CHAPTER 26

Rylen and Aly returned a couple hours later, looking radiant after their facials. The band was still rehearsing their new song when they walked into the studio. Rylen noticed AJ sitting in a chair in the corner, glaring at her. "Whatever," thought Rylen, scoffing out loud accidentally. Noticing the scoff, Aly turned to give her small smile and then glared back at AJ. It felt good to know that Rylen wasn't totally alone right now. Suddenly realizing the band had stopped, Rylen stiffened and wondered what to do with herself. She didn't have to think much before she was being led by the elbow into the back room by Aly. "We haven't finished our fitting yet," she said. Rylen had completely forgotten about work. Oh well. Yet another distraction from drama. As Rylen worked, she and Aly joked around, making fun of the boys and just being silly in general. Just as she was finishing up on the tricky skirt from before, the very last piece of clothing, someone knocked on the door. Rylen's heart dropped when Shane was standing in the doorway.

"Uh, hey. I'm sorry to interrupt you guys, but we need Aly for the duet."

"No worries, were done anyways," Rylen spoke, not directly looking at Shane, and placing the final pin in Aly's skirt. Aly walked into the bathroom to change back into her clothes from before, leaving Rylen and Shane alone. Shane took another step into the door, and Rylen started cleaning things up, and hanging the girl's clothes, trying to ignore his presence.

"Ry, please don't hate me," Shane spoke, in a barely audible voice. Rylen frowned a bit at this but continued to ignore Shane, organizing the racks of clothing. "Rylen, PLEASE. You don't understand what I've been going through. It wasn't what it looked like." He tried again.

"Oh yes Shane. It must be so hard being a Rockstar. Please go on and bore me about how hard it is making millions and having a bazillion fans. Also, having as many girlfriends as you like, completely disregarding their feelings because you are SO important that no one else matters."

"Rylen! Stop! It's not like that!" Shane walked over to her and grabbed her arm, forcing her to stop moving clothes onto the racks and face him.

"I don't care WHAT it's like Shane. We're over. You can't convince me otherwise. Making out with some other girl is an instant boot from my good books."

"Rylen, I don't want to get back together! I just want you to understand!" Rylen stood there looking like someone slapped her.

"Fuck you Shane. If you didn't want to be with me anymore you could have TOLD me instead of cheating on me. I'm a big girl, I would have made it through life just fine without you." She ripped his hand off her arm, noticing Aly, who had been standing in the bathroom doorway the entire fight, and shoved past Shane. She stormed out of the backroom slamming every door she had to walk through. Getting into the main studio room, she continued towards the door until she suddenly turned around, facing the band, and AJ who had joined them onstage. Aly and Shane were walking through the hallway door as she started to scream at them.

"I honestly have no fucking clue what is WRONG with you people! I DO know that you all need to get the fuck over yourselves," her chest heaved in anger as she pointed at Shane, "YOU! You need to leave me the fuck alone. I'm done listening to you. I'll be civil, but if you say one word to me that isn't completely necessary, I will slap you silly," she turned this time to point to AJ, "And YOU! I don't even KNOW you, but I don't know where the fuck you get off kissing someone who you KNOW has a girlfriend. Seriously? That's so fucked up! And the same goes for you, ONE word that isn't completely necessary to our civil interaction, and I will not hesitate to kick your ass!" she turned one last time to point at Nate, "And finally, you. I couldn't even BEGIN to understand what the fuck your problem is but I don't even care. You are being so fucking selfish right now. Get over it. What I said was true, and we both know it. You're being completely fucking ridiculous. Did you honestly think that could ever work? That it was just like from some movie and it was going to be happily ever after? Come back to me when you're not acting like a child." She turned on her heel back on her mission to storm onto the bus and have some quiet alone time. She stopped one more time though just before she was walking out the door and slowly turned around. "And for the record Nate… if you hadn't acted like a child about it, or maybe even thought it out like you truly CARED… I might have said yes." She left, this time slowly and with tears welling up in her eyes, one last time. She walked onto the bus and let them fall freely, disgusted that she ever allowed herself to get caught up in this mess.

The band all stood in a shocked silence for the next couple minutes. Nate finally broke the silence by kicking over Shane's mic stand.

"I can't believe you fucked her around like that Shane!" Nate screamed at him, taking his guitar off and setting it down, before walking up to him and yelling in his face, "She was honestly the BEST thing that had ever happened to you, and as usual, you just HAD to go and fuck it up. Well I hope you're happy." Nate looked him up and down in disgust, then turned around, ripping his patch cord out of his amp, and hastily shoving his guitar into it's case, "I think, we are all done for the day." He said, slamming the case shut.

"Nate, I know you're upset but we haven't even ran the duet with both girls yet! Or even gone through our set!" Jason tried to reason with him.

"Fine, you guys can keep practicing, but I am done. If I have to be forced to sit here and listen to Shane sing some fucking song about how he'll be true to his girlfriend forever and never break her heart, I think I might puke. Or punch him. Or both." He lifted his case and began to walk away.

"Nate!" Shane yelled.

"Oh my god, Seriously Shane? What?!" He yelled in anger.

"What did Rylen MEAN when she said she would have said yes. Yes to what?"

"It doesn't concern you."

"Yes it does, she's my girlfriend!"

"EX-girlfriend, Shane. I believe she made the evident."

"That's what I meant, now answer my question."

"I don't have to. You would know if you weren't such a fuckup. Well, actually, you wouldn't. So it DEFINITELY doesn't matter. At least not to you."

"Nate, she doesn't like you like that. You'd be kidding yourself if you thought otherwise," Shane sneered.

"You keep telling yourself that Shane," Nate turned and walked out of the studio before Shane had a chance to say anything else. He turned the corner where no one could see him and pulled out his cell phone.

"Hey Big Rob. It's Nate. Can you come get me? I forgot I had something I needed to buy."