"Watch it, you idiot!"
The man honked his horn and cursed as his rusty blue pickup sped past me.
God, I was probably going to get killed before I even got to the damn place.
I just had to be the one to pick up my pain-in-the-ass cousin from her viola class, didn't I? Honestly I don't even know why I should, since she's the one who sent that stupid tape to Gwen… but if I don't, my mom gets the keys to my birthday present, a brand new silver Camaro, for a week. And I didn't want to lose my baby.
So, I ended up getting directions to the concert hall from my Uncle. As I sped along the highway taking sips of my hot chocolate, I nearly jumped when I heard my cell phone go off.
A loud thumping electronic beat went through the Bluetooth speakers, and the caller I.D. read CODY.
I rolled my eyes but smiled a little. Of course, I thought. This is why I don't let him use my phone…
Since World Tour ended, I've become somewhat...friends with Cody and Sierra. I suppose something about us being around each other for so long on the show made them not completely hate my guts, like the others did. Regardless, it's been good to have friends from the show. Weird as hell, but good.
I pushed the button for the car speaker.
"Cody. What did I say about changing my ringtone for you?"
"Eh…Not to unless I tell ya?" A voice sheepishly replied.
"Exactly. When did you change it?"
"Um, hello? When you thought Katy Perry was a good ringtone for me."
"I like Katy Perry!" I exclaimed in mock offense.
"I don't! I'm not a...California Girl!" he stammered indignantly.
I nearly spit out my drink laughing before replying,
"You're right...at the moment you seem like a bit of a Firework."
A loud groan emitted from the speakers as I laughed again.
"Look, I didn't call just to get an earful of puns, okay?" His voice took on a more serious tone as he went on, "Sierra just told me something that…I thought you'd want to know about."
His tone was cautious, like he wasn't sure how to continue. It made me drop the teasing for the moment.
"Well, what is it?" I asked, keeping my eyes on the road.
"Well, uh...ya know how Sierra's crazy powerful when it comes to the internet?"
I squinted in confusion, wondering what he was getting at. "Yeah...and?"
He coughed nervously. " Um, well, heh, she said that a...very reliable source told her that A-Alejandro's out of the hospital, fully recovered."
I froze. My chest tightened. I gripped the steering wheel, my knuckles and face going pale.
"Heather? You still there?" Cody asked quietly.
I was silent for a few seconds. What could I even begin to say?
I let out a breath, eyes still locked on the road. "Yeah, I'm here. So, um, did he...get out recently?"
"He did. Sierra said he got finished with his physical therapy about a week ago, and he's been seen around a couple of times. His family actually moved to a town pretty close to yours after the final surgery, which was like, four months ago…"
My mind reeled, trying to figure out what to do with this new information. Just in time to pull up to my destination.
"I... I think I'll just talk to you later, okay Cody?"
"Okay, Heather. Take care." He replied in an understanding tone, and I hung up.
I pulled into the parking lot of the concert hall, my breathing still uneven and my heart thumping. It felt like a weight had been put on my shoulders, no doubt consisting of guilt and regret. But there was something else… a twinge of something I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to face.
All I could do was flashback to that day…
"Can the confessing wait? We're kind of on a schedule here, bro." Chris said in annoyed tone, an exasperated look on his face.
"That is no longer the case." Alejandro quickly shot back. "Because you," he started, pulling me flush to him by my arms and looking lovingly into my eyes. "You have stolen my heart."
I was floored when he said that. I looked at him shocked, mouth agape, while trying to fight down a blush and at the same time stop my heart from beating so fast. Alejandro stared at me intently, amusement and admiration filling his gaze.
This just had to be a trick.
No…NO. This had got to be just some last minute scam, so he can finally hear that the only one wise to his little tricks from the start fell for him. He just wants to humiliate me, but I am not letting that happen…Not again…
I looked into his eyes. They looked sincere, expectant. My heart was practically humming, and this was just all messed up. I needed him away from me.
Time for a little taste of his own manipulation...
"Well, I might feel a…little something..." I trailed off, filling my voice with as much sweetness as I could. My throat felt dry, but I kept up the act.
His eyes lit up, and oh god he almost looked like he was going to burst with joy. I was just about to go through with the rest of my plan, but he did something that really caught me off guard.
"Mi amor…" he said urgently, with a hint of heat as he pulled me closer.
…and kissed me.
I could barely comprehend what was happening. I heard sounds of disgust from all around me, but he was all I really noticed and cared about at the moment. His touch was gentle, yet he held me like I was going to slip through his fingers. His cologne smelled heavenly, and his body was so solid and warm. His lips roughly claimed mine over and over and I just...I wanted...
That was when I snapped back into reality. Did I really want to go through with my plan? Did I want to win? I…I couldn't think straight with him kissing me, so I made a decision…
And kneed him in the crotch. Hard.
Everything gets sketchy after that. I half- remember sending Alejandro flying down the volcano on a block of ice, me cheering in victory…. and monster Ezekiel falling into the volcano with my winnings. Not to mention me getting hit by a huge freaking volcanic rock that sent me into a coma for a couple weeks. God, I'm glad that show is over…
When I had gone back and watched the finale, I had finally found out what had happened to him. After twenty-two or so people got through trampling him, he was overcome by a wave of lava, which badly disfigured his body. Then Chris just...just stuffed him in a robot suit, with absolutely no medical attention. Who fucking does that?
Remembering all of it just made me nauseous.
Tears started forming in my eyes, but I would not let them fall. Crying shows that you're weak.
"Dammit, Alejandro!" I growled, banging my fist a few times on the steering wheel before laying my forehead against it. "Why didn't you find me...I would've..."
I was jolted out of my thoughts when I heard a knock on my car window. I turned to see a guy with dark brown hair who looked around my age, his teal eyes looking down at me worriedly. He was actually quite handsome, but the sympathy on his face looked misplaced.
"Hey, are you okay?" He asked. I found the low muffled tone to be strangely comforting.
I sniffled a bit, opening up the car door just a tad to answer. "Y-yeah, I'm fine." I replied looking away and wiping a lone tear that had managed to fall down my face. I looked up at him, and he was still staring at me with that sad look. The pity in his eyes was starting to rub me the wrong way.
"Not to be rude, but…who are hell are you?" I asked as I got out of my car, crossing my arms and shooting the boy a nasty look. "Are you just going around looking into random people's cars like a creep?"
Honestly, he didn't look like he was dangerous. He was a bit taller than me and had a lean build, but his body language canceled out any intimidation I would've felt. Doesn't mean I didn't want to see him squirm.
And I'm guessing my look worked, the way he fumbled and rubbed the back of his neck. Thinking about his next words, it seemed. Interesting.
"It's just...the hall...and practice… and you, I mean-" he sputtered before I held up a finger, silencing him.
"Full sentences might help." I spat, tapping my foot. What's with this guy?
He laughed nervously "Right, yeah. So..."
I tiled my head, motioning him to continue.
He took a deep breath. "I'm just coming to pick up my brother and I saw you-"
"Snuck up on me-" I interrupted.
He hesitated a bit before continuing, "-And as I walked by I'd noticed you looked…super pale, like you were going to be sick, so I just thought I'd ask if you needed me to call someone...or something." He rushed out the rest before looking down at me warily.
I didn't…I wasn't expecting something like that. Nor was I expecting the bloom of warmth in my chest that, I was realizing, was caused by the fact this stranger was so worried about me.
And now I just felt like a jackass from the way he was looking at me now.
"But now you seem fine, so I think I'll just-"
"No!" I said loudly, making him jump a bit. God, could this get more embarrassing?
I crossed my arms, trying to look nonchalant as I spoke again, "No, um...Thank you." I looked to the side, not wanting to meet his eyes.
"Uh, no problem? I didn't really do too much." He chuckled awkwardly, running a hand through his dark hair.
