“Phone’s ringing. Someone get it.”

“Who’s phone is it?” Kate asked. Dave shrugged and threw it at Clint.

“Hello?” Clint asked cautiously. I could hear a voice on the other line, but I couldn’t distinguish who it was. Liv came over to sit by me.

“I think it’s your phone, Nati,” She told me. I gave her a look and pushed over on the couch.

“Nati, it’s for you,” Clint said. I squished up my brow and took the phone from him.

“Hello? This is Natalia. May I ask who’s speaking?” I said professionally into the phone. I had no idea who I had given my phone number out to in the past few months. It could have been anyone.

“Nati! What’s up N-dog?” The voice resonated. A smile immediately appeared on my face.

“Kerri! What’s up? I gave you this phone number?” I shouted into the phone. Kate squealed and ran up beside me.

“HI KERRI!” she shouted into the phone. I giggled and tried to hear what Kerri was saying.

“What? I can’t hear you, Kate’s being annoying,” I said, and pushed Kate away from my ear.

“I was just asking you if that was Clint that answered the phone,” Kerri said.

“Yeah that was him,” I told her.

“Oh my god, he sounded so hot! I am so jealous of you guys; you’re so lucky you get to live with him! He is so damn sexy!” Kerri giggled.

I rolled my eyes. “Hey, Clint,” I called, “Kerri says you’re so damn...”

“Nati! Don’t!” Kerri shrieked into my ear. I laughed and took the portable phone into the boys’ bathroom so I could hear what she was saying.

“What’s up K? How come you’re calling me?” I asked her. She grunted into the phone.

“Well that’s a really nice thing to say. I just wanted to let you know that I am at the L’Capitrent Hotel in Rouen,” Her voice relayed this information to me with a hint of excitement.

“Huh?”

“It’s in France! I’m in France with my ballet camp! We’re performing Swan Lake, Natalia!” She shrieked into the receiver. I held the phone away from my ear as she told me the wonderful news.

“Oh my god, that’s great! I can’t believe it! We’re in Paris! Hold on, let me put you on speakerphone,” I said, and rushed back to the people.

“Hey! Kerri’s here in France,” I told them, while switching on the speakerphone. “Kerri can you hear us?” I asked.

“Yup. Hey you guys,” She cooed.

“Hi Kerri! Why are you in France?” Liv asked her. Now she has to go through the whole thing again...

“I’m here with my ballet camp. We’re performing Swan Lake. I’ll be in Rouen for about three weeks. Isn’t that great?” She cried.

“That’s great! Congratulations! We should get together sometime. I think Rouen is about 45 minutes away or something,” Sara said.

“I don’t think its 45 minutes, but its close,” Dave contradicted.

“Who is talking?” Kerri asked. Kate jumped up and ran around to Scott.

“This is Scott. Scott say hi,” She said and pushed him in front of the microphone.

“Hi Kerri. Looking forward to meeting you,” Scott said in the sweetest voice possible without making Kate want to smack him with the back of her hand.

“Hi I’m Clint. I believe we’ve met before,” He told her. I could hear Kerri’s faint giggles and I shook my head softly.

“Where’s Bob? Get Bob out here to say hi too,” Kate instructed Dave. He sauntered over to Bob’s room and knocked on the door.

“Hey, come out here. You’re being summoned,” He shouted to the boy behind the door, and then walked back and jumped on the couch.

“This is Bob. Hello Kerri,” Bob said and yawned.

“These couches are squishy. I like them a lot,” Dave laughed. Clint rolled his eyes at him.

“Yeah and the queen on the couch is Dave. Davey, say hi!” Clint said, mocking Kate by dragging Dave to the phone.

“Hey Kerri. You’re the one they always shriek about,” he said in a very uncharacteristically Dave way.

“Yeah. And you must be Dave. You’re the one N-Dog always talked about,” Kerri said, obviously not aware yet of the past few weeks.

“N-Dog?” Bob said turned to me with a big dumb grin on his face. Scott was cracking up.

“Shut the hell up. I happen to like all of my nicknames. Antichrist’s forever right?” I said to Kerri. A squeal erupted from the receiver.

“Oh Yeah! Antichrists forever!” She giggled. “Hello all of you. So, what’s going on?”

“Actually, we’ve got a concert in two days. Why don’t you come and see us? We’ll send you the tickets and passes,” Liv told her. We were all psyched to see Kerri, provided she wouldn’t be so incredibly busy for the next two weeks.

