Faded (Rock Star Trilogy)

by Mercy Amare

  Thursday, November 6

  1:32 PM

  You hurt her, you hurt me.

  When I wake up Thursday afternoon, Stephan is no longer in my bed. There is a note sitting on the nightstand beside me.

  Scarlett,

  I went to school. I’m not a rock star, so I don’t get a free pass. ;) I will come over right after school.

  -Stephan

  I am happy because he is coming over after school, but now I am scared.It’s inevitable that we’re going to have this conversation… The same topic that we’ve been fighting over since I came back from LA — LOVE.

  I groan, and lay my head back down on the pillow.

  Why is the question that I keep asking myself — why me? Every single bad thing that can happen will happen to me. Only it’s worse for me because, not only will I see, but also millions of people will see.

  “Stupid documentary.” I punch my pillow. “Stupid love confessing song.” I punch my pillow again. “Stupid parents for ruining my life, controlling me, manipulating me, and keeping me away from my sisters.” I punch my pillow again. “Stupid paparazzi.” I throw the pillow across the room.

  “What did that pillow ever do to you?” I hear Alec ask me.

  I sigh and put the pillow down.

  “By the way, I think it’s time you got us a couple of bodyguards,” Alec says.

  “Again? Why?” I ask.

  “Look out the window.”

  So I do. And my front yard is full of cameras, and paparazzi.

  “Ugh!” I groan. I pull out my phone and am thankful to see that I still have Bob’s number. I give him a call, and he says he’ll be here within ten minutes. I smile and turn to Alec. “Taken care of. Now I need caffeine.”

  “Yes, you do,” Alec agrees. “You’re cranky in the mornings.”

  “Am not,” I argue as we walk down the stairs. “I’m cranky because of other reasons. The morning part is irrelevant.”

  “You’ve never been a morning person,” he snorts. “But Bridgett is. It’s funny how different the two of you are.”

  “What is up with you and my sister anyway?” I ask. “Do you have a crush on her?”

  “Your sister doesn’t want anything to do with me, Scar. So don’t worry about that,” he answers, shaking his head. “I like her.”

  We walk into the kitchen, and I grab a Red Bull from the fridge. “She just came out of a really bad relationship, not to mention she almost died recently. Just give her time. She’ll be falling at your feet like every other girl in no time. But you better not sleep with her.”

  Alec rolls his eyes. “Scarlett, you are my best friend. You have been since the first day I met you. I knew you were special. You’re like my little sister. But you should know, if the opportunity arises to sleep with her, there is no way I could turn her down.”

  I choke on my Red Bull. “If you like your man parts, I suggest you don’t.”

  “It’s not like I just want to fuck her and leave her. I want to be in a relationship with her.”

  I sigh, trying to word what I have to say as kindly as possible. “Alec, you are also my best friend. And I know you well enough to know that you’re not a relationship kind of guy. You’re going to get with her. You’re going to woo her, and have her falling into your bed within a month. And then you are going to freak out and leave her, probably before she wakes up the next morning. My sister doesn’t need you screwing with her head.”

  Alec whispers to me, “I think I’m falling in love with her.”

  I choke on my Red Bull, again. “Geez, could you wait until I swallow to drop these big bombs.”

  “Sorry. But it’s the truth.”

  “Truth or not, you don’t do love, Alec. Seriously, try to imagine yourself married to Bridgett.”

  Now it’s Alec’s turn to choke. “I never said anything about marriage.”

  I shake my head. “Alec, if you love somebody, you eventually marry them. That’s how this works.”

  “Some people never get married,” he protests. “I am definitely one of the non-marrying people.”

  “That’s fine, for you. But Bridgett is definitely pro-marriage, as is the majority of the female population. So before you make a move on her, you need to think long and hard about it. If you break her heart, it would put a big damper on our friendship. She’s my twin sister. If you hurt her, you hurt me.”

  Alec now looks deep in thought, which makes me happy. He does need to think about everything I said.

