CHAPTER 7: CLAIRE: "Claire?" Ben said, the hurt plain in his voice. I turned to see him standing just inside the doorway. "I was just coming to see if you wanted something to eat, but you're clearly busy." Ben turned and left. I looked helplessly at Danny. "Go after him," Danny said. "Tell him how you feel. If you want to be with me, I'll get clean, whatever you want. If you want to be with Ben, I'll understand. He deserves a girl like you." I nodded and left to go find Ben. SAM: I watched as Ben stormed out of Danny's room and headed for the nearest exit. That couldn't be a good sign. CLAIRE: "Ben, wait!" I called as we exited the hospital. I had had to run to catch up to him, and now we were outside in the pouring rain. "I'm sorry!" Ben and I were the only two people out in this weather, which was good, because otherwise, I'm sure people would have been staring at us like we were crazy. Ben stopped and turned to face me. "Why were you kissing him?" he asked me. He sounded lost and confused. I was confused, too. I loved both Ben and Danny and now I didn't know what to do. I didn't know who I wanted to be with. Or what was going to happen to either band. Everything was up to me, and I wasn't sure I could take the pressure. "Answer me!" Ben exclaimed. "I don't know!" "I thought you loved me." "I love both of you, Ben. I can't help it. I don't know what to do." I moved so that I was right in front of him. "Please give me some time to figure this out." For a minute, Ben just stared at me. Then, he replied, "No. I'll make it easy for you. I'm done. Be with Danny." "Ben—" "Goodbye, Claire." Ben turned and walked away, leaving me in the pouring rain alone. When I got back to the waiting room, everyone was crowded around a doctor. I couldn't hear what anyone was saying, and I was soaking wet, so I just sat down until they were finished talking. The doctor walked away to presumably get back to work, and everyone else just turned and stared at me. I knew how I must look. Eyes swollen from crying, soaking wet and just a mess. I sniffled and asked, "What's going on? What'd the doc say?" Abbi was the one who spoke. "Danny can come home in a couple days." Good to know this whole ordeal hadn't changed her attitude. "That's a good thing, right?" I asked them. "We're still on tour. We need him now." Abbi said, crossing her arms over her chest. I stood up. "I hate to be the one to break it to you, but Danny's health is more important than the tour." "And what about the fans?" she asked snidely. "The fans will understand," I told her. As I turned to head toward Danny's room, James asked, "Where's Ben?" "I don't know," I said and went to see Danny. BEN: The rain was coming harder than before and I was drenched. I considered stopping and getting some coffee or something, waiting until the rain slowed, but I wasn't in the mood to deal with people right now. Instead, I went to the park and sat on a bench. I had given Claire my jacket, so all I had on was a ripped off Skid Row tee, which was clinging to me. I didn't care. This is what you get for taking your best friend's girl in the first place. I thought. Now, Claire was back at the hospital with Danny and all of our friends, while I was alone in the park, in the pouring rain. I laid back on the bench, closing my eyes to the world and letting the rain splash on my face. I wasn't sure where I was going to go from here. I supposed Claire would probably join back with Asking Alexandria, though I didn't know who would have to leave. Claire and I had already created a new band, which I was now in charge of. I knew that I didn't want to see Claire or Danny, or any of the others, really. I would call tomorrow to make sure Danny was okay, and then I'd be on my own. No, I wouldn't be on my own. I had a new band. And we were going to be far greater than Asking. I smiled.