Rhythm of Love

Alex's Point of View

I finished off the last song, Rockateer, and smiled at Adele, who smiled and waved at me. I was led off stage and the doubles ended. Nora walked in, her dress torn and dirty, her feet caked with dirt from the asphalt, and Nicolette hurried to clean her up, shooting me a glare as she pushed past me. I watched het with a blank expression and turned my attention away, going against my concience and not bothering to check if Nora was okay. It wasn't my place to want to know.

The final round ended. Ten bands were called up, including Behind the Unknown and Welcome to Paradise, and were announced as safe. The others were dismissed and led away. The night ended.

I walked out into the parking lot, jumping into the back of my truck and spreading out blankets and pillows in preperation for the night to come. Conner and Xavier would be sleeping in Conner's dad's expedition, while Behind the Unknown would hang out in their trailer. Ivan was taking Eli home so he could go to school the next day, and then they would make the trip back tommorrow.

I pulled my accoustic from the back seat of my truck and began to strum quietly, thinking of random songs to play and settling on The Messenger by Linkin Park, a song Welcome to Paradise had done the day Nora had come back from France.

"Can we join you?" I heard a male voice ask. I looked around to see Damien and Nicolette. I shrugged and they hopped into the back of my truck, positioning themselves so that they sat at the corners of the truck.

"What's wrong with you, Lex?" Damien said. My head whipped around and I stared at him. He'd been half drunk the first time he called me that, but now I was positive he was sober. "You- you don't seem the same. You used to look at Nora like she made the world go round. Now... there's nothing. It's like you see right through her." I shrugged.

"I screwed her. She chose my brother. What can I do?"

"Look, Lex," Nicolette started. "We know, okay? We know what you and Nora did. And I know how it must hurt to see her with someone else. But Adele won't solve your problems. Hell, she'll just start more. And telling Nora you hate her won't help anything." I glanced at her sharply.

"She talks in her sleep, remember?" Damien said. I looked off to the passing cars on the freeway. "We get you thought it was best- but what if it's not?"

"You're the one who threatened me!" I shouted. I put my guitar down and stood up. "Excuse me," I said with loathing in my voice. "I'm going for a smoke."

I jumped out of the back of the trunk and started away, only to hear someone fall into step with me. I turned to tell Damien off but stopped in surprise to find Conner. He handed me a cigarette silently and lit it, and we began to walk again as he lit his own.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Osama Bin Laden is dead," I said, deleting another Twitter update about the terrorist.

"Yeah, my mom called me from overseas to tell me." I grimaced, remembering both of Conner's parents are overseas. "But what's going on with you?" I shrugged.

"Seems Nora and Nicolette have a thing against Adele," I said. "Nicolette and Damien went to tell me Adele was no good and I was making a mistake telling Nora I hate her."

"What do you think?" Conner said.

"I think I'm tired of Nora... using me. I won't let it happen anymore. Adele is wonderful, and there's... her dad, Hellin's best friend, is a really well known European music producer. Adele said if we lost Battle of the Bands, she'd talk to her dad for us." Conner was silent.

"And what about Nora?" My face darkened and I took a drag.

"I hate Nora," I said. "She's better off with Eli. He's just as much a dick as she is a--"

"Don't," Conner interrupted me. "I've known you since preschool, Alex. You're madly in love with Nora, but you've been pretending you don't even know who she is since we were five. Maybe you can satisfy yourself with Adele, use her and pretend you love her, but I know you know she will never be Nora and you'll never truly be satisfied with life." He stomped out his cigarette and walked away.

I watched him go and walked slowly towards my truck. Damien and Nicolette were gone, replaced by Adele who pulled me out of sight and started doing to me things Nora would never think of.