A/N: Third How To Rock story! I just figured since ABC For Zevie is almost ending and I had this idea pounding my brain, I might as well share it with you! It'll probably be under 10 chapters. By the way, this story is based off something NaruSasuNaruLover wrote in her collection of one-shots called 'Songs of Love.'
I do not own How To Rock.
[Zander]
I rested my chin on top of Stevie's head and had my arms around her waist from behind. She had her hands over mine and my knees were hunched up as she sat in between my legs in a non-dirty way. We just sat on top off the cliff over looking the beach, watching the sun go down.
I noticed Stevie was super tense and told her, "To hopefully cure your bad mood or at least make you smile, I got you something."
I tore my left arm away from under hers and reached into my left jacket pocket. What I pulled out made Stevie laugh.
I handed the a-bit-over-palm-sized stuffed animal/turtle to her and she questioned, "You couldn't have gotten me the traditional bear?"
I explained, "Bears get way too much credit even though they eat us. Turtles, however, do not. Plus, I saw this little guy on the bottom shelf of the toy shop and felt bad. You know what the top shelves were filled with? Bears. Teddy bears, teddy bears, teddy bears. I mean, let's give turtles a shot!"
Stevie smiled that smile I love. She replied, "I love the turtle but hate the lecture that came with it. Thanks, Zander."
I smiled and asked, "So, what are you going to name him?"
She chuckled. "You want me to name a stuffed animal? This isn't Toy Story, Buzz Lightyear."
I pretended to take back the turtle saying, "Well if you don't like him enough to give him a name..."
Stevie held it out of my reach and said, "Fine. Um, I'll name it...Gravity. Might as well name my going away present something that actually matters."
I sighed and responded, "Stevie, you don't even know that you're moving. I mean, maybe your dad will see how depressed you are and not take up that new job."
Stevie scoffed. "Yeah, right. He'll do what the majority of his family says. My mom's on my side, but my four brothers are all over it. Of course they'd want to move and I don't. I actually have a life around here! What's going to happen to Gravity 5?"
I answered, "We could still rock out if you move. All we have to do is put my laptop on stage, set up video chat, and there you go!"
Stevie shot me a look. I continued, "Stevie, we might not be a band anymore, but we'll still be friends. The guys and I are like the 3 Musketeers, Kacey has no other gang so she's with us automatically, and we can always call, email, tweet, and all that with you. All of us will always be friends, that's the main thing that will never change."
Stevie leaned back on me. I looked down at her staring at the sunset.
I whispered, "I don't want to break up. All those long distance relationships you see on TV never work, but I can't just lose you."
Looking straight ahead, Stevie replied, "Zander, I don't want to tie you down. If we don't break up then you'll miss the chance to love, and I don't want that to be because of me."
I told her, "I don't want to love if I'm not loving you."
We were comfortably silent for a few minutes until I asked, "Hey Steves, what do you do if someone you love is moving away?"
Without looking at me, she stated, "If this someone is truly yours, they'll come back. I promise."
{5 Months Later}
I shook my head at the memory from February that came back when I looked at the picture of Stevie and I on her last day of Brewster. I put the picture frame back on my night stand, walked out of my room, and jogged down the stairs.
From the kitchen, my mom called, "Morning, sweetie!"
I sat down in front of my laptop at the dining table where breakfast was already set and called, "Morning, mom!"
I poured some cereal into my bowl with my right hand while I logged onto my laptop with my left. When Yahoo! opened up, I clicked on my new email. Apparently, someone with the email gravitybass5 sent it to me.
Dear Zander,
Hopefully you still remember me. I know it's July and I haven't been in contact for five months, but I feel really awful about it. I swear that I really did want to keep in touch but my dad told me I had to give up on music and just have a clean start. I had to delete my Facebook, Twitter, get a new email (this one if you haven't caught on), and change my number.
I hope everything's going well with Kacey, Nelson, Kevin, and yourself. Still friends, I assume. What's going on with them? I miss you guys so much it actually hurts when I think about it, which is everyday. I'm so sorry for being the worst friend in the world. I mean, a real friend would find some way to contact you.
So, what's going on with you? Any new girlfriends? I really hope you took what I said on my last day into consideration and have started dating again. Listen, don't tell Kacey or the guys this, but I truly miss you the most. You're the only one I'm sending an email too. I have to go before my dad finds out I haven't totally let go of my old life, but remember...Hold it down!
From,
Stevie
I widened my eyes at the end. I shut my laptop, stood up, and ran out my house yelling, "I'll be at Nelson's, mom!"
I closed the door behind me and ran considering Nelson's house is literally across from mine. I bolted in since his parents weren't home and went upstairs. When I entered Nelson's room, Kacey, Kevin, and Nelson were already there.
Kacey questioned, "What took you so long?"
I explained, "I got an email from Stevie."
All of them exclaimed, "What?"
I walked over to Nelson's desk, put my laptop on it, and opened it up. The three crowded around me to read the email. When all of them were finished, I turned the chair around to look at their shocked faces.
Kevin and Nelson mumbled in unison, "Oh. My. God."
Kacey shouted, "I can't believe she's finally contacting us! Give me her new email, I want to talk to her."
Kacey looked at my laptop screen but I shut it before she could see anything saying, "I want to ask Stevie first! I don't want her to be bombarded with emails asking if her fashion sense has changed. I'll reply and ask her first."
Kacey narrowed her eyes angrily at me then stormed away to Nelson's bedroom window. I looked over at the two jokers and saw them staring at the door too deep in thought to notice if a bomb dropped between them. I opened up my laptop, clicked Reply below Stevie's email, and put my fingers on the keys.
Dear Stevie,
The day I stop remembering you is the day Chandler Bing stops being sarcastic and witty. I totally understand why you didn't contact us. Steves, I missed you so much that you could've stayed out of contact for 10 years and I'd still jump with joy at your email. I know you respect what your dad says, but don't ever give up music. The Stevie Baskara I fell in lo
I stopped myself from typing in 'love' and deleted the whole sentence.
The Stevie Baskara I know wouldn't let anything stand in her path in life: Music.
All of us are doing as fine as we can without you here. Kevin and Kacey started dating in March, a month after you left. They said that if someone like you believed that they were in love, why shouldn't they? Strangely, him and Nelson have played less video games since you've left. Of course they still play Furious Pigeons a lot, but they keep 'dying' at levels they've already passed. Then again, Kacey and I have changed, too. Kacey stopped wearing those shorts/skirts because you said they were stupid and I stopped playing the ukelele for some reason. Gravity 5 broke up, but all of us are still best friends, like I promised.
Don't blame yourself for not contacting us! You're going behind your dad's back just to send one email with three short paragraphs. If anything, you're a better friend then all of us. We didn't even bother trying to contact you after you deleted all of your accounts and changed your number.
I hope I don't sound selfish when I say I'm doing good. I'd be so much better if you were here. I haven't actually dated anyone since you left. I guess I'm still holding on to what you said. "If someone is truly yours, they'll come back."
Before I could start another paragraph, Kacey called from over at the window, "Hey, what if it's not Stevie and just someone that wants to mess with us? Like the Perfs?"
Kevin and Nelson were too shocked to hear. I thought about what Kacey said and looked back at my email. No way I'm going to delete all of this.
Not that I doubt you're Stevie, but Kacey wants to know if you really are. In your next email, say something only Stevie would no. Then, we can continue this conversation.
From,
Zander
I sent the email and shut my laptop. Please, please, please be Stevie.
Hope you enjoyed that first little chapter of my new story! If you're reading, please review your thoughts!(: