Gold and Chasing Silhouettes’ new single hit number one on the iTunes chart within five hours of it being released. The song title— Not Another Love Story— had been trending world wide on Twitter. A few news stations had even mentioned in their afternoon check-ins. But none of that surprised me.

            What did surprise me, however, was the song.

            I’d been trying to hold off hearing it until I could listen to it for the first time with Gold, but Chloe had practically forced me too, by barging into my dorm room and searching it on Youtube. She had been blabbing to me excitedly about something, but I wasn’t really listening. The moment I heard it though, I thought my heart was going to stop beating. My hands were shaking so hard I could barely hit Rian’s name in my contacts list on my phone. I ended up almost calling Rachel six times before I hit his name. Right now he was at a radio station with the rest of the band, getting ready to make an appearance on a popular radio show to help publicize the new single. My brother was there too, since Rian and he would be the guest speakers.

            “Iris!” Rian greeted happily when he answered his phone.

            “It’s about me!” I said breathlessly, my heart beating rapidly in my chest. “You guys… you guys wrote a song about me!”

            Rian laughed. “That only took you about six hours to figure out!”

            “I just heard it,” I told him, my eyes glancing at the laptop, where the lyric video was playing again.

            “Is that Rian?” Chloe asked. “Rian! Holy shit! You wrote a song about her!”

            “Is that Chloe?” Rian questioned. “She sounds excited.”

            I shook my head. “Rian— why? Why would you write a song about me? There’s so many other topics…”

            “Well, it’s not technically about you…”

            My eyes widened. “What? But—”

            “It’s just based off you,” he explained, and I figured he was grinning by the sound of his voice. “Luke thought it would be a good idea to make a song about our experience this year, and we haven’t wrote a song about a girl in awhile, so I figured why not you?”

            “It’s… It’s…” I was speechless. Never would I have ever thought Gold would write a song about me… “Amazing,” I finally said. “I’m really touched. I can’t believe it. It’s such a hit already— and it’s based of me. I never thought I could be that interesting.”

            Rian tsked. “Iris, you’ve always been that interesting.” There was a pause. Then, “But do you like the song?”

            I barked out a laugh. “What? Of course I do!”

            “Ah, that makes me feel so relieved.”

            “My brother’s band and my boyfriend’s band sung a song about me. How could I not like it? It’s going to be my favorite song for life.”

            “And make Gold your new favorite band?”

            Smiling, I rolled my eyes. “Give that up.”

            “Never,” he said solemnly. “Listen, I have to go now. Time for me and your brother’s big radio appearance.”

            “Good luck,” I said.

            “Thanks. I’ll see you at dinner.”

            “Okay, bye Rian.”

            He made a kissy noise into the phone. “Bye Iris.”

            I immediately hit the end button. There was no way I could do that back. It was too embarrassing. Chloe noticed my face and smirked at me. “Good talk?”

            “I can’t believe they wrote a song about me,” I breathed out in a rush.

            Chloe almost shook with excitement. “Ah! It’s so exciting though!”

            “I know!”

            “Let’s tune into their radio show,” she said, going back over to my laptop and searching the radio station’s website. After a moment of clicking around, the show started streaming.

            Chloe and I listened with rapt attention, even though we already knew half the things Rian was telling the talk show host (named Dean). Like how they’d gotten in touch with Chasing Silhouettes, what it was like working with them, if they’re excited about the release, how there school life is going, yatta yatta yatta. The questions were the same for my brother.

            “So I heard from the producers that you wanted to make an announcement on the show, Brendon,” Dean said, voice deep and smooth. “What’s that about?”

            “Ah,” my brother started, his voice rising in excitement. “That’s right! So, not only did Gold have us do guest vocals for their single that was released today, but our tour manager managed to persuade Gold’s tour manager to do a tour with us!”

            Chloe’s head whipped around, her eyes wide with shock. “What? What? Did you know about this?”

            I shook my head. “No! No one said anything to me!”

            “Oh my God, this is perfect!” she said, nearly shaking with excitement. “Those two touring together? Ah! It’s the tour of the century!”

            “Hey, we still have to accept,” Rian spoke up, catching my attention again, and for a moment I thought he was speaking to Chloe, but then remembered he was on the radio.

            Brendon scoffed. “Like you would say no to touring with us.”

            “Tell you what. I’ll agree to the tour if you promise to share your bed with me every night,” Rian suggested teasingly.

            “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Brendon quipped back.

            Chloe giggled while I sighed. If they did tour together, there would be a lot of bromance.

            “Do you have any idea when the tour would be?” Dean asked, trying to get the boys to stop their banter and get back on track.

            Brendon hummed. “Soon. Our tour manager had already set up some dates along the East Coast just for us, but maybe Gold will join us on this one. Of course, if they do, it won’t only be an East Cost tour anymore. It all depends.”

