One Day Like This

Prologue

Emily was a girl with a plan. And not just any plan. The best of plans. Well, maybe not the best, but where she lacked in creativity she made up for in determination.
While other fans might be able to come up with truly elaborate schemes to get to their idols, they would never actually muster up the courage to act on them.

Emily was different. She made plans with the intent to follow through. And that is exactly what she did on the night of the Toronto concert.

She had it all worked out. When the band made their run after the show, she'd grab Guy by the arm and pull him aside. At first she thought she'd simply kiss him or something and then let him walk away in shock or fear or whatever. But she understood that she would never achieve her goal of getting close to Guy if she did that. She just wanted to take him aside for a few minutes to show him what she was like as a person, and then she'd let him decide if she was worth spending time with or was just another psycho fan girl that should be carefully avoided.

All she wanted was a conversation. She never expected things to turn out the way they had.


Chapter 1

Emily had been waiting outside the back doors for over half an hour. It was ridiculous for her to have come so early, she knew when these concerts ended. She had been there since 10:30. But she was so nervous that she just couldn't sit still. She had been pacing back and forth in her hotel room replaying everything she wanted to say to him in her head. Eventually, the small enclosed room simply drove her to insanity and she had to get up and really walk. After walking the 5 blocks it took to reach the stadium, she finally felt her head clear, and she began to relax.

I can do this. I know I can. I will do this.

She repeated these words over and over in her head. There was no way she was backing out now. Not after all she had put into this. All the time, the preparation, the research. Just no way. She was going to have a conversation with Guy Berryman, and she was going to have it tonight.

***********************************************

After what felt like an eternity, she finally heard the first notes of Life In Technicolor ii from inside the giant building. And she felt her heart begin to speed up.
Almost time , she thought nervously.

Before she knew it, the last note was played, and by the way the crowd was cheering, Coldplay had taken their bows and were heading out to the cars that awaited them. When she heard the doors opening, her hands started shaking.

Pull yourself together! Her subconscious screamed at her.

Then all of a sudden, she saw them jog out of the doors, laughing and joking and quite sweaty. She felt like she was going to pass out. But she pinched herself-hard- and stepped out of the shadows as Guy, who was last in the line, jogged up to where he was at a point where he was within touching distance. Unfortunately, she had forgotten to factor in the fact that Guy did not have super owl night vision into her plan. Guy collided into Emily and they both collapsed in a heap on the sidewalk.

"Shit", muttered Guy."Shit". "What the hell's the matter with you?" he lashed out angrily.

Damn it! Why did I do that? He already hates me now! Great. Way to think ahead Emily.

But as Guy sat up to see the face of the person he had collided with, she saw his expression soften.

"Oh hey, I'm sorry. I shouldn't...I shouldn't have yelled like that. Here, let me help you up."
He reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her up to a standing position. She noticed with surprise how large his hand was, and how strong. She didn't expect it to be that strong.

"Are you hurt at all?". His tone was heavy with concern. Emily managed to stutter out a weak "no". His expression turned serious.

"Are you sure?" He clearly didn't believe her.

"Yeah, I'm alright ." She spoke with more assurance this time, and that seemed to convince him.

"Hey...um....again, I'm sorry for being rude before, but you really gave me a shock". He chuckled.

"So, I'm guessing you're a diehard fan, and you really want my autograph or something?"

"Yeah, I am a fan. But I didn't come here for an autograph. I came here for a conversation."

"A.....conversation?", questioned Guy, clearly puzzled. Well that was unexpected , he mused to himself.

"Yeah. I want to just talk with you for a bit, if that's alright?" Although she had asked a question, she was slowly regaining her confidence and her tone proved it.

"Um.....sure, what do you want to talk about?" Guy was clearly still puzzled.

"Well, for starters, what do you feel while you're playing on stage? What's it like for you?"

"Heh. It's a pretty amazing feeling, but I don't know if I could really describe it for you." He shrugged, scratching his head.

"OK next question. I mean...if you don't mind?" she asked. He nodded, and she proceeded to ask him more questions on various subjects, that Guy happily answered, until he felt his phone vibrate. Pulling it out of his back pocket, he read it and frowned.

"What does it say?"

"They're wondering where I am." He sighed in frustration. Why did everyone around him feel the need to act like his mother?

He was actually a little surprised at his own irritation. They had a right to want to know what the heck he was doing. But the girl really intrigued him, and he didn't like the thought of having to leave. He wanted her to keep asking him questions. But even more so, he wanted to ask some questions of his own.

"Oh. So you have to go now?" She sounded like she was trying not to seem disappointed.

"Well, no I don't have to. As a matter of fact, I'm enjoying this little question and answer bit very much. I'll just tell them that I'll be back later."

"Oh you don't have to....." But Guy had already sent the message.

"Hey, it's getting kind of late isn't it? Why don't we get out here? We can go to my place. If that's OK." he quickly added.

"Sure". She tried hard now to let her excitement show.

They walked around to the front of the building and hailed a taxi. "5334 Main Street" Guy told the driver. "Ladies first" he said, opening the door with an exaggerated gesture. Guy climbed after Emily, and by the little car light in the backseat really saw her face for the first time.

She had amazingly green eyes, and fiery orange hair. It was so stunning he was surprised he hadn't noticed it in the dark. As his eyes took in the profile of her face, his heart started to beat faster. She was......beautiful. He found the word to be too bland to describe her, but used it anyway out of lack of a better one. Emily looked up, clearly wondering why he was staring blankly.

"Hey man, close the door already!" shouted the driver , clearly irritated. Guy snapped out of his trance, quickly mumbling an apology and shutting the door with a bang. Emily laughed.

"Hey, can I ask you a question? Just one."

"Sure, ask anything you want."

"Well don't get all interested. It's not a good question. I just want to know what your name is."

"Oh. OH. How stupid of me not to have mentioned it." She laughed again, this time out of embarassment.

"No, I should have asked earlier."

"It's Emily."

Emily.....Emily. Guy thought he could get used to saying it.


Chapter 2

Neither of them said anything for the duration of the car ride. There seemed to be some silent, mutual agreement between the two to keep their conversations private. They didn't want to speak and somehow take the magic out of their words. And especially not in front of the grumpy taxi driver, of all people. They wanted to stay in their own little bubble. But of course this didn't stop their thought from flowing freely.

I can't believe I'm actually in a car with him thought Emily with barely contained excitement.
I never thought I'd even get to ask more than a couple of questions, and yet I'm on my way to his hotel room so we can continue our conversation. I'm flattered that he finds me this interesting. I mean, he can't just be humoring me, can he? If he was, he never would have gone to these lengths. Would he?

Meanwhile, Guy was asking himself a few questions.

Why did I do that? Why did I invite her to come to my room? And why the hell do I feel so drawn to her? I mean, she is beautiful and everything, but still. What guy in his right mind would invite someone to their place so she could ask him more questions?

And to top it all off, there's absolutely no way I'm going to be able to escape any of the guys. As soon as I walk in those doors, they're going to be there, demanding some sort of explanation for my disappearance. Especially Will. Will is definitely not going to fall for any lie I try to tell him. But he's especially not going to believe the truth. I don't even believe it. Actually, I don't even know what the truth IS.

I have absolutely no idea why I'm doing this. Answering a bunch of questions shouldn't be this enjoyable. I should be bored by now. But I feel like I could do this forever...... all I do know is that I certainly don't need an interrogation from them. Fuck, anyways I'm giving myself more than enough of an interrogation for one night.

He turned his head from the window to look at Emily again. He caught little glimpses of her face in the light of the passing street lamps. His heart skipped a beat. What's wrong with me? he mused, frowning.

But before he had time to figure it out they had reached their destination. Guy quickly gave the driver his money and jumped out of the car, followed closely by Emily, who was also eager to escape the confines of the vehicle. Guy headed toward the doors of the hotel he was staying at, then stopped abruptly. No way am I dealing with them tonight. Will, Chris, Jonny, Phil, I love you guys, but I can't take whatever you have in store for me right now. Emily just looked at him, questions in her eyes.

"Come on Emily, we're not going to stay here."

Her heart jumped a mile in her chest when she heard him use her name for the first time. She managed to regain her bearings though, and asked "Why? What's wrong with this place?"

"What's wrong is that the second I walk in there I'm going to be bombarded with questions. Questions I don't want to answer." And can't answer he added silently.

"Oh. Wow. Is that how close you are with the rest of the band?"

"Huh?" Now that's what I call an intelligent response. Smooth Guy, very smooth.

"Well, I just figured that if you guys are basically on interrogation level with each other, than you must be really close. I mean, my mom used to do that kind of thing to me all the time. Soon as I walked in the door."

"Yeah, I guess we are", he noted thoughtfully. She's...something else.

"Annoying isn't it? Having people care so much?", she added with a laugh.

"Yes, very." he said, laughing awkwardly.

"Are you OK?" she asked, and by the look in her eyes Guy could tell she was still joking.

But although he laughed as he said it, he was completely serious when he responded "I honestly don't know."

"Why don't we go stay over there?" He pointed to a tall, stylish building across the street.

"Sure." Emily would have willingly agreed to anything he asked.

"But let's hurry, before they catch me lurking about."

He smirked, and they ran across the street and hurried into the hotel. Once inside, the first thing Emily noticed was a giant clock hanging on the far wall. The time read 12:15.

"Geez. We've been talking a long time Guy."

"I know."

"Well you should've told me how late it was. I would have shut up. I mean, you probably have an early flight to catch tomorrow, right?"

"Oh well, yeah, I guess I do. But it's OK, I like talking to you. You're interesting."
He smiled at her and Emily felt as though she might pass out again. Come on, think of something clever! her thoughts shouted at her.

"You're interesting to talk to too." Ugh. way to be clever, genius.

"Well, I'm sure you need your sleep, so I'll leave you be. Since you bothered to speak to me more so long, I'll take the liberty of paying for your room. Unless you want to go back to the other hotel?"

"No!" replied Guy, a little too loudly. "I mean....I really don't want to deal with the band tonight, you know? That can wait until I've gotten enough sleep so I won't end up strangling one of them for trying to talk to me."

She laughed again, and Guy couldn't help thinking what a nice sound it was. She turned then, and walked briskly up to the front desk. All of a sudden Guy remembered what she had just said and practically ran to catch up with her.

