36 days later, Katerina Rose [new ebook reader TXT] 📗

are getting somewhere"

"One day at a time, That's all I can give you"

"That's enough"

I shut my phone and went back to playing my guitar.

Levi knocked on my door.

He sat down on the bench in front of me in the tight space of my room. "how ya doin" he smiled.

"I'm fine Levi, nothing serious to report"

"Look I know your not happy Daniel is on tour with us"

"Pfft"

"At least he's not in the same bus?"

"pfft"

I continued playing my guitar and writing down lines of a song I was working on while he spoke.

"I know things got messed up, I'm not a fan of how he handled anything but I know he feels bad about it, he misses you and he wants things to go back to normal, especially since we have a while to go yet on this tour"

"I know, he text me"

"he did?"

"yes, just now"

"oh!"

"Anything else?"

"um... no, whatcha working on?"

"Just some scribbles.."

He paused for a moment, "You remember that song you used to play on your guitar all the time, you and Daniel, you guys drove me nuts with that song when I joined the band, it was like the first song I learned how to drum to because you guys wouldn't let it go"

"California" I smiled.

"Yeah!"

"Phantom Planet, it was our favorite song back in the day not many people know what it is now"

"Pfft, I'll never get it out of my head"

"Yeah that was a good song"

I thought back to being a teenager sitting in Daniel's garage playing this song with him. I sang lead because I was trying so hard to impress him. back before Jason, before friends or bands got in the way. Maybe that's what we needed, a way to start over....


We finally reached our destination early in the morning. We unloaded the buses and everyone crammed inside to do a sound check.
Daniel and his boy band were no where to be found, they were clearly parked just not coming in for a sound check just yet. We went ahead and wrapped up our own and headed off to the bus. I was unable to speak to him in person all night...I felt as if I needed to clear the air, start over. Maybe we could make this friendship thing work?

The crowd poured in and Daniels band started. I walked to the side of the stage and watched him play. I could tell he was enjoying himself, it had been a while since I had seen him smile that much. I know he missed performing, I guess this was best for him too.

His blue eyes glanced over at me and smiled in between breaths of his song. He still caught me off guard, like my heart wouldn't let me forget he was the one I had longed for for so many years. But it was better we were friends. A clean slate was what we needed nothing more.

His band wrapped and it was our turn...


half hour into our set I belted out my lyrics in hopes Daniel didn't hear the words as well as I was saying them. I glanced back at Levi a few times, and then to Tyler and Ally to make sure everyone was with me. Were we having fun? I felt my nerves shooting from every inch of my body.

The song ended and I felt a memory flood my mind. It was the memory of Daniel and I belting out Phantom Planet in his garage, again. Just two kids really enjoying their guitars and their music. Maybe I could fix this now? Maybe I didn't need to talk to him, Maybe I just needed to do something crazy to show him this could be okay.... to prove to myself this would be okay... well that would take some convincing but this could work for now?


I pulled the mic to my face " How about a change of pace guys, how many of you rocker kids know who Phantom Planet is?" I called out. The crowd cheered,

"Would you guys mind a change of guitarist?" I looked at Tyler and the guys,

Tyler looked confused. Levi motioned off stage where Daniel stood watching me play. Levi Pointed at him "Aye! switch"

Levi motioned to Ally to get off the stage, they grabbed Tyler and handed Daniel his guitar as they walked off stage.

Daniel walked out, the crowd screamed clearly there were girls here tonight.

He walked up to the mic with me "Heyyyyy, I have no idea whats going on right now" He laughed.

A sweet laugh, A raspy sweet laugh I had missed so much.

I started picking California on my guitar and smiled at Daniel. He smiled at me and started on his guitar.

He started singing, his sweet voice echoed in my ears "We been on the run driving in the sun looking out for number one, California here we come, right back where we started from--" he sang,

He kept his eyes on me... I continued playing. The crowd was eating this up.

I looked off to my left and saw Alex standing with the other band members all smiling. As if they had accomplished a goal of getting us back together. This was my idea dammit! They could not take credit! though come to think of it, Levi did mention this song to me?

Daniel belted it out next to me, I joined in back vocals.... We were sharing a microphone until I stepped off into my own into the second verse...

I continued playing my guitar but he let go of his. Both hands on his microphone, eyes closed... So heartfelt, I felt like we were back in the garage again. This was the boy I fell in love with, the one who put music before anything else. The one who shared his darkest secrets with me, the one who didn't even notice me when I was in love with him...

Crap... I'm not over him.


