"Long forgotten nights have passed,

Before the cheating came,

I'm missing what's important,

The price tag of the fame." - Bach's Revenge debut album, track 12

Sebastian took the stairs two at a time, stopping in the living room for a set of prongs from the fireplace. He pitied anyone who tried to break in because he was ready to throttle them with everything he had. He entered the kitchen with the prongs raised high above his head like he was about to play major league baseball, but he lowered it when he saw Rosa's familiar curls, paired with blood red stilettos. She was perched in a squat, trying to reach into the depths of their largest kitchen cupboard.

"Jesus, Ma."

She jumped. "Jesus yourself." Her eyes narrowed at Sebastian's would be weapon, "Put that thing down."

He'd forgotten he was holding it and set it to the side. "What the hell are you doing? It's like six in the morning."

"Seven thirty," she said. "I was trying to surprise you and Charlie with a going away breakfast." She waved her hands exaggeratedly in the air. "Surprise!"

Sebastian laughed. "Charlie's gotta go home and see her parents."

Rosa shook her head. "No need. It's going to be a big breakfast, Ryan and Chelsea are bringing Devin over in an hour or so. They assumed Charlie was here."

He walked to the coffee pot to grab it and fill it with water. As he scooped the grinds from the can, he continued speaking with his mother. "She is here."

"Right," Rosa nodded. "How was last night?"

Despite his best efforts not to give anything away, Sebastian smiled. "It went well."

Rosa found the skillet that was eluding her and stood promptly. Her heels echoed on the floor as she walked over to him and placed her hand on his, stopping his methodical coffee scooping. "Promise me I'm not going to become a grandmother."

Eww. How could she even ask him that? "Mom, that's something my virgin ears cannot deal with." He finished with the coffee and started the pot.

"Virgin ears my ass, Sebastian. I'm serious."

"Give me a little credit," Sebastian said. "God."

"Just checking," Rosa said.

"Checking what?" His eyes darted to the doorway and he squirmed, trying to adjust himself. He couldn't help being turned on. It was a totally natural reaction. She was in his t-shirt with her hair piled in a high pony tail on the top of her head. He'd never seen her so sexy, probably because he knew firsthand what was hiding underneath his clothes.

Rosa held up her frying pan. "Checking how you like your eggs done."

Charlie shrugged and smiled at Sebastian before taking a seat at the table. "However."

The coffee pot beeped and he went to work filling three mugs. He handed one to Charlie, and put one on the counter for Rosa.

"Listen," Rosa said. "You're cute as a button, but after your coffee you may want to put some clothes on, your family is coming over."

Charlie looked surprised. "What?"

"Yep. One big send off brekkie," Seb advised, taking a sip from his mug.

Charlie smiled. He knew she was happy she didn't have to rush home. She could lounge at his house as if it were any other Saturday morning, but God, it wasn't.

Charlie sat at the table and tried not to blush. Rosa was not a stupid woman. She knew. She absolutely, undeniably knew what was going on between the two of them. She was an enabler. Charlie was not so sure she'd have been able to do what they did the night before had Rosa been asleep in the next room like she usually was. To say she didn't care would be false, but for as long as Charlie had known her, Rosa was a realist. Sebastian and Charlie were both eighteen. Adults. Who would make adult decisions and do adult things. But Rosa's cool factor was unnerving, regardless.

Sebastian sat across from Charlie, looking at her like he wanted to devour her. She wanted him to but given that her family was due any minute, it wasn't going to happen. His foot rubbing her leg was making it worse, and as she drank her coffee, she gave him a warning glance. He smirked. She purposefully downed her drink as fast as she could and stood.

"I'm going to get dressed," she announced.

Sebastian mouthed. That's a shame.

She shook her head and turned toward the stairs. Rosa's voice carried behind her. "Sebastian, don't you dare leave this kitchen. Make yourself useful and find the flour."

Charlie heard him sigh and a cupboard open, presumably, Sebastian locating the flour. When she opened the door to his room, she smiled. The memory of the night before was so vivid, like a dream where the air was so fresh, she could smell it. Only this was her new reality. One that she welcomed.

