Once Upon A Song

Chapter Four

"JUSTIN! JUSTIN!" 

Girls screamed at me as I walked through the crowd. Bodyguards surrounded me and the rest of the band, keeping the enthused fans away.

My cheeks grew hot as the squealing girls chanted my brother's name and threw roses at my Converse. Trey sidled up next to me, grinning at my obvious unease and discomfort.

"Roses for Justin Rose," he laughed. "How original. The local florists will be eternally grateful to you."

"Shut up," I muttered, scrawling my brother's name in black Sharpie across a glossy photo of myself that a young girl thrust at me.

"This is the best part of being famous!" Charlie said, beaming as he signed his name on CDs and winked at swooning females.

I glanced at Aiden. He seemed impatient, occasionally acknowledging a particularily ardent fan with a curt nod. I noticed he didn't autograph anything.

Finally, we fought our way through the throng of fans and slid into the long, sleek limo that was waiting for us at the curb. I breathed a sigh of relief as I sank into the plush seats.

"You alright, Justin?" Trey asked. 

I nodded. "I have social anxiety."

Aiden turned incredulous green eyes on me. "You have social anxiety, so you went into SHOW BUSINESS? You're even more of an idiot than I orginally thought."

I flushed, glaring at him. "Yeah well, you're an asshole who seems to hate everyone, and yet YOU went into show business as well."

Aiden narrowed his eyes at me. "I don't hate everyone. Just you."

"Hey, guys," Charlie said weakly, but we both ignored him.

"Seriously? You hate me? Why? I haven't done a single damn thing to you!"

"You waltzed in here acting all self-entitled because you won some damn popularity contest our publicity manager came up with, thinking you were going to take over the band. You're smug and condescending."

I gaped. "Excuse me? I act self-entitled? Newsflash, buddy, you walk around here like you are a prince and the rest of us exist just to clean your boots."

Charlie looked between us, dismayed.

Aiden gave a bitter laugh. "The only reason the fans like you so much is because you're pretty. You look like a damn girl. I bet you're the type who likes other guys, aren't you? Let me tell you right now, I am definitely not interested."

"Enough!" Trey's voice boomed through the limo. "I am sick and tired of you two bickering. Get over it already."

Aiden sniffed disdainfully, turning away from me and staring out the window, his face unconcerned. I turned blazing eyes at Trey, who gave me a stern look.

"Enough," he said again. "Don't say anything you might regret later. For better or worse, we are a team now. We can't be squabbling like children every five minutes."

I pouted sulkily. "He started it."

Trey merely chuckled, shaking his head.

Charlie bit his lip, looking at me worriedly. "Um, Justin?"

I raised a brow at him. 

"You, uh, don't really like other guys, do you?" His face burned red.

I shook my head in exasperation. "I'm not gay." Well, that was the truth, at least.

Charlie breathed a sigh of relief, shooting me a cute half-grin. 

Trey was studying me with a curious gleam in his pale blue eyes, but when I glanced at him questioningly, he merely smiled.

"Party tonight,"  he said. "You coming, Rose?"

"Um, sure, I guess," I said. I didn't really have much experience with parties, but I figured I could  use the chance to blow off some steam before things got too tense.

Trey smiled a long, slow smile. "Excellent."

                                                      .....................................

I swayed back and forth, sipping at my fourth (or was it fifth? Sixth?) glass of champagne. The flashing lights and loud, thumping music were making my head spin painfully. I stumbled toward the exit, hoping to get some fresh air, but I was stopped by a pretty blonde girl in a tight black corset and jeans that looked painted on. Her lipstick was bright red.

"Hey," she crooned, running her frosted pink nails gently up my arm.

"'Ello," I slurred, trying to edge around her.

"You're the new member of the Brothers Grimm, right?"

"Tha's right."

She leaned close. Her breath smelled like cigarettes and bubblegum. I felt faintly nauseous.

"You're pretty hot."

I swallowed nervously, taking a fortifying gulp of my champagne. Oh, God. "Um..."

"Let's dance," she said, grabbing my hand and dragging me onto the sweaty, hot, crowded dance floor. I frowned in dismay. The people dancing around me were making the room woozy. The blonde rubbed up against me like a cat, and I stumbled backwards desperately.

"Where you going, handsome?" she purred.

I shook my head blearily. "I gotta...phone call...bathroom."

I jerked my way through the crowd and across the dim, smoky room until I found stairs that led up to a door labelled "Exit".

I opened it and slipped through, finding myself on a rooftop. I breathed in the warm night air, trying to clear my muddled head. I wandered across the rooftop to the railing, leaning over it and looking at the city below. I was really high up. I laughed, waving to all the little people scurrying like ants under the street lights beneath me.

"What the hell are you doing?" a voice like melted chocolate ice cream on a hot summer day demanded. I spun around to see Aiden standing behind me, arms crossed and black brow raised.

"Oh," I muttered. "Jus' you."

Aiden strode toward me. "Get away from there, you dumbass. Last thing we need is you falling to your bloody death."

I struggled feebly, trying to pull my arm from his grasp. "Leggo."

Aiden scowled fiercely. "Come on, let's go back inside."

My head was spinning as I tried to back away, but his grip was tight. The night air suddenly felt incredibly stuffy, and the smell of fried food and pollution drifted past like a pungent perfume. I could faintly hear the bass of the music still playing inside.

"Are you deaf, idiot? Let's go!"

I looked up at Aiden's face, which was blurry and unfocused. I smiled faintly, leaning close.

And then I puked all over him.