Author's Note
Just a quick insight real quick. This story starts at a huge party venue a week before a large, fancy party. The party is for an unnamed event and includes celebrity performances and an expensive dinner. The four (Elaine, Marcus, Martinus, and Nevada) are also performing at the event).

Two laughs rang out among the narrow hallway as Marcus Gunnarsen and Nevada James made their way to the dressing rooms to check on their friends.

"You're not nearly as funny as you think you are," Nevada said with a slight laugh, playfully elbowing Marcus in the side.

"That was my best joke!" Marcus replied, smiling back at her. "Everyone likes that one!"

"I didn't say that I didn't like it, I just said it wasn't that  funny," Nevada said, keeping eye contact with him as they flattened themselves against a wall to let a few men carrying heavy decorations by.

"That means you didn't like it," Marcus said as he examined the passing people.

"Not true! I laughed, didn't I?" She exclaimed.

He shrugged, still smiling. They were approaching the dressing rooms fairly quickly, swerving to avoid someone going in the opposite direction every once in awhile.

"Let's change the subject," she decided, turning around and walking backward to face him as she spoke. "Have you and Martinus figured out what songs you have to perform for the celebration?"

"I think so," Marcus replied. "We still have to go over it with Sparkle."

"I'm sure Sparkle will be okay with whatever you choose. She's pretty flexible." Nevada said, mostly to herself.

They reached an open area where small crowds of people were spread out here and there. The buzz of conversation everywhere filled the place, a change of pace from the quiet hallway.

Suddenly the two saw a girl desperately pushing through a crowd of people, her face covered by one of her hands as she shoved people with the other.

"Is that Elaine?" Marcus asked.

But Nevada was already halfway to the girl and hadn't even heard what he'd said. Marcus trotted after her.

"Elaine! What's wrong?" Nevada said, gently resting her hand on her friend's shoulder.

Elaine didn't reply, but shook her head back and forth really hard, tears spilling onto her face. Nevada and Marcus exchanged a worried glance.

"What happened?" Marcus asked her.

"Elaine," Nevada said, when her friend still stayed silent, her shoulders shaking up and down as she quietly sobbed. "You can tell us, we're your friends."

Elaine tried to push past the two of them and continue walking. At that moment, as Nevada stared after her friend, Marcus' cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and glanced at the message.

"It's Martinus," he said, meeting eyes with Nevada. She saw the concern written on his face. "He said he needs me right now."

"Something must've happened between them," Nevada sighed, her voice showing how troubled she had suddenly become. "I'll go after her."

Marcus watched for a moment as Nevada turned and sprinted back the way they'd just come before he continued on his way to the dressing room.

---------------

Nevada jogged through the tight hallway once more, this time her eyes searching every open door for her friend. She asked several people as she passed them, but everyone was too busy and hadn't been paying attention to where she went.

Nevada proceeded through the open door at the end of the hall. There she saw plenty of people unloading large equipment and supplies for the upcoming party. There were lots of people, several semi-trucks, and at the edge of the chaos, leaning against a brick wall was her friend.

"Elaine!" Nevada called, fighting her way past people and over short objects to get to her friend.

Elaine didn't move but kept her knees drawn close and her face buried in them. Nevada saw her friend's body trembling and shaking as she cried violently. Nevada gently placed her hand on her friend's back and lowered to her knees to get level with Elaine.

"Come on," Nevada said softly. "Tell me what happened."

---------------

"You did what?!" Marcus cried, shock evidenced in his wide eyes.

"I broke up with her," Martinus repeated, his voice soft and riddled with pain.

"Why the-?"

"Because she and I were growing apart. And we started fighting more. She seemed completely preoccupied everytime we were together and I-I just don't think we were working."

"We're all in the middle of preparing for this party! Everyone is stressed and preoccupied!" Marcus said.

Martinus just kept his eyes on the ground, slouching deeper into the chair he was sitting in.

"Martinus, if that's the reason you broke up with her, then it seems to me like you really just wanted out of the relationship."

Martinus didn't reply.

"What is up with you? I thought you loved her?" Marcus asked.

"I did," Martinus said simply.

There was silence. Martinus stared blankly at the floor. Marcus sighed loudly and pulled his phone out once more, checking his messages to see if Nevada had any progress. But she hadn't texted. 

"I don't want to perform here anymore." Martinus suddenly said. "I want to go home."

Marcus was so taken aback that he didn't say anything at first.

"But-"

"I've decided," Martinus whispered.

"We are a team, you cannot just decide!"

