Blind Ambition

ADRIEN'S POV

We went outside to the venue then did as we always did the past few days. There were still a few hours before the show so I decided to talk to Garrett. I saw him practicing with his bass alone in their dressing room. 

"Hey," I said. "May I come in?"

"Oh hi," he said, a little bit startled. "Sure you can't."

"Oh, okay bye," I said then started to walk away. 

"I was kidding, come in." He laughed. 

"What are you playing?" I asked as I sat down beside him. 

"It's a song called Girls Do What They Want. Do you know it?"

"How does it go?" I asked. He sang the chorus and I recognized the song. "Oh, that. Ashlyn always plays that at home."

"Really? Will you sing it? It's easier to practice when someone's singing. I'm not exactly that great of a singer, I only goof off with the guys sometimes. Oh, and can you play the guitar part too? I'll write the chords." This wasn't what I was planning. 

"Um, let's let Ashlyn sing instead. Her voice is better," I segued. 

"Well, she isn't here, is she?" he said matter-of-factly. 

I sighed. "Fine." He took a guitar from the wall and gave it to me. 

"Thanks," I said. To be honest, I was kind of nervous. I was used to singing back-up for Ashlyn and when I was in our high school glee club but I'm certainly not used to singing alone in front of someone. 

"Thanks to you too," he winked. "Here are the chords." He gave me a piece of paper. 

"Oh, okay," I said. I played the chords and sang the first part of the song while Garrett played along with his bass. "She's 18 and a beauty queen. She makes the boys feel so weak. It's all for her and none at all. She'll pick you up just to watch you fall." I read the next part. "Um, this is kind of awkward to sing for a girl."

"Just continue, you're doing great," he smiled. 

"Okay." I continued singing the song until the end. 

"You were awesome," Garrett looked at me and said. His eyes widened a bit. "I mean that was awesome. We should do this again sometime." He took 2 bottles of water from a nearby table and gave me one. 

"Thanks." I smiled. "Yeah, sure." It was fun, I admit. But I still have to do what Ashlyn told me. 

There was an awkward pause before he spoke again. "So, plan on falling from your bunk again tomorrow?" he asked. 

I smirked. "No," I said. "I hope." Another pause. 

"So, what's with Ashlyn?" he asked. "She's acting all weird."

Oh no. "Um, she's not usually like that."

"Really? Good, 'cause I hate clingy girls."

"What do you like?" I asked. Well what do you know? This is actually going well!

He took a sip of water before answering my question. "Um, I like girls who are, you know..." he stuttered then continued without making eye contact, "...funny, girls who don't give a fuck about what others think of her, honest, and um, kind." He smiled. "Yeah, so if you find a girl with those qualities, just tell me, I'd be lucky to meet her."

Great, Ashlyn's got none of those traits. "Sure, I'd keep you posted," I said with a smile. I played with the bottle cap, thinking of how Ashlyn would be able to pull this whole thing off. 

This is going to be tough. 

"Well, what about you? What kind of boys do you like?" he asked before taking another sip. 

I did not see that coming. "Well, honestly, I'm not into guys." 

He almost spat out the water he drank. "Sorry." He wiped the water with the back of his hand. "Um, so, you're into girls, then?"

My eyes grew even bigger. "No! I'm not, no, I'm not a lesbian, if that's what you think. Not that I have anything against lesbians, but no, I'm straight."

"Oh, I thought that explained the boyish clothes and attitude," he joked. 

"Shut up." I punched his shoulder. 

"See? You're even stronger than most guys I know. Are you sure you're not a boy?"

"Of course I'm sure, jeez," I said. 

"Then why don't you want a boyfriend? Are you afraid of being hurt or something like that?"

I shook my head. "It's not like that. I just don't want to date anyone right now. I'm pretty much preoccupied with my career. So yeah, no boyfriend for me. I just don't want one. I mean, I'm young, why should I waste my time for someone else? I know that was selfish, but I just believe in that cheesy saying that true love waits even if it will never come." Well that sounded stupid. 

"So you've never had a boyfriend? Ever?" he asked, surprised. 

"Nope, not one. I told you I'm as charming as a rock." I laughed. 

"Not even a fling or whatever they call it these days?"

I shook my head. "None, nada."

"But I'm sure boys have made their moves. I mean come on, you're beautiful." 

I looked at him in shock. "What? Are you kidding me?" 

"No, what I mean is, you're not exactly ugly. I've seen worse. I'm sure some boys have noticed you," he explained. "I also observed that you earn a lot of double takes when you pass by the other bands. And you don't know what guys say about you, you're quite a hot topic around here." I looked at him skeptically. "I'm not making that up."

I was kind of bothered by what he said about what boys say about me but I shrugged it off. "Well, I studied in an all-girls school so obviously, no boys and no suitors. And about those double takes? I 
probably get them 'cause I'm weird looking. I mean, my eyes are huge!" I said, facing him so he could see. "And, I know what I want and I can't let some boy get in the way of me and my goals."

There were a few moments of silence. He looked at me, his blue eyes holding mine in place. "Well," Garrett asked, his voice gentle, "what happens if you fall in love?"

I looked away and answered immediately. "That won't happen. I'm sure feelings can be controlled. That's what I've been doing for the past few years. All my feelings, I bottle up in me. I know I'd probably get sick with cancer or whatever doing that but I just choose to look on the bright side and forget all the bad things." I shook my head. "I tell you, I will never fall in love."

He still looked at me intently but I was looking somewhere else. "I sure do hope you're wrong," he muttered, his voice was barely audible. Well, that was what I thought he said. 

"What?" I asked. 

"I said I sure do hope you're strong, 'cause you know, love is a hard feeling to hide. I know, I've been there."

"Really, well, it's a good thing I am strong." I flexed my biceps.

He laughed. "Come on, the others are probably waiting for us."

"Right." I placed the guitar on the rack where put his bass and we went back up to the bus. 

"Where have you guys been?" Ashlyn asked. 

"We just went to practice some songs in the dressing room," Garrett told her. 

"Oh," she said. "Well, the others are waiting for you outside."

"Really? I didn't see them."

"Maybe they went to the dressing room." She smiled. 

"Oh okay, see you guys later." 

"Well?" she asked me. 

"He said he likes girls who are funny, honest, kind, and don't care about what others think of them. Oh, and he hates clingy girls."

"Well that's great! I'm funny and I don't care about what others think of me!" she said. 

"Yeah, sure." Not. 

"I'm going to win this." She smiled evilly then looked at me. "Thanks. You're not useless after all."

"Um, you're welcome. So, can I go now?" I asked. 

"Nope, not yet. I'm still not on a date with him, am I?"

"You want me to fix you a date?" You have got to be kidding me. I'm not a matchmaker for crying out loud!

"Yes. Just don't tell him it's me. Make it seem like a blind date or something. Then just let me do the rest." She spread another layer of lip gloss on her already glossy lips. 

"Fine. I don't have any choice, do I?" I asked in frustration. 

She shook her head. "No, you don't have a choice. And the date has to be tomorrow."

"Okay." 

Good thing Garrett and I just had the conversation about his type of girl or else I wouldn't have any idea about how to make this happen. Now I just have to lie and act all excited to save my butt.