“Oh shit. I don’t know. I’ve got practices during the daytime and performances at about five. When is the concert?” she asked. Sara winced. We probably wouldn’t be about to see Kerri unless we went to one of her performances.

“I think it’s at eight. But don’t feel obligated to come. Obviously, we have more free time than you do. We’ll come to one of your shows instead,” Kate told her.

“No I think I can make it. During the week, we only have practices until five. The performances are on the weekend. If the concert is next Tuesday, then I can make it for eight. Send me the tickets and I’ll be there for you,” She said. Sara did a little dance of joy.

“Ok, we’ll have someone bring them over tomorrow. We can’t wait to see you K!” I shouted into the phone. Kate, Liv, Sara and the guys echoed.

“Bye and see you soon!” Kerri cried. We hung up the speakerphone.

SARA

“Check! Check, one, two,” Scott’s voice echoed throughout the enormous, but empty, music hall.

“That was beautiful! Best performance of the year!” Liv quipped from the side stage. She gave the boys two big thumbs up before returning to the backstage where we were anxiously waiting for Kerri.

“What time is it? Do you think will find the place easily?” Nati whined and paced back and forth on the multicolored carpet.

“Quit it or there will be a hole in the rug,” Kate said, raising a hand to her forehead in pain. Nati threw a bottle of aspirin at her, and it hit her on the nose.

“Stop it! You are so damn annoying,” Kate said, taking two of the aspirin and swallowing without water.

“Kerri!” I shouted, once I saw her appear sheepishly with Frank. She beamed and ran over to us.

“Hey Sara! I missed you guys so much!” She gave me a big hug and continued to spray her light.

“KERRI!” Nati shrieked and jumped around the couch to get to her friend. She stood quietly next to her for a second, just smiling contentedly. Then she jumped out and hugged Kerri, laughing delightedly. “We missed you more!”

Kate sauntered over with Olivia. “Hello! Did you find the music hall easily?” Kate asked her calmly after hugging her friend.

“Oh yes. Of course. So, OLIVIA!” Kerri giggled and gave Liv a hug too. We were all so incredibly happy to see someone from our home. Being so far away from all our friends and family was a difficulty that resulted in endless long-distance phone bills and a shortage of stamps.

“So…. Where are the guys?” Kerri asked slyly. We knew Kerri had guys on the brain. I love her, but she isn’t getting my Bob.

“I wish that I could hold you... Touch you... Feel you...” Scott’s harmonious voice crept backstage. Nati smiled and pointed over in the direction of the stage.

“They would be at sound check. You can meet them later. They need to practice. Do you want anything? Something to drink? Are you hungry? An eggo perhaps?” Nati suggested, slowly segueing into a Dr.Evil impression. Kerri played along, shaking her head no and trying to hold in the laughter.

“No? Nothing? A hot pocket? No?” Nati continued. Kerri shook her head. “Ok. Well, I’d like a drink. Anyone else?”

“Get the damn drink and come back,” Liv said, shooing her away. She left us to talk.

“WELL! How are you? How is everyone back home? Any big improvements or experiences since we last were there?” Kate probed her with questions, barely letting Kerri talk.

“They’re all fine. What have you guys been doing? How much longer until the guys are done?” Kerri asked, sideswiping the questions thrown at her.

“Oh, they should be done any minute now. You can go watch them from the wings. When they come back, we’re gonna have to go change for our set. You can either stay here or go watch in the audience,” Nati said as she returned with an orange soda. She twisted the pop-top until it came off and then stuck it into her pocket.

“Can we go watch them? I’d like to see your show too,” Kerri said, getting up. We brought her to the wings where the guys were practicing.

“Oooh! Clint is sooo hot!” Kerri squealed. Liv playfully hit her.

“Yeah. But he’s my Clint. So, back off, bitch,” She said jokingly. Kerri started to giggle, catching the boys’ attention. Dave waved eagerly from behind the keyboard. Bob nodded amiably. Scott and Clint were too caught up in the song to notice.

“Ok boys. That’s it for ‘check. Go wash up and get ready soon,” Frank told them from behind us. I jumped a mile high.

“Don’t scare us like that! Frank, this is our friend Kerri. She’s come to see the show,” I explained. Kerri smiled demurely to Frank’s curt nod.

“Hi. Well, just don’t let the fans see her,” He spewed out before running off to see to the last minute problems.

“What’s up his ass tonight?” Kate asked. Nati shrugged and gulped down the rest of her soda.

“We’re in France. Everyone’s uptight. Let’s go,” She reasoned, leading us back to the couches with the boys following us. Ooh…Bob always looks so hot after a performance. He has a rosy glow about him.

“Hi! You must be Kerri. I’m Scott. Sorry we’re a bit sweaty. It’s hot out under those lights,” he said, offering his hand for Kerri to shake. She took it quietly. Scott smiled and pointed out his brothers.

“That’s Bob, that’s Clint, that’s Dave,” He told her. She nodded thankfully and turned back to us.

“Dave! Get the fucking notes right! It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to play keyboard,” Clint ragged on the already testy Dave.

“Well I guess that makes you a fricken rocket scientist, doesn’t it? Play your own damn instrument and let me play mine,” He shouted back. We watched the fight silently, a few giggles and smiles peaking from our lips.

“Damn it Dave. At least, HIT the keys. You can barely hear the music. It sounds like some little baby is randomly hitting the keys. Fuck, even SARA plays better than you!” Clint yelled at his brother. As much as I would be offended by that comment, I’m not sure it’s the right time to butt in.

“You’re not supposed to get hit with an explosion of music CLINT-ON. There is supposed to be a light hint of the tinkling of the keys in the background. It sets the mood and pulls everything together,” Dave defended his instrument.

“That’s the gayest comeback I’ve ever heard. Actually Dave, keyboard is just the right instrument for you. Maybe we should give you a triangle too? A little tinkling one to put in the background,” Clint ripped at his brother.

“Fuck you Clint. Get the hell off my back ok? I’m not perfect,” Dave said back. He was slowly diminishing.

“That’s for fucking sure. Are you positive you don’t need a triangle? How about a bright purple one to match your personality, gayass?” Clint quipped. Nati was getting bright red with anger. She might have been avoiding Dave, but she was getting pissed. Clint should have known better.

“Get the hell of his case Clint. What the fuck did he do to you anyway? What’s the problem?” She spoke out, the first one to break the fight. The boys looked stunned that she would intrude like that.

“Stay out of this Natalia,” Dave told her bitingly. Natalia shut her mouth, wounded, and walked back to our dressing room.

“Wonder why the hell you couldn’t get with Natalia. She seems like an easy fuck. Would have done you, anyway. But oh! That’s right. You’re a gayass. Don’t like the girlies,” Clint rambled on. Liv’s mouth dropped and she didn’t know whether to kill Clint or storm off herself.

“What the hell was that for? You fucking take that back Clint!” Dave charged at his brother, fist reared back, knuckles ready to meet with flesh.

“Get this dick off of me!” Clint shrieked as Scott and Bob tried to pry Dave off his brother. They pulled him back to the dressing room. Kate looked ready to pound the living shit out of Clint. Maybe it would have been a better idea if they took Clint away instead.

Clint shook the wrinkles out of his track pants and Hawaiian shirt. He sauntered over to us, “So you must be Kerri. Sorry you had to witness that. You know how it is, sibling rivalry. Nice to meet you.” He said, wide smile on his lips.

“Well! Yes, nice to meet you too,” Kerri turned to us with a confused look on her face. “I’m going to go wait out with the audience now. Come visit me up in the balcony during their performance. Tell Nati I’ll see her later.”

“Bye K,” We called after her and a bouncer showed her the way to the front of the hall. Kate waved goodbye to Kerri and then spun around to face Clint.

“Ok, Clint. What the FUCK was that? If you’re fighting with your brothers, fine, work it out. But keep my friends OUT OF IT,” She said harshly. Good thing Nati wasn’t here to hear all of Clint’s remarks.

“Ahem…” Bob coughed. We had forgotten all about him. He sat quietly in the corner, watching with a smug grin on his face. Clint noticed and rolled his eyes. He picked up a fallen towel and walked to the dressing rooms.

“I think we should go get ready,” I said. I think we should go see how Nati is. I hope that Dave didn’t tell Nati what Clint said. She’d go on a killing spree.

“Ok. Um, see you after the performance,.” Scott called after us. We ran down the hallway, our laughter echoing off the walls.

KATE

“Somehow the nights, they’ve turned into days. We’ve made it better now, we’ve fixed our ways...” Liv’s vocals drifted just barely past the screaming fans. I plucked the strings of my bass and smiled widely.

“Thank you! Good night!” We waved to the crowd. A shrill whistle came from the left side balcony. We whipped our heads to the direction of the noise.

