Pieces

Chapter 25

Bri and I began to hang out regularly again and I realized how much I missed her friendship. She was still a bit distant, but I noticed a slight change in her when we would go to the gym together. She said getting to punch me in the face on the regular, really helped her to get over me, but I saw the way she looked at Paula and I don't blame her. She's pretty fucking hot.

Jess and Meghan have finally decided to give their relationship a serious go. So far, they've fought and made up so many times, we've lost count. They found out about our bet and forced us to hand over the money. I guess they're using it for a date night or something. I'm happy for them and I hope only good things for them.

Nina moved in with KP after a huge fight with her parents. Compared to Jess and Meghan, they have the more adult relationship. I've never seen them fight, at least not in front of us; if there's drama in their relationship, they keep it to themselves. They're always mindful and tender with each other. We're all a little jealous, to be honest.

Stephanie and Julian are together all the time now, like alllllll the time. If one didn't know better, you would think they're in a relationship. A very dysfunctional relationship, filled with shopping and constant cursing. I guess the love of dick can really bring people together. Who knew?

Bri and Stephanie are still best friends, but sometimes Bri needs a break and stays at my house for periods of time. I offered a spare bedroom to her on a permanent basis, but she declined and said it was weird. However, she still managed to move half of her things to my house anyway. I don't say anything and just let her be, it's nice to have her around, especially since Meghan has been spending most of her time with Jess.

We picked Ashley up the Sunday before Halloween and she hasn't left since. It's almost Christmas. She said she enjoys the Midwest's version of a big city, but I think she really enjoys the Midwest's version of the guys. She's thinking of buying land outside of the city and building a house on the property, so she can enjoy country living. I'll believe that when I see it.

Despite her celebrity, Ashley has blended well into our group, especially with Julian and Stephanie, but she and Bri seem to have hit it off and spend a stupid amount of time fucking with me. The incidences with the paps have been few and far between; most of them have been outside of Jess's bar or at our favourite place for brunch, but even then, they're pretty respectful and will blur out our faces before posting/printing anything.

One thing surprises me though...I'm sure Rebecca has seen the magazines and knows where we are, yet Ashley tells me, she hasn't attempted to contact her. Maybe she is angry that I ran away after her concert. Maybe she has moved on and found another. Maybe she realized life is much easier without me in it. Or maybe, she simply doesn't care anymore. I try not to dwell on it. Much.

I have spoken to Marcus often during his travels and he sounds happy for the most part. We've made plans for Christmas and he's going to stay with me, making my home a little congested, with Ashley living there and Bri always there, but "not living there." I don't mind, it's like having a family again.

The best thing about having a house full, is sitting back and watching it slowly be taken over by differing personalities. Marcus insisted on a real tree before Christmas, which was fine, but agreeing on one was another story. After many arguments, we finally decided on a large tree and by we, I mean, we all gave up and let Ashley have her way. She's very convincing and had a solid argument about the ease of decorating a larger tree.

This will be the first year I've had a tree in this house. It's not that I don't enjoy Christmastime, it's just that I've always gone home to spend it with my Mum. This will be my first Christmas without her as well. Luckily, Marcus has been jovial and insisted that my Mum would have preferred a happy Christmas for us. I'm so very grateful to have him.

We did Christmas at my house this year with our group of friends on Christmas Eve, that way everyone (except Marcus and I) can spend Christmas with their families the next day. We decided to do a white elephant for gift exchange, which was hilarious and a little traumatizing for poor Marcus. Stephanie and Julian must have shopped at the same adult toy store for the gifts. We know it was them. Who else would have chosen a giant dildo and a surprisingly eclectic collection of porn?

Those two, that's who.

After the gift exchange, we sat around and talked about everything, but mostly the opening of Jess's club, which was set for December 31st. The remodeling has already been completed and all that's left is the setup. Bri says she has it all under control and I have no doubt of that.

Our band is set to play before Ashley and we're meant to introduce her afterwards. She'll be the last act before midnight and should finish around 11:00 p.m. An hour should be plenty of time for errors or other unforseen circumstances, according to Bri. She has been brilliant as Jess's manager and it's been eye opening to watch her in her element.

After everyone left and I laid in bed that night; I thought about Rebecca. Where she is and what she's doing now. I sent her a card and bracelet for Christmas this year. This will be the first time I've sent anything since I left. I hope she's happy, wherever she is.

The next week was spent preparing the band and the club for the opening. As always, Nina kept us in line. We added Jackson, the newest employee, to the band, completing our need for a saxophone.

Ashley flew in her band and backup singers a few days before the opening and has spent a furious amount of time at the club rehearsing, whilst Bri practically moved in there. Our band did a practice set there once, but have been banned since, per Bri's orders.

Whatever. We have a studio.

Marcus decided to stay for the opening and has even taken a liking to teaching at the studio. He's not exactly musically inclined, but he tries to help as much as he can. I don't know what he said to Carrie, but she has backed off completely since he's been there. If only I knew he had that power months ago, I would have flown him here in a heartbeat.

Stephanie has been swamped at work, leaving Julian lost without his playmate, which is a good thing, he seems more focused on the band that way. Meghan took the week off to help Jess at her bar, so she can handle the club affairs with Bri and have a little calm time before the storm.

Overall, these past few months have been a whirlwind, but exciting. My thoughts of Rebecca have been few with everything going on, but here I am on a Saturday, practicing with the band and thinking about the last time we performed together.

It wasn't with her band, it was actually in the studio. Most people wouldn't know, but I sang on a couple of tracks with her on her first album and wrote most of the music as well. If you look at the credits, I'm in there as Hannah D. I decided to keep my full identity to a minimum for Rebecca's sake and my own. The less people know about me, the less they can find out about our past.

It's been decided to give Nina the spotlight, because honestly, she's a natural and way more talented than the rest of us. At least, that's what KP says, but I secretly agree with her. I will perform one song, it will not be an original this time and I'll mostly be the backup for Nina. She deserves it. She reminds me of Rebecca, with her fierce determination and honest to goodness talent. I can't wait to see what the future holds for her.