Stella

Chapter 1

Stella
Chapter 1

I stepped off the plane with my past dragging behind me. It was poking me, urging me to go home-if that's what I could call it-, but I knew that if I do, I would be met with the same fate.

I ignored the ghost following me and continued through the terminal.

'You came here to start a new life, I thought to myself. 'You can't let the curiosity drag you back.'

Here I am. The great Baltimore, Maryland. With my headphones softly playing music around my shoulders, I quickly went outside the airport and tried to get the attention of a taxi driver, failing miserably.

"Need some help?" I heard from behind me. I quickly paused my music and turned to see someone oddly familiar. He was a tall guy, with scraggly brown hair, tattoos on his arms, and a lip piercing.

"Um.." I hesitated. 'Don't trust a stranger!' my mind was yelling at me.

'Don't worry," he said, adding a light chuckle, showing a British accent I hadn't noticed before. He then lifted his hand to his mouth, whistled in a way I never could, and waved his other hand in the air. A couple seconds later, a vehicle with the the words Baltimore Taxi Service written on the side.

"Thank you." I mumbled, starting to gather my bags.

"What kind is it?" The stranger asked, pointing to my guitar case on my back.

"It's a Sam-tooth electric." I said, taking pride in my baby. The one momentum that encouraged me to move here, the one thing that I was determined to bring.

"I have a Fender." He said, starting to help me put my bags in the taxi. "I'm Ben, by the way."

"Stella." I stated my name, then regretting it soon after. Why would you give him your real name?

Ben smiled, unaware of the regret that flashed through my eyes, even though I quickly covered it up, and pulled out a sharpie.

"Give me your hand," He said. I froze. What is he going to do? It can't be that bad. He just has a sharpie marker. After a couple of seconds, I finally lifted my wrist, showing off my anchor tattoo. After a couple seconds of his scribbling, I pulled my arm back and saw ten digits written in black ink. I still couldn't place where I might have heard his voice before. It was so familiar.

"What's this?" I looked at him, noticing how attractive he was. How could I not remember him? Maybe it was my mind playing tricks on me.

"It's my number." He said simply. " I cant tell you're new to town and I was going to offer to show you around once you get settled

I smiled at him and nodded, my nerves starting to settle. "That would be cool."

"Well, Stella, I hope to see you soon." He said, pointing at the impatient taxi driver with a grumpy look on his face. I let out a small giggle and climbed in.

~Later that day~

I was so glad I had rented my studio apartment before flying to Baltimore. When I got to the building, the first thing the person said was that all the apartments were rented out. Once I explained that I already had a studio waiting for me, it didn't take long for me to bring my bags up, and unpack what little clothes and supplies I had brought with me.

It took about two hours, but I had finally finished and was exhausted. It was a small apartment, big enough for only one person. Once you walk in, you are instantly in a small dinning room with a small, oval table that could probably seat four or five people. In the corner across from the entrance, there was a hallway that then entered the kitchen. It was a pretty nice kitchen, compared to most studios. All the appliance that had come with the place were all against the wall, with the fridge in the corner and cupboards along the wall above the counter top and below. Across from the main part of the kitchen, there was a small step the then had a full size bed without sheets. I was thankful for the sense of bringing my own bed-set that miraculously fitted the bed.

Once done with everything that needed to be done, I laid down on my newly made bed to find it oddly comforting.

A couple minutes, I had finally regained some energy to pull my phone out of my bag, and dial up my best friend, Vicky.

"Hey love!" Vicky said enthusiastically.

"Hey Vic!" I replied nonchalantly. "I just got finished unpacking. What's up?"

"Nothing much. I'm just dying my hair again." She replied. Vicky is like that. Dying her hair has become a regular occurrence lately. But no matter what crazy color her hair is, she is one of my best friends.

"What color?" I asked, genuinely interested.

"Purple." Vicky replied. I tried to picture Vicky with purple hair. I imagined the light freckles with her blue eyes. My thoughts were interrupted by Vicky's voice.

"So, have you met anybody interesting?" She asked.

"Yes, actually." I replied. I proceeded to tell her about Ben. Telling her about the scraggly, shoulder length, brown hair, lip ring, and British accent.

"Why is this person reminding me of the guitarist from Asking Alexandria?" Vicky said.

"Of course!" I exclaimed. "That's why he seemed so familiar!"

"Well, you got his number. Call him." Vicky said, as if it was the most common thing ever.

"What?" I screeched in an exaggerated tone. "Vicky, I can't call him! He is in one of our favorite bands! And plus, what if he is freaked out? Maybe he isn't really Ben Bruce? Just someone who look's a lot like him and has the same first name?"

I continued my rant for a little longer before I realized Vicky wasn't answering. Usually, by now she would have cut me off and called me ridiculous.

"Vicky? Are you there?" I asked.

"Sorry, I am pulling up the tour dates for Asking Alexandria and turns out, they are playing a show in Baltimore, Maryland tomorrow night." Vicky said.

Okay now there is no way it couldn't be him.

"What would I say, 'Hey you're in my favorite band and I so did not come here to stalk you.'" I said.

"Just tell him that you know who he is and after hours of debating you finally took it upon yourself to find the guts and put yourself out there-" Vicky said, but was cut off by yelling in the background.

I heard Vicky's mom's voice yelling at Vicky in the background for, what I assume, the purple hair.

A second later, I heard Vicky's voice saying she had to go and something about 'taking chances.'

I threw my phone onto the pillow and sprawled out onto my new bed.

Fuck it. I picked up my phone and dialed the number that was still written on my palm.

He picked up on the third ring.

"Hello?" He said in his accent.

"Ben?" I said. "Hi, it's Stella."

"Ah, Stella from the airport." He said. Now that I recognized him as one of my favorite guitarist, I couldn't help but be nervous and bounce my leg.

"Uh, yeah. I guess." I said.

"Don't worry, it was a joke." He said. "So what is your solid reason for calling?"

"I, uh.." I knew exactly what I wanted to say but due to anxiety, the words were getting caught in my throat.

"What is it?" He asked.

"I was going to take you up on your offer of showing me around town." I spit out. I was so nervous and I didn't even know why. Why would I trust to meet up with a stranger. I know about Ben Bruce, but I never believed I would actually have a chance to get to know him as a person.

"Sure. I'll be at the Coffee House on 3rd avenue in twenty minutes." He sounded so casual that I almost didn't believe it was him.

"Oh- okay." I said and hung up after a minute. I texted Vicky telling her that I had gone for it. I honestly couldn't believe I was doing this.