AN: When I heard this song again, for the first time in a long time, I knew I had to adapt it to one of my couples. Then, last night I knew where I could add it. It goes along with The Line Up – Chapter 7, although in the time line of my fictional world this would take place in the spring of their Junior year (very near to Bittersweet Seventeen/Walking Away).

Reposted here and great news to share - I've got awesome artwork for this scene. Check out my profile for the link - I'm very excited with how it turned out.

I do own the characters.

Chapter 7: Extended Version

"God, I feel like hell tonight.
Tears of rage I cannot fight.
I'd be the last to help you understand –
Are you strong enough to be my man?

Nothing's true and nothing's right,
So let me be alone tonight.
'Cause you can't change the way I am,
Are you strong enough to be my man?

Lie to me.
I promise I'll believe.
Lie to me…
But please don't leave.

I have a face I cannot show.
I make the rules up as I go.
It's try and love me if you can,
Are you strong enough to be my man?

When I've shown you that I just don't care
When I'm throwing punches in the air –
When I'm broken down and I can't stand
Will you be strong enough to be my man?"

- Sheryl Crow, Strong Enough

It's not that Bronwyn Flueger pictured her relationship with Drew O'Malley lasting forever – it was just that she never saw the end coming. So, when it came crashing to a magnificent halt one blustery day in April, she was totally floored and completely unsure what to do next. The redhead had never been in a relationship, so this was her first break up. All alone in her car, she only had sad songs on her iPod and second hand experiences from friends to go on.

Part of her wanted to turn around and go back – pound on his door and demand that he beg to take her back.

Part of her was convinced that she had heard wrong, and that this was all some big misunderstanding – a bad dream she would wake up from.

Another part of her wondered why she had even bothered dating him in the first place. If she had known the pain was going to be this bad, why should she have even started a relationship at all?

But the biggest part of her was stuck – wondering what to do next.

She couldn't go home and didn't want to. Her parents weren't expecting her until the following morning anyway. Coming home this late at night would raise familial eyebrows and potentially restrict her ability to stay overnight with other college friends in the future. She was heartbroken, but still realistic.

And his timing was simply perfect, she noted sarcastically. Spring Break had spread the students of the district far and wide across the U.S. and the world. Her support system was in a beach house far away.

After the young Miss Flueger had exhausted her phonebook, realizing that indeed, literally everyone was away, she silently drove past the familiar grounds of Brookwood High School and, without thinking her actions through, turned into the back parking lot. The band room and its close familiarity called to her. Tucking a pair of drumsticks under her arm, she fiddled with the stolen keys from a misguided session of Truth or Dare from the past fall season. Looking around, she noted how the wind picked up, then scurried inside before the rain started.

At least Nature was currently agreeing with her.

In a trance, she found her way to the percussion room and easily, confidently, set up the snare stand with her beloved instrument and realized that inanimate objects could never leave you.

In the quiet stillness of the Brookwood band room, Drew O'Malley seemed very, very far away.

Tapping out eighth notes to get warmed up, Bronwyn closed her eyes and let the beats and rhythms take her away. They took her far enough away that she didn't notice the tears streaming down her face, or that someone else had entered the room.

As she finished off a roll, a voice from behind her remarked, "Remind me never to piss you off, B."

The girl let out a choked scream – was it Drew? Had he followed her here? Was he going to tell her it was all a big mistake? When she turned around to a familiar and very unexpected figure, she had to look away as the disappointment washed over her. Willing her hands stop shaking, she questioned harshly, "What are you doing here? I thought you had gone camping."

The young man took a step back. It was rare to hear a bitter (disappointed?) tone from his friend and he instantly wondered what had gotten into her? He finally managed to find his voice and stated, "I got your message and figured you might come here."

Has she really called him? What had made her think to do that? Yes, they were friends, but had slightly drifted apart as the indoor season had recently come to a close. Feeling even more insecure than when she started, she murmured, "I…well, I'm sorry I bothered you."

Sensing her hesitation, Tony pressed on and moved closer to the girl and the drum. Ever since her birthday a short time ago, he had been struggling with a variety of random feelings related to his friend. Coming here tonight had been an instant reaction. He asked, "You okay? You didn't make a lot of sense in your voicemail."

Bronwyn closed her eyes and instantly saw Drew, trying to be nice, trying to make it easy for her when he ended their relationship over a year and a half for the possibility of some girl in his apartment complex. Tears leaked out again.

"Bronwyn?"

The concern in Tony's voice combined with the use of her real name was too much. The dam burst and she began sobbing – unable to hold back her emotions. She was only vaguely aware that Tony had put his arms around her and was telling her everything was going to be okay, stroking her hair and holding her tight.

Some time later, Bronwyn finally was able to draw in a normal breath, but was stuck with the inability to look Tony Clarke in the face. He had always seen her as a drummer, one of the guys, and now, she had completely revealed her worst. It hadn't been intentional, or planned, or anything she had wanted him to see, but the thing was, she honestly did feel better. If she had tried to keep her feelings in one second longer, she would've literally exploded.

And somehow, she knew, deep down, that he would never reveal what had happened here tonight.

Wiping the last of her tears away with the tissue Tony had magically produced, she leaned back against the auxiliary cabinet. Her fellow snare drummer leaned next to her, and she was grateful that she at least was spared having to make eye contact with him.

"So, Drew, huh?"

"You guessed?"

"Unless they've somehow cancelled our drum line for next season, I can't think of anything that would make you that upset, Flueger."

Smiling a watery grin, Bronwyn knew he was trying to remind her of what was really important. So what if Tony was a poor excuse for a girlfriend? At least he was there.

Inside, Tony was strangely elated. Although he struggled to keep his expression one of concern and support, it was difficult. So it was with extreme difficulty that he asked the question, "What happened?" without a full grin on his face.

He shouldn't have been surprised when muffled sniffling was the response.

Tony hadn't interacted with his friend's ex-boyfriend that much, but knew it had been a matter of time until something happened while he was away at school. So they sat in silence, until Tony's fingers – itching to stroke Bronwyn's hair again, found their way to a spare pair of drumsticks and beat up Real Feel pad.

"Can you stay awhile?"

There was no place he would rather be. Instead she heard his response, "Yeah, why not?"

And so, the night passed – drumming, remembering silly moments from previous years, and talking about the season ahead. Nothing was ever said again of Bronwyn's break up.

***

In school on the Monday following Spring Break, when everyone was comparing tans and stories from their week apart – Bronwyn Flueger smiled bravely through it all. Her section mate and the only witness to her painful evening, had to admire her strength – she didn't play the part of the drama queen forcing everyone to pay attention to her. Instead, she asked questions and giggled over the tales.

Catching her eye as they walked out of the band room, Tony looked down and was about to tell her how much he admired her spirit when he saw her familiar blue-gray eyes follow their band director's to the notice board – as he tacked up the announcement that drum line auditions were the following week…

AN: Dedicated to Nick – and our 4 years of mistiming.