"Hey, wait up! I'm not... letting you.... pay.... for my room." He was practically out of breath when he caught up with her. Geez, when did I get so out of shape?

"One moment please" she told the lady at the front desk, then turned to face Guy.

"Emily, it's no trouble, really. I honestly enjoyed talking to you. I wasn't just humoring you. Well, at first I was, but then I realized how interesting you are...." Shut up! his subconscious yelled. Why are you rambling on and on? What are you even saying?

After today he was starting to wonder if there was anything he DID know. Whatever he had said must have sounded pathetic, because Emily laughed again. Then her expression turned serious.

"Well it's no trouble for me to pay for the room either. I'm paying."

She whisked back around and quickly booked two rooms, leaving Guy speechless.

You should have booked one room the devious part of her mind was thinking. Well I'm not going to scare him off! But he's leaving in a few hours. This may be your only chance! Oh great, I'm fighting with myself now. A real sign of sanity. Well anyways, what's done is done. The rooms are booked and that's that. I got to talk with him and that's all I ever wanted.

It wasn't of course, but it was all she dared to hope for.

"Goodnight Guy. Thanks for all this."

"G'night" he mumbled back.

He really wished he knew what his problem was. He felt aggravated all of a sudden, and grabbing his room key off the front desk, he stalked off to the elevators. He had noticed, with much curiosity, that she had taken the stairs. Interesting.....

He had seen her key; her room was on the 11th floor, room 1162. Yet she uses the stairs.... He chuckled to himself, but when he thought of her leaving his irritation swelled up again. Geez it's like I'm still a teenager.

He got out of the elevator and onto the 9th floor, finding his room at the end of a long hallway. Once inside, he turned on the lights and noticed a clock which read 1AM. Fuck, he had to catch a 7AM flight. He quickly turned the lights off again and fell into bed. He really was tired. he could feel it now. But as he lay there, he could tell that sleep wasn't going to come. Whenever he thought of Emily leaving, he felt that same irritation well up inside him. I want her to stay with me he decided. But why?

He didn't know. But he knew suddenly that he couldn't stay here. He practically jumped out of bed and before he knew it he was out of his room and heeding towards the elevators.


Chapter 3

Guy pressed the button for the 11th floor. He had no idea why he doing any of this. He got out, then walked down the long hallway until he reached room 1162. He stopped in front of the door. Now what, genius? Are you just going to knock? It's one o'clock in the fucking morning.

He knew he was crazy. He leaned against the door and sat down, back against the door. He put his head in his hands and sighed silently.

So I guess I'll just sit here...? he thought, defeated.
No, I can't just give up, I have to try at least. Try what? He was battling with his thoughts now. Try to find a way to be near her. Is that what I really want? He was fairly certain it was.

He stood then, and with confidence knocked three times on her door. He heard her opening the locks almost immediately. Maybe she couldn't sleep either? She opened the door and the look on the look on her face was one of concern.

"What's wrong Guy? Are you OK?"

She's....worried about me? Well it makes sense I guess. It's not exactly typical for someone to visit someone at one in the morning. But he felt and ache in his chest. For some reason, her concern made him want to cry. Get a grip!

"Oh....um yeah, I'm fine." No I'm not. "I just wanted to come and um....say goodbye to you properly."Where did all of that confidence go? he wondered with self-irritation. "Cuz my flight leaves at 7, and I didn't think I'd get a chance to see you again before I left."

Emily could feel her face light up. She was finding it increasingly difficult to restrain her joy.
I can't believe he came here just to do that. Maybe he.......No. She wouldn't let herself think that. She wouldn't give herself any false hope. I'm being ridiculous again. Obviously he just wants to be a gentlemen. There's no way there's anything else to it.

"Thanks Guy. But geez you freaked me out for a second. I thought something really bad had happened!" She laughed nervously.

"Sorry" Guy said, a dopey smile crossing his face. His face quickly turned serious though. "I didn't wake you or anything, did I?"

"Nope. The damned thermostat is what's been keeping me awake. It's broken, and the temperature is stuck at like 60 degrees. And to top it off, they didn't put any blankets in my room, only sheets. I've never heard of such a thing!" As if on cue, she shivered, then grimaced.

"You're cold?" Emily was taken aback by the gentleness of his tone; the softness of his expression; the concern clearly visible in his dark eyes.

"Well, it's not a huge deal." she added, shrugging. She didn't like to see him worry about her. But then she uncontrollably shivered again. Damn.

"That won't do." said Guy, shaking his head. "I can't leave you to freeze to death." He laughed lightly. "But seriously though. That wouldn't be right of me." he hesitated for a moment, thinking. "I could.....help you to keep warm, if you'd like. If I wrapped my arm around you...while you lie in bed.....it might help." He scratched his head and nervously shifted his weight from one foot to the other. What is my problem today, really? I'm turning into Chris, with all this nervous energy.

The oddest thing was that he was usually very confident with women. He had a knack for knowing what to say and how to say it. Nervousness and shyness had never been a factor before. Apparently that no longer applied. And to top it all off I just made myself sound like a creepy pervert that's just trying to get into her pants.

Truthfully, the thought had never even crossed his mind, which was also more than a little odd. None of this made any sense. Here he was, at the door of a beautiful girl's hotel room and yet all he wanted to do was put his arm around her, and maybe talk some more.

"Um..."Emily stared to answer, but she made the mistake of playing out the scene in her head.
Guy Berryman.....in the same bed as me.....his arm wrapped around me...... She felt herself start to sway and leaned against the doorframe for support. This was too much to take. "Su...sure, if...if you want."

"What's wrong?" Guy asked frowning worriedly. "Are you alright? Em?" When did she say he could call her Em? Without waiting for an answer, Guy was next to her in a moment, helping to support her weight. "Hey." He snapped his fingers in front of her face. "Hey! Are you OK?" he asked earnestly.

Emily had just opened her mouth to reply but didn't get the chance because Guy had already lifted her up in his arms and carried her inside and onto the bed, where he lay her down gently. Emily opened her eyes hesitantly, slowly refocusing.

"Are you alright?" asked Guy a third time. His eyes were large and filled with worry.

What the fuck is wrong with you, fainting like that! Pull yourself together! She pinched herself, hard, and the dizziness subsided. She sat up immediately. "I'm fine. Just overtired I guess." She grinned sheepishly.

Guy let out a sigh of relief. "You really had me worried there. I thought you were sick...or something...." he said, every word he spoke getting quieter and quieter until it was barely audible. He sat in silence for a moment, then smiled hugely. "I'm just glad you're OK."

Emily smiled in return, weakly. That smile! Is he trying to kill me?

"I really should go Emily. I've kept you awake for too long. You don't need to be bothered by me anymore, especially not at such a late hour. It's ridiculous...." I need to stop rambling on and on like this!

He stood up to leave, and as he did so, he put his hand on hers. He was going to say goodbye. But then he noticed how cold her hand was and remembered what he had said earlier.

"Oh shit. I'm sorry, I promised that I'd keep you warm tonight, didn't I? Well, if you still want me to that is. I know it's sort of a weird thing to ask." He looked down, averting his eyes from hers. He felt he owed those eyes some sort of explanation as to why he was acting so strangely. But he didn't have one.

"If you're sure you want to" said Emily, a small smile on her face.

"I do" he said, without hesitation. He stared at her a moment. "You really need to get some sleep. Into bed," he commanded, laughing. Emily laughed right along with him, climbing into the bed on the right side and pulling the thin sheet over her. Tentatively, Guy climbed in on the left.

"Are you sure you're not uncomfortable with this?"

Emily rolled her eyes discreetly. As if she minded this one bit. "Yes I'm sure!" she said, laughing again. Ugh I need to stop laughing she chastised.

"OK," said Guy, "you just lay on your side, and I'll wrap my arm around you.....like this", he said, putting his arm around her gently. "Are you any warmer now?"

"Yes, thank you." Warm? I'm practically on fire right now she thought. This is too perfect to be real. I'm actually in the same bed as Guy Berryman .And he's sort of hugging me. The thought was almost too much for her to bear.


Chapter 4

"You getting tired yet?"

Hah. How could I sleep under these circumstances!!?? she thought with a level of exhilaration she had never felt before. "Can we talk some more?" she asked.

I should say no. She needs her rest. But........ But she had suggested what he had wanted most from her, strange as it was. He couldn't say no. So they lay there, talking, until it was practically daylight. Emily was finally started to nod off. She had become tired ages ago, but hadn't wanted to sleep, preferring instead to savor the precious little time she had left with Guy.

He noticed her finding it harder and harder to keep her eyes open. He took his arm from around her and stroked her hair gently. Even in the limited light, he could see how beautiful that hair was. He thought it was her best feature.

She was definitely asleep now, her breathing smooth and even. Guy noticed the first little rays of sunlight coming through the curtains, and the way that her hair caught the light. It was breathtaking. Her hair must contain a thousand colors, he thought with awe. Wow, that's such a cheesy thing to say.

But he realized then that he didn't care, because it was true. He took note of her face then; her calm, serene, beautiful face. Eyes closed, hair in casual disarray, and still just as beautiful. He couldn't remember ever being in bed with a girl so beautiful. He lifted his hand to stroke her face gently. And such beautiful skin........

"How many times have I used the word 'beautiful' to describe her?" he wondered aloud. It was becoming too much for him to bear. He ached with longing for her. He didn't know exactly what this feeling was, or how to describe it, but he wanted nothing more than to be by her side. He leaned over and kissed her on the lips, gently. But it was enough to wake her, and her eyes fluttered open instantly, filled with shock. Hopefully that's not a bad sign he thought nervously. It wasn't.

I can't believe...did he really just do that? To me? This can't be happe.....she stopped herself. It was happening. He wants more than just idle chatter. She finally made the grand realization, and it filled her with the greatest level of happiness she had ever felt. The man of my dreams actually wants me too.

Emily did not, however, know the extent of that want. She had no idea of the fire that was building up inside Guy at this very moment. At least not yet she didn't. But when Guy finally thought fuck this, I'm tired of being afraid. I don't want to lose this chance. Either she likes me or she doesn't. I'll take that risk and taking her face in his hands leaned in again and kissed her, with passion this time, all the passion he could muster, then Emily knew.

