Sleeping Beauty

Chapter 23

Shawn

The show sucked.

Don't get me wrong, all the girls were screaming and crying and singing the lyrics with me and I did everything right...

I just hate being told what to do.Go here, go there, don't you know the colors of the rainbow. The reason I started this was so I could be myself, not someone else. Maybe that's why I talked to the band and told them we weren't singing "Life of the Party" for the finale. I gave them the lyrics and told them what we were going to sing. I then told the stage director that I wanted it to rain until a certain lyric.

You shold've seen the look on Sherry's face when she heard me sing, "White lips, pale face, breathing in the snow flakes..."

She was pissed.

But I ignored her. I sang like America was there with me. I looked over to the stage manager and he nodded. "And hoping for a better life this time, we'll fade out tonight straight down the line..."

Snow burst from the ceiling. Girls screamed as I turned my face towards the ceiling and felt the artificial snow hit my face. When it was over, I said thank you and walked off the stage. I carefully pulled out my ear plugs just in time to here Sherry screaming in my face. "What the hell was that?"

I don't act intimidated. "My show, the way I want it. Tomorrow, I plan everything on the plane.?"

"But-"

"If you have a problem with it, quit. I'm in charge and whatever I say goes." I turn around and hand someone my guitar.

"Spoiled brat," she mumbles under her breath.

"Or I could fire you," I say casually.

She sucks in a breath and doesn't say anything as I walk away. It was 9:25. I had to push through people to get back to my dressing room. I accidentally knock a girl over. She drops a few papers and I help her pick them up. Then I'm up and running back to my room. I rip the door open and slam it behind me. I rush over to the couch where my phone is sitting and hold it in my hand.

Nothing happens. My hands shake as I hold the phone in my hands. Call, I think. I need to hear your voice.

She doesn't call. At 9:52, a guy with dreads comes and tells me I have to go. I had a flight at 11. By the time we're in the car, she still hasn't called. What the heck? Was something wrong?

The image of her kissing the boy pops up in my head. Was she with him? If they would make out at the hospital, imagine what they would do if they were alone at her house.

I shake the thought from my head. She wouldn't do that. She told me she loves me.

But how was I supposed to know if she cheated on me when I was halfway across the country?

We're pulling down a different road. I wouldn't be back to New York for a while. When I get  out of the car, I take a deep breath.

My phone buzzes.

I fumble around, trying to figure out which pocket it's in. Finally, I get it to my ear. "Hello?" I practically yell.

"Shawn?"

I sigh of relief escapes me. "America."

She begins to talk. "Sorry I hadn't called earlier. My parents insisted on taking me to a movie. It was stupid. This girl lost her arm-"

"Wait," I say. "They made you watch some bullshit true story that's never really true."

"Yeah, anyway. I'm really sorry. I should've text you or something before I went into the theatre, but I figured we'd be out by 9:30."

"It's cool," I whisper.

Sherry drags me through some doors and motions for some men to take my bags. "Hurry up," she whispers. "Can't you take that call another time."

"No, I can't," I say through my teeth.

"What?" America asks.

I shake my head. "Sorry, somebody was trying to tell me something. You were saying."

"Uh," she mumbles. "I wasn't saying anything."

Of course she wasn't. We had seen each other only less than 12 hours ago. Not much could've happened.

"Brandon came over to my house!" she blurts out.

A shock of jealousy runs up my spine. "Brandon who?"

"My old boyfriend. He came with flowers and sat on my front porch which was crazy because I live almost three hours away from the hospital now and he told me he was gonna move here and live in an apartment and then he kissed you-"

"You kissed!"

"It wasn't like that. He tried to kiss me and I didn't kiss him back. It was disgusting and the whole time I was thinking of you-" She cuts off, like she didn't mean to say that last part.

My mouth is probably too small for my smile at the moment. I laugh and can pratically see her blushing. "Continue."

After a brief pause, "That's all."

"Well, okay. I believe you." I smile, but then frown. "What now?"

"I just want to hear your voice."

I take a deep breath and close my eyes, trusting Sherry to guide me through the airport withour running me into anything. "I need to be able to picture you in my head," I say casually. "What are you doing?" 

"Sitting on my bed watching TV."

"What are you wearing?"

"Sweat pants, but one of the legs is cut off. Thank you, Mom, for going through my closet," she says sarcastically.

"How's your hair?"

"In a braid?"

"What kind of braid?"

"Jesus, Shawn, are you done interrogating me yet? I look just like I did 12 hours ago."

Sherry taps me on the shoulder. I realize we're about to go through security. "I got to go. I'll text you tomorrow."

"Okay," she whispers. "I love you."

I manage to say, "I love you, too," just before the phone is ripped out of my hand.

"Love makes me sick. Could you just not try to get me fired for once?"

I should've punched her in the face then and there. It would've solved so many problems.