okay guys this is the LONGEST chapter ever, but so worth the read :) it’s funny (i hope!) and brings a whole new aspect and adventure!! :D
and p.s. i tweeted about my fanfiction to Brian Dales on twitter and he tweeted me back!
Leave a review Brian if you’re reading :)
The next day I headed to the studio around 6, after spending the day watching YouTube videos and missing home. I checked my hair and lip gloss is the metallic walls of the elevator and finally stepped into the lobby,
“Morning Shelly,” I smiled at the receptionist sitting at the desk like I did every morning. She smiled back and I continued into Marks office. I laid my stuff down in the green room and wandered into the studio where I was met by 6 smiling faces.
“Britta,” Mark hopped out of his seat at the switch board, “so nice of you to join us.”
“I’m not late am I?” I laughed, “you said 6 this morning.”
Mark smiled, “nope you’re not late, it’s just about time you go here.”
“Alrighty,” I replied rolling my eyes, “Hey guys!” I waved at The Summer Set.
John twirled around in his chair with his lens-less glasses on and a string on twisler limply hanging out of his mouth, “hi Britta,” he smiled. John was probably the most attractive one in the band with his sculpted face and high cheek bones, but to me he was like a brother, we’d basically became best friends on the last tour.
Jess jumped out of her chair in all her gorgeousness and hugged me, “oh man it’s been friggen forever girlfriend, how’ve you been?” I loved her personality; Jess always knew how to put a smile on your face.
“I’ve been good, “I replied over her shoulder, “I missed you guys a whole bunch though.”
“We missed you too doll,” Brian winked. My heart fluttered for a second, and then I instantly felt guilty.
Josh and Stephen smiled and waved me over to sit down, “so how excited are you to do this song?” Josh gushed.
“Very, very, very,” I replied laughing.
Brian sat a few feet away from me as we all talked about how amazing the song would come out, I could tell from his face he wasn’t fully there. I pulled Jess aside,
“Hey what’s up with Brian?” I asked.
“You don’t know?” she wrinkled her brow.
“Well I’ve been a little out of the loop,” I explained, “you know being cooped up in an apartment and all.”
“Oh gosh,” Jess sighed and pushed the bangs out of her face, “Him and Chelsea broke up a few weeks ago, something about distance, he didn’t fully explain why.”
My heart hurt for Brian, “oh my god,” I whispered, “that really sucks, he really loved her.”
“Yeah, ya think?” Jess rolled her eyes at me and put her hand on my shoulder, “so I don’t know for sure, but recording this song might be a little hard for him. That’s why I’m glad he’s doing it with you, you guys can work off each other.”
“What do you mean?” I snuffed.
“Oh come on,” she slapped my arm, “don’t even try and pretend like you haven’t had the hotts for Brian since like forever.”
“I do not!” I gawked.
“Do too,” she stuck her tongue out at me, “but don’t worry, he know’s it’s just a baby crush, at least you can joke about it.”
“I guess you’re right,” I shook it off laughing.
We walked back to the circle and Mark nudged Brian’s arm, “hey yo buddy,” he smirked, “you ready to record?”
Brian shot up, “Hell yeah I am!”
“Alright let’s go,” I pumped my fist in the air and followed Brian into the sound booth. He put the headphones on and cleared his throat,
“You pumped?” he asked finally breaking out in a smile.
“Yes I am!” I shook my head with each word and put the headset on.
Brian gave Mark and thumbs up at the screeching beginning of “Where Are You Now?” filled my ears. Brian sighed deeply and closed his eyes; I could tell the lyrics were going to hit him hard. The acoustic guitar set in and he softly began to sing,
“I’ve been staying awake in the front seat for days
Let the wheel turn and take me away
Oh, the truth I must tell
Is I’m lonely as hell
Still looking for myself…”
I could hear the hurt in Brian’s voice and my heart sank, he didn’t deserve to be hurting, he was such an amazing guy. I looked over at Brian and began singing my part,
“It rains all day when you’re not around
And I’m trying my best to come clean with the clouds
They follow me around
I’ll dance ‘till the rain comes down…”
Brian joined me for the chorus and I lightly sang the melody,
“Stuck in the sand with the waves at my feet
And I wish you’d come crash into me
‘Cause where you are is where I wanna be now
Where are you now?”
Brians face started to fall as he sang the net verse and I placed my hand gently on his shoulder blade and mouthed, “Just breathe.”
