Baby, This is Paradise

•19•

Claire's POV

Alex and I stayed out all afternoon. Around 6:45 though, I got a call from Vic.

"Hey!" I answered.

"Hey! Are you coming tonight? We're getting ready to go on."

"Oh! Yeah. Shit. I don't think we'll make it for the performance, but we'll definitely meet you guys backstage afterward."

"Okay, sounds good. See you then! The tour bus is supposed to leave around 10."

"Okay. Great. I guess we'll head back and pack, then. Have fun! Sing loud!" He laughed.

"See you in a bit, babe. Bye!"

"Bye." I smiled as I hung up. I liked it when he called me "babe".

Alex and I started back in the direction of the hotel.

"So I guess we aren't going?"

"It's 6:45. We'll never make it in time. I told them we'd be there after, though."

"Okay." She began humming a Falling In Reverse song as we walked back.

"You really like him, don't you?" She asked.

"Yeah. Can you tell?" I asked, a little flustered.

"Yeah- from that stupid grin on your face."

"Sorry..."

I giggled, trying to stop smiling. He was so funny, so sweet.

She laughed at me, slinging her arm around me.

"Awh, Claire Bear is so cute when she is in love."

"Shut up" I said, shrugging her arm off my shoulders. "I can't possibly be in love with someone I just met like three days ago."

She shrugged, smiling. We walked on.

•••

We entered our room and packed our suitcases. Thankfully, there wasn't much to pack since we had only been here for two days.

I lifted my suitcase onto the bed and grabbed my purse. We headed outside and hailed a cab.

"San Fransisco Theatre please." Said Alex.

"Sure thing." Came the voice of the driver from the front.

•••

The drive was about 20 minutes. When we arrived, it was about 8:15. The boys were finishing a song as we slipped backstage.

Alex and I checked the set list on Michele's clipboard. It looked like they only had two songs left. I grabbed a bottled water from a cooler against the wall.

"I have to go to the bathroom." I said to Alex, starting down a long hallway to the restrooms.

"Kay." She didn't look up from her phone.

I was gone about seven minutes. I used the bathroom and then stopped at the mirror to touch up my hair. The curls had fallen into gentle waves, so I put it up in a low bun.

I exited the bathroom, starting back down the hall. A couple was making out against the wall, so I quietly sidestepped and continued walking.

Wait- I knew that SnapBack. I knew that chocolate hair, that olive skin.

I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. I turned.

"Vic...?"

He pushed Lindsay off his chest.

"Claire! Oh my God. Claire, I can explain..."

Tears rolled down my cheeks. I shook my head, sobbing, and ran down the hallway, past Alex, past the sweaty boys.

Seven minutes. I had been gone seven minutes.

I shoved the backstage door open and leaned against the stone wall, sobbing uncontrollably. How could I ever think he loved me? He's a celebrity. We could never work.

Alex burst through the stage door and found me there, on my knees, bawling. She sunk to her knees and held me, trying unsuccessfully to console me.

I should never have believed him, I should never have agreed to come. This adventure is over.
I'm going home.