Left on the Sidelines

-Nash-

We had the next three days off, so we all decided to go to the park near our hotel and hang out. After about an hour, Danielle ran back to the hotel to get her guitar and I met her under one of the trees near the playground. We'd been wanting to write a song together for a while, but were never able to actually find the time to do it. We thought since we finally had a couple days of free time, we would see if we could come up with anything.

We managed to write the lyrics in under half an hour, which was a new record for me - although I'm sure it wasn't for her. She began strumming random chords and within another hour, the entire song was almost finished. She sang the second verse quietly and then looked at me and said something.

"Huh?" I asked, suddenly coming back to reality. I'll admit, I wasn't really paying attention to what she said. Her voice always had that effect on me.

She sighed, but smiled, "I said after we come up with the bridge, I think we're done with the song."

"Okay..." I paused to think for a moment, "What about 'Need me the way that I need you. Kiss me the way that I kiss you recklessly. Give me everything, baby.'?"

"I love it!" she exclaimed, "Now we just have to put it all together!"

"Will you sing it?"

"Are you actually going to listen this time?" she giggled.

"I make no promises," I grinned, kissing her cheek.

She rolled her eyes and laughed quietly, "Go get everyone because I know they're gonna hear it and I'm not singing it twice." I chuckled, standing up and walking the short distance to the picnic table where we had lunch to get the rest of the group.

"Hey, guys," I said as I walked up to them, "Danielle's about to sing the song we wrote if you wanna come listen."

"Finally!" Maren screamed, jumping up and running to Danielle.

"We thought you'd never finish!" Caity shouted, following closely behind her.

"You can tell which of us have never written a song before," Ryan chuckled, taking Jenna's hand and pulling her up as Jamie did with Katia.

"Ah, the songwriters have finally decided to join us," Danielle smirked as we made our way back to her.

"Rude," Caity pouted, pushing her shoulder.

"When you write a song in less than 10 minutes, get back to me," she teased. I shook my head and laughed, sitting in front of her. She took the notebook I had written the lyrics in and set it in my lap.

"Do I look like your music stand?" I joked.

"Unless you have one hidden in your pocket, yes," she smiled sweetly, leaning forward and giving me a quick kiss before she began playing her guitar quietly and telling the group, "This isn't by any means an official thing, so if you think there's anything we need to change, let us know." They agreed and she started playing a bit louder.

I’m so obsessed, don’t care how dumb I look
You must be bad cause you make me feel good
The more I’m with you, the more I’m hooked
Oh, yeah

Tonight, I’ve gotta confess the way you look in this light
I can’t catch my breath
Feels like my world is on fire; It burns in my chest
Tell me you feel it, too

We’ve got nothing to lose

Just touch me the way that I touch you
Love me the way that I love you recklessly
Give me everything, baby

Touch me the way that I touch you
Love me the way that I love you recklessly
Give me everything

I'm trying to wake up and be beside you
Been acting crazy, so what if that's true?
You got me doing things I don't do
Oh, yeah

Tonight, I’ve gotta confess the way you look in this light
I can’t catch my breath
Feels like my world is on fire; It burns in my chest
Tell me you feel it, too

We’ve got nothing to lose

Just touch me the way that I touch you
Love me the way that I love you recklessly
Give me everything, baby

Touch me the way that I touch you
Love me the way that I love you recklessly
Give me everything

All I want is you and me, I want you recklessly
I need you next to me tonight
All I want is you and me, I want you recklessly
I need you next to me tonight

Need me the way that I need you
Kiss me the way that I kiss you recklessly
Give me everything, baby

Touch me the way that I touch you
Love me the way that I love you recklessly
Give me everything

All I want is you and me, I want you recklessly
I need you next to me tonight
All I want is you and me, I want you recklessly
I need you next to me tonight

"That was amazing!" Jenna exclaimed, throwing her arms around Danielle.

"Seriously," Ryan chuckled, patting my back, "I don't care whose album this goes on, but it needs to go on one of them."

"Don't look at me," Danielle laughed, "I'm no where near ready for making an album."

Katia pushed her lightly, "Please! This is like, the sixth song you've written!"

"All you would need is five more at the most," Ian added.

"What ever happened to that band we were gonna form?" she remarked.

"You're too famous for us now," Caity sighed.

"I wouldn't go that far," Danielle giggled, shaking her head.

"I think you should be a solo artist," Jenna told her.

"Seriously?" she asked, obviously in shock.

"Well, why not?" she shrugged.

"I just... We planned on being in a band. I would feel bad going into this business without you guys..."

Katia smiled, "We're still gonna be there with you. We could play the instruments on albums and tours and stuff, we just won't be in photoshoots and things like that."

"But I-"

"No," Caity cut her off, "You're doing it."

"RCA might sign you," Ryan suggested, trying to lighten the mood, "We can discuss it with them after the tour." She simply sighed, knowing she wasn't able to convince us otherwise.

A little while later, the guys and I wanted to go play a game of soccer while the girls decided to sit and watch. After a game, we sat down and rested. We noticed two kids around 4 and 15 staring at us not far away from where we were.

"I think we've got ourselves a couple fans," Ryan chuckled as a girl who looked about the same age as Danielle grabbed the kids' hands and start pulling them toward us.

"Hi," the girl smiled, "Sorry about my sisters. They're really big fans. I mean, I am too, but I'm slightly better at controlling myself."

Ian laughed, "It's nice to meet you guys! What are your names?"

"I'm Alyssa. This is Leah-" she nodded down to the little girl before the older one, "And this is Maddie." Leah whispered something in Alyssa's ear and Alyssa replied, "I'm sure they would, but you have to ask them." She looked up at us nervously and started playing with the them hem of her shirt.

"Will you take a picture with us?" she asked quietly.

"Of course we will!" Ryan smiled. Alyssa pulled out her phone as the guys and I stood between them. She took the picture and Maddie rushed over to her, whispering in Alyssa's ear as well. It was actually adorable how nervous she was.

Alyssa shook her head, "Madison, you're 15 years old. If you want to know, you have to ask." Maddie let out a frustrated sigh before looking at me.

"Is Danielle here, too?" she asked, almost whispering. I smiled at her before turning my head and shouting Danielle's name. She looked over at me and I motioned for her to come to us. She set her guitar down and, along with the rest of the girls, walked over.

"What's up?" she asked as I laid my arm across her shoulders.

"Someone wanted to meet you," I chuckled, introducing her to Maddie and her sisters.

She smiled, "It's so nice to meet you!" Maddie's mood quickly changed from being nervous to being overwhelmed as she hugged Danielle tightly. We looked at her worried - she wasn't really the type of person who liked to be hugged by people she didn't know - but she wrapped her arms around Maddie as well.

"She's had a rough time lately with guys and just life in general lately," Alyssa explained. "I honestly believe you're helping her get through it," she said, looking at Danielle, making her smile and hug her tighter. She moved her hands to Maddie's shoulders and pushed back to look at her.

"I am so proud of you," she told her, "I know it may not seem like it now and it won't happen overnight, but I promise you, it will get better." Maddie smiled and nodded slightly and Danielle hugged her again.

"Are you guys coming to the show on Friday?" Ryan asked.

"Oh, no," Alyssa smiled sadly, "We wanted to, but we really can't afford it right now."

"That is not the answer I wanted to hear," Danielle shook her head, "Come stop by the venue at around 5 and we can hang out after our sound check."

"Are...are you sure?"

"Yup!" she smiled. The girls thanked her and gave us all hugs before leaving.

"Danielle," Jamie said, the confusion very apparent in his voice, "Sound check starts at 5."

"I know," she smirked, walking back to get her guitar and going back to the hotel.

Over the next three days, we hadn't really seen much of Danielle. Of course, this would be cause for concern to most people, but not for us. She always preferred to be alone when she was trying to write a more serious song. The next time we saw her properly was right when we had to leave for sound check.

"This must be a really good song if you were working on it for three days," Ryan commented as we piled into our rental car.

Danielle smiled widely, "I'm pretty proud of it. And before any of you ask, no, you can't hear it yet."

"When will we hear it though?" Katia pouted.

"Soon enough," she teased.

We arrived at the venue and had run through our first song when Jenna came running into the room, "They're here!"

"Bring them in, silly!" Danielle exclaimed. Jenna came back with Alyssa, Maddie, and Leah just a few moments later.

"I thought you said sound check ended at 5? We're not early, are we?" Alyssa asked nervously.

"Yeah, I might have lied about that," Danielle shrugged, "Sound check started at 5. But I have exciting news!"

"What?" Leah squealed, making us all laugh.

"I talked to Taylor and she said she would be more than happy to give you guys backstage passes for the show tonight!"

"Seriously?" Maddie's jaw dropped.

"Seriously!" she squeaked, "But you have to be okay with me filming you guys as part of her tour diary."

"Of course!" Alyssa gasped, "Thank you so much!"