Martinus lifted his eyes up off the ground and met his brother's eyes for the first time since Marcus had come into the room. Marcus saw all of the mixed emotions swirling around in his brother's watery eyes.

"I will tell Sparkle." Marcus finally sighed.

---------------

Nevada sighed deeply as she patiently waited to get through the large crowd. She swung the box of tissues in her right hand back and forth as it dangled by her side. It was just her luck to get stuck in a crowd after trying to complete the nice deed of getting Kleenexes for her friend.  Nevada began to shift her eyes around, hoping to find something interesting to watch as she waited.

Sure enough, she spotted Marcus standing about thirty feet away. She pushed sideways through the crowd and managed to get away from them. She began heading towards Marcus.

The handsome brown-eyed singer was conversing with a lady of about thirty-six years of age. The lady's gray tank top showed off her sleeves of intricate, fancy tattoos and her long, flowing platinum-hued hair was in a pretty half up half down style.

If you were to pass by her on the street, you would probably think she was a very stern, unapproachable woman who had everything under control and was surely heading to somewhere very important. But if you were to get to know her, you'd know she was fun and a great friend, but also truly a take-charge leader.

Nevada saw the lady shake her head and curse under her breath as Marcus stood, running his hand through his hair as he spoke obviously serious and grim words to her. Marcus spotted Nevada heading towards them as he finished talking to the woman.

"Hello, Nevada," Marcus greeted, his tone showing Nevada that things hadn't gone well on his side.

"Hiya there, Mac," Nevada greeted back. She turned to the woman. "Good afternoon, Sparkle."

The woman, Sparkle (who was over planning and arranging most of the party), put an exhausted smile on her face.

"Hey, hon," she said, throwing her free arm around short Nevada's neck in a side-hug.

Nevada watched as Sparkle then proceeded to let her go and start tapping the clipboard in her right hand with a pen, one of her habits when she was upset.

"I'm assuming that something's wrong," Nevada said, biting her lip and crossing her arms. She'd had enough bad news with Martinus and Elaine's breakup but she honestly wanted to know what was going on.

Marcus nodded.

"Martinus doesn't want to do the performance anymore, so we are going home," Marcus answered, his face showing the fact that he didn't want to.

"What?" Nevada whispered, her eyes shifting from Sparkle to Marcus.

Sparkle growled under her breath and shifted her weight to a sassy pose. She was really upset.

"He can't do that, can he? It's only a week until the party!" Nevada exclaimed, a wave of worry washing over her face.

"Nobody had to sign a contract because they are not getting paid, so anyone can pull from their performance anytime." Sparkle replied, exasperated.

"So this is for real?" Nevada asked, her distress over the matter surfacing.

"Look, here comes Elaine," Marcus pointed out suddenly.

Marcus and Sparkle looked over the heads of the crowd to see Elaine heading their way. Nevada was too short, but she spotted her friend as soon as she broke through the crowd of people.

"Please tell me she's not pulling her performance too," Sparkle moaned, folding her arms. 

Elaine's facial expression certainly didn't revoke the idea. As soon as she came within reach, Nevada shoved the box of tissues at her chest. Elaine looked at the box and took it, giving it a questioning glance. 

"What's up, Elaine?" Sparkle asked after giving her a nod of greeting. 

"Uh," Elaine wiped the tears from her face with a tissue. She glanced at Marcus. "I guess they've already told you about what happened between Martinus and me."

Sparkle nodded, chomping down on her gum harder. 

"Uh-huh," Sparkle growled. "And now the twins are pulling their act and heading home." 

Elaine's face went from shocked to disturbed to angry in a matter of seconds. Marcus lowered his gaze to the floor.

"Well," Elaine said. "That's too bad that you'll be losing Marcus' talent for your show, Sparkle."

Sparkle cocked an eyebrow and glanced at Marcus, "Yeah," she said.

"Was there some reason you came to see Sparkle?" Nevada asked, turning her eyes to her friend.

Elaine's face went vacant for a moment before she gave a nervous laugh.

"Uh, nope!" she replied. Nevada narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Sparkle exchanged a glance with Marcus. "Just came to-" Elaine glanced around then suddenly raised the tissues high above her head at lightning speed. "uh-get my Kleenexes!"

She gave another fake chuckle and slowly backed away from them.

"See you later," she muttered, then turned and disappeared into the crowd. 

"What was that?" Marcus asked.

Nevada sighed and shook her head.

"She came to tell Sparkle she didn't want to perform, but when she heard Martinus did the same she decided to do the opposite out of spite," Nevada explained. She then turned to Sparkle. "She doesn't need to do be a part of this celebration anymore."

