Undercover Star

♪ Thirty-Eight ♪

The next hour of my life was a complete blur. We had literally dashed back to the hotel and got the rest of the suitcases packed.

It was then that I realized that Rich had already been packing the suitcases before the party when Zak came. It was almost as if he knew.

It was almost as if he planned it.

I was in too much of a daze to confront him about it. My head was spinning, and suddenly nothing felt real. Maybe that was because I didn't want anything to be real.

Rich didn't say much as we flew around the hotel. Zak kept muttering things like 'I just got here' and 'I was just about to get her number'.

I knew Rich wasn't going the speed limit as we made our way to the airport. I had opted to sit in the back alone. I leaned my head on the window, trying to tune out Rich's voice as he spoke to someone on his cell phone about plane tickets and security.

Zak tried to talk to me from the passenger seat, but after a while of my silence, he gave up and put his headphones in.

With Rich's driving speed and the nearly empty roads, we got to the airport quicker than I would have ever wanted to.

The sun was still bright for the time of day it was, and I became warm instantly with the sweatshirt Rich made me put on before we fled the hotel. I was back in hiding.

I still said nothing as we walked into the airport. In fact, the reality of what was happening didn't hit me until Rich handed me my ticket and began speed walking to the security area.

"We can't leave," I found myself saying. "I can't leave yet."

They both ignored me and kept walking in a tight line in front of me. My mind was suddenly racing with the reality of what was happening. My worst fear was coming true.

"Please," I begged for nothing. "I can't go back there yet. I can't leave them all--you don't understand."

They kept walking, and I followed with my rambles, until I couldn't anymore.

"I can't leave this place," I said strongly. "I can't leave them. I can't leave her."

They kept going, not even looking back to see that I had stopped.

"I love her!"

Two heads snapped back to look at me. Zak just looked shocked whereas Rich looked completely outraged.

"What?!" Rich shouted, gaining the attention of some people around us.

"You can't say you love her when you're about to get on a plane and probably never see her again!" Zak exclaimed.

I put my hands on my temples. "I know, but I do," I said almost frantically.

The feelings I had inside me were bubbling over, and I didn't know how to express them. All I was sure of was that I did love her, and I couldn't leave her and everyone else so abruptly.

I had never been in love before. Heck, I barely even dated another girl that I actually cared about. Summer was the first person who ever made me believe it something as complicated as love. She made me see the world different. I loved ever minute I spent with her, and I wouldn't want to spend my time with anyone else.

And now I was leaving her.

Rich took a few steps towards me. He still looked furious, but was trying not to make a scene. "You're not going back there, so get that out of your mind. It's over. You're going to put your hood up and walk right behind us like a good boy, unless you want to get mobbed. Understand me?" He whisper-shouted the whole spiel, and honestly, it scared me a little. Mixing with everything else I was feeling, I couldn't even make a remark.