We finished the rest of sound check and the girls met Taylor before the show was about to start. We finished our set, going backstage to the girls and laughing as they sang and danced along to Taylor's songs. About halfway through her set, she began talking to the audience again.

"Now, this is usually the point in the show where you would all get to take a breather while I go change outfits, but we thought we would do a little something special for you all tonight. I'm sure you all know who this girl is by now and if you don't, well, you're going to," she smiled, "You already met her earlier when she and the boys in Hot Chelle Rae performed Why Don't You Love Me: Please help me welcome Danielle Myers!" We all watched in confusion as Danielle walked out on stage with her guitar and microphone, hugging Taylor before she went off to change. She slid her microphone into the stand and moved her guitar from behind her back.

"Hey, guys!" she smiled as the crowd screamed. "Before I get started, I just wish you all could see everyone at the side of the stage right now because they look so confused," she laughed, "To give Taylor the maximum amount of time possible to get changed, I'm going to perform three songs for you guys, is that cool?" They screamed again and she continued, "Alright, if any of you have ever heard any song I've written, I want you to just yell it as loud as you possibly can." The majority of the people who'd heard her songs shouted Honestly, so that was what she sang for them.

When she finished singing, she went on, "For the second song, I wanted to do a cover, so I decided on a song that's very special to me by one of my favorite bands. How many of you have heard Therapy by All Time Low?" The venue erupted in screams and she smiled again, starting the song.

My ship went down in a sea of sound
When I woke up alone, I had everything
A handful of moments I wished I could change
And a tongue like a nightmare that cut like a blade

In a city of fools, I was careful and cool
But they tore me apart like a hurricane
A handful of moments I wished I could change
But I was carried away

Give me therapy, I’m a walking travesty
But I’m smiling at everything
Therapy, you were never a friend to me
And you can keep all your misery

My lungs gave out as I faced the crowd
I think that keeping this up could be dangerous
I'm flesh and bone, I'm a rolling stone
And the experts say I'm delirious

Give me therapy, I’m a walking travesty
But I’m smiling at everything
Therapy, you were never a friend to me
You can take back your misery

Arrogant boy
Love yourself so no one has to
They’re better off without you
They’re better off without you

Arrogant boy
Cause a scene like you’re supposed to
They’ll fall asleep without you
You’re lucky if your memory remains

Give me therapy, I’m a walking travesty
But I’m smiling at everything
Therapy, you were never a friend to me
You can take back your misery

Therapy, I’m a walking travesty
But I’m smiling at everything
Therapy, you were never a friend to me
And you can choke on your misery

"For this last song," she said when the screaming died down, "I kinda wanted to do something more serious. I've been working on this for about five months now, but only really had inspiration to finish it over the past three days. On Tuesday, I had my first interaction with a fan - not one of the guys' fans, but mine - and I wrote this song for her." We looked at Maddie and she had her head on Alyssa's shoulder, obviously trying not to cry. "But this song is dedicated to everyone that ever feels like they aren't good enough. Like everything they do goes unnoticed. Like their road to recovery seems as though it will never end. Whether you walk out of this stadium a fan of mine or not, I want you to know that I'm proud of you for having the courage to get out of bed and face every single day. Nothing I say can prepare someone for what life will throw at them, but whether it's one person or 10,000, I want you to know you're not alone." She smiled and began the song.

When heaven seems so far away
And dreams are just a memory
Without the dark the light won't show
Remember that you're not alone

When you watch the world just turn away
And break the promises it made
When love is all too hard to hold
Just take a breath and let it go

Whoa, whoa
Whoa, whoa
Whoa, whoa
Just keep breathing, breathing, breathing

Whoa, whoa
Whoa, whoa
Whoa, whoa
Just keep breathing, breathing, breathing

2am, too tired to sleep
When what you want's not what you need
And when these walls don't feel like home
Remember that you're not alone

The beginning's just another end
It's not too late to start again
When hope is all too hard to hold
Just take a breath and let it go

Whoa, whoa
Whoa, whoa
Whoa, whoa
Just keep breathing, breathing, breathing

Whoa, whoa
Whoa, whoa
Whoa, whoa
Just keep breathing, breathing, breathing

When heaven seems so far away
And dreams are just a memory
When love is all so hard to hold
Just take a breath and let it

Go, whoa
Whoa, whoa
Whoa, whoa
Just keep breathing, breathing, breathing

Whoa, whoa
Whoa, whoa
Whoa, whoa
Just keep breathing, breathing, breathing