The Secrets Hidden In The Scars

      Two days later. Peter keeps sitting at home and is not going to change anything for the better. He is madly ashamed of betraying his band. But he is terribly afraid to do just something to make amends. He does not want to brace himself, put himself in order, find the courage, and go to his colleagues to explain and apologize to them. Instead, Peter does nothing.       The man is now lying on the bed and examining the white ceiling in his room with dead, sad eyes. Rose looks much worse than he did a few days ago. His tired eyes have nothing but sadness and pain, and they have lost the fire they had. He got noticeable circles under them due to not getting enough sleep. His cheeks got shrunk. He lost some more weight, and his skin got much whiter. His blond hair has not been done for a long time. It looks disheveled and much dirtier than before.       Nothing left from the smiling and happy man, who laughed much and was never sad. Peter’s soul is empty. He has no good emotions, nice feelings, or reasons to brace himself somehow and think about having the people he owes. He got obsessed with dark thoughts, because of which he withdrew into himself and refused to contact nobody. The blond would hardly say anything, even if he did not live alone in his small apartment and had someone to help him by his side. He thinks it would be better if nobody knew about his feelings. But it’s getting harder and harder for him to hide all these feelings that are slowly destroying him.       After lying on the bed for some time, Peter slowly sits up and looks around the whole room with dead eyes, which he has not cleaned up for a long time, then lazily gets up on his feet and goes to the bathroom. On the way, the man looks at the mess he has in his apartment, all the things lying on the floor, much dirt and dust in all the corners, and even clothes that are by far not fresh. And when he slowly opens the door, Peter turns on the light, crosses the doorstep of the small bathroom made of white tiles, and comes to the mirror. Then the blond glances at his reflection, which looks as sad as he is, and looks into his dead eyes, as if he tries to hypnotize himself. Every second, he breathes much heavier and harder and gets nervous, not stopping to think of something dark that makes him feel much worse.       A few seconds later, Peter, still continuing to look at his reflection, starts to talk with it in a low, hoarse voice. He sees his lips doing all the same movements and saying what the man starts to believe more and more.       “You deserve everything that’s happening to you… Not surprised that you’ve got no friends, and girls don’t pay attention to such an idiot like you. Because you’re ugly! You’re just a reject, Peter Jackson Rose, a pathetic reject. Whatever you do, you never do something well… You are not a man, you are a rug… The doormat that everyone needs to rub their legs… Such an ugly and talentless man must die. He shouldn't have been born and poisoned everyone’s life…”       A little later, Peter glances at razor blades placed in a small glass on the sink near a bottle of liquid soap. One second later, he slowly glances at his reflection, then at the razor blades, and then at the reflection again. Then the blond breathing heavily slowly takes a blade with a shaking hand and looks at this with his dead eyes for a long time, realizing how strongly he starts to shake and barely fighting with a wish to cry. After finding the courage, Peter leans on a wall, the coldness of which instantly burns up his back and makes him shake stronger, and slowly slides down it, sitting on the floor and putting the blade near him. Then he gets sick of fighting and starts to cry quietly, feeling tears rolling out of his eyes over his cheeks, succumbing to the wave of a panic attack, closing his face with his hands for two seconds, and running his fingers through his greasy hair.       After a few seconds of fighting with himself and his demons, the blond takes all his bracelets off his left hand, looking at every single one with sadness in his eyes and putting them near himself. Peter has always worn quite many bracelets and bandages on his hands, and has never shown his naked wrists. But it has not made anyone suspect something bad, and he makes people sure that he just loves wearing bracelets.       When Peter takes all his bracelets off his hand, he sees a few scars of a different depth, which have not been gone yet, and which he looks at with quiet sobs, thinking of not the best years of his life. There are a few more scars, which are almost gone and look very pale.       “I deserve it because I have nothing good…” Peter makes himself think in a shaking voice. “Everybody said it and were right… My familiar people and close friends… They want me to keep harming myself and cut myself ‘till death… And I’ll make their wish come true… And then they’ll be dancing on my grave and be happy with me lying dead under the damp earth… I’ll give them the pleasure.”       Sobbing quietly, Peter hesitantly takes the blade and examines this thing for a few seconds, which glosses so beautifully under the light and makes him get stuck for a long time, watch the glare that he sees on the cold metal when turning and bending it on different sides like charmed. But a few seconds later, the man slowly brings the blaze to the wrist of his left hand, feeling he is afraid to do this but deciding not to stop and thinking of those, who are allegedly waiting for the way he dies. The blond takes carefully the first vertical cut on his wrist with a shaking hand. So, a strong flow of blood, some drops of which fall on the pants of Peter, who does not care about it. He is just trying to feel this unbearable pain that gets obsessed with him after a little cut.       Clenching his teeth and wincing from the unbelievably strong pain and barely fighting back a wish to scream and cry like a girl, Peter leans on the wall that is as cold as the floor is, slowly lowers his bleeding hand with the cut, raises his head, closes his eyes and starts to bite his bottom lip strongly. The man struggles with the pain that gets obsessed with him and a wish to scream at the whole apartment – or the whole street – about how unlucky he is. About being a loser, ugly, brainless, and worthless reject, whose birth was the biggest mistake.       But the blond decides not to do it, brings the blade to the bleeding wrist some time later, and takes another horizontal cut. Then Peter puts the blade on the floor, raises his head, and closes his eyes, trying to make himself think this pain helps him overcome his depression and feel a little better. For him, this torture is nice to some extent. He feels some relief when harming himself. But the man actually destroys himself more and more with every new cut and pushes himself into the abyss, which he would not leave if nobody gave him a hand.       The walls and floor made of glossy white tiles that are almost covered with blood. As well as Peter’s gray pants and a t-shirt of the same color. He is watching his wrist bleeding like charmed and making himself think he is getting better. As if his pain and sadness leave him as well as blood. He puts on something like a smile that could hardly be called true as he looks at the floor of the bathroom and sees a flow of his bright red blood slowly flowing over the white floor. It looks so charming… Peter getting much whiter watches it as if he is hypnotized until he feels strong weakness and a little dizziness from losing some blood and understands he feels a slight vomit and dryness in his mouth and understands it’s getting harder to breathe.       But later, Peter suddenly realizes that it’s not his time to die. He still has some business that he should finish before he kills himself. That’s why he decides to treat his wounds and get rid of the clues that let someone know he harmed himself. But the man does not manage to get up after the first time because he can barely stand because of weakness in his legs and always falls. However, a little later, the blond barely gets up on his feet thanks to holding by the sink. He makes himself do this, even if his arms got weak due to his condition, and the fact that he stopped working out to keep his good shape.       Not paying attention to dizziness, weakness and a little unclear vision, Peter starts to look for some medicament in a cupboard hanging above the sink. He later takes hydrogen peroxide, cotton, gauze, and a bottle of ammonia. The man turns off the faucet, chooses a good temperature while opening the bottle of ammonia, and breathes in its smell for a few seconds. That’s why he gets more or less better to be able to treat his wounds. After this, Peter starts to carefully wash the wounds until the bright red water turns transparent. Next, he treats his wounds with hydrogen peroxide, barely making himself stand a strong tingling. And last, when he stops the bleeding, the blond carefully and tightly wraps his hand with a little piece of gauze.       After catching a breath and breathing in some ammonia to get better, Peter quickly washes the rest of the blood and takes all the bloody pieces of cotton that he throws in a little trash can placed under the sink. After this, he gets all the bracelets from the floor and puts them on, understanding he needs to find a few more because they cannot cover the wrist wrapped with gauze. But before doing this, Peter takes the blood off the walls and floor with a rug and some cleaning products. So, the bathroom eventually gets white again, without a drop of blood.       Next, the blond looks at his t-shirt and pants and sees they are covered with blood. He goes to his room with a quiet sigh, opens the closet, and takes a more or less fresh t-shirt and pants of a darker color. After putting the fresh clothes on the bed, Peter takes off what he is wearing and puts on what he found. The man has lost so much weight that it’s possible to see ribs and vertebrae sticking out, and his arms, which were much bigger, became quite thin. Rose was never fat. Vice versa, quite slim. But now he definitely lacks weight because having a tall height, he looks too skinny.       When he puts on the new clothes, Peter washes the dirty ones in cold water and throws them in a washing machine. Then he sets up a specific mood, turns it on, hearing it starts to get filled with water slowly, and spins the drum. After watching the machine working, he hears a doorbell that makes the man a little mad because he does not want to see anyone.       “Whoever that is, I will kick them downstairs,” Peter hisses with evil in his eyes.       Peter rushes to the door with a quick, sharp step to open it. But he immediately gets frozen after he sees the one that makes him forget about his wish to scream and kick them out of the apartment. It’s quite a cute and beautiful girl. She is a little lower than the man’s shoulders. She has long black hair, hazel eyes, and skin covered with a slight tan. Her face looks fresh thanks to her nude makeup, which it’s hard to be seen by someone, who understands nothing about it.       “Erm, hello…” the girl greets hesitantly, folding her hands in front of her. “Did I come at the wrong time, yeah?”       “Helene?” Peter wonders, looking at the girl from head to foot with scared eyes and feeling his heart starts beating much faster, and it’s getting hard to breathe. “Erm… Huh… What are you doing here?”       “Came to visit you,” Helene shrugs. “Aren't you happy to see me?”       “Erm…” Peter shakes his head sharply, literally becoming speechless after he saw Helene on the doorstep and getting quite nervous when seeing her. “N-no… No… I’m very glad you came to me…”       “No, if you don’t wanna see me, I can come next time.”       “Not at all! Come in, feel free…”       Peter steps back from the doorstep and invites Helene to enter. The girl looks at the man for a second or two, but then slowly comes into the apartment and looks around. He closes the door, which he just closes, but does not lock. The blond looks at the sympathetic brunette for two seconds with sadness in his eyes, while she is standing with her back turned to him, and comes to her hesitantly, tightly locking his fingers.       “You look bad…” Helene notices with sadness in her eyes looking at Peter’s white, tired face. “So white and exhausted…”       “Say, why did you come here?” Peter asks in a little hoarse voice, nervously twirling one of his bracelets. “You probably have things to do and should go to work…”       “Today, I have a free day. So, I decided to visit you and find out how you’re doing.”       “Are there still people, who care about me?” Peter simpers without emotions, moving his eyes aside.       “Of course, there are! You know well how much I’m worried about you.”       “I know, but it doesn’t make sense.”       “Listen, Peter, maybe, you don’t wanna know it,” Helene says quietly, hesitantly. “But I also came here to talk to you about Jessica.”       Peter's eyes start to run from one side to another, and he gets quite nervous, thinking about how meanly he behaved toward Jessica. He was not ashamed of his act, but now the man is ready to die from the shame of one more person, the friendship with whom he ruined once and forever.       “About Jessica?” Peter specifies hesitantly.       “She told me you kicked her out of the apartment,” Helene replies a little gloomily and crosses her arms over the chest. “Like a dog! And you shouted at her and said something else that made her get mad?”       “Jess told you that?”       “Who else? You didn’t tell me how meanly you behaved toward your long-time friend.”       “No, Helene, listen, it’s not what you…”       “Why did you do such a cruel thing to her? She wanted to help you and get you out of the abyss, to which you brought yourself!”       “I swear, I didn't want it!” Peter excuses himself with pity in his eyes, shaking his head. “I'm really very sorry about what I did to Jess. I… I don’t know what was taken with me…”       “She wanted to help you overcome your depression. But you kicked her out of the apartment and shouted at her.”       “I know I shouldn’t have done that, and I can’t be excused. Because of my depression, I lost almost all my friends and have no support. If you say I’m guilty of everything, I won’t get mad at you. Because you will tell the truth…”       “I never thought you’d do that to your best friends,” Helene shakes her head. “You explained nothing and became aggressive to all your friends.”       “Believe me, I’m really sorry that…”       “I hope the same isn't waiting for me? Or maybe, I get out of here? I don't wanna get through what Jessica did!”       “No…” Peter shakes his head, looking at Helene with pity in his eyes. “No, Helene, please, don’t say that!”       “Come on, Rose, shout at me, raise a hand and kick me out of the apartment. Lose the last person, who is ready to help you yet.”       “Please, don’t make me a monster. You know well that I’m not so horrible.”       “Come on, act not like a real man and kick me out. You can even hit, so I have a ‘wonderful’ opinion about you. You’ve got nothing to lose!”       “No, Helene, please, don’t say that!” Peter begs with pity in his eyes. “How could you think I’d dare…”       “I don’t know what to expect from you. I could count your friends on my fingers, but you fought with everyone. So strongly that it would be very hard to make your relationship with them better.”       “Please, listen to me…”       “You know, I think you aren’t happy to see me and were ready to kick me downstairs. So, I think I came here for nothing and will leave out of harm’s way. Sorry for bothering you…”       Helene goes to the door to leave the apartment, but Peter stops her shortly, grabbing her under an arm and looking at her with pity in his eyes. At heart, the man is terribly afraid to lose the friendship with this girl, the pretense of who made him get a little fire in his eyes and makes him breathe unevenly and feel a little nervous. But the blond tries not to show his excitement but does not hide that he does not want to lose his friend so badly – the only one that he has.       “No, no, don’t leave!” Peter begs in a shaking voice with pity in his eyes. “Stay with me, please. I’m begging you! You can’t leave me and ruin our friendship. Not you, please…”       “What if you attack me if I stay…” Helene gets anxious with a scare in her widely open eyes. “If I say something wrong, I’ll get a couple of slaps in the face.”       “No, Helene!” Peter takes Helene softly by the shoulders. “I swear on my life, I’ll never dare to slap you and hurt you somehow. You’re a too important person that I can’t lose. I wouldn’t just be able to live quietly if our friendship was ruined because of my stupidity. Please, don’t go… I need you…”       Helene exhales sharply to relax a little and softly caresses Peter’s shoulder and his whole arm with a slight smile.       “Okay, buddy, relax,” Helene pronounces softly. “I promise I won’t leave anywhere and will be with you, despite nothing.”       “Just be with me for a while and then go to do your business,” Peter says with sadness in his eyes. “Your pretense always makes me feel a little better.”       “I’ll stay here as long as you want… And I understand that… It’s just the consequences of your depression… Not your bad character.”       “I swear I will not hurt you anyhow. Please, don’t be afraid of me, and don’t leave me at such a hard moment.”       “I won’t, I promise.”       Peter barely finds the courage to smile with the corners of his mouth and show Helene his great thankfulness, swearing that he will not dare to hurt this girl, who means so much to him. Or he will not take it and will wish to kill himself from shame…       “Let’s go to my room,” Peter suggests amicably. “Talk…”       Helene shrugs and goes to Peter’s room first, while he follows her and hugs her around the shoulders.       “Listen, when did you clean it up the last time?” Helene asks, looking around the whole apartment. “You couldn’t take dirt before and maintained the cleanliness of your apartment carefully!”       “Maybe, I’ll do it later…” Peter replies hesitantly as he shrugs. “When I get a little better, I will clean it up.”       “Well, judging this mess, you’ve been wanting to do this for one or one and a half months…” Helene glances at a few dirty t-shirts of Peter that are lying in a corner of one of the rooms. “You could just put the clothes in a washing machine and wash…”       “Erm… The machine is washing something… Don’t you hear?”       Helene listens to the sounds in the apartment and really hears the washing machine working in the kitchen and washing his bloody clothes.       “That’s good…” Helene smiles shyly. “I see you’re starting to get sick of wearing dirty clothes… Or they’re just gone.”       At this moment, Peter and Helene come into the room of the man, who turns to the girl and looks at her with sadness in his red eyes.       “Tell me how Jess is doing after our fight,” Peter says hesitantly.       “Not very well, honestly,” Helene sighs quietly with sadness in her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. “She’s very sad that you shouted at her and kicked her out of the apartment. You scared her so much that Jess is afraid to go to your home because of your aggressive behavior.”       “She told you something about me?”       “She just called you a sick scoundrel, said she never met such scumbags like you, and wasn’t sorry for you.”       “Do you think she would listen to me if I asked her for forgiveness?”       “She wouldn’t do it now. You hurt her too much.”       “I know…” Peter sits on the bed and sighs quietly. “But I really want to apologize to her and say I’m very ashamed.”       “Do this then!” Helene also sits down next to Peter. “If you’re really sorry, at least call her and apologize.”       “Yeah, but I’m terribly afraid to look into her eyes after the terrible thing I did to her. Jessica didn’t deserve that… She was my friend since school times, and I love her like my sis. I don’t wanna lose my friendship with her because of my stupidity.”       “Jessica won’t be mad at you for a long time if you apologize to her. You just need to call her and invite her here.”       “I can’t just say, ‘Hey, Jess, I’m sorry about my aggression, I didn’t want that!’” Peter shrugs. “It wouldn’t sound truly out of my mouth. Besides, that girl might not believe me.”       “Well, yeah, I don’t deny you’ll probably have to try hard to deserve her forgiveness. But I’m sure you won’t have to apologize for a long time, and she’ll forgive you soon.”       “That girl thinks I’m an egoist… The egoist, who thinks only of himself… But on the other hand, she’s absolutely right. I’m really acting disgustingly and gave a damn to those, who wanted to help me. And I don’t mean only my fight with Jess…”       “I know…” Helene puts her hands on Peter’s shoulders and smiles with the corners of her mouth slightly. “The important thing is that you’re regretting it.”       “Oh, I don’t know, Helene…” Peter sighs quietly, shaking his head and looking around the whole room. “Who would believe my regret now? Only the stupidest and most naive idiot!”       “But it’s not the reason to keep being silent. If you regret it, you must prove it. Apologize to Jessica and explain why you did it to her.”       “Would it make sense? Before she left, Jessica said she wouldn’t be upset if someone killed me. That girl literally wished me to die, Helene. She wants it.”       “No, Peter, don’t say that!” Helene puts her hand softly on Peter’s hands folded in front of him. “Jessica was too mad and didn’t know what she was saying. You’ll see, she’ll regret that when she calms down.”       “It’s fine, I don’t get mad at the truth. Many people told me that openly, but I refused to believe it and protested silently. But now I understand they were right.”       “Nobody said that! But those, who dare to say it, don’t appreciate you.”       “I spoke with those, who didn’t need my friendship,” Peter throws a sad look aside for a second. “But I’ve never done anything bad and always tried to be a good friend. I’m sorry some people don’t appreciate it…”       “Get the thoughts of those people out of your head. They aren’t worth your experiences. Think only of those, who truly love you and wish you happiness.”       “Do I have them?” Peter simpers without emotions. “Nobody cares about me! Even if I go to apologize and do something to get better for someone, nobody will believe me.”       “Gosh, Peter, why do you have a depressive mood?” Helene wonders, looking at Peter with sadness in her eyes and feeling her heart tearing from what she is watching. “What’s been lately happening to you? It’s madly hurtful for me to see you being so depressed and hear what let me know about your doubt in you.”       “I’ve always doubted yourself and still don’t know why I’m living in this world,” Peter replies without emotions. “And I doubt I actually have some goals…”       “Why have you changed? Some time ago, you were different! I’ve remembered you being a funny and sanguine guy, who could comfort me so well, since the day I met you. Remember how you helped me overcome the death of my grandfather. He was my close person, and I couldn’t believe in his death for a long time. But you helped me get over that.”       “I couldn’t let you overcome the death of your close person alone. I did my best to make you feel a little better.”       “And now I want to make you feel better and help you overcome your depression.” Helene takes Peter’s hand, looking at him with sadness in her eyes. “I wanna see your smile and shining eyes again and know you’re truly happy. You can’t imagine what kind of pain you give me, getting closer to the abyss and refusing to accept someone’s help.”       Helene sighs heavily and looks down for a moment.       “Do I have a chance to see you as a smiling and happy guy I met a few years ago?” Helene asks with sadness in her eyes. “Tell me, Pete, tell me I do! Please…”       “Ah, Helene, you’ll never understand me…” Peter sighs heavily, moving his eyes aside. “You can’t imagine how much effort I put into smiling and pretending… I smiled when I wanted to scream and cry from pain.”       “But why? Why did you fall into this depression? Tell me what I can do, and I’ll give my everything to make you feel better in any way.”       “You… You…”       Peter wants to say something, looking at Helene with his little scared, widely open eyes, but then decides not to do this, shaking his head. He feels good with this girl but shakes because she is sitting so closely, looking into his eyes, holding his hands, and caressing them softly. Something stops him from trusting his friend at one hundred percent and confessing why he got obsessed with such a strong depression.       “No…” Peter pronounces hesitantly in a shaking voice. “No… No… I can’t say it…”       “But why, Pete?” Helene wonders, looking at Peter with pity in her eyes. “What would happen if you explained the reason for your sadness? I don’t ask why you became so aggressive toward your friends, ‘cause I don’t doubt the consequences of depression are the reason. I just wanna know what you’re hiding, and how I can help you.”       “Just stay by my side and don’t ruin your friendship with me. I do know I will feel bad if I lose my friendship with such an amazing girl like you.”       “You do know we’ve been best friends for ages and always told each other everything. You can tell me anything and ask for any help. And if you wanna hide something, I promise I will not tell anyone your secret.”       “Sorry, Helene…” Peter shakes his head and glances aside. “But you shouldn’t know it… You wouldn’t help me… But I don’t wanna overload you with my problems that you don’t need.”       “I do need your problems! I want to help you get out of the hole and make you feel better. My heart is tearing when seeing you killing yourself slowly.”       “I don’t truly understand your wish to help me. Why do you wanna help such an ugly and talentless man like me so badly? Helene! I didn’t deserve it! A freak like me must not live in this world! But you wanna save him!”       Helene opens her mouth and sets her widely open eyes on the depressed Peter.       “Are you ugly?” Helene gets horrified. “My gosh, Peter! How do you dare to say it? Why are you humiliating yourself?”       “Because it’s the truth that you can’t deny! I’m a loser! I can do nothing! My life has always been an infinite horror. I’ve been meeting failures in everything. Whatever I do, I always mess up everything.”       “Please, stop slandering yourself!” Helene softly caresses Peter’s forearms, which she softly grabs. “For me, you’ve always been an amazing man, who supports me and knows how to make me feel nice. I’ve thanked God thousands of times for sending me such a wonderful friend like you. And proving that it was possible to meet loyal and loving people. I haven’t felt as good with anyone else as I feel with you.”       “I’m a reject, Helene, and don’t dare to say it’s not true.” Peter gives a couple of quiet sobs, not being able to fight back his emotions and almost stopping to look at Helene. “Look at me! I’ve got nothing special that others would like… I’m a mouse! A pathetic, shabby, and invisible mouse that could be hit or kicked out of home with a mop. I’ve got no talents but an ability to make people’s lives worse and frame them.”       “No, Peter, it’s not true!” Helene shakes her head with tears coming to her eyes. “Please, don’t listen to what your enemies told you somehow. And don’t dare to doubt yourself, your appearance, or your talents.”       “I’m telling the truth. The truth that everyone began to say a long time ago.”       Helene starts to cry quietly, but tries to control herself and not to succumb to a wish to cry much more bitterly. Her heart squeezes every time she hears Peter saying these things and sees how terrible he is feeling.       “No, don’t say it, please, you’re hurting me…” Helene begs with pity in her eyes. “You mean very much to me. I can’t see you being in such terrible condition. I really wanna save you from self-destruction. Please, give me a chance to help you. I promise I won’t leave you and will stay with you ‘till the very end.”       “All of you say it,” Peter throws gloomily, leaning on his bed with his hands. “But you actually think I shouldn't live in this world and wish me to die.”       “No, no, please, Peter, don’t say it!” Helene begs desperately with tears rolling down her cheeks, taking Peter’s hands tightly. “Everybody wants to have you in this world. You just made yourself think so and believe this bullshit. Forget it, buddy. Listen to what your loving people say.”       “If you mean friends, they won’t always be by your side.”       “Not only. My grandmother is also worried about you. I told her about your depression, and she always asks me about your condition and says she’d do her best to help you.”       “Your grandmother wouldn’t help me. Mrs. Marshall is powerless in front of my problems and wouldn’t make me get over me.”       “If you tell me what drags you down, I’ll help you with pleasure. How could I help you without knowing the reason? I should know everything to find a solution. You know that I’m ready for anything for you. I’d sacrifice anything for you to see you happy.”       “You won’t understand me if I tell you at least a part of what happened. So, you better know nothing, forget me, do your business, and don’t worry about me.”       “No, Peter, I can’t leave you in trouble and…”       Helene glances at Peter’s left hand, on which a bunch of bracelets are placed. They do not cover the gauze that the blond put on after cutting his wrist.       “Oh, God, what is this?” Helene asks with horror in her eyes, takes Peter’s bandaged hand, and looks at this carefully. “No… No… No… No, God… Peter!”       “Erm, what do you mean?” Peter pretends to be surprised in a shaking voice, while his eyes are running from one side to another. “I don’t get you!”       “Did you do it again?” Helene asks loudly with tears in her widely open eyes full of horror. “Peter! Did you start doing that again?”       “I… I don’t get…” Peter swallows up nervously, literally not breathing as he looks at Helene tensely. “What did I do?”       “Stop pretending that you know nothing!” Helene exclaims loudly. “Did you start to cut yourself again? You did promise me to wean yourself from this habit! Swore on your life that you wouldn’t touch a blade again!”       “You do know I’m trying to do it so hard. But a wish to give me the pain that I deserve is getting stronger. I… I can’t do anything…”       “You won’t get better if you keep cutting yourself. What if you cut yourself so much that nothing would save you?”       “This pain is unbearable, but it helps me distract from bad thoughts…” Peter gives a quiet sob, shaking his head. “And… And I’m getting what I deserved… I deserved this pain…”       “Stop saying it, Peter, I’m begging you on my knees!” Helene begs loudly with tears in her eyes and sniffs quietly. “You can’t punish yourself for anything. Especially in such a horrible way. You just believe this pain helps you get better.”       “Soon, all my enemies will be rejoicing and dancing on my grave when I die,” Peter says gloomily in a low voice. “They’ve always wanted it – I’ll give them pleasure.”       “Shut up, Rose, shut up!” Helene almost cries, hugging Peter around the shoulders and pressing him tightly to herself with tears in her eyes. “Stop talking about death, especially yours! I don’t want you to even think about it!”       “I can’t live like this anymore, Helene!” Peter confesses with despair in a shaking voice, feeling tears coming to his eyes, and some of them roll over his cheeks. “Why am I living in this world? Why was I born? I’m just making the air worse and giving people bad things!”       “Please, say no more!” Helene takes Peter in her strong embrace, putting her arms around his neck and snuggling her nose in his shoulder. “Or I’m gonna be hysterical because of your words.”       “Sorry, friend, but I can do nothing…” Peter locks his fingers tightly as he is shaking strongly from the excitement. “It’s madly hurtful for me to watch your tears and see you getting upset because of me. But my situation is worthless…”       “No, there is always a solution! And I’m sure it would be found if you told me what makes you suffer and cut yourself.”       “I can’t tell you that…” Peter pronounces in a shaking voice. “Can tell nobody… Nobody would understand…”       “Peter, please…” Helene begs with bitter tears, shaking strongly from excitement.       “No, nobody should know it… Even having a great wish, I won’t betray my secret and confess what’s killing me.”       “Please, stop killing yourself and me…” Helene begs with pity in her eyes, steps back from Peter, and softly grabs his face, looking into his red, tear-stained eyes and wiping a couple of tears off his cheeks. Why don’t wanna tell the real reason why you’re destroying yourself? We aren’t strangers and have always trusted each other!”       “Because it does have to do with me and my life. You, Jess, and anyone else aren’t guilty of what’s happening to me.” Peter sighs quietly. “Even Daniel is not… Even though he humiliated and insulted me, it wasn’t kind of groundless…”       “I don’t excuse that guy, but, excuse me, his reaction is quite reasonable. Just like Jessica’s one. You attacked both of them and made them hate you.”       “I know… And I’m sorry I can’t tell them the truth and find the courage to apologize for my behavior.”       “But if you don’t make peace with Daniel, your band will probably be disbanded after barely starting its career.”       “I hope those two wouldn’t fight and would find someone to replace me, so the band’s story doesn’t end.”       “But you wanted to start a musical career so badly and said it was your element!”       “Now I want nothing and have stopped to think I was so talented. It would be better for the guys if I left the band and let them continue their career without me.”       “But, Peter…”       “I’m sure they’ll find a new talented drummer and build a brilliant career. So, as I’m guilty of their problems, I should leave the band.”       “So, do you wanna leave it just because of the shame of the guys?”       “It’s one of the reasons. I was trying to hold on ‘till the end, and everything was fine until a certain moment. Daniel’s charges are reasonable. He’s right about everything. Now I’m not even mad at him for getting a knife in my back from him – the man, who I fully trusted. Because his claims aren’t groundless.”       “You should talk to him, tell all the truth, and try to reconcile. That guy has known you much longer than me, and he was your friend for a few years. Are you easily ready to ruin the friendship with him and continue to be his enemy?”       “We’ll no longer be friends ‘cause I won’t find the courage to talk to him about it. And he will keep thinking I’m an irresponsible stinker, who messed up everything. Everything depends on me, but I can’t take the first step that I must take to make my relationship with him better.”       “But you can’t ignore him and hide in your apartment forever. Someday, you two and your third friend would have to come together and talk about your future.”       “I know… But I decided I would tell them that I’m leaving the band, even if I have to meet them. And ask them to find someone to replace and continue their career.”       “Gosh, Peter, you’re starting to scare me much more…” Helene confesses excitedly, taking Peter’s hand and caressing his shoulder with a free hand. “Please, find the courage to overcome it. But if you need it, I’m ready to find a clinic where they can help you.”       “No, Helene, I’m not gonna go to a clinic, and I don’t wish to reveal my soul to a stranger… Nobody will help me because…”       “And you won’t get well if you keep lying on the bed, think of all the worst moments of your life and cut your wrists to give yourself pain. Get busy with something and focus on it.”       “Yeah, but the tour with ‘The Loser Syndrome’ didn’t make me forget bad things. But after that, I got much worse.”       “Something happened when you were on the road?”       “Nope…” Peter sighs too heavily and looks around the whole room. “But the tour and work in the studio didn’t help me distract or forget how ugly, stupid, and irresponsible I am.”       “You aren’t ugly, Peter…” Helene begs with pity in her eyes. “Please, stop slandering yourself and cutting your hands for a reason or without.”       “I don’t think so. I am sure that I am what a bigger part of my familiar people thinks I am.”       “My gosh, why do you hate yourself so badly? How did you get such strong hate for yourself, buddy?”       “Believe me, I’ve never loved myself.” Peter makes a quiet sob, looking at Helene with pity in his red, wet eyes. “I’m just a worthless reject, who shouldn’t live in this world and deserves all this pain.”       “Peter, please, stop saying it!” Helene makes a quiet sob. “And let me help you make your pain a little weaker. Please, open yourself to me! Or I will go insane from worrying, fall into a strong depression, and…”       “Don’t take care of me like a child, Helene,” Peter replies softly, caresses Helene’s shoulders, and takes her hands. “I’m truly grateful to you for wishing to help me and caring about me. But unfortunately, you can’t help me. I’ve been at the bottom for a long time and will hardly get out of it, even if I have hundreds of friends.”       “I don’t want to lose you someday, Peter…” Helene caresses Peter’s face with her hands with tears, looking into his wet eyes. “You’re the man, without whom my life doesn’t make sense. Please, stop cutting yourself and thinking of such horrible things. Or you’ll drive me insane and make me think of the same.”       “No, no, Helene, don’t even think about it!” Peter shakes his head sharply. “You’ve got a reason to live, but I’ve never had one. You must live and enjoy your life. Not cry because of some ugly, whose birth was a great mistake.”       “I can’t stop crying because of you! If you do something to yourself, you’ll give me unbearable pain.”       “Forget about me, friend, I don’t deserve the attention of such a cute and amazing girl like you.” Peter smiles falsely, taking Helene’s hand, and carefully wipes tears off the girl’s eyes. “Don’t cry, you don’t look good… You’ve got a lot of friends, who can be way better. And someday you… Will meet… A man, who… Will love you and someday… Marry you… They’ll help you forget one ugly, who will not live in this world soon.”       “Please, don’t do this! I don’t want to lose my best friend, who’s always been so sweet and nice to me.”       “Someday you’ll meet the one, who will replace me. For you… And the guys from the band… Nobody will suffer because of me. Everyone will be happy to know I’m in another world.”       “NO!” Helene starts to shout in despair, starting to shake strongly and literally choke with her tears. “YOU WON’T DO THIS, PETER, WON’T DO! I WON’T TAKE IT!”       The shaking Helene is literally about to be close to strong hysteria because of what Peter is going to do. She does not hold herself down and lets her shout loudly and cry bitterly before the man, whose heart squeezes from what he has to see. He would madly like to trust her and literally beg her for the help that he needs so badly. But when he thinks about something, he loses the desire to do it. At heart, the blond feels ashamed of making his close friend fall into such strong hysteria. But he wonders truly that she was ready to sacrifice her time and be by his side, despite his pleases of leaving him.       Peter watches Helene for a few seconds. While she doubles over and cries so hard, closing her face with her hands and shaking probably much stronger. And then the man hugs her tightly and softly caresses her head while she snuggles her face in his shoulder and later a curve of his neck. With her pretense, he is not afraid to show his weakness and sometimes give quiet sobs, feeling tears rolling over his cheeks, closing his eyes tightly to hold down a great flow of tears, and hugging his friend tighter. Who spreads such a nice warmth… Who hugs him very tightly but tenderly, letting him know she is ready to do anything to help the blond overcome this hard time.       Helene and Peter are sitting on the bed, hugging tightly and crying on each other’s shoulders for a few seconds. And then they have to step away because the man’s phone starts vibrating strongly on a small table placed near the bed. But Peter does not rush to answer the call and just throws an indifferent look at his device.       “Erm, it seems like your phone is calling,” Helene sniffs quietly.       “I don’t wanna answer,” Peter replies gloomily. “They can keep doing this… Everyone will forget me and stop calling very soon.”       “What if it’s one of those, who has to do with the band?”       “I don’t want to talk to anyone,” Peter glances down. “This phone has been calling for a few days, but I don’t react. It seems like nobody wants to understand that I ain’t gonna talk to anyone.”       “Don’t you even want to talk with the guys from the band? Or what if Jessica decided to call?”       “No, it’s not Jessica or the guys… They don’t care about me… The friend of you and me is too mad at me, and the guys are busy with their business and spend their time much better.”       “Okay, let me talk to the one that is calling you and find out what they need from you?”       When Helene wants to reach the phone placed on the bedside table near Peter’s bed, the man takes her hand sharply but not strongly with his widely open eyes full of horror.       “No, Helene, don’t!” Peter exclaims. “Don’t do this!”       “But, Peter, your phone will be ringing if you don’t answer,” Helene throws her hands up. “You do know you’d have to contact those, who you withdrew yourself from.”       “I don’t want! I have no wish to explain something or listen to any claims.”       “I promise I’ll think up something to say to excuse the fact that you didn’t answer the call. If you don’t wanna talk, it’s okay. But let me just find out who needs you so badly and has been calling you for a few days.”       Peter rolls his eyes and reluctantly reaches the table, from which he takes his phone, which has been vibrating for almost one minute, and gives it to Helene.       “Okay, find out who that is… But remember, I ain’t here for anyone, and I don’t wanna talk to anyone, no matter who that is…”       Helene takes the phone, presses the button to answer the call, puts the one to her ear, and wants to say something. But a man does not let her open the mouth, being definitely unhappy.       “Oh, finally, the loss of the century has been found!” the masculine voice exclaims loudly. “Where have you been, Mr. Rose? Were you finally pleased to answer my call?”       Helene bites her lip slightly, getting a little confused and not understanding what this rude and quite unpleasant man said.       “Oh…” Helene pronounces hesitantly. “Excuse me, sir, but it’s not Mr. Rose…”       “What the heck?” the man resents irritably. “Who are you? How did you get this number? I need Peter Rose. Call him right now!”       “Erm, the case is that I am a friend of Peter Rose,” Helene says hesitantly, looking at Peter sitting next to her at times and pulling the words. “And unfortunately, I cannot call him… He forgot his phone at my home… But I just found it out it after it called.”       “Oh, I see…” the man exhales sharply. “So, that idiot is hanging around clubs, drinking and spending time with girls… I guess you are one of those he sleeps with instead of doing his work.”       “Actually, I am his long-time friend, and we do not even think of dating,” Helene replies thoughtfully, while Peter is watching her closely. “Peter just visited me at home and forgot his phone. But when I meet him, I will give it to him.”       “Alright, Peter Rose’s long-time friend, let’s think you told me the truth. But I would like to ask you to tell him that your friend’s behavior makes me furious. He is acting like an irresponsible little boy.”       “Did he do something bad?”       “Yes, he did! He betrayed everyone he was working with! And I am sick of this! I am going to put a dot in this business today and tell that idler everything I think of him.”       “Erm, alright, I will tell him to talk with you… But how do I introduce you? Helene glances at Peter. “He would better know who I would mean if I called your name.”       “My name is George Smith. I am a producer and manager of the band ‘Against The System.’ The drummer and vocalist of which your friend is. And which he is putting in the fuck wrong by his irresponsibility.”       “George Smith… Oh, you are his producer and manager…”       Peter shakes slightly and opens his red, wet eyes wider, completely understanding that this talk will not give him anything good.       “Yes, that’s correct, and I will be grateful to you if you tell him what I am going to say,” George says coldly. “Tell him all the same words: if Peter is not sitting at my office located in the building of ‘Dark Side Management’, the agency that promotes artists, today at three hours o’clock, I will go to the home of that mam and get everything out of that idler.”       “So, at three hours o’clock?”       “Yes, three! And yeah, I want him to know I will invite the other members of the band to talk with those idiots and make them explain everything to me.”       “Erm, alright, I will tell him what you said,” Helene promises, looking at Peter and nodding. “I think I will have time to go to his home, give him the phone, and tell him about the meeting…”       “You know, Ms., although you say he is not with you, I do not doubt that Mr. Rose is somewhere near. He does not just wish to talk with me and asked you to answer the call. And I am sure he is hearing everything and starting to think about how to avoid what is waiting for him.”       “Do not worry, Mr. Smith, I will tell him everything and personally make sure he does your plea.”       “It’s not a plea, lady, it's an order. And I hope we agreed on everything, and I would see that man at three hours o’clock.”       “You will. I promise.”       “I believe you. All the best.”       George turns off the call, and Helene frowns slightly, hums quietly, presses something, and gives the phone to the excited Peter, who tightly grips it in his hand.       “Who was it?” Peter expresses anxiety. “You called the name of George Smith!”       “Yes, your producer and manager, George Smith, called,” Helene replies quietly. “At least, he introduced himself like this. And yeah, he didn’t believe you weren’t with me.”       “But what does he need? I’m starting to be afraid of what that man may come up with.”       “He told you to come to the agency called ‘Dark Side Management’ where the office of that man is located by three hours.”       “What?” Peter rounds his eyes. “I should go there?”       “And George asked me to let you know that the other members of the band would be there. He will invite them for a talk. It seems like he’s determined and not very good. That man was a little rude to me, honestly…”       “No, Helene, I can’t do this!” Peter says in a little shaking voice. “I can’t be with these people in the same room! It would be torture for me! I’m not ready to see them yet! Not now!”       “Do you want George to go to your home and shake everything out of you?” Helene gets horrified. “Since that man talked to me rudely, he won’t pity you! Moreover, your manager promised to come here if you didn’t come to his office at three hours o’clock!”       “I don’t wanna have a bigger fight with Daniel and kill him before George’s eyes. I’m really ashamed of constantly attacking him with my fists. Yes, he was laughing at me because of my problems with relationships, called me impotent, and doubted my sexual preferences. And I can’t close my eyes to that. But that man is absolutely right about everything.”       “But you’d have to meet him and the other member of the band early or late. You better discuss your future right now and agree with the manager. If you decide to disband the band, you’ll go your separate ways and do your business.”       “They can kick me outta the band – the problem would be solved. I can’t keep working. And the guys would prefer replacing me with another person than sacrificing the band, being by my side, and becoming my babysitters. Daniel and Terrence won’t reject a chance to get famous, ‘cause they dream of that more than anything.”       “Please, Peter, go to the meeting,” Helene begs softly and takes Peter’s hand. “In order to make sure you go there, I will drive you to the agency and drive you home when everything is over. I came here in my car and could drive you.”       “I wanna go nowhere, Helene… I give a damn about what George would do to me and whether he comes. I already left it in my mind.”       “No, my sweet friend, I won’t let you get much more problems and listen to humiliations from that man,” Helene sharply exhales and slightly shakes Peter up, grabbing him by the shoulders. “So, brace yourself at least for this meeting.”       Peter thinks of something for a few seconds, looking aside, and then exhales sharply with closed eyes.       “Okay…” Peter pronounces without emotions. “I will go… But just for you… To do something nice to you…”       “That’s better,” Helene smiles shyly and softly caresses Peter’s hands folded in front of him. “So, shake up and put yourself in order. It would be great if you took a shower and finally washed your head, which you haven’t washed for probably two or three weeks. You still have time…”       “Okay…” Peter replies, fingering over nervously. “I’ll also find a couple of more bandages to hide my bandaged hand… I don’t want to answer any questions…”       “The important thing is that you put yourself in order to look better.”       “Okay…”       Peter gets up slowly and leaves somewhere, while Helene keeps sitting on the bed and sighs heavily, watching the man with a sad gaze. At some moment, she carefully wipes off the tears under her eyes and slightly fixes her hair, getting more anxious because of her friend, who might easily get such deep depression that it would probably be too late to try to save him.       

