Even Heroes Have Scars

[12] Into The Storm

A/N
I'm sorry it took so long to write this chapter. It's kinda longish though so I hope it's worth it guys. Please comment!

Demi's P.O.V.

"Mike..." I let out a thankful breath as I stood. "You scared the hell out of me."

"Sorry," he looked down as his facial expression saddened. As much as he tried to hide it, I could tell his jaw was clenched tight under his skin. "I didn't interrupt anything, did I?"

Yes. "No," I sighed with my hands in my back pockets. "Whatcha need?"

"I came to get my guitar."

"Need it for something?" I asked confused.

"Theres no reason for me to leave it here, is there? Seeing as how I'm not part of the band anymore," he wove around the stool in the middle of the room and pulled his navy blue electric guitar off the wall, attaching it to the guitar strap that had been balanced over his shoulder, and swinging it around to his backside.

"Pardon?" I rose an eyebrow.

"When you get fired, you take all of your stuff."

"Yeah, I know that, but fired? What the hell are you talking about?" I was frustrated now.

"Don't act like you don't know, Demetria," he groaned.

"I'm not acting, I really don't know! Who fired you?" I asked angrily.

"Your manager! Said I'd been working with you too long! Apparently you can't have a guitar player in the band for that long, so your manager said you said I was fired," he growled. "You really didn't know did you?"

My mouth was dry and my throat burned in both regret and sorrow. I felt like I was about to cry. I loved Mike. He was a really close family friend, and also my lead guitar player, basically my best friend. I could trust him with anything.

"No," my voice cracked. "I didn't."

"Well, I'm sorry you had to find out this way and I'm sorry I blamed you. I thought you knew," he looked down apologetically. "But if I were you, I wouldn't go to your manager about this."

I nodded and ran to his arms, hugging him tightly. He wrapped his strong arms around me as I put all of my weight on him, my eyes welling up with tears. Something about the way he held me, his smell, made me feel safe and comforted. That was something I was really going to miss about him.

"Who's this?" Mike asked, causing me to pull away and look at Ansley, who was standing rather awkwardly in the corner with the guitar in her hand.

"Oh, that's Ansley. She's a friend of mine," introduced. "Ansley, this is Mike."

Ansley stumbled to the middle of the room. Mike leaned forward with his hand out and shook Ansley's hand. She looked rather shaky, but not as much as when she met Wilmer, which made me smile. She was getting better. I was proud,

"Nice to meet you," Mike smiled, his jaw slightly more relaxed.

"S-same to you," Ansley managed to get out before pulling her hand away.

"Well, I have to go. I'll pick up the rest of my stuff Friday before you start rehearsing." Mike backed out of the room and shut the door, then reopening it and poking his head in. "Marissa is upstairs, by the way."

I looked over to Ansley who shrugged.

"Come on," I reached my hand out towards her and she took it.

We followed Mike up the stairs. He waved bye and left. I would be lying if I said my heart wasnt still hurting from when he snarled at me, but I put a smile on my face and pretended everything was fine, because let's be honest, nothing was ever fine and nobody was ever fine.