The song wrapped and Daniel reached for me to hug me. "I remember" he whispered into my ear as he pulled away.

"Thank you guys! This was fun, Cassie is an old friend of mine, that was a flashback for us, happy to include you guys!" He smiled into the mic and waved as he walked off stage.

The rest of my band joined us again, we set back up for our next song,....and all I wanted to do is run off, grab Daniel and tell him I was ready to have him back, forget friendship, I finally found that kid I fell in love with back in high school, before everything else got in the way....


Our set wrapped and we walked off stage.

Alex walked with me down the hallway to the table to sign autographs.

"That was a great idea cassie" He smiled "So glad it worked out"

"I realize you had Levi plant the idea in my head"

"I didn't realize you would do it on stage but I hoped it would help find that musical bond between you guys" he laughed.

"Felt like I needed to break the ice in a big way"

"I think you did a great job, but don't think for a second I didn't notice your face when he hugged you"

"don't start"

"Cassie---"

"Alex--Don't start" I walked off.

I joined everyone else at the table to sign autographs... the line was forever long, and all I wanted to do was be alone with Daniel for a moment. Looks like it wasn't going to be tonight.

I glanced down to the other end of the table, he was taking a picture with a fan, a blonde girl and her friends. He was oblivious to their flirtatious mannerisms, I smiled to myself. He glanced down to my end of the table and returned my smile.

Finally the signing wrapped up. 2 hours of none stop signing your name wears on a person!

The auditorium was clearing out and we were walking back to the bus. Ally was holding onto my arm, pretending to be almost dead weight as we walked down the hall with the boys. daniel, josh and sam were no where to be found. I felt a small let down that I wouldn't see him till our next stop. We had another days worth of driving.

"Hey I gotta pee lets go find a bathroom" --"Hey guys we will meet you at the bus" Ally called towards Levi giving him a strange look.

"Why do I have to go with you?" I protested "I'm sure you've successfully used a bathroom before right?"

"its what girls do" she grabbed my arm and pulled me back down the hallway.

we walked for a few moments.

"Woman, we've passed like 3 bathrooms, whats your damage"

"Maybe its not a bathroom I'm looking for?" she laughed still pulling my arm.

"Allison!"

"Whoa, no one uses that one, you almost sounded like my mother" She looked back at me "Cant you just relax for a second"

"not till you tell me why I'm being kept from my comfortable bed right now"

"Do you wanna go to bed, or do you want to see someone?"

"what are you talking about"

She swung open a random door and shoved me in before I could protest. I turned around and Daniel stood there arms crossed smiling.

"Whoa, hi"

"So, Levi was looking for the bathroom" he laughed

"Are you kidding me? I got that routine from Ally"

"Clearly their terrible liars, this looks nothing like a bathroom" He smiled.

"yep"

a moment of silence between us.

Ally peeked in "Look guys, we have 5 mins before Alex goes postal that we are missing so say what your going to say and lets go" she giggled and shut the door again.

I looked at him, he started laughing. "jeesh, now I feel like we should do something serious"

"I know right?"

He walked over to me. "Thank you, for earlier, that meant a lot, and I totally remembered that song"

He hugged me.

" I remember playing it in your garage" I said as he released the hug.

"You sang it beautifully then too" he smiled.

"You sounded amazing though earlier..." I said.

"I remember thats before everything got out of control.... "

I nodded

"You and Jason---"

"Yea"

"You two still talk?"

"No"

"I'm sorr--

"I'm not"

"Really?"

"He wasn't right for me"

He nodded "So are you and Ty---

"No"

He looked slightly relieved.

"Just friends" I clarified.

"so you and--

"Annulled" He said

I nodded

"So we are unattached at the same time?" He smiled

"and just friends" I looked at him.

"Friends, right...right" he nodded.

I felt tension rising... I wanted so badly to throw him into the nearest wall and do what I had been dreaming about to him but I held back... Everything inside of me held back.

A tap on the door... "Like a min guys, I can hear Alex calling our name!" she says.

"Guess you better go... " Daniel says but steps closer.

"Yeah"

In my mind I had pushed him against the wall and kissed him as hard as I could... In reality I turned around, opened the door and walked out with Ally. back to the bus, back to everything that frustrates me about my world...

I wasn't sure whether to kill or kiss Ally after that stunt, same for Levi, those two are always up to something, they were really made for each other.

We got on the bus and Alex breathed a sigh of relief. He worries more than a mother. The bus pulled out and I went to my room to relax and dream about what I hadn't done but wish I had...