Time Spent, chapter 6
I woke up the next morning a little hazy about what had happened. I hadn't opened my eyes yet and took my time waking up. I tried to roll over causing pain to shoot through my head. That's when everything came back from last night. I opened my eyes and sat straight up. Where the hell was I?
I looked around the room in a panic. I had no idea where I was and my head was pounding. There was a lump on the back of my head from falling backwards and I could feel the bruise on my cheekbone from the hit I had taken.
There was a chair by the window that had a blanket thrown over it. It looked like somebody had slept there. The door opened and I nearly had a heart attack it scared me so bad.
I sighed in relief when Billie Joe walked in.
"Good morning," he said quietly.
"Morning," I mumbled as he sat on the end of the bed.
"Take these," he told me holding out two aspirin and a glass of water. "And hold this against your face."
He handed me a bag of ice wrapped in a towel.
"Thanks. Where am I?"
"My house. You didn't want me to take you home last night."
I moaned and lay back down on the bed. "Thank you."
"No problem. Should I call somebody to tell them you're ok?"
"No I should do it. I'll call Pete; he'll know what to say to my parents. I'm gonna have to tell him about us though."
He was silent for a moment. "Okay. He won't tell anybody though will he?"
"No, not if I ask him not to."
"Okay, I'll get the phone for you."
He left the room and came back in with a portable phone. I took it and dialed Pete's number.
***
I had showered and gotten changed into the jeans I was wearing yesterday and a hoodie I had borrowed from Billie Joe. There was a knock at the bathroom door and I opened it.
"Pete's here."
I nodded and followed him to the front door.
"Thank you, for everything. Especially... defending me last night," I whispered.
He pulled me into his arms and kissed my hair. "It was nothing."
"I'll call you when I get home, okay?"
"Alright. I guess I'll talk to you later then."
"Bye Billie Joe."
"Bye."
I walked reluctantly towards Pete's truck and got in. I waved at Billie Joe standing in the doorframe. He waved back.
***
We pulled up to Pete's house and he turned off the car. It was still early and it looked like everyone at my house was asleep. Good.
Pete got out and came around to my side. He helped me get out and walked me into his house and up to his room. He laid me down on his bed and sat down.
"You look like shit," he told me.
"Thank you. So do you."
He smiled weakly. "I see why you wouldn't tell me."
I closed my eyes as he went on.
"I feel bad now for ever being jealous."
"Jealous?" I asked him confused.
"Yeah. We used to be able to tell each other anything no matter what. I felt so jealous that you had somebody else and I didn't. And that you wouldn't even let me in on it. I felt... left out, ya know?"
"I'm sorry Pete. I wanted to tell you everything. I just... " I trailed off.
"Couldn't," he finished. "I know."
I felt uneasy. I hated thinking that I had hurt him. Pete was my best friend in the whole world and he had had enough people hurt him, especially since his parents had divorced. His father had been caught cheating on Pete's mom and she had asked for a divorce. He went out and hired a ball-busting lawyer and left her, Pete, and his two brothers with barely a cent to their name. He married the girl he was having an affair with only two months after the whole thing. She had only said yes for the money, or so Pete and his brothers thought. This had all happened about four years ago and he was still angry about it.
"I'm glad you can know now," I told him. "I hated carrying it by myself. I felt like a criminal sneaking around like that."
He smiled. "I'm glad you can trust me not to tell anybody."
He got up and turned out the lights.
"You should sleep," he murmured lying down beside me. "I know I'm going back to sleep."
I yawned as I tried to get more comfortable. I soon found myself slowly drifting back to sleep.
***
It was now mid July and we were scrambling to be done by the 12th of August. I had been on a few more dates with Billie Joe (and had managed not to get hurt on any of them, which I thought was worth celebrating but Billie Joe figured we shouldn't jinx it) but it was getting harder and harder to get away. I was pretty much living at the studio at the moment trying to get everything done in time; I was barely finding a moment to sleep. I must have looked like an absolute mess.
I was at the vending machines during one of our breaks deciding between something sweet or something salty when I felt an arm slipping around me. I smiled and turned around.
"What the fuck are you doing here?!" I yelled, ripping myself away from him.
Tim smiled and put his arms up defensively. "Hey, I didn't mean to scare you, chill. I'm here hangin with the guys. We were on our way to play some paintball when Mike said he needed to stop by here real quick."
