Chapter 15:

The last one standing

Cloe was at her house painting the next day. It always calmed her mind and in times of great stress it was greatly needed.

All of this was so overwhelming. The Rock Angelz were falling Sasha, then Jade...poor Jade! Seeing her best friend in the rehab center broke her heart. She wished there was something she could do but Jade didn't want them to visit her. She felt totally helpless.

Cameron came into the art studio. "Guess what I got angel? Tickets to an art show in Venice! You know the one you wanted to go to for months? We're going!"

"That's great Cam," Cloe said sadly.

He sat next to her. "What's wrong?"

"The Rock Angelz is falling apart," Cloe said. "We're hardly even the Rock Angelz anymore. I don't know what to do and I feel so lost and I don't want to be the one who completely ruins the group."

"Why would you be the one that ruins it?"

"Because...my heart just isn't into it anymore," Cloe admitted. "My heart isn't into performing anymore and I get so much anxiety from the pressure. I feel like I just need a break from a Hollywood. But I can't. I can't abandon Yasmin." Then she bore down crying.

Cameron hugged her and let her cry for a while. Then he lifted her chin to look at him. "I think it's about time you did what makes you happy Cloe. The Rock Angelz had a good run, Yasmin will be fine. We'll get away from here, far away from all of this and we'll live our life out from under a microscope."

*WW*

The next day Yasmin and Cloe were sitting down for a meeting with Byron. It was an urgent meeting to discuss the state of the Rock Angelz.

"So here's where we stand," Byron said. "We're halfway through an album, and we're down two girls who show no signs of getting back together with you."

Yasmin and Cloe nodded. They were in a pretty desperate state.

"What I'm thinking is that we replace them," Byron said.

"Replace them?" Yasmin said surprised.

"Sure, groups do it all the time. Destiny's Child, the Pussycat Dolls. It's easy. We just find some new girls who fit in with you and we continue from there. However, worst case scenario I'm completely willing to have you two as a duet..."

"I can't do that," Cloe said quietly.

"What?" Byron said.

"Why not?" Yasmin said.

"I just...can't go on with the a Rock Angelz," Cloe said.

"You're quitting?!" Byron exclaimed.

"I need a break. My heart hasn't been in it for a long time and I just need a break from hollywood. Cameron and I are going to move away and we're just going to start over."

"Are you sure that's what you want?" Yasmin said sadly.

"I'm sorry Yasmin," Cloe said holding her hands. "I never wanted to hurt you. This just seems to be what's best for me right now."

To her surprise Yasmin gave her a hug. "I want you to do what's best for you."

"Thanks Yas." She put her sparkly notepad in front of Yasmin. "These are all the songs I've written for us. I know you'll make them great." She stood up. "Thank you for everything Byron," she said giving him a hug. "Good bye."

"So we've lost the Rock Angelz," Byron said after she was gone. She looked Yasmin in the eye. "How ready are you to go solo?"

*WW*

On the way home Yasmin was deep in thought. The expanse of Hollywood just seemed to drift by. She could say that she was fine. She had been trying to be fine after Cloe walked out but deep down she was devastated. She had lost her boyfriend, she had lost her band, and she had lost her best friends.

As she walked through her front door she could barely stand. She had tried so hard to keep everything together. Even at their worst moment she thought they would survive. Now she wondered if they were doomed from the start.

Framed pictures of their album covers lined her hallway. On one of the side tables there was a picture of them in high school. Before all of the fame, before the drama, before they became the opposite of what they used to be.

She picked up the picture. They had been at their favorite place, the mall. They had gotten smoothies. Jade had just gotten her sixth ear piercing. Sasha had done her hair like Beyonce's. Cloe looked as bubbly as she used to after coming off a big soccer championship. And she herself was smiling with her arms wrapped around them.

Why weren't they still like that?

Suddenly she dropped the picture to the floor and the frame shattered. She was overcome with an overwhelming sadness and she dropped to her knees and started to cry.