"I lie awake and watch you sleep, 

Wonder what you're dreaming, 

I make a wish upon a star,  

And hope it's me you're seeing."                                                     

- Bach's Revenge debut album, track 4

Charlie woke to rapping at her door. She rolled over and covered her head with a  pillow. "Go away!"  

"Babe," Mitch's familiar voice carried under the door, "open up."  

"I'm sleeping."  

"You're talking to me, aren't you? You're awake."  

"Ugh!" Charlie moaned. "Open it yourself."  

"Should I avert my eyes?" 

Her hand slipped from under the covers and felt Sebastian's side, as she  suspected, it was cold. "Sebastian's gone Mitch, just open the damned door!"  

The hinges creaked and the scent of freshly brewed, dark roast coffee filled the  room. She sat up and rubbed sleep from her eyes. "You brought coffee?"  

Mitch beamed and held up a take-out tray which surprisingly held three coffees.  He'd brought one for Sebastian. "One sweetener, two soy milk, just the way you like it."  

It was actually two sweeteners, one soy milk, but Mitch didn't pay attention to  details. At least he got the soy part right. He cared enough not to make her sick.  "You're so sexy first thing in the morning." He sat next to her and handed over  her coffee.  

She giggled. "Shut up."  

"Seriously." He motioned across her body. "You got the whole hot mess thing  nailed."  

"Well," she shrugged, "Who am I to argue?"  

Mitch threw Sebastian's pillow onto the ground with his free hand and leaned  back on the headboard. He was three inches or so shorter than Sebastian, so his feet  didn't dangle off the mattress the way Seb's did. "Feel better?" 

"Nope." Her eyes darted to the alarm clock perched on the bedside table. "Ask  me in about five or six hours."  

"How's he doing?"  

Charlie rubbed her neck. Mitch didn't care how Sebastian was doing. Normally  his pretending to care didn't bother her much, but today it was different. Sebastian was  the exact topic of so many arguments and she just wasn't it the mood for another one.  

"I didn't see him this morning but I imagine he isn't doing so great. Probably as  well as can be expected for someone singing for a record deal."  

Mitch shrugged and a wayward dark curl fell into his eye. "You're probably  right. He must be nervous."  

"How perceptive." She knew she was being short with him, but Sebastian was  stricken from the list of small talk between them a long time ago. The fact that Mitch  harbored false interest in Sebastian's welfare tweaked her defenses.  

"Babe," his hand settled on hers. "I'm sorry I give you a hard time about him  but I seriously don't see how it's that big a deal. You should be at my Dad's store opening with me. You belong there."  

Charlie recoiled almost as if he'd hit her. "Mitch, he's my best friend. Always has  been, the fact that you even suggest I miss the most important day of his life is ridiculous. Even for you."  

"Even for me?" He brought the coffee to his lips and arched an eyebrow. "What  the hell is that supposed to mean?"  

"It means that for some dumb reason, you're jealous of Sebastian, which is  maybe the stupidest thing I've ever heard. You need to get over it."  

"Get over it, huh?"  

The ungodly hour, bitterness of the coffee, along with Mitch was too much to  take. "Yes, Mitch. Get over it."  

"No Charlie, what I need is for you to get something through that pretty little  blonde head of yours. He's your best friend. Not your boyfriend. You're lucky I put up  with him."  

Her hand shook as she resisted the urge to rip the lid off her coffee and whip it  right at him. How did they manage to argue about Sebastian, all the time? "I'm lucky  you put up with him, huh? You're the one who's lucky that Sebastian puts up with you.  God, you can be such a jerk sometimes."  

Mitch's eyes narrowed and turned dark. "Well, bella." The way he mocked  Sebastian's name for her made her blood boil. "He sleeps in your bed half the time. Any  normal guy would've sent you packing by now. You're beautiful Charlie, but not  irreplaceable, remember that."  

Charlie put her coffee down on the night table and stood, trying to keep her  voice down. "I've known Sebastian since the day I was born Mitch. He's called me bella  since he was five years old. You've been in the picture, for what? A year? So if you find  me so easy to replace, just quit wasting my time and get on with it," her arm swung out  to the side, "there's the door. By all means, don't let me stop you from finding someone better. Someone irreplaceable."  

