LEXIE HOWARD
A week had passed since the party, and Lexie had holed herself in her house ever since.
The days that were meant to be filled with excitement and fun had turned into a nightmare as she tried to think of the best way to move forward.
She had spent her entire life being compared to her sister, and being how ordinary she was compared to Cassie.
Lexie was not blind.
Despite her many faults, she knew that Cassie was beautiful in a unique sort of way.
She had always been the centre of attention in a way Lexie could never quite be, but she had hoped that he would be different.
Perhaps he even was, but his words had been no different.
Plain and boring, and maybe Lexie was making a big issue of them, but a part of her felt that she had ruined something very good.
He had apologized to her already, a few times, but Lexie had yet to give him an answer at all.
She had been avoiding him at school, which was now much easier to do given the whole cabal of girls and boys that now surrounded him at all times.
His first song had been a hit, but his next two songs had simply pushed him into a whole new conversation.
Given the nature of social media, they had been pushed forward to millions of people.
They had gone viral, through sheer hype and word of mouth, such that they had broken into the vaunted Billboard Hot 100.
It was obvious now that Remus Bennet was not a one-hit wonder, and there were rumors that there was a small bidding war going on between quite a few record labels over signing him.
It was obvious to anyone that he was going to be a star, and this only furthered her troubles.
“UGHHHH!” she groaned in frustration as she rolled in her bed.
“Screaming like that won’t do anything,” Cassie’s voice came from the side, and Lexie sighed.
It was pathetic that she had no choice but to rely on Cassie for this, but she could lean on no one else to resolve her conundrum.
“Then what the hell am I supposed to do?” she asked as she threw back the blanket.
Cassie lowered the book she was pretending to read and looked directly into her eyes.
“I warned you, didn’t I? You can’t date him. Like, ever,” and their relationship had been so brief that few people at school even knew of it, and since they were only spotted together at the party and not since, many believed the rumors to be simply a lie.
“Why?” she asked, and Cassie’s expression made the answer obvious.
“So, what if you dated him! It’s been months!” Lexie countered.
“It does not matter. It will never work out between the two of you,” Cassie spoke with certainty, and this was not the first time she had made that argument.
“How can you say that?” Lexie asked, jumping and sitting up.
Her sister sighed, put down the book, and crossed her legs.
“Because, I know stuff. Don’t question me,” Cassie countered, and she rolled her eyes.
“Please just tell me,” she wanted to know what to do.
She knew that she couldn’t keep ignoring him like this, for she knew that he would be leaving school soon.
“You totally freaked out over nothing,” Cassie finally began her sisterly lecture, and she already knew that.
“I am not saying that he was right in using those words, but he did not mean anything malicious by them. Yet you freaked out, caused a scene, and blew this whole thing out of proportion,” and she nodded.
“He apologized to me,” she argued back.
“Because what else was he supposed to do?” Cassie countered before continuing.
“It does not matter. You overreacted, and both of you know this,” Cassie bashed away her counter.
“Then there is the fact that he dated me. No matter what you or Remus do, that will always hang over your relationship, and sooner or later it would cause you both trouble,” and both her and Remus had known that it could have been an issue, but they had decided to go ahead nonetheless.
“And lastly,” and now Lexie’s ears perked.
“Honestly, He’s blown up too much, too fast. He’s like… famous‑famous now,” and now her brows came together.
“What do you mean?” Lexie questioned.
“Previously, he was just regular famous. He had potential to be a star, but now he is one, and that changes things. Currently, he is in negotiations with at least three record labels over a potential deal, and once he signs with them, he will no longer be just Remus Bennet,” and she wondered how she knew that.
“Wait, how the hell do you even know that?” Lexie questioned, but the answer came to her by itself the next second.
“Maddie?” Lexie asked, and her sister nodded.
“Yes, and you should be lucky that he blew up when he did because otherwise Maddie would have come after you for lying to her face like a damn hyena,” and she was surprised by the girl’s inaction herself.
“You committed the cardinal sin of taking something that she had set her eyes on. You don’t do that to Maddie. Ever!” Cassie exaggerated, and she knew that.