I lifted one eyebrow.
He continued talking. "Who did you think I was by the way? I noticed how you responded when I had my arm around you."
I couldn't help but blush.
He came closer. I tried to back away but the vending machine got in my way. He put his hands against it so I couldn't get away.
"Tim... " I began but he stopped me by putting his finger to my mouth.
"Don't say anything. I know you still have feelings for me, it's obvious. And I still want you. We're not in school anymore ya know, you can say yes. I don't even see John anymore. Just give in." he whispered into my ear.
"Please Tim... let me go... "
He was overpowering me. I could feel his breath on my cheek and his leg pressed up against mine. He could do anything he wanted and I wouldn't be able to stop him. I prayed that somebody would come along and he would let me go.
"You're just making this harder on yourself by resisting. One date, that's all I'm asking for, just to give me a chance."
How could I have ever even thought about liking him? God I had no idea he was such a scumbag. He was always so smooth and cool and I had found it irresistible. Now, I was only disgusted- and scared shitless.
"No," I told him a small voice. "You'd want more than a date," I told him, my voice getting bolder.
He pressed up against me harder and I was helpless against the vending machine. Why was this hall so empty today? Please, somebody come find me...
"True. I had no idea you knew me so well. I could take you right here you know. I don't like asking for things more than once. I usually end up taking it."
His hands were now exploring my body and he licked my ear teasingly.
I shuddered and felt a tear slide down my cheek. I felt so vulnerable and I couldn't bring myself to fight him off. I knew he would have no problem beating me shitless. Or worse... I didn't want to think about it.
"Please... please let me go... " I begged, my voice shaking as more tears started falling down my face.
"You'll have to make me," he told me, his hands sliding under my shirt and kissing my neck.
"I'll make you, you son of a bitch!" roared a familiar voice.
Tim was ripped off of me and Billie Joe dived on top of him. He had him straddled in between his legs and was beating the shit out of him. I sobbed and was pulled into an embrace.
"Don't look, close your eyes," Pete whispered into my ear, holding my head against his chest.
I buried my face into his hoodie and sobbed. I felt violated and scared. I could hear Billie Joe screaming insults at Tim in between pummeling his face.
"I always trusted you! I treated you like you were my own fucking brother! How could you betray me like this you fucking bastard?! You come onto my own fucking girlfriend?!"
"I didn't even know you were together! Dude, believe me!" Tim somehow managed to get out.
"You think that makes what you were doing right? God dammit, how could you do something like that?"
"I wasn't doing anything! I was just having a little fun!"
"YOU 'HAVING A LITTLE FUN' SHOULD'T INVOLVE HALF RAPING MY GIRLFRIEND YOU MOTHER FUCKING JACKASS!"
They were rolling around on the floor now, exchanging punches. I didn't want to hear it anymore.
"Make him stop," I sobbed into Pete's chest.
"Shhh, it's ok. Security's been called," he assured me, stroking my hair.
I could hear security come rushing into the recess we were standing in and pulling the two men apart. I couldn't bring myself to look to see who they had slammed against the vending machine and proceeded to handcuff.
"Where's Billie Joe?" I asked him, barely audible over all the commotion.
"He's ok; he's over against the wall talking with security."
"Not being handcuffed?" I whimpered pathetically.
"No. Everything's gonna be ok."
"What the hell happened here?!" I heard Brandon ask as he and Travis came running up.
I could feel Pete shaking his head as to tell them this was not the time.
"Come on, lets get her out of here," Travis suggested.
"Yeah," answered Brandon.
Pete was supporting me all through the walk down to the nearest empty room. He walked me over to the couch against the wall and sat me down, never letting go of me.
McMillan walked in having just spoken with security. He took Brandon and Travis aside to explain what he had found out. Nobody knew the whole story though. Only me and Tim knew that, and I knew Tim would never confess the truth. I would have to talk about it at some point.
Pete realized it too. He untangled himself from me and went over to talk to McMillan. The room cleared out, leaving only Pete. He came back over to me and sat down. He pulled me into his arms and slowly stroked my hair, singing quietly to me. I gradually stopped sobbing and regained some composure.
"Wanna talk about it?" he asked me after a while.
I was silent. I didn't want to, but I knew I needed to.
"Only when you're ready," he told me softly.
We sat there for a while; he was humming something and still stroking my hair and I began to feel a little more comfortable.
"Ok. I think I'm ready," I said in a shaking voice.
"I'm listening. Just take your time."
"I was hungry so I went down to the vending machines."
I stopped and took a deep breath before continuing.
"Then I felt somebody put their arm around me. I thought it was Billie Joe at first but when I turned around it wasn't him. It was Tim."
I had found that once I started telling the story, it was easier just to keep going and not stop. I told Pete the whole story and he just sat there listening. His hands had started shaking slightly but he had stayed surprisingly cool about the whole thing. I had needed that. He was my rock and if he had flipped out, I wouldn't have been able to get through any of it.
After a long period of silence, there was a knock at the door. Pete got up to answer it. He talked to whoever it was for a moment and then slipped out the door, closing it behind him. I sat there alone waiting for Pete to come back in. The door opened again and I glanced up.
Billie Joe came over to me and sat down. I started to sob again. I had been the cause of another fight and I felt like shit for it. He pulled me into his lap and rocked me back and forth.
"Pete is buying us some time to be alone," he told me in a hushed voice. "I had to see you."
I nodded and curled up closer to him.
"I can't believe I trusted that fucking scumbag. I should have known he wasn't who he seemed," he said, talking more to himself than to me.
I didn't listen to much of what he was saying, I just felt him rubbing my back and rocking me gently and took comfort in it. His touches were gentle and caring; nothing like the way Tim had touched me. I shuddered.
"Its ok baby, I'm here. I won't let him ever touch you again," he choked out.
I looked up at him. His eyes were shiny with tears he was fighting to hold back. His eyebrow was cut and bleeding and he had a bruise starting to form along his jaw line.
"Please don't blame yourself, it wasn't your fault," I whispered, touching his cheek.
Pete slowly opened the door.
"I'm sorry, I can't keep them away any longer," he told us reluctantly.
Billie Joe grudgingly stood up, wiped his eyes quickly, and tried to regain some of his poise.
"That's ok. Can you bring her home for me?" he asked Pete.
"Of course, right away," he promised.
Billie Joe walked towards the door as Pete walked towards me. As they passed each other, Billie Joe put his hand on Pete's shoulder, stopping him.
"Thank you. You're an awesome friend to her. I can only hope to know her as well as you do and have her think so highly of me."
With that, he walked out before Pete could say anything back.
***
I lay in my bed three days after that day. I hadn't left my bed in all that time; I just lay in my bed. I glanced over at the clock. It was only a little pass midnight and I was hungry. I got up and pulled a blanket around me.
I walked into the kitchen finding it already occupied. Amy glanced up and saw me.
"Hey," she greeted me.
"Hey."
"Can't sleep either?"
"No."
"I don't blame you."
I walked over to the refrigerator and opened it, then closed it.
"Amy, can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Do... do you think if I'd have just gone to college, gotten some desk job, my life would be... I don't know... a little more normal? I mean, ever since we got signed, my life's been so out of whack. I'm always coming home with bruises and... things."
She looked like she was caught a little off guard.
"I'm sorry Amy. I guess I'm just stressed. Deadline is coming up and... well... I didn't exactly have a great week."
"That's ok. I know how that can be. Well, maybe not on the same level as you," she said smiling. "But, why would you want to change anything? I mean, I've never seen you so happy. You come home from a night out with your 'mystery man' glowing with happiness, you love music and you always have. You're living your dream! So you've had a shitty experience... ok a couple of shitty experiences lately. It's through those traumatic experiences that we find out who we really are. We have to learn from our experiences so that we can use it to grow into better people. Don't go through your life wondering if all the decisions you've ever made were the right ones or being unhappy with your past, just keep going with your chin held high. If you live in fear and regret, you're not even living."
What she told me stunned me. She was right and I knew it. I couldn't let one bad thing, or even a few bad things bring me down. I was letting the guys down when they needed me. Hell, I was letting myself down. And why it took my baby sister to make me realize that when Pete, Billie Joe, Brandon and Travis had ALL been trying to tell me the same thing, I'll never know.
I smiled for the first time in days and hugged Amy.
"Thank you. I needed to hear that. I've been stupid and selfish."
"What are sisters for?" she asked me smiling and hugging me tighter. "I'm just glad to have my sister back."
"It's good to be back."
