Stef's POV
"You know you should really call Brandon, Stef. He seems lost without you in his life." "Don't try telling me how to be a parent, Mike. I've been doing it a lot longer than you. I raised Brandon, and he betrayed me. I want nothing to do with him now that he's done this again." "He didn't betray you, Stef. He fell in love, and you can't blame him for that. People fall in love, and people change their minds. It's human nature. You can't punish our son for finding someone he loves. Believe it or not, Callie is the best thing that's ever happened to Brandon. He's a different person when he's with her. She makes him want to be better. I've seen it over the past month they've been living with me, and I like seeing him this happy. Callie is happy too. Don't take that away from them." "You leave them alone too much. You should be there with them, supervising them. You leaving them alone shows that you're condoning their relationship, and you shouldn't condone that. It's wrong. I know it, and you know it. You just don't want to admit that you agree with me because you know you'll lose Brandon again and you just got him back. So don't tell me what I do and don't need to do for our son. I know Brandon. This is just a phase he's going through, and once he realizes that this is a mistake, he'll forget all about it and come back to me, where he belongs. You'll see. He'll wake up from this fantasy he's living in a few days, and you won't have to worry about him anymore."
Callie's POV
Things have changed between Brandon and I ever since our conversation about the tour. He barely talks to me about music anymore, and I know it's because he's trying to avoid talking about the tour. He says he hasn't made up his mind yet, but I know he has. It was clear in his voice when we were talking about it that night. He wants to go, but he won't admit it to himself or to me. He wants to make himself believe that he doesn't want to go even though he does. We also haven't been as close as we were before. The way things are between us right now, I honestly feel like we aren't even in a relationship anymore. Brandon barely talks to me, and he avoids any sort of conversation. He picks me up from work, and when we get to Mike's house, he goes straight to our room while I stay in the kitchen to do my homework. As much as I don't want to be away from him for two months, I don't want him to give up the tour for me. I know this is an amazing opportunity for him, and I would never ask him to give that up for us. If he goes on tour, I have no idea what would happen between the two of us. Sure, we can talk on the phone and facetime each other, but that wouldn't be the same as actually seeing him in person. I'd be here, alone with Mike, and my life would have no meaning. I'd have no one to share my days with, and I would be lonely. He would be off making memories and making music with the band, and I'm afraid he would forget all about me and our life here. I know if I don't let him go on tour, he'll resent me eventually, and I'll lose him forever. I'd rather have him from a distance than lose him all together.
Brandon's POV
"Have you made a decision about the tour yet?" Lou asks me as we finish up at practice. "I've been thinking a lot about it," I say, packing my keyboard into its case and setting it in the trunk. "And I'm still not sure about it. Callie and I kind of had an argument about this, and I don't know what to do at this point." "Was it really an argument?" she asks. "No, I guess not. We talked about it, and I basically told her that we wouldn't last if I went on tour," I reply. "So what? Just go home and tell her you didn't mean what you said and then come on tour with us," she says. "I can't just tell her I didn't mean what I said. What if I did? I really don't know what's going to happen to us if I go on tour. I'm going to be gone for two months, and we'll only be keeping in touch by texting and calling each other. That's not the kind of relationship I want us to have," I add. "It doesn't matter what kind of relationship you have as long as you have one. You guys fought to have this relationship, and if going on tour is going to end it, then you're both stupid. Who cares if you have to talk to her over the phone for a few months? The point is, you'll be talking to her and you'll still get to know what's going on in her life. You'll still have her," she replies. "Yeah, but I don't want to leave her for that long. We've always been together, and I don't know if we would be able to handle being away from each other for that long," I say. "Maybe it'll be a good thing. Sometimes couples need to spend time apart to grow closer. Maybe the distance will be good for the two of you. You have your whole lives to be together, so two months apart won't kill you," she replies. You don't know about our pact though, I think to myself. If we break up again, that's it. No more getting back together. It's now or never. This is our last chance, and I don't plan on ruining it. "What if she came with us?" I ask. "What?" Lou shouts. "No, seriously. What if Callie came with me? She could watch all the shows and cheer us on, and her and I would still get to be together. I wouldn't have to worry about not seeing her," I reply. "No. No way. She'll just distract you," she says. "I'll be more distracted if she doesn't come with us. I won't be able to focus on anything except her and how she's doing while I'm away. She makes me better, and I would do so much better on tour if she came with us," I say. "Please, just think about it Lou." "Fine," she says. "She can come with us, but if she distracts you once while we're on tour, she's coming back home. This is our one chance to make something of ourselves, and I don't want anything blowing our chance."