And knowing that blew her previous happiness out of the water. She was euphoric. She didn't know if he loved her, like she loved him, but the fact that he felt any romantic feelings for her at all was enough.

They continued to kiss, holding each others' faces in their hands, their bodies moving closer and closer until they were pressed up against each other. Their tongues were practically intertwined, and their legs were.

"Mmmm, you're so beautiful" Guy whispered softly, pulling back. He pulled off his shirt. "This was never my intention you know" he whispered, smiling.

"I know" she whispered back, unzipping his pants.

So I wasn't wrong. There really was passion in her kiss.

Emily lifted her arms as Guy pulled off her shirt. He slowly removed her bra, kissing her all over as he did so. She pulled down his underwear and he quickly removed them, tossing them into a heap on the floor with the rest of his clothes. She took the liberty of removing the rest of her clothing and disposed of them in the same way. Guy realized faintly how nervous he was.

Why do I feel like this? He had never felt this nervous with a girl before. Actually, he had never really felt nervous at all with a girl up until this point. I've been naked lots of times, but I've never felt so naked, so exposed.

But when he looked deep into Emily's eyes, he saw strength and confidence. And so as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him down on top of her, bodies entangled, his own confidence returned.

That morning was the best morning either of them had ever had.


Chapter 5

It was around 8AM when Guy got out of bed to shower. He decided on a cold shower, and the cool water felt good on his skin. He replayed the memories of early that morning over and over. He could barely believe any of them were real. It had all been so amazing, so perfect. Well, he didn't like the word perfect, but it was certainly everything he had ever wanted. No, it was more than I could have ever wanted.

I didn't know what want was until today he thought. Now I understand. I understand what the others....what they mean when they talk about relationships like this. I always thought that they were being ridiculous, that they were just exaggerating, when they told me about them. But he knew now that it wasn't true. These emotions....they actually do exist he thought with wonder. They were all right, I didn't even know what I was missing. Until now he added, sighing with contentment.

He thought of her smile, her laugh, her hair, her face, her skin, her body. He smiled to himself. I could go on and on.......

Guy continued to have such thoughts as he finished up in the shower and began to dress himself. He was almost done getting ready when something suddenly hit him. He was supposed to be on a plane to Wisconsin a hour ago. Shit! He hurried out of the bathroom.

"What's wrong Guy, you look freaked."

"My plane....." He let his voice drift off.

"Oh...oh! Shit Guy, I'm really sorry! This is all my fault! I....I should have just told you to leave.....and now you've missed your flight." She half collapsed back on the bed, feeling the tears start to build. I shouldn't have been so selfish she thought with remorse.

Instantly Guy was next to her, and sitting down on the bed, he whispered softly, stroking her face, "It's not your fault Em. I'm fairly certain that in the back of my mind, I knew I was missing that flight. I think.....I think that I wanted to miss it." He breathed deeply, collecting his thoughts.

"I don't want to be away from you Emily, not ever. I have no idea why, this is all so new to me. But I'm going to work something out. Don't worry love." He kissed her on the cheek. "I'll be right back".

And with that he hurried out the door. While he was gone, Emily couldn't help but wonder if he would actually return, or if she had just screwed things up too much for Guy to handle. She didn't bother to fight back the few tears that welled up in her eyes.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Meanwhile, Guy had reached the elevators and impatiently pressed the "down" button about 15 times. Come on, come on! When the doors to an elevator finally opened, he hurried in so quickly that he nearly walked right into somebody. "Sorry" he mumbled.

He tapped his foot impatiently and waited for what felt like years until the elevator reached his floor. He really had no reason to hurry, because he had no idea what he was going to say to the guys. But regardless, he entered his room and went straight to the nightstand, retrieving his phone from where it lay, holding it like it was a disease. He knew they must've been calling him. There was no doubt about that. Sure enough, he cautiously opened his phone and groaned as he read the words "17 missed calls" on the screen. Damn.

Luckily, it was a new phone and he hadn't had a chance to set up his voicemail yet, so there were no voicemails to listen to. He scrolled through the missed calls. 3 from Phil, 2 from Jonny, 1 from Will, and the other 11 were from Chris. Figures. He sighed. He needed a plan. Well first he needed an explanation, then a plan.

How the hell am I going to explain myself? "Oh yeah, well I met this fan who wanted to ask me some questions so I said 'sure'. I soon realized that I really enjoyed talking to her so I invited her to my hotel room......"

He knew he'd never get passed that point. He would instantly be bombarded with questions, or worse, laughed at. He could picture it now. "Oh Guy, you crack me up! For a second there, I actually thought you cared about the girl."

Normally, the assumption that Guy just wanted a good time with a girl would be justified. He wouldn't blame them for thinking of it that way. But this time it's different. It really is. He knew no one would believe him though. Especially not Will.

I suppose it's my own fault, always saying these meaningless words about girls that are 'different' and 'special'. The problem is, now I actually mean it. Damnit, what am I gonna do?

Well, he knew he certainly wasn't going to call Will. He couldn't call Chris either, it'd just make him even more upset. The poor guy's probably beating himself up about this already, wondering what it is he did wrong..... he thought guiltily.

And he couldn't call Jonny; Jonny was always so nice and understanding, Guy was afraid that if he spoke with him he'd break down and change his mind. So he decided to call Phil. But what to say? How can I make him understand? Suddenly, he realized something.

I don't have to make him understand. He may never understand anyways. I can just tell him what I'm going to do. But what do I want to do anyways? I know I want to be with Emily all the time. I don't know much of anything else right now.

But there was a solution, ringing out like a bell in the back of his mind. Yes, that could actually work....yes, it could definitely work. This was the solution, the best solution, the only solution, or so he thought anyways, for him and Emily to remain together. He finally dialed Phil's number.

"Guy!" He was instantly greeted with the hushed exclamations of Phil, who sounded both agitated and relieved at the same time.

"Why the whispering, man?"

"I don't want the others to hear me talking to you, they'll worry.....hold on, I'm walking away....OK, it's safe now. Where the hell have you been!?" Although he was obviously angry, he sounded more like he might cry. Guy felt really bad now.

I must have put him through some serious hell. He probably had to completely redo his schedule he thought, frowning.

"We had to miss our flight because of you! And now we have to work out a completely new schedule!" Wow he's really working himself into a frenzy. Usually he's really good with sudden schedule changes.

But then something hit him. Phil wasn't just their unofficial manager. He was their close friend. And he had probably been up half the night worrying. Guy felt his throat close up. He felt horrible now.

"Phil, come on, it's OK. We can work out another schedule."

"Yeah" he said, calming down again. "You're right, you're right."

"And it'll be easier this time, because I won't be around to screw it up." Well there it is, I put it out there. That probably wasn't the best way to say it, but what's done is done.

"What?"

"Ok Phil, I know this won't be easy to take but....", he paused, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly."I'm leaving the band."


Chapter 6

"I know this sounds crazy Phil, but I've found something, actually someone, that makes me feel happier than I've ever felt before."

"Guy...."

Guy interrupted him. "And I'm going to New York City with her" he added confidently. "I know, this doesn't make any sense to me either. I've no idea why I feel I have to do this, but I do, and I'm going to go with my gut on this. She....the girl that I met....well she's amazing. And if I continue on in the band, touring and whatnot, I'll be away from her all the time. It would never work out. I don't know how you guys manage to have long distance relationships, but I'm just not like that."

He paused for a moment, then added "I....I just can't leave her Phil." He sounded desperate, almost pleading. Phil sighed deeply.

"Alright. I'll accept that Guy. But just remember that the others aren't going to let you do this without a fight. They really care about you, you know."

"I know."

And with that Phil hung up the phone. The greatest thing about Phil was that he'd never fight you, not if you truly had your heart set on something. I knew calling him was best.

He put his phone in his pocket and went back to Emily's room. As he approached her door, he realized he had jumped the gun. What if Emily doesn't want to go anywhere with me? What if she thinks I'm crazy for even suggesting such a thing?

It would be awfully embarrassing if he had to call Phil up again later saying "Oh, never mind all that stuff I said earlier because that girl I was just blabbing about thinks I'm crazy now." Not to mention the heartache. It hurt just to think about it now. It was ridiculous that he should feel so attached to someone after knowing them for only a day. But he couldn't help it. As he reached out to knock on the door, his hand was shaking.

She's going to say no. I know she is. Why wouldn't she? We barely know each-his thoughts were interrupted when Emily opened the door with a smile and a "hey". She had cleaned herself up while he was gone, and no traces of her previous sadness showed on her face.

"So what's the story now? Are you going to catch a later flight?" She had to force herself to keep smiling as she said this. She hated to think about him leaving.

"Well no, not exactly. Actually, I just called Phil and told him that I'm quitting the band."

"Quitting? Why!?"

"Because I don't want to be without you."

She stared blankly for a moment, hardly believing her ears. "You're really quitting the band.....for me?" she asked with quiet disbelief.

"Yes." He stroked her hair. "I've never been as happy before as I've been with you. I don't know if this will amount to anything, but I've got to try and see. I wanted to ask you, would you be willing to go to New York City with me? I think we'd be very happy there." Well, I said it. And I'm glad I did. For better or for worse.

Emily just stared for a moment. I want to say yes. I really do. But, what about the band? Well, I guess that can be worked out later.

"First, let me make it clear that I disagree with your decision to quit the band. I'm not worth that. But yes, if I'm being honest, I'd love to go to New York City with you. Because I don't want to be without you either. Truthfully, I really want to be selfish today. I want to be with you whatever the cost, so I'll accept your decision to quit-even though I disagree with it."

"Ok, then it's settled" said Guy, nodding. He stared at her a moment, then leaned in and grabbed her, kissing her passionately. "You are worth it by the way" he whispered as he let her go again. He smiled widely, no longer able to contain his joy. "I'll go book us a flight."


Chapter 7

Meanwhile, Chris, Jonny, and Will were outside their hotel. Chris was sitting on the front stoop of the building, his head in his hands, looking quite a bit like a sad puppy. Will was standing on the sidewalk, arms crossed, his eyes searching angrily about the street, expecting to see a drunken Guy come stumbling down any moment. Jonny was leaning against the front of the building, throwing anxious glances at Chris, who was too filled with his own worry to notice.

