A/N: This story takes place in a more canon theory of the show, which confirms that Corey and Trina were adopted by an unmarried man. It does NOT take place in my demon theory storyline.

It was another morning in the Riffin household. When Corey and Trina woke up, they got dressed and looked at themselves in the mirror in their respective rooms.

"They can't hurt me anymore," Trina said, clenching her fists. "Their fists will never touch my skin. I am Trina Riffin, and I am the bravest girl in Peaceville."

Corey took a deep breath. "They're still a part of my memory," he said. "I can't let the world see my real self. I am Corey Riffin..." He forced a smile on his face. "And I am the best musician in Peaceville."

With that, the two siblings left their rooms for breakfast.

Later that day, Corey headed for the garage. "Hey guys!" he said, a convincing fake smile on his face. "Let's do something music-related today!"

Laney, Kin, and Kon looked at him. "Did you forget about today's plan?" Laney asked.

"Nope!" Corey said. "How could I forget today's the day we do that...big...gig...at that...place?" He grinned.

"Core, we're playing at a funeral!" Laney reminded. "We made the agreements, remember?"

"Oh... Right..." Corey said, his smile slowly fading. "Funeral gig... Yay..."

That was Trina's cue to show up. But this time, she was angrier than usual. "There's no way you're playing at a funeral!" she shrieked, not talking like a valley girl like she usually did. "Your music is going to RUIN THE SERVICE!"

"Funeral?" Corey asked with a nervous chuckle. "We're not going to play at a funeral. What Laney meant to say was a fountain store." He put his arm around the red-haired girl. "Right Lanes? Fountain store?"

"No, I said funeral," Laney said, pulling away.

Before anything else could happen, Trina locked the garage door shut. "You're not going to the cemetery!" she ordered. "I let you haunt me with that rock music for too long! Well not this time! As of this moment, your garbage band is officially over!" Then she went back in the house, muttering something about something never happening again.

"Okay, that was a setback," Corey said. "So we're not playing at a funeral. Perfect! Let's see if we can play at that fountain store instead."

Kin finally spoke up. "Corey, is there something wrong?" he asked.

"I told you, there's absolutely nothing wrong!" Corey yelled. "I'm the most perfect guy ever! I don't have any flaws or bad experiences! Now can we play at that fountain store?!"

"But I never heard of a fountain store," Kon said. "You only said it because it sounds like funeral."

Corey looked at his three friends. It got quiet, and he knew they could hear him heaving. He didn't know what to say. He could feel tears starting to surface and he had a horrible pain inside him. He knew his façade was going to slip any minute and they would see the real him. So he did the only thing he could do.

"Excuse me for a minute," Corey said. Then he ran back into the house, trying to hold it in.

When Corey got back to his room, he slammed the door shut. Feeling he was alone and no one could see him, he got on top of his bed and started crying. He then took out a small blue notepad and started writing in it, still crying. This was his makeshift lyric book. It was so sacred, he dared not to let anyone see it. He could write good songs, but the words he wrote revealed his past. He had to use Trina's diary as a cover. If he sang a song he wrote, it would reveal too much. He couldn't let his friends, especially Laney, know who he truly was.

Eventually, Corey finished writing, so he closed his notepad. But he still laid on his bed, wanting to let the emotions out before he got back downstairs. Every day he faked being happy. He pretended to show confidence and make sure every day was perfect. But for now, he knew he couldn't get back to the band until he put on his emotional mask and continued to fake happiness.

"Corey? Are you in there?"

Corey's eyes widened. He knew that was Laney behind that door. He couldn't let her see him in this state, so he put his head under his pillow to muffle his sobs.

"Are you crying?"

Corey still didn't respond. He had to make sure Laney still saw his fake self, the one with no problems. The only thing he could do was continue to recite his morning chant until he calmed down. "They're still a part of my memory. I can't let the world see my real self. I am Corey Riffin, and I am the best musician in Peaceville. They're still a part of my memory. I can't let the world see my real self. I am Corey Riffin, and I am the best musician in Peaceville. They're still a part of my memory. I can't let the world see my real self. I am Corey Ba-" He stopped himself. He didn't go by that anymore. That name was his past, not his present. He was a Riffin, always and forever.

