The Road.

“Are you going to go?” Nathan asks me as he eats another fry.

I stare at the text Jack had sent me earlier.

“Do you think I should go?” I ask looking at him with a questioning expression.

“Your sister is going, right? So I’m pretty sure he’s just asking you to come so she doesn’t have to be alone since she’s pregnant and all.”

“That might be it, after all she’s kind of dating Jack.”

“You should go, and just try to avoid Alex.”

I nod and take a sip from my chocolate milkshake. Nathan had invited me out for a late breakfast at a nearby diner.

“What’s wrong now?” Nathan asks noticing my worried expression.

I sigh and look at him, “I just have this weird feeling, and it’s probably just the thought of seeing Alex that’s making me feel like that.”

“Just pretend you’re seeing your favorite band with your sister and have some fun.”

“I’ll try,” I reply with a small smile and continue eating the rest of my breakfast.

_______________________

“It’s weird being back here. Isn’t it?” Ariana asks me as we head to our mother’s house.

“Yeah, it brings back a lot of memories.”

“Yeah… It just sucks that we weren’t able to get along when we were in high school, you know?”

I nod, “yeah, but at least we didn’t kill each other,” I say with a small chuckle.

“Believe me, some days I wanted to.”

“Me too,” I say as both Ariana and I start laughing.

“What’s so funny?” I hear Carmen ask as she stands by the front door.

“We were just talking about how lucky we were that we didn’t kill each other during high school.”

“Sometimes I wanted to kill both of you so I could have some peach and quiet.”

“Like mother, like daughters,” I say with a smile.

“I made lunch, in case you two are hungry.”

“I’m starving!” Ariana says as she rubs her stomach.

_______________________

“What are you thinking about?” I ask Ariana as we wait for the stage to be set up.

“Nothing,” she says with a small smile, but I could see how nervous she had become.

“You’re anxious.”

She sighs and looks at me, “It’s just, what if I do find out who Alex was cheating on me with? I don’t know what it’ll be like.”

“Just don’t think about it, you’ll know what to do when the time comes.” I tell her with a smile hoping she couldn’t see how nervous I had just become.

“What did I do wrong? I thought everything was perfect.”

“You did nothing wrong,” I tell her as I take her hand.

She looks at me with a smile, “thanks for being here for me, you’re the best sister I could ever ask for.”

I smile back feeling horrible. She could never know I was the other girl.

A couple of minutes later the lights begin to dim and the fans begin to cheer, that meant only one thing.

“Finally,” Ariana sighs as she looks at the dark stage.

“Yeah,” I agree feeling my heart racing. I really didn’t know why I was feeling so nervous.

Alex didn’t know I was here- or Ariana for that matter. Jack only invited to keep an eye out for Ariana in case anything happened.

I take in a deep breath to relax and stare at the stage as four figures appear and then the music starts just as the stage lights up.

“Thank you!” Alex shouts after he finishes singing the first song.

“This next song is actually a cover from another band, and it’s dedicated to someone who didn’t deserve what I put them through. It’s called ‘The Reason’.

“Oh my god, she’s here.” I hear Ariana say with wide eyes.

“Who?”

“He’s dedicating her a song!” Ariana shrieks unable to believe it.

“How do you know, what if that song is meant for you?”

“He doesn’t know I’m here! Jack swore to me, it has to be her!”

I could feel my heart sinking, Jack had planned this. He invited me because Alex asked him to, but he had invited Ariana so she could find out the truth about us.

“We should go,” I tell her just as the song begins to play.

“I need to know who it is!”

I shake my head, “this isn’t the time and place.”

“Meghan, I’ve been waiting for this for so long, I need to know who she is,” she tells me with pleading eyes.

“I'm sorry that I hurt you
It's something I must live with everyday
And all the pain I put you through
I wish that I could take it all away
And be the one who catches all your tears
That’s why I need you to hear”

“What if she is here? What are you going to do?”

“I-I-I don’t know.”

“Let’s go, there’s no point.”

“I just want to know why she’s so special.”

“Ariana please,” I beg, I was running out of time.

“I've found a reason to show
A side of me you didn't know
A reason for all that I do
And the reason is you”

“Okay lets go,” she says standing up just as the song ends.

I take her hand and lead her towards the lobby.

“Meghan, I’m so sorry for everything, and I meant it when I said I love you,” Alex says just as we reach the doors leading out to the lobby.

Ariana freezes and turns to look at me with watery eyes.

“You’re her?” She asks unable to believe it.

I shake my head unable to say anything.

“Oh my god, it is you,” she says with trembling lips.

“I’m so sorry,” I whisper, it was the only thing I could say.

“How could you!?” She shouts before slapping.

I bring my hand up to my stinging cheek and look at Ariana with watery eyes.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

“I don’t ever want to see your fucking face ever again.”