I’ve never felt as shitty as this before. And to think that the person I love didn’t trust me was the most hurtful thing ever. Lucky for me, Andy was there the whole time I was crying in our plane back to the States and he can only wrapped his arms around me. I hope Brian will wake up to his senses and realized that I was right.

“You know Addie, I had a crush on you the first time we met at the Headquarter.”

Andy suddenly spoke, when both of us were already in the air flying back home. I wiped off my tears and glanced up to him. He was smiling his killer smile that I adored so much.

“What? I had a crush on you, silly! You don’t have a crush on me.”

“Wow, really? I never knew you were so into me.”

“Shut up! You’re surrounded by your girlfriends, you’ve never even look at me.”

Andy chuckled and tightened his grasp around me.

“Oh I looked at you. When I wasn’t distracted with hot blonde, busty chicks.”

I slapped his thigh and he laughed aloud, causing a couple of passengers to shush at us.

“So you and Brian. What happened now?”

I can’t help but only let out a heavy sigh. Being in love with someone as stubborn as him makes my head hurts. He had been stubborn from the first day we met. No matter how I resisted and refused to let him have his way to me, he would still try and try, until he totally took my heart and my breath away.

“I don’t know. I hope he realize that we’re not lying. But right now he just can’t get over the fact that his best friend was murdered by his other best friend. I want to be there for him when he finally came to his senses, Andy.”

“I know. He’s lucky to have you.”

Andy rubbed my shoulder softly and I let my head fell on his, where I went fast asleep comfortably.

---

Brian woke up with a jolt, reaching his palms randomly on the bed, searching for heat next to him. But he quickly realized that he had sent her away last night, where he had to endure another boring formal dinner with speeches from the influenced people around Cericia alone.
He regretted everything at once. He doesn’t belong here, though he kind of liked being treated as if the world’s attention was on him. But he missed his music, his band mates, the stage and most of all, his lover.

But he just couldn’t accept the fact that she accused Michelle as a murderer. He’d never seen Michelle did evil things before – the only evil thing she did was smoking pot with him and Jimmy, and pulling pranks on people. But a murder?

He got up from the bed, in need for a cigarette as he hadn’t been smoking for 48 hours already. He paced back and forth, grabbing his hair tight in withdrawal. If he can’t have a smoke, he gotta at least have sex. Now he had neither.

Brian put on his tshirt and walked out of the room. The hallway looked empty, only the lamps on the walls were dimly lit and nobody was around. He walked further and found a guard was strolling around nearby.

“Psst..pssst. Hey, you.”

The guard looked startled and quickly approached him. “Your Majesty, why are you still up at this hour? If the head of security sees you-”

“Yeah, yeah. Save it. Do you smoke?”

The guard nodded hesitantly.

“Good. Bump me one.”

“But, your Highness. You can’t smoke in palace. I’d be in so much trouble if they knew.”

“Just fucking give me one and I won’t say anything.”

The guard surrendered and brought out his pack of Marlboro red, which Brian was relieved because it was his favorite brand. He took a couple of cigarettes and a lighter from the guard too. The poor guy can only watch him as he snuck away with the cigarette already tucked in between his lips.

~*.*~

He glanced ahead, seeing so many people of Cericia watching him and his brother beside him standing next to the throne with their most impeccable suits and ties, also with a red satin sash draped across their chests. Brian felt like he was competing in a Miss Universe contest.

He wished to see the face of his one and only, but she wouldn’t be here after he was the one sending her away. His whole family was there, including his band mates. But they all looked pretty sad. He hadn’t got the chance to talk to them ever since they’ve arrived here in Cericia, because he was being escorted wherever he went and it was much worse than Joe.

“The king has arrived.”

One of the guards announced and the crowd immediately bowed. Brian and Brent followed too, until the king was being placed onto the throne carefully by his guards.

“Hail King Elrond.” The room chanted at once and got up in sync too. Brian was a little amazed by their unity.

“My people.” The king started to speak. “Today we will witness the crowning of the new king of Cericia. As of today, I will no longer be your king.”

The room went silent that you can even hear a needle dropping.

“My two princes, step forward if you may.”

Both Brian and Brent walked ahead and fronted the king. The king read from an ancient Cerician tradition book before his guard presented him with a sword. He took it with a shaking hand and placed the tip of it gently on Brian and Brent’s right shoulders.

