Rivals // m.g.c

Chapter 13 - Announcement

The boys kept pestering me about hanging out with A4dable Affair.

"Why don't you go hang out with them?" They'd taunt.

I realized after a while that they we're figuring out about me and Desi. Slowly, they were piecing things together that gave our relationship away. I was trying not to say or do anything obvious that would completely give us away, but it was happening over weeks that soon turned into months.

Desi and I had been dating for five months when the boys began to make comments about us. To be honest, I thought they'd figure it out sooner, but they still weren't sure.

Desiree had told me that Dawson and Jonah had been mentioning about me around her more often. Charlie, to Desiree, still seemed oblivious. Maybe he wasn't so unaware of us, but he made it seem like it.

Brayan hadn't said anything to anyone. Desiree mentioned to me that Dawson commented on her being with Brayan when he thought she couldn't hear him.

Brayan had been with us quite a bit when we'd go on dates. He wasn't with us, but he'd stay near us and not go to the hotel we were staying in to make it look like we were all hanging out together. Dawson, then, was thinking Brayan and Desi were together.

I knew that we'd have to tell them soon because we were in West Palm Beach, on September 13, and it was our last show. If we wanted to see each other anytime while not on tour, I knew we would have to fly to each others' hometowns in completely different countries.

During the breaks we had during the tour, Desiree and I had face-timed. I didn't know how we would handle face-timing while we were in between tours. I knew that if I was face-timing her too much, the boys would find out. Plus, my parents didn't know, and her parents didn't know either. We didn't tell them, because we were worried they'd say something to someone in one of our bands.

We needed to tell our parents, but we also needed to tell our bands. I didn't want to tell them, but I also didn't want to not see Desiree while we weren't on tour together.

With our next tour already planned and A4dable Affair already planned as our opening act, I knew that we wouldn't see each other until we began rehearsals in Nagoya on February 3 of the next year. That was four and a half months that I wouldn't be able to see Desiree. Plus, I'd miss seeing her on Thanksgiving or Christmas or my birthday. I didn't want that to happen.

The boys needed to know. I wasn't sure of how to tell them, however. I didn't just want to come out and tell them we were dating behind their backs. I wanted to subtly reveal that we were dating. How would we do that? I knew the perfect answer for that: announce it on stage at our last concert. That's exactly what we planned to do.

A4dable Affair played as the opening act at our concert in West Palm Beach, Florida on September 13. Soon after they were done, my band and I went on stage. I was pumped and ready to preform. There was one thing I was worried about: announcing about dating Desiree.

I played through the whole concert fine, but when it came to the end, I was about to call Desiree out. I gave her her cue and waited.

"I want to tell everyone here something special," I said into my microphone and looked to the side of the stage. I repeated myself, but nothing happened.

Brayan came to the side of the stage and shook his head. I could hardly speak, but managed to say into my microphone, "never mind.."

I yelled goodnight, running with my guitar to the side of the stage. I took my guitar off and asked Brayan what was wrong. I heard the other three boys yell goodnight to the crowd and run off of the stage as well.

"Desiree... she fainted. I don't know what happened, but she's unconscious. We called 911, and they're coming. I'm sorry, Michael," Brayan apologized. I waved him off with my hand.

"Brayan, I'm not upset. I'm worried about Desiree," I sighed, going back into the dressing room to find her. There she laid on the floor: unconscious.

I ran over to her and slumped down beside her. I touched her arm, but she didn't come awake. I made sure she had a pulse, and she did. I sighed of relief. What was wrong with her, though?