Noise

Part 11

The day the two women were set to leave was bittersweet. Neither woman really wanted to leave but Adrielle needed to get back on campus. None of the guys wanted them to leave. Donna assured them that they were friends and that she and her daughter were life long fans. Luke said anytime they wanted to come to a show to just let him know and they'd make sure there were seats available. The ladies had everything packed in the car. Luke made sure everyone had breakfast together, their last meal together, so that they were able to say proper goodbyes.

"It's not gonna be the same without you ladies with us. I hope we made your road trip worth it!" Austin said as he hugged Donna

"Just seeing you boys play was worth it! We're both going to miss you fellas." Donna replied as they pulled away

"We've exchanged social media so please keep us in the loop with things, ok?" Rob stated as he was the next to hug Donna while Austin was hugging Adrielle

One by one, they said their goodbyes. Adam was the last to hug Adrielle. The whole group watched as the pair embraced and both looked like they were crying. It broke Donna's heart to see it but she was working on a wonderful surprise for them all. Adam cupped Adrielle's face in his hand and stared her in the eyes making his band wonder if he was about to kiss her or not!

"Adrielle, listen to me. Any time you need to talk about anything, I'm just a text away. You're an amazing young woman but people are blinded by their own ignorance. Don't let idiots bring you down, OK?" Adam quietly stated, "You're so talented and creative and artistic and I think people are jealous of that. Keep your head high, take the high road, and when people are jerks, just dust your feet off and strut on forward."

She made the saddest sound he thought he'd ever heard. It broke his heart almost as much as when his ex-wife had said she wanted a divorce.

"I'm gonna miss you too. Like I said, I'm just a text or phone call away, OK. We'll see each other again, you'll see!" He smiled at her

The truth was, he didn't know if they'd get to see one another again. He lived in Minnesota and she lived in Texas. He was on the road all the time and she was college student in Texas. As he stared at her, he fought the urge to lean over and kiss her. He thought better of it especially with everyone watching them. She flung herself into his arms again and fought the tears that had threatened to fall. She took a deep breath, inhaling his scent as she did so, and he did the same to her.

"She's really going to miss him." Donna stated with a sad tone, "He's the first person to understand her way of communicating besides me."

"Trust us when we say, he's definitely going to miss her too." Tim replied, draping an arm casually over her shoulders

"Well maybe you can plan another trip out to follow us again!" Rob smiled at her

"I'll see what I can do." Donna chuckled, "Well, I guess it's time we got on the road. You boys behave yourselves."

Her statement made them all laugh. She had become more like a second momma to them all. They had all become pretty close in just a month's time.

Adrielle was making more sad sounds. Adam just hugged her even harder. Whatever feelings he had for her were quickly intensifying. Her leaving wasn't helping.

"Adrielle, this past month has been one I'll never forget. We've got lots of pictures and videos. We're friends and you have my phone number. Text me anytime. I may not respond right away but I will always respond, ok?" He whispered in her ear making her nod her head yes

 These guys had become more than just a band to Adrielle. They were, dare she say it, friends. With a heavy sigh, she pulled away from Adam. He could see she was fighting tears and figured her expression mirrored his own. Swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat, he watched as she walked to her mother's car and climbed into the passenger seat. Donna once again thanked the group for their generosity and friendship and promised they would see one another again.