They stayed like this, not talking and hardly moving, for what felt to them like hours but was actually only a few minutes. Then they heard the hotel doors open, and they all turned towards Phil, who had taken a phone call a few minutes ago and hurried inside the building to talk privately. The frown he wore was quite obvious. Chris immediately jumped up, hoping that the call had been news about Guy, who they still hadn't heard from since last night.

"Chris, don't jump to conclusions. It's not going to be about Guy" scoffed Will. "And stop worrying so much. I'm sure he just went with that girl to some bar and got drunk and passed out or something. You should be angry, not worried."

"Well, actually......." said Phil, hesitantly.

"What, what!?" Chris practically screeched, grabbing hold of Phil's shoulders and shaking him. Will's words had done nothing to calm him down. "Um, well, Will was right. It wasn't about Guy-it was Guy. He called to say......that...that he...." He stopped short. He had no idea how to give this news.

"WHAT!? WHAT IS IT PHIL!? Is he drunk? Is he hurt?" Chris gasped suddenly. "WAS HE KIDNAPPED BY ZOMBIES!?" Phil, Will, and Jonny all threw him classic "what the fuck?" looks.

"What?", Chris responded indignantly. "I saw it in a movie once. It could happen!" He shrugged, then began to pace around nervously.

"Come on already Phil, out with it, before Chris wears a hole in the sidewalk" said Will, rolling his eyes irritably.

Phil took a deep breath, mustering up all his courage. "Guy called to say that he's quitting the band. Actually, he kind of already quit. He's probably on his way to New York City as we speak."
"WHAT!!??" screamed Will, Jonny, and Chris in unison.

"Are you serious? You've gotta be freaking kidding me!" shouted Will, throwing up his hands.

"No. This can't be happening" whispered Chris. "No, no, no, no, no!" He collapsed on the ground, looking utterly defeated. "Oh, who am I kidding, I knew this would happen. I knew it. It couldn't go on forever. I knew everyone would get sick of me at some point."

His voice sounded like mumbles through his hands, which were covering his face almost completely. Instantly Jonny was hovering over Chris with a concerned expression. He laid his hand on Chris's shoulder.

"It's gonna be OK Chris, we'll straighten him out for sure. And stop blaming yourself! I'm sure this has nothing to do with you at all! Phil, did he happen to mention why he was leaving? Anything that we can work with at all?"

"Yeah" sighed Phil as if already defeated. "He said.....he met someone." He practically cringed when he said it. Surely this wouldn't go over well with them.

"See Chris? Not about you."

Chris wasn't paying attention. "Someone....you mean like a girl? questioned Chris, a blank expression on his face.

"Yes Chris, a girl, obviously. Probably that same girl he texted us about earlier."

"What?"

"Oh yeah Phil, I forgot we never told you. Last night we were wondering where Guy was, so I texted him and he said he was with some girl that he had met after the show."

His anger flared up again suddenly. "Leave it to Guy to fall for some random girl he met after a show! God! Why does he do these kinds of stupid things!? He's always talking about some 'amazing girl' that's 'changed his life', blah, blah, blah."

"Actually Will, he sounded serious this time" Phil replied thoughtfully. I honestly think he may have found someone speci-" He stopped talking suddenly, noticing Will glaring at him.

Jonny, trying to ease the obvious tension, joked, "That's our Guy. Always falling for one girl or another." Chris laughed. Phil tried to smile. Will just rolled his eyes again and let out another sigh.

"I think it's kinda nice, how Guy always lets his heart guide his actions."

"You would Chris" replied Will, rolling his eyes yet again.

"Sometimes you think too much Will!" laughed Chris, patting his friend on the back.

Chris's expression abrublty turned serious and thoughtful. "But seriously guys. This could be a good thing. Not the whole quitting the band thing, but him meeting someone special to him. Guy hasn't been this adamant about anything in a long time. Maybe he's finally moving on."

"You're saying he's finally starting to form real relationships again?"

"I'm saying he's onto to something at least, Jon."

"Well that's all well and good you guys, but we need our bassist."

"Silly Willy, I know that of course! I was never intending to just let him up and run off with the girl! We'll fly down to New York City and bring him back, of course we will; champion!"

"What?"

"Well dearest William, whenever I think 'Will' I think 'Champion!" Chris replied, laughing again.

"Chris I really wonder about you sometimes" said Jonny, shaking his head.

But he couldn't help but laugh at Chris's antics. He really knew how to lighten a mood. And the best part was that he did it without even trying. His happy-go-lucky attitude was just contagious. That was the kind of man Chris was. He made you feel what he felt.

"Yes, yes, that's it!" Chris seemed to be speaking more to himself than anyone else now. "We'll go to New York City, and convince Guy to come back to the band, we'll drag him back if we have to!" Jonny couldn't control his laughter. Even Will was smiling.

"Chris, that really is a good idea" said Phil, bringing them back to reality. "But if we really want to do this, we have to do it now. We already had to cancel today's concert, and we've got another one in two days. But two days is a fairly good amount of time. I'll go book us a flight and explain to the crew what's going on. You guys go pack up your things and start thinking about ways to convince Guy to come back."

"Got it" said Chris giving Phil a thumbs up and then practically sprinting back inside the building. Looking back at Jonny and Will, he yelled "Come on! We're going to get Guy back!"

Will and Jonny nodded in agreement and follwed Chris inside. But secretly all three of them were wondering if they would actually be able to convince Guy to come back.


Chapter 8

About an hour into their flight, Guy still didn't regret leaving. He figured he would by now. But every time he looked at Emily he felt an aching deep inside, an ache to be with her at all times. As he sat there, as close to her as the two seats would allow, he realized he had never really felt happier. I wonder if Emily feels the same way?

She did, of course. In fact, at this very moment she was about to burst inside because he was right there next to her, his arm barely brushing against hers, and yet she couldn't really do anything, since the things she would have liked to have done would not have been considered appropriate for a plane ride. She didn't like the claustrophobia of airplanes either. Even the largest ones felt small and cramped to her. She couldn't wait for the flight to end so she could finally be free to start her life with Guy, and by the way Guy was looking at her, she figured he felt the same.

Guy didn't realize, or didn't care to realize, that Emily could see him staring at her. Eventually, he had to force himself to stop, before he lost control of himself completely. He turned towards the window and gazed at the clouds that were below them now. Watching the endless layers of white and gray, Guy suddenly felt a rush of exhaustion and yawned. He then realized just how tired he was. How irritating that even when there's such an amazing woman right next to me that I still have to feel such stupid things like exhaustion. I should be stronger than that.

But he couldn't really avoid it, he was only human after all. The concert last night had worn him out, as it always did, no matter how many concerts he played. And then there was the second half of the night, which hadn't involved more than a few minutes of actual sleep. And now that lack of sleep was catching up with him. He started to doze off, but he forced himself to keep awake, not wanting to leave Emily even in sleep. You know you're going to have to sleep sometime.

He wished his subconscious would shut up. As crazy as he knew he was being, he couldn't stop. He was afraid to miss anything. Like what, a blink? His subconscious was being awfully sarcastic. He chose to ignore it and fought against the waves of exhaustion instead.

Meanwhile, Emily was getting very anxious; the plane ride was becoming her own personal form of torture.

She turned toward Guy and jokingly questioned "How much longer Guy? I feel as though we've been flying for weeks already!"

Guy took her words seriously though. This is my fault. I should've at least been talking to her. I'm so clueless sometimes.

"Um....." He glanced at his watch. "We've still got a good hour and a half to go."

Emily sighed, serious this time. She really didn't know how much longer she could take this. But Guy had an idea.

"Hey Em, I think I've got a way to help pass the time."

He definitely sounded like he was taking her complaint seriously, like it was his own personal responsibility to cure her boredom. He leaned down, so that his face was right next to hers, although Emily was facing forwards. She felt herself start to sweat. She hoped he would try to kiss her or anything, because if he did she didn't trust that she'd be able to control herself. So she just sat there, facing forward, trying to keep as still as possible, while she waited to see what he was going to do.

I hope Guy won't feel insulted that I won't turn to look at him. But there's no way I can turn and look at that beautiful face right now. It'd be too much to bear.

Emily's worries were for nothing though, because Guy's intention was not to kiss her. Although, the weren't completely in vein, because what Guy actually did was beautiful in itself. After pausing for a brief moment, he leaned in closer so that his lips were right up against her ear, and he began to sing softly to her; Chinese Sleep Chant.

If she sleeps she'll forget her boredom and she'll awake with joy to find that we've reached our destination thought Guy with a smile.

Emily gasped inwardly, and hoped that she hadn't done so out loud. Fortunately she hadn't. She sat there, in complete shock, as Guy continued to sing to her, his head now resting on her shoulder. This is.....the most beautiful thing......that I've ever heard....in my life. I can hardly believe that any voice could be this beautiful.

She wanted to say something, but she knew that if she unclenched her teeth she'd scream due to all the love she felt for him right now. So she just leaned back in her seat and listened to the sweet whispers of the most beautiful man in the world. Guy continued to sing Chinese Sleep Chant, in the best voice he could possibly muster while whispering. He wanted nothing more than to please her, to keep her happy, in any way that he could. It was a new feeling for him, he had never had any real desire to please before.

He continued on like this, just repeating the lyrics over and over for several minutes. But ironically, he managed to fall asleep himself in the process, his head resting on Emily's shoulder. Emily then made the mistake of glancing to the side to see him this way, so peaceful and so insanely beautiful. She had to fight back tears. Instinctively, she reached out and stroked his head lovingly, almost as if testing to make sure what she was seeing was real.

He tried so hard to stay awake; I saw him; nodding off, trying to keep his eyes open. I even saw him pinch himself to stay awake. I wonder why he wanted to stay awake so badly? Anyway, it appears he lost that battle. She chuckled to herself.

Glancing at him again, she sighed, out of contentment this time rather than irritation or boredom, as had previously been the norm. She leaned back again and closed her eyes. She knew sleep wouldn't come. But she had never felt so at peace before. She felt it in every bone of her body. I hope this feeling never ends.


Chapter 9

"Alright guys, I booked you a flight for 3:30 and it's 12:30 right now so we should really get going to the airport."

