"We're not babies!"

"But if she's our babysitter, I'd be glad to be a baby," Nate says, a smirk playing on the side of his mouth.

Zeke throws one of his sticks at Nate. "Stop flirting with her!"

I look at them oddly, ignoring the word flirting. "I thought I'm the band manager?"

"Don't be silly," Juliane says amusedly. "You're more like their personal assistant."

Confused, I give her a questioning look.

She tucks the loose hair behind her ear and says, "Yes, you are the band manager. But the focus of your work is looking after the band, while me on the other hand, will take care of their record deals, concerts, mall shows, and other businesses."

"But aren't they old enough to be looked after?"

She rolls her eyes and replies, "I wish! But they're like bunch of teenagers."

The band complains in soft voices. Recalling my research about them, I know they all came from the same high school. That means they've known each other for years. But they didn't go to college because as soon as they graduated, they signed a record deal.

"So what am I going to do?" I ask curiously.

"Well, for starters, you're going to live with them—"

"Live with them?" I interrupt.

Oh my God. This is not what I planned. Well, I didn't have a plan in the first place, but this is unexpected.

She purses her lips and says, "I thought we agreed to this?"

Oh no.

Maybe the real band manager did. I can't make them suspicious. Clearing my throat, I say, "Yes, I was just shocked."

"Well, this will change your life," Mr. Handsome says, "But it's work."

"I guess," I mutter.

"You have to go with the band wherever they go," Juliane continues. "You have a day off but sometimes it's complicated and you have to talk to the band about it."

She's still speaking, but all I have in mind is I'm staying with KY and the band. This is absolutely amazing! I fight the urge to jump and down!

The fans know that the band stays at only one place— all four of them. Now I'll join them. I'll be one of their roommates. Just thinking about living in the same roof as KY makes the butterflies in my stomach flutter in excitement. I know there's a glitch in that—

"Hey!"

I jump, startled at the sound. Glancing up, I see Mr. Handsome giving me a disapproving look, while the boys chuckle in amusement.

'You're not listening," he says.

"Sorry," I murmur, embarrassed. "It's just; this is too much to take in."

'I understand. But remember, once you start, you have to focus."

"When will I start?"

"Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" I ask incredulously.

"Yes. Is there a problem with that?"

"No, none," I respond. This is too soon. My heart is hammering inside my chest. Too much. This is too much.

"Brielle, right?" Nate says, "You can sleep with me."

I stop breathing. Why is Nate teasing me? Can't he see I'm shaking all over my body?

Lance smacks Nate's head. I don't think it hurts, which is good. "Dude, stop it. Look, she's all red in the face."

Mr. Handsome rolls his eyes at the boys antics, and says, "Juliane, let's leave the boys with Brielle. Let them have time to know each other."

"Okay Mr. Handsome," Juliane replies. "Brielle, the next concert is next month. That means you'll have time to be comfortable and settle yourself in the house."

I nod. The band has a month of vacation? Nice. I'm thrilled and kind of nervous at the same time.

Juliane gathers her things and says, "We'll come back in an hour—"

"What about me?" I ask quickly.

"Didn't you bring your stuff?" Mr. Handsome asks.

"I didn't."

He sighs. "Well, tell me your address and I'll have one of my staffs pick you at your place tomorrow, and bring you to the hotel we're the band are staying for the night. Tomorrow you'll ride with them to the house."

"House?" I repeat.

'Yes, Infinite Chase's place."

"Uh, okay." I still can't believe I'm going to live with the band!  My favorite band. The thought is huge; I can't fully wrap my mind around it.

"Okay, we'll see you later."

Juliane gives me a smile and both she and Mr. Handsome exeunt the room.

"What do you think of our concert tonight?" Zeke asks excitedly.

"The crowd was amazing," Lance says a huge smile on his face.

"Our concert tonight is on my Top 5," Nate says thoughtfully.

"Yeah! Most of our fans knew the lyrics to all our songs!" Lance agrees enthusiastically.

"Well, I saw Brielle singing with us in all our songs," Nate states. "What does it feel like to sing with us on the stage?"

More like a dream come true! But of course I can't say that. "Uh, it was unexpected. I didn't know you'll do something like that."

"We didn't," Zeke says. "It was an impulse move. Kyle didn't even tell us about it."

"Really?" I ask, my eyes involuntarily landing on KY.  They didn't plan it, but he decided to sing with a fan. And with fate on my side, he chose me.

So who said that dreams should just stay as dreams?

I admire the closeness of Infinite Chase. They've been through a lot, and despite their differences, they remain intact. Nowadays, the Music Industry is unpredictable. There are many artists and bands who disbanded because of a complication. I'm really glad Infinite Chase is still here. They give hope to their fans. They are inspiration to us, motivating—

"Don't forget the rules," KY says, cutting off my thoughts.

If I'm right, it's his first time to talk. For the past couple of minutes, I was stealing glances at him. He looks exhausted and out of breath, and his voice is rough and dry.