            “But we’re definitely doing it,” Rian added happily. “Who would say no to Chasing Silhouettes?”

            “No one,” my brother said confidently and I rolled my eyes. No such things as modesty for him.

            “Well, we’re about to head into a commercial break— but stay tuned! We’re bringing in the rest of Gold to hear about their high school experience!”

            I reached over Chloe and exited out of the streaming link, making a face. “I can only imagine what they’re going to say.”

            She pouted at me. “I wanted to listen.”

            “Then go to your own dorm,” I said. “I’ve got to finish our stupid chemistry homework. I hate stoichiometry. It’s kicking my ass.”  

            “You can copy mine,” Chloe offered. “Luke is brilliant and he got it done in like, three seconds. He has to have an A+ in that class.”

            The offer was tempting, but… “It will be on the final,” I sighed. “I should try to learn it. If I don’t though, I’ll copy it.”

            “You’re such a good student,” Chloe cooed, patting me on the head. “As expected from our class president. Just think— two more months, and then you’ll be done forever.”

            Right. Graduation was in two months; which seemed like a long way away, but I knew it would breeze by in the blink of an eye. “I can’t wait to get out of here,” I said.

            “Me either,” she agreed. “It’ll be a little sad though. I liked these past few months, with Gold here. They’ll be touring, so they probably won’t go to college in the fall.”

            I frowned. Right. And if they were doing that tour with my brother’s band, they would become a lot more popular. I’d be going to college while they’d be going to Italy. It would be weird. Shaking the thought from my mind, I turned to my paper. “Right. Well, I’m going to work on my worksheet. You can stay if you’re going to be quiet.”

            Chloe made a face at me. “No, thanks. Text me when you’re done. We’re still meeting the boys for dinner, right?”

            I nodded. “Yeah. We can take my car. Just meet me back here.”

            “Sounds good!”

            As expected, the worksheet consumed most of my evening. Chemistry made me hate the U.S for not using the metric system like every other country did. Conversions sucked. But thankfully, I had dinner with my friends to look forward to. So after I finished my homework, I jumped in the shower and got ready.

            Chloe showed back up at my dorm at seven, and we headed to Applebee’s, where we were meeting Kevin and Gold. To my surprise, there were two extra people as well. My brother and Dillon. Dillon waved excitedly at me before bounding over to give me a bear hug. “Iris!”

            “Dillon! I love the new single!” I told him.

            He waved me off. “I only did back up vocals. It was mainly Gold and Brendon.”

            I smiled at him. “Still.”

            “You two! Catch up later! I’m starving!” my brother called to us, pointing at the restaurant. “That radio place had shitty snacks!”

            “Do you only think about food?” I returned, but headed toward him anyway. “Are you paying for me? Thanks.”

            Brendon socked me in the shoulder. “Not in your dreams, lil' sis.”

            I glanced around him, at Rian, who was suspiciously quiet. It took him a moment to realize I was staring at him. He offered me a grin, opening his arms in invitation. I gave him a hug, turning so he could keep his arm over my shoulder as we entered the building. “You feeling okay?” I asked.

            “Fine, why?” he responded, frowning.

            “You’re usually more… enthusiastic.”

            He shrugged. “It’s been along day.”

            I wrapped an arm around his waist and squeezed him. “Food will make you feel better.”

            Because Brendon was Brendon, he someone convinced the hostess to give us a private section so we wouldn’t be in plain sight. Which was a good idea, because just being with Gold caught a lot of attention. I didn’t want to imagine if people found out both Gold and C.S were at Applebee’s.

            Rian had gone quiet again, staring at his menu with a deep expression. Now a little worried, I glanced at Noah, who also seemed to be troubled. Luke too carried a solemn expression. However, Brendon and Dillon were in high spirits. Chloe must have noticed too, because she gave me a curious look. Too afraid to ask what the problem was, I returned my gaze to my own menu, but found I wasn’t too hungry anymore. What had Gold so agitated?

            The silence broke the minute Not Another Love Story came on over the radio above our heads. Rian broke out into a cheesy grin and turned to me and I felt myself blushing. “Don’t look at me,” I snapped.

            “It really is a great song, huh?” he sighed dreamily.

            Noah hummed along with the song, air guitar-ing the riffs while Luke banged out the drum beats on the table. I felt my face heat up and stared determinedly at the table. “It’s alright.”

            “You’re going to regret this song when you two break up,” Dillon mused, watching Rian.

            Rian flipped him off. “No I won’t. And that’s if.”

            “I think it makes a good memory,” I told the group.

            My brother nodded. “You never forget a song once you’ve heard it.”

            “That’s true,” Rian agreed. “See Iris? Now you’ll never forget me.”