  “What if I took it one day at a time?”

  “Alec, you know that I love you, but you can’t think that way. The right now is good and all, but you have to look further ahead. If you live and plan for the right now, that’s all you’ll ever have. But Bridgett would give you a nice future. One day you might want a wife and kids. You’re 21 now, but what about ten years from now?”

  “Thirty-one is still young.” He counters.

  “Right. Well, do you see yourself with Bridgett in ten years?”

  He groans. “I don’t know, Scar. That’s what dating is for, getting to know her… Figuring out if I want to spend the next ten years with her.”

  “No. Friendship is for getting to know her. A relationship would be you getting to know her sexually. I think maybe you should continue the whole just friends thing, and once you’re truly ready to commit, then take the next step.”

  “Good idea,” Alec agrees finally.

  “I know.”

  “But what if she doesn’t want to be with me?”

  “That’s part of life,” I say, thinking of myself. “Disappointment, heartbreak, and rejection suck, but they make you stronger.”

  The doorbell rings, and I look outside to see Bob standing there.

  Oh, thank God.

  2:51 PM

  I’m going to kill her.

  Bridgett, Alec, and I are all sitting in the living room. Bob is giving us a rundown of the security plan, and apparently each of us are getting our own bodyguard. Bob is mine. Of course I get the scary one. Not that Larry and Ken aren’t scary. They are both muscular and tall, but Bob is bigger, stronger, and taller. Plus he has that tattoo of the dragon on his head, and it freaks me out. I bet he could fit one hand around my waist… And then he could squeeze me like a tube of toothpaste, squashing me in an instant.

  I really need to stop watching scary movies.

  On top of having personal bodyguards, there is also 24-hour security outside now. So, as if having Peter and the camera crew follow us around wasn’t enough, we now have huge security guys too. Just great.

  But then again, maybe Stephan and I can put off our conversation! I am all for that, because I really want to keep him as my boyfriend a little bit longer.

  “I’m going to LA on Friday. Do you think I should have security there too?” I ask nobody in particular.

  Bob nods. “Definitely. We will all be going with you.”

  “I’ll be gone for two weeks. I can just get a security team there… I don’t want to take you away from your families.”

  “It is our job to do what you need,” he counters. “Besides, we have to feed our families, and you pay well.”

  We all laugh. “Okay, deal. Thanks, you guys.”

  Bob, Larry, and Ken all clear out of the living room.

  “Bob is scary,” Bridgett whispers to me.

  I laugh. “Yes, he is.”

  “And Ken looks nothing like a Ken,” she adds.

  I look at her, confused. “And what is Ken supposed to look like?”

  “Barbie’s boyfriend, duh! He’s supposed to look like a tanned surfer, not an ex convict.”

  “Criminals can be sexy,” I joke.

  “Ken is definitely not sexy.” She’s clearly not amused.

  “I for one am glad that we have them.” Alec’s relief is obvious on his face. “By the way, Scar, did I tell you I booked your favorite director to do the music video?”

  “You got Owen?” I ask, smiling. “I love Owen. He�
��s so nice.”

  “No. I got Nancy Hunter.” He smirks.

  “Ugh, I hate that bitch! She’s a slave driver! You know I hate her. Why did you get her?”

  “Owen is now retired,” he informs me. “But, if you remember, Nancy’s work is amazing. You got video of the year when she filmed you.”

  “I also didn’t sleep more than three hours in two days! And the only reason I got to sleep was because I hid in a closet and slept on the floor. She has to be on crack. Nobody is naturally that peppy.”

  Alec just shakes his head at me and laughs as he walks out of the room.

  “Not funny!” I yell.

  “Alec has a house in LA, right?” Bridgett asks after he’s out of earshot.

  I nod. “Yep. And he’s definitely not staying at my house.”

  “Good. I need some time away from him.”

  “Oh? Why is that?” I ask.

  “He’s just so…” She pauses, searching for a word. “Persistent.”

  “So you don’t like him?”