"Corey, what's going on?"

Corey looked up. Laney opened his bedroom door, and she was standing right outside. She looked surprised. "Corey?"

Corey looked at his mirror, seeing his real self staring back at him. Tear stains were on his face and his only visible emotion was pain. He looked back at Laney, the beautiful girl he cared about since they first met. Here she was, seeing a glimpse of his real self. He didn't know what to do.

Laney walked over to Corey and sat next to him. "What's going on?" she asked, speaking softly. "First you get upset about playing at a funeral, then you run up to your room. Are you feeling alright?"

Corey closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Even now, he remembered what happened all those years ago.

"Mommy, who is that guy?"

"Corey, go upstairs and call the police!"

"Why?"

"Listen to your mother, son! Get help now!"

"But-"

BANG!

BANG!

"Mommy?! Daddy?!"

Corey opened his eyes again. That was the past, and it still haunted him. Laney saw a glimpse of who he really was. It was time for him to come clean. "Laney..." he said, showing her his notepad. "This contains songs I wrote. I never intended anyone to hear these songs. But you saw my real self, and I can't hide it anymore. It's time you, Kin, and Kon learned the truth."

Back in the garage, the gang set up their instruments. Corey put his notepad on a music stand in front of him, intending on singing his song. He was almost going to chicken out, but he had to face the music. They had to know the truth. "Count us in, Kon," he sadly said.

"1, 2, 3, 4!"

I never thought I would say goodbye
I thought you would be by my side
But the hands of fate had other plans
And took you away before I turned four

My heart is scarred, the damage is done
I wish it was a dream, but I'm darn wrong
I'm never the same again
'Cause a silver bullet destroyed my soul

Why did you have to go?
I feel so alone
I don't understand what happened that night
If I could change the past, I would bring you back

I still love you with my shattered heart
The pieces can never be repaired
It will still haunt me for my whole life
The glass tears still burn my eyes

By the time the song was done, Corey fell to the ground crying. He didn't care that his friends saw him. The damage was done, and they saw his pain. "Corey?" Laney asked.

"I was still three years old," Corey said, still sobbing. "It was the night before my fourth birthday. A guy broke into the house. I didn't know he was a criminal. My parents wanted me to call the police, but I didn't move. Then he... He..." He looked up at Laney. "They were shot. I saw their blood. They died right before my eyes."

Laney, Kin, and Kon were silent. They never saw Corey like this before. He was prideful, confident, and always brave. But here he was, crying on the stage. It was Laney who finally spoke up. "Core..." she said, sitting next to him and positioning his head on her lap. "How are your parents dead? I saw your father the other day."

"My name isn't Riffin," Corey continued. "I-It's Baxter. Cornelius Trevor Baxter. I was adopted."

Kin and Kon gasped. Laney, however, looked sympathetic. She took off his beanie, placed it next to her, and stroked his hair, gently shushing him as he sobbed on her lap. "There there," she said soothingly. "Everything is better now. You have us."

"J-Just promise me one thing, Lanes," Corey said. "Promise me...you'll never leave me. I-I don't want to lose the last thing I care about."

"You care about me?" Laney asked.

Corey looked up. "Lanes, you're the only person in my life who's absolutely perfect," he said. "I never want to see you go. Please...say you won't abandon me. Say you'll stick by my side in matter what. Say you'll... You'll..."

"I'll what?" Laney asked.

Corey put his hand on Laney's knee. "Say you'll marry me when we're older," he confessed.

Laney was surprised. This was very out-of-character of Corey. Did he really feel this way about her? Was he really not as clueless as he seemed? Regardless, there was only one thing she could say.

"Yes, Corey," Laney said. "I'll do all of those things."

A/N: Don't worry, I'll explain Trina's backstory in the next chapter. There's a good reason why she hates Corey's band.