It was then that I decided that it was time to get my life back to normal. We only had about two weeks before deadline and the guys needed me. It was back to the studio tomorrow for me.
I looked around the room in a panic. I had no idea where I was and my head was pounding. There was a lump on the back of my head from falling backwards and I could feel the bruise on my cheekbone from the hit I had taken.
There was a chair by the window that had a blanket thrown over it. It looked like somebody had slept there. The door opened and I nearly had a heart attack it scared me so bad.
I sighed in relief when Billie Joe walked in.
"Good morning," he said quietly.
"Morning," I mumbled as he sat on the end of the bed.
"Take these," he told me holding out two aspirin and a glass of water. "And hold this against your face."
He handed me a bag of ice wrapped in a towel.
"Thanks. Where am I?"
"My house. You didn't want me to take you home last night."
I moaned and lay back down on the bed. "Thank you."
"No problem. Should I call somebody to tell them you're ok?"
"No I should do it. I'll call Pete; he'll know what to say to my parents. I'm gonna have to tell him about us though."
He was silent for a moment. "Okay. He won't tell anybody though will he?"
"No, not if I ask him not to."
"Okay, I'll get the phone for you."
He left the room and came back in with a portable phone. I took it and dialed Pete's number.
***
I had showered and gotten changed into the jeans I was wearing yesterday and a hoodie I had borrowed from Billie Joe. There was a knock at the bathroom door and I opened it.
"Pete's here."
I nodded and followed him to the front door.
"Thank you, for everything. Especially... defending me last night," I whispered.
He pulled me into his arms and kissed my hair. "It was nothing."
"I'll call you when I get home, okay?"
"Alright. I guess I'll talk to you later then."
"Bye Billie Joe."
"Bye."
I walked reluctantly towards Pete's truck and got in. I waved at Billie Joe standing in the doorframe. He waved back.
***
We pulled up to Pete's house and he turned off the car. It was still early and it looked like everyone at my house was asleep. Good.
Pete got out and came around to my side. He helped me get out and walked me into his house and up to his room. He laid me down on his bed and sat down.
"You look like shit," he told me.
"Thank you. So do you."
He smiled weakly. "I see why you wouldn't tell me."
I closed my eyes as he went on.
"I feel bad now for ever being jealous."
"Jealous?" I asked him confused.
"Yeah. We used to be able to tell each other anything no matter what. I felt so jealous that you had somebody else and I didn't. And that you wouldn't even let me in on it. I felt... left out, ya know?"
"I'm sorry Pete. I wanted to tell you everything. I just... " I trailed off.
"Couldn't," he finished. "I know."
I felt uneasy. I hated thinking that I had hurt him. Pete was my best friend in the whole world and he had had enough people hurt him, especially since his parents had divorced. His father had been caught cheating on Pete's mom and she had asked for a divorce. He went out and hired a ball-busting lawyer and left her, Pete, and his two brothers with barely a cent to their name. He married the girl he was having an affair with only two months after the whole thing. She had only said yes for the money, or so Pete and his brothers thought. This had all happened about four years ago and he was still angry about it.
"I'm glad you can know now," I told him. "I hated carrying it by myself. I felt like a criminal sneaking around like that."
He smiled. "I'm glad you can trust me not to tell anybody."
He got up and turned out the lights.
"You should sleep," he murmured lying down beside me. "I know I'm going back to sleep."
I yawned as I tried to get more comfortable. I soon found myself slowly drifting back to sleep.
***
It was now mid July and we were scrambling to be done by the 12th of August. I had been on a few more dates with Billie Joe (and had managed not to get hurt on any of them, which I thought was worth celebrating but Billie Joe figured we shouldn't jinx it) but it was getting harder and harder to get away. I was pretty much living at the studio at the moment trying to get everything done in time; I was barely finding a moment to sleep. I must have looked like an absolute mess.
I was at the vending machines during one of our breaks deciding between something sweet or something salty when I felt an arm slipping around me. I smiled and turned around.
"What the fuck are you doing here?!" I yelled, ripping myself away from him.
Tim smiled and put his arms up defensively. "Hey, I didn't mean to scare you, chill. I'm here hangin with the guys. We were on our way to play some paintball when Mike said he needed to stop by here real quick."
I lifted one eyebrow.
He continued talking. "Who did you think I was by the way? I noticed how you responded when I had my arm around you."