  “Oh, I do,” she quickly says. “That’s the problem. I need to get away from him before I do something stupid… Like fall in love.”

  “Love sucks.”

  “Still haven’t talked with Stephan, huh?”

  I shake my head. “Nope.”

  “Don’t worry. He feels the same way.”

  “I don’t know. If he did, I think he would have said something long before now. We always fight about it. He sends me mixed signals, and he confuses the hell out of me,” I admit.

  “Alec is the same way. It must be a guy thing.”

  I laugh, thinking Alec said the same thing about her. “Maybe you should just be honest with Alec.”

  “No thank you. I’d rather avoid him.”

  “You and I are both great at avoiding.”

  The front door opens, and Stephan walks into the living room where Bridgett and I are. Bridgett laughs and whispers in my ear. “Looks like you won’t be avoiding much longer.” Then she gets up and leaves the freaking room right when I need her the most.

  I’m going to kill her.

  3:22 PM

  First class.

  “Hey,” Stephan greets me. “I see that Bob is back.”

  I nod. “Did you see the mobs of people outside when you left for school?”

  “Yes. I went out the back and left from my house,” he says. “They never saw me.”

  “That’s probably for the best.” Not that it matters. They have hundreds of photos of Stephan and me together.

  And cue the awkward silence.

  “So…I really have nothing to say. I’m pretty sure the song said it all. Now I just have to wait for him to say something.

  “I went to school today so I could skip tomorrow. I was thinking we could leave tonight,” he suggests.

  “I’d have to call the pilot.”

  “Actually, I bought tickets,” he says, pulling out a couple of plane tickets. “There is a one-hour layover in Vegas. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Commercial?” I ask. I haven’t flown commercial since I was fifteen.

  “I hope you don’t mind. It’s first class.”

  Great. Now he thinks I’m spoiled. “I would have been fine flying coach.”

  “I know. But I wanted to do this for you. We need to leave here in about an hour. Does that give you enough time to pack?”

  “I’ve practically lived my whole life from a suitcase,” I inform him. “Give me fifteen.”

  “Okay.” He nods. “I’m going to go pack, and I’ll be back soon.”

  Stephan comes back after half an hour, and I am packed and ready. I have a closet full of clothes in LA, but I still pack plenty of clothes. My closet there is full of clothes that my dad pressured me into wearing. Here, everything in my closet is all me (Even if my stylist, Monica, was the one who stocked it. She knew what I wanted).

  Bob drives us to the airport his black SUV. Alec got him a first class ticket on the same plane as Stephan and me. It feels weird going through the security line. They make me do a full body scan, but they let Bob and Stephan go through the regular line. Stephan told me it was because the security guards wanted to see my boobs.

  Not too long after we make it through security, they let the first class board.

  “This is so weird,” I say, looking around the small space.

  “Much different than what you’re used to.”

  I nod. “Definitely. I thought first class would have more room.”

  Stephan laughs. “You should see coach seating.”

  Bob turns around in his seat. “This is awesome. I’ve never flown first class before.”

  “Wait until we fly back on the private jet,” I tell him.

  As people board the plane, a few people stop to take pictures of me. Bob forces them to leave and pulls a baseball cap out of his carry-on.

  “What’s the big deal?” I ask.

  “They could post the pictures online. Do you want paparazzi waiting at the Vegas airport for you?”

  I take the baseball cap and put in on my head. “Good point.” I turn to Stephan. “How long is our layover in Vegas?”

  “One hour,” he answers.

  “Maybe next time we can stop there and spend a few nights.”

  “Why? Neither of us are 21, so it’d be boring.”

  I give him an ‘are you serious’ look. “I’m a celebrity. I don’t need an ID.”

  “Don’t the casinos get in trouble for you being there?”

  I nod. “It’s worth the fines they have to pay to have me seen there. But most of the time, nothing is said. Restaurants started serving me alcohol at fifteen.”

