Sitting on her bed she was gazing out the window. It was getting late out, she watched as the floodlight flickered on and off. She looked as the sky darkened from the bright blue it was nearly hours ago. She glanced away from the vibrant sky and turned now towards the calendar on her wall.

Having it hang on the wall was a bit like eye candy. She couldn't turn away, in yet every time she looked towards it her face began to fall and her stomach turned into knots. She kept looking at it. Yesterday, Friday seemed like so far away but today it was as if she heard the clock ticking. She knew tomorrow night was just a practice thing but it didn't prevent her from feeling the way that she did.

Sure they had practiced thousands of times, and this was just a preparation thing but still it would be in front of people. Sure she was used to the limelight. Having been in battle of the bands and starred in the musical. But this, this was different. She wasn't with anyone she felt comfortable with. She had lost her connection and closeness with Justin when she moved. Her friends Cody, Ellie, and Ryan; she had of course known but still it felt different. She wasn't comfortable and she knew it would only be a matter of time before she gave up.

Trying to forget about tomorrow's performance. She climbed into bed and fell vastly asleep.

...

The next morning was a blur for her. All she remembered was throwing on the first thing she saw and driving to school. She hadn't taken special time to get ready, as she usually does, being the perfectionist she is. She hadn't cared, she knew tonight would be horrible and she just didn't want to think about it.

Emily, of course, was the first to notice Casey. "Casey are you um.. okay?" She asked awkwardly.

"Me? Yeah Em. I'm totally okay. Why wouldn't I be okay? Who have you talked to?" Casey panicked as she tried to do her combination.

"Relax Casey," Emily said. "No one, you just normally don't come to school looking like that." She sighed.

"Looking like that? Oh my god what do I look like?!" Casey panicked again.

"Nothing, you look fine," Emily lied. "Here let's just get inside the girls bathroom. See what I can quickly do."

She pulled Casey into the bathroom, she took out her make up bag, and went to work. Casey was still panicked.

"Em, I'm so scared!"

"Really? Why? You've done this so many times," Emily sighed.

"Not with anyone I'm not comfortable around."

"Aw.. The ex boyfriend."

"Yes, him. Seriously I didn't think his presence bothered me this much but it does. He's totally someone new. He was a handful before but never this bad. Something happened to him. Something changed him. I don't know what it is, I hate the person he's become. And I can't do this tonight, Em. I just can't."

"Casey relax please just calm down." Emily was just about done with Casey she did a few things with her make up and Casey was nearly done.

"There," sighed Emily applying the last bit of lip gloss. "Good as new."

"What am I going to do?"

"Relax."

Casey took a few deep breaths and was good to go. She got up and marched tall out of the bathroom.

She managed to pull through the rest of the school day. At lunch she sat with Em as she talked about the latest gossip. Casey only half listening. Still she got through it and by the end of the day she was more nervous than she had ever been. Only four hours away, and Casey on the verge of yet another break down.

When she arrived home, she threw herself into her room. As she was lying there and partly hyperventilating she noticed a knock at the door.

Frustrated already from everything going on. She yelled, "Go AWAY!"

Finally an unexpected voice rang out, "It's okay, It's Derek."

"In that case, Go FAR away!" She yelled once more.

The door opened at that point. "And you say I have issues with knocking. Get out!" She exclaimed as he stomped into her room.

"What are you doing here?" She asked finally.

"Nothing I was uh.." he paused looking a little bit dumbfounded. He grabbed the first CD, he saw. "Borrowing a CD!"

She looked at him and then looked at the CD, "Beethoven's classics?"

"Yes! I uh.. find his works fascinating."

Casey narrowed her eyes, "Sure because when I picture Derek Venturi, I imagine him prancing around listening to Beethoven."

"What are you really doing here? And I know it's not because you've suddenly wanted to become enlightened about classical music."

"Fine! I came to see if you were okay."

"You should have stuck with the Beethoven story, it was a bit more believable," she sassed.

"You got me, I just borrowed it to impress a chick because that's me, Derek Venturi, careless and sexist jerk to all," and with that stormed out of the room.

What the heck has gotten into him? thought Casey. Derek was the least of her problems because in four short hours she would be performing. It was nothing big just a bunch of locals and chances are people would forget about it the next morning, but that couldn't stop her heart from beating out of her chest.

She would lay down for a bit longer until it would pass. Before she knew it she fell vastly asleep. She woke up three hours later and suddenly it dawned on her, she would be performing in less than an hour. She hurried up and got ready. She tossed on some blue jeans.

The place the "Open Mic" was being held, was at the coffee shop on 3rd street. It was about 10 minutes from her house and the band wanted to meet a half hour before. So Casey quickly grabbed her things and marched out the door.