I couldn't help but blush.
He came closer. I tried to back away but the vending machine got in my way. He put his hands against it so I couldn't get away.
"Tim... " I began but he stopped me by putting his finger to my mouth.
"Don't say anything. I know you still have feelings for me, it's obvious. And I still want you. We're not in school anymore ya know, you can say yes. I don't even see John anymore. Just give in." he whispered into my ear.
"Please Tim... let me go... "
He was overpowering me. I could feel his breath on my cheek and his leg pressed up against mine. He could do anything he wanted and I wouldn't be able to stop him. I prayed that somebody would come along and he would let me go.
"You're just making this harder on yourself by resisting. One date, that's all I'm asking for, just to give me a chance."
How could I have ever even thought about liking him? God I had no idea he was such a scumbag. He was always so smooth and cool and I had found it irresistible. Now, I was only disgusted- and scared shitless.
"No," I told him a small voice. "You'd want more than a date," I told him, my voice getting bolder.
He pressed up against me harder and I was helpless against the vending machine. Why was this hall so empty today? Please, somebody come find me...
"True. I had no idea you knew me so well. I could take you right here you know. I don't like asking for things more than once. I usually end up taking it."
His hands were now exploring my body and he licked my ear teasingly.
I shuddered and felt a tear slide down my cheek. I felt so vulnerable and I couldn't bring myself to fight him off. I knew he would have no problem beating me shitless. Or worse... I didn't want to think about it.
"Please... please let me go... " I begged, my voice shaking as more tears started falling down my face.
"You'll have to make me," he told me, his hands sliding under my shirt and kissing my neck.
"I'll make you, you son of a bitch!" roared a familiar voice.
Tim was ripped off of me and Billie Joe dived on top of him. He had him straddled in between his legs and was beating the shit out of him. I sobbed and was pulled into an embrace.
"Don't look, close your eyes," Pete whispered into my ear, holding my head against his chest.
I buried my face into his hoodie and sobbed. I felt violated and scared. I could hear Billie Joe screaming insults at Tim in between pummeling his face.
"I always trusted you! I treated you like you were my own fucking brother! How could you betray me like this you fucking bastard?! You come onto my own fucking girlfriend?!"
"I didn't even know you were together! Dude, believe me!" Tim somehow managed to get out.
"You think that makes what you were doing right? God dammit, how could you do something like that?"
"I wasn't doing anything! I was just having a little fun!"
"YOU 'HAVING A LITTLE FUN' SHOULD'T INVOLVE HALF RAPING MY GIRLFRIEND YOU MOTHER FUCKING JACKASS!"
They were rolling around on the floor now, exchanging punches. I didn't want to hear it anymore.
"Make him stop," I sobbed into Pete's chest.
"Shhh, it's ok. Security's been called," he assured me, stroking my hair.
I could hear security come rushing into the recess we were standing in and pulling the two men apart. I couldn't bring myself to look to see who they had slammed against the vending machine and proceeded to handcuff.
"Where's Billie Joe?" I asked him, barely audible over all the commotion.
"He's ok; he's over against the wall talking with security."
"Not being handcuffed?" I whimpered pathetically.
"No. Everything's gonna be ok."
"What the hell happened here?!" I heard Brandon ask as he and Travis came running up.
I could feel Pete shaking his head as to tell them this was not the time.
"Come on, lets get her out of here," Travis suggested.
"Yeah," answered Brandon.
Pete was supporting me all through the walk down to the nearest empty room. He walked me over to the couch against the wall and sat me down, never letting go of me.
McMillan walked in having just spoken with security. He took Brandon and Travis aside to explain what he had found out. Nobody knew the whole story though. Only me and Tim knew that, and I knew Tim would never confess the truth. I would have to talk about it at some point.
Pete realized it too. He untangled himself from me and went over to talk to McMillan. The room cleared out, leaving only Pete. He came back over to me and sat down. He pulled me into his arms and slowly stroked my hair, singing quietly to me. I gradually stopped sobbing and regained some composure.
"Wanna talk about it?" he asked me after a while.
I was silent. I didn't want to, but I knew I needed to.
"Only when you're ready," he told me softly.
We sat there for a while; he was humming something and still stroking my hair and I began to feel a little more comfortable.
"Ok. I think I'm ready," I said in a shaking voice.
