.syngates.|.Seize.the.Day.|.parttwo.

The night was sleepless, and I got up early in the morning with circles around my eyes and a grumpy disposition. Billy came out of his bedroom about an hour after I gave up on sleep. He came over and stood by the couch, still wearing pajamas and bed head, and glanced warily at my unpleased, tired expression.

“Morning, sunshine,” he stated.

“Morning,” I replied, yawning.

“Seems like you got a whole lot of sleep,” he remarked, seating himself next to me. I narrowed my eyes, not in the mood for humor. “So are you ready to tell me what happened yet?”

I hadn’t explained to Billy nor Joel what had transpired the night before. I had grabbed my things from my and Benji’s room before he got back from the club, and by some trace of luck Billy came back to the hotel before Benji did. He found me waiting by their room and questioned as to what I was doing, but I blew him off. I merely asked if I could stay on their couch and claimed I was too tired to explain. He accepted my excuse and let me in, and I pretended to be exhausted and went straight to bed.

“What do you want to know?” I asked. He glared at me.

“Well, let’s start with why you aren’t staying in your room, perhaps?”

“Benji and I broke up.” He looked expectant, but I said no more. He sighed.

“Any particular reason as to why that happened?”

“He was sucking face with Paris Hilton.”

Billy didn’t go for that. He rolled his eyes. “The real reason?”

I t was my turn to glare, now. “Would I lie about this?”

He looked skeptical. “Paris Hilton?”

I nodded. He seemed to struggle to wrap his mind around that. But he eventually comprehended what that meant, and anger washed over his face.

“So he cheated on you,” he said, shortly.

I nodded, lips pursing. Billy muttered something about Benji and chopped liver and banged on Joel’s bedroom door, calling for him to get up. I couldn’t help but worry a little bit for Benji’s sake... yet not really. If Billy was pissed then Joel would be too, and had a feeling they wouldn’t let Benji off easily for this.

I love my friends, I thought with a smirk.

Billy shoved the door of Joel’s room open and walked in, He closed the door behind him, but I could easily overhear parts of their conversation, especially Joel yelling “He did what with who?!” While they spoke I crossed the room to shower and put on fresh clothes in the small bathroom. By the time I was ready for the day, they had also dressed and were leaving for the studio. They called a goodbye to me as they were opening the door, but my reply stopped them.

“Wait. I’m coming,” I said quietly. Billy turned around to face me.

“You sure?” He raised an eyebrow. I smiled and nodded, trailing behind them into the hallway. After a few minutes of walking we entered the studio.

No one was in the recording booth yet, as it was still early, but after a short while of waiting the rest of the guys walked in. I saw Matt first, strolling in with hands in his pockets. Then Benji and Brian came through the doorway, and you could sense the awkwardness between them.

I caught Benji’s eye first. In one glance I saw desperation and regret, and he changed the direction of his stride towards me.

Then my gaze flickered to Brain. And with that one sadness-filled look he gave me, I panicked.

Without a single word of explanation, I dashed out of the studio and took off down the street with a fast pace. I was headed nowhere in particular, simply out of there. I just hoped I could find my way back to the hotel... at least I had my cell with me. I reached into my pocket for reassurance of that object, pulling it out... to discover that the battery was toast. Oh well.

I heard rapid footfalls behind me, faster than my pace. I glanced back, seeing Benji trailing me and calling my name. I sighed, but I couldn’t say I didn’t expect it. I was prepared for a confrontation from him... but I wasn’t prepared for Brian. I neglected to consider him when making my decision to go to the studio. I didn’t know what to say to him. I didn’t even know what to think about him.

Benji caught up to me and placed a hand on my shoulder, interrupting my thoughts.

“Tori,” he breathed. I brushed his hand off of me disgustedly.

“Don’t touch me,” I spat, stopping. He jogged around me and looked me in the eyes.

“We need to talk,” he stated.

“About what,” I replied, flatly and icily.

“Come on, Tori, you know what I mean.”

