I was home for the weekend. It was a strange sensation, knowing that I probably wasn't going to be missed by the band while I was away, but also comforting to know that for at least the next twenty-four hours, no one would expect a thing from me. Dad went straight for mom's room, just like I knew he would, but I decided to give them a moment alone and head to my own room. My skate board was still agaisnt the wall, my notebook was still strewn across the bed and my dirty clothes were still in the hamper. Apart from that, it was clean. Tossing my bags in the floor, I pulled out my phone and decided to text Aubree. She wanted to make sure we had a safe trip before she went back to her couple time with Tom.


Hey Aubs, we're here, everything's fine. Gonna talk to the 'rents tonight about school. Wish me luck!

My band was going through a lot of challenges right now. Jack was finally eighteen and he was going through that 'holey crap I'm eighteen' phase. Stella, as much as I love her, was playing the role of the drama queen again. Sometimes I think she forgets that the rest of us are just as much a part of this band as she is.. Then I realize, I'd be another lonely kid with a bad attitude if it wasn't for her. Even though Stell and I aren't close, I kind of owe the world to her. She saw a talent in me and she rescued me. I'm blessed to make music with such a talented girl. Poor Aubree is breaking her back trying to keep up with the band and graduate. I often still wonder if this is really the life for her. I think maybe she'd be happier living the college life and having a desk job, but then again, the band is her freedom. As for Tom, he's become just as reserved as I am. The idea that we've become better friends through Aubs makes me happy, in a way. Because now he understands why I am the way I am, because he's not much different from me anymore.


Still, everyone forgets about little ole Nate. None of my friends bother to check in on me or ask if I'm okay, aside from Aub, but I try not to burden her with my troubles. They expect me to make music with them and then go do my own thing. It's my own fault, I know that, beccause I was so distant for so long. But I'm not the fourteen-year-old kid I was when we started to take this thing seriously. Don't Tom and Stell remember what it was like to be fifteen and stuck? I guess not, because they never realize that's where I'm at. The way I see it, I'm lucky to have a job this young and I'm lucky to have supporting friends and family, even if none of them care enough to ask.


It's probably not even as bad as I make it out to be. I'm sure they do care, they just don't know how to approach me. I'm a bit of a hermit, I admit.


Good luck Nateykins! I think you're bonkers, but if it makes you happy, I support that! That one text message brought a smile to my face. I wasn't sure how the rest of the band would feel about my decision, but witih Aubs by my side, I knew they'd at the very least, accept it. With confidence in my heart, I made my way downstairs to my mom's room. Dad was curled up on the bed with her, stroking her hair. I feared this would be one of the days that she couldn't fully remember, maybe one of the days where she just wanted to cry and give up, but just seeing her face lifted my spirits.


"Mom!"


She pulled herself from dad's embrace and held her arms out to me, tearings lingering in her eyes. Running full force, I landed in the comfort of her arms. She smelled good, so I knew the in-home care was treating her well. We stayed like that for a while, until she pulled away and placed her hands on my face. From here, I could see how tired she looked. I could also see the sadness on dad's face. I was starting to wonder if mom was doing worse than he let on.


"Sweetie, what's wrong? You've got that look in your eyes."


"I've been doing some thinking lately.. You guys know I love the band, I love making music, it's what I'm all about. But I'm a lot like dad, too."


This earned a smile from my old man.


"But.. This is all too much sometimes. I'm fifteen, ya know? I want to go to parties, I want to get into trouble for sneaking out. I want to meet girls that aren't like my sisters, or as you know them, Stell and Aub. I want a life, to put it bluntly. It's so hard for me to connect with the band because they're paired off and I'm in the dark. So what I'm saying is.. I want more free time outside of the band."


"Nate, you're not saying you want to quit the band?" Dad eyed me, panic on his face. "Because that is something huge that you really need to consider."


"No, never in a million years would I leave that band!" I chuckled lightly. "I want to officially quit school when I'm sixteen. It's super easy to get a GED and it's not like I really need it, anyway. I already signed my life away to Sirens."


"That's a pretty big deal, son," my dad frowned, averting his gaze. "I think your mom and I need to talk about it-"
"Let him do it," mom whispered, her eyes locked on my own. "He's old enough to know what he wants. It doesn't matter what a piece of paper says, so long as he's happy."


"What?"


"Yeah, what?"


