"Swallowed whole by misery,  

I'll close my eyes and drown, 

You were the best part of me,  

And now I'm here face-down."                                  

  - Bach's Revenge debut album, track 5

Charlie spent the day with Mitch. He'd insisted on bringing a picnic lunch and they'd spent  hours in the heat of the sun, kissing mostly. Admittedly, it was a pleasant distraction, but by  the time she got home, she was exhausted from pretending everything was okay. She went to  her room and flung herself face-down on the bed to let a muffled scream in her pillow. 

Why did Sebastian have to go and screw everything up? He was gone. As if someone  had come and swept him away in the darkness of night. Devin was right, she should've gone  and talked to him. Prolonging it was only like pulling a band-aid off in minute long intervals. 

When Sebastian's ringtone played on her phone, she thought she was imagining  things but when the music didn't stop, she yanked the phone out of her pocket. 

"Hello." Her voice sounded pathetically eager. 

"Hey Charlie," he said flatly. 

Charlie, not Bella. 

"Sebastian!" She knew she sounded pitiful, but she couldn't help herself. 

"I, um. Listen, do you think you can take your car or get a ride with Tally to school  

tomorrow?" 

Her heart dropped. "Yeah, okay." 

"Cool." This Sebastian was foreign to her. Cold and removed. 

"You don't want to drive me anymore?" 

"That's not it," he said unconvincingly, "It's just for the next little while, I have to be available, until we go to LA to record. I can't worry about being responsible for other people,  and I know you depend on me for a ride, so I thought maybe I should let you know." 

Her eyes burned. She tried to keep her voice steady as she asked, "Seabass, are you  dumping me?" 

The silence on the other end prickled at her skin. It was more than enough for a  sufficient answer. She wanted to yell at him, tell him how unfair he was being, how utterly  awful everything was, but she couldn't. 

He cleared his throat, as if he needed all this time to collect himself. "I'm not dumping  you. I think maybe I need a break for a while." 

He was dumping her. "You're breaking up with me," she declared. 

"That's kind of hard to do without ever really having you," he said miserably. 

"But you did," she objected. "You do. You're my best friend." 

"And you're mine. Look, I'm sorry okay? I don't want to upset you, I just need to stay  away for a while. Please." 

"But--" 

"Charlie, please, at least give me that." 

She searched every corner of her brain for a response but found nothing. He'd said he  loved her and the only thing he wanted in return was for her to love him back. She'd told  him she didn't. What else could she expect him to do? 

"Okay," she mumbled. "Sebastian?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Please don't take too long to forgive me." 

His voice shook. "I guess I'll see you around."

Sebastian looked at the phone he'd just hung up. The last day and a half was the longest he'd  gone without talking to Charlie since he learned to speak. Staying away from her was the  solution, but had no illusions of it being easy. Lucky for him, McKenzie offered a reasonable  distraction. His hand shook as he picked up the phone and punched in her number. 

"Sebastian," she answered. "Calling so soon?" 

"I could hang up and wait three or four days or whatever the guy rule is," he said. "If  it'd make you feel better." 

"And I could tell you I've been waiting by the phone for your call," she said, laughing.  

"What are you doing?" 

"Sitting in my bedroom wishing you were here," he told her. Actually, he wished  

Charlie was there, but that wasn't an option. 

"Really?" 

"Definitely. Do you think that could be arranged?" 

McKenzie sighed, "I can't. I'm stuck watching my brat of a brother." 

Damn it.  

"But," she continued, "You could always come over here. My parents aren't supposed  to be back until midnight." 

"I could. Your house is on Evergreen, right?" 

"Number fourteen. See you in a bit," McKenzie said. 

Sebastian had never been in McKenzie's house before. It was monstrous, looming like a tower over the other houses on the street. It demanded attention much the same as its  female occupant. He was here, ready to pay the affection she desired because the closer he  got to McKenzie, the further he could push Charlie to the back of his mind. 