***

      Terrence decided to stay home and keep working on songs, while Raquelle went to visit Anna. Since they agreed with each other, the lovers decided to pretend that they forgot about a wish to solve the problems of Natalia and Edward. Raquelle and Terrence have not talked about it and have been pretending that they do not care about it for two days. But they keep watching their friends. But none of them has noticed anything that would make them think about something.       While the servants are busy with their business, Terrence installs himself comfortably on the sofa in the living room and wrecks his brains to find good words for a song, being surrounded by a bunch of filed pieces of paper, a guitar, and a couple of pens. It seems like today is a bad day for writing songs because he cannot connect the lines he has barely written. After a few unsuccessful attempts to pick up a rhyme for a line and lots of struck text and pieces of paper crumpled up, Terrence decides to take a little break, puts the pen and the notebook aside, runs his hands over his face, and starts to think about something, doubling over and looking into the distance.       Terrence cannot stop thinking about what the talk with Edward made him think about. Since his friend expressed a suspicion that someone could lie to him about Jamie, the man starts to think it could probably be the truth, and the story of his father is not as easy as it seems.       “I can’t stop thinking of what Edward made me think of and what Raquelle agrees with…” Terrence thinks, leaning back in the sofa. “Even if someone lied to me, why did they need it? What did they want to prove? And why am I so sure it happened at the home of Mother and me? If it’s so, she should know something about that man. Mother let that person come in and come to me… And if she really knows something about it, I could understand why she gets mad when she hears terrible things about him from Edward and me. Of course, my mother forgives people easily, but in this case, there must be an explanation.”       Terrence glances at a curtain that slightly rises up as the wind gets into the living room out of an open window.       “But it’s actually strange that I have no memories about that person…” Terrence frowns slightly. “Why don’t I remember who said that? Why am I sure Father is so horrible? I do know that ‘cause I haven’t been able to forget these words for a bigger part of my life… What if Edward and Raquelle are right, and I should find out the truth? Try to forget about my offense at my father and find out everything that really happened between him and Mother! However, I’m afraid Mother would say nothing if I asked her to tell all the truth again… But she doesn’t know what I was told about Father. I’ve never told her why I hate Father, and I'm sure he beat her and then left us. Maybe, I should tell her that? What if it encourages her to speak and find better reasons I should meet that man, who I’ve hated for a bigger part of my life? She just says you must do it ‘cause he’s your father! I need to find out a specific reason…”       Terrence runs his fingers through his hair and sighs very quietly.       “I dunno…” Terrence thinks. “But I need to find out all the truth about my father. And now the only way to make Mother speak is to tell her about my memory of Father slapping her and leaving… And confess that someone told me that my father left us ‘cause he had never loved us and was beating Mother… Maybe, it will make her speak…”       Terrence exhales sharply with closed eyes and runs his hands over his face, understanding he needs to distract himself, at least for a while. That’s why the man takes his guitar placed near him on the sofa and starts to slowly pluck strings and strike random chords, looking into the distance. Later, he understands he is playing a familiar song, stops sharply for two seconds, and then decides to start again. After playing the intro, Terrence quietly begins to sing some words that make him sad and recall some not very good moments from his life.       After finishing playing the song three or four minutes later and striking all the strings with a thumb, Terrence puts his guitar aside and falls into his thoughts, putting his hands folded together on his mouth and doubling over. But he does not manage to imagine himself being somewhere far from here because someone calls on his mobile phone placed on the table near the sofa. The man looks at this without emotions for two seconds, lazily reaches for his smartphone, takes it, and runs a finger over the screen to answer the call.       “Hello,” Terrence pronounces without emotions.       “Hello, Mr. MacClife,” a man greets confidently. “It’s George Smith.”       “Oh, hello, Mr. Smith,” Terrence says thoughtfully, getting a little confused and nervous but trying to keep calm.       “I am glad I can always catch you at any time,” George replies coldly. “You are the only one from your band, who cares about its fate just a little and does just something to save it. Unlike two other idlers.”       “You know I’m very sorry about what happened, and I am trying to do my best to solve the problem.”       “Yes, I know. And it seems like you have not made those idiots come together and start to work.”       “No, unfortunately… I cannot do…”       “I thought so… So, it seems like I have to take the responsibility and take more decisive measures.”       “Erm…” Terrence scratches the back of his head, nervously swallowing up. “So, what would you like to talk to me about? I’m listening to you…”       “So, Mr. MacClife, although you do just something to save the band, I have not seen you come to the studio at least once in the past few days,” George says in a commanding voice. “If it’s so, I tell you to come to your PR agency by three o'clock. I do not wish to hear any excuses and tell you to sit in my office of the agency ‘Dark Side Management’.”       “Today? Three hours o’clock?”       “Yes, today! Your bandmates will come, as well. At least, I hope they will do. But I am warning you, if at least one of you is not there, I will take much harsher measures and get you out of the ground.”       “Erm, well, alright…” Terrence replies hesitantly, grabbing his throat with a free hand and understanding this idea might lead to something bad. “I will come if you want it so badly…”       “I hope,” George throws coldly. “Although you have lately had to get kicked, you are more responsible than those two idiots. One of who was not pleased to talk to me when I tried to call him. But my attempts led to success, and I told him that. And now I will be trying to call the second one. I shall get him out of the ground, even if he does not answer me and asks his girlfriend or someone else to talk with me.”       “Well, if it’s so, would I not have to call them and say you want to meet us?”       “No, I take this responsibility and come all of you together in any way. If you do not want to be determined, grab those men by the collar and take them to the studio, I will bring them to my office.”       “I got it. I will come to you by three hours, as you want.”       “Alright. See you soon, then.”       George sharply turns off the call, and then Terrence hears only clear beeps. After locking and putting the smartphone aside, the man exhales sharply and runs his hands over his face.       “I don’t like this idea…” Terrence whispers thoughtfully. “It will lead to nothing good… Peter and Daniel would fight after mutual insults and blames. This time, everything may be more serious. I wouldn’t break them up, even if George meddles. They can’t stay in the same room together without starting to fight. One of them would try to humiliate and insult.”       Terrence leans back in the sofa, exhaling with closed eyes.       “But we can do nothing…” Terrence adds. “We’ll have to meet in the agency… Of course, if those two will come there… They might give a fuck about Smith’s plea. Anyway, that man would surely get them outta the ground if they went against him.”       After sitting and thinking about what’s happening, Terrence gets up from the sofa, takes his guitar, notebook, pen, and all the pieces of paper that he quickly gets into the same bunch and puts them into his folder with all the material he has. Then he goes upstairs to the second floor and locks himself in his room when he comes to it after walking down the long hall.       

***

      Meanwhile, Raquelle and Natalia decided to spend time at Anna’s home. Since they were a little busy, the friends did not spend time together for a very long time. But now they have solved it and are now having the pleasure of talking about everything in the world.       “My gosh, girls, that’s so great you decided to visit me!” Anna says with a wide smile, sitting on the sofa in the living room along with Natalia and Raquelle. “Finally, we’ve come together for the first time in a while.”       “We were just going by your house and decided to visit you,” Raquelle replies with a smile, leaning back in the sofa and putting one leg on another.       “We wanted to visit you and suggest you go somewhere with us,” Natalia says amicably, twirling a simple ring that she is wearing on her right hand. “But we were lucky you were home alone.”       “Ah, honestly, I wanted to call you and invite you,” Anna confesses with a slight smile. “I’m sitting home alone and feeling a little bored, but my girls could make me stop feeling lonely.”       “So, here we are! Finally, we came together!”       “That’s right!”       “You know, I wanted to meet you or call you a long time ago,” Raquelle confesses, glancing aside for a moment, and strokes down her hair. “But I was too busy and couldn’t even think of you. I’m sorry about forgetting you.”       “It’s okay, I get it,” Anna waves a hand. “I guess, do you have very many shootings?”       “Oh, yeah, I’ve got many photoshoots and shootings in commercials… Tomorrow, I’m gonna have another, and I’m a little excited ‘cause I’m gonna be working with quite a dangerous thing.”       “Ugh, did you agree to work with snakes or spiders?” Natalia winces strongly. “I’m terribly afraid of them!”       “Nope, a tiger. I’m gonna be shooting in a very beautiful place in the country.”       “Oh, God…” Anna pronounces excitedly.       “Of course, doctors will be on a set as well as people that are gonna be watching that tiger. But I’m a little afraid anyway…”       “But why did you agree to do it?” Natalia wonders. “Do you need these sacrifices?”       “Sometimes models have to do a lot for the career and forget about some principles. So, as I didn’t ban shooting with animals, I agree to try. I’m horrified, but terribly wondering what’s gonna be like.”       “Oh, be careful, friend. You’re gonna be working with a dangerous thing… That’s a wild animal that can bite a hand.”       “I know… But I trust those, I’m gonna be working with,” Raquelle smiles shyly. “Moreover, Steven Appleby is gonna be a photograph again.”       “That’s cool!” Anna exclaims with a shy smile. “Steven takes incredible photos.”       “I’m attracted to him so much that he’s like my older brother. We’ve been friends since I was seventeen, and he was twenty-five. It’s madly nice to work with him. I always get pleasure from working with him.”       “I hope he wouldn’t let you work hard and make you keep doing something if you can’t…”       “Yes!” Natalia exclaims. “Unlike that crazy psycho, who you worked with two days ago.”       “No, girls, Steve is not so horrible,” Raquelle shakes her head with a slight smile. “He’s way better than that psycho I’m done to work with.”       “I’d like to believe it, honey,” Anna replies amicably. “If you work, you should do it with pleasure.”       “Absolutely agree.”       Silence settles in the air for two seconds, during which the girls share a slight smile, and Natalia takes her purse placed near her and starts to look for something in it.       “Ah, Raquelle, we didn’t speak for so long,” Anna notices amicably. “Maybe, you tell me how you’re doing?”       “No news, but everything is great, thank God,” Raquelle replies with a shy smile. “Now I have time for my career and my close people.”       “Well, what about you and Terrence?”       “Everything’s great. We have peace and understanding. And we love each other much stronger.”       “What about your wedding? When will we marry you off? When are we gonna have a bachelorette?”       “I dunno yet. We haven’t talked about it yet.”       “Sorry… Very sorry.”       “Anyway, these lovebirds have harmony now,” Natalia says confidently. “I personally saw how cute they treated each other. Now I can say confidently they became truly happy.”       “They were so beautiful at the premiere of ‘If Today Was Your Last Day,’” Anna notices with a shy smile. “I viewed tons of photos and watched many videos…”       “Now I can’t imagine my life without that man,” Raquelle replies confidently with a wide smile. “When he’s with me, I forget about all the problems and feel madly happy.”       “It’s clear, judging your eyes that now have a bright gloss,” Natalia says shyly.       “And now we try to spend all the free time together. For example, yesterday, we went on a date in the late evening and walked at the quietest place in the city ‘till the morning.”       “Oh, Raquelle was telling me that when we were coming here.”       “It’s true. We spent a wonderful time together.” Raquelle glances aside for a moment and starts to twirl her engagement ring. “But it’s just a temporary relief, ‘cause Terrence has been sad for the past two days. He forgets everything for a while and then starts to think of bad things again.”       “Really?” Natalia rounds her eyes. “Did he get new problems with the band?”       “He still has problems with the band. But the problem is not only about it.”       “Something happened between you, but you don’t wanna tell us about it?” Anna frowns slightly.       “No, no, I did say everything was fine,” Raquelle shakes her head. “Terrence and Edward just went to their mother two days ago. And while she was cooking something to eat, they had a talk, during which Edward hinted that someone could lie to Terrence about their father’s mockeries at Mrs. MacClife.”       “Wow!” Anna wonders, opening her mouth slightly and closing it with a hand. “Isn’t that true?”       “Honestly, Terrence starts to doubt it. Because there was only one case when he became a witness of his father raising a hand.”       “Did Terrence confess why he hated Father so much?” Natalia asks.       “Yup, he told me that before he explained what Edward said. And Terrence mentioned the event that happened when he was two or three. He said he had a memory about his father shouting at his mother because of something, slapping her in the face before his eyes, then realizing what he did, taking his things and saying he would leave the family.”       “Is he sure it happened? Maybe, that is his imagination?”       “Nope, Natalia, it really happened. Terrence clearly remembers the day his father left the family.”       “But how could he remember what happened at such an early age?” Anna wonders. “I barely remember going to school for the first time and remember nothing from babyhood. But he did memorize that!”       “I don’t know, but he remembers it. I think it was such a shocking thing that it was impossible to forget.”       “Wait, is his mother aware of the fact that Terrence knows the reason why his parents got divorced?” Natalia specifies.       “Nope, he said he had never told her that. As well as the fact that someone told him about his father.”       “Was Terrence told that?” Anna rounds her eyes. “But who?”       “He doesn’t remember. He just knows it happened at his home. But Terrence can’t remember who said that and why.”       “Gosh, what was his age?”       “He says he was very little. And that’s the second reason why Terrence has hated his father since childhood and doesn’t wanna meet him.”       “Maybe, his mother knows something?” Natalia assumes. “She’s defending that man and has been convincing Terrence to meet his father for so long for a reason.”       “I guess she’ll say nothing even if she knows something. Mrs. MacClife is absolutely sure Terrence should hear something from his father, who could tell him very much.”       “It’s a tangled situation… I think forgiving a person for beating them regularly is strange. It couldn’t happen that the woman was so kind and generous that she forgave that man.”       “Agree, she’s always been protecting that man so hard and saying he isn’t what Terrence thinks he is,” Anna notices.       “Honestly, I’ve been thinking about it…” Raquelle says thoughtfully. “In my opinion, this situation seems too suspicious. And I don’t doubt everything is not what Terrence thinks.”       “Well, as Mrs. MacClife is insisting that he meets him and hasn’t given up for a few years, I can assume everything could really be otherwise,” Natalia assumes, putting her purse she was keeping on her laps on the sofa. “But I think if we try to find out something about that situation from Terrence’s mother, something may get clear.”       “Yeah, but it seems like she doesn’t want to speak,” Anna notices. “What if she says nothing on purpose, so Terrence meets his father and finds out something from him?”       “It’s a little cruel. It looks like Terrence’s mother is kind of lying to her son and not saying much.”       “But Anna is right, Natalia,” Raquelle says thoughtfully. “She might probably believe it would be better if Terrence’s father explained everything. Well, he’s guilty, he should explain it… And I assume Mrs. MacClife could fear confessing it. Maybe, someone terrifies her, and someone uses it, and the fact that Terrence doesn’t remember and know who he heard that information from.”       “But who needed it?” Anna wonders. “His parents have no enemies that are guilty of what happened to the MacClifes.”       “I wouldn’t be surprised if we knew they really had enemies that wanted to hurt them.”       “But even if his father can tell the truth, do you think he’s not afraid of threats?”       “Maybe, he is. But his wish to tell the truth is way stronger than fear. I think he truly wanna make his relationship with Terrence better and gets upset because of his refusals due to an offense that may be groundless.”       “You think?”       “Just assuming.”       “Oh, girls, why do we guess?” Anna sighs quietly with sadness in her eyes. “I think everything will be solved and get clear soon.”       “Yup, Anna, you’re right…” Natalia pronounces thoughtfully. “Early or late, this situation would get clear, and we’d know the truth.”       “I think we have only to wait and believe everything will be okay,” Raquelle shrugs.       “Right… No need to discuss it now…”       Silence settles in the air for two seconds, during which Raquelle glances at a half-open window, out of which the cold wind gets into the living room.       “Hey, girls…” Anna smiles slyly. “It seems like Natalia stayed alone…”       “Yeah, my parents went to Mexico yesterday,” Natalia replies thoughtfully, running her hand through her hair. “I went to the airport with them to say goodbye and talked to them a little. Father and Mother transferred some money on my card and promised to call me sometimes to know how I’m doing and tell me about Grandma.”       “I believe you’d have to stay alone for a long time,” Raquelle assumes.       “Yup, they won’t be back soon…” Natalia cracks a slight smile. “But it’s okay, they can stay in Mexico for as long as they need… The important thing is that Grandma has someone to take care of her. Of course, she’s not helpless yet, but she sometimes needs help.”       “And I think you can have a lot of fun with your friends.”       “Hey, girls, why don’t we have a party for the closest friends at Natalia’s home?” Anna suggests happily. “We haven’t had home hangouts for ages! But I wanna organize something like that.”       “Nice idea, Anna!” Raquelle claps her hands with a wide smile. “Let’s really think about it? Not to feel bored, we could call some girls, so they have fun with us. What about inviting Emma, Olivia, and Odette?”       “Oh, it would be cool!” Natalia smiles shyly. “We haven’t spoken with those girls for ages.”       “I met them two weeks ago and talked to them a little. And we agreed we’d surely meet and spend a cool time.”       “So, let’s agree and have a girls’ party and talk about ladies’ secrets,” Anna suggests funnily.       “I don’t mind,” Natalia shrugs with a shy smile. “Just let me know, and I’ll get everything ready for a wonderful party at my home.”       “But it must be a party for only girls!” Raquelle says confidently, raising an index finger.       “No men allowed?” Anna smiles slyly.       “Absolutely! If they wanna join, we’ll softly tell them to have fun with each other.”       “Exactly!” Natalia laughs. “Of course, we wouldn’t mind hanging out with handsome guys, who we could dance with. But since we decided to have a girls’ party, pardon, the guys can go to hell.”       “Our men wouldn’t have a reason to be jealous ‘cause we could just turn on music and dance along with it,” Raquelle says with a smile. “Well, or sit in front of a TV and watch a movie…”       “Eating a tasty cake and drinking sweet water…” Anna finishes the thought with a mysterious smile.       “Or a couple of delicious donuts…” Raquelle says thoughtfully, rolling her eyes dreamily. “Éclairs or croissants…”       “Hey, hey, my beauties, what are you thinking about?” Natalia asks with a funny chuckle. “Do you know we’re gonna get stuck in a gymnasium for one month after cakes and éclairs? Just like I did for almost two months after coming back from Italy, where I overate calorie-laden pasta.”       “That’s okay you got a couple of centimeters on your waist,” Anna chuckles kindly. “It didn’t make you worse, and you were still slim and tough.”       “But I couldn’t put on half of my clothes. Because I relaxed and didn’t watch my body! So, here’s the result – I gained too much weight and barely lost it.”       “Ah, Natalia, stop saying stupid things! You still looked like a twig and caught the admiring looks of men.”       “Oh, yeah, my fat folds on my waist and fat legs were successful,” Natalia chuckles.       “Oh, friend, stop asking for compliments as well as our all-favorite handsome Terrence MacClife, who can’t live without being praised,” Raquelle laughs shyly. “Knowing you’ve got incredible genes and constantly get stuck in a gymnasium, fatness doesn’t threaten you.”       Natalia thinks for some time and runs her hand through her hair, moving her eyes aside.       “Erm, honestly, I haven’t been there for ages,” Natalia confesses shyly. “I just do workouts at home… That’s all – my workouts is completed…”       “Don’t you go to a gymnasium?” Raquelle frowns slightly, thinking Natalia’s words are a bad sign. “But why? You never missed workouts and regularly went there two or three times per week.”       “Well…” Natalia pronounces hesitantly, putting on a shy smile. “It happened… I can’t go there… But I know I should do it… Or I’m gonna be fat and barely lose my weight.”       “Oh, it seems like someone got infected with the illness called ‘laziness’…” Anna says thoughtfully and chuckles quietly. “However… Fall is coming soon… Fall depression, sadness, and something like that…”       “You can think I really got infected with laziness,” Natalia replies quietly with a shy smile. “And you’re right about the fall depression. It’s September, 8th, a little bit more than two weeks before fall starts… As my father says, fall is the death of everything alive, winter is emptiness, spring is the birth of a new life, and summer is a peck of it.”       “He noticed it right…” Raquelle replies thoughtfully.       “That’s right…” Anna nods.       The friends say nothing for two seconds and just look at each other. But then they move their eyes to the side, where there is a hall door. A few seconds later, Daniel enters the living room, holding the keys from his car and his dark brown coat that he takes off on the way. The man goes to the living room where Anna, Raquelle, and Natalia are to leave his stuff and notices his girlfriend being with her friends.       “Oh, I didn’t know we had visitors,” Daniel smiles shyly. “Hi, girls! How are you doing?”       “Hey, Daniel,” Raquelle waves a hand with a slight smile.       “Hey,” Natalia pronounces amicably.       “Hi, hi,” Daniel replies softly and hugs Natalia and Raquelle amicably to greet them. “Glad to see you… We haven’t met for ages.”       “Yeah, it’s been a while…” Raquelle says thoughtfully, shaking her head to move a strand of her hair off her eyes.       