“And I know I’m not perfect but what the hell
Do you think of me now?”
As my hand slowly began to sling back to me it dragged down Brians arm and when it reached his hand he quickly linked pinkies with me,
“Do you think of me now?” I sang locking eyes with Brian,
“They say that love is for the patient
Gotta plan for being restless for now…”
Before Brian sang his next verse he adjusted his hand and soon all out fingers were intertwined, he looked up at me and smiled, I had to admit I was glad he wasn’t feeling crappy.
“Hope I’m more than a cheap trick you played on yourself
But I do it so well,” Brian sang still locking eyes.
“Yeah, I’m doing so well,” I began my part, “They follow me around,
I’ll dance ‘till the rain comes down…”
Brian joined me on the chorus,
“Stuck in the sand with the waves at my feet
And I wish you’d come crash into me
‘Cause where you are is where I wanna be now
Where are you now?”
The instrumental break set in and we continued to grasp hands, Brian sighed in relief and looked up at me and smiled, “thank you,” he mouthed.
“No problem,” I mouthed back, “you alright?”
“I’m better now,” he replied before he had to sing again,
“But when I leave
She walks and she talks and she stirs my feet
Like she’s sleeping next to me…”
I knew I had to “Hah” the harmony in the background and continued until the end of the song.
“It doesn’t matter where we are
It doesn’t matter where we are
It doesn’t matter if we’re states apart
She loves me…”
We dropped hands and Brian slowly took off his headphones and walked towards the door, Mark hadn’t even hit “end” yet and at the end of the song you can hear the door open, from Brian, close, open again, from me, and close again. Mark wanted to delete it, I suggested we keep it.
Brian joined the rest of the band back in the studio and sat down, I followed and kept my eyes on the floor, I didn’t know how to feel about the situation.
“Well guys, that was great!” Mark finally announced breaking the silence.
“Thanks man,” Brian replied, “and thank you Britta, for helping me get through this.”
“No problem Bri,” I replied taking a seat next to John, “I know how it feels to need someone when you’re hurting.”
Everyone looked at each other and smiled, getting the song done was a huge milestone that only The Summer Set had passed, but I did myself. Recording this song was a dream and I had just watched it come true.
“Well,” Josh stretched, “what does everyone want to do now?”
“I want to get fucking smashed,” Brian admitted rubbing his eyes.
Everyone agreed and slapped hands, “one problem!” I broke through the celebration, “none of us are 21.”
We all turned and stared down Mark, “oh no, oh no no no,” he backed up.
“Come on Mark,” I whined, “I deserve to be able to get drunk after the way you’ve been working me.”
“Yeah and come on we have to get Britta and Brian drunk so they can fuck and get it over with and stop undressing each other with their eyes,” Jess teased.
Brian looked up in shook, his eyes widened and jaw dropped, “you did NOT just say that,” he gawked putting emphasis on the “not.”
“Jess, you bitch!” I scream-laughed, “I’m going to kill you.”
For the first time in a while I stopped missing home and started to just feel free, I’d probably had more fun spending an hour with The Summer Set than I did having lunch with Taylor Swift…well maybe not that much fun.
Mark ended up buying us a few bottles of Smirnoff Vodka and we retired to my apartment, after a few shots we were feeling a little loose.
“Hey Britta,” Brian slurred as he stumbled over, “you got Harry Potter on DVD? I uh, I wanna show you my wife Emma Watson.”
“I thought I was your wife,” I teased hoping I was speaking to the right Brian since three figures of him stood in front of me.
“Oh you are,” Brian started laughing, “just don’t tell Emma,” he sloppily put his finger up to his lips and “shhhed.”
Jess flopped down on the couch and kicked off her shoes, “I want to go swimming!” she screamed.
“Jess, It’s fucking November!,” I yelled back, “and there is NO WAY I’d let you get in a pool right now!”
“Oh be quiet you,” she shot up, “I’m not even that drunk,” before she could finish her sentence her arm slipped off the couch and landed on the floor. Half of her face hung off the edge of the couch and she started laughing hysterically.
Josh and Stephen stood in the kitchen mixing different combinations of juices I had in the fridge with their vodka,
“This is going to taste SO FUCKING GOOD,” Stephen exclaimed pouring lemon juice, cranberry juice, and ice cubes into his glass, he was obviously very excited about the mixture.
