He dropped the glass. Thank God it was made of plastic so they didn’t shatter.

“Woah dude. No need to be that surprised. We both know sooner or later she’s gonna come back.”

“Why did she come back?”

Evan sat in front of him, behind the island counter. He shrugged and spun around in the chair playfully.

“Fuck it. We broke up.” Arin picked up the glass that he dropped earlier and threw it in the sink.

“Don’t you miss her?”

He froze in front of the sink. Didn’t know how to answer, really. He missed her like crazy that he tried to get busy by being the drummer for the best band in the world. But sitting behind those drumkits will get him nowhere but back to his thoughts about her.

“No.” he lied.

“She misses you. She talks about you 24/7.”

Arin turned around to Evan slowly. “Why would she? She decided to leave me, right when I needed her the most.”

Evan stopped spinning in his chair. “Weren’t you the one who broke-”

“You need to leave.”

“What? Hey, I haven’t finished-”

“Leave, now.” Arin ordered strictly. His heart pumped fast, raging with anger.

“Okay. Suit yourself. I still get to come tomorrow at your show, right?”

Arin glared at him, his round eyes piercing sharp. Evan raised his eyebrows and walked out from the house. He’d come a long way from Ventura only to see him but resulted in being kicked out instead.

Arin ran both of his hands through his ruffled hair. He was confused. It had been two fucking years! Why would she come back now and still missing him, talking about him even? Those two years he lived in agony, waiting for her to at least call and apologize despite he was the one who broke their relationship apart. He hoped that she wouldn’t take no for an answer, that she would try to reason with him. Yet, she went missing. Just like that. Not a single news, not a single phone call, not a single tweet, not a single everything.

Now she’s back. What the hell was her purpose?

Arin couldn’t take it anymore. He needed his therapy. Quickly he grabbed the keys to his black Ferrari and drove away from the beach house.

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



“Baby, you’ve cut your hair!”

Kimberly grinned stupidly while letting Arin rubbed his palm on her head.

“Now it’s your turn.”

“No way, I don’t want to cut mine. I look good with long hair.”

She shook her head and placed a hand on her hip. “Tsk, tsk. People are gonna think that I’m the dude in this relationship.”

Arin laughed and pulled her into an embrace. She gazed up at him, while he traveled his eyes down to her entire face.

“How can someone beautiful like you be mistaken as a dude?”

“Aww that is so sweet…but they sure are gonna mistaken you for a girl, though. You have a nice…butt.” She squeezed his ass lightly and he winced a bit. He laughed again and leaned in for a kiss. They kissed and kissed up until it became a 3 minute of making out session – in front of a barber shop.

“Miss, excuse me. You forgot your -”

They parted when someone tapped on Arin’s shoulder. Arin turned around and saw the hairstylist gasping with her hand on mouth.

“Oh, I’m sorry mister. I thought..um..”

Kimberly can’t control her laughter. She broke apart right there, holding back her stomach. Arin rolled his eyes, and that was when he decided to finally cut his long hair.


Kimberly smiled watching the Polaroid in her hand, before she pinned it on the wall of her bedroom. One part of the wall was now full of them. A series of Polaroid’s memory of her and Arin. Every photograph had its own story and Kimberly couldn’t just throw them away.

“Kim!”

She heard her mother called from downstairs. She quickly ran to meet her. “What’s up?”

Susannah pointed to something beside her using only her mouth. Kimberly glanced at her side. Evan was standing there, smiling silly.

“What do you want Evan?”

“Can you drive me to Hollywood? Pretty please…?”

“What for?”

“There’s a concert tonight. I already bought the tickets.”

“No way I’m driving you there. Nah-uh.”

Evan groaned. “Aghh why the fuck not?”

Kimberly gasped. “Because you curse too much, that’s why!”

“Oh come on, don’t be so fucking innocent! You cursed too!”

“Not in front of mom! Jeez!”

Evan rolled his eyes. “Nevermind then. I’m driving by myself.”

“Oooh, no way Evan! You’re not driving my car!”

“I always drive your car without you knowing.” Evan started to walk backwards towards the door with a set of keys in his hands.

“What?! You little!!”

She chased him around the house, until they were in her bedroom and Evan stopped to look at those photographs that she hung up earlier.

“Wow. So many memories.”

“Give me that!” She grabbed the car keys from his palm roughly and blushed a little when her little brother studied each and every one of the Polaroid.

“You really can’t forget him, can you?”

She walked forward and sat on the edge of her bed. Her eyes looking down all the time.

“I can’t, Ev. I mean, after all these years, why can’t I?”

Evan folded his arms on his chest. “I don’t wanna be a busybody asshole but why didn’t you call him?”

She looked to him. “He broke up with me. How could I ever dare to call him and – and – and say what, Ev? That I don’t want to break up but still moving away?”

Evan sighed deeply and shrugged. “I don’t know. But you gotta drive me tonight. Or mom wouldn’t let me out at all.”

Kimberly had no choice but to give in. She got up and walked towards him, locking her arms around his neck.

“Wow, you’ve gotten taller!” She tried to bring him down but couldn’t.

“What do you expect? I’m fucking seventeen!”

