Growing Pains

Chapter Five

Trent

"So, how'd did you guys like it?" I asked the gang as we lounged about my living room couch. After most of my gigs, we would go back to someone's house and pig out on ice cream. We were all laying on different spots on my enormous couch. Seriously, the thing was so big it barely fit in the room.

We got a really positive response from the crowd tonight, which was a much needed change from the only cheering coming from my friends. Howie even pulled me aside and told me he liked the new set, which was awesome to hear.

This business could eat you alive at times; make you feel insecure as it twists you up inside. So tonight, I was reveling in the victory, especially since the new set consisted of a couple new songs I wrote that I was pretty proud of.

Brigette responded, "I thought it was great. I really liked that one song with the heavy guitar." She seemed a little distracted tonight. I made a comment to Gwen about it, but she just gave me some brief explanation about issues with her mom and how she was sleeping at Courtney's tonight.

I remembered the day she found out her parents were getting a divorce. She showed up on my doorstep out of the blue, which was very strange since it was nearly eight o'clock at night. Not to mention, Bridgette and I never really had such a close relationship.

Her dad's house was not too far from mine, just a neighborhood over. She told me she hopped in the car and drove as quick as she could to some place safe. I called everyone over while she sobbed and my mom baked her fresh chocolate chip cookies.

I knew how hard it was. My parents got divorced when I was really little, and my dad kinda just took off, leaving us for some big job in Seattle and not even thinking twice about it. The only time I heard from him was the Christmas card I was sent from him and his pretty little girlfriend—who was no more than a decade older than me.

I was just proud of her for being able to get out of bed and still face the world. After all, a few months ago she was still dry sobbing about it, claiming that the world was just too cruel for love.

Courtney let out a little chuckle and asked, "What song?" It was a good point, as most of the songs we played had heavy guitar.

Bridgette popped herself up onto her elbow, "You know, the one with like the guitar riffs and stuff. And Trent sings something about love?"

"So, every song then?" Duncan remarked with a quizzical brow, which was a nice break from his brooding. He had been in a particularly grumpy mood for the majority of the night, pulling away from everyone else as he scowled on the leather recliner. I couldn't help but notice the concerned frown Courtney kept giving him, which made me curious.

Courtney typically knew every thought that flickered through his mind—which seemed like too scary of a place for me to ever dare to trespass—so if she didn't know what was bring him down, then I was definitely not going to ask.

Bridgette let out a grumbled noise, "You know, the one where he is all like 'you're my favorite star, so please don't leave a scar'—or maybe it's scarf? He sometimes mumbles," she said that last part more to herself than anyone else. She looked around for reassurance and let out a big huff when she found none, "I don't know!

I laughed, "It's all good, Bridge." I smiled at her, answering her question, "That's Scarred Love. Justin goes very heavy on the guitar on the bridge."

She beamed at me, letting out a noise of triumph. "See! I knew what I was talking about."

Gwen laughed, chiming in, "Of course you do." Bridgette stuck out her tongue in retaliation, causing Gwen to do the same.