“Then why didn’t she come after me?” Lexie asked, and Cassie sighed.
“Do I really have to explain everything to you?” Cassie said.
She rose up from the bed and walked to hers and plopped down on it.
“Because she knew that if she went after you, she would incur Remus’s wrath and she would lose a very valuable connection for the future,” and Lexie was a bit surprised by the sheer callousness of those calculations.
“Wow!” and her surprise was genuine.
“I didn’t know Maddie was so calculating,” and Lexie smirked.
“Maddie is the most dialed-in bitch in the entire school! She has her entire future planned out, and she knows that having Remus as a friend is better than having him as an enemy, so she did not come after you,” and that was quite a cold way of thinking.
“Plus, she also knows that this thing between you won’t last,” and Lexie’s shoulders dropped.
“You are a romantic Lex. You want this to last, but the simple truth is that it can’t. It won’t,” and Cassie grabbed her hands, and a part of her realized that she was right.
“He will probably sign with a label in a week, and leave the neighborhood to work on music,” and it broke her heart to recognize the futility of her romance.
Her eyes began to water, and Cassie sighed and pulled her in and wrapped her arms around her.
She let herself embrace that warmth.
She stayed like that for a few minutes before she finally separated and wiped her eyes.
“What should I do then?” she asked again, and now the question was genuine about how to address this whole damn thing between her and Remus.
“Have you said anything yet?” Cassie asked, and she shook her head.
“No,” she shook her head.
“Good,” Cassie answered.
“Remus is not a fool. He would have reached the same conclusion as you. So, you simply ask to meet him and then you say that dating him was a mistake and that you two should remain as friends if possible,” and that was what worried her.
“But can we?” she asked seriously.
“Can we really remain friends after this?”
“Yes,” Cassie answered.
“But now he knows that I liked him,” Lexie argued.
“Everyone knew that already,” Cassie’s answer was a blow to her.
“Really?” she asked, and her sister nodded.
“You are not as subtle as you think,” Cassie countered, and she looked into her sister’s eyes and nodded.
“Thank you,” she whispered, and Cassie’s shoulders slumped.
“There is no need for that,” she replied, with a small smile.
“But if you ever mention that I helped you with your dating life, I am going to kill you,” she warned her in the next breath, and Lexie couldn’t help but chuckle at those words.
“I am going to tell everyone about this,” Lexie said, and Cassie’s eyes widened as she raised her hand.
“I will kill you, Lex. I swear!” and she wondered how long it had been since they had sat and talked like this, and with that, her sister walked back to her bed as guilt began to fill her up.
She had always thought herself to be the better sister, but perhaps there was no such thing as that.
They simply were just sisters.
“I am sorry,” the words slipped out of her mouth before she could think, and Cassie frowned.
“Why?” she asked, and despite her guilt, she knew that she could never confess her crime to her.
Never.
“For all this?” she lied, and Cassie smiled.
“It’s fine. Just settle this whole affair. Honestly, it’s depressing watching you moping all day,” she added and picked up her book once more as Lexie picked up her phone and opened up her messages.
The last message had come two days ago, and much like those before it had gone unanswered.
She thought about what to say for a second before she finally typed it up.
‘It’s fine.’ She sent it first before quickly typing in a second message.
‘I’m sorry as well for making this a big thing.’ She sent it next, and just as she was about to put her phone down, it vibrated, much to her surprise.
‘R: It’s fine.
But we should talk.’
‘L: Tmrw at school?’
‘R: Busy tmrw.
Jamming at Elliot’s.
Could pick u up?’
She glanced at the clock, and it was a bit late.
But she had stayed out later.
‘L: No need.
I will be there in fifteen.’
And with that, she closed her phone and jumped out of bed.
“I am going out,” she told Cassie, as she began to sift through her pile of clothes to look for something suitable.
“At this time?” Cassie asked, and she turned towards her.
“Are you really the one asking me that?” Cassie looked at the ceiling before she finally realized her mistake.
“You are right, but where are you going?” she asked.