“WHOOHOO! GO NINE LIVES! YEAH!” Kerri screamed. We laughed and waved.

“OW! Kerri! Bye!” Nati shrieked and stood up on her drum stool, waving wildly with a drumstick in each of her hands. She jumped over the drumset, landing perfectly and walking calmly off the stage to the wings.

“Natalia, that was cool. But don’t ever do it again,” Frank told her. She smiled and laughed.

“Come on. Let’s go see Kerri up in the balcony. We can watch the boys play and no one will get to us,” Liv said, jumping up and down. She grabbed hold of my arm and started to drag me to the stairs.

“Frank, can we go watch from the balcony with Kerri? I don’t want to sit around for a half an hour playing crossword puzzles,” Sara whined. Frank nodded and turned back to his clipboard.

“YAY!” Nati shrieked, and raced up the stairs to the balcony. Kerri was already chanting “Moffatt’s! Moffatt’s!” with the rest of the crowd. Liv and Nati joined her as they walked up behind her.

“Hey Homie K! How’d you like the show?” Sara yelled over the fans. Yeah, like she can hear a word you’re saying. A shrill of piercing screams can from below as the guys ran out on stage.

“How’s everybody doing tonight? Are you ready to get jiggy with it?” Scott said into the microphone. Okay I have to remember to tell him that song and statement it SO old.

“I love you Clint!” Olivia and Kerri screamed in unison as soon as the shrieks died down to let Dave announce ‘I’ll be there for you.’ All the guys looked up at the balcony and laughed. God my boyfriend is hot. Ooh...

“Na na na na na na na na na...” the boys belted out. I sat down and yawned. After hearing the same stuff repeatedly, you get somewhat annoyed with it.

“Come on Kate! Get up and dance you party pooper!” Kerri shrieked above the crowd. I shrugged and got up on my feet, clapping my hands along with the beat.

“Saw you this morning with that look in your eyes...” Dave sang beautifully as he came out from behind the keyboards and walked over to our balcony. Natalia beamed, almost forgetting she was supposed to hate him for a second.

“When you’re down and feeling blue...”They all sang. Dave slowly made his way to Clint, who was playing for the other side of the audience with his back turned around. Liv and I looked at each other suspiciously.

“What the hell is he doing? He needs to get back to the keyboards to play the Nanana part,” Nati hollered to us above the shrieks of the fans. We watched intensely as Dave crept up behind Clint with an outstretched hand.

“What the...” I muttered under my breath. Kerri was laughing uncontrollably, at Dave’s evil slithering.

“You know you’ll never be alone anymore...” Dave sang the lyric before grabbing a hold of Clint’s tearaway pants and ripping them off. The audience shrieked in horror and surprise as Dave grinned devilishly and then ran back around to the keyboards just in time to play his part again. Clint whipped his head around, stopping playing his instrument to grab the nylon pants.

Silence came from the five of us. We watched as Clint’s fury took over. HE ripped the bass guitar off his body and placed it gently on the ground before charging at Dave, still in his boxers and the pants in his hands.

Dave saw Clint coming at him, and ran around Bob just out of Clint’s grasp. The two of them played a game of cat and mouse about the stage, circling Scott and Bob.

“Get over here you little prick! I’m gonna kill you!” Clint threatened as the two ran around Bob for the third time. Scott and Bob could barely keep a straight face. Finally Bob lost it and threw his drumsticks into the air, hitting Clint in the head. Bob just laid his head on the snare drum and shook with laughter.

“DAVE! CLINT! GET OVER HERE NOW!” Frank screamed from offstage. Scott whipped his head around and ducked in time to get out of the way of the speeding drumstick, aimed at Dave’s head.

“Dad! Help me! He’s gonna kill me with a drumstick!” Dave shrieked while trying not to laugh at his currently pantless brother.

“Please! Sing along with us! Headed on a highway...looking for adventure...”Scott sang, trying to lighten the tension. The audience didn’t know what to do. Neither did we.

“Sara come on!” I yelled pulling her down to the backstage area. Natalia followed to help stop the blood shed.

“Frank? Do you want us to help?” I asked him as he was waving his clipboard around.

“DAVE! CLINT! GET OVER HERE!” Frank yelled. Okay I guess that means yes...

Dave started running towards his father’s direction, helping to lure Clint backstage also. It worked but they ended up collapsing on the couches in the main backstage. Frank turned to us and pointed to their instruments.

“Get out there and start playing,” He barked at us. Sara jumped and rolled her eyes. We waved to the crowd and took our places.

