Author's Note: And here's chapter four. If you like it (or don't) don't be afraid to review!
Best Friends, Lovers, and Nate Gray
Show Them
By: Chelsea
Rating: T… 13+… language
Disclaimer: I don't own Connect Three or any of its characters. I own only my own characters.
"I can't perform tonight."
"What?" Nate's voice was sharp as he glared at me, "what do you mean?"
I shut my eyes and gulped. "Do you remember," I began, "when I told you about Elizabeth and Kassi?" I bit my lower lip and opened my eyes.
Nate shook his head. "Of course," he said, his expression blank.
I looked back into the crowd. "You see the group of kids talking in the third row," I said, looking at a group of 15 year olds, "the 3 boys and 4 girls right in the middle."
Nate looked silently. "Oh," he said, locating them. "Is that them?" he asked quietly.
I shook my head, I didn't need to explain. Plus, I was afraid that if I started talking, I would start crying. I liked to pretend that the whole situation didn't bother me, but I was also a good actress. To tell the truth, it tore me apart. They were my best friends and had loved them like sisters. When they turned on my I thought that I would never quite crying.
Nate was looking at me, thoughtfully and caringly. "You okay?" he asked tenderly.
I started to nod that I was, but I couldn't lie – not to Nate, and if I did, he would know it. I shook my head 'no'. I could feel the tears starting to form so I quickly shut my eyes to prevent them from falling.
"Come on," Nate said, putting his arm around me to lead me. I opened my eyes as we walked to his dressing room, which was a mistake. As soon as I opened my eyes, the tears came pouring down as if my eyelids were acting as levis and they suddenly broke.
Nate led me through the door and to the couch, where he sat down next to me with his arm still around me. I could tell that there was no stopping the tears now that they had started and I began to sob.
"Why are they here?" I cried. Nate put his other arm around me and hugged me. I leaned my head against his chest and wrapped my arms around his stomach. "Why did they have to come here?" I cried into his chest.
"They just want to bother you," Nate said comfortingly. He started to rub my back with his hand. "They're trying to get to you."
"Well, it's working," my words were almost muffled by Nate's shirt. I could fell Nate shaking his head.
"You can't because that's giving them what they want. You have to go out there and show them that you're better," Nate unwrapped his arms and held me out so that he could look me in the eyes, "you have to go out there and give the best show you've ever given and show them."
I had to show them… that made all the sense in the world. I had told Nate everything they had said to me, and so he knew which of their words had bothered me the most. I had to show them.
I nodded my head and started to wipe away my tears.
"SubZero to the entrance!" I heard Sean, the stage manager, yell from outside.
"I better go," I said, sniffling. Nate shook his head.
"You can do it," he said standing up, "I know you can and are better than them."
I smiled, "Thanks." I turned and walked from the room and to the entrance. Ben, a member of the stage crew, handed me my maroon based Gibson guitar – it was my favorite guitar and I had saved up for it for over a year.
I walked out onto the stage, looking into the crowd. It was an outdoor arena and it was still daylight, so I could see all 7 of them clearly. Everyone else close to the stage was jumping up and down excitedly, but they were sitting in their chairs, arms crossed.
Lucas, Nathan, Kassi, Claire, Jake, Elizabeth, and Brooke. They were all staring at me. Lucas, I can't believe I used to actually have a crush on that jerk. Nathan, he had always been rude to me, so his behavior was expected. Kassi, she had once been my absolute best friend. Claire, I never liked her or her fake niceness. Jake, I had gone on two dates with Jake at the beginning of the year. Elizabeth, I used to consider her a sister. Brooke, we had been friends, not best, but friends none-the-less.
I tore my eyes from where they were sitting. Nate's words echoed around in my head, "Show them that you're better. Give the best show you've ever given and show them."
I had to show them. I had to have my revenge. I wasn't as cruel as them, so I couldn't get back at them the way that they had all been getting to me. But this was my turf – my chance.
I began to strum my guitar to our first song, Who You Are. Those first few strings were the toughest strings I have ever played in my life. Tougher then the first ones of Yankee Doodle, the first song I played on the guitar. Even tougher than the ones to You and Me, the first song I had written with a guitar.
But it was only the first few strings that were tough. Once I looked out into the crowd and saw all of the cheering people and then looked back at them, sitting there and staring at me, I began to play my heart out. I played my heart out for Ellie, for the fans, to go against what they thought of me, for Nate, and for me.
"Don't worry Katie, it's healthy to dream," Claire's words rang in my ears.
"Like you'll amount to anything," Kassi's biting tone was hurtful.
"You'll be back here by next year," I could still hear Elizabeth's rudeness as if she had just said it.
They were wrong. I was good, I would be a successful musician… they were wrong and I would show them.