"Yeah but still, it's the thought that counts...or whatever, right? I'm Heather." I stuck out my hand, almost exactly mirroring the stance my mom does when she takes on a new business client. A nervous habit I've picked up along the way.
He looked at me with mild amusement before putting his substantially larger hand in mine and shaking it.
"Gabriel. But you can call me Gabe if you want."
Heather didn't say it out loud but that name surely suited him. With his tanned skin, strong jaw and piercing blue-green eyes, she could say he had the makings of an angel. It was when he smiled once more that she noticed his dimpled cheeks. She wasn't surprised.
If anything she felt a bit self-conscious. She wasn't dressed to see an Insanely Hot Guy™ today, just some dark jeans and boots to combat the cold, and her mother's puffy pink jacket that that she threw on last minute because she was going to be late-
Wait.
Oh god...I'm wearing my mom's puffy pink jacket. I'm praying for any deity to strike me down, right now. Just end it, I've had a good run.
"Can I walk you in?"
"Huh?" I asked as I snapped out of my thoughts.
"You're going the same way, right? Do you mind some company?"
He held out his arm, looking to me expectantly.
"Yeah...I mean I guess." I muttered and he shot me yet another dimpled smile as I hooked my arm under his. At least I could blame my blush partly on the cold.
As we made our way to the door all you could hear was the wind blowing and our shoes crunching in the snow. For some reason I took great interest in the buckles on my leather boots.
There was an awkward silence, until Gabe cleared his throat.
"So, if you don't mind my asking, why were you...upset?" He asked .
I thought of warm, rough lipsyet again. "I don't really want to talk about it. It's a long, ugly story." I answered.
"Oh…I understand." Gabe said as we fell into silence once more. He pulled me a bit closer when the wind picked up again, but simply escorted me the rest of the way without conversation. I was thankful for that.
The two had both walked in to see other people waiting to pick up children as well. It turns out that Heather's younger cousin and Gabe's younger brother were both in the same class getting ready for some big concert that was coming up in a couple months, along with the other children there. The two made small talk until Gabriel's brother came out first, holding some sheet music.
"How was practice, Squirt?" Gabe asked as he bent down down to ruffle his younger brother's hair.
The boy shook out his sandy blond hair and shot his older brother a look. "Dude, I'm already ten and three quarters. I am not a Squirt."
"Whatever you say...Squirt." He said while glancing over at Heather, who was trying to hide her laughter behind her hand.
The boy noticed this, as well as the goofy look on his older brother's face. All of a sudden it clicked.
"Bro, sidebar." The blonde grabbed his brother's arm.
"Wha- hey!"
All of a sudden Gabriel was being tugged towards a wall, but not without indication to Heather that he'd be right back.
"What Ryan, what was so important that-"
"Two questions." Ryan interrupted while poking his brother's chest. "Who's the babe, and did you get her digits?"
"Well...that's Heather, I met her on the way in. And maybe I might've if you didn't pull me away!" Gabe shoved his brother a bit.
"Please," the little boy dismissed him, rolling his eyes.
"What?!" Gabe asked, "I was working on it!"
"You were literally just staring and drooling over her. I think there's actually a puddle where she's standing." Ryan interjected once again, looking back at her. The young boy gave Heather "the wink and the gun" when she glanced over at them, earning him a slap on the back of his head from his brother.
"Ow! Hey, what was that for?"
"Cut that out. She's not one of your little middle school girlfriends."
"Fifth Grade teaches you some very important lessons, bro." Ryan started. "The first one being not to just stare at a girl when you could be mushing lips with her! So go get that babe's number!" He declared, loudly, while trying to push his brother back towards Heather.
Gabe tried not to let his cheeks heat up in embarrassment, I mean he already had half the room staring at him. It was only by some small miracle that Heather was preoccupied by her cousin, who was excitedly jumping around and waving her sheet music like a flag.
"Hey, we're back." He announced as he pulled his younger brother in front of him.
"And I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm Ryan." The young boy took Heathers hand, bringing the back of it up to his lips.
Heather's cousin quickly pulled her hand away before he could kiss it.