Mitch stood and folded his arms across his chest. "You don't mean that."  

She didn't. Not really. When Mitch wasn't busy being obsessed with picking  apart her friendship with Sebastian, distorting its very fabric and then putting in back  together again, he was a great guy. But it seemed the longer they were in the  relationship together, these episodes occurred with more and more frequency.  She softened. Like she always did. A vicious circle. "Listen. I don't want to fight.  I have to go. But I promise, when the contest is over, I'll come straight to the coffee shop  for your dad's big opening."  

Mitch smiled and held his arms out. "Sorry baby. I was mad. You are absolutely  one of a kind. I don't want anyone else but you. I promise I'll try not to be so jealous  but the thought of him in your bed, Charlie, it kills me."  

She wrapped her arms around him, moving her hand up and down his back  without even thinking. "It's just Sebastian. I swear to you, it'd never be like that, it just  can't be. Our friendship is too important to me." 

He clasped her face in his hands. "As long as he's not more important than me."  

His fingers were soft and warm, and if she didn't have to leave right away, Charlie  would've happily forgotten their entire argument and crawled back into bed with him  for a lazy Saturday morning.

***

Backstage, Sebastian paced like a trapped animal while Robbie tapped his drumstick in  perfect rhythm on his knee. Sawyer was in a mood, which was nothing new, Lane had  been rendered mute, which was nothing new, and Robbie was tap-tap-tapping like  their entire future wasn't hanging by a thread. Sebastian was in a bad way, and no  matter what he did to shake it, it was useless.  

"She here yet?" Robbie asked him.  

He couldn't answer and just shook his head. 

Robbie bit down on his lip. "You are going to have to pull it together, my man.  You're holding up like ice cream in Texas."  

Sebastian's stomach lurched. "I know."  

Robbie stopped twirling his drumstick and worry etched his face. "Why the sudden stage fright?"  

It wasn't stage fright at all; it was girl fright, in the worst possible way. "That's not  it. I'm about to tell Charlie how I feel about her. What if she freaks out?"  

Robbie shrugged. "So what if she does? In fact, she probably will. There's  nothing you can do but lay your cards on the table and hope you have a winning hand." He nodded behind Sebastian. "Speak of the devil." 

Sebastian turned to see Charlie approaching at break neck speed, her blonde curls bouncing with way too much pep for this early in the morning. Perfect, she looked as sick as he felt, lot of good she'd do.  

Robbie, notorious for being a creature of opportunity, dodged in front of  Sebastian. "Well, hello gorgeous, where've you been all my life?"  

Charlie's face lit up, and even though he knew Robbie was kidding around,  Sebastian felt a pang somewhere deep inside. He was jealous. "I've been here all  along," she giggled, stalking over and planting a kiss on his cheek. "Good luck out  there."  

Robbie made a dismissive motion with his drumstick. "Maybe my care-free might make like the plague and infect the two of you." He glanced at Sebastian. "I'll  just uh, give you two a minute and for the record, I'm never washing this cheek again."  

He stroked the spot she'd just kissed.  

"Thanks Robbie. You're right. About both. And not washing is gross." Her eyes  flickered over to Sebastian and somehow the weight of the world pressing on his  shoulders lifted.

Charlie wished Robbie would leave. She didn't get to say goodbye to Sebastian before  he left, didn't get to wish him luck or anything a friend should be doing. It was as if  Robbie read her mind because he spun on his heel in the direction of Sawyer and Lane.  

Thank God.  

Sebastian marched over to her, snaked his arms around her waist and placed his  forehead on hers. His voice shook. "I feel so sick right now." 

"Did you eat?" she whispered.  

"Can't eat. Can't sleep. God, I don't think I can do this."  

Words of comfort were hard to come by, nothing would help him relax. The way  his arms constricted around her, maybe just being there was enough. She hoped so.  She brought her hands to his face. "Seb, I can't tell you anymore how incredible  you are. Trust me, you've got this. I know you do." If he could see, for one second, how  much she believed in him... 

"This could be the biggest thing that ever happened to me."  

