You Can't Be Missed If You Never Go Away

Kyra handed the cash over and took her small pizza toward one of the empty picnic tables, she placed her cardboard container down and brushed away the mess that the person before her had left. This was one of the things everyone hated-the females more then the males-the uncleanliness of touring. Once she found it semi-clean, she took her seat, brushing her hands on her jeans before pulling the mini slices apart and taking a bite.

She looked up when a brown haired girl sat across from her, she smiled softly before continuing to eat. The other girl played with the cap of her soda, her large glasses covering most of her cheekbones, and the purple beanie on her head covered a little of her forehead. Kyra knew it was one of the girls from tour, trying to blend in without drawing any suspicion to her fans. Cassadee.

"Hi," Kyraleigh said before grabbing her water, "when are you guys on?"

"Another hour or so, I just wanted to get something to eat."

"The food stands aren't that crowded."

"No," she agreed, "But I do need to ask you something first, what did you say?"

"What did I say to what?" Kyra asked furrowing her brows in confusion.

"When Alex asked you to marry him, I mean, you're with Jack now; how could Gaskarth do something like that to his best friend..." the singer trailed off.

"Alex asked me to marry him a long time ago, what are you talking about?"

Cassadee looked down again, "Well Alex said-"

"Alex!?"

"Lipshaw, my Alex. I heard him tell our mercher, then he told me... so on so forth."

"I wonder who told him that," Kyra muttered before taking another bite.

She shrugged, "Well I'm going to get some chow, good luck with that. I'll fill you in if I find anything out."

The blonde girl finished her pizza, taking her water bottle back to the merch tent, her break had been over for several minutes. Vinny and Steff shot her a look, annoyed that she paid no mind to the fact that she was eating on someone else's break time. Steff handed over the change to the teenager on the other side of the merch table before putting her phone in her pocket and walking towards the exit of the merch tent, shouldering Kyra as she went past.

"Oh, sorry," the taller girl said forcing a smile and walking toward the food booths.

From the look on the other girl's face, Kyraleigh had a stinging feeling in the pit of her stomach, she had a slight idea where the lies-technically truths-were coming from. But she just didn't know the real reason why, or how far this could even go. Kyra knew she wasn't the nicest person, but why this other girl was out to get her, she was oblivious.

"Why is she still here, she and Alex broke up."

"Because she works, I do need help around here," Vinny replied, "Alex may have gotten her the job, but that doesn't mean she deserves to get fired for his mistakes."

"Alex's mistakes?"

"Yeah, he told her all about you, but never mentioned it was you... she probably feels threatened."

"She should," Kyra agreed, "she doesn't deserve to be with us."

Vinny's brows met.

"Steff has no value to these boys, they're blindly trusting her."

"What do you mean?"

"You love her so much, ask."

He shook his head, turning back to the teenagers that crowded around the merch tent, taking their money and giving them shirts in return; taking a picture with some, and signing others. Kyra leaned back against one of the poles that supported the merch tent, trying to figure out what she could do to expose the other girl.

~x~

"It worked," Kara said sitting down next to Steff against one of the fences as she watched a performance.

"I think Kyra heard already, she looked so pissed when she came back to the tent," she replied, chewing on a fry.

"Well that's good, do you think she has any idea it's us?"

She shrugged, "I don't know how her mind works, I don't know much about the personal her, other then what Alex has told me. He made her seem like a saint, and I think she's anything but; so who knows how much he imagined along with her caring heart."

"Are we going to spread anything else?"

"Like what? I'm sure Rian gave you more details then heart broken Alex was willing to share with a stranger."

"Well she was pregnant with his baby-"

"That's evil, Kar."

"Hold on, let me finish. What I was going to say was this: it wouldn't be the first time if they slept together, and we did see them coming from the bus area separately like they were trying to hide something. Alex was doing his deep-in-thought thing, so something did happen, we just don't know what. But hey, rumors are never one hundred percent true."

"Kyra would know it's us in a heart beat."

"Maybe that's a good thing? We could make her do as we say."

"Or she could play too, retaliate."

Kara stole a fry from the box in Steff's hands, "We'll just have to see, now won't we?"

~x~

Alex continued to fuss with the position of his microphone as DannyK finished plugging all the wires of the guitars into their amps; he didn't notice his best friend storm onto stage and walk right at him, the only thing he noticed was the ground of the stage coming at his face. He had no time to brace his fall, he sat up, rubbing the cheek that hit the stage, grateful it wasn't his nose.

"What the hell Jack!?" he yelled.

"How could you do that to me?" he screamed back.

"YOU SHOVED ME!" Alex point out, his voice high strung as he stood up.

"And you slept with my girlfriend."

"I did not."

"Then why did Lipshaw tell me you did? Huh? You two were spotted walking from the buses at the party a couple days ago."

"So what? Everyone comes from the buses to got to the parties."

"Conspicuously? No - no they don't."

"Why are you listening to someone you don't even hang out with over your best friend?"

"Why would someone make that up," he returned, "now did you sleep with her or not?"

"I haven't slept with her for over five years, my god, the only time I slept with her was when I got her pregnant. I know she hates me for that, why would I try to sleep with her again? Of all the people you should be attacking, it should be her."

Jack rose his hands, waiting from him to continue.

"She's the one who kissed me that night."

"The lies!" Barakat yelled shaking his head, walking towards the edge of the stage.

"Where are you going?" Matt asked, "The gate will be opened to this stage soon, fans will be lining up, you can't go anywhere."

Jack rolled his eyes, sitting against the back wall of the stage, unscrewing his Vitamin water and staring blankly at the drum kit to his left. He didn't want to believe either Alex, because both of them were telling him what he didn't want to hear.