Finally after carefully driving, and watching for signs, she made it there. A few minutes later than what they had planned but she was in no way going to get a ticket. She had managed to keep a clean record when it came to driving, and she was determined to keep it that way.

"Where have you been?!" Exclaimed Justin going over to her as she managed to snake through the door.

"Relax, I'm here. It's not even that late. Besides there's no need to yell, I'm already nervous as it is!" She said panicking.

"It's alright Case, really we all understand. Don't be nervous okay! It's going to be fine!" reassured Ellie.

"Yeah, Just give it a shot!" called Ryan.

KoKo nodded in agreement.

"Alright, now since this is just an open mic and it's just a practice thing. I was thinking we'd just play something simple like a cover. I was thinking 'Jessie's Girl', we went over it last week and I think it went quite well. So let's just do it. Alright cool?" They all nodded. "Okay start tuning, and Casey drink some water before you go on." She softly nodded her head and went inside the bathroom.

She turned on the water faucet and brushed some water against her face to relieve some pressure. She looked down and then up. Gasping for some air as she attempted to breathe in and out.

She looked at herself again. Just then the door to the bathroom sprung open. Ellie poked her head around the door "It's time, you ready Casey?"

Casey looked at herself once more, and then turned to Ellie "Yes, I'm ready,"

Ellie smiled and the two girls walked toward the miniature stage. There was only 20 or so people there. So Casey felt okay.

The two girls marched towards the stage. Ellie took her place behind the drum set and Casey found her place behind the microphone. She had her eyes closed at this point.

Ellie counted out as she had usually done. "1...2..1..2..3..4"

As the intro played out Casey began to feel a bit better. That was until she opened her eyes. She looked at the 20 or so people in the audience and began hyperventilating again. There was no comfort here. No Derek egging her on and helping her to do her best, No Noel standing beside her being her counterpart. No one she felt comfortable around and she couldn't resist the pressure.

When it came time for the opening, she opened her mouth. But not a word spilled out of her. Say something, she thought to herself. Once again nothing came out of her. She couldn't do this, whatever minor bit of confidence she once had was now lost in the mix of being on stage.

Normally Casey loved the limelight. She would do everything she can, but this, this was beyond anything she could have ever encountered.

And so she stood there frozen as if time had stopped, but the difficult thing was, time had not stopped. The band looking confused just kept playing hoping that at some point Casey would open her mouth to sing.

But alas there was something new, silence. The band had finally stopped playing and Casey was faced with a bunch of confused customers.

Just then a tear trickled down Casey's face. She wasn't sure what it was from. Could it be from the immense pressure from tonight? Could it have been from the events of the week? Or was it just from taking on too much in too little time.

Either way she sat there upset as can be. Finally she spoke up, "I.. I'm sorry I can do this." She then ran off the stage and into her car. No one could run out get her she was so far gone.

She wasn't quite sure where she was going. All she knew is she had to get going. She needed to get away from all of this, all of this pressure. It was raining by now and she had no interest in returning home defeated.

The fact that she "Casey McDonald" got stage freight. There was only one place she knew to go that would be pressure free. Her eyes still streaming with tears, she hoped that her intrusion wouldn't have been rude.

Driving in the rain was a nightmare, it was even worse having been upset. She slushed around. Occasionally the wind would cop hold of her car and swish her to the left.

Not that much farther, she reminded herself. She kept her eyes locked on the road beneath her. Suddenly she felt much better.

Alas she reached the huge white Victorian house. I hope he's home! She thought.

She got out of her car and immediately was soaked. She ran up to the front steps and rang the doorbell.

Luckily, as she had hoped, he appeared at the door. "Casey. Are you okay?" Asked Noel.

"Not really, um can we talk somewhere?" She sighed.

"Of course," he said. He opened the door and let her inside.

"Who was at the door Noel?" Called Mrs. Covington from inside the kitchen.

"Just Casey, Mom!" He called back.

Just then Mrs. Covington came through the living room. She was wearing long pants and red sweater.

"Oh Casey dear, You must be freezing. Let me get you some cocoa, and Noel would you get her a blanket. Poor dear must be freezing."

"Sure thing," Noel said and went into the other room to grab a blanket.

"Really Mrs. Covington. It's okay, I don't need anything." Casey insisted.

"Nonsense, " said Mrs. Covington. She came back into the living room with a cup of Cocoa. By this time, Noel was back with a blanket. Casey not being rude accepted the blanket and the cocoa.

"Now I have to go run out to pick up Noel's little sister from Karate but I'll be back. Casey stay as long as you like, just be sure to call your parents," assured Mrs. Covington.