She left Sebastian's t-shirt on, but shimmied into her jeans. She had to climb over his night stand to get to his mirror. She fixed her hair as best she could and stopped at the bathroom to find her toothbrush in the vanity drawer, where Rosa kept it for as long as Charlie could remember. When she felt like a person again she went back to the kitchen.

An hour later there was a knock at the door but her father pushed it open before Rosa could answer. It was unspoken that Charlie's family was not required to knock. Not for the last seventeen years or so.

"Good Morning!" Her dad's voice bellowed through the house.

"Morning," Rosa sang back. "We're in the kitchen!"

"Well I hope so," Charlie's dad said. "Seeing as how we're here for breakfast."

Devin trudged in behind their parents, looking miserable. More than usual.

"What's your problem?" Charlie asked.

"Shut up," Devin mumbled.

Charlie's mom still mistook Devin for the child she used to be rather than the young adult she was becoming. "Devin's a little sad to see you and Sebastian leave."

Charlie smirked. No way was her sister sad to see her go. If it were up to Dev, she'd be laying claim to Charlie's room and all her belongings. "You mean she's upset Sebastian is leaving," she corrected.

Sebastian mock pouted and held his arms open for Devin who issued a glimpse to everyone else in the room before accepting his invitation. "Don't worry darlin', we'll be back before you know it."

Devin exhaled. "Whatever."

Sebastian pulled away and looked at her. "Listen, if it's okay with your parents, maybe you can join us for a show or two after we got the hang of the whole tour thing."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Why not?"

Devin looked at their parents. "Can I mom?"

"We'll see," her mother said.

Rosa went all out. She made waffles, banana stuffed French toast (Sebastian's favorite), bacon, sausage, hasbrowns, eggs and English muffins. Charlie's eyes widened at the spread of food before them but before she could ask how they could possibly finish it all, Sawyer, Robbie and Lane marched through the front door.

Sebastian left everyone downstairs while he went to collect his stuff. Had he been in control of his own attire, he'd have one bag, maybe two. But there were six. Six frigging bags of clothes. He shook his head as he looked at the pile, worried Charlie might have packed lighter than him. It was real manly to have more clothes than your girlfriend.

He was about to start hauling his what to wear crap down the stairs when his phone vibrated. All of the people he would normally speak with were sitting in his kitchen. Maybe it was Charlie, texting something from the table. He smiled just thinking about it.

Looking at the screen, he felt sick. It was from McKenzie.

Hey. Missed you at Kingpin last night, but I'll be seeing lots of you this summer.

He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat. Kenzie was from a wealthy family. If she really wanted to, she could show up at every show twice. Why this hadn't crossed his mind, he did not know. Maybe it was because he didn't have time to think.

McKenzie's paparazzi-like ways was the last thing he needed. He wanted to make music and be with Charlie. Nothing else in the world mattered but a horrible feeling swept over him that McKenzie wouldn't let them be.

"Seb?" Charlie's voice came from the doorway.

He jumped and turned, pocketing his phone, not wanting to upset her. "Yeah bella?"

"Everyone's ready. They're just waiting on you."

He forced a smile. "Can you manage a suitcase?"

Charlie walked to the biggest one. "I'm stronger than you think."

He certainly hoped so.

Several hours later, they were back at Moody's recording studio in Los Angeles. A curtain of heat draped the over the city, the heat so intense Sebastian felt his skin prickle with beads of sweat. He had a water in hand and couldn't drink the thing fast enough.

The group stood in front of three large buses.

"It's like a football field," Lane stated, nodding to the closest one.

Sawyer shook his head. "Naw. The bus has to be about forty feet max, that's thirteen or so yards. A football field is a hundred yards, one twenty if you count the end zone. So really, you'd need like nine buses lined up end to end to almost equal a football field."

Robbie knit his eyebrows together. "You're so weird, man. But you'd be my phone a friend lifeline on a game show any day."

Sebastian didn't care how long the damned bus was. He cared that it had locks and an alarm. To keep people out. Mainly McKenzie.

I'll be seeing lots of you this summer.

He'd erased her text from his phone but her words were seared into his skull. He didn't tell Charlie about it because he didn't want to upset her but was springing it on her any better? He ran a hand through his hair and looked at his shoes. He could feel Charlie watching him from his peripherals.

"So," Robbie waved to the convoy of vehicles, "think we all get a bus?"