"OK off we goooooo" sung Chris with an exaggerated accent.

The four men threw their luggage into the trunks of two awaiting taxis. Will climbed into the backseat of the first one, and Phil(to keep an eye on Chris), Jonny and Chris got into the second. The whole drive to the airport, Chris kept on singing. He was in high spirits. He felt confident that they would get Guy to rejoin the band. He sung "I Want You Back" and forced Jonny to sing the harmonies with him.

By the time they had reached the airport, the taxi driver was glaring at them as though he would have relished an opportunity to strangle them. For some odd reason, he didn't enjoy the lovely harmonies of Chris and Jonny at all. Even as they exited the taxi, the driver still glared at them. Phil made sure to give him a generous tip. At that point, Chris and Jonny were immersed in their own little world, leaving Will and Phil to happily keep behind and out of their way. They walked a few paces behind, seriously considering what had to be done.

Chris might be oblivious and Jonny might be too in love with Chris to give it much thought, but Will knew that despite what he had said earlier about Guy, things between him and that girl were definitely serious. Will could plainly tell that Guy was very firm in his decision. He knew that at the very least, it'd be difficult to convince Guy not to quit. And for a moment, he even wondered if any amount of words would sway him in his decision.

But he pushed those thoughts out of his mind quickly. There was no room for doubt, and there certainly wasn't room for more than one emotionally unstable man in their group; Chris already more than covered that position. Besides, they needed Guy, and Guy needed them, even if he didn't think so. They'd convince him; there was no other option.

Phil turned towards Will then and started to say something, but then quickly changed his mind and pursed his lips, facing forwards again.

His thoughts must've been along the same lines as mine thought Will. Even if Phil chose not to voice them out loud, Will knew Phil was having doubts about the their ability to convince Guy.

"We're going to bring him back Phil", whispered Will in his ever calm and level-headed tone.

With the exception of occasional angry outbursts, Will was usually a very level-headed man. He preferred reason over immediate reaction. And he knew that Phil was prone to worrying, just like Chris, so he wanted to reassure Phil as much as he possibly could. Phil smiled.

"Yeah, of course" he responded, picking up his pace. Probably to make sure Chris and Jonny don't get lost laughed Will to himself, rolling his eyes.

It was true though. Chris was horrible with directions, because he never bothered to read any of the signs. Jonny was good with directions, but he would get so caught up in talking to Chris that he wouldn't be paying any mind to where they were going. It had happened many times before, once even causing them to miss their flight.

Up ahead, Will saw Phil gesture towards a sign, but Chris still wasn't paying attention so Phil had to actually grab the back of Chris's shirt and pull him in the right direction. Will laughed, louder this time. It was certainly a funny sight. He quickened his pace to catch up with the rest of them.

A couple lengthy lines later, they were sitting in the waiting area for flight 309-B. Jonny had his laptop out and was listening to some sort of obscure music as he browsed the internet. Phil was talking on the phone with various members of the crew. He was always arranging and organizing things, exactly the kind of qualities you'd want in a manager, obviously thought Will, giving himself an eye roll. Chris was just sitting, well actually more like bouncing, in his chair. And Will was sitting quietly reading, but kept getting distracted by Chris fidgeting beside him.

"Do you mind Chris?" He wasn't being fully serious.

"Nope, I don't mind at all Will, your reading isn't bothering me a bit" laughed Chris lightheartedly. He turned toward Jonny then, and seeing the laptop, an idea suddenly came to him. Sitting up suddenly, eyes wide, he exclaimed "If Guy were here he'd be tweeting. So I say we should be tweeting! We can't let the fans down!"

"Oooh, let's think of something good to write" said Jonny deviously, pulling the earphones out of his ears.

"Oh you guys, really. You're so immature sometimes" sighed Will. But he was intrigued now, and put down his book in favor of staring at the computer screen.

"How about 'Just practicing a little ballet before the flight'?"

"No Chris, it still has to be believable."

"You're such a killjoy Jonny!". Chris pretended to pout.

"I know, how about 'I just watched Mean Girls for the 15th time.' "

"Yeah, good one Jon. And then add 'It gets better and better every time I see it.' "

"Way to go Will!" laughed Chris, high-fiving him.

"Is that supposed to be some sort of great achievement? When was the last time you high-fived me for coming up with a killer drum beat?" They all laughed.

"Send the message Jonny, send it, send it!"

"I'm sending it! Geez Chris, calm down."

"You know, the best part about this is that Guy actually does love that movie."

"Well Will, it is a good movie, very well written" remarked Chris, elbowing Will playfully in the side. They had another good laugh at that.

Phil returned from the other room then, where he had been taking yet another phone call, and asked "Why do I hear laughing? And why is everyone staring at you guys like you're crazy?"

"It's a long story" explained Jonny. "But we sent a tweet from 'Guy'." He used air quotes as he said "Guy".

"Aww, I miss out on everything!"

Just then, a voice on the loudspeaker barked "Now boarding for flight 309-B."

"It's OK Phil, you'll have lots of time to join in on the fun while we're on the plane" said Chris, standing, patting Phil on the back and chuckling.

They all boarded the plane in good spirits, but they were quiet now. They were thinking of ways to convince Guy to see the light. They couldn't even imagine an alternative outcome of the band without their bassist and good friend.


Chapter 10

Guy awoke to the pilot over the loudspeaker telling the passengers to fasten their seatbelts and prepare for landing. He jerked his head up. What? Landing? I was asleep? For how long? He glanced at his watch and his eyes widened. Jesus, I've been sleeping all this time? Damn it!

He suddenly got the feeling you get when you know you're being watched, and looked over to see Emily looking; laughter in her eyes. Guy felt the blood rushing to his cheeks. I can't believe I fell asleep. I just left her to sit here the whole time. Don't I have any willpower!?

"Geez Emily, I'm really sorry. I feel like shit, I shouldn't have left you here to just sit while I catch up on my beauty sleep." He sighed in frustration. I'm such an idiot sometimes.

"Guy!" uttered Emily indignantly. "You needed your sleep. I was glad when I saw you were finally getting some rest; I saw you trying to stay awake. I wanted to tell you to stop fighting it and just take a damn nap already, but I was afraid you'd think I just wanted to get a break from you. Why were you trying so hard anyways?"

Guy blushed and looked away from her gaze. "I....I wanted....I didn't...." He finally found his confidence and sat up straighter, turning back to face her. His eyes were dark and serious. "I didn't want to be away from you even just to sleep." Why was that so hard to say? he wondered. I say stuff like that to all the girls I've dated. And usually it just feels natural, easy. But.....

His thoughts drifted of briefly, as he recalled everything about Emily that he could. I guess it's because after all those girls, and all those cheesy lines, I've never actually meant what I've said. Until now.

Emily studied his expression noting the depth of his eyes, the serious shape of his mouth. She could hardly believe he had said that. And by the look on his face, she knew he really meant it. As she continued to look at him, she felt her throat close up. She could never have in a thousand centuries have predicted this would happen to her. I know I'm the luckiest girl in the world.

She almost started crying from the joy of it all. And she heard her subconscious screaming kiss him. Despite her better judgment, she leaned in and kissed him lightly, then more passionately. She pulled back abruptly, noticing the shocked look on Guy's face. But once she had leaned away, Guy's expression softened, and gently kissed her back.

He longed for the warmth of her touch and the softness of her skin. Without thinking, he pulled her in close, so that her head was pressed against his chest. She sighed and settled comfortably into his arms.

His heart was racing, and he wished it would slow, so he wouldn't have to deal with the embarrassment of Emily hearing it freak out last if he were a young boy who had just been kissed for the first time.

He noticed something then, a pounding in his chest, but it was not from his own heart. It was Emily's heart, beating as fast as his was. The joy of that realization swamped him. I'm tired of thinking. I just want to feel.

And so he did. He allowed the joy to overtake him, and it filled his whole body with warmth. Once an announcement was made, saying that the passengers were allowed to exit the plane, Emily and Guy hurried off as quick as they possibly could, more than glad to escape the claustrophobia of it. It briefly crossed Emily's mind that neither of them had brought any luggage. But they'd deal with that later. Guy is all that matters right now.

Upon entering the airport, Guy noticed the huge amount of people, all hurrying off in various directions. He suddenly felt protective of Emily, and instinctively he grasped her hand tightly as he led the way through the airport. As they made their way through the crowds of people, Emily couldn't help but think that Guy was not the kind of person who normally expressed so much concern for one individual. He really must like me. She was inclined to deny it. Despite how hard it is for me to believe, all the signs are there.

She finally let herself believe it, and the joy was instantaneous. She practically skipped through the airport. Once they made it out, Guy, still gripping Emily tightly, made his way to the nearest taxi. He quickly got inside, pulling Emily in after him. He gave the driver an address.

"Where are we going Guy? Another hotel?"

Guy flashed her a brilliant smile and she thought her heart would stop. "No. We're going to my place." He smiled widely again.

How can one man be so beautiful? she wondered with amazement.

Guy noticed suddenly that he was still holding on to her hand tightly, and he quickly released his grip.

"Sorry."

"Sorry? For what?"

"For, you know, babying you. It's not as if you were going to get lost in the airport. I mean, after all you're....hmmm.....I guess I never asked. How old are you?"

"Twenty-two." He thought he nodded in response. He wasn't sure. He was caught up in staring at her again. He thought about kissing her, about holding her. Shit, I need to control myself. This is like an addiction.

Emily noticed his eyes on her, and she blushed, looking down at the floor. He turned his head quickly towards the window. I think that's enough embarrassment for one day.

As he did so, he noticed the driver chuckling to himself. He squinted his eyes and glared out the window. What is the big deal!?

Truly he was bothered that he had let himself slip enough for others to notice. He didn't like to show people he cared, not even to the person he cared about. A pathetic way to live. But he couldn't help it. Expressing his deeper feelings just mad him feel uncomfortable. He sighed. I've got to get over this.

Lost in his thoughts, Guy didn't notice they had reached their destination until Emily said "Hey, Guy, I think we're here. Right?"

"Oh, OH. yeah, we are." He quickly paid the driver and got out of the car. "Sorry about that. I sorta lost track of time." He could swear he heard the driver laughing again. "Idiot" he mumbled with a detectable degree of irritation as the driver drove off.

