I had some help

Twenty-nine

Alex ran to her dressing room, quickly changing from her denim-on-denim outfit into a bright yellow dress. She took a deep breath, straightened her dress, and hurried back out, the anticipation of the performance buzzing through her.

Michael was waiting for her backstage, a reassuring smile on his face. "Ready to blow them away?" He asked.

"Absolutely." Alex replied, grinning as they walked onto the stage together.

The crowd cheered as Michael strummed the opening chords on his guitar. Alex didn't start singing immediately; she wanted to talk to the crowd first. Stepping up to the microphone, her heart pounded with excitement and emotion. She took a moment to soak in the energy of the audience, feeling their anticipation, before beginning her speech.

"I have had the honor to become close friends with everyone on tour with us today." Alex began, her voice steady and sincere. "Michael forced me to write a song with him a long time ago, and we ended up writing another one because I loved the experience. It's an honor to be able to debut this song today, to all of you."

The crowd cheered louder, their enthusiasm echoing through the venue.

Alex smiled and launched into the song, her voice clear and powerful:

"I bet one of his friends let my name slip again
And it sent you down a rabbit hole spinning
Now you know I sing, know my sign, know my drink
Size me up in a matter of minutes
Did you mean to double tap
That spring break throwback from 2016 in PCB?"

Michael joined in, harmonizing perfectly with Alex as they sang the chorus together:

"Somewhere out there my ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend's
Scrolling through my Instagram
Tearing me down, passing the phone around
Like there's nothing better to talk about
Zooming out, zooming in, overanalyzing
Like the queen of the mean girls' committee
But hey, whatever helps
Keep on telling yourself
I'm not pretty."

Alex felt the words resonate deeply as she continued, pouring her heart into every line:

"Girl, let me guess, you don't like how I dress
And you're hating on the way I talk (bless your heart)
Give me a break, learn to sew, bake a cake
Take a walk and while you're at it get lost."

Michael's guitar played a soothing yet powerful melody, complementing Alex's vocals as they moved through the song:

"Somewhere out there my ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend's
Scrolling through my Instagram
Tearing me down, passing the phone around
Like there's nothing better to talk about
Zooming out, zooming in, overanalyzing
Like the queen of the mean girls' committee
But hey, whatever helps
Keep on telling yourself
I'm not pretty."

They reached the bridge, their voices blending seamlessly:

"I'm not pretty, I'm not cool
I'm just one of those girls that peaked in high school
Yeah, right."

The audience swayed and sang along, clearly moved by the heartfelt lyrics. Alex and Michael finished the song with a powerful harmony, their voices ringing out strong and clear:

"Somewhere out there my ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend's
Scrolling through my Instagram
Tearing me down, passing the phone around
Like there's nothing better to talk about
Zooming out, zooming in, overanalyzing
Like the queen of the mean girls' committee
But hey, whatever helps
Keep on telling yourself
I'm not pretty
I'm not pretty
Yeah, right."

As the music from "I'm Not Pretty" rang out, Alex glanced over at Morgan, who stood on the side of the stage, his face filled with confusion. The last song's meaning was clear to him, but this one left him puzzled.

Alex and Michael caught their breaths and prepared for their next song. They exchanged a nod, and the opening chords of "No Caller ID" filled the air. Alex took a deep breath and began to sing.

Morgan listened, the familiar lyrics cutting through him. He had heard this song before, and knowing its inspiration didn't make it any easier to hear. Each line felt like a personal attack, a reminder of the pain he had caused.

The crowd was captivated, the raw emotion of the song resonating with many. Alex's voice carried the weight of her experiences, her determination to break free from the cycle of hurt. As the final notes lingered in the air, Alex knew that her message had been delivered, a cathartic release that left both her and the audience feeling deeply moved.

Morgan left the office after Alex, his mind racing with thoughts of their almost-kiss. The tension between them had been palpable, and he couldn't shake the feeling of her closeness. Frustrated and needing an outlet, he found himself driving to Katie's house.

When he arrived, he didn't bother to knock. He walked through the door, his heart pounding.

"Morgan, what are you doing here?" Katie asked, surprised to see him.

Without a word, Morgan crossed the room and pinned her against the wall next to the door. "I wanted to see you." He said, his voice low and urgent.

Katie's eyes widened in surprise, but she didn't resist. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Their lips met in a fervent kiss, the pent-up frustration and desire pouring out in an instant.

As they stumbled through the hallway, Katie led him to the bedroom, her hands tangled in his hair. "Morgan." She whispered breathlessly, "What's going on?"

He didn't answer, too consumed by the need to drown out his feelings for Alex with the familiarity of Katie's touch. They fell onto the bed, the room filling with the sound of hurried breaths and rustling clothes.

In the back of his mind, Morgan knew this was a mistake. He and Katie hadn't seen each other in months, and he really wanted to fix things with Alex. But the need to forget, to replace the ache of what almost happened with Alex, overpowered any sense of guilt.

Later, they drove to Michael and Caleigh's house. The couples sat down in the living room. "Hey Morgan, where's Alex?" Caleigh asked, looking up from her phone.

"Probably at home or something." Morgan said quickly. "How was your day, Michael?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

"I was hoping she'd come for dinner, but she said something came up." Caleigh said, suppressing a smirk as she saw confusion flash across Katie's face.

"I don't know." Morgan said, looking anywhere but at the people surrounding him.

Katie, sensing the tension, gave him a curious glance. "Who's Alex?" She asked, looking at Morgan, puzzled.

"An old friend." Morgan replied, avoiding eye contact.

Caleigh chimed in, her tone light but firm. "Alex is my best friend." She said. "She's been in Morgan's life forever and in ours for a year or two. She's done a lot for all of us."

Katie's eyes narrowed slightly, clearly not satisfied with Morgan's vague explanation. "It sounds like she means a lot to you." She said, smiling at Caleigh a little.

Caleigh nodded, picking up on the subtle tension in the room. "She does mean a lot to us. She's practically family."

Katie's curiosity grew. "How do you know her for so long, Morgan?" She asked.

"Just old friends, I guess. We went to high school together." Morgan explained with a shrug, hoping the topic would change.

Katie nodded but couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the story. "You seem really uncomfortable talking about her." Katie said, a hint of suspicion in her voice.

Morgan glanced around the room, feeling cornered. "We'll talk about it when we get home." He said firmly. "It's complicated and I don't want to get into it right now."

Katie frowned slightly but didn't press further. The conversation continued, but Morgan's mind was elsewhere, haunted by the memory of the almost-kiss with Alex and the hollow attempt to fill that void with Katie. As he sat there, he realized how futile it was to run from his feelings, knowing they would catch up to him eventually.