“I hereby named you both as Kings of Cericia. King Brian Elwin Haner Jr and King Brent Elrond Haner.”

Brian and Brent bowed but the king only gave Brent the crown. It was a mutual agreement for Brian and him anyway, he’d prefer if his brother rule 70% of the kingdom because Brian, like his father, wanted to be a musician first and foremost.

After the coronation ends, the king was sent back to his room because of his health reasons. The crowd moved on to have a ball in the ballroom while Brian approached his band mates. They hugged him firsthand before they even said anything.

“We’re glad you’re okay, man. I thought you were in danger or something.” Johnny began.

“I was. I mean, we were. Me and Addie. But she has taken care of that, like she always taken care of everything.”

“Yeah, where is she? I haven’t seen her around.” Zacky asked.

Brian bit his lip and glanced at the floor. “We sort of fought. Can you believe she accused Michelle for being a murderer? I mean, it’s Michelle. She wouldn’t hurt a fly!”

Matt, Johnny Zacky and Arin looked at each other. “Brian, it’s true.” Matt started to explain. Brian’s face changed so drastically that he didn’t have the heart to continue. He patted Johnny on the back, asking him to explain the rest of the story.

“Jimmy died because of her. She drugged his drink. I dunno why the hell did Jimmy drank it but the drink sure killed him that night.”

“And she was also the brain behind the assassination at the airport in Cabo.” Zacky added.

“And the prisoner’s death.”

Brian couldn’t think straight. Without knowing, a drop of tear fell on his cheek while his eyes went glassy from the water that started to pool in them.

“Oh God, Jimmy. Oh dear God.” He clasped his hand on his mouth and couldn’t help but cry. Matt hugged him tight and patted on his back gently.

“Well, she got what she deserved. She was arrested on your wedding day. It’s heartbreaking actually to see her in that state. Val couldn’t talk until now. I had to leave her back in the States with River. She needs to be around someone she’s familiar with.”

Brian parted from the hug and wiped his tears. “Jimmy loved her. That’s why he drank it. He loved her too much that would do anything, even die for her.”

“Like you would do anything for Addie?”

Brian looked up from gazing at the floor. His head now filled with nothing but thoughts of her. He’d give anything to be beside her now.

---

She sat in the corner, folding her knee up to her chest, trying to be as far as possible to her cellmate who had tattoos all over her neck and arms. A lot like Brian and his boys but to Michelle if a look like that being decked on a woman, she will come as intimidating. And that’s exactly how she feels right now.

Michelle bit her lip and rocked her body back and forth, trying not to cry again. She had been crying so much for as long as she can remember. She wasn’t used to be in a crammed place like this. Ammonia stench fuming about, growling and loud snores from the cellmates making her losing sleep so much and her metal bed with no blanket at all didn’t help either.

At times like these she wished to come back home, being by Valary’s side, playing with her nephew and maybe even be friends with those guys.

She missed those days where the three of them ruling the neighborhood, being the troublemakers who would pull pranks on others, stole a few cartons of beers and trespassed some private properties. They were young and reckless, they didn’t think. But they lived their life to the fullest.

How the hell it ended up like this? She wondered that every single day. How the hell did greed came over friendship and led everything to murders and killings? She was tempted to scream her heart out but the sharp stare of her cellmate forbade her to do so.

“I wish I could be the one..” suddenly she started singing. Her fingers ran through her tangled hair in full frustration and she didn’t care if her cellmate was disturbed by it.

“The one who won’t care at all,” she continued singing. Her voice soaked up in blunt tears as her breathing grew short and heavy.

“But being the one on the stand, I know the way to go, no one’s guiding me.”

She bit her fingernails in anxiety, holding back her tears because that song really did describe how she felt right now.

“Yo bitch!. Shut the fuck up will ya?!”

She flinched when her cellmate jerked ahead from the top bunk. She was frightened to the core at this point.

“Inmate D234, you have a visitor.”

Michelle glanced to the cell bar. A prison guard was standing there, with his blue-black uniform on and a stern look lingered on his face. She got up from her seat slowly and lured out her arm through the rectangular hole in between the bars. The guard cuffed her wrist and unlocked the door open.

She walked past other cells, only to hear her name being called in so many vulgar languages and she ignored them all. Her lips still singing those words from Unholy Confessions.

The guard brought her to the visitor’s phone booth and her feet halted at the sight of a man she hadn’t seen for nearly a month.