            I nodded. “And you’ll never forget me.”

            “I’d remember you always anyway,” he responded with a wink.

            I scrunched my nose up at him. “Alright, weirdo.”

            “I’m not weird, I’m cute,” he defended.

            “You know what is weird though?” Noah began, looking up at the ceiling. “Hearing our song on the radio.”

            “I don’t think we’ll ever be used to it,” Luke agreed.

            “You will eventually,” Brendon told him. “You might even get sick of hearing yourself…”

            I jammed my elbow into his side. “Don’t brag.”

            He grimaced. “I’m not.”

            “Sounded like it. Although I’m positive Rian would never get sick of hearing his own voice,” I said thoughtfully.

            Rian smirked. “Probably not. I’ve got a voice as smooth as velvet.”

            “No wonder you two get along,” I said dryly, looking between my brother and my boyfriend. “Maybe you two should be dating.”

            My brother gave me a devilish look. “Don’t give me any ideas.”

            “I would never choose your brother over you, Igloo,” Rian told me, gripping my arm.

            I smiled at him. “That’s sweet, Rhino. But how can I trust you with him while you’re on tour? I won’t be around.”

            Rian’s face fell. “Oh…”

            “What’s wrong?” I asked, my smile disappearing. “What? Are you not doing it? What’s that look for?”

            Both Noah and Luke had frozen as well. Chloe cast worried looks between all of us. “What’s up?” she added, facing Luke.

            Rian brought a hand up to his forehead and rubbed it, letting out a long sigh. “The tour starts in two weeks.”

            I blinked, surprised. “But school—”

            “Our tour manager already agreed to it,” he continued, cutting me off. “We won’t be able to finish the year.”

            Chloe gasped and I stared at him, completely taken aback. “What? But you’re so close! There’s only two months left! You can’t throw the whole semester away!”

            “We’d still be able to graduate,” Noah told me. “We just won’t be around for the rest of the year.”

            “We get special treatment because we’re famous,” Luke added. “But it sucks. I wanted to be able to complete at least one semester as a normal student.”

            My eyes were still on Rian, who was straight-faced. “So that means you guys are leaving in two weeks?”

            “Sooner,” Rian muttered.

            “When?” Chloe inquired.

            “Next week,” Luke answered, frowning at her. “We have to set things up still and then drive down to the starting venue.”

            Brendon gave the boys sympathetic looks. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have said anything to our producer. I forgot you guys were still in high school.”

            Rian shook his head. “No, don’t worry about it. This is still a good thing— it’s what we want to do.”

            “But you’re not going to be at school…”

            “It’s okay, Iris, I’ll call you every day that I’m gone,” he promised, offering me a grin.

            I forced myself to smile back at him, even though I didn’t feel like smiling. Of course I’d expected them to have to go back on tour at some point, but I never once though it could be before the end of the school year. But…

            I squared my jaw. No. No buts. Gold were living out their dreams. I should be happy for them— I was happy for them. This was better for their future than another two months of school. “Good for you guys,” I finally said, this time with a real smile on my face. “I’ll be sure to buy tickets for the nearest show.”

            Rian chuckled. “Don’t worry, you’ll be guest listed. To every show.”

            “You can even be that person who gets to stand on the side of the stage,” Brendon told me with a wink.

            I snorted. “No way. Much rather be in the crowd.”

            “Me too,” Chloe agreed.

            “You’re guest-listed too,” Luke told her.

            She batted her eyelashes at him. “Obviously.”

            Dillon beamed at us. “See Rian? You were worried for nothing. Iris took it well.”

            “Dillon!” Rian snapped, his face turning a slight shade of red.

            I raised my eyebrow at my boyfriend. “What’s that?”

            “Rian thought you’d break up with him flat out,” Dillon told me.

            “Dillon!” Rian cried again.

            I crossed my arms and gave Rian a stern look. “We talked about this, didn’t we? I won’t break up on you because you’re doing what you love to do.”

            “I know… it was just second-guessing, I guess,” Rian mumbled, unable to meet my gaze. “I know you wouldn’t do that, Iris.”

            “Good,” I said, grabbing his face and making him look at me. “Just don’t forget me and fall in love with a fan.”

            Laughing, he took my hands and squeezed them. “Wouldn’t dream of it. But aren’t you my number one fan, anyway?”

            “No, she’s my number one fan,” Brendon cut in, giving Rian a dirty look.

            Rian returned his look with a flirty one. “Jealous? There’s enough of me for both the Brooks.”

            “Ew,” Brendon and I said simultaneously.

            This made everyone laugh. I laughed too, but it was bittersweet. Especially since now I knew it wouldn’t be able to be like this very soon. I had to make the most of it while I could.

__________

I think there's only like three more chapters of this story left...