This Must be Fiction

"Is this everything you think you could possibly need?" Ville asked, hovering over the cooler.

"Hey, don't come crying to me when I'm the one prepared and you're the one shirtless in the sun." I put my hands up and looked at him defiantly. He shook his head, laughing, and tossed another tee-shirt into our bag. "We're meeting Lizzie around two." I looked at my phone. "So we're right on time."

Ville lifted the cooler, I took the bag, and we made our way to the car. I made sure to lock the door securely and type in the security code into the alarm system in the Condo.

"I should call Bam today and see if he's heard from Jonna." Ville looked down at his cell phone. "And the band is calling me like crazy. I think some thing's wrong."

"Well call them Ville, what's stopping you?" I tossed the bag into the backseat as he tucked the cooler securely in the trunk.

"Because the minute I call them, they'll never stop talking. I'd rather spend time with you than spend hours on the phone arguing with Linde over the chorus of our upcoming single." Ville shrugged, sitting in the front seat.

"When we get home, then, you're going to call them. Your entire life isn't going out the window because we have to run away from Finland for a bit." I paused to check the directions I had printed out. "Besides, it's better that you talk to them rather than shutting them out completely. They're your friends."

"They are indeed. For whatever reason I chose these maniacs to be my friends. I thought you didn't like them."

"I like them. They don't like me." It was my turn to shrug.

"That's not true."

"Yes it is, and we both know it. It doesn't bother me. Linde likes me, I guess that's all that really matters. And Bam likes me, kind of a lot, so that makes me feel better about it."

Ville rubbed my thigh as I drove. "You're sweet."

"Don't I know it." I winked.

We arrived at the beach a few moments later. It was a week day, windy, and we had chosen a secluded beach in order to keep attention at bay. Not that anyone other than my family knew I was in Buffalo. But I remembered coming home a few years ago and being approached by a few people who knew I was from Buffalo. It was strange. And I wasn't sure just how many American fans Ville had, since he had told me once that he wasn't as popular in America than he was in Europe. It was better to be safe in a secluded area than to be together out in the open, where hundreds of people could see us.

Lizzie was waiting by her car with her little brother when we pulled up.

"No fucking way!" Her brother, Brian, shouted from his spot. He looked much liked Lizzie, tall and blond. He took off his sunglasses and stared into the passenger seat window. Ville waved and laughed.

"I thought you were fucking kidding!" Brian looked at Lizzie who was laughing as well.

"Hey kid, aren't you a bit young to be using language like that?" I asked him as I stepped from the car. He was only fourteen, and hated to be teased about his age.

"This is serious! I'm spending the day with Ville Valo!" He waited until Ville got out of his seat before seriously understanding who Ville was.

"I didn't know you were a fan." I said, reaching into the backseat to get our beach bag.

"Of course I am!" He took Ville's hand. "It's so nice to meet you. I'm a huge fan."

Ville beamed. "Nice to meet you too. I figure we'll have to be allies against those two." He spoke privately to Brian, who was having a near panic attack.

"You didn't tell him?" I looked at Lizzie.

"Of course I did, he didn't believe me. He told me that someone like you could never get, as he put it, 'such an amazing musician like Ville Valo.'"

"Brian!" I looked at him jokingly. He was always like a little brother to me.

"Can you blame me? You used to hit on old guys are Starbucks. Who would ever think that you could get a rock star." Brian said. Lizzie threw her bag at him, making him stumble back a few feet from the weight.

"Old guys are Starbucks eh?" Ville eyed me.

"I was a weird kid." I answered him nonchalantly. We began walking from the parking lot to the beach area.

"You were more than weird. Remember when you used to chase dogs in the dog park?" Brian started laughing. I slapped my forehead. Ville began laughing as well.

"One time I get drunk and do something stupid, and that's the thing he remembers."

"One time? You did that like six times." Brian said.

"Hey, if you want to spend the day with Ville, I suggest you shut up before we both go home." I warned him. Brian was immediately silent.

"I've never been used as a threat before." Ville said, proudly.

"And I hope you never have to be used as one again. But I'm willing if Brian keeps up with his shit." I glared at Brian from the corner of my eye, and he clearly knew I had the upper hand. He was like a little brother to me, so it didn't bother me to be playing the Ville card against him.

We set up a large blanket and set the cooler on the corner. Ville stripped his shirt and began applying sun block. I knew it was for show, but it was still amusing. I did the same. Brian and Lizzie bickered for a bit before Ville ended the fight, saying that he and Brian would play Frisbee out in the water while Lizzie and I sunned ourselves. I knew Ville really didn't enjoy athletic things, even things like tossing a Frisbee, but he wanted Brian to enjoy himself.

"He is incredibly gorgeous." Lizzie said, raising her sunglasses to stare at Ville who was practically glowing in the sunlight. His tattoos looked even more spectacular than usual. I mimicked Lizzie's action, taking off my sunglasses to admire Ville's body. He caught us, while Brian was chasing the Frisbee. He put his hands in his hips and smiled at the two of us.

"He is." I agreed with Lizzie. Ville was distracted by the Frisbee again.

"Like literally, amazingly gorgeous."

"You want me to tell him that for you?" I joked, pushing her. She began putting sun block on her as well.

"I was just saying. I never really noticed how nice of a body he had until now. I mean I've seen pictures of him on line and shit, but that's truly something you have to see in person to appreciate."

"I know." I said to her. She smiled at me.