At this moment, Daniel comes to Anna and kisses her cutely on the cheek, hugging tenderly her with one arm, while she smiles at him shyly and answers back.       “I believe you were talking about me,” Daniel assumes with a sly smile.       “We were talking about everything, including you,” Anna replies amicably, caressing Daniel’s hand that is placed on the back of the sofa.       “Hey, how long have you been talking here?”       “Well, as Anna said, Natalia and I came here one hour later after you left,” Raquelle says thoughtfully.       “Oh, not for too long… Then, sorry for meddling in your sweet talk. If you want, you can go to my room and talk there. But I will stay here and watch TV.”       “No, you didn’t bother us! You know we’re always happy to see you.”       “And we wouldn’t mind if you joined our talk,” Anna replies confidently.       “Yes, Daniel, join,” Natalia suggests amicably. “Let’s talk a little. You wouldn’t bother us.”       “Well, as the sweet girls ask me about it, I can’t refuse,” Daniel says confidently with a shy smile.       With these words, Daniel softly caresses the back of Anna’s head and fixes her hair, while she caresses his free hand with a tender smile.       “You look so cute with each other,” Raquelle notices with a shy smile. “I’m so glad my friend found the one, who she loves so much, and who looks at her with such tenderness.”       “You know, Terrence and you also look cool together,” Daniel replies. “You have a strong passion. The passion that I didn’t see about any other couple.”       “As the friend of my aunt Alicia said, we were destined for each other,” Raquelle shrugs.       “That’s right! I’m sure you were made for each other and should’ve met and gotten married anyway.”       At this moment, Daniel sits on the sofa next to Anna and puts an arm around her neck, tenderly pressing her to himself and cutely kissing her on the temple.       “You’re right, buddy,” Raquelle laughs amicably. “I can’t imagine anyone else instead of Terrence. He’s the only one I want to have by my side.”       “Terrence said all the same about you,” Daniel replies amicably. “He said he won’t let you go and will do his best for you to be together forever.”       “Raquelle tells us the same and isn’t gonna give Terrence to any other girl,” Anna says amicably.       “Oh, although he’s surrounded by lots of fans, who wanna be instead of your friend, I’m sure Raquelle has no reason to worry ‘cause that man wouldn’t prefer any other girl over her.”       “I’m quiet in this case and completely trust Terrence,” Raquelle smiles shyly. “But I keep my eye on him and watch his fans that surround him.”       “I’ll probably also watch my handsome guy if he’s famous and becomes a musician,” Anna says funnily, pressing closer to Daniel and putting her head on his shoulder. “And kick all the girls that will be hanging on his neck with a mop.”       “But you have no reason to worry, my princess,” Daniel replies amicably, clapping Anna softly on the nose. “I’ve got a beloved girl that I won’t exchange with any other.”       “But I keep my eye on you, remember this.”       “You can relax. If I’m dating a girl, I’m always loyal to her.”       “I believe, sweetie.”       Anna kisses Daniel cutely on the cheek and presses herself against him, while he embraces her tightly and caresses her head tenderly. Raquelle watches them with a true smile and is truly happy for them. But Natalia looks at them with sadness in her eyes and thinks about something not very nice that makes her sad and silent enough.       “Hey, Natalia, you aren’t too talkative and are kind of sad today…” Daniel frowns slightly, looking at Natalia with suspicion. “Are you okay?”       “Erm…” Natalia stutters and puts on something like a smile, touching her hair with her fingers. “I’m fine… Just listening to what you say… And I watched you and Anna too much… You look so cute together…”       “By the way, your friends believe something is happening and making you sad.”       “Nope, it seemed to them!” Natalia smiles falsely, twirling a bracelet on her hand nervously. “Nothing is happening…”       “Your grandmother is sick… Are you worried about her so much?”       “She’s my close person that I madly love. I went to Mexico with my parents to help them take care of her and let them have less work. They overloaded themselves with too much. It’s hurtful for me to watch my parents tearing between her and their work and between New York and Mexico.”       “Anyway, I wish your grandmother to get well as soon as possible. Luckily, none of my close people or familiar people had cancer, but I know how horrible that illness is. People have lately talked much about.”       “I know…” Natalia nods. “Thanks a lot for the support, Daniel. Now I need any good words… Although therapy helps Grandmother, I can’t be absolutely sure she’ll get well. You do understand that even great money can’t sometimes help you save someone from this illness.”       “I get it… But you should keep believing in the best.”       “I’m trying.”       Daniel smiles slightly to support Natalia, but he understands that the girl is kind of not open to him and lying in something. He does not doubt it, seeing that her eyes lost some glass and got too sad, and she became too quiet and less talkative. The man decides to carefully ask the girl about her relationship with Edward. But Raquelle, remembering her agreement with Terrence, decides to talk about the band’s problems.       “Hey, Daniel, what’s happening to the band?” Raquelle asks. “We heard you’re about to break up…”       “It’s a long and tangled story…” Daniel replies gloomily, sharply running his hand over his hair and exhaling quietly. “After the tour with Liam, Nathan, Zach, and Brad from ‘The Loser Syndrome,’ everything got worse. At first, none of us saw that, but then the situation got much worse.”       “But you do know why everything changed.”       “Yes, because of Peter.”       “Why did you get so mad at him, Daniel?” Raquelle asks with sadness in her eyes. “You were good friends! And then you suddenly turned into enemies that couldn’t even stay in the same room.”       “Above of all, because of his responsibility. Peter was never acting like that! But then someone kind of replaced him, and he gave a damn about everything. Nightclubs, drinks, hangovers, refusals to work, disrupting recording songs and rehearsals… I’m angry because quite a normal-to-look man suddenly changed and gave a damn about us and his work.”       “Have you thought you could be the reason for his behavior?” Natalia asks. “What if he became like this because of you? Because of mocking him for having no girlfriend?”       “But he is guilty of not having a girlfriend. If he wanted, he would meet a good girl and love her. But Rose does not want to! Instead of that, he envies when watching couples in love and hates them silently.       “Yeah, but why do you humiliate him like that?” Raquelle wonders. “Peter isn’t guilty of not knowing a girlfriend that he could love! And instead of mocking him and calling him impotent, you should better support him and not talk about it.”       “Exactly!” Natalia exclaims. “Terrence somehow said you always found a reason to hurt him and laugh at Peter’s failures. So, how could you be called a friend after that? Now we’ve got the reasons to blame you for betraying your friend, who didn’t definitely expect that from you.”       “Yeah, I agree, calling him impotent was too much,” Daniel exhales sharply. “But I’m absolutely right about the other things, and I don’t think I’m guilty. I’m not the reason why Rose has so many demons in his head.”       “Sorry, Daniel, but you’re doing a disgusting thing,” Raquelle says confidently. “What did Peter do to you to make you so mad at him? Knowing how you’re acting, we’re sure his reaction to your actions was absolutely normal. Anyone would go wild after the words you told him.”       “And you know, we’re starting to think you’re pretending,” Natalia adds. “Pretending to be good, while you are not. If you dared to betray your own friend and make him disappointed in you, you can’t be called good.”       “No, girls, don’t say it!” Daniel rounds his eyes. “Just because I fought with Peter a lot doesn’t mean you can call me a stinker.”       “But you’re acting like a stinker. Maybe, everything is otherwise, but until we know the whole story, we have the right to be afraid you are not the one you want to be.”       “Listen, Natalia, Raquelle… Yes, I recognize that I did a bad thing to him. But don’t defend him, ‘cause that man is also guilty. Peter is not holy and doesn’t deserve to be defended.”       “Can you finally tell us what happened between you?” Raquelle asks. “As Terrence said, both of you blame each other and refuse to tell him what happened. Is it so hard for you to recognize your fault in making Peter become like this because of you? You kind of know it’s true, but refuse to accept it.”       “I don’t say I’m not guilty at all. But Peter has a bigger fault. If you wanna find out something, ask him. The only thing I confess is that I got excited when I said he was impotent and bad at sex. I’m sorry in this case.”       “And notice – that’s why Peter attacked you with fists, and Terrence barely broke you up. You definitely hurt him much.”       “If Terrence hadn’t been there, I would’ve beaten the face of that idiot and washed his brains. He has needed a good shakeup a long time ago. Maybe, he’d wake up and realize something.”       “Sorry, Daniel, but it’s too much,” Anna says hesitantly, stepping back from Daniel. “Now we’ve really got the reasons to blame you for his problems. Everybody would blame you for the band’s breakup. Because you hurt him much with your mockeries.”       “I’m not guilty of that!” Daniel says confidently. “Why are you all so sure I made Peter an irresponsible and unbearable idiot? He has brains and clearly knows what he is doing. I don’t have to do with the demons he’s obsessed with.”       “Maybe, he’s guilty, but you made everything much worse. If he got problems much earlier than we think, these talks hurt Peter much more and make him feel much worse.”       “You know that I’ve tried to introduce him to girls several times and encouraged him to meet those we met on the streets. But he consciously refused even to look at someone. Even if we met very cute and clever-to-look girls. And then he pretended nothing happened and envied those, who were taken.”       “Listen, do you think a guy is kind of unhealthy if he doesn’t wanna date a girl and pick up everyone he meets?” Natalia wonders. “It seems like you think it’s bad when a man is just waiting for a good girl and doesn’t hang out with everyone that could have lots of lovers.”       “At least, I never rejected a girl and always agreed at least to talk to her. But he doesn’t even wanna say ‘hello’ to a girl. I know it’s hard, but everyone starts with something.”       “So, there is a reason,” Raquelle says confidently. “And if you keep acting so disgustingly and pressing on Peter with your evil comments about his relationship with girls and sex skills, he’ll never tell you everything and will stop respecting you and being able to trust you.”       “I'm gonna be honest, I feel sad about losing my friend, with whom I always spent a cool time. But since he decided to ruin our friendship and forget how much I’ve done for him, and how much we’ve overcome, it’s okay. And if the band is saved magically, Peter should leave it. Terrence and I aren’t able to work if that man is with us.”       “Don’t you feel sorry for Terrence?” Natalia asks with sadness in her eyes. “He’s tearing between you and trying to do just something to reconcile you and save the band. If Peter leaves the band or gets kicked out, it won’t solve the problem. Recognize that you need him as a drummer, and you wouldn’t be what you are without him. A new drummer might not understand your wishes and might insist that you become what you don’t wanna be.”       “Of course, I feel very sorry for Terrence. I’m sorry everything is happening. And now I could agree to talk to him about our band and suggest asking Rose to leave the band to keep reaching for our dream together.”       “Daniel…”       “Hey, Raquelle…” Daniel falls into silence for two seconds and then, frowning slightly, glances at Raquelle. “Why doesn’t Terrence answer my calls? I’ve tried to call him several times for the past two days, but he doesn’t answer.”       “Really?” Raquelle wonders. “He said he also tried to call you, but your phone was always unavailable. Terrence tried to call you and Peter for a long time, but later gave a damn about it.”       “Maybe, we were calling each other at a different time? Because my phone was really turned off for some time. I wanted to calm down and wasn’t ready to meet Terrence.”       “Maybe…” Raquelle pronounces thoughtfully and leans back in the sofa.       “Yeah, when are you gonna come together to talk about the band’s future?” Natalia asks. “None of you can hide and ignore each other forever. So, you and Peter would have to meet.”       “I know…” Daniel pronounces quietly.       “Moreover, Terrence often gets calls from George Smith, your manager,” Raquelle adds. “He’s afraid to answer calls ‘cause that man presses on him strongly and makes you three give him some stuff. That man literally wants MacClife to grab you by the collar, take you to the studio to work, and show cruelty toward you.”       “I saw George calling me several times, but I didn’t answer ‘cause I could say nothing to him.”       “How long are you gonna be ignoring him?” Natalia wonders. “Do you want him to go to your home and kick your ass?”       “The girls are right, Daniel…” Anna says quietly and puts her hand on Daniel’s shoulder, looking at him with sadness in her eyes. “Early or late, you’d have to meet and choose your band’s future. And you and Peter have to tell all your claims and try to reconcile if you want the band to have the same members and continue to follow the style you chose.”       “I know, sweet girls, but it’s gonna be very hard for us,” Daniel replies with sadness in his eyes. “Even if I’m ready to talk to Terrence, I don’t wanna impose on him. And… Despite the anger, I don’t want to make everything worse and have a bigger fight with Peter ‘till one of us sends another to a hospital. I’m done with what’s happening to you…”       “Terrence says almost the same,” Raquelle notices thoughtfully. “He thinks he isn’t ready to see both of you ‘cause he’d feel like being between two fires. He doesn’t like this situation and is close to disbanding the band at his wish. Without talking about his decision with you. Terrence is sick of fighting with you and being the only one to be interested in the salvation of the band.”       “Yeah, I completely get it… But we have only two ways: kicking Peter out and continuing to work as a duo, or disbanding the band and living a common life.”       “Don’t you wanna impose on Terrence because of Peter?” Natalia asks. “Because you’d have to meet the blond when deciding to talk about the band together.”       Daniel thinks for a few seconds and then exhales sharply, saying:       “Yes, Natalia… If I meet Terrence, I’ll have to meet Peter, too. But as I said, I don’t wanna have a much bigger fight with him and either end up in a hospital or bring him there. Now, while he is not here, I can talk about Rose quietly and feel a little sorry for him. But I think when I see him somewhere near, I’ll recall my offense.”       “But why are you mad at him?” Natalia wonders. “Just because he refused to work and began to go to clubs and drink?”       “Yeah, are you mad at him because he’s betraying you?” Anna asks. “Or is there another reason?”       Daniel thinks for a few seconds, being a little nervous and tightly locking his fingers. And then he exhales sharply and gets slowly straight.       “Maybe, I’m guilty of that to some extent…” Daniel says guiltily. “But Peter has a bigger fault. Because our conflict started because of him. Because of one thing he did.”       “What kind of thing?” Raquelle frowns slightly.       “I saw something was happening to Rose much earlier, but I didn’t pay attention to that and didn’t try to talk with him and tell me the truth…” Daniel glances aside. “Someday I saw he was in a bad mood and decided to encourage him. But instead of smiling and getting funnier, he suddenly got nuts and began to tell me some claims and blame me for something… That man was shouting at me for a long time, calling me bad words and pissing me off… I also got excited and started to talk back to him and shout at him… The conflict went wrong, and Rose slapped me in the face very strongly. It was the last drop. I slapped him back and shouted that he must’ve gone to get therapy… So, word by word, slap by slap, and Peter eventually got so nuts that he attacked me with fists and beat me quite strongly. And it goes without saying, I protected myself. He would’ve killed me easily, but he stopped in time and got out somewhere…”       Daniel’s story makes all the girls, who look at each other, shocked. Raquelle closes her mouth with a hand, Natalia shakes her head, and Anna looks at Daniel with sadness in her widely open eyes.       “My gosh…” Raquelle says quietly.       “Oh, wow…” Natalia whispers.       “Do you wanna say your relationship got worse because of Peter, who attacked you?” Anna wonders.       “Yes, that’s why all these fights happen between us,” Daniel replies with sadness in his eyes. “I can’t let him humiliate me and beat me so easily. It’s an attempt to protect myself.”       “So, it happens that your charges are partly right: Peter is really guilty of what happened,” Natalia concludes thoughtfully.       “But what did you tell him to make Peter so excited and attack you with fists and slaps?” Raquelle wonders.       “Well…” Daniel pronounces hesitantly, biting his lip slightly. “Nothing special… What I always do… As long as I told him that, Peter never reacted so excitedly. But then he suddenly got nuts…”       “So, did you start talking about his relationship with girls and touch a nerve?”       “I just told the truth that he refused to accept. I’m not the one to blame for him reacting to these things so excitedly.”       “Couldn’t you keep your mouth shut and see that the man felt hurt because of those talks?” Natalia wonders gloomily, crossing her arms over her chest. “Sorry, Daniel, the girls and I have nothing against you and treat you well. But you got what you deserved. Rose kicked you for the reason.”       “Believe me, girls, I didn’t want it to happen,” Daniel replies truly. “But that man made me too angry, and I had to protect myself from him. Peter has had some mental problems for a long time, but he didn’t wanna tell anyone about them ‘cause he was a coward. Though he’s always presented himself as an honest man, for whom telling the truth is a matter of honor. Now it's clear that it's just empty promises.       “Did Terrence know about that conflict?” Raquelle frowns slightly. “Was he a witness to that?”       “Nope, he left somewhere on that day. I can’t remember what he was doing, but Peter and I didn’t tell him the reason for our fight. Terrence quickly guessed that we fought, but he couldn’t guess when. He thought everything started during the tour with ‘The Loser Syndrome’ ‘cause Rose was kind of lost and behaving strangely at that time. But actually, it’s not true.”       “But how long ago did it happen?”       “The tour started in the middle of June, and we were there somewhere ‘till the beginning of August, and then we came back to New York. But two or three days later, the fight I told you about happened.”       “Were you at the studio or somewhere else?” Natalia asks.       “Nope, we were at Peter’s home. MacClife, Rose, and I agreed to meet at the blond’s home. We also wanted to ask Edward to help us, but we couldn’t reach him… But it doesn’t make sense… So, as I said, at some moment, Terrence left for a few minutes, and Peter and I stayed alone and fought to the hell…”       “Gosh, what a story…” Anna says thoughtfully. “Do you wanna say you’ve been fighting every time you meet and disrupting work since that day?”       “Yup… Sometimes I lost my temple, sometimes he went nuts… But we somehow managed to hold on and not to beat each other before Terrence’s eyes. We had only verbal fights. But on the day when we met together the last time, Peter attacked me.”       “Is there not a chance to solve everything?” Natalia asks with sadness in her eyes. “You were such good friends! Are you ready to ruin the friendship with Peter and not to give him a chance to explain everything?”       “I’m afraid, no…” Daniel sighs quietly. “It’s hurtful for me to know I’ve got no friend, but we can no longer get on well. At least, until Peter explains his behavior, apologizes for his disgusting behavior, and becomes the responsible man that I met a few years ago. But because he doesn’t think about it, I don’t even wanna talk to him.”       “Everything must have a reason,” Anna assumes confidently. “Peter couldn’t change so sharply and start to drink at his wish. I’m sure he has some problems, because of which he became the one.”       “Well, his mental health isn’t really fine… And I can’t say anything about other problems… But even if he has them, I’ve got no reason to blame myself for his problems. I’m guilty of nothing!”       “Don’t you actually care about him and even wanna try to take the first step to reconciliation?” Raquelle asks with sadness in her eyes. “Peter isn’t a stranger to you. You’ve known him for longer than all of us and know how to understand him.”       “If Peter doesn’t need friends and gives a damn about them, I’m not gonna waste my time on him and become his babysitter. He isn’t a little boy, and he can take care of him. But if Terrence cares about it, I won’t mind it and will let him do what he wants.”       “Don’t be so cruel, Daniel…” Anna says with sadness in her eyes. “Of course, all of our words are just assumptions, but I’m sure there is a part of the truth about them. And we could talk to Peter and see the condition he has. If you and Terrence leave him, we’ll do our best to help you save the band and get Pete out of depression.”       “Don’t get stuck on it, girls,” Daniel shakes his head and kisses Anna softly on the temple, holding her by the back of her head. “You have your own problems and shouldn’t think of how to save the band and help that man.”       “But we’re worried and want to help you and Peter at least stop fighting like a cat and a dog and save Terrence’s band,” Natalia says quietly. “Which he doesn’t wanna lose, even if he says he’s ready to sacrifice it in case he doesn’t reconcile you.”       “I’ll agree to stay in the band and fight for it if Peter leaves. That man will destroy us and get involved in the hole. But I still wanna make my dream come true and perform on a big stage in front of the public.”       “Remember that we still wanna hear your songs,” Raquelle says softly. “Somehow, I was at the studio and heard a little snippet of a song that I madly liked. You must release it. That song is definitely gonna be a masterpiece.”       “That song is not final,” Daniel replies with a slight smile. “We wrote it all together a long time ago, but we always wanna change something about it. It’s wonderful, but not perfect.”       “I’m sure that song would be wonderful in any performance,” Raquelle says confidently.       “Agree, but sadly, we’d hardly release it ‘cause the band might break up. Terrence wouldn’t probably aim to save it ‘cause he has all the opportunities to start a solo career. He won’t get upset if ‘Against The System’ is disbanded. But I can’t find other guys and get famous or create a new project on my own. It happens that everything depends on MacClife. His wish to save or destroy the band. He’s the only one, who could make it famous and gain popularity.”       “Anyway, we ask you not to give up and to fight for the band ‘till the end,” Anna says confidently. “Even if Terrence refuses, you will be able to gain popularity little by little. Many people know you, and someone still watches the covers that you published on YouTube. It would be a little easier for you to create your project and make your dream come true.”       “It would be great…” Daniel sighs quietly. “But I can’t be so sure about the success of my solo project because…”       Because Daniel’s mobile phone, lying in the pocket of his jeans, starts to ring, he does not say what he wants. While Raquelle, Anna, and Natalia look at each other questioningly and watch the man closely, he gets up slowly, comes to the window, takes his smartphone, and answers the call.       “