“No Benji, I don’t. If you think that we need to speak about what you did last night, then you’re wrong. I think it’s pretty obvious what you feel about me, so don’t go there. And don’t think that I need you. I don’t need a relationship like that. Just walk away, Benji. It’s over.”

He looked nervous and his eyes reeked desperation again. “But... Tori... I love you, I really do. I need you.” With that statement, he took my face in rough hands and kissed me. I could feel his passion in the gesture, but it wasn’t there for me anymore. I didn’t appreciate his fierce touch, and I let him know that with a vicious fist to the chin. There was the passion that had lacked in the kiss.

Benji yelped and leaped away from me, clutching his face as a testament to my strength. His eyes screamed in emotional pain, but I didn’t feel sorry for him. He couldn’t know how much his lapse of judgment had hurt me, too. I hid it well behind anger and indifference.

I just walked away after I punched him, leaving him standing pitifully in the middle of a lightly trafficked sidewalk. He didn’t follow, and I was glad. Now I could continue my swift walk and let my mind drift off until I reached where I wanted to be... wherever that was.

After a while of wandering, both physically and mentally, I found a coffee and book shop that sparked my interest. A glance at the high sun led me to the conclusion that it was about noon, and I entered the small store. I went up to the counter and fortunately located enough money to purchase a large coffee and massive brownie. Sipping and munching while I glanced at book titles, I hoped the caffeine would counter my lack of sleep.

The rest of the day passed in a similar manner, meandering the city and going into a shop whenever one caught my eye.

I departed from a tiny knickknack boutique and was shocked to discover that the sky had almost completely darkened. And I also realized with a growing dread that I had no clue how to get back to the hotel. So... I was pretty much screwed.

I instinctively pulled out my cell before remembering that it was dead. But by some unusual stroke of luck, there was a pay phone across the road and some loose change in my left front pocket. I inserted the change, dialing Billy’s cell number.

No answer.

Internally cursing Billy and rotten luck, I left a scrambled message on his phone, a confused plea for help. I felt around for enough change to make another call, wanting to try to reach Joel.

No. Such. Friggen. Luck.

I slammed a frustrated fist into the side of the phone booth, desperately hoping Billy would get my message soon and make some sense of it. I guessed that sleeping on a city bench wasn’t so fun... or safe. Not that I had any money to steal, apparently.

I paced up and down the sidewalk for at least twenty minutes, wondering what to do. Looking up at the black sky, I remembered hearing about how sailors used the stars to navigate...

Unexpectedly, I heard a distant shout of my name, coming from behind me. I wheeled around, nearly losing my balance, and looked down the spooky road to seek out who was calling to me. Assuming that I was the Tori the person was yelling to, anyways. Worried as I was about the safety of wandering down an unfamiliar road at night without a clue as to where I was, I took a chance and warily started down it. My meager hope of finding one of the Good Charlotte boys searching for me dictated my actions.

I heard my name again, but the sounds seemed farther away this time. I hurried my steps and took a turn, following the calls. But after coming to the end of that street, I didn’t hear any more shouts. There was no way for me to know which direction to turn. I guessed left, listening carefully for my name. But whoever it was shouting, they seemed to have given up.

I paused in the middle of the street I was on, an alley-like road that was a good distance away from the main, busy routes I had been following all day.

I caught the sound of footsteps behind me, and eagerly turned, expecting to see a familiar face at last. But alas. That was not the case. Instead, a bulky man with a bristly moustache and ragged black hair was staring at me and creeping closer.

Oh crap.

Trying not to seem frightened, I picked up the pace again and tried to put some distance between me and him. But the man kept trailing me.

“Hey, doll! Wait up! I just want to know the time!” he shouted at my back. Likely story.

“Sorry, no watch!” I called in reply, desperately trying to stay cool. I neither rotated around nor slowed my pace, rounding a corner and forcing myself not to break into a run. But even if I did make a dash, I’d run straight into the wall at the end of the dead-end street I had turned into.

All other thoughts in my head were drowned out by extreme internal cursing.