DAVE

God, that stung. I placed the warm facecloth on the open cut on my knee. Clint had gotten a little too feisty with the drumsticks when we finally got backstage. I felt like Nancy Kerrigan.

Maybe I shouldn’t have done what I did. But Clint had been getting on my fucking nerves for the past couple of days. I hate being a damn pushover but somebody needs to be when everyone else is so stubborn. I have no idea why Clint was being so harsh on me. I didn’t remember doing anything to piss him off. Well, not purposefully anyway.

A knock came at the door. I spun around, tossing the somewhat bloody facecloth into the corner of the room. “Hold on a sec!” I shouted, and shook down my pant leg. I hopped onto the couch and winced at the pain.

“Come in!” I called. The door opened, showing Natalia on the other side. What the hell was she doing here? I thought for sure she’d be laughing her ass off at me with Kerri or something.

“Hi. Um, I wanted to see if you were ok,” She said quietly. I motioned her to come in; she did, and shut the door. “How are you doing?” she asked.

“Oh, me? I’m fine! Couldn’t be better,” I said, trying to ignore the pain racing up my left leg. Jesus Christ, I don’t think Clint needed to hit me THAT hard.

“Bullshit Dave. I saw Clint with murder in his eyes. How hurt are you?” She asked. I squished over on the couch to make room for her. My mind wandered for a moment. I tried thinking of the last time Natalia and I had really spent time together. I knew I still missed her, greatly.

“Emotionally? Or physically?” I asked her, trying to lighten the situation. She pursed her lips and leaned back on the couch to get comfortable.

“Either,” She sighed. Was she really concerned about me? God knows I can’t predict Natalia. But then sometimes I can. I hoped to God she still had feelings.

“Well, I have no goddamn idea why Clint was being so horrible to me today, or yesterday. He’s been really irritable and it’s getting to me. I mean, if he had been ripping on everyone, then I wouldn’t care so much. But why just me? He didn’t need to be so harsh,” I said to her. Natalia listened intently and nodded for me to go on.

“He really hurt me. It wasn’t just the comments on my playing. His work hasn’t always been the best either. But he was really out of line when he called me gay. I mean, there’s nothing WRONG with gay people...Do you know what I mean?” I asked her. She nodded reassuringly. Then she did something I never thought would happen.

Natalia pushed over closer to me on the couch, close enough for me to feel her breath on my cheek. I watched her moves like a hawk, not being able to anticipate a single one of them, but still hoping for a clue.

Wrapping her arms around my neck and laying her head on my shoulder, she began to comfort me. “Dave, I’m sorry for your brother. Something must really be bothering him. But it can’t be you. I know you’ve been so tolerant of everything lately. Maybe you went too far with the joke onstage. But Clint was way past too far already.”

I sat in shock, just breathing in the coconut scent of her hair. Was this really happening? After all this shit with Clint, it took that much to get her attention again? She pulled back from our embrace and studied my face.

“I understand you. So you’re a bit...effeminate. Well, Clint’s a bit of an asshole,” Natalia joked. I laughed.

“That’s for sure,” I muttered. Now that what done was done, what was going to happen to Clint and I? Dad had already suspended us from the rest of the concert. I had a feeling we were going to be in serious trouble. Or at least I was.

OLIVIA

“Hey, Liv, are Dave and Clint coming with us?” Kate asked me after the concert. The fans were piling out of the hall and the rest of us who lived through the fight were planning our night out with Kerri.

“I don’t think they will be. I know Dad, if he does something he sticks to it. Clint and Dave are probably going to stay back in the tour bus,” Scott said. Was he even mildly aware of his hypocritical answer? Exactly how many times has he conned his father out of giving him a punishment?

Sara had seen the irony also and responded with the rolling of her eyes. “Anyway, are there any good places to go? I so don’t want to go to a nightclub. They are too crowded and smoky. I want to be able to talk in a normal voice and HEAR things afterwards.”

“How about a diner? Just a plain old diner. Where we can sit and eat and talk and nothing else,” Bob suggested. That sounded boring. I hate just sitting around. Besides, Clint needs me. Something must be wrong if felt like he needed to be so hurtful to his brother.

“Well I don’t care where you go. I’m going to stay with Clint,” I told the group. Kate scoffed.

“Olivia, this is probably the only time you are going to see Kerri. You can see Clint as much as you want. Come with us,” She pleaded. But I wasn’t convinced. I wanted to stay with Clint.