“Well check this shit out!” Josh announced and held up his glass, “chocolate sauce, cherries, a little cranberry juice and straight vodka trick.”
My stomach turned, “Josh that’s disgusting,” even intoxicated I knew that was going to taste nasty.
“Bottoms up!” Stephen and Josh yelled simultaneously and chugged their drinks, “Ahhh,” they slammed their glasses down and squeezed their eyes shut.
“Hell yeah!” they high fived.
“Ugh,” John groaned, “sorry to sound like a party pooper, but I’m exhausted.”
John hadn’t drank much and had spent most of the night on the deck watching the stars, it amazed me how different him and Stephen were, John was so much more artsy and mysterious, I liked it.
“Well, I don’t think it’s safe for any of us to drive,” I replied trying to hatch a plan, “and your guy’s hotel is pretty far away.”
“Yeah,” John agreed shaking his hair, “can we crash here?”
“Of course,” I smiled, “I don’t see why not…” I looked around the living room, “the couch is pretty small out here.”
“Yeah and I think Jess already called the couch anyway,” John laughed and looked over at the nearly unconscious Jess face down on the couch.
“I’m not asleep,” her voice muffled into the cushion, “I’m just resting my head.”
I laughed and tried to think of sleeping arrangements, “uhm okay, in the bed room there’s like a little room like cave thing,” I tried to explain, “if you go in there there’s a cot, somebody can have that.”
“Alright, sounds good,” John yawned and scratched the back of his head moving his hair up and down, “I guess I call that.”
I smiled and took another sip of my drink, “sounds good.”
“You got any good books?” John asked.
“Uhm random,” I replied laughing, “yeah I brought a few with me, they’re on that shelf right there,” I pointed towards the case next to the TV.
“Sweet,” John eyed the books, “usually I read before going to bed, you mind if I check some out?”
“No that’s fine,” I waved my hand in the air, “knock yourself out.”
John walked over to the case and crouched down, soon finding a book that seemed interesting he returned to the porch and sat down on the concrete.
“I should probably go get the cot out so we can figure out who’s sleeping where,” I slurred to Brian before stumbling towards the bedroom.
“Not if I get it out first!” he ran past me and flew open the door.
“Hey, no fair you cheated!” I ran after him, “you don’t even know where the cot is!”
I ran in the room and looked all around for Brian but he’d disappeared, “SLAM” the door shut behind me and I jumped, just as I whipped around Brian snuck out from behind the door where he’d been hiding and tackled me to the ground.
“What the hell,” I screamed, “you scared the shit out of me.”
“I’m sorry,” Brian smirked and pinned my arms down to the ground.
I tried to wiggle out of his grasp, “let me go!” I giggled.
“Nope, not happening” Brian smiled and pinned me down harder.
Biting my lower lip I watched as the three images of Brian faded into one and I didn’t know if it was the alcohol or the fact the my head was spinning because of the alcohol, but before I knew it Brians lips quickly crashed into mine, and mine crashed back.
“Brian,” I whispered, “did we just kiss?”
“Oh shit,” he sat up, “I think we did.”
“Holy shit, we did, didn’t we?” I sat up rubbing my forehead.
“Yeah, we did.” Brian dazed.
This went on for about five minutes, I couldn’t believe we’d actually kissed, but I couldn’t fully process the situation with a gut full of Smirnoff.
“We kissed,” Brian whispered in disbelief.
“This is doesn’t leave this room,” I warned.
“No of course not,” Brian stood up, stumbled and caught himself on the wall.
“Let’s uh, let’s get the cot out so John can go to bed,” I suggested standing up.
“Good idea,” Brian let go of the wall and followed me to the little cave.
“That kiss,” Brian began, “it was an ‘I’ve got a crush on you, you’ve got a crush on me, let’s do this and it’s over’ kiss right?”
“Yeah, I think that’s what we can call it,” I agreed.
“Okay,” Brian smiled, “well I’m glad my first ‘I’ve got a crush on you, you’ve got a crush on me, let’s do this and it’s over’ kiss was you.”
“My first was,” my heart stopped, “Eric.”
“Oh,” Brians face fell, “you don’t have to tell him about this, we were just messing around, we’re friends right? It’s just like you kissing Jess.”
Laughing hysterically I clutched my stomach, “for one; if I kissed Jess, Eric would probably want to hear about it,” I steadied myself on the wall, “and Brian I don’t really think kissing after having a crush on you, for like what 3 years, is not messing around.”
