I felt completely safe. I felt calm and there was almost a flicker of happiness. Until…

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­"Jessie?" I heard Mel yelling for me.

I reluctantly pulled away from Alex and instantly missed the warmth and security of it.

"Over here!" I shouted back.

She came running hand-in-hand with the guy she had been dancing with earlier.

"Britney…the twins…that guy have just…left!" she said whilst panting.

"Mick?" Alex asked.

"…Yeah…" the blond replied.

"Alex?" Mel asked looking between the two of us.

"What they what?" I shouted after processing what Mel had said.

Oh no. oh no. oh no. Oh no I thought. I am so dead!