I tried to go into reverse and try the other road. Sadly, the creepy man was right there, smirking as I stepped towards the other way.

“Come on doll, don’t lie to me. Surely a lovely lady like you wouldn’t be wandering around this part of town without a cell phone, don’t they have the time?” he said softly. I started backing away from his gentle footfalls, frantically wondering what to do. I attempted avoiding his question, stalling until whoever was looking for me before came along. Hopefully.

“Oh, thank you, you find me lovely?” I squeaked out, failing to sound flattered instead of terrified.

“Oh yes, indeed, doll. Now, the time?” He sneaked closer to me, and I backed up further. He had me trapped.

“I said I had no watch.”

“And no phone?”

I searched frantically behind him for a possible escape. I figured running was the best plan, even if it was most likely futile.

“Em. It doesn’t have the time on it.”

“Doll, liars aren’t attractive,” he breathed, grinning maliciously. He took a large stride up to my body and that’s when I took off, darting around him. However, he grabbed my wrist and rammed me into the side of a shabby building, fiercely pressing his lips to my mouth and biting my lower lip to part my lips for his tongue. I tried battling him off, but he had an iron grip on my hands, pinning them to my back.

Without warning, the man was pried off of me, and thrown without mercy onto the ground by strong tattooed arms.

“You fucking bastard, leave her alone!” my savoir boomed angrily and dangerously, delivering blow after blow. I thanked whatever god sent me this angel. Finally the man lay limp on the pavement, knocked out by the pummeling. My angel walked to me when the man wouldn’t be getting up any time soon... and I then realized it was Brian.

“Are you hurt?” he asked, slowly approaching as if not to scare me. His eyes bulged. “Tori?!” He closed the space between us and wrapped his bulky arms tightly around my shaking body. “Oh my god, are you alright?”

I clung to his shirt, calming down in his protective embrace. “I’m fine,” I whispered. He leaned backwards and looked me over.

“Your lip,” he murmured, wiping away a spot of blood. I turned my head away.

“It’s nothing.” He frowned and released me from his tight grip, resting his arm over my shoulders and gently holding me to his side.

“Let’s get out of here,” he said, leading the way. I treaded quietly next to him, and he found the main road. He led the way back to the hotel and I stayed close to his side, silence between us. We entered the tall building, and Brian motioned to a couch in the lobby.

“Sit down for a sec, I forgot to call the other guys,” Brian said, retrieving his cell phone from his jeans. I took a seat while he dialed and paced around in front of me, calling everyone else and telling them I was safe. I felt guilty to have made everyone go out like that to search for me. Why did I have to be so stupid and irrational?

Brian finished and pocketed the phone, sitting down next to me. “They’ll all be back within fifteen minutes,” he assured me. “Let’s wait for them here.”

“Okay,” I replied. Hesitating, I asked, “How did you find me?”

“Dumb luck.” He shrugged. “When you weren’t here after we got back from the studio and it was already dark out, we were worried that you might be out lost somewhere. Apparently, we were right. You didn’t pick up your phone so we split up to look for you. Billy got your message after we set out and called us, and he and I headed to where you mentioned.”

So Billy was the one calling my name, I thought.

“And then by some miracle I found you when I did,” he said quietly. I turned to look directly at him.

“Thank you, Brian, for that,” I said seriously. I paused and softened my tone. “You saved me.”

“Well...” he started, but there was no denying what he did. I wove my fingers in between his and scooted next to him.

Smiling, I said, “No excuses. I owe you.” And with that I tenderly pressed my mouth to his. The kiss was short but sweet, and Brian broke away to look at me with loving eyes.

“I think I know how you can make it up to me,” he said with the same cheeky smile he wore when I met him.

He reconnected our lips and locked his arms around my back. Completely disregarding my previous decision to stay away from Brian, I instead looped my hand around his neck and kissed back fiercely. His touch filled me with such security in contrast to the incident in the alleyway.

I recalled a lyric from the song he had played to me last night, which seemed like ages ago. “Please tell me what we have is real,” he had sung.

What we had was real.