"I'm listening. Just take your time."
"I was hungry so I went down to the vending machines."
I stopped and took a deep breath before continuing.
"Then I felt somebody put their arm around me. I thought it was Billie Joe at first but when I turned around it wasn't him. It was Tim."
I had found that once I started telling the story, it was easier just to keep going and not stop. I told Pete the whole story and he just sat there listening. His hands had started shaking slightly but he had stayed surprisingly cool about the whole thing. I had needed that. He was my rock and if he had flipped out, I wouldn't have been able to get through any of it.
After a long period of silence, there was a knock at the door. Pete got up to answer it. He talked to whoever it was for a moment and then slipped out the door, closing it behind him. I sat there alone waiting for Pete to come back in. The door opened again and I glanced up.
Billie Joe came over to me and sat down. I started to sob again. I had been the cause of another fight and I felt like shit for it. He pulled me into his lap and rocked me back and forth.
"Pete is buying us some time to be alone," he told me in a hushed voice. "I had to see you."
I nodded and curled up closer to him.
"I can't believe I trusted that fucking scumbag. I should have known he wasn't who he seemed," he said, talking more to himself than to me.
I didn't listen to much of what he was saying, I just felt him rubbing my back and rocking me gently and took comfort in it. His touches were gentle and caring; nothing like the way Tim had touched me. I shuddered.
"Its ok baby, I'm here. I won't let him ever touch you again," he choked out.
I looked up at him. His eyes were shiny with tears he was fighting to hold back. His eyebrow was cut and bleeding and he had a bruise starting to form along his jaw line.
"Please don't blame yourself, it wasn't your fault," I whispered, touching his cheek.
Pete slowly opened the door.
"I'm sorry, I can't keep them away any longer," he told us reluctantly.
Billie Joe grudgingly stood up, wiped his eyes quickly, and tried to regain some of his poise.
"That's ok. Can you bring her home for me?" he asked Pete.
"Of course, right away," he promised.
Billie Joe walked towards the door as Pete walked towards me. As they passed each other, Billie Joe put his hand on Pete's shoulder, stopping him.
"Thank you. You're an awesome friend to her. I can only hope to know her as well as you do and have her think so highly of me."
With that, he walked out before Pete could say anything back.
***
I lay in my bed three days after that day. I hadn't left my bed in all that time; I just lay in my bed. I glanced over at the clock. It was only a little pass midnight and I was hungry. I got up and pulled a blanket around me.
I walked into the kitchen finding it already occupied. Amy glanced up and saw me.
"Hey," she greeted me.
"Hey."
"Can't sleep either?"
"No."
"I don't blame you."
I walked over to the refrigerator and opened it, then closed it.
"Amy, can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Do... do you think if I'd have just gone to college, gotten some desk job, my life would be... I don't know... a little more normal? I mean, ever since we got signed, my life's been so out of whack. I'm always coming home with bruises and... things."
She looked like she was caught a little off guard.
"I'm sorry Amy. I guess I'm just stressed. Deadline is coming up and... well... I didn't exactly have a great week."
"That's ok. I know how that can be. Well, maybe not on the same level as you," she said smiling. "But, why would you want to change anything? I mean, I've never seen you so happy. You come home from a night out with your 'mystery man' glowing with happiness, you love music and you always have. You're living your dream! So you've had a shitty experience... ok a couple of shitty experiences lately. It's through those traumatic experiences that we find out who we really are. We have to learn from our experiences so that we can use it to grow into better people. Don't go through your life wondering if all the decisions you've ever made were the right ones or being unhappy with your past, just keep going with your chin held high. If you live in fear and regret, you're not even living."
What she told me stunned me. She was right and I knew it. I couldn't let one bad thing, or even a few bad things bring me down. I was letting the guys down when they needed me. Hell, I was letting myself down. And why it took my baby sister to make me realize that when Pete, Billie Joe, Brandon and Travis had ALL been trying to tell me the same thing, I'll never know.
I smiled for the first time in days and hugged Amy.
"Thank you. I needed to hear that. I've been stupid and selfish."
"What are sisters for?" she asked me smiling and hugging me tighter. "I'm just glad to have my sister back."
"It's good to be back."
It was then that I decided that it was time to get my life back to normal. We only had about two weeks before deadline and the guys needed me. It was back to the studio tomorrow for me.