“I am going to Elliot’s,” and her sister was able to make up the rest.
“Be careful, and don’t worry about Mom. I will handle her,” and she was done changing, and she rushed out the door, waving a quick goodbye.
“Thank you for your help,” she shouted as she rushed out to the driveway and hopped onto her bicycle.
The street lights had come on, and so a cool breeze was blowing through the streets.
The heaviness weighing her down was gone, and she was at Elliot’s place in ten minutes.
Mrs.
Bane opened the door and smiled as she saw her.
“Hi,” she greeted her.
“Hi, how have you been?” she asked kindly.
“Good. What about you, Mrs. Bane?” she asked.
“I am good,” and she let her in, and she already knew where Elliot and Remus were.
“I haven’t seen you around for a while?” Mrs.
Bane asked.
“Everything okay?” she added, and Lexie gave the older woman a smile.
“Yes, everything’s fine. I was just busy with schoolwork,” and she did not turn around to see if she believed her or not as she hopped up the stairs to head towards Elliot’s room.
“Tell those two idiots that they should eat something. They have been holed up in those rooms since morning,” and she stood in front of the door, and took in a deep breath as she prepared herself to face the music.
But before she could open the door herself, it was opened by her as Elliot stood there in front of her.
He looked down at her with a strange gaze before he glanced towards his friend sitting inside.
He did so a few times as Lexie finally caught her bearings and whispered.
“Hi,” she said.
“Yeah, I am going to leave you two to it. You have five minutes to resolve whatever it is you have to, or I am locking you both in,” and with that he slid past her and was about to head down before he suddenly shouted back.
“And no banging in my bedroom! Only I get to do that!” and her face flushed at those words, as she heard Remus chuckle at Elliot’s antics, and his room was as chaotic as ever.
Clothes, music instruments.
Books and piles of crunched-up paper were strewn across the room.
Lexie walked into the familiar place as Remus got up from the school.
“Sup'” he greeted her, and despite the texts, this was the first time they were talking in weeks.
“Hey,” she answered back.
“Come sit,” he said, motioning towards the bed, and she put down her bag and sat down.
“How have you been?” he asked.
“Fine,” she answered, and despite the change in her status, he seemed the same to her.
He was famous now.
Very famous, and yet little had changed about him.
He wore that same flannel shirt as before, and wore the same jeans.
His hair was still unkempt, and he was still radiating that kindness that had first drawn her towards him.
“What about you?” she asked, and he shrugged.
“Better now that you are finally talking to me again,” and she felt a bit guilty about making such a big thing out of this.
“Yeah, I am sorry about that,” she spoke a bit bashfully now.
“I shouldn’t have made such a big thing out of all that,” she apologized again.
“I shouldn’t have said those words in the first place,” he added as he pushed a hand through his hair, and then there was silence once more as both of them struggled to speak.
“I…”
“I…”
They cut each other off, and Lexie decided that she should be the one to do this.
“Honestly… I think we’re better off just being friends,” She closed her eyes and spoke the words quickly so that she would not chicken out.
“This dating thing was a mistake,” she admitted, and yes, she did like him.
She liked him very much, but Cassie was right.
There was no future here.
Not now.
“We messed up, sure. But it wasn’t a mistake,” he corrected her gently.
“Still, I don’t think we should continue. I like our friendship. I liked how we were before things got complicated. I don’t want to mess this up over a future we both know is not possible,” she admitted, and it was clear that he was a bit surprised.
He did not say anything for a minute or so before he sighed.
“I like our friendship as well,” he whispered finally.
“But can we really move past this?” he asked, and she had hit upon the perfect plan on the way.
“Yup,” she answered with a sharp smile.
“We just forget it ever happened,” and she raised her hand and pointed it towards his face.
“Obliviate,” and this was a spell from Harry Potter, one mentioned in the second movie.
“Hahaha,” he laughed slightly, and she had missed this banter of theirs.
She had missed it very much.
“I was so depressed I rewatched all of Harry Potter this Sunday,” and he clicked his tongue.
“Aw! You should have called me,” and she should have.
