Sisters By Chance Friends by Choice

Chapter 4-The Beginning of the End

     I decided that I'm just going to write from Colleen's POV because I honestly just like it better.  To be completely honest, it's incredibly hard for me to write from Josh's POV, as I side with Colleen through all this.  Okay, that's it, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the chapter!
     I wake up to the annoying sound of my alarm on my 4th day of tour.  I drag myself out of bed and throw some random clothes on. It's 8 am, but in LA it's really only midnight.  Last night I couldn't fall asleep since the U.K. is so far ahead.  I pick up my phone and see that after I went to bed, I got like 25 hundred from Josh.  Tour has been rough.  Everyday, it's missed calls and unread texts from Josh. When he calls I'm either asleep or on stage, and when he texts I'm usually too busy to have a full on conversation with him.  Then he calls me out and basically says that I'm a horrible person and make no time for him. Then I text him back in a angry rage and tell him to shut up and that I have to go. Then I end up in tears 3 minutes before I have to be on stage. That has been my life the past few days. I can't keep doing this.  My attention to the people who are paying to see me is wavering because of the phone calls I get before the show and the ones I know I'll get after it.  It's frustrating when someone is getting mad at you for doing what you love.  All Josh wants to do is have sex with me.  If he wants me so bad maybe he should've come on tour with me.
     I walk into the adjoining room where Kory and Lee slept.  They are already all ready and Kory brought me a doughnut from the continental breakfast.  Today's my moms birthday so Kory, Lee, and I are sneaking out of the hotel to buy some stuff to decorate the room before she wakes up.  We walk to a store similar target and head straight for the party supplies.  We pick some yellow streamers and some helium balloons with chickens on the intended for a child's farm themed party, but hey, my mom likes her chickens.  We grab a 5 and an 8 number sign since mom is turning 58. We get some random banners and stuff that say happy birthday.  Then I run and get a card and some other stuff I needed for the show and hotel room.  We walk back to the hotel and up to our room.  I unlock the door and mom is still asleep. We hang everything up while holding in giggles. Then I wake my mom up.  She thanks us and hugs me and goes to take a shower. Since we're all ready to go for the day Kory, Lee, and I are just sitting around the room.  I get a text from Rebecca Zamolo. That's really weird, we haven't talked in a while.  I look at my phone, and I can feel my face go white.  The text says "How's tour Colleen?  Why didn't you let Josh go with you?  What kind of wife leaves for 2 weeks immediately following arriving home after 4 months?"  I explode.  "Wtf!!!  Why is she involved now?  Our marriage is none of her F***ing business!"
     "Colleen!  What just happened. Let me see that text!" Kory says.
     I toss my phone at him and he reads it. "Wtf!  How does she even know what's going on?"
     "Well, that's a very good question Kory, and I think there is only one answer!  Josh probably told her.  And I don't even care that he said anything to her because, like, I told you.  It's the fact that she feels the need to insert herself in our personal life and approach me!  Would you ever text Josh about this?"
     "Absolutely not!  I'd do what I could to help YOU, but what Josh does is none of my business."
     I'm livid!  I am in tears and an angry rage all at the same time. So many questions. Did Josh tell her to text me?  Does he know she texted me that?  Why did she text me that?  Why did she make up that fact that I said Josh couldn't come because I never did?  What is my life? 
     "Colleen, let's not act out of anger. Just cool off and we can handle this later," Kory says.  Then he lowers his voice and says, "Rachel's coming in a few hours and she's much better at this than I am."
     "You're right.  There's nothing I can really do anyway. We're 6,000 miles away from LA.  It's not public.  I am not about to call Josh.  Wait!  It's like 2 AM in LA.  Why the hell is Rebecca awake trying to trigger me?!"
     "That is really weird."
     Just as I calm down for a second, my mom walks out of the bathroom and says, "Colleen, what just happened!?"
     I show her the text and immediately start crying again.  "I swear to god, anyone who tries to hurt my baby is gonna get it!"
     "Thanks mom, but I don't wanna start anything, I mean, I guess Rebecca already started it...never mind, I just don't wanna cause unnecessary drama.  Our goal right now is to keep the drama offline at all costs.  NO ONE can know what's going on.  None of you, are allowed to tweet anything or post anything that people are gonna twist and turn to maybe think something's wrong.  Nothing that my face is even the slightest bit tear stained or red in.  This cannot get out to the world before I speak to my manager and publicist, which I don't know if I'll ever do.  I kinda just wanna figure this all out and forget about it."
