Chapter 1: Down

Hope You Guys like it!

Song: Down by Jason Walker

Listen to it, it's sad but I love it...

"One Mocha Latte, please."

"That'll be $4.29"

I was in Starcups ordering a coffee.

It's been six months since World Tour ended. My wounds had healed exceptionally well, save for some scars scattered about my body. My hair had started growing back about four months ago, and it was a slow process. It was thicker and a bit longer than a buzz cut and not my usual style, so I just wore it like my brother Carlos did; a spiky kind of up do.

Being out of the hospital feels... strange. I had been there so long, with nurses and doctors constantly hovering over me, checking my vitals. I've had quite a few surgeries, all paid for by Chris. Luckily, my mother had teamed up with Courtney's lawyers and found a loophole in that damned contract he got me to sign while I was in that god forsaken robot suit. I wasn't too surprised, as my mother could be very cutthroat when it came to her children and Courtney was...well, Courtney.

It was safe to say that Chris had no other options.

Thank whatever deity above that Courtney is one of the people whose bad side I didn't get on. If it weren't for her, I'd still be in that metal prison.

I'm almost sure she's the only person that can tolerate me after all this; I heard how the others cheered on as I slid down the volcano on that hunk of ice.

Perhaps I had manipulated most of them at one point or another, but I was simply playing the game! I was going to do whatever I could to win that million, to finally have something Jose did not...

But then she came into my life and ruined it all…

With her evil glares through those hypnotizing gray eyes.

The way lie after wretched lie slithered out of her full pink lips.

How she would flip her silky raven locks when she was flustered or felt superior.

And her-

"Sir, your latte?"

A beige to-go cup had been sitting in front of me, and from the huffing of the customer behind me I must've been holding the line.

I muttered an apology to the cashier and dug around my coat pocket till I found a couple bucks, and dropped it in the tip jar before making my leave.

I made sure to bump into the man behind me.

Why would I even wantto think about that evil Vixen, the one I had allowed into my heart, the one who constantly invaded my thoughts without warning, who actually made me believe that she felt the same...

But no, she pushed me off a volcano, all for some money that she couldn't even keep for ten minutes.

I don't know where she is, and I don't care.

As I walked to my car with latte in hand, the chilly fall air started blowing terribly. I zipped up my leather jacket and started jogging towards my black Chevy Impala. Sure it's not the Jaguar I had wanted, but it's nice and since it's a newer model, it runs smoothly.

I get in and simply sit for a moment. These thoughts about... her had been coming more and more often.

Though I'd spent many months in the hospital, I had kept tabs on some of the other cast members. Sierra has a popular new talk show on MeTube, and has had Izzy on for interviews about a few of her upcoming movies. The Total Drama Brothers are doing a sold-out concert in Times Square, and Chris is doing another season of that awful show, with a whole new cast. The poor fools...

Though I'd seen nothing, heard nothing about Heather. Just what was she doing? Why hadn't she ridden on fame's coattails like the others? Lord knows she loves the attention.

I shook those thoughts out of my head. I don't care. Turning the key in my ignition I decided I needed a distraction.

I knew just where to go.

I started driving to a place I really enjoyed... the concert hall. No one really knew it, but playing the piano was a passion of mine. I had started taking lessons when I was really young, begging my mother and Carlos never to tell Jose...or my father. Jose would just take that away from me too, and my father would have thought I could be doing more, being "productive".

The piano has been my escape from everything, and after what has happened in the past few months, I definitely need one. Just playing the piano relaxes me, brings me to a state of pure numbness. It's a feeling I savor every time, no matter how many times my fingers touch the keys.

When the building comes into view, I instantly feel a surge of energy.
I'm finally getting back to what I love. After almost a year of pain and physical therapy, here was the one thing that could truly make me happy.
I walked into an empty practice hall, down the aisles of crushed velvet seats and lifted myself myself onto the stage, staring at the black grand piano apprehensively. With my busy schedule and the therapy, I hadn't had much time to visit this place. The size of the hall and its current silence was a bit haunting.

As I sat down on the bench, I took a deep breath and stretched my fingers, letting each hand feel out the keys as I did warm ups.

When I finally felt ready, I took another breath and started a simple melody, sweet and a bit sad.

I closed my eyes only to see gray eyes flash behind my lids.

I pushed the thought to the furthest corner of my mind and began to sing.

I don't know where I'm at
I'm standing at the back
And I'm tired of waiting
Waiting here in line, hoping that I'll find what I've been chasing.

I shot for the sky.
I'm stuck on the ground
So why do I try, I know I'm gonna to fall down
I thought I could fly, so why did I drown?
Never know why it's coming down, down, down...

If I hadn't been so caught up in the song, I might've heard the dull thunk of an old door opening behind me.

Not ready to let go
Cause then I'd never know
What I could be missing
But I'm missing way too much
So when do I give up what I've been wishing for.

I shot for the sky.
I'm stuck on the ground
So why do I try, I know I'm gonna to fall down
I thought I could fly, so why did I drown?
Never know why it's coming down, down, down.

Oh I am going down, down, down
Can't find another way around
And I don't want to hear the sound, of losing what I never found.

I shot for the sky
I'm stuck on the ground
So why do I try, I know I'm gonna to fall down
I thought I could fly, so why did I drown?
I never know why it's coming down, down, down.

I shot for the sky
I'm stuck on the ground
So why do I try, I know I'm gonna to fall down
I thought I could fly, so why did I drown?
Oh it's coming down, down, down…

As I finished the last chord, I heard someone clapping from a distance.

Someone had come in.

"That was just...amazing."

My ears perked at the voice. It was a voice I knew all too well. A voice I had heard in my greatest dreams and my worst nightmares.

I stiffened and felt my jaw tense up, my happiness gone. Filling my voice with as much venom and malice as I could, I spoke:

"Hello, Heather."