FAKE GIRLFRIEND

One

EVAN SAWYER

"Evan, honey, have you seen this?"

Mom's voice got cracked in the early morning. She was standing still in the living room with her eyes glued to the screen. I immediately approached her and watched the news that was currently aired. 

EVAN SANDERS: A Player Who Can't Stay Still

I took a deep breath. This local entertainment news was the second one I found this morning alone. Yesterday some mails were sent to our house that l luckily picked and read by myself. There were some people out there trying to mock our existence by whistling gossips, probably clueless of what they could do in life.

"Are you alright?" Mom murmured.

"This side of life and its little bumpy road." I kissed her forehead. "I'm okay."

"What's a bumpy road?" Adrian chased me from upstairs to the kitchen as he heard our conversation.

"Nothing." I chewed an apple slice.

"Do you mean that gossip thing?" He replied. "That's been everywhere. Kinda disturbing though."

"Yes it is." Aaron joined us in the kitchen from the garage. "I second him."

"Because you're twins." I rolled my eyes.

"Dude, but that's true! It's been up for like, what, three weeks? Don't you want it to disappear, the gossips?" Aaron slammed his body to the couch next to me.

"Oh honey," Mom stroked my hair as she walked pass us. "I know it affects you one way or another. If you're feeling uneasy with all of that, make a move."

I looked at the twin brothers and smiled to Mom. I shook my head in disagreement, but obviously the news has taken a toll on me. It was not easy anymore to skate outside at the park without having people's eyes scanning at me. Even worse, my father was chased by a group of paparazzi during his way home from the hospital the other day, only to be judged as if he was unable to raise the third kid. So much for one family appearance in a local radio, and my parents were losing their privacy already.

"That said, we have Thomas and Brent stopping by in thirty minutes. You might want to shower or something." Adrian took the towel. "Then we'll talk."

"No need." I let out a deep breath.

"You don't argue him." Aaron had his arms around my neck. 

I raised a brow and followed the twins upstairs. We took some minutes in our own rooms to get ready. I tried to put out the calm face and shook things off, but my heart and mind told differently.

"Evan, come on out. The guys are here." Aaron knocked my door.

"Alright." I followed Aaron downstairs and found the guys hanging by Mom's busy kitchen station. "Oh, James is here too?"

The band road manager squeezed my head in his arms. "What do you think I do in life, kid?"

"Hahaha... Thought you couldn't join today's rehearsal though."

"About that," Adrian brought us all to the basement. 

"Oh-" I raised both eyebrows and nodded, figured out what the twins were aiming. "Hey I'm okay. We're okay. Right?"

I scanned everybody's reaction and they returned me the awkward ones. Aaron took his guitar and strummed randomly. Adrian sat behind the keyboard, playing it without first plugged the power source on. Thomas flipped around the drums sticks and looked straight into my soul. Brent smiled and shook his head almost all at once. 

"Are we not good?" I asked again. "James?"

"It's worse than we thought. Just few minutes ago the player thing turned into gay gossip too." James gave his phone for me to read what's on it.

"What did I do, exactly? Come again, please." I sighed.

"Being single." Aaron murmured. "But it doesn't justify what they do, really."

"Did we ever come in contact with the wrong press? Anything suspicious before?" Brent replied. 

"I can't tell exactly. But I've been looking closer. For now it can be anything guys, from an angry fan to heartless gossip makers." James sighed and looked at me. "We need to talk to Stephen."

"Whoa-" I stuttered.

"Oh thank God somebody can read minds here." Adrian sighed relieved.

"Guys, it would be too much. Stephen would find me a crybaby for a peanut thing. No." I stood up. "Does anybody else here got hurt by the gossips?"

"Dad did," Aaron nodded and I threw a glare at him. "Hey, we're his sons too. And we're in the same band apparently, so..."

"I had some girls took a picture of me suspiciously at our usual coffee corner. However unlike other fans though, it's different but I can't tell much." Brent raised his hand.

"I can't walk Maya at the park without being followed." Adrian added, having the puppy in his lap.

I threw myself back to the couch. I thought my cluttered mind was the only problem, however apparently these guys were affected just as bad. But to talk to Stephen would be an overreaction. Stephen was the handler at the label where we were signed. Our band, Dawn the Road, was only signed to the label a couple months ago. There were a fat list of even more famous bands and soloists in our label who have gone through worse. I was not sure how they handled it, but my heart refused to cry this out to Stephen. 

"I can talk to him." James still insisted. He got a nod from everybody in the room.

"James, if he says no, don't push further please." I stopped him by the door before he walked out of the room.

"Always the deep one." Thomas chuckled. "Dude, we're signed. We're his responsibility. Anything bad happens to us will also be his liability."

"And by this very second, I bet he's figured out enough to take a step." Aaron rubbed my back. "Chill, little dude. We got this."

I smiled bitterly. They quickly ended the topic by jamming around. This time Adrian played the keyboard for real. Thomas was in his element behind the big instrument turning up the beat. Brent synced his bass and I was with my guitar. We have Aaron behind the microphone as we quickly tuned in our first song in the tour list.

Half an hour passed, James was still outside. We were already on our tenth songs. Soon as it ended, Aaron asked for a breath break - the name he made for a time out and drink session.

"Kids, let's go." James suddenly burst in and took his waist bag.

"Huh?" All of us looked confused.

"Stephen." He looked at me. "Now!"

"Oh!" 

Everybody grabbed their things and walked upstairs. We walked pass Mom and Dad who were in the living room watching some news. Adrian told them about the plan. I saw Dad glimpse at me, somewhat giving his blessing if this was the need to do.

All of us hopped into two cars and drove away. My heart was pounding so hard this time, I could hardly catch a breath. James drove the fast he could, because Stephen said he only had half an hour before his next meeting. I was surprised myself, he took his time today to meet us, while we should have our regular meeting tomorrow.

Was this that urgent?