“Move, inmate.” The guard provoked and she was forced to walk until they stood in front of each other, expression unreadable.

Brian sat back down, picking up the phone from his end and motioned for her to pick up on her end. She obeyed with cuffed wrists.

“Michelle.”

“Hi Brian.”

Brian closed his eyes. His heart gone heavy from watching her so helplessly vulnerable in her orange jumpsuit and her weary face with no heavy makeup on. He was curious as hell, for one fucking month he wanted to get away from all of it. All of his responsibility as a half-king but it wasn’t easy. So today, he got a day off as a king and the first thing he wanted to confide was this.

“Just tell me why and I’ll be on my way.”

“Why?”

“Why did you kill Jimmy? Why Jimmy? He’s our best friend. How could you, Chelle?”

Michelle let out a soft chuckle. “I’m greed, you’re sin. And Jimmy’s just a fucking angel that was blocking our way don’t you think?”

A drop of tear fell onto his cheek. He saw it. The demon in Michelle.

“It was..it was an accident Brian. Please believe me. I didn’t mean to do that.”

Brian was taken aback. What the hell? Just five seconds ago he saw the darkness in her eyes and now…?

“What..what were you thinking?”

“Brian, I know it’s hurting you. But it’s killing me.”

He raised his eyebrows and stared blankly at her. There’s something wrong with her head. She was quoting the lyrics to Unholy Confessions for God’s sake.

“Get a grip, Michelle. I never loved you and I regret that Jimmy did. He didn’t deserve any of this.”

“Brian, please listen to me. I love you. Please don’t leave me here with all these people Brian!”

She started to lose control over the glass wall and eventhough cuffed, her hands moved wildly, banging the wall with tantrum until a couple of guards had to restrain and pulled her away from the booth.

“YOU KNOW WHAT, BRIAN? FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU AND YOUR LITTLE CUNT BITCH! I HOPE YOU ROT IN HELL WITH HER!”

Brian can only watch in silent as she was dragged back into the cell with his eyes widened and his jaw dropped in utter shock. Seeing his ex-best friend like this broke his heart and to think that he was on the brink of breaking down when he lost Jimmy, he thanked God that Addie came into his life. She practically saved him from everything, because if she didn’t, he would probably end up like Michelle.

“I wish you well, Michelle. I forgive you.” he mumbled under his breath.

~*.*~



He sat in his royal limo with a set of brown eyes roamed around the city of Washington. He missed being in the States after spending a month in Cericia being controlled tight and his moves being watched every minute by the royal guards. He wanted nothing more than to get out of this, but a promise he made to the late king was making him feel obligated to follow all the silly rules.

He hadn’t touched his guitar in a while and he even surprised of how he can survive. His fingers itched everytime he heard music somewhere in Cericia but this role of a king prevented him from being himself.

He glanced at the phone in his hand. The wallpaper was still a picture of Addie and only God knows how much he missed her. He smiled while his thumb slid across the screen, imagining he was touching her lips for once. He needed to see her again, to apologize first and foremost but his schedule as a king forbade him from doing that.

But now he’s in the States, just a few minutes away from her. His rebellious side started to kick in suddenly.

“William, stop the car.”

His driver and right hand man pushed the brake and pulled over to the curb side of Washington street.

“Yes, Your Majesty? Is there something wrong?” William spoke to the intercom from the front seat.

“I can’t do it.”

“Do what, Your Highness?”

“I can’t be a king. I’m done. I will inform my brother about this and let him take over the whole shit. I know it’s not easy but I’ll take responsible from it.”

William pulled down the screen that divided his seat from the driver’s and turned back to look at him.

“But, Your Highness..”

“William, I trusted you from the day I bumped your cigarette. Please let me go. I don’t deserve to be a king. It’s not my place. I’m a musician goddamnit. I need to be around music, and my girl.”

William hesitated for a bit but then he trailed off a slow smile towards Brian.

“I knew you have wings, Your Majesty. I haven’t seen it in a long time. Go and spread them, Your Highness. I’ll take care of everything in Cericia.”

Brian broke out a wide smile and crawled upfront to his driver and shook his hand, even bumped knuckles together.

“Thank you, man. I’ll never forget this. And just call me Brian when we meet again.”

With that, Brian went out of the limo and inhaled deeply. His heart now is set to only one thing.

Notes

A/N: hahaha sooo sorry for taking so long to update this XD