Then I remember what he said. "Rules?" I frown. What rules?

"Scared now?" KY says his lip is fighting off a smile. "You can back out as early as now."

Nate shakes his head. "Don't listen to him. He's just trying to scare you."

I don't know why that makes me nervous. My knees are shaking; I've been standing for far too long. I'm sure I'll slip any minute now.

"You look pale," Zeke observes.

"Why don't you sit?" Nate says, patting the space beside him.

"Thanks," I murmur, sitting next to him.

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

My cheeks heat up at the question. It's funny when people ask about your non existent love life.

Heaving a sigh, I say, "I. . . I never had."

Stupid, why did I tell the truth?! Why did I tell my favorite people that I've never been in a relationship?!

"What?" Lance asks incredulously.

"Seriously?" Zeke says, grinning from ear to ear.

"Why?" KY asks, tilting his head to the side, I feel naked with the way he looks at me.

I've never had boyfriend because I'm too busy fantasizing about you to be bothered. God, I hope my expression will not betray me. I'm afraid my thoughts are showing up on my face.

Clearing my throat, I answer, "I haven't met someone I like." Until now. It's my first time to see you in person.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you," Nate says, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Um, about the rules?" I say, trying unsuccessfully not to blush at Nate's words.

"We came up with the rules when we first started to have a band manager," Lance explains. "Here are they: No invading of privacy. If someone wants to be alone, let him be."

"Wait," I interrupt, "you had a band manager before?"

"Yes," Zeke replies. "But they quit."

"They?" I repeat. "How many were they?"

I can see him counting on his head. "Six," he says after a few seconds.

"Eight," Lance corrects him.

"There were eight band managers before me?" I ask, clearly surprised. "What happened?"

"They decided it was not the right job for them," he says, as it it's the most obvious thing in the world.

I wonder why they really stopped. Seriously, eight band managers for five years? Is it really that hard taking care of Infinite Chase? Will I survive?

Of course. Why do I even doubt myself?

"Brielle? Are you there?" Snapping out of my reverie, I turn to see Nate's handsome face a few inches from mine.

"W-what are y-you d-doing?" I whisper. I swear my heart jumps in my throat.

He smirks. "I'm waking you up. Your thoughts must be interesting. Why don't you share them with us?"

Trying to calm my nerves, I say, "It was nothing."

"Uh huh."

"Rules?" I say, dodging the topic of my thoughts.

"Yes, let's continue," Zeke says in a patient tone. I'm sure they've been through with this multiple times. Eight times to be précised. "You can't ask us for autographs."

"What?"

"Interrupting again," KY murmurs.

When I shift my gaze at him, I find that his eyes are closed.  Is he sleep-talking?

Lance gets a guitar on the corner of the room and plays an acoustic version of Lock and Key. "We can't do that because you might sell our autographs online, or whatever."

Crossing my arms over my chest, I reply, "I wouldn't do that."

Zeke frowns.  "Don't take it personally," he says smiling apologetically. "It's just, we learned the hard way. Our previous manager did that."

"Not the previous one," Lance says, rolling his eyes, "It was the one before that."

"I'm not counting," Zeke replies, flicking his hair away from his face. "Now, where are we? Oh, yeah. The third rule is that you can't tell anybody our personal issues when you find out about them."

"Okay," I agree.

Am I going to find out that they have split personality? This is wonderful, getting to know my favorite band. This is more than my dream. Wait; there are a lot of rules. Perhaps I should write them because I have a feeling there are plenty more to go.

"Do you know how to cook?" Nate asks out of nowhere.

"Yes," I answer. I'm not professional, but I think the meals I prepare are eatable. "Why?"

"Because KY is the only one who knows how to cook, but most of the time he's lazy."

"I'm not," KY denies, throwing a pillow at Nate.

Nate easily dodges it while laughing, and then he grabs it and throws it back at KY.

So, KY is not sleeping after all. He's just resting. I glance at him out of the corner of my eye and see him smiling. My heart is melting like honey. Even if I'll live with them, I won't get tired of staring at his face.

"Good thing Brielle will be able to cook something for us," Lance says winking at me.

"You don't have a maid," I realize.

"None," they say simultaneously.

"Why?"

"For privacy purposes," Zeke says obviously.

"Who washes your clothes?"

"Sometimes the laundry shop, sometimes us," Lance says. "But most of the time we do it because we don't stay in a particular place for a long time."

This is weird. A famous band without a housekeeper? Seriously? I can only imagine what I have to do when I start living with them.

"Do you have a bodyguard 24/7?" I ask.

Zeke looks at me as if I asked a stupid question. "Of course not! We won't be able to breathe and live normally if one is following us everywhere. Especially our every move."

Lance shudders at the thought.

"But you are famous," I state.

Nate grins. "And that goes for our next rule. Don't treat us as famous people. We're just ordinary humans." He pauses, thinks for a second, and laughs."Well, not that ordinary, but still. You won't believe the deal we had with Mr. Handsome before he agreed not to have a bodyguard when we don't have a concert."

