Rosalina POV
Everything hurt. Everything ached. I opened my eyes blearily, blinking back tears. I tried moving my wrists again. I tried kicking my legs. Every limb was bound tightly with rope. I was blinded. The cloth in front of my eyes was itchy. The gag in my mouth tasted like laundry detergent.
I twisted my hands, trying to get the rope off. I cried out. They were chafed, and badly. My shoulder was dislocated, and the disjointed feeling of my arm made me dizzy. Body parts should definitely stay attached. A horn blared outside. Tires squealed. The sudden braking meant I was still in a car. We were going somewhere.
I struggled more, but it only made me want to scream. I only managed to maneuver myself into a large speaker.
"Well, well. It seems Princess Rosalina is awake." The laughter was harsh. I would know that voice anywhere.
"The plans have changed Rosalina. But the kidnapping has set up a new plan that will do exactly what we wanted in the first place. I bet you thought you were some big brave hero, protecting your friends? I bet you thought you were doing the right thing." Kidnapping? Wha - Oh. Me.
"Let's see how the bands will handle this new situation, hm?"
Cooper POV
There was pandemonium everywhere.
"WE HAVE TO GET HER BACK -"
"Cati shut up! We can't let the press know that anything's happened to her! They'll have a field day with this!"
"Don't you DARE tell me to be quiet Trina! My best friend is GONE! GONE!" She screeched. Trina sighed, before turning to me.
"We have to get everyone out of here, and then get the bands on the bus. If anyone asks to see Rosalina, tell them she came down with something during your set and had to go home. She was with Cati the whole time, and neither of them left the stage. No one will have seen her."
"Okay, but -"
"Cooper, this is serious. Rosalina's missing. The Star Rockers have torn apart the whole stage, and they've found nothing. This is bad."
"My band is already heading to the police station..." Trina stared.
"What?"
"It's standard procedure! When someone gets kidnapped you call the police!"
"You know what's not standard about this Cooper? Rosalina is in a band. She is famous, and so is everyone who has had any physical contact with her for the past two months! You shouldn't have gone to the police unless you are sure she's not missing of her own free will!"
"What's that supposed to mean?" I looked at Trina.
"You and I both know that she never wanted to be a part of this tour, for whatever reasons she had."
"I can't help that she and Nat broke up!"
"It's not just about Nat, Cooper!" Trina's eyes flared. "I know that you and your band disapprove of the Star Rockers, but we are still her friends. We have seen her go through every up and down since she left you. We know she still misses you, but she won't let herself get too close. And you know it too, but you won't make this any easier on her -"
"Trina, what do you want me to do!"
"TELL THOMAS TO BACK OFF! Tell David to stop tormenting her about Nat and Christa! Get your band to stop giving her such a hard time, because obviously, she didn't want to leave! She obviously had other reasons than the fact that she broke up with Nat and no, Cooper, it's not because she hates you guys!"
"Then what else is it?! You have no idea what the Naked Brothers Band has been through since she left! Nat didn't sing for days! Quassim stopped doing anything! Alex started drinking soda again! You might have witnessed Rosalina's ups and downs, but when she left she tore a gigantic hole through my band. And you know why they torment her? Because they're freaking hurt, Trina. Rosalina spent her whole life hanging around us and Nat, and to some of us she was like a sister! Then she goes and leaves, and the next time we can actually talk to her, she's already found another spot in another band! She replaced us first, Trina. You have no idea what it's been like. And sure, we love Christa. But even if Rosalina wasn't the bassist we still need her around. She's still family. And we're still her friends. That's not going to change."
Trina looked at me carefully. I hadn't yelled or taken part in any of the Rosalina arguments, but I wasn't about to let her discredit the Naked Brothers Band. We still love Rosalina, and she's still our friend. No other band is ever going to change that...
"I'm going to call Nat and Alex, and once this matter is settled, I'll tell the guys to lay off Rosalina. But she wasn't the only victim here, Trina. And the Star Rockers aren't her only friends. We're worried about her too."
My phone rang.
"Hello, Cooper here."
"Uh, yeah. Coop? Can you call my dad or something? There's a problem here."
"Nat?" Trina whipped her head in my direction, mouthing questions like crazy.
"Yeah, uh Coop. I don't know how to say this, but we're in jail." I stopped breathing. I could feel Trina shaking my shoulder.
"Nat, what do you mean?"
"Damn it Cooper! What do you think I mean? I mean the guys and I are stuck in jail and Rosalina is missing and the police aren't letting us out! Cooper! I'm about to go behind bars! We're getting arrested Cooper!"
"Nat, Nat, calm down! Everything is going to be okay!"
"EVERYTHING IS NOT OKAY! THEY THINK WE KIDNAPPED ROSALINA AND SHIPPED HER OFF TO BE KILLED OR SOMETHING. THE WHOLE WORLD THINKS WE'RE KILLERS COOPER! Wait no - No! Officer please! I need more time, look, my manager, he'll sort this out - He'll fix it!"
"Nat!" The line disconnected.
"Cooper...What happened?"
"You were right, Trina. We shouldn't have gone to the police, because now they think we did it. You...did what?"
"They think we kidnapped Rosalina."