MASTERMIND - H.S

Chapter 15

*• April 2013 •*
- Los Angeles, USA -
~< Miscommunication Leads To Fallouts >~

A EVERYTHING WAS A BLUR. From the countdown after the opening act finished and going onstage. The curtain fell down and the screaming and cheering from the crowd got louder and louder. When the boys came out for their performance, it passed in a second.

Addie barely even glanced at Paola as she passed by her section in pit. The one time she looked at her, Paola was more invested in her phone than the show. There were so many fans who would kill for that front-row seat and Paola was taking it for granted.

Addie wished she'd never invited Paola in the first place.

She then decided to act as if Paola didn't exist. Maybe if she ignored Paola, she'd magically leave Addie's life.

Addie then stood in front of the microphone stand, and someone handed her her guitar. Addie cleared her throat, beginning to strum the chords.

"So, I wrote this song in this world of the '40s about living the luxurious life and falling in love when you're seventeen and just the feeling of that magic," Addie explained, looking around into the crowd, "And it's about feeling so utterly free when you're in love. And I... I want to dedicate this song to my parents, who couldn't make it but were always a role model to me about what love was supposed to be like. This song is called Starlight."

Addie had always seen her parent's story, meeting in high school and getting married right when they turned eighteen and thought it was such a magical thing. Maybe her parents weren't always there for her, but they'd always been in love.

And maybe Addie had done this song specifically for them and because they were supposed to come to the show, but it didn't matter. It was fine.

Completely fine. So fine.

When the show finished, Addie was rushed into the car so they could avoid getting stuck in the end-of-concert traffic. At least Addie wouldn't have to face Paola again tonight. That was a problem for tomorrow.

Usually, Addie would go back to her house after a show, but it was almost midnight and her house was an hour away from the stadium, so she was spending the night at the same hotel as the others.

Addie was the first to get in, and she went straight to  the back with Zayn. Harry ended up right in front of her, and he twisted around to look at her. "You okay?"

Addie shrugged, avoiding eye-contact with him. Harry seemed hurt by her coldness, and he sat back down in his seat, quiet.

Everyone began talking about how great the performance had been, the excitement and adrenaline still coursing through their veins.

But Addie was looking out the window, blocking out their voices and focusing instead on the passing street. She couldn't quite let go of that hurt in her chest that had been reverberating through her since hours earlier, from Paola's humiliation.

There was exhaustion hanging heavy on Addie's shoulders, making her smiles a little weaker than usual; her laughs a little more fake. It was what made holding back the tears until she was alone that much more difficult.

A hand was tapping Addie's knee and she turned to face the raven-haired boy, looking at her with exhaustion and contentment in his eyes. He held up his hand in a silent question.