He held his hand in the air to retrieve the massive brass knocker that sat on the door,  but it swung open before he had a chance. McKenzie stood before him dressed in the shortest shorts he'd seen in some time and a tank top with a dangerously low plunge to its neckline.  

She put one arm up and leaned against the frame, smiling. "So what do you want to do?" 

"I could think of plenty we can do." Sebastian looked behind her, for some sort of sign  that her little brother was there. "Where's the rug rat in your charge?" 

"Joey is four," McKenzie said. "He's been asleep for like three hours already." She looked at her fingernails, tiring of the conversation. 

She turned and entered the house, exaggerating the swing of her hips. She held her hand up and made a "come here" motion with her finger. "Follow me." 

Sebastian paused, thinking maybe this wasn't his brightest idea, and ran his hand  through his hair before his pursuit. 

She weaved through a doorway and down a hall before continuing into a kitchen. He  was behind her every step of the way. She reached up and took her hair out of its ponytail,  letting the dark curls fall down her back before turning to Sebastian. "I feel like I'm Peter Pan and you're my shadow after Wendy sews it back on." 

Sebastian stopped walking. "I can leave if you want." Maybe that was a better idea  anyway. He wasn't entirely sure why he'd come in the first place. 

McKenzie smiled. "Relax Sebastian. I was just making a joke. You want a drink?" 

"Sure," he shrugged. 

"Coke or iced tea?" 

"Iced tea is good." 

Sebastian watched as she grabbed a jug from the fridge and stood on her tiptoes  trying to reach the glasses. He moved swiftly behind her, pressing his body against her and  reached up to get the glasses himself. McKenzie wasn't really the type to need to be  romanced. "I want something else." 

She twisted her body and laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. It looked as though she was debating making a run for it, playing hard to get. But he had no intentions of  letting her get very far. "Don't you want to talk, or something?" 

"Fine we'll talk." He turned her around, using weight of his body, pushing her until  the counter dug into her back. His hands slipped behind her to rest on its surface, pinning her  to him. "You can start by telling me why you're such a tease." 

She licked her lips and replied, "Why Sebastian, whatever are you talking about?" 

He leaned in close, so his breath was in her ear. His grip on the counter tightened, glued there until her permission was granted. "You don't have any idea?" 

She shook her head and tried not to giggle. Her smile was a good indicator that she was up for it. 

He moved one hand and put it to her hips. "You don't think I see the way you're  moving for me? You take your hair down, just begging for me to run my hands through it,  you lick your lips like it's an open invitation to put mine there. Any of that ring a bell?" 

McKenzie smiled again and brought her thumb and pointer finger together. "Maybe  just a little." 

Her breathing became shallow. He had her right where she should be. He grabbed her  hips and hoisted her up onto the counter, running his hands up her thighs. She moaned. "I  think maybe more than a little," he whispered.

The dawn broke through the windows waking Charlie before the alarm. It took about an  eighth of a millisecond for her to decide it was going to be a terrible day. The last time she'd  actually driven to school was when Sebastian's car was at the mechanic for a brake job about seven months ago. He always drove. 

She considered pulling the covers up over her head so they could swallow her whole,  but no doubt they'd reject her on the grounds that she was a repulsive human and spit her  back out. Reluctantly, she trudged to her closet, selecting jeans and a vintage Metallica tee  which had once belonged to Sebastian until Rosa went out of town for the weekend and he'd  tried to do laundry. Charlie had been there when he pulled it out of the dryer about ten sizes smaller than it was to begin with. He'd shrugged and said, "Well, it looks better on you anyway," before tossing it in her direction. 

She was on auto-pilot. Showering, brushing her teeth, applying make-up, swallowing  her iron supplement, they were all a series of robotic movements designed to simply get the task done. 

When she pulled up to the parking lot of the school a large crowd stood in the front. It  was too early for a fight to have broken out and when she realized what the crowd was for, a  knot twisted in her stomach. 

