Before the Fame

That night, I tossed and turned in my sleep. Nick enjoyed and loved the kiss? I couldn’t help but smile when I woke up the next morning. I dreamed about Nick kissing me on my birthday again.

I climbed out of bed and immediately went to shower, brushing my teeth and hair afterwards feeling a lot better. I changed into this feeling the smile still evident on my lips. As I walked to the bus, I took a deep breath as my eyes landed on the same person I dreamt about; Nick. He stood in black sweat pants, white V-neck, black and white Converses, and a black jacket his hands in his pockets.

Our eyes met and a smile appeared on his lips causing me to smile brighter as we walked half-way to one another. Of course, he spoke first.

“How are you feeling?” he asked in a soft, concerned tone. I shrugged, swallowing before I decided to respond verbally.

“I’m fine,” I answered in a slightly scratchy tone, but it sounded a lot better than the previous day.

“You sound better, too,” Nick agreed.

“Did you wanna talk to me or something?” I asked out of curiosity.

“You mean why I am out here so early?” he asked as though he were reading my mind. I nodded.

“I just wanted to feel the fresh air,” he answered. I raised a brow skeptically at his answer.

“Really?” I asked in disbelief. He nodded in return as I shook my head at him before speaking again.

“You’re a horrible liar,” I got out as an even brighter smile covered his lips.

He scratched the back of his neck as he spoke.

“Who ever said it was a lie? Maybe I took a walk. Maybe I had some things on my mind. Did you watch the video we made?” he asked causing me to nod again.

“Yeah. Thanks for dedicating Just Friends to me,” I answered. Nick’s smile faltered at my words.

“O-oh yeah. No problem,” he said nonchalantly, but I could tell it was forced. He wanted to say more, but didn’t. A sigh escaped me before I finally got onto the bus with Nick following in suit behind me.

…

-Some hours later-

Finally, the sound check arrived and it was time to see if I was really getting better. I was getting ready to sing Fly again, clearing my throat as I began to sing, the lyrics flowing easily and clearly out of my mouth. I didn’t strain my voice nor did it sound bad. It wasn’t up to par with my usual voice, but it was good enough to hit the notes at least a few times.

When we sung On the Line, however, it cleared up dramatically. I smiled as my sound check came to an end, the guys coming up to do their sound check. As I stood back stage watching them, Miley walked up next to me. At first I thought she wasn’t going to say anything like she’d been doing, but when her voice filled the air, I was shocked.

M: So I have a question.
S: *turns towards Miley to give her full attention*
M: If you knew a friend whose boyfriend liked another friend, would you expect the other friend to tell the original friend?

I blinked as I turned my head from her, my eyes on Nick again as they performed Just Friends. I swallowed, not answering her.

M: I take that as a no.

Guilt filled me as I thought of her situation. But what was I to do? I couldn’t say yes, but I couldn’t say no either.

M: I guess that’s why he likes you better, then, huh?

S: W-what?

M: Nick.. I can tell he likes you more than he likes me.

S: I don’t know what you’re talking about.

M: *scoffs* Oh, please Sam. From day one he’s talked about you. It only got worse when you guys met at the TCA’s. Don’t pretend like you didn’t know.

S: H-how was I supposed to know? He’s with you. You guys have been together for-

M: -Almost two fucking years! I hate you!

S: *stares at Miley as she suppressed the tears*

M: I hate that you’ve done absolutely nothing and he’s in love with you.

S: No, he loves you, Miley.

M: That’s what I thought, too, but obviously he’s falling out of love with me and is starting to grow feelings for you.

S: I don’t think so.

M: Oh? How do you figure?

S: For one thing, if Nick was falling for me, don’t you think he would have told you in advance that he had feelings for me?

M: *listens* Go on.

S: Second of all, wouldn’t he have broken up with you when things were really bad between you two?

M: Nick isn’t like that at all! When Nick gets into relationships, he’s in it for the good and the bad. Think of it this way; if you had feelings for someone even if you were with someone else, would you tell them you had feelings for that person?

I was at a loss for words. How was I supposed to respond to that?

S: I don’t think Nick is that way. He’s more honest with you and his family than he is with anyone else.
M: *stands in silence*

I walked towards the guys plastering a smile to my lips as I joined them. But Nick could tell something was wrong with me instantly.

“You alright?” he asked silently when I stood next to him as the questions began from the crowd of people whom attended the sound check.

I didn’t answer him, but swallowed my saliva as I answered a question that was directed to me.

“Um, do I have a crush? Like a celebrity crush?” I asked to make sure I heard the girl correctly. She had long, brown hair like mine and dark brown eyes that were filled with interest as she nodded feverishly.

I bit my lip before answering her honestly.

“Yeah, I do.”

The crowd squealed as another girl asked the obvious question that followed after the first.

“Who is he?”

I sighed deeply as an actor came to mind and fell out of my lips as an answer.

“Hayden Christensen,” I answered with a bright smile.

The crowd squealed in agreement as Joe picked the next girl. I looked out of the corner of my eye at Nick who bit his lip in jealousy, but maintained his composure as he was asked a question. The rest of the question time was much like that causing an awkward air to fill between Nick and me and I hated it. I hated it with every fiber of my being.

But I wasn’t going to have it anymore. When the sound check came to an end and the fans filed out of the arena, I walked away from my mic as Nick walked up to Miley taking her by the hand as they practically ran off. I continued my pace realizing quickly that Nick was intentionally doing this so I spoke.

“Hey!” I called causing them to stop in their tracks. I stared coldly at Nick as he turned around and our eyes met.

“I need to talk to you,” I said in a firm tone.

He whispered something to Miley whom nodded before resuming her path to her bus without him. Again, we walked half-way to one another before he spoke.

N: What?

S: *scoffs* What do you mean ‘what’? I need to talk to you.

N: Yeah, well, what about?

S: Why were you jealous earlier when I said I had a crush on Hayden Christensen?

N: *scoffs* I wasn’t jealous.

S: Yeah right.

N: I don’t really have anything to say about the matter.

S: Why not?

N: One, because I don’t care. Two, it’s your life. And three, I have someone I need to give all of my attention to.

S: Is that so?

N: Yeah, it is.

S: If that’s true, then why did you say that last bit on the video?

N: *stands in silence before avoiding gaze*

S: You did it for a reason, Nick and if I remember correctly, it was because you had feelings for me.

N: *exclaims loudly* I don’t have feelings for you!

S: *stares in disbelief* W-what?

N:*repeats more calmly* I don’t have feelings for you.

S: So you used me again?! What the hell is wrong with you?!

N: *stands and listens*

S: First you kiss me the night of my birthday and the same night agree to treat me as just a friend. Then, two weeks later, I get sick and you and your brothers create a video of the concert I missed which you add your bit at the end about ‘loving’ and ‘enjoying’ our kiss. You even admitted you have feelings for me, but now you say you don’t?! Make up your mind already!

N: I was wrong about having feelings for you. They were a spur of the moment thing that I felt momentarily.

S: Bullshit, Nick!

N: I’ve gotta get back to Miley-my girlfriend. *begins walking off*

S: Fine! DON’T EVER TALK TO ME AGAIN, NICHOLAS! WE’RE NOT FRIENDS ANYMORE!

I watched him walk back to Miley’s bus that day, but that didn’t stop me from performing to the best of my abilities for the next couple of weeks. I was done with Nick. I was so sick of him and his indecisiveness. It was time to start focusing on me-or at least I thought it was that time.