"I just want my son to be happy," mom smiled this time, glancing from dad to myself. "If that means he wants to get his GED, so be it. You know me, Zack, I don't judge anyone. If this is what he wants, let him have it. He's already had to sacrifice so much."


"Uh, okay?" Dad sighed, rubbing my mom's shoulder gently. "If that's what you think is best, I guess he can. But you have to get as much done as you can before you turn sixteen, understood?"


"Absolutely," I beamed, standing up to hug both of my parents and kiss my mom's cheek. "You guys are the best."


Happy that I would no longer have to commit myself to more than I wanted to, I began to leave their room. Dad called behind me not to be out too late, since he already knew where I was headed. I pulled out my phone to text Aub once more, telling her that my parents had agreed, and then I texted the girl I'd been missing since we started recording.


I'm home. Meet me in the park.

I only saw this girl once in a blue moon, but every visit left me wanting more. Perhaps this is why all of my friends were so wrapped up in each other all the time. Maybe this is what they felt when they were together. I wasn't serious about this chick, mostly because I couldn't be, but these last few months have left me wanting more. She was the closest I'd ever come to a relationship, too bad my life is too complicated to keep one. Sometimes I wished I were lucky enough to have someone like my friends did, someone I shared a career and a bus with.
The park came into view rather quickly; I guess I didn't realize how fast I was walking.

Smiling to myself, I took a seat in the grass and stared up at the stars. Moments later, I could feet crushing the grass around me. I knew she was finally here.


Her body laid down beside my own and her fingers wrapped around my arm. Tingles shot up my spine.


"I've missed you," she breathed. "How long are you in for?"


"Technically, the weekend," I mumbled, turning my head to face hers. "But with travel time, I'll be lucky to have a full twenty-four hours."


"Oh," she frowned. "Well, I'm glad you texted me."


"Me too. Texting you is the only thing that keeps me going, Laney."


She giggled, her teeth glowing in the moonlight. She wore a thin layer of make-up, and her hair was curled around her face. Freckles trailed along her nose and cheeks. She was the cutest redhead I'd ever met. I guess you could say my feelings for her started just before my birthday, the one that nearly everyone forgot. She was special, she thought I was special, but our age differenc served as much of a conflict as my career.


"When you turn sixteen, I want to start coming to visit you on tour. I've got a good job, I can pay for tickets."


"Aren't you afraid of what people will say?"


"No," Laney shrugged, staring straight into my eyes. "Once you're sixteen this thing is legal, did you know that? At least, in some states. I'm only two and a half years older than you, technically, and three is the limit."


"So you're telling me you wouldn't be embarrassed to have people know you were dating a younger guy?"


"Is that what we are?" She rose an eyebrow with a smirk on her face. "Are we a couple, Nate?"


The question made my heart skip a beat: Were we a couple? We did all those things that couples do; We had sex, we watched lame movies together, we shared late night phone calls. But did that mean we were official?


"If you want to be," I mumbled, averting my gaze. "I mean, I'd like that..."


"So ask me, silly."


Well, this was my moment. I would finally have someone to call my own, but I couldn't tell my friends about. My dad was really the only person who knew about Laney and he loved her, he was just unsure or our age difference. I've kept her a secret this long, what's a few more months?


"Delaney, will you be my girlfriend?"


"Of course I will!"


And just like that, her body came flying on top of my own. It took me a moment to regain my breath, but once I did, our lips connected. Me, Nate Merrick, was finally somebodies somebody. It was an incredible feeling.


We spent the rest of the night kissing, hugging, joking, being perfectly happy doing nothing but spending time together. Laney was such a chill girl and she was just like me in the sense that she dedicated herself to the thing she loved most: Gymnastics. I could only hope that my job and her age wouldn't stand in the way of all the great thing we could be, and do, together.


"I guess I should get going. I'll see you soon, right?"


"I really hope so, Lane."


She bent over to kiss my lips softly, a smile playing on her lips. I watched her stand up and head off in the direction of her home, which was opposite of mine.


"Hey Nate?"


"Yeah?"


"I love you."


Delaney didn't give me a chance to say it back, probably because she knew I wasn't ready for that yet, but not even I could deny that I looked like a fool sitting in the grass with a goofy grin on my face. Things are finally starting to look up. I know I'm not alone anymore.

Notes

I adore writing for Nate. <3.