Brian laughed, “well you can tell Eric you kissed Jess if you’d like,” he rolled his eyes, “but this can be our secret, I promise.”
“I like having secrets with you Brian,” I purred and grabbed the cot.
“Damn girl,” Brian sucked his teeth, “watch yo self.”
We set up the cot and awkwardly walked back into the living room, but were soon relieve when no one seemed interested in what went down in the bedroom. Jess sat on the couch staring at the TV, John was comfortably reading on the porch and Josh and Stephen continued to mix drinks in the kitchen. I looked over at the counter and almost all my food was laid out and organized,
“Guys,” I called over to the chemists in my kitchen, “what are you doing?”
Josh laughed and slid across the floor on his socks, “we’re making ultimate drinks!”
“With my cereal and goldfish?” I asked trying to focus on what was on the counter.
“Well, we’re not using everything,” Josh lilted.
“Alright guys,” I waved my arms in the air, “we are all WAY too drunk and need to sleep. Josh and Stephen put my food back in the cupboards, and the vodka in the fridge.”
“Fine,” they whined and started putting the stuff away.
“Brian,” I looked up at him, “can you carry Jess into the bedroom, I don’t want her sleeping out here alone, you know in case she stops breathing.”
Brian laughed and walked over to Jess, “hey buddy,” he tapped her shoulder, “you ready for bed?”
Jess looked at him and poked his nose, “yes I am!” she announced.
Brian flipped off the TV and swooped Jess up in his arms, “you got any blankets for her?”
“Don’t worry about it,” I replied, “there are blankets I brought from home and a whole extra bed set in the hall closet.”
Brian shook his head and carried Jess into the bedroom, I stumbled over to the closet and grabbed a few sheets and pillows. Throwing them in the bedroom I noticed John still out on the porch,
“Hey lovey,” I called out to him after sliding the door open, “you ready for bed?”
“Yeah,” he replied standing up, “thanks for letting me borrow your book for the night.”
“No problem,” I replied once he was inside. The tip of his nose was pink and he was shivering, “aren’t you freezing?” I asked.
“No I’m alright,” he replied rubbing his arms, “living in Arizona all my life, I’ve learned to embrace the cold, I like feeling out of the ordinary.”
“I see where you’re coming from,” I replied leading him to the bedroom, “being from Connecticut the first thing I looked forward to in Arizona was the warm weather.”
Josh and Stephen finished cleaning up the kitchen and filed into the bed room behind us, John claimed the cot and Josh and Stephen lay down with Jess on the multiple sheets and blankets on the floor.
“Sorry I don’t have pj’s for you guys,” I apologized once they were settled.
“It’s alright,” Stephen slurred, “I like sleeping in jeans, makes me feel tough.”
Snorting I was laughing so hard I replied, “Alrighty Stevie, try and get some sleep,” I stopped laughing once I realized Brian and I were still standing and the only place left open was my bed.
I looked over at him awkwardly, “ready for bed?”
“Uhm hm,” he cleared his throat and we each headed for a separate side of the queen sized bed.
Brian got settled and I realized I was still in my close, shuffling out of bed I rifled through my dresser for pj’s and padded towards the bathroom. I changed quickly and looked at myself in the mirror, I looked fucking wasted, looked like we had reached our goal.
Stumbling back to bed I crawled under the covers and turned over to face Brian,
“Are you fucking naked?” I asked noticing he wasn’t wearing a shirt.
“No,” he laughed, “chill, I took my shirt off. I can’t sleep in shirts.”
“Whatever,” I mumble laughed before drifting to sleep.
* * *
The next morning I woke up my head pounding, but I then realized the pounding was coming from and outside source. Crawling out of bed my head floated, and I was still drunk from last night, the hangover wouldn’t set in until about noon I’d guessed. Brian shook awake hearing the pounding also, but everyone else lay undisturbed. I slumped to the door and pulled it open, the kitchen and living room were empty and surprising clean after last night’s events. The pounding was coming from the front door,
“Jesus,” I groaned, “who is hear so damn early.”
Dragging my feet to the door I slowly unlocked it and pulled it open, I sobered up instantly when I saw who it was,
“Surprise!” Eric exclaimed throwing his arms around me, bag in hand.
“Britta,” a sleepy-eyed shirtless Brian came stumbling out of the bedroom, “who’s at the door?
FUCK.