Sebastian, Robbie, Lane and Sawyer were already at school, surrounded by pretty  much every single body in the student population. She inhaled deeply, praying for some sort  of miracle. Hoping when he saw her, he'd realize everything was a big mistake. Robbie was  speaking, talking to Tanner Dagwood, who had just congratulated them on their  accomplishment. 

"Thanks man," Robbie said. His drumsticks were tucked in his back pocket like a  wallet. "It's a pretty big deal." 

"Yeah, it's unbelievable. Can I volunteer now to be a roadie?" 

Robbie laughed. "Right. Well as soon as we actually are on a road, you'll be the first to  know. Until then, you're more than welcome to join us at band practice and fetch water." 

Tanner glared at Robbie in mock horror. "Fetch water? Oh, please sir, can I?" 

Robbie raised his middle finger. 

Charlie's eyes flickered to Sebastian. He was looking at his shoes, with his hands  shoved inside his pockets. His hair fell in his face, and he was chewing on his lower lip,  kicking at the grass nervously. This Sebastian was as strange to her as the one on the phone  the night before. 

Sebastian was that guy. The one that girls doodled hearts for, that they dreamed about.  The guy that boys were insanely jealous of, problem was, Sebastian was so charismatic that  even they liked him. Hard to hate someone you're drawn to. 

She studied the new him. An imposter Sebastian. Quiet and reserved. She focused so  hard on his face that she didn't hear McKenzie approach. 

"There you are!" McKenzie exclaimed, extending her arms. Her eyes darted to  

Charlie, to make sure she was watching. "I wasn't sure you'd be here on time considering  how late you left last night." 

The Sebastian imposter brightened instantly. His arms wound around McKenzie and although Charlie felt terribly hollow, she couldn't help but watch the crushing blow unfold.  

His fingertips moved so slowly, so slightly, that Charlie doubted anyone but her noticed.  McKenzie, of all people was getting a little more of Sebastian. 

Her mouth dropped and she blinked. Before he could see her watching him, Charlie  spun on her heels and left. 

Anger made her feet move faster. She ought to go turn around and give Sebastian a  piece of her mind. True love, her ass. If he loved her they way he thought he did, he wouldn't  be causing goose-bumps to sprout from McKenzie's too tanned skin. 

He wanted you, a voice in her head reminded her. You rejected him.  

Tally blocked her path so quickly, Charlie nearly lost her footing. "Where's the fire  babe?" 

"Nowhere," Charlie mumbled. She nodded her head in the direction of the Bach's  Revenge current location. "I just needed to get away from that." 

Tally moved her sunglasses and perched them on the top of her head before popping  her gum. "Well, their big win is the most action this school has seen for a while, can you  blame them?" 

"No. I don't blame them." 

"Where's Mitch?" 

That was a good question. Where was Mitch? Normally, he'd be perched on the  outdoor bench near Sebastian's parking spot every morning waiting for Charlie. Her eyes  scanned the area and settled on the familiar olive green of Mitch's favorite bomber jacket.  

Perfect. Mitch was a groupie now too. 

"Over there," Charlie nodded. 

"Let's go get him," Tally said. "I love Sebastian as much as the next girl, but God, I'm  not going to be late to throw myself at him for attention." 

Charlie was already walking. Mitch's back was to her, so she grabbed his arm and  pulled, turning him around. His face was angry at first, then surprised as the corners of his  mouth turned up into a smile. "Hey baby." 

Something washed over her, a need to prove to Sebastian that his little show with  McKenzie could be a two person game. She stood on her tiptoes and wound her hands through Mitch's dark curls. Her lips met his, and she let herself forget that anyone else was there. 

"Sweet Jesus!" Tally's voice interrupted. "Do you want to get a room? Or maybe we should just go to class." 

Charlie pulled away and focused on Mitch's face. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you're really happy to see me," he said. 

Charlie looked sideways at Sebastian. He'd either completely ignored her or he was  doing a good job pretending. He stood closer to McKenzie, his hand resting on the small of  her back. McKenzie looked like she'd won the lottery and Charlie was afraid of what her own  face may look like. Did her features spell out was written inside her someone very important  has just died.