Beat Of My Heart

Chorus (Four)

"Where should I say I'm at?" Sebastian asked me, and I put my finger to my chin in deep thought.

"How about McDonald's?" I asked him, only for him to burst out in peals of laughter.

"Like I would ever go eat there!"

"Please. You used to be just a mere commoner before your Youtube videos went viral, its not like you're a God or something. Everyone has eaten Mickie D's at least one time in their life," I told him, turning my nose up at his attitude.

He sighed, shaking his head to the side making his inky black messy hair rustle back and forth with his movement.

I stared at his gleaming emerald eyes, wanting more than anything for those eyes to look at me with as much admiration as I'm sure he saw reflected in my eyes but all I could see in them was amusement for our situation and a bit of guardedness, which made sense.

He still wasn't sure if he could trust me, we had only just met in his defense, but I wasn't planning on being one of those crazy stalker girls who only used him for his fame. I was actually particularly shy, scared to be in front of large crowds and I had only acquiesced to Josie's pleading for me to go to the concert because I felt pathetic staying at home while my evil ex boyfriend was off galavanting with the girl he'd dumped me for.

I wanted to show him how much better off I was without him, and that was true now more than ever.

"Fine. McDonald's it is," he conceded and I smiled in victory at his words.

"There- tweet has been sent. Now what do you really want to do?" he asked me, eyes shining in the early morning sun.

I almost couldn't speak at first, his beauty striking me and hitting me harder than I had realized.

I didn't understand how much he actually affected me until that moment.

I cleared my throat and shook my head, my waist length hair flowing around my shoulders as I did so.

"How about we go do all of the normal things that you don't get to do because of who you are. What's something that you really miss doing?" I asked him, sure that there were some ordinary tasks that he missed doing since he became famous.

"Hmm..." he thought, putting a finger to his chin.

"I want to go to eat somewhere that no one will photograph me with my mouth full of food," he said and at first I just laughed.

When he didn't join in, I realized he was actually being serious.

"Wait, so you can't even eat in peace without fear of someone getting a picture of you with your mouth full?!" I asked him, not even able to comprehend that.

He just smiled sadly.

"So many things changed when my music got big. I just want a sense of normalcy. Of course being famous is great and I love sharing music with my friends. But it's really not what everyone thinks it is," he replied to me sadly.

I looked up into his dazzling green eyes and kept his gaze, finally able to take a peek into the life of Sebastian Jennings.

"Well then. I know just the place."

***

I gave his friend Jason directions to my favorite mom and pop diner on the rough side of town; the place where someone goes when they don't want to be bothered or found.

Dina's Diner was a quaint little building, the outside painted a Pepto Bismol pick color, the neon sign frayed and worn and only one letter was lit up.

I told Sebastian to disregard the outward appearance, it was the food and the ambiance of ambivalence that kept me and the other customers coming back for more.

"Wow. You were so right," he said, mouth spread into a wide smile as it was full of a burger that he'd ordered.

I laughed at his silly expression considering it was full of food, and he quickly closed his mouth realizing what he had been doing.

"Good right?"

"Absolutely."

I looked over to Jason who was up next to the cashier trying to flirt with her and rolled my eyes at his brashness.

"Is he always like that?" I asked Sebastian once his food was all the way down.

"Only when we're in public, so yeah. Always," he said with a gleam in his eyes.

I could tell he really cared about his friend, he had to have if he brought him along on his journey of fame.

I laughed at what he'd said, enjoying being in Sebastian's presence, even if I couldn't properly see his face or his eyes at all because of his 'disguise'.

It made him look more like a dangerous older guy than a superstar in disguise which worked in our advantage considering the fact that no one would approach us because of his attire and demeanor.

"Oh no," I heard him mumble to himself, pulling his ringing phone from his pocket.

"Everything okay?" I asked him, noticing that his mood went from happy and carefree to cold and distant within two seconds flat.

"I'm not sure. Give me just a second, alright?" He asked me and I nodded, putting my attention to my plate of food as he stood up and walked away from the table, a little bit out of hearing distance.

I really wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but since there were barely any people in the diner it was hard not to hear the conversation.

"I told you I don't want to do that, I don't even know her!" His voice cut through the stale, burger scented diner like a knife through steak.

He waited a few moments before speaking again, the other person saying a rebuttal to his words.

"I don't care what kind of deal you made, I said I don't want to do that, I don't care who she is or what it will do for my reputation!" He yelled out and I flinched in my seat at the time of his voice.

Whoever he was talking to he did not like one bit, that or he really didn't want to be talking about the topic they were on.

"Fine. But only three months. That's it!" I heard him concede to the person on the other end of the phone and I saw his shoulders slump in defeat, angry at whoever he was talking to and about the situation that he'd been put in.

He hung up the phone all and I turned my attention back to my plate, hearing Jason turn on a song from the Jukebox in the corner.

Soft melodic sounds filled the space and I turned my head as Sebastian came around the corner from where he'd been on the phone.

"You okay?" I asked him when he flung himself back down into the booth in front of me.

"Yeah. Fine. Listen, somethings come up. We're gonna have to cut the day short. Someone is coming by to get me, I'll have Jason take you back to school. It was nice seeing you today," he said, taking one last meaningful glance at me, grabbed a fry off of his plate and strode out of the diner.

I was left sitting there in shock, wondering what I did wrong to make him leave so suddenly as the sounds of 'Jolene' by Dolly Parton played through the sound of the rushing heartbeat thumping in my ears.