"You OK?" said Emily, laughing.

Guy resisted the urge to stick out his tongue at her. Instead he just laughed along with her.

"Yes, I'm alright. So, are you ready to see my place?" he questioned, gesturing towards the fancy glass entry doors of the building.

"Absolutely" she relied, smiling widely. Guy led the way to the elevators, where they climbed to floor 6 and then to a door at the end of the hall, which was marked with an 8. Emily entered the place to find that it was basically a giant loft, except that it had 2 floors. The far wall, the first thing you saw when you entered, was made entirely out of glass, which had doors built into it leading out to a large balcony.

"Wow" she breathed. "It's beautiful." She immediately walked up to the window wall. "And this view is absolutely stunning. I can see for miles."

"I'm glad you like it" he replied, grinning widely once again.

"So Em, what do you want to do? You can do whatever you'd like. So where to first? I'm going to be your tour guide for the day. Shopping, eating, sightseeing, I know all the best places. Or if you want, we could just stay here."

"Ah, I see what you're implying" she laughed, raising her eyebrows in mock seduction.

"You must be a mind reader" he responded with the same seductive expression. "But only if you really want to" he added on a serious note.

"I do Guy. New York City can wait."


Chapter 11

The plane ride was over, the luggage had been gathered up, and the rooms had been booked. And now Jonny, Will, Chris, and Phil were sitting in the lobby of their hotel, organizing the final details of their plan.

"So Chris and Jonny are going to do the talking?" asked Phil.

"Yep. Because Will can't control his temper", joked Chris, smiling smugly at Will.

"You know what Chris!?" Will sighed. "Well actually you're right."

"Will and I will be moral support for you two" said Phil, putting his arm around Will's shoulder. "If you need any help, just call me."

"Thanks Phil. But we'll be fine. Chris and I can handle this. Well, I can at least."

"Hey! I can handle it too!" replied Chris indignantly. His face fell. "I have to. If only I hadn't fucked things up so much, we wouldn't even be here right now." His mood turned abrubtly optomistic. "All I have to do is apologize to Guy for whatever it is I did and he'll come running back to the band."

"Chris, what are you talking about, this is not your fault" scolded Jonny.

"It always is Jonny-boy, it always is. 'Cuz I'm the singer, that's why. It's my job to take the shit."
"Oh shut up Chris, and just go already."

"Yes sir Mr. Champion sir."

They all laughed and Chris and Jonny headed out to their destination. Their destination was the usual spot. The bar that they always went to when they were in New York City, The Red Roost. They had been going to it ever since their first American tour. Everything happened there. There had been lots of talks, meetings, decisions, fights, and especially encouragement. It felt more like home than their actual homes did. It wasn't a far walk, and soon Chris and Jonny arrived at the small establishment.

"After you, dearest Jonny" laughed Chris, opening the door with a dramatic gesture.

"Oh Chris you're too kind". Jonny rolled his eyes but couldn't help but laugh. They immediately made their way through the crowd to their favorite table in the back. "Okay so who's going to call Guy?" asked Jonny. "Actually, never mind, I'll call him. I'm not sure you can handle it."

"What Whyyyy?" Chris whined. "You think I'll have a breakdown or something don't you?" he pouted.

"Chris, you're already having one." Jonny gestured towards Chris's fingers, which were tapping the table vigorously, and his legs, which Chris seemed unable to keep still. He was practically bouncing in the booth.

"Well I can't help it Jon! I'm nervous. I know for a fact that Guy hates me."

"Don't say that Chris. Your 'facts' are twisted. He does not hate you. He just....thinks he loves someone else. See this is why you're not calling him."

"Thinks? You mean you don't believe that Guy actually loves this girl?"

"No Chris, I don't. This is Guy we're talking about. He doesn't really know about love. He hasn't ever had a real relationship before." He thought for a moment. "But he's very spontaneous; he does and says things on a whim. Kind of like you actually. God, what would you guys do without Will and I?"

"We'd be on our 7th marriages and have tigers for pets because 'they're just giant house cats'." They shared a good laugh at that.

"Okay now enough of me talking to you and more of me talking to Guy."

He pulled out his phone and dialed Guy's number. The plan was to just ask Guy to meet them at the bar to talk. They wouldn't bring up any of the matters of discussion until he was actually with them in person. For now they just wanted him to show.

"What's he saying!?"

"Chris, it's still ringing. "

"Oh."

"Oh, it stopp-hey Guy."


Chapter 12

Guy and Emily were taking in the views of New York City. As promised, Guy was showing Emily all the little things that he believed made the city great. They were at a small antiques store when Guy felt his phone vibrate.

"Hello? Oh...hey man. What's up?" Guy sort of wanted to tell Jonny to leave him alone, but he just couldn't be mean to Jonny. He never could. "The Red Roost? Um, sure I guess. Just me? Why?" He sighed. "There's really nothing to talk about Jon. No, no I'll be there. 7:30? OK. Bye."

To Guy, there really wasn't anything to talk about. But Jonny was being so nice about it that Guy figured he should at least humor him. Emily, who had been looking at some vintage record players, came up to him.

"Who was that? Well if you don't mind me asking."

"That was Jonny."

Noticing the troubled look on his face, she asked "What did he want?"

"You and your questions" chuckled Guy. But turning serious, he told her "He wants me to meet him at The Red Roost; it's this bar we always go to whenever we come here. "

"You're going to go right? And I ask not because I want you to leave, but because I want to make sure you guys are still on good terms with each other."

"Yeah, I'm going, at 7:30. So I should probably leave now."

"Okay. I'll go back to your place and you go work things out with Jonny." She hugged him tight and kissed him on the cheek. He kissed her back, on the lips. He realized that might not have been the best idea; it took him a long moment to collect his thoughts.

"Um...alright then. There's a spare key under my doormat."

"Got it."

"Bye Em. I'd kiss you again but I'm afraid I might end up forgetting where the bar was if I did." He laughed nervously. She smiled hugely.

"I'll see you later Guy" she said cheerily, heading for the door.

"Oh, one more thing Emily."

"Yes?"

"It's not my place, it's our place." Emily flashed him another huge smile and walked out towards Guy's building.

Guy headed in the opposite direction. He was nervous about meeting Jonny. Guy knew that Jonny would never get too mad and lose his temper, but he was fairly certain that Jonny would disapprove of Guy's choices. A disapproving look was almost as bad as an all out argument as far as Guy was concerned, maybe even worse. On the outside, Guy certainly wasn't a people pleaser, but on the inside he secretly never wanted anyone to dislike what he said or did.

Jonny's probably the most confident of all of us. What people don't see about him is that the reason he's hesitant to sing at concerts or talk during interviews is simply because he doesn't want to or doesn't particularly like to, not because he's shy or unsure of himself.

Jonny was the true backbone of the group, with plenty of encouraging things to say without seeming to need much encouragement himself. Which was why Guy was afraid of his disapproval. He wasn't as confident as Jonny; even if nobody else could see it deep down he knew it was true. He was scared that Jonny's never-ending confidence would eventually cause him to give and change his mind about the band.

His worried thoughts were abruptly stopped when he rnoticed with surprise that he had reached the bar. There was no more time for thinking, he simply had to do this. He let out a nervous sigh and cautiously entered the small building.


Chapter 13

"Okay Chris now when Guy comes I don't want you to fall upon your knees with some dramatic gesture and start begging for forgiveness. In fact, it might be better not to mention the incident at all right away. We need to start off with some causal, friendly conversation. Do you think you can handle that?" His tone sounded harsh but Chris saw the playful smile on Jonny's face.

"Yes I can manage that much" he replied, rolling his eyes playfully in response. Their banter was stopped short though when they heard the tinkling of bells that alerted all in the bar that someone had entered; the "someone" being Guy .

Guy glanced around for a moment, pretending to be looking for Jonny, but Jonny knew he was just collecting his thoughts; they had sat at the same table ever since they started coming here. Finally fixing his eyes on them, Guy tried to walk nonchalantly over to the table. His attempts would have been effective on the average person, but not on Jonny. He had known Guy for too long to fall for that charade. He could tell that Guy was nervous. The funny thing was that Guy knew this, but he still tried to pull it off anyways.

Oh great, Chris is here too? Jonny didn't mention that. Well I guess he didn't have to, I should have known. Jonny rarely goes anywhere without Chris. It's not that Guy minded Chris in particular; he was one of his best friends. It was just that his hyperactivity was a direct contrast to Guy's own laid back attitude. Although lately I've been acting more and more like Chris he thought, noticing how his hands were shaking with nervous energy.

"Hey guys" he said, trying to act as casual as he could. He sat down in the curved booth next to Jonny and across from Chris. This way he could see Jonny's face at an angle but not have to look directly at him when he spoke. I'm such a coward he thought ruefully.

"Hiya Guy. We were just talking about you" piped Chris cheerily, nudging Jonny with his elbow and winking. He had slid surprising well into the causal role. Already he was making lame jokes, if you could even call them that. Guy laughed along with all them nonetheless, and shared secret eye rolls with Jonny after every one. But he was still horribly nervous and wished he could drink himself into oblivion rather than have the serious talk he knew was to come at some point during the evening.

"So earlier I heard someone say, and I think it might have been the manager, that they might be closing this place."

"Aw, why? This play is full of countless memories for us!" replied Guy, shaking his head sadly.

"Yeah I know I'm upset about it too. I really hope it doesn't close, but really, what is there to about it? These things happen sometimes."

"Yeah you're rig-" Guy was interrupted by a loud slam on the table, and both he and Jonny stared in surprise at Chris, who was now standing .

"I can't believe this! First Guy leaves, then my favorite hotel is fully booked, and now this! Will nothing stay the same!? NOTHING!?" Jonny quickly stood and reached out to put his hand on Chris's shoulder. Guy just stared blankly, completely immobile.

"Chris, it's alright. Just calm down, everything's going to be alright. Everything will be alright" he repeated quietly, soothingly, until Chris slowly unclenched his fists. He pat Chris on the back. "Just sit back down, and we can work this out, okay?"

