Interlude: In which Alex hosts an intervention and Christa is comforted by a friend.

Alex POV

The ride back to the hotel was nothing but stony silence, except for Cooper, of course. I half listened to his phone conversation with Trina; I could practically feel his relief as she explained that the guy wasn't pressing charges for assault or anything crazy.

Cooper finally hung up the phone when the bus pulled to a stop, and I could already tell that Nat was going to try and make a speedy getaway.

"Oh, no you don't." I blocked the exit.

"Alex Cooper just said we were having a band meeting to get away from them,"

"Nat. This isn't going to be a band meeting. This is going to be an intervention." I heard his protests as Thomas and David forcibly escorted him from the bus and into Cooper's hotel room.

"Guys cut it out!" Nat shoved Thomas and David onto the bed, and tried to open the door. Cooper pushed him back, and sat in front of it.

"Nat, as your manager, producer, and most importantly your friend, I think this is for the best."

"In other words: Dude. You seriously need to cut it out." Thomas crossed his arms over his chest.

"What are you talking about?" David threw his hands up in the air.

"You punched a guy, Nat! You punched a complete stranger! Not to mention Jesse's cousin, which definitely means Jesse will be angry and will attempt to use karate on you…"

"Nat, we're not here to talk about your violent behavior." I could hear Cooper cough pointedly. "I mean, we're definitely bringing it up, but this intervention is going to address the main problem."

"There is no,"

"Nat we all know you're still in love with Rosalina." We watched his face turn from pink, to red, to pink and then pale. The color switching kept happening as he stuttered.

"Don't even try to deny it, man. You still love her." Nat began to protest, but David put his hand over his mouth.

"You're going to have to listen, so we suggest you just shut up and chill out for a moment, my friend." David cracked a smile before Thomas punched him in the shoulder.

"We're supposed to act like this is serious dude. Like that interrogation show." I rolled my eyes before jumping onto the bed.

"Nat. You love Rosalina. You are so in love with her that it kind of hurts to be around you when you're near her, because we can all feel your pent-up anger and pain about this situation." He opened his mouth again but I held up my hand.

"Do you deny this?" Nat went still for a moment, before collapsing into a chair and shaking his head miserably.

"That is very astute of you brother." At Thomas' look I simply shrugged. "I'm working on my vocabulary to impress Jesse and Jordan," I whispered to him. Turning back to Nat, I made myself grow serious again.

"That was part one. Admitting you are still in love. David? Commence with part two." He shook his hair out of his face before sitting in front of Nat.

"Are you aware you have a girlfriend?" Nat just stared disbelievingly at David. Thomas whacked him on the arm, signaling that he needed to answer. Nat just nodded.

"Nat, who is your girlfriend?"

"…Christa." David nodded, satisfied.

"Good. Nat, you understand that it is Christa, not Rosalina, who is your girlfriend?"

"Yes, but,"

"Just answer the questions, Nat. You care for Christa, correct?"

"Yes."

"Do you like her?"

"Yes, of course,"

"Do you LOVE her?" The hesitation was all David needed.

"Thought so."

"Nat, who do you love?"

"Rosalina." He said without thinking. He paled when he realized what he said.

"Nat, why are you still with Christa?" I watched from the bed as my brother shrugged miserably.

"Do you want to be with Rosalina?" Nat shrugged his shoulders again.

"Do you want to be with Christa?" Nat paused for a moment, before shaking his head slowly.

"Thank you David. You've been promoted to senior interrogator. I threw him a fake mustache and the tension lowered slightly when David exclaimed in happiness, sticking the new mustache to his face.

"Thomas, please continue."

"Dude. Look at me. This is like, bro to bro connection right here. That's what these things are for, right? Well our band's bro to bro connection is sensing that something is seriously wrong with you. But we can't help, because it isn't about us and you. It's about Christa and Rosalina and you. Girls make the bro to bro connection all fuzzy, Nat." David and I stifled a laugh at Thomas' serious face, and at Nat's slightly confused one.

"Nat, David already made you understand some facts. You remember all of them right? You know who you like and who you love and who you want to be with?"

"Good." Thomas continued without waiting for a nod. "Now, I'm a girl expert. I know things. Like, I know that Christa knows how you really feel. That's right Nat; your girlfriend knows you have feelings for another, more specifically, Rosalina. Don't ask how she knows, because it's just painfully obvious for everyone. Even the Star Rockers."

"What?!"

"Well, maybe not to Rosalina, because she's wrapped up in her own feelings for you we're sure. But that's why Cati and Lisa keep trying to set her up with random guys, and why Lianna, Maya, and Trina never let you or her within ten feet of each other."

"They don't want to see Rosalina get hurt again." Nat let out a sort of strangled yelp.

"And because we are your loyal band mates practically brothers, we don't want to see you drowning in this pit of self-pity, anger, and other negative things any longer.

"Hence the intervention."

"Now, I have some super smart intel: Rosalina is still into you." We watched Nat's eyes widen considerably. Thomas nodded.

"Christa, if my chick-senses are correct, is also very frustrated with your relationship. But she's probably waiting for you to make the first move in making up." Thomas looked into Nat's eyes.

"Bro, dude, Nat. Do you know what you need to do?"

The silence was intense.

"I need to talk to them."

"Who?"

"Rosalina and Christa?"

"In which order?"

"Uh. Christa. Then Rosalina." Thomas nodded in satisfaction.

"My work here is done." He grabbed the fake mustaches from me and stuck two on his face.