     "I know Colleen, but you can't just ignore it.  You're gonna have to figure it out with Josh.  And you're right, it shouldn't be a big or deal online, especially not before you are told how to release it. Drama could hurt your career, Colleen. Don't post or respond to anything in anger or it will get you in hot water," my mom says. 
     "Yep, I totally get it.  Forget about it for now.  Finish the show tonight without anyone knowing what's going on. If things get worse today, I'll have to tell my manager and publicist, not that they can do anything from the states."
     After I pull myself together, which was a little easier since I was more pissed than upset, I reapply makeup so my face looks normal.  We head over to the theatre. The only thing pulling me through is knowing that Rachel is going to be with me in a few hours.  The plan is for Lee to go pick Rach and Dad up from the airport while Kory and I finish running tech and sound. Then we'll start the meet and greet with mom on the stage.  Kory will bring Rach and Dad out and we'll surprise mom.  I'm so excited that I really haven't thought about all the crap.  I get dressed for the meet and greet (I decide on my pink cat onesie.) I have so many thoughts racing through my head as I struggle to curl my hair. I am just frustrated beyond words about what happened. It was one thing when Josh and I were having a hard time but a whole nother for friends to get in involved. I can't even comprehend what Rebecca was thinking. I would never say something like that to someone I cared about. I let the last piece of hair fall from the curling iron.  I turn the heat off and unplug the iron.  I grab an eyebrow pencil because guuuuurrrrrrrrrl those eyebrows gotta be on fleek!  My makeup is already done so I just touch up my eyebrows and put on lipstick.  I have a pounding headache from crying so much so I grab ibuprofen and swallow it with water.  I have 45 minutes until the meet and greet so I decide to call Rachel. She's probably at the airport with Lee getting food.  She answers the phone and says, "It's okay, baby.  I know what happened.  And Colleen, I swear to god if you start crying and ruin your makeup...!  Oh, and by the way, DO NOT check your Instagram feed."
     "What?!  What the hell happened Rachel. You have about 3 seconds to tell me before I go all extra on you!"
     "Gurl!  You already extra!  Okay, but seriously, Rebecca posted a picture with a cryptic caption."
     I grab my phone faster than Rachel could tell me not to.  I go on Instagram only to find a picture of Josh, Matt, and Rebecca.  Fine, whatever, don't really care.  BUT.  The caption says, "You know it's the perfect evening when you spend time at a friends house cheering them up."
     "Wtf!" I say, still on the phone with Rach.  "A. she has no right in the world to make what goes on between me and my husband public.  And B. did she just thank and give herself credit for cheering Josh up.  If he really was upset, which I would believe, that boy is extra, shouldn't he be the one giving her credit?"  At this point I have no tears left in me.  I have cried so much that I can't even find a reason to cry anymore.  Right now, I'm just so pissed that I can't be sad. 
     "Rachel!  What am I gonna do?  This is in the hands of probably 75% of people I'm gonna meet in 30 minutes.  It's pretty obvious what she meant, especially to anyone who knows I've been gone.  All the freaking meet and greet questions are gonna be about that.  I can't regulate those either, I just call on people.  And what am I gonna do about all this shade she just threw anyway.  I can't freaking ignore it!  I think we should all unfollow her but at the same time that's gonna cause an even bigger reaction from everyone.  You know what, at this point, I don't F***ing care!  Their gonna know what she meant anyway, so at least they'll see that I am human, and I am upset.  You, Kory, Mom, and I are all gonna unfollow at the same...". Before I even finish my sentence, my mom comes running into the green room.
     "Colleen!  Look at..."
     "Yes mom, I know. I saw it.  Okay, so here's the plan, at the same time, you, Rach, Kory, and I are all gonna unfollow Rebecca."
     "Okay, fine.  I won't let a crazy lady get to my beautiful, baby girl."
     "Okay, ready, set, go!"
     As I say go, we all click unfollow.  Done!  Now, I'm putting my phone down until the show.  I don't need to see shady 12 year olds' opinions on twitter.
     I hang up with Rachel and try to get pumped to go on stage.  I'm gonna make it my best show of my life!