Callie's POV
"Hey babe," Brandon says as he walks through the door. I set my homework aside and walk up to him. He pulls me into his arms, and I'm surprised at the contact he's enforcing on me. He hasn't been this close to me in weeks. "Hey," I say, leaning into his touch. "I had the best band practice today," he says. "Really," I reply, looking up at him. "Yeah, really," he replies. "What happened?" I asked. "I asked Lou if you could come on tour with us, and she said yes," he says, his face lighting up in a smile. "You did what?" I ask, pulling out of his hold on me. "I asked her if you could come on tour with us," he repeats. "Why would you do that without talking to me about it first?" I ask. "I don't know," he says. "I wasn't' really planning on asking her if you could come with us. We were talking about the tour and whether I was going or not, and the question just popped out. I honestly didn't think she would agree to you coming, but she did. I would do so much better if you came with us, and I want you to be with me when I experience this." "I don't want to go on tour with you though," I say. "Excuse me?" he asks. "Brandon, I have a job. I can't just pick up and leave for two months. And Robert is here. We just started to develop some sort of relationship. I can't just leave without any notice," I say. "I just gave you a notice," he replies. "We don't leave until next month. That gives you plenty of time to work things out with your boss and Robert." "You didn't even ask me about it Brandon, you just decided for me," I say. "I'm asking you about it right now," he says. "No, you aren't. You're telling me that you asked if I could come on tour with you. That isn't asking me if I want to go with you," I reply. "So you don't want to be with me?" he asks. "I never said that, Brandon. Of course I want to be with you, but I don't want to go on tour with you. That isn't who I am. I'm not into that kind of thing. I love watching you play, and I love creating music with you, but I'm not the kind of girl who follows her boyfriend across the world while he's on tour." "I don't think we're going to survive this separation, Callie. You and I both know it's true. If I go on tour and you stay here, something is going to change," he says. "Things have already changed, Brandon. We can't even talk about the band anymore without fighting. Imagine how it will be on the road. We would be at each others throats daily, and you need to be focused on tour," I reply. "I don't know if I can be with someone who doesn't support what I want to do," he says, shaking his head. "I do support what you want to do, and you should know that by now. I was the one who pushed you to be in the band after everything that happened with your hand," I say. "Exactly, Callie. You pushed me into being in the band, and I didn't want to be. You pushed me into doing it, and I joined because it made you happy," he replies. "You being happy makes me happy, and music makes you happy," I say. "Well being in a band doesn't make me happy. Classical music makes me happy, but I can't perform that anymore," I say. "And let me guess, that's my fault too right?" I ask. "Actually, it kind of is. If it weren't for you telling me that you were over me, I wouldn't have went back to my dad the night you were supposed to get adopted. If you hadn't have invited Wyatt over to the house, I could've stayed home and none of it would've happened," he says. "Wow," I say, shaking my head. "I'm glad you feel that I ruined your life, Brandon." "I didn't say you ruined my life," he replies. "Just go on tour with me so we can be together, please." "I already told you I don't want to go," I say. "Then I don't think we can be together," he says. "What?" I ask. "Our relationship isn't going to last if I go on tour. We can't have a long distance relationship, Callie. I won't be able to stand never seeing you and being able to hold you in my arms. I want you to share my success with me, and I want you to see me succeed. But you don't want to go with me, and I don't want to go without you. We're barely surviving this conversation, so I know we wouldn't be able to survive two months apart," he replies. "So what are you saying?" I ask. "I'm saying that I don't think we can do this, Callie," he replies. "Do what?" I ask. "Any of it," he replies.