"I'm promoting myself to senior senior interrogator."

"That's not a thing."

"Shut up, senior interrogator. It is a thing and it means I have more authority than you. Hence the two mustaches." I finally jumped off the bed.

"Nat, buddy. We care about you, you know? We want to make sure you're happy."

"I know, thanks Alex."

"No problem. For the record, we've always been team Natalina. It's just that pining for Rosalina while dating Christa and punching random guys in the face is not how team Natalina rolls. We like class. And romance. The whole shebang." Nat cracked a hesitant smile.

"You guys are right. Thanks, I needed this."

"We knew that, why do you think Cooper cut our beach day short?" We slowly filed out of the room, and I watched as my brother wandered off to clear his head. I smiled, satisfied. Things were gonna be okay.

Christa POV

That fucking – I just – UGH I can't even believe him! I collapsed onto my bed, punching my pillow furiously. The day at the beach had become a single blur, and everything seemed flipped around. My tears soaked the sheets. I didn't even feel like I knew who Nat was anymore. I sniffled.

That wasn't true. But having to accept the fact that he would always love Rosalina more was something that hurt more than anything else. I spent weeks and weeks, days even, devoted to getting Nat's mind off of Rosalina – I spent most of my time in this band trying to help Nat, trying to get Nat back to normal, trying to love Nat despite the fact that he always made it clear who he loved.

"Christa?" I sighed before getting up to let Quassim in. "Are you alright?"

"Not really. Actually, not at all. I feel like I'm never getting anywhere with Nat. He doesn't even remotely act like he's interested in me. I don't get it. One minute we're fine and the next I feel like I'm trying to tie him down so he doesn't go running back to Rosalina and I just want Nat to know that I really care about him too except for the fact that he's supposed to be my boyfriend and I still want to be his girlfriend but now I'm just wondering if this whole thing is really worth it…" I felt Quassim hug me, and I let him lead back onto the bed where we both just sat for a few moments.

"You can keep talking, you know. I don't mind listening." I shook my head.

"I feel like I've ranted at you enough for one day. I'm sorry I keep getting you involved in this mess."

"You know, Christa. Sometimes relationships are much more trouble than they're worth. I mean, I know loads of people can work things out really well or are just really good at talking things out but it doesn't seem like you and Nat are those kinds of people."

"Well, at least I can talk to you about stuff. That helps." I smiled when he laughed.

"How's Little Grace?" Quassim stopped laughing for a moment.

"She's alright, I think. We're so far away that we decided we shouldn't be together. Neither of us are really good at distance relationships."

"Was it hard?"

"Breaking up with her? Sort of, but Rosalina helped me work it out. I mean it hurt a lot, because I really loved her – And she was so beautiful – but because we both realized that we couldn't handle a relationship we just broke it off. We're still friends, of course. It made it easy that it was on both of our minds."

"There weren't any hard feelings?"

"There were a lot of tears, and even some screaming, but eventually we settled down. Once we talked everything out, we both understood it better. And, well… The distance helped. It's hard to get over someone when they're only ten feet away from you on a daily basis. But Little Grace and me were states and states away. I think she has a boyfriend now." I nodded.

"That makes a lot of sense. That's probably why Rosalina and Nat still like each other." Quassim sat straight up in the air.

"Rosalina still likes Nat?" I nodded miserably.

"That's why she always tries to keep her distance from our band. She doesn't want you guys figuring it out, and I think she's trying to give me and Nat some space. She always looks like she wants to say something to be, but she also looks so conflicted all the time. Part of me just wants to be angry, but it's not like she's hanging all over Nat. It's not really her fault that…" I trailed off, hiccupping as a couple tears found their way down my face."

"Hey, hey, hey. Don't cry Christa. Quassim passed me the tissue box as I smiled gratefully."

"I can talk to Nat for you if you want?"

"No. I definitely have to talk to him though. I just hope that it goes well."

"He can be a pretty understanding guy," I stared at Quassim blankly.

"When it doesn't concern Rosalina's guy friends or boyfriends." I shrugged.

"I just feel so helpless. There's nothing I can do I don't think, but I hate being a quitter."

"Christa, it's not quitting if the relationship makes you feel like crap all the time. You're an amazing girl and you deserve someone who is always going to put you first, just like," Quassim gulped, unsure of how to proceed.

"Just like Nat and Rosalina, I know. I feel like I was never meant to work with Nat, you know? I don't even have to look at those two to understand that they're always going to love each other. And that's what really sucks." Quassim laughed.

"I don't think I've ever met someone as understanding about their boyfriend's feelings for another girl as you, Christa." I raised my eyebrow.

"Not even Rosalina?"

"Are you joking? Rosalina got just as jealous about Nat's girl fans and stuff, and just as protective over their relationship as he is."

"But this whole tour,"

"Like you said. She still loves him, but she's also conflicted and whether the guys believe it or not, Rosalina is not someone who intentionally breaks people up. She hates messing with relationships like that. She can't help but get crazy jealous every time she sees you guys together. So she leaves the room before she lets any of her emotions get the best of her." I nodded, sighing

"I think if Nat was stuck between you guys, you'd be best friends." I nodded wearily.

"Trust me that thought already passed through my mind. Several times." I looked at the door.

"I should go talk to him." Quassim nodded.

"That sounds like the best idea – It already sounds like you know what you're going to talk to him about." I nodded, hugging Quassim tightly.

"Thanks for everything today – You're a really great guy, you know that?" Quassim laughed before opening the door.

"And you're a really great girl."