Going Nowhere [Watty 2014 Winner] Coming soon to Galatea

Chapter Thirteen - Without Brakes

I called Noah again before Isla came to get me. Again he didn't answer. I knew he'd been annoyed I'd refused to go with him. We had kissed a handful of times, but that was it, going away seemed premature. Of course now I was glad I didn't go, now I knew that our relationship would go nowhere. He was sulking though, screening my calls. Effectively stopping me from talking to him. I placed the phone down on the hard wood table and straightened the black shirt I'd put on. Dumping him over the phone wasn't a good idea anyway, I'd have to do it in person.

I looked at the glass clock on the wall. It was almost 7pm. I checked the cats had enough food and water then grabbed my wallet, phone and keys.

I walked outside and locked the house behind me. Just as I did so Isla's car drove up the driveway. I smiled and walked over to her car.

"You look happier" Isla noted as I opened the door and sat down in the passengers seat.

"Happier probably isn't the right word, but I feel okay"

"Well, I for one can't wait to hear you sing again. Jay said you visited the studio"she trilled the O on studio and made it more of a big deal than it really was.

"He did, did he" I mused.

"Yes. He agrees that you've got something, that you should pursue it"

I sighed and looked out the window. Everyone who knew the truth said that, it just wasn't as easy as that for me. I liked my privacy.

"Xavier mentioned maybe a disguise"

"What?!" Isla almost shouted, but she sounded incredibly intrigued.

"Like pretend to be someone else"

"I know what he means, the ideas brilliant." she enthused.

"It is?"

"You love music, you so relaxed when you're singing. I know you think you have crippling stage fright, but you don't. You're fear is of being seen, media, tabloids, rumors, that sex tape resurfacing. That fear alone caused you to keep this lie going for as long as it has."

"I've always hidden it, even before for the tape."

"I know. Part of you has always been worried about the spotlight. Mainly cos you grew up watching your mom and Toni right?"

I nodded, Isla started the car and backed out of the driveway. My mom had been hounded her entire career. Cameras were everywhere we turned. She'd take me to preschool, there they were, She took me to the movies, there they were. It was hard to grow up when endless cameras followed you around.

When we arrived at the karaoke bar Isla parked the car up then looked around.

"What are you doing" I said as I removed my seat belt.

"Nothing, just uh... just stretching my neck. Lets go!"

I shook my head while laughing and bit my lip. Sometimes Isla was inexplicably strange. She was offbeat and quirky, the yin to my yang. But sometimes even I wondered what she was thinking.

I hopped out of the car, the two of us walked through the car park and up the stairs to the bar.

"Isla! Scarlett!" The doorman Bryce exclaimed as we walked inside "It's been so long!"

"We've been slack I know" Isla exclaimed. She pulled out her purse to pay the door charge, The bar was a popular one, still for some reason, no one knew who I really was, or at least they knew and didn't say anything. I'd managed to stay 'unknown'.

Bryce held up his hand and shook his head. "No door charge tonight, with her here, the punters will flood in from the street" Bryce laughed pointing to me.