A New Hope

Chapter 18: The Mighty Fall

"Hey, you ready for tonight?" I asked Baylee. We were currently in our dressing room (we got our own and the guys got their own) in Dallas, Texas getting ready for our performance.

"Of course. I mean, I'm practically obsessed with Fall Out Boy. You really think I wouldn't be ready to cover one of their songs?"

"I was just checking. I know I was really nervous when I first performed live."

"I'll be fine. I've sang in public before."

"Ok. I was just making sure."

She smiled at me. Then, her smile dropped as she looked at the floor. "Hey, what's wrong?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing. It's not important."

"Come on. Seriously, you know you can tell me anything."

"It's really not important. Let's practice one more time."

I frowned, upset that she wouldn't share her thoughts with me, but hit play on the music nonetheless. "Oh God," Baylee started, "Fall Out, Boi!"

"Did you trip down twelve steps into Malibu? So why the hell is there a light that's keeping us forever?" I sang.

When we got to the rap part, Baylee picked it up. "Yeah, I know you said not to call unless I'm dying. Well, I'm driving and I can't stop staring at my eyelids, but every time my eyes close, I still see you. I just hope that when you see me, I'm not see through, you know how we do. Sometimes I swear, I need a day just for me to lay
with some T and A, but the way we, they way we is do deeper. Baby, straight up chemistry, DNA. Make me wanna give you every dollar out my B of A. Like, I let her climb on top. I'm either fuckin or workin', so the grind don't stop. They say I got screws missing, well hell, only when I'm missing you. And hell yeah I'm a dick, girl, addicted to you."

We finished the song, and I nodded. "I think we're ready. Now, sit. Tell me what's on your mind," I said.

She sighed and sat next to me on the couch. "There's something I have to tell you..." she started. "And you're not gonna like it."

"What?"

She sighed. "He didn't want me to tell you, but I'd rather you find out sooner than later. Alex and Darla are dating."

I was shocked. He said that she "is not and never will be" his girlfriend. Yet here we are. "I... what?" I was in so much shock that I couldn't think straight.

"And there's more."

"Well, this can't get any worse."

"Actually, you might wanna brace yourself." I looked at her, and she sighed once again. "He's become a bully again. He does whatever she says, including bullying people."

I gasped. "No... This... this has to be some kind of misunderstanding."

Baylee shook her head. "I'm really sorry Chloe. We both thought he had changed."

Tears welled up in my eyes, and Baylee put her hand on mine. That's when I saw them. That's when I saw the bruises and the cuts. "Baylee, where did those come from? You didn't have those when I left."

She looked at her arm where I was pointing, and she pulled her arm away. "Those... those aren't important."

"Baylee, has he been hurting you?"

"I..."

I knew it. Alex was hurting Baylee, most likely at the request of Darla. Just like he had done to me back in Ohio. And she had cut because of it. Just like I had done back in Ohio. My face turned red as I reached for my phone.