"I just lost one performance," Sparkle replied, shaking her head. "I am not pulling another one if I can help it."

Nevada sighed and glanced back to the crowd which her friend had faded into. 

--------------- 

The airport was bustling with activity and so many people. Typically airports fasinated Nevada, as long as she wasn't the one getting on the plane. The fact that all of those people from all different backgrounds and places were all gathered, going to who know's where sent her mind reeling and her imagination soaring. 

But today, as she walked throught the airport, her eyes searching for the twins, her heart wasn't so joyful about it. When she spotted the two of them, sitting silently on their phones awaiting their flight, she made her way to them as fast as she could.

Marcus saw her approaching and put down his phone. Martinus was just sitting with his eyes closed and his earbuds in.

"Nevada," Marcus said, watching as she came to his other side and sat down.

"Hey, Marcus," Nevada said, the worry leaving her face for a moment when his intense brown eyes met her own. But it quickly returned when she began to address the matter on her mind. "I was in the area so I decided to stop by before y'all headed out."

Marcus nodded, knowing that wasn't completely true.

"But I'm glad he's not listening." She said, nodding at Martinus. She took a moment to formulate her words. "You and I have to do something. Elaine is just completely out of it lately and Martinus doesn't seem to be the same. I mean, I know people aren't typically super happy about breaking up but this is different. I know these two are supposed to be together."

"I agree," Marcus said, glancing back to his brother. Nevada look at Martinus as well, noting he was obviously exhausted.

"The only problem is that I'm not sure I can convince Elaine to go back to him." Nevada sighed, frowning.

"I know that I can convince him." Marcus said, turning back around to her. "It won't be hard, he's already missing her. You just do your best with Elaine. These two will work out, I know it."

Nevada smiled slightly and nodded. She saw in the corner of her eye that Martinus was beginning to stir.

"Why didn't we just have this conversation over the phone?" Marcus asked.

"Uhhh. . ." She hesitated. "Be-because I don't really like talking over the phone and I was nearby anyway."

Marcus knew she was lying to him, but he couldn't think of why she wouldn't tell him the truth.

"Is there another reason?" He inquired.

"I wanted to tell you two goodbye, in person." Nevada said, adding silently in her head: And I just wanted to see your face and hear your voice one last time, just in case they don't work out.

"Okay," Marcus replied, still feeling she wasn't telling him something.

She saw Martinus sit up behind Marcus. She nodded back to him, signalling to Marcus their conversation was over.

"Nevada?" Martinus asked, weariness obvious in his soft voice.

"Hey, Tinus," Nevada said, flashing him a smile. "I came by to tell you guys goodbye and see you off."

"Oh," Martinus said, smiling back at her and stretching his arms out. "Well that is nice of you."

Nevada's smile faded as she watched the twins, knowing they would be far out of her reach soon.

"You know, the party won't be as fun without you two." She said.

Martinus frowned and looked to the floor. No one spoke.

"I'm gonna miss you guys so much," Nevada said. She bit her lip and watched the twins, her heart heavy at leaving them, especially on such bad terms.

She felt that if the two left and Martinus stayed away from Elaine for good, she would lose her connection to them and she would lose her chance of a friendship. But little did she know, in their eyes she was already their friend.

Marcus realized that it was time for them to board their flight.

"We have to go," he said, standing up and glancing at Martinus. "Hurry up,"

Nevada stood with them, watching them quickly gather their things. She sighed and thought about how most of the wonder of the big celebration was about to board a plane and fly miles and miles away.

When they had finished and were ready to head off, Nevada was surprised to see they were both ready to give her a parting hug. When Marcus wrapped his arm around her in a hug, she couldn't help but notice how wonderful he smelled and how much she wished she could feel his arms around her everyday. She knew she would cherish that hug forever.

She turned to Martinus, who was smiling in spite of his situation.

"Your brother smells really good," Nevada said quietly to Martinus as she stepped over to say goodbye to him.

He laughed and gave her a gentle hug, whispering in her ear, "I'll make sure Marcus stays in touch with you."

When he drew back from her, she gave him a surprised look. Martinus just smiled and turned to his brother.

"Come on, Martinus," Marcus said, moving to leave already. "Goodbye, Nevada."

"Don't be a stranger," Nevada said, smiling and waving as the two turned their backs on her, heading away. She whispered softly to herself as the distance between them grew, "Godspeed, mine venner,"

And suddenly she was even more determined to get Martinus and Elaine back together than ever before.