Inside | Shane Harte

41 | Saving your ass

I quickly wipe my eyes with the back of my hand, without releasing the tense eye contact between us. Eventually I walk off the stage with him directly after me. When we're out of sight I turn around to face him again.

"So..." I start, putting my hands on my hips. "What kind of stunt was that?"

He tilts his head slightly to the side with a painful, small smile.

"It's called..." he starts before walking closer, so close that I can feel his hot breath brush my ear. "Saving your ass"

I don't say anything as a respond as he puts down his hands in his pockets and walks out of the room. I crash down onto the nearest sofa with a loud sigh. He is playing me sooo hard, and I still can't control myself around him despite knowing that. Suddenly, Crystal bursts the door open and rushes into the room with Theo close behind her.

"Kayla, omg! What the hell just happened?" she almost screams while plopping down on the sofa next to me.

"I don't know, I'm just as shocked as you are!" I 'almost-scream' back at her. She laughs along with Theo and he eventually clears his throat.

"So Trevor isn't here? At all?"

"No, not that I know of at least" I sigh, noticing that the more I take it in and understand what he actually just put me through the anger builds up in my stomach in the feeling of... Fire, almost. It burns and pulsates like I had a ball of fire in my stomach-

Okay, take it easy there Kayla. You sound like a total psycho right now and nobody would like the fact of you being one.

"I wonder where he is, and why he didn't show... I don't know, it's just not like him to practise for weeks and even record the song if he's not intending to perform it" Crystal starts, brushing her chin with her thumb and index finger as she always does when she's trying to figure something out. "Even after... Everything that happened between you two"

"Yeah, but still... It wasn't just me and him this time. It was his best friend as well. Even after everything he's done and said I still think he did consider Shane to be his best friend, at least before all the drama happened"

"Yeah, you're right about that. Speaking of Shane... What the hell happened there?!" she asks and we all burst out laughing. It feels liberating to just laugh genuinely for the first time in a while.

"Sorry Crystal, can't really tell you much on that part either" I laugh and she does as well, but it soon slowly transfers to a more serious but happy face.

"He saved you, you know that right?"

"Well... Yeah, I guess" I say kind of uncomfortably and she forces me to look her in the eyes. Her long, blue hair glows and frames her face perfectly as she leans in a little bit closer.

"Girl, listen. He saved you. He could've chosen to not give a damn, but he did. He gave enough damn to walk out on a stage full of all the important music people in Canada, sing a song he's never sung before and on top of it all, with you. The person he just told that for all this time, he's been more fake towards you than my hair color"

I just sit there and blink a few extra times as I'm actually taking in what she's telling me. She's right, it's unbelievable. The whole situation with both Trevor and Shane is really wierd and kind of mysterious but I'm really not in the mood to figure out what's up with them. I sigh and tilt backwards against the back of the sofa.

"Wow. Now that you say it... Just, wow" I mumble, but just as I'm about to continue I hear that special angelic voice that always catches my ear, heart and soul whether I like it or not. I stand up while Crystal and Theo start talking about something else and start walking towards a window that faces the stage from a pretty small distance.

Right when the song ends, the door bursts open causing everyone in the room to turn towards it. Mother walks in and when she sees me I freeze. A nervous feeling scratches the insides of my stomach as I wait for her response to my performance.

"There you are, Kayla" she smiles. I've been looking everywhere for you"

"Well, here I am" I smile back at her nervously before clearing my throat. "So, what did you think?"

"I must admit, my darling, in the beginning of your transfer I was horrified just by the thought of you abandoning everything about classical music that me and your father have ever taught you for a completely new, reckless choice you made over a weekend. And..." she pauses and sighs, and I look down to the floor sadly. I knew it. She would never approve of my new lifestyle, friends or taste of music. She would never understand. Why would I ever even think that she could?

"... I've never, ever been more proud of you"

I quickly look up at her face again and her eyes are all teared up.

"Thank you so much, mum. You have no idea how much that means to me" I say, almost tearing up as well as I pull her closer into a hug.

"Okay dear, I would still like it if you called me mother though. Don't forget completely where you came from" she grins and I laugh a little.

"Sorry, mother" I smile.

"By the way, was that... Shane you were singing with?" she asks with a careful voice as if she knows she's stepping on some thin ice when mentioning the subject.

"Yeah, it was. I can't really explain why though. Trevor didn't show up and he just stepped in instead"

"Oh okay. That was... Nice of him, if I dare to say it out loud"

"I can talk about him you know. Yeah, I'm not feeling like I'm on top of the world but I'll get through it in time. I will be fine" I smile and Crystal, Trevor and mother all embrace me in a big group hug with a squeal.

Suddenly, a man clears his throat in the doorway and we release each other from the hug.