Hearing him cursed, Kimberly ruffled his hair into a mess and punched his stomach playfully with him struggling to get away.

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

Matthew let himself in; he had a spare key to this beach house. An emergency key which Arin only gave it to him as the band leader.

“Arin!” he shouted, calling his name. Despite the house being dark at fucking 10 am, he caught a glimpse of beer bottles everywhere. On the rugs, beside the abandoned television screen that showed only white noise, on the stairs, everywhere. He started to get worry.

“What the fuck is wrong with this kid?” He murmured to himself. Arin never had a drinking problem before, why now? He proceeded upstairs, towards his Arin’s bedroom and he saw the door was wide open.

Splaying across the bed – Arin with only his boxers on and beside him – two half naked girls. Matthew chuckled. They slept soundly together that Matthew didn’t have the heart to wake him up.

“This fucker. Finally getting some. Hey, hey.” He shook one of the girl’s leg softly. She stirred and fluttered open her eyes. Matthew smiled, showing his dimples once she was fully awake.

“Shadows..?” she slurred, rubbing her eyes groggily.

“Yeah. I need you guys to leave, because we have a show tonight. Arin has to be in sound check in an hour.” He whispered softly, careful not to let Arin hear.

The girl nodded and started to dress up. Then she walked over to the other side of the bed to wake her friend. Arin curled up on the sheets when he felt his skin exposed and cold.

“For your info Shads, nothing really happen last night. He passed out.”

Matthew raised his eyebrows. He was tempted to laugh but he held back.

“Maybe we could…arrange some time together? The three of us?” she offered.

He hissed in resistant, shaking his head. “Sorry ladies. I’m happily married.”

The girls looked at each other and shrugged. One of them gestured the ‘call me’ sign at Matthew before the two of them headed out. Matthew frowned at their way, wondering where the hell did Arin find such gorgeous girls who voluntarily wanted to make a three way with him. He cleared his throat before anything.

“ARIN ILEJAY! GET YOUR MOTHERFUCKING ASS UP NOW OR I’LL KICK THE SHIT OUT OF YOU!”

Arin bolted upright and immediately stood up straight on his bed. His eyes widened, his posture unstable that he’d almost fall back on bed. When he saw Matthew in front of him, he groaned.

“What the fuck, Matt? This isn’t tour bus!” he stepped down from the bed and stretched. Matthew snorted a out a laugh.

“Sorry, kid. Can’t help it. But seriously. Get dressed. Sound check’s in an hour.”

Arin stopped stretching and looked at his wall clock. “Oh shit!”

He scrambled into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. Last night was a big pile of motion blur to him. Some of it he remembered, some he didn’t. While turning on the shower, he picked up the pieces from last night.


He went into Johnny’s Bar with the intention of drowning himself in the busy crowd but tonight, the bar was quite empty. He looked down to his watch; oh it’s still 6PM. He walked towards the regular booth that he and the band had always hung out and found a familiar face.
“Zack?”

Zacky looked up to Arin – his eyes already had dark circles under it and his hand holding an almost empty jug of beer. Did he think about finishing that pitcher alone?

“Heyyy Arin! My awesome drummer! Come here, come. Sit here with me.”

Arin obeyed, but his forehead creased into a frown. “What are you doing here, Zack? It hasn’t been long since we got back from the tour.”

Zacky smirked. “Speak for yourself. Why are you here?”

Arin grinned and rubbed his neck. “Fair enough. Where’s Linda?”

Zacky’s facial expression turned sour. He sipped the beer straight from the jug and downed a few centimeters off it. Arin shoot his eyebrows up at him.

“Woah, easy on the beer dude. Here, pour me some.” He handed over a glass but Zacky refused.

“Go buy your own beer!”

“Zacky, hand me that jug.”

“No way! You find your own!”

They fought and struggled over a beer pitcher and surprisingly, Arin won. He poured himself a glass and watched as Zacky sighed deeply, staring at the table.

“What happened to you, man? You look like shit.”

Zacky blinked softly and his green eyes darted up to him.

“I can understand why Gena left me, but Linda?”

Arin spat from his drink. “What? Linda left you?”

“She’s gone. Packed up her stuff, not even a goodbye and just gone.”

Arin felt his insides churning, because he had experience that before.

“What is her problem?!”

“She once said that she can’t stand me being a rock star.”

“What?”

“I can’t help it, dude. We are rock stars, nothing we can do about that. But I didn’t cheat on her or anything. Why would she-”

Arin drank his beer in one go. He didn’t know why he felt angry. Maybe Zacky’s situation reminded him of a certain comeback from someone who left him alone for two years. Hell, why would she come back now?

“I don’t understand her. Gena used to love me for my fame. Until she’s got a fame of her own. But Linda? She hates my guts for being a musician. Goddamnit, give me back my beer, Arin!”

Arin mindlessly let Zacky grabbed the jug and drank all of it. He got lost in his own train of thoughts. Is that why she came back? For his fame?

“YO ARIN! YOU JACKING OFF IN THERE? HURRY UP DUDE!”

Arin flinched at the sound of Matt’s screaming. He quickly turned the shower off and get dressed.

Notes

A/N: happy birthday Arin Ilejay!! woohooo!!! XD I just love them both :D