"Not could," she corrected him. "It will be. I've got the third seat, left of the stairs  in the front row with Tally and your mom. Just find me and pretend it's just us. You'll  do fine."  

Sebastian began to inhale and exhale in rapid succession.  

"It's going to be okay," she reiterated, "I promise."  

"Gentlemen," a man in a crisp pinstripe suit interrupted and a curse escaped  from her lips for his intrusion on their moment. "Ten minutes and we'll begin. You're  the third contestants to go out of the five. Be ready, please."  

She looked at her friend one last time, "I guess I should go and sit down." She  wished saying the words out loud would make it easier to do, but her feet were stuck  to the floor. 

"This is really happening," he said.  

She stepped away and lowered her voice to keep things between them private.  

"I know. Remember, just you and me."  

"You and me always." 

She studied him. His sandy hair was cut unevenly and the ends flew out in  defiance. His eyes were huge and almost as mischievous was his lopsided grin. He was  in black cords that tapered in at the bottom and a blue t-shirt with an abstract screen on  the front. He wore leather wristbands, which were probably vibrating from his pulse.  

"What?"  

She shook her head. "Oh, it's nothing. You, you look really good. A real, genuine  rock star."  

His palms rubbed together like he was trying to start a fire. "I guess I'll see you  out there."  

"Yeah, I'll see you."  

She turned to leave but Sebastian's voice bellowed after her. "Wait!"  

Her heels pivoted her body around to face him. "What?"  

"Kiss me."  

Her heart tripped in her chest, threatening to stop beating altogether. "What?"  

Sebastian's face was shocked at his own demand, like he hadn't meant to let the  words slip out. He furrowed his brow. "I mean, for good luck and all that." 

Her heart reluctantly started again as she closed the space between them.  

Kissing him required her to stand on her tip toes. Her lips moved to his cheek, but he  grabbed her chin with his thumb and finger to stop her. "Just let me, just this once."  

Before she could process what was going to happen only once, his lips brushed  hers. Her mind began to spin in pitiful objection but her body went lax. When she  realized her legs shared the consistency of Jell-O and Sebastian's lips weren't going  anywhere, she pulled away. "Good luck," she said. Without a word, she turned and  sauntered off, searching for her breath as she went.  

Rosa, Sebastian's mom passed her as she made her way to the seats.  

She smiled. "How's he doing?"  

"Not so good," Charlie admitted.  

Rosa clasped her hands together and brought them to her mouth. "Well I'd better go give him a pep talk. I'll be right back."  

Charlie nodded and found Tally. As she headed toward the audience she  brought her fingers up to brush her lips. He kissed her. A kiss on the hand or cheek,  maybe even her forehead would be Sebastian's signature style, but he'd never kissed  her on the mouth before. Were the butterflies in her stomach there all along, or did the  kiss awaken them?  

He's just nervous. No point in reading into it anymore than she already was. After  all, it was Sebastian, the same guy she'd just assured Mitch of a few hours earlier. The  one that was going to be her best friend for life. Not some guy who could kiss her and make her knees weak.  

Charlie sat as Tally brushed back her jagged red fringe, drawing Charlie's vision  

to the bracelet wrapped around her wrist. A silver snake coiled, with two ambers for  eyes that nearly matched Tally's. "I know you're a wreck right now but you're as white  as an albino. You alright?"  

Charlie swallowed the lump in her throat. "M'good. I just wish I could do  something for him. He's my best friend."  

"I'm sorry sweetie," Tally said, "I think you meant, my second best friend. 

"My best guy friend," Charlie corrected. "It's...well...he seems really nervous.  

For a beat she'd considered spewing the details of how she'd fell into Sebastian's lips  but decided against it.  

"Oh look," Tally said, "Rich bitch alert, three o'clock."  

Charlie craned her neck in time to see McKenzie Johnson approaching. She was  flanked on either side by two members of her elite social circle, Shelby Parker, and  Darlene Donaldson, more affectionately known as Deedee. The skirt McKenzie wore  was so short, only an inch or two more and she'd be revealing her Victoria's Secret,  which would not be so secret anymore.  

Charlie chuckled at the thought. McKenzie moved with swagger, holding a  gigantic sign that said "Crazy for Sebastian."  

"Charlie," she gave a nod of acknowledgment.  

"Hey McKenzie."  

"Where's Sebastian? I thought he might be with you."  

Tally popped her gum. "Yes, that would make perfect sense. If I were in a band,  singing for a record deal in five minutes, I'd be hanging out in the crowd too."  

"Shut up, Sally," McKenzie said, purposely to piss Tally off. "I was talking to Charlie."  

Charlie, by some small miracle, maybe the same miracle that kept McKenzie's  skirt down, managed to hide her smile. "Um, he's with Sawyer, Robbie and Lane.  "Backstage, like Tally mentioned."  

McKenzie nodded. "And your butt is in this chair, why?"  

"We aren't attached at the hip," Charlie pointed out. "He's not my prisoner."  

McKenzie huffed. "Whatever you say, Siamese, but if my best friend was having  the worst day of his life, I'd be with him."  

"You'd have to have a real friend for that to happen," Tally advised.  

Darlene's eyes shot an icy glare.  

"Silly Sally," McKenzie said, "I suppose being witty is practically a requirement  when you look like a gypsy."  

Tally's eyes narrowed. "Last I checked gypsy was in, skank was out."  

McKenzie shrugged. "I bet he's real tense right now. Maybe I should scoot on  back there and offer to give him a massage."  

Tally fisted her hand and slammed it against the plastic arm of her chair. "I just  told you skank is out. It's so last year."  

"He's with his mom," Charlie said. "But hey I'm sure she'd like one." 

"I'd like what?" Rosa's voice cut in.  

McKenzie's lips stretched unnaturally. "Oh nothing, Mrs. Russo. We were just  saying how you'd like it if Sebastian does as well as we all think he will."  

Rosa sat in the chair and crossed her legs. "You just wait," she said. "Once he  starts singing, the world isn't going to know what hit them."  

Without another word, McKenzie and the bitch brigade stalked off to find seats.  

The theme music began and Charlie wished they'd just get on with it. Spin and  Marley, the two of the personalities of the nationwide entertainment giant Real Media  stepped onstage.  

"Welcome!" Spin said cheerfully, "Welcome everyone to Real Media and Zip 90  Pacific FM's 'Battle of the Bands.' His eyes fixed on his co-host, "We've certainly come a  long way Marley, from thousands of contestants to just five remaining hopefuls." 

Marley looked into the camera and smiled. "That's right Spin. Just five  contestants left, all of them incredibly talented young people, but there is only one  record deal."  

Spin's grin evaporated. "Yes, Marley, only one record deal. That means that for  four of our contestants, its back to the drawing board. For one, the dream goes on."  

Marley's hand motioned to the giant screen above the stage. "Without further  ado please put your hands together for our first contestants, Dropping like Daisy."  

The audience clapped and cheered as the faces of an all girl band appeared on  the screen. Abigail, the lead singer, gave a spiel about her singing career so far, her  goals, her achievements, the bands aspirations, stuff that Charlie couldn't bring herself  to care about. Dropping like Daisy exploded on-stage and performed their song, but  Charlie didn't hear a single word. Her nerves were firing like pistons, waiting for  Sebastian.  

Next up, a band called 'Hoffman' came on. The guitarist looked like he'd time  warped back to the 80's and Charlie inexplicably smiled whenever she looked at him.  Her skin was ready to crawl off her body by the time the man with the sign came back  on to indicate filming was about to resume from the commercial break.  

Marley stepped forward, "Our third band is Bach's Revenge, please allow me to  direct your attention to the band's founder, Sebastian Russo."  

Her eyes followed Marley's hand to the TV screen until they locked on  Sebastian's face. Charlie sucked in a breath, her heart accelerating.  

The interviewer asked him when he wrote his first song. "Well, I guess that'd be  second grade. I wrote it for my best friend Charlie. It was about this girl, Jasmine, who  was really mean to her. Charlie was crying one day and I just remember walking beside  her, racking my brain to think of a way to make her stop. So I made up a song in my  head and sung it to her. It worked." He looked right at the camera, right into Charlie's  eyes, and winked.  

The rest of the short interview piece was focused on Sawyer, Robbie and Lane.  

When she couldn't take it anymore, Spin shouted. "Ladies and Gentlemen, please put  your hands together for Bach's Revenge!"  

Charlie slapped her hands together furiously and the pounding they produced  matched the one in her heart.

Sebastian swallowed hard but he may as well have been trying to breathe in a damned  sauna. He hoped like hell he'd sound better than he felt. Kissing Charlie was a real  dumbass move. He wanted to regret it, but the feeling of his mouth on hers seared his  brain and he couldn't. Now, beads of sweat trickled on his forehead and he was near  puking for different reasons all together.  

His favorite guitar, an electric blue custom Gibson, Jeff Beck 1954 Les Paul Oxblood hung loosely from his neck. He called her his lady because if he didn't touch her just  right, she wouldn't sing for him. It took him a year and a lot of hard work, doing odd  jobs and stashing money to buy it. Damn thing cost more than his car but every time his  hands slid across the strings and the guitar came to life, it confirmed his good  investment. 

The air was so thick with excitement, it was palpable. He gave himself one last  moment to brace for his debut and willed his feet to move. Inhaling slowly, he smiled  and stepped out onto the stage.  His fingers glided without thought across the strings. Females started to scream.  He hadn't sung a single note, so it was a good start. Lane kicked in with bass and  Robbie with the drums. Sawyer had a second guitar hitched on his back but opened  with the keyboard. Before long, the instrumental introduction to the song was in full  swing.  

He dared a quick glance at the judges, they looked impressed. Impressed was  for second best though, not good enough, he needed them to be blown away. Sebastian  moved forward to reach his pedal board and scoured the audience until he found  Charlie. She looked ill, sitting next to his mom and Tally. When she met his eyes every  muscle in his body released into full blown relaxation mode. He began to sing,  knowing that things between them would never be the same again.

"I lie awake and watch you sleep, and wonder what you're dreaming,  

I make a wish upon a star, hope it's me you're seeing,  

You might tell me that I'm wrong, but I'll tell you that I'm right,  

Please don't walk away from me, just stay with me tonight,"

He focused hard on her face as she sucked in a deep breath and smiled but  didn't exhale, like she thought her breathing could throw him off his game. Sawyer  switched to guitar, so he could concentrate on singing.  She tried to fix her eyes on the floor but she wasn't getting away with that. This  was her song, she was going to watch him while he sang it. He moved closer for a  moment, to regain her attention and gave her a wink and a smile before singing the  song's chorus. 

"Another day pretending, wishing it were true,  

I see the way you look at me, I know you want it too,  

I'll keep your heart inside me, and never let it go,  

I'll keep it safe forever, you'll never be alone,  

You are all that matters, you shape everything I do,  

I'm in so deep, I'm falling, falling in love with you, " 

The crowd went wild, fueling him with the momentum to keep going. This thing  was in his hands. He was so close, he could taste it. She blinked and forced another  smile, even though her expression had flipped from one of supportive excitement, to  shock.

"My heart belongs to you, for as long as you will take it,  

If you give me yours, I promise I won't break it,  

I can't be all that you deserve, but I want to try,  

You're the only one for me, I cannot live a lie,"

His entire nervous system was rewired, sparking like crazy, at the song, at the  moment, at her. He held out his hand for her, hoping he wasn't shaking, that his palm  wasn't covered in sweat. Sawyer's fingers moved with ease across the strings, and Seb belted out the  chorus like he was singing for his life.

"Tell me that you'll catch me, tell me that you'll stay,  

Tell me that you love me, don't you shy away,  

I'll risk all of it to tell you, to show you how I feel,  

Just say those words I need to hear, tell me that it's real

Another day pretending, wishing it were true,  

I see the way you look at me, I know you want it too,  

I'll keep your heart inside me, and never let it go,  

I'll keep it safe forever, you'll never be alone,  

You are all that matters, you shape everything I do,  

I'm in so deep, I'm falling, falling in love with you,"

 When they were finished, he brought her hand to his lips for a kiss while the  audience erupted with thunderous applause. The remaining two contestants took the  stage, but Sebastian didn't hear them. He was vibrating. He did it. He. Finally. Freaking.  Did. It. He'd told her. Only question was, did she hear him?