Sawyer gave a lopsided smile and cocked his head to the side. "Yes, 'cause one," he pointed to himself, "Plus four," he swept his hands to the group, "equals three buses."

"Maybe they have more, genius," Robbie retorted.

"Yeah," Sawyer said, unconvinced. "Maybe."

Sebastian grew more irritated with each word they spoke. "Who the hell cares? Seriously? Do you really think we're going to get our own bus?"

"Sebastian," Charlie said gently, "is something wrong?"

"No," Sebastian mumbled.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," he replied. "I just want to get going."

Charlie scrutinized Sebastian. It wasn't like him to be so surly. Normally Sawyer held that title with pride. She studied him, unsure if she should just let him be mad, for whatever reason, or press him for details of why he was upset.

Before she came to any sort of conclusion, a man emerged from the offices with a to-go coffee cup. He had hair longer than hers, yellow teeth and a cigarette hanging lopsided from his mouth.

Lane leaned in. "Guy probably kills it with the ladies."

She was still giggling when the man approached. His voice was deep and hoarse. "Hello kids."

Sebastian stepped forward with his hand extended. "Hello, I'm Sebastian."

"William," the man said. "Your driver." He waved behind him to a much bigger group of people. "Get organized with your people first and then we'll have ourselves a little talk before we go."

Sawyer tried to hide his amusement. "Our people?"

William nodded.

"We don't have people," Robbie offered.

"You do now." A second man approached. If William was oil, he was water. He stood at least six foot two. Tattoos covered every inch of visible skin peeking from the sleeves of his t-shirt. If Charlie didn't know better, she'd have thought he was Sawyer's long lost cousin.

He extended his hand to no one in particular, but Sebastian stepped forward to shake it. "Bennett Powell," he said, "but you can call me Ben."

Charlie could not help but think a guy who looked like him should be named Axel, or Cain. Not Bennett.

"Sebastian," Seb said.

Bennett or Ben looked entertained. "I know who you are. I know who all of you are. My newest golden boys."

"I'm sorry," Sebastian said. "With all due respect, who are you?"

A curious smile stretched across Ben's face. "You don't seriously think Moody would invest this much money into you without certain precautions."

"Precautions like you?" Sawyer asked.

"Exactly," Ben replied. "Bach's Revenge. I'm your new manager."

A short time later the other buses were filled with drivers, stagehands, security, promotions people, and a vocal coach. Every kind of person none of them had ever thought of.

William smoked approximately half a pack of cigarettes, followed closely by Sawyer, who was still smoking. When everything was finally loaded, William turned to face them. "Alright. Listen up. So long as you boys follow the rules of the road we will all get along just fine."

Sawyer inhaled his smoke sharply. "What rules?"

"M'glad you asked son," William said, taking a sip of his coffee. "Rule number one, I'm an old man who can't keep up with you younguns, so if you are partiers, you'll party somewhere other than my bus."

Robbie smirked. "We're not real wild, Bill."

"Rule number two. The minute I find drugs on my bus, your tour is finished, or at least your ride is."

"We don't do drugs," Lane stated.

"Neither did Elvis," William replied "Rule number three. I don't care how hot the girls are, you wanna do stuff with em, rent a room." Sawyer laughed but his smile faded when he realized how serious Bill was.

"You got a problem with my rules son?"

Sawyer shook his head. "No, Sir, no problem at all."

"Um," Seb said to their new dictator, "My girlfriend is here."

"Your girlfriend is fine, I'm talking groupies. I don't wanna get crabs or the clap from using the can."

Charlie burst into a fit of giggles.

"Rule number four," William continued, ignoring her completely. "I have to live on this bus too, now I'm sure you're probably used to your Momma's cleaning up after you, but last time I checked I haven't given birth to any children and you will clean up after yourselves. And so long as you follow my rules, we're gonna get along just fine, you guys and me."

Charlie cleared her throat. "Um, William, Bill, or whatever. I really don't think you need to worry about any of those things. Bach's Revenge are just a normal group of guys trying to make an honest go of all this stuff."

"And you young lady have clearly never spent any time around a Rock Star."

Sebastian smiled. "No worries, Bill. Simple rules to follow."

"Uh huh, like I ain't heard that before. Come on now, get on the bus."