Chris nodded and slowly sat back down, in somewhat of a daze. Jonny sat cautiously, watching Chris. Chris looked at Guy and he cringed inwardly as he saw Chris's eyes grow larger and larger and begin to fill with tears. Please don't do this Chris. Please. I don't think I'll be able to handle the guilt. I never meant to hurt you. Don't be hurt, please just don't feel hurt.

"I'm...I'm...I'm really sorry Guy." What!? He' s sorry!? For what!? Geez I'd rather him be mad at me, I'd rather him hit me, fuck I'd rather have him hate me than blame himself for this!

"I don't know what came over me. I shouldn't have freaked out like that." You have every right to freak out Chris. "But the thought of you leaving....well....it-it's too much to bear."

Guy cringed, outwardly this time, waiting for the tears to fall. He knew once he saw even a single tear fall that he'd completely lose it, the guilt completely eating him away until he was nothing but a hollow remainder of his former self. OK maybe that's a little too dramatic. But another look at Chris's pitiful face told him that it wasn't.

Much to Guy's relief however, no tears ever fell. Chris seemed to have regained his composure, and was now sitting stiffly with his hands folded on the table, staring intently at the scuffed old floor. If Guy didn't feel so guilty, he would've laughed. Chris looked just like a schoolboy who had been reprimanded by his teacher.

Normally Guy would have enjoyed this brief moment with no fidgeting or excessive chatter. But not if Guy was the cause of the abrupt change in disposition. He opened his mouth to speak, but he didn't know what there was to say. What could I say? Nothing I say to him will change the way things have to be. The only way to make him happy again is to rejoin the band. but I just can't do that.

So he just sat. They all did, not saying a word, all lost in their thoughts, until their drinks arrived. Then Jonny decided things had calmed down enough; it was time to talk.

"Guy?"

"Hmm?" he responded absentmindedly. Jonny traced the edge of his glass with his finger. He always does that when he's about to say something important. Guy could feel himself start to sweat. He really did not want to have this conversation. But he knew there was no sense in trying to avoid the inevitable; they were going to talk about this at some point. Might as well be now. I wish I could project these confident thoughts to my emotions and calm down a bit.

"You wanted to say something to me Jon?

"Um....yeah." He seemed startled that Guy had remembered that he had spoken. "You knew this question was coming I'm sure, so I guess I'll just say it. Why are you leaving the band Guy?"

Guy sighed, and staring down and his glass, tried to collect his thoughts so he could form a coherent response. "It's a complicated thing to explain Jonny. I'm not sure I can."

"Well at least try. We deserve an answer from you."

"I know you do" he responded quietly. "But I need to come up with an answer that you'll actually believe."

"How about the truth?"

Guy snorted. "You'd never believe the truth."

"What is there not to believe? You met a girl, and you want to run away with her right?" I don't like how he describes it, like it means nothing.

"Well if you already know, then why'd you ask?" questioned Guy between clenched teeth. He was quickly becoming irritated. I shouldn't have to be having this conversation at all. It's like they're my parents or something.

"Because I want to hear it from you. I mean, I heard what Phil told us, but it's better to hear it like this. That way I can better understand your reasoning."

"Okay fine. If you want to hear it from me, you can hear it from me. But there isn't much to say. I met this girl, her name is Emily, and we got to talking. It started to get late, so I offered to continue the conversation in my hotel room-and DON'T laugh at that!" he shouted, pointing his finger at Chris, who was trying to disguise his laughter with his hand.

"Well I'm sorry Guy, but that's probably the lamest pickup line ever!"

"It wasn't a pickup line! I never actually intended to do anything. I honestly just wanted to keep talking to her."

"You never intended to do anything? So that means you did, right?

"Yes, Jonny, I did. But that is not the point! The point is that all the time I was with her, these feelings kept coming over me, things I'd never felt before. I had these strong desires to protect her, and stay by her side, never leaving her. And this is why I have to quit the band. I could never be with her like I want to if I continued on with you guys. It's nothing that you did Chris, and it's not because I suddenly lost interest in music. I've just found something better."

"So that's it then?" replied Jonny, almost in a whisper. "You're going to trade your one true passion, the thing you've worked for so hard and so long to master, for this one girl?"

Guy felt the anger building up inside of him. So this is it. He thinks nothing of Emily at all, he thinks that finding the girl I've been searching for all these years is somehow less important than playing bass in a band!?

"Yes, I really am! And honestly Jon, I'm sick and tired of you trying to control my life like this. Who are you to decide what I should pursue!? Why shouldn't I take these feelings over music!?"

"I'm just sayi-"

"No. No Jon. Don't say anything. I don't want to hear anything you have to say. Since when did you become my mother!?"

"I-"

But Guy was truly angry now. He wanted to stop, but he couldn't. "You know what Jonny? You don't even act like my mother, you act like you're some freaking guru or something! And I'm sick and tired of it! I don't care what you have to say; your thoughts mean nothing to me, so why are you even bothering? I'm quitting and that's the end of it!"

"Gu-"

"Just stay the hell out of my life!" He was furious now, and had long since stood up, his voice moving up a decibel after every word. He started to leave.

"Guy..." Chris pleaded softly for him to listen, reaching up to touch his shoulder. Guy jerked around to face him.

"What?" he growled.

"I hope that you've found what you're looking for." Guy started to speak, but Chris cut him off.
"I want you to be happy Guy. And if this girl, erm, Emily, makes you happy, then I want you to pursue this."

"Chris..."

"Everyone deserves to be happy Guy. We're not going to take that away from you." Guy made the mistake of looking directly into Chris's eyes, full of sincerity, and felt tears building up in his eyes. I don't think I could ever find a better friend.

He nodded, mumbling a thank you, then quickly turned around again and walked out so no one would see the tears streaming down his face. Tears of remorse and tears of affection, all at once. The guilt of what he had done to Jonny was already eating a hole straight through him, causing him deep pain, and at the same time he was absolutely euphoric to have such an unimaginably good friend as Chris was.

It was the strangest mix of emotions he had ever felt, and he continued to experience them until he reached his building, where he hurried inside, eager to see Emily's face again and escape the emotional tidal wave he was trapped in.


Chapter 14

Jonny stared off into space, expressionless. That did not go well. I don't understand, what did I do? I thought I was taking a good approach to this.

"You didn't do anything wrong Jonny, if that's what you're thinking." Jonny quickly fixed his eyes on Chris, surprised.

"Chris, you know me just a bit too well." He rested his head on his hand. "How did this happen? I thought things were going well. Okay, maybe not well, but I didn't think they were going that badly."

"Jon, Guy is just sensitive because he loves that girl, I mean Emily; I need to get used to saying that. He probably feels you're trying to keep him from being happy."

"I would never do that!"

"I know you wouldn't, at least not intentionally. We were simply trying to get him to think things through before making rash decisions. But Jon, I think he's really thought about this, and now he's made his decision. And if we were to keep on like this, we'd be trying to keep him from happiness." He laid his head on the table dramatically. "Oh Jonny, how can we be selfish, and take back our bassist, when he clearly belongs somewhere else? He belongs with Emily, Jon."

Jonny lifted up his head. "Hey, did you say 'love'?"

"Huh?"

"Before, at the beginning of what you said, did you say Guy loves her?"

"Oh, well yeah."

"I was wrong Chris, completely wrong. You're right. Guy does love that girl, he must. Otherwise, he'd never go to these lengths. But the funny thing is, he doesn't even know he's in love with her. He kept saying he couldn't describe what he was feeling. He obviously has no idea what love is."

"Yeah, it's so sweet how oblivious he is." Jonny nodded, silent for a long moment.

"Chris I think I may have an idea. I'd never consider this if I didn't think the relationship was really serious. And I think this may be our only option if we want to keep the band together. But....I don't think Guy is going to want to talk to me."

"So Will then?"

"Yeah. He's our last hope."

"OK well let's go talk to him then!" chirped Chris, getting excited.

"Alright, but you can tell him about what you said that reinforced Guy's convictions to leave."

"Fine."

"But Chris, just between you and me, I thought what you said was sensible and sweet."

"Aww I love you Jonny-boy!" he chuckled, kissing him lightly on the cheek. "Now let's go tell Will of your genius plan!"

* * * * * * *

"So you're telling me that Guy got up to leave, and you basically told him to go ahead and follow his dreams?"

"Not his dreams Will," huffed Chris, rolling his eyes, "his heart."

Will sighed and massaged his head. "Well that's just lovely. Jon, why'd you let this idiot talk?"

"Well, it was partially my fault too Will. My methods weren't exactly effective. I don't know what I did wrong, but I sure did it. Actually I'm fairly certain he hates me now."

"Stop it, you sound like Chris, geez Jon! Now what was this idea you had?"

"Oh, well I was just thinking, if Guy cares about her so much, why don't we let her join us on tour as an assistant? I mean, if she wants to of course. If she does, which I think she will, then it works out quite well, because you know we've been needing another assistant."

"Jon, that makes a lot of sense. I can't believe we didn't think of it earlier. But we're going to have to get Guy to agree to this. It won't be easy, he can be very stubborn when he's got his mind set on something."

"I know Will. And that's why we need you" Jonny replied. "You're the voice of reason, you always have been. You're the only one who can do this. Guy will listen to you, he respects you."

"Alright, I'll do it then."

"What are you going to do Will?" Chris questioned.

"I highly doubt he'll agree to meet me anywhere, so I'll have to go to him. I'll go to his place first this morning, around 8 AM."

"Good luck Will." said Jonny sincerely.

"You can do it, you're the Champion!" voiced Chris enthusiastically.

"Thanks guys. I'll do my best."


Chapter 15

"Please tell me what happened Guy."

"Nothing happened."

"Don't be ridiculous. I saw the way you came in here. You look troubled. I wish you would just tell me what's wrong." Guy sighed.

"Please Guy, I want to be able to help you."

He made the mistake of looking into her eyes. "Alright fine. I'll try and explain. But please don't judge me."

"Never," replied Emily gravely.

"Okay, so I showed up at the bar and joined Jonny and Chris in some casual conversation-"

"Chris was there too?"

"Yeah." Guy smiled to himself, remembering what Chris had said to him. "Anyways, the conversation took an inevitable turn towards me and my....recent decisions." His face became pained. "I don't know what came over me Em. Jonny was trying to be understanding, but....but....I....exploded on him."

