Half a World Away

21 - Cassidy

Zack's face fell. Cassidy dashed out to the balcony and looked down to the street. Sure enough, there was a swarm of people with cameras standing around. They looked like bees busying themselves in a hive.

"There's so many of them," Cassidy said in surprise as she entered the unit again.

Zack shook his head solemnly.

"I guess meeting up at a hotel wasn't the best of ideas," Zack said quietly, grabbing his phone from his pocket and starting to type.

Cassidy looked on downhearted. It was all going positively while they were in their own little bubble, but this was reality. This was Zack's reality. Fans and paparazzi were a regular thing for him. It was a whole other world to Cassidy's.

"What do you want to do?" Cassidy asked quietly, not sure she wanted to hear his answer.

Zack ran a hand through his hair, his mind lost in thought. His phone sounded and he answered a call.

"Yeah, I know," he muttered into his phone. "Meet me out front in five."

He closed his phone and looked at Cassidy, holding out a hand.

"Come with me," he said sincerely, waiting patiently for her to accept his offering hand.

"What?" Cassidy looked at him in disbelief and Jasmine's mouth dropped open.

"I'm sick of all the rumours. Come with me and we will set it straight," he said self-assured.

"Set what straight?" Jasmine asked aloud, her hands on her hips, upset she was missing the plot line.

"Zack is Solo_Track," Cassidy replied casually and Jasmine's jaw dropped again in shock.

"Your internet boyfriend?" Jasmine blurted out in disbelief.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Cassidy declared exasperated, holding her hands up in Zack's direction.

"Hey," Zack sounded and looked wounded.

"Well, you're not," Cassidy shrugged.

"Change that," Zack said earnestly, holding his hand out to her again, "Come with me."

"Come with you where?" Cassidy asked confused by what he was saying, "On your concert tour? To England?"

"Both," he responded without skipping a beat, stepping towards her and taking her hand.

"What?" Jasmine squeaked.

Cassidy looked at her stunned friend and then back to Zack. Emotions were flying all over the room and she couldn't keep up with what was happening. Did Cassidy hear him right? He wanted her to go to England with him! Could she just drop everything and go be with Zack? Was he her fantasy turned into reality? Cassidy had just been dropped with the bomb shell that Solo_Track was Zack and now he was asking her to leave everything behind and be with him. Was that something she could do?

"I... I can't," she finally replied, pulling her hand out from his.

"I see," was all Zack said, his face expressed he was disappointed with her answer.

"It's not that," Cassidy tried explaining, "I've just been slammed with all this information and now you're asking me to move with you half way around the world? My life is here. My family and friends are here."

Zack's phone alarmed in his pocket signalling a message, he quickly read it and stowed it back in his pocket.

"Look," Zack said, "I have four more shows in Australia. How about you use that time to think about it? Please. I'm serious. Then before I leave you can tell me your answer."