"Ryan, quit being gross."
"Camille, quit being lame." He shot back.
"So you both know each other, I see." Heather intervened as she pulled her cousin back towards her, trying to reduce the chance of a squabble.
"He's only hit on me like, ten times. Along with every other girl in the class." Camille looked at the boy with disgust.
"What, are you all snooty now that you got first chair?" Ryan spat back.
Gabriel's eyebrows shot up "Wow, first chair? That's pretty cool-"
"Don't tell her that!" Ryan shouted while glaring at the girl, "She's been acting like a snob ever since she found out."
"Well maybe if you weren't drooling over the girls in your section, you'd get to have an important part!" Camille scoffed, turning up her nose at him.
"Well if you-"
"Okay! I think that's enough fun for today." Gabriel shouted over the argument, squeezing Ryan's shoulders, "Come along, little bro."
"Whatevs." Ryan grunted before pulling out of his brother's grip and skulking towards the door.
Gabe pulled Heather a little bit to the side and gave her an apologetic smile. "Kids, huh?"
"Yeah," Heather agreed, watching Camille smooth out her papers and grumble to herself. "Thank god I get to drop that one off at her mom's house."
They both shared a nervous laugh.
"So um, I gotta go…" He started, "and I was wondering if… I- I could…get your number?" He coughed, trying to clear his throat. He was usually pretty smooth when it came to asking for a girl's number, but ever since he'd laid eyes on this gorgeous girl, he'd been…a complete dork, to put it lightly. "If you, um, wanna hang out sometime?"
Her lips quirk upward into a smile, and he could swear he saw a sparkle in her stormy gray eyes.
"Sure, hold out your arm." She answered as she pulled out a purple glitter pen from her purse and wrote down her number, followed by a little star. "I guess now you can say you got the babe's number, huh?"
"You...uh-"
"I'm not deaf, Gabriel." Heather interrupted, a smirk gracing her lovely features. "It's a good thing I find you cute. In a kind of dorky way."
He broke out into a smile. He couldn't help it.
"I'll take it. So uh...I'll see you around then?"
"I'm looking forward to it." She said, giving him a little wave as he walked out the door, but not before taking one last look back at her. She was an angel.
And she was still staring back at him.
"Why are you making that gross face?" Camille asked me suddenly.
"Hm?" I said, still a tiny bit distracted, still looking at the door Gabe had left out of.
"Ew, you like that creep's brother?!" Camille screeched. I slapped a hand over her mouth, lest she blow a head gasket in public.
"Shut up, Camille!" I said in an angry whisper. "And so what if I do? Sue me."
"Gross!" The younger girl whined, "Of ALL the guys-"
"Shut up, Cam. Let's just go." I put my hands on my hips, "Do you have everything?"
My cousin looked around her feet for a second before it hit her.
"Crap!" Camille said as she spun around and ran down a hallway to find the room she had just been practicing in. I suppose in all her excitement in getting first chair, she forgot she had an actual instrument.
I sighed and leaned against a wall, rubbing my temples. My eyes snapped open when I faintly heard something.
Music. An enchanting melody.
And someone was singing beautifully to it.
I walked down a different hallway to find the source of the beautiful sound. The music was getting louder, and when I got to the second door on the right, I opened it.
I couldn't see the person's face, but whoever he was, he was fantastic. I took a seat on one of the crushed velvet chairs, closed my eyes and listened.
"Not ready to let go,
Cause then I'd never know
What I could be missing…"
His voice blended beautifully with the music, as the piano was expertly played. The lovely melody wrapped itself around me as my chest tightened up. I could sense deep emotion in his words, heartbreak most prominent. I wondered what this person went through to feel such pain.
As soon as the person let the last chord ring out through the room, I stood up and clapped.
"That was just…amazing." I had managed to choke out.
The man's body suddenly tensed up at hearing my voice. Had I been intruding?
It was a few tense moments before I heard a voice,
"Hello, Heather." Itspat venomously.
It was then that my heart dropped into my stomach.
…Oh, shit.