"Oh Guy." Emily leaned against him and laid her head on his shoulder. Guy jerked away.

"Stop it! Stop.....liking me! Emily, I told him.....to stay out of my life. That....that I didn't...that I didn't need him," he replied shamefully, his voice cracking. "You shouldn't be here, liking me like this. You should hate me; I don't deserve anything more." He broke down, sobbing. "And now I'm crying like a fucking baby! You deserve better Emily!"

He jumped up from the couch and made his way to the balcony top the glass doors and out to the balcony. He leaned over the edge and stared up at the sky, drying his embarrassing tears. It was dark and covered in clouds. Perfect. I don't deserve a good view.

Emily followed him outside, but he didn't notice her until she spoke. "Listen here Guy. What you did was pretty low; you hurt your friend, and you shouldn't have done it. But I'm not going to let you beat yourself up about it and I'm certainly not going to stop liking you. You're right to regret what you did, but you need to move past it. You can't change it now. But you can move forward Guy. You can fix this."

"But Jonny...he...he hates me now....he's got to."

"He doesn't! Correct me if I'm wrong, but Jonny doesn't seem like the kind of person to hold a grudge. And he's your friend. He would never hate you."

"Yeah, you're right. Buut what am I going to do? I can't face him again."

"You're going to have to face him eventually Guy," she replied gently, laying her hand on his shoulder.

"I know," he whispered. "But not yet. I need....time. Time to think. I've got some things to sort out."

"Of course," she replied in the same gentle tone.

"Let's go back inside. I'm tired. And Emily?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. For everything." He grabbed her and hugged her tightly to his chest. She kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear.

"Anything for you."


Chapter 16

It was exactly 8AM when Will knocked loudly on Guy's door. He figured, or at least hoped, that Guy would be up by now. He was prepared for this. No crap; he was going to be straight with Guy. There was no room left for another screw up. He wasn't, however, prepared for a thin redheaded girl with piercing green eyes.

"Hello Will."

At first Will was surprised she knew his name. Oh wait, Guy met her outside the venue, she's a fan. "Hey, um....Emily right?"

"Yeah."

"Is Guy around? I really need to speak with him, and I don't have a lot of time, so could you hurry up and get him?" He realized that sounded rude. "Please?"

"Yeah of course." She smiled widely and disappeared back inside. She seems relieved.

In fact she was relieved. Guy needed to sort things out with the band, and this was an ideal opportunity to do it. Truthfully, guilt was beginning to eat away at her. If it wasn't for her, Guy wouldn't have left the band and the others wouldn't be on bad terms with him. She hated being the cause of their problems. She quickly woke Guy up and forced him out of bed. Ten minutes later, Guy was glaring at Will from across the kitchen table. Will glared back.

"Well, I'm going to go shopping Guy. You two work things out while I'm gone."

"Okay. Bye Em." He sounded defeated. When he heard the door close he sighed heavily and returned to glaring at Will. "Alright, just spit it out already. Get all the criticism over with already, so I can join Emily."

"Guy listen, I'm not here to criticize you. I actually want to offer you a viable suggestion that could solve this entire problem. But, it's kind of a stretch so I first want to make sure that Chris and Jonny's assumption that you love Emily is correct."

"What? Why would they say that?"

"Hmm, well my first guess was because it's true. But why don't you tell me how you feel?"

"I feel that you should stop being so sarcastic."

Will sighed. "Okay I'm sorry. However, I would honestly like to know-what are your feelings for her?"

Guy shifted in his chair. "I....all I know Will, is that I want to be with her all the time; follow her wherever she goes. I've never felt happier than I feel when I'm around her. And I want to make her happy. And-" He paused, gathering his thoughts. "Even though I've only known her for 2 days I don't want to leave her, ever." Sitting back in his chair with a sigh, he added ruefully "I just wish I had a word, one word-any word to describe what I'm feeling."

"Love" replied Will quietly.

"I want you to understand Will, I really do. If there was just-"

"Love, Guy."

"Well what about it!? Can't you see I'm pouring my heart out to you!?"

Will resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Love is your one word."

"What?"

Will could no longer resist the urge; he stared at the ceiling a long moment before looking at Guy once again. "You" he said, speaking slowly "love Emily." Noticing Guy's shocked expression, he added, "I'm surprised you couldn't draw that conclusion yourself. Were you scared by the thought?"

"Scared? Yeah right! Why would I be scared of it?"

"I don't know, you tell me, since I can tell you're lying about being afraid."

"I have nothing to tell you! It's hardly your business anyhow!"

"Normally you'd be right, but since your feelings will influence all your decisions about your future in the band, I'd say it is my business."

Guy sighed, relenting. "That's true. I'm sorry."

"It's alright mate. But really now, why is love such a bad thing?"

"S-stop saying that! I never told you I loved her!"

"You didn't deny it either."

Guy stood abruptly and started to pace about the table. "H-how can you know what I'm feeling? Do you think you know me that well?"

"It's clearly expressed by your actions. I'm fairly certain that anybody would be able to tell. Even Chris could tell, and you know how oblivious he is."

"Don't be stupid Will!" Guy noticed with surprise that he was trembling.

Will stood, and placing his hands on Guy's shoulders, calmly replied "There's nothing wrong with love Guy. Sure, it's a scary thought, but it's also beautiful. And you've got to allow it to enter your life to reap the benefits."

"But.."

"Listen, just look into my eyes and say it. Tell me you love Emily."

"You're right. I do, I do love her. I really do. But what am I supposed to do about it?"

"Well there's nothing to be done. You're already together." Guy smiled as though a humongous weight had been removed from his shoulders.

"Thanks Will." His smile grew wider as he took in all that had just happened.

Will thought for a moment. "Oh, and since you can admit your feelings now, I know that your relationship is truly serious, and so I can tell you my proposition. If Emily would be open to it, we've decided among the three of us that it would be alright for Emily to join us on tour as another assistant. Phil had been talking about getting another one before, and we weren't really into the idea. But this is different, because you know we'd do anything to get you to stay Guy."

Guy's face lit up immediately. "Are you serious? You'd actually do that?"

"Of course. You're our friend-you're my best friend."

"I'm going to hug you now."

"Thanks for the warning."


Chapter 17

A few minutes later they heard the sound of the door knob turning, and turned to see Emily standing in the doorway smiling.

"I knew you guys would make up if given the chance."

"How did you know-"

"Guy, it's pretty obvious. I can feel that the tension between you two has dissipated. Besides, you're both smiling like idiots."

"Well, that's because I've got great news! Well, at least it could be great news," he added, frowning. "But I suppose that depends on your feelings."

"So what's the news then?"

"Well, Will told me that the band discussed it, and that it would be acceptable for you to join us on tour as an assistant, if you'd be so inclined to accept." He looked hopeful at first, but as he thought about it further his face expressed doubt.

"Guy, don't make that face. You look so defeated. Of course I accept! I'd love to join you guys! And I'm certainly not going to pass up the opportunity to be with you Guy. And stop looking so surprised too."

"Sorry," he laughed nervously, then louder, relief flooding him.

"Well, this is great news," chimed in Will. "I do believe this calls for a celebration of sorts. Shall I call up the others Guy?"

"Yeah, go ahead. I have something I need to say to them anyways."

Twenty minutes later, Chris, Jonny, Will, Phil, Emily, and Guy were all sitting on the large couches in the living room arranged ideally for conversation, laughing and joking and all around enjoying themselves. Suddenly, Guy stood.

"Listen everyone. I have something I need to say." His gaze was immediately met by five other pairs of eyes. "I am deeply and sincerely to you guys, for putting you through hell these past couple of days. It wasn't right or fair of me, no matter how much I love Emily."

"So you finally realize it? Way to go Guy!" shouted Chris, jumping up and slapping him on the back.

"Well, Will helped me figure some things out."

"Will, I always knew you were a champion!" exclaimed Chris, turning to face Will with a huge grin.

"Chris, Are you going to let the man finish?" Will scolded. Guy threw an appreciate glance at Will. Chris sat back down.

"Sorry Will."

"Anyways, I just wanted to apologize. I should have been more rational." He turned towards Jonny and looked at him seriously. "And I'm especially sorry about what I did to you Jon. Those things I said were uncalled for and completely out of line. I don't know why I said them. But it doesn't particularly matter why, because no matter the reason, I was wrong. And I hope that you don't hate me for it, but if you do I understand."

"Guy, I could never hate you. I understand how hard it must have been for you to come to terms with your emotions. I know you didn't mean those things you said."

"Jonny, you are too damn nice, you know that?" They all shared a laugh and the cheerful atmosphere returned to the room.

Eventually, everyone drifted off. Phil said he was tired and should go to bed early. Soon after that, Chris also said he was tired and had to get back to his room.

"I'll go with you!" Jonny said a bit too loudly, jumping up a bit too quickly. "You can't walk home along in the dark!"

"But Phil can walk back alone I suppose" Will whispered to Guy, laughing, as the two quickly made their way out.

"I think they're next on the list for a love confession" replied Guy, returning the laugh.

"Definitely." He sat in silence for a moment. "I think I'll head out too, I'm sure you want some time with Emily."

"Thanks Will."

"Sure."

The place was finally empty of everyone but Emily and Guy. Guy sighed contentedly. Everything is finally alright. "Em, care to join me on the balcony?" Emily smiled and followed him out. They leaned over the edge, silently taking in the beautiful nighttime views of New York City and enjoying the slight breeze on their faces. After a while, Emily turned to Guy.

"About what you said before, when you said that you loved me...well....when I heard that, it was truly the happiest five seconds of my life." Her eyes were as sincere as her voice. "I love you too you know. I always thought I could love you before I ever met you. And now that I've met you, I realize that the man I love isn't just a figment of my imagination with a personality that I'd created in my head. I know now that I don't love an imaginary character. I love you. Guy, you don't know how relieved I am to know that."

As she said those things to him, her eyes the brightest of greens, Guy felt his heart might stop.
She loves me back. She actually loves me back.

He felt the warmth of that realization everywhere. He did the only thing he could think to do in response to such a feeling. He grabbed Emily and kissed her, with all of the passion and love he had kept inside all that time. Their thoughts were harmonious in that moment.

Nothing could be better.


THE END