Page 139 of Fame & Rhythm

He doesn’t talk to me.

And I don’t talk to him.

But I miss him.

God, I miss him.

Not just as my boyfriend, but as my best friend.

The person I told everything to.

The one I could call for no reason at all.

I’m nineteen now.

And I’ve only ever loved one person.

Aston.

And every night, I try to forget that.

I go out, I drink too much, and I try not to think about that night on the sofa in Recoil’s green room. About how everything changed.

Ella’s sneaking out too.

Sometimes we leave at the same time, but she always disappears somewhere else. I don’t know who she’s seeing, but it’s definitely someone. She makes too much of an effort for it to be anything else.

Tonight will be no different.

I’ll sneak out.

Find someone who doesn’t know me.

Kiss them. Drink too much. Pretend, just for a little while, that I’m not completely broken.

The strange thing is, no one recognizes me there.

To them, I’m not a rock star.

I’m just the girl from a big house.

And honestly…

That suits me just fine. Because if anyone did find out what I’ve been doing…

That would ruin everything.

Nine Months Later

It’s been nine long, torturous months, and now it’s February—Dad’s fiftieth birthday.

We’re throwing a party at the manor, and everyone is coming. Which sucks, because it means I can’t sneak out tonight and disappear into town. Instead, I have to stay here.

With everyone.

With him.

Not that anyone outright hates me, but most people avoid me these days—especially the Souldings.