  Stephan is about to respond when the captain’s voice comes through the speakers. I sit back in my seat and relax.

  4:43 PM

  Vegas, baby!

  Once we land in Vegas, we have to walk-run to the other side of the airport so we can board our flight to Los Angeles. It’s at this exact moment that I realize just how spoiled I really am. Being normal sucks.

  “Your feet look like they hurt,” Stephan says, about halfway through our journey.

  “They do. Next time we decide to use public transportation, remind me to wear flats.” I look down at my four-inch heels and sigh.

  Finally, we make it to the correct terminal, only to see a sign that says “FLIGHT CANCELED”. What the fuck? I walk up to the desk.

  “Why is the flight canceled?” I ask.

  Without looking up, the lady says, “Next available flight out isn’t until tomorrow morning. Go to the service desk to book the flight.”

  I glare at her. “I am Scarlett Ryan, and I demand to know why the flight is canceled.”

  The lady looks up at me, and quickly straightens her skirt. Her tone instantly changes. “I’m sorry, Miss Ryan. There was a problem with one of the engines on the plane. A bird got caught, and the plane had to make an emergency landing. Unfortunately, there are no other seats available on a flight to LA tonight. I’m sorry. But I can call a hotel for you if you like.”

  “No thanks.” I turn to Stephan. “I’ll call Alec. He can get us a room for the night. His friend owns a hotel here.”

  One hour later, Bob, Stephan and I are walking into The Palms in Las Vegas. We are staying in the penthouse suite. Stephan and I let the bellhop carry our luggage, but when he tries to take Bob’s bag, Bob just glares at him. The bellhop looks as though he is going to crap himself. Stephan and I both knuckle bump Bob as we make our way into the elevator.

  “Maybe flying commercial isn’t so bad,” I tell them as we make our way into our room. I’ve stayed at a lot of nice hotels, and this one is definitely one of the nicer ones.

  “If you weren’t… you… it would suck.” Stephan laughs. “We would be sleeping at the airport, or on a bus right now, and our trip would be ruined. But you get us a freaking penthouse suite. This is incredible.”

  When I called Alec, he offered to send a helicopter to come get me. I de
clined, saying a night in Vegas sounded perfect. I didn’t tell Stephan this.

  “So what do you want to do?” I ask Stephan.

  He looks excited. “I don’t know! We’re in Vegas! What do you propose we do?”

  I think for a minute. Alec and I have been here twice a year since we met. Every year, on my birthday and his birthday, we come to Vegas. We’ve done a lot of crazy things, but my most memorable experience was singing karaoke with him at this tiny club. It’s not on the strip, so not many people know about it. We went in there and sang. Not one person recognized us.

  “I have the perfect idea,” I say. “Get dressed. A nice pair of jeans and a polo, nothing too fancy.”

  I run off to my room to get ready. I take a quick shower, curl my hair, and put on a simple outfit. I find a pair of short Daisy Duke shorts and a dark red top. I start to put on a pair of heels, but instead grab my red Toms… Actually, they’re Bridgett’s. I stole them when I was packing, just in case. I smile at my reflection and come back into the sitting area of our suite.

  “Where is Bob?” I ask Stephan.

  “He’s napping. He said to wake him when we were ready to leave.”

  I look at Stephan and whisper. “Let’s sneak away…”

  “Do you really think that’s a good idea?”

  “Let me ask you something.” I pause for dramatic effect. “Do you want to wake Bob up?”

  He doesn’t have to think long. “No.”

  “Do you want my 400 pound security guard tagging along with us your first time in Las Vegas?”

  He shakes his head again.

  I grab Stephan’s hand, and we run for it.

  7:57 PM

  Karaoke

  “Karaoke?” Stephan questions when we walk inside.

  “Trust me, after a couple of shots you will be dying to get up there.”

  Stephan orders us both a shot of tequila. It’s the first time I’ve had alcohol in almost four months. I’d say that this is a well-deserved night out. I lick the side of my hand and put salt on it, Stephan does the same.