My Words Are a Matter of Pride

"I have an idea," Avara said when the found Holly in the cafeteria. Holly's eyes widened in surprise. "You know how we were going to do some kind of charity thing?" Holly nodded, eyes still wide. "But it never got off the ground because we couldn't pick a charity." Holly nodded again. "Child abuse." Avara waited a moment for Holly to think about it.

"Well," Holly said after a while, "I like it. I think if we choose a charity for child abuse, and have the one for Hayley's organisation about sex trafficking, we should get some more sponsors for warped tour."

"Exactly what I was thinking, it's like you read my mind."

"Yeah," Holly said, "I am."

"I thought so."

"Yeah, you were right."

"Yeah, I know."

"Good."

"You know," another voice cut in suddenly, "the way you two act, it's like you aren't even sick Avara." The two girls spun around to look where the voice had come from and then laughed at the sight of the tiny red headed lead singer from Paramore.

"Hayley," Avara laughed, "what are you doing here?" Hayley shrugged and ambled over to take a seat on the bench beside Avara.

"I heard through the grape-vine that you were in here, so I came to LA a week early to see how you are, and hang out before we start our next tour."

"Where are you touring?" Holly asked.

"South America."

"That's awesome. We're shooting a video soon, you should creep around in the background."



After stretching her legs and saying goodbye to Hayley, Shaun and Holly returned Avara to her room where her doctor waited beside Katie. When he saw the Avara, Holly and Shaun enter the room, he smiled.

"Hello Miss Law, I'm Dr Reynolds. How are you feeling?" He asked as Avara say down on her bed. He got up and approached her to examine such things as her heart rate and blood pressure.

"I feel good, actually," she said.

"That's good to hear. I have the results for the blood tests we took a few days ago. As there is a number of things that can cause dizziness and loss of consciousness, we tested for a number of things."

"And?" Avara pressed.

"We tested your red blood cell count and iron levels, which were all healthy. Your not pregnant, and there were no signs of stroke or tumors. We've manage to rule the cause down to low blood pressure, which can be caused by a number of things, especially given your profession."

"Are you saying I'm not allowed to be a rock star anymore?" Avara pouted.

"Certainly not. The last few days, we've put you on a drug that helps bring your blood pressure up to a healthy level, which it has done. It's also put you to sleep for quite some time, which isn't unusual. As long as you get plenty of rest, eat a healthy diet and stay out of trouble, you should be fine." Holly grinned and hugged Avara.

"What do you think caused it?" Shaun asked. The doctor shrugged.

"As I said, it could be a number of things. Stress, depression, anxiety. I would recommend that you see your doctor when you return home if you think this could happen again in future. It might be wise to be put on some kind of medication to control your stress levels. If you promise to take care of yourself, I can have you discharged this afternoon."

"Thanks Doctor," Avara smiled. He threw a last glance at Katie and left the room.

Shaun wrapped his arms around Avara and nuzzled her face. "Don't ever scare me like that again." He said.

"Or me," added Holly. Shaun's phone buzzed and he shot up from the bed.

"I just remembered, I have somewhere to be." He leaned down and kissed Avara lovingly on the forehead before he went out into the hall to take his call. Avara watched him leave before turning back to Holly. Whose face was a mere 10 centimetres away from her face.

"Holly!" She exclaimed in fright, "what the hell are you doing?" Holly narrowed her eyes and glared at Avara before she moved away. "What?"

"I thought Diviney was off the squad."

"He was!" Holly raised her eyebrows again, "Is! He is off the squad!" Holly lowered her raised eyebrow and crossed her arms across her chest tightly. "I mean, I don't know."

"Understandable. You know, Jake almost had an anuerism when Shaun turned up on his doorstep the day after you died."

"I didn't die, Holly."

"Yeah, but you could have," she replied, getting up.

"Where are you going?"

"The Maine are in LA filming a video or something, I'm going to see a movie with John, Hayley and Garrett." Avara shrugged her shoulders lightly, pretending she didn't care. "Squirt, you would have been invited, but you're in here with Katie..." Katie looked up from her colouring in book and stared creepily at them.

"I think I might ask the doctors if I can take her to the Harry Potter premier."

"Okay, you do that, I gotta go."



During the next week after Avara was released from hospital, Jake had the girls straight into working on their music video for Avara's song; 'Picking Daisy's'. They had decided to go with a scene in the middle of a beautiful garden that had huge trees and mossy ground.

The start of the video showed the four girls sitting in olden day style dresses under an old oak tree having a tea party. Then Holly would stand up and everything else disappeared, her clothes changed and she was walking through the garden. She passed Avara laying on a branch, with her feet going up the trunk and her guitar in her lap.

Harlee was sitting on a rock, dangling her toes in the streaming creek water and lastly Tadem was playing her drums like a creep in the bushes. By the time Holly had walked past her band-mates, it was nearing the end of the song.

The camera watched as Holly stumbled through a bush and ended up on a stage in front of thousands of kids who were all clapping and screaming loudly. They ended the video with what appeared to be a live performance, though it was staged. When the last note of the song rang out of the speakers around the studio, the video stood up and clapped.

"That's a wrap everyone. Good job!"

Avara wiped the back of her hand across her forehead, pretending she was sweating.

"Pretending to play a show is way more exhausting than actually playing a show," she sighed. Holly laughed at her and punched her in the arm when she walked past.

"Let's go eat cake," she said.

The four girls met up with Jake around a table where cake was being served. Normally celebration cake wasn't provided at video shootings, but somehow Holly had managed to convince somebody to buy some.

"What are you girls planning on doing over the next few months?" Jake asked casually, spooning some cake into his mouth and looking from one girl to another.

Avara shrugged. "Whatever you tell us to I guess."

"Which will be...." Holly waved her spoon around as the sentence hung in the air.

"I want you girls to record your album. Pronto."

"Won't that require us having a band meeting?" Asked Tadem, looking around the studio. "Like, somewhere other than here?"

"Of course," smiled Jake, "Let's talk when we get back t the hotel." And with that, everyone finished their cake in silence.