"You deserve him. He's a great guy. Don't take this the wrong way, but after you guys separated I thought you were going to end up with some asshole guy. I'm glad you didn't. Ville is nice. Oh! And don't think I didn't notice that ring hanging off of your neck." She pointed to the ring. I grabbed it and jumped up.

"How did you know?" I looked out into the water and saw Ville looking at us, obviously having overheard our conversation.

"Because you can't stop slipping it on and off your finger. Plus, I'm your best friend so it's really obvious to me."

"Oh..." I blushed. It was the only time I had ever been nervous in front of Lizzie. "It's kind of a secret.... we're waiting for a few years before planning a wedding." I looked into the sand. Lizzie threw herself on top of me in a hug.

"Why would you think that you couldn't tell me? Congratulations!" She screamed. I giggled uncontrollably.

"It was a secret! You and Bam are the only two that know! Not even Robert!" I yelled back.

"I better be your friggen maid of honor."

"Of course." I assured her. She crawled off of me and retook her place on the blanket. We saw the boys staring at us in the water.

"Stop staring!" Lizzie shouted. Ville sent me an emotion that I immediately took as fear. I attempted to send one back, but it might have been a mixed message. I was excited that my best friend knew about our engagement, but I also understood why Ville would be hesitant.
He nodded, understanding what I was trying to say with my emotions. I enjoyed our silent communication, as weird as it was. We were so close, it was eerie.

"Have you given any thought to your wedding?" Lizzie asked as she dug through her bag for a magazine.

"Not a bit. I can't imagine what I would want to do. I can't even imagine being a wife." I said as I began searching for a magazine as well.

"It's not just being a wife, it's being Ville's wife. It will come naturally." She said as she flipped through some pages. I nodded, not really knowing how to respond. I didn't want to talk about it any more, it made me feel that other people could hear even though there was only about twenty other people at the beach.

"And for the record, you're going to have to hide that ring a lot better. I'd suggest just wearing it on your other hand. It's kind of obvious."

"You said it was obvious to you because you're my best friend." I retorted.

"Well, yeah, but do you think that Robert won't notice? Or what about Nathan? You know these men are way to smart."

"True." I agreed. I would have to figure out something else to do.

"It is a beautiful ring." She added. I looked down at the Ruby hanging off of my neck.

"Thanks. It was Ville's mom's."

The boys returned from the water, dripping wet.

"Do not get me all wet!" I said at Ville who was preparing to come over for a kiss. Both of them, as if on Que, began shaking and getting water everywhere.

"That's it! No lunch for either of you!" Lizzie yelled, toweling off her legs which were sprinkled in lake water.

After towling off completely, Ville leaned down and pecked my lips.

"Ew." Brian said from his side of the blanket.

"Hey, shut up." I said back, smiling.

"I'm going to go cool off in the shade." Ville said, rising and slipping on a tee shirt.

"I'll come too, I don't want to be here with them." Brian said, making an excuse to join his favorite rock star with whatever he was doing.

The boys left, leaving Lizzie and I to sun ourselves for the next hour.

XXXXXX

"That was fun." I said as we pulled into the driveway of our condo.

"It was." He agreed. We began unloading the car.

"Are you sure? I couldn't really tell if you were having a good time." I said, looking at him from behind the trunk. He smiled at me.

"I had fun because you had fun. You needed some time with your best friend, so I'm glad for that. I understand that we've been spending all of our time together recently, so it was nice to see you with Lizzie."

"That's nice of you Ville, I appreciate you hanging out with Brian. He really looks up to you." I unlocked the door to our house and threw myself onto the couch, tired.

"He's a nice kid. Not a normal fan either, he wasn't constantly talking about my life and music, which was interesting. He was just a teenager." Ville laughed as he thought about his new young friend.

"I'm glad you liked him. I bet he'd like to spend some more time with you." I turned on the television, but left the volume down.

"I'd like that too."

"Have you talked to Bam? Linde? Any of your band-mates?" I asked. Ville dug around in his pocket for his cell phone.

"I almost forgot. Thanks for reminding me." Ville dialed Bam's number and spoke very quietly, almost so that I couldn't hear him.

"Stop doing your vampire voice thingy, I can't understand you."
He winked at me and used a normal voice. "Sorry Bam Bam, she wants to listen in."

"Hi Bam." I said loud enough for him to hear. I didn't get a response.

"She did? Wow. How did Linde and Toni handle that? Of course. So she knows nothing? How long do you think that will last? Any news from the Superiors at all? Good... good. Yeah, we're having a good time. I'm feeling kind of secluded from society, but that's just me. Thanks so much Bammy, I appreciate all of this. Yeah, keep me posted." He hung up.

"So what's the story?"

"Jonna broke in, found Linde and Toni sleeping in our bed. She apparently gave them a good one over, thinking they were us. But Linde, being Linde, talked his way out of it without giving away any information. Bam doesn't think she knows anything, but we can never be too sure. Had she told the Superiors already, we would definitely know about it, so we're safe in that aspect. We've got some time." Ville's hand lightly ran up and down my thigh.

"I guess that's... good?"

"It is. I'm just not sure how much she knows. Or thinks she knows."

"Not a lot, I hope." I was fading into sleep very quickly.

"You know? You sleep more than any person I've ever met."

"You don't sleep enough." I responded, spreading myself further out on the couch, setting my legs on Ville's.

"Have a good nap." He kissed my hip bone as I stretched.