"Will do, thank you Mrs. Covington!" And then Mrs. Covington was out and it was just Casey and Noel.

"I'm sorry I intruded on you like this," she said apologetically.

"Casey, you could never intrude on me. You know that. What's going on? You look upset."

He sat down next to her on the couch.

Tears started to fall down her face again and Noel took her and gave her his shoulder to cry into.

Casey than proceeded into the story of what happened and how nervous she was and how she didn't understand why she got so upset. Why she was still crying now?

"Shh.. it's going to be okay," Noel said softly while stroking her hair.

"It's not I made a complete idiot out of myself!" She complained.

"Oh that's nothing. One time when I had to sing the National Anthem at my old school, I ended up throwing up all over my principal. Yeah you don't hit true idiocy until you see an old man in his 50s covered in your vomit, in front of the entire school."

When she laughed a tight smile tug to the sides of her mouth. "That's the smile I was looking for," said Noel.

She blushed, she couldn't help it. The heart pounding thing became stronger once again.

"Noel," she said finally.

"Yeah," he said.

"May I stay here tonight. I'm really not ready to go home, and I don't want to face them. If I go home they'll bug me about what happened and I don't really want to go down that road yet. So can I please just stay here tonight. I'll sleep on the floor, if it's a problem."

"It's not a problem, but are you sure you won't feel weird staying here?"

"Why would I? I actually feel most comfortable when I'm here." And when I'm around you, she thought.

"Well it's not a problem, I don't mind. My mom doesn't care, she loves having you here."

Just then the door to the house opened and Noel's mom came in. She was carrying a few things, and Noel rushed to help her. Just then Noel's little sister Mandy came in.

"Casey!" She exclaimed and rushed up towards Casey, hugging her.

"Mandy! How was Karate?"

"Awesome! I'm getting so good. I'm going to be able to take down Noel, in no time!" She exclaimed.

"You think so do you?" Called Noel behind her lifting her up and putting her up on his shoulders. "Oh hey Mom, is it cool if Casey stays the night. She had a rough night and she doesn't really feel like going home?"

"Of course it's okay, she can stay as long as she needs to. Just make sure she calls her parents, so they know where she is."

"Thanks Mrs. Covington!"

After that she called George and Nora. They didn't mind letting her stay over. They just said to call them in the morning. Casey relaxed and than she met Noel in the living room.

"Follow me," he said and she followed. He led her to an empty room. He gave her towels and an extra set of pajamas his mom and left for her.

"Here's some extra pj's there's a bathroom down the hall. And here's an extra toothbrush."

"Thanks Noel," she said.

He smiled at her and said, "No problem."

Noel left to go brush his teeth and get ready. Casey changed into the given pj's because her clothes were soaked and Mrs. Covington insisted on washing them.

She had to go brush her teeth but Noel was in there. Just then she heard the door creaked open and Noel came out.

His shirt was off and Casey was a bit bewildered to say the least. Wow, she thought. "Hi," she managed to say. She was blushing but she was surprised to see that Noel's face to began to shade a red color.

"Hi," he said and the two left awkwardly as Casey entered the bathroom. She leaned her back against the door. Wow, she thought once more.

Casey was feeling a bit embarrassed about being a complete idiot about seeing him without his shirt on. She laughed at her own stupidity and got ready.

When she got out the bathroom. She noticed that Noel was waiting for her to make sure she was all situated Noel had put on a shirt now. Casey was relieved to see that because she was afraid she would mumble something else something more stupid.

"Got everything you need?" He asked softly.

"Yeah I do. Thanks Noel." He smiled at her, and once again her heart began racing. He left to go back to his room and Casey was finally happy to have her heart rate at Normal speed.

Noel was back in his room. He lay awake thinking. Casey's at my house, sleeping over. This is weird, this isn't supposed to happen. Doesn't she know this is going to make things weird between us. I have to admit it made me smile when she blushed at my bare chest. Though it was nothing? Right? But of course, it was nothing just nothing.

The nest morning he awoke. He decided to see if Casey was okay. It was a Saturday morning after all and she had rough night last night. He knocked on the door. There was no answer. He called her name no answer. He was worried so he lightly opened the door. Closing his eyes in fear that he would see something. When he heard nothing more, he opened his eyes and she was gone.

A/N: Hey I know you've waited a long time! Again I'm so sorry! Been busy again with school now. I am trying to make my updates recent. On another note. The story is nearly complete guys. A few more chaps and then the finale. I'm kinda sad but all stories must come to an end some point. Anyways. More to come. Please review, you're opinions mean the world!

Much Love,

Ally