“Would you even have had the time, you bigshot singer?” she teased, and he made a face at that.
“Probably. I haven’t been doing much lately,” he added, much to her surprise.
“Except for cursing the Jonas Brothers,” he added quickly, and the reason for that was obvious.
Remus’s songs had been on a steady rise, and one of them had been on the brink of breaking through the 10, but then tragedy had struck, or one could more accurately say that the Jonas Brothers.
The group had launched a single after six years, and with that, it had taken the heat out of its momentum.
His songs were still growing, but the social media hype had now all turned to the Jonas Brothers, and unless a miracle was to happen, they wouldn’t be able to jump as easily as they had before.
“Fuck the Jonas Brothers,” he added, and looked towards her to join in.
“I am sorry,” she raised her hand.
“I can’t do that to the Jonas Brothers,” and his eyes widened as he gripped his heart animatedly.
“Traitor!” he called out, and just then there was a knock at the door.
“You two better not be banging in my bed!” and with that, Elliot opened the door while holding a tray of food.
“Elliot, we have a traitor among us,” Remus complained, much to his friend’s troubles.
“She refuses to curse the Jonas Brothers,” and now Elliot’s eyes widened as well.
“You traitor,” he called her out as he put the tray on the table.
“Sorry, not sorry,” she countered, and they all laughed before Elliot glanced between them.
“So, you two?” he asked a bit cautiously, and the two of them exchanged glances before Remus answered for them.
“We are fine,” he told him, and she nodded.
“We have decided to be just friends. Nothing more,” she added, and Elliot’s eyes narrowed before he shrugged.
“That works, as long as it gets the gang back together,” he added, and the three of them began to eat up, and she had missed this very much.
“So, why haven’t you been working all this time?” she asked.
“Well, we have worked on three songs. No, actually four songs,” Elliot added, and that was more than she had expected.
“So why haven’t you uploaded them?” she asked.
“Because I am going to sign with a record label,” Remus answered, and she did not understand why that mattered.
“Why does that matter?” she asked, and he shrugged.
“I don’t know. This was just what my lawyer advised,” Remus answered.
“You have a lawyer?” she asked.
“I had to get one to deal with the whole signing with a label thing. I don’t want to get scammed,” and that was smart of him.
“Who is it?” he asked.
“Well, I have contacted a firm from New York. They are sending one of their people tomorrow,” and so that was why he had said that he’d be busy tomorrow.
“He will negotiate with the labels and help me sort the whole business side of things,” and that was good.
“So, what else have you been up to?” and she knew Elliot and Remus.
They were not the kind to sit idle.
“Well, apart from our young singer here rubbing shoulders with the stars,” Elliot finally cut in, and there was definitely more to this.
“We have been playing around with a few ideas,” and she would come back to that.
“What do you mean rubbing shoulders with the stars?” she asked, and Remus shook his head.
“Don’t start,” Remus warned, but it was too late now.
“He is meeting up with Billie Eilish,” and it took a second for the words to land, as her eyes widened.
“You are joking!” she gasped, and Elliot shook his head.
“Nope,” and now she turned towards Remus, and her chest was heaving now.
“You are going to meet Billie Eilish!” she nearly screamed, and he did not deny it.
He did not deny it!
“We have exchanged a few texts, and she has proposed a meet-up, though we are still just trying to make it work with her media work because of her new album,” and so they were texting each other.
“You have her number,” and he nodded.
“Hers and her brother’s,” he added, and she could not believe it.
“I am going to need a second to process this….”
.
.
.
They spent a few hours catching up until it was finally time for her to leave.
Remus had gotten himself a new car, and so he drove her to her house, and over the course of their discussion, she realized how right Cassie had been.
Remus’s life had changed, and in his own words, he was about to walk into a storm.
Any deal with a record label would involve press interactions, promotional events, a specific expiry date on a possible album, and much more.
He was about to become extremely busy, and his life was about to unravel.
But the greatest blow was a different revelation.
“You are leaving East Highland….”
.
.
.
0000
Have a fantastic day!