“You can’t make me go. I’ll see Kerri when we get home. Sorry. I have to stay with Clint,” I informed them. I wasn’t being stubborn, I was just being loyal to Clint.

“Does Clint always have to come first Liv? You’re so stubborn,” Kate whined. I folded my arms, lay back in the couch, and sniffed.

“I’m not discussing it,” I ended the fight before it begun. Concentrating on the fruit bowl in the middle of the table in front of me and tuning out the conversation of my band-mates around me, I tried to figure out what was going through Clint’s mind. He had no reason that I knew of to be so mean to Dave. But still, if he’s staying home, then I do too. I can see Kerri anytime.

“Ok Olivia, well we are leaving now. Last offer, are you sure you don’t want to come out to dinner with us?” Scott asked me as he slipped on his broken in leather jacket. I smelt the heady aroma of the leather and shook my head no. He shrugged and sighed.

“Well we’ll be back around ten or eleven. We have a cell phone or two just in case. See you, “ Sara said. The five of them left me alone in the backstage to ponder my own thoughts.

“I guess this is where I go to check on Clint,” I said aloud to myself. I stood up and stretched before turning down the hallway our dressing room. In order to keep the peace, Clint was in Nine Lives’ room, and Dave was in the Moffatts’.

“Hey...Where’s Nati?” I wondered, gently pressing my ear up against the door of the Moffatts’ dressing room. I didn’t hear anything, which was a good sign. Next was Nine Lives’ room. I knocked softly and placed my hand on the doorknob.

“Clint? It’s Liv. Can I come in?” I asked. I heard a shuffling and then silence. I knocked again.

“Clint, please. Let me in. I stayed home for you. I could be out with Kerri and my friends, but instead I stayed with you. The least you can do is let me in,” I pleaded. I heard a cough and then a soft acknowledgement.

“Come in,” Clint told me. I turned the knob and entered the room. Clint lay on his stomach on the floor. His pants had been replaced back on his body and he looked mad at the world.

“What’s up?” I asked him. He turned over to face me and put his hands behind his head. I sat cross-legged on the floor and put my head in my hands.

“I hate him. I fucking hate him. Could you get me a drink?” He said. Sometimes he can be so random. It’s funny. I got up and went into our little mini-fridge, pulling out a coke for him and a sprite for me.

“Thanks. I’m never talking to him again,” Clint told me, popping open the can of soda and sipping it slowly.

“Well why the hell were you so rude to him before? You were really mean,” I said. He shrugged and propped himself up on his arm.

“I don’t know. He was just pissing me off. I was frustrated. He couldn’t play the instrument for shit! We don’t even need a keyboard player. All you need for a band is guitar, drums and bass,” He growled. I wasn’t going to argue with him right now. He looked too destroyed from the afternoon’s torture to understand how wrong he was.

NATALIA

I lay on his chest, eyes closed, just concentrating on the rhythmic beating of his heart. It comforted me; made my own heart mimic the powerful yet barely audible beats inside his chest. It scared me; I realized how close we were becoming again. We had fallen asleep with each one clinging to the other for support. I couldn’t exist without him, nor him without me.

“Natalia? Are you awake?” Dave whispered softly into my ear, making my neck prickle with sensations I hadn’t felt in weeks. I turned me face towards his in response.

“Sleep well?” I asked, half giggling in surprise that we both let down our guards so low. He nodded slowly and smiled down at me. I had forgotten his radiant smile that he reserved just for me, just for times like these. We never needed sex to realize how perfect we were for each other. We knew our universal love from the smiles we shared, the looks we exchanged, the kisses we cherished.

“Time to get up. The rest of those guys must be looking for you. Don’t you want to go out with Kerri or something?” Dave asked, getting nervous. He felt uncomfortable with the rapidity we turned to one another.

“They already left. Bob came back in here for his jacket a long time ago. My guess is that they went out,” I confessed to him. He narrowed his eyes at me in suspicion and doubt.

“And you didn’t leave? Why?” He questioned. I couldn’t be mad at him for doubting me. I had been so goddamn troubled the past few weeks that something as earth shattering as our mutual naptime must have been something between a dream and a slap in the face.

“I wanted to be with you,” I said calmly. His sharp features melted and he smiled again, reassuring my worried mind that he indeed did love me still.

“Thank you,” He said, and wrapped his long and sleek arms around my torso. I again concentrated on the beats of his heart, this time letting them only comfort me.