"So that means. . ." I trail off.

"Yes, it's just the four of us in the house. Now, you're a new addition," Nate says. "Don't worry; the fans don't know where our place is. It's our secret haven."

They are right. We don't have any idea where the band is staying. No one knows, except the four of them, and probably the staffs. And then a thought flashes in my mind. "What about your previous managers?"

"What about them?" Lance says, putting the guitar back on its case.

"Aren't they telling anybody the location of your house?"

Nate's lips twitches upward. "They're sworn to secrecy. They can't tell anyone about it."

"Oh," I murmur, "Okay."

"I think we're on our last rule," Zeke says, a goofy grin on his face.

"What is it?" I ask slowly.

"You can't fall in love with the member of Infinite Chase," KY says, trapping me in his piercing gaze.

My world stops revolving in hearing those words. What did he mean by that? What kind of rule is that? And why does it feel like he knows I'm lying? More importantly, what am I going to do? What if he finds out I'm in love with him? I need to be careful, especially when I'm around him. I need to pretend I'm not interested in him. God, it's much harder than acting to be the band manager— and I haven't even started yet.

I can't just stop liking KY. This is so unfair. I get to be with him 24/7 but I won't be able to express how much I care about him.

 "Do you have problem with that?" KY asks, raising his eyebrow.

 "Of course not," I say indifferently, as if it's normal not to like him. "I'm not going to fall in love with any of you."

Because I already did.

KY smirks. "Good. We don't want our work complicating our personal lives."

Tears are prickling at the back of my eyes.

KY is behaving strange. Where is the sweet boy I sang with a few hours ago? Or maybe his real attitude is what I'm seeing right now? Or maybe he's just tired, that's why he's acting this way?

No, no. I can't cry. When I blink my eyes inconspicuously, I find Nate giving me a concern look.

"I'm fine," I say. "Something's just stuck in my eye."

"Brielle?" Lance says.

"Yes?"

"What's your whole name?"

"Brielle Annabeth," I answer.

"How old are you?" KY asks, gazing at me like he can see right through my soul.

I swear these questions will be the death of me.

"I'm twenty-two."

It's the age when I will graduate. I don't know what the requirement of being a band manager is. One thing I'm sure of is that s/he should at least be a college graduate.

KY looks at me suspiciously. "You don't look your age," he says matter-of-factly.

Because I'm just twenty. I added another two years to my age. Fighting the urge to squirm on my seat, I shrug nonchalantly and say, "I get that a lot."

"You look eighteen," he observes.

I smile timidly and say, "I'll take that as a compliment."

Some people even think that I'm still a high school student, maybe because of my height and the build of my body. I'm not a teenager anymore, I'm almost an adult! And maybe I'm the only twenty years old that's not been in a relationship, but that's okay. I don't need somebody to complete me.

But I have to admit that sometimes I wonder what it feels like to be in someone's arms. In KY's arms specifically.

He's the only one I want, the only one I need. And with their rules, there's not much I can do.

"Hey, I think it's time to go now," Lance says, snapping me out of my reverie.

"Yeah, let's gather our things so when they come back we're ready to go," Zeke agrees.

"I'm hungry," Lance says, rubbing his stomach. "And I miss our house."

"I'm starving," Nate announces. "I can't wait to go back in sleeping in my own bed. It's been weeks."

The four of them arranges their instruments and it amazes me too see that they still have energy despite giving their best on their concert. They must have done something like this a lot of times.

While they're cleaning up, I wonder what I'm supposed to do. "Where are you staying again?" I ask.

"In a hotel a few blocks from here," Nate answers. "What about you? Where do you live?"

"Apartment downtown," I lie.

 "And what are you going to do to that apartment?" KY inquires.

Why does he have to ask a lot of questions? "I already told my landowner that I'm moving out," I say. . I notice that my lies come easily out of my mouth.

Of all the imaginations I had with KY, I didn't expect my encounter with him to be like this! Ugh. What happened to the sweet man of my dreams? Is he just keeping up a front to make his fans fall head over heels for him?

Wait, these thoughts are dangerous. I can't think bad things about KY. I have to be logical. We're just both tired because of the concert. I can't let this change my affection towards him.

I'll do anything; I mean anything just to be with KY. What I'm feeling for him is not just an ordinary attraction. It's kind of scary how I became— I'm like a stalker. If only he will see me.

But no.

In his status right now, that's impossible. There are a lot of girls fighting to be with him. But not as desperate as me. Yeah, no one can top me.

A bright idea suddenly forms on my mind. There is an exception to every rule.

My heart beats for Kyle Yves. Only him.

I'll find out his real personality because I know there's more to him than meets the eye. And I'll do whatever it takes to stay on his side 24/7. Tomorrow, I'll start to pretend to be their band manager.

*****

I hope you liked it ♥ This chapter is still kind of an introduction. :)

The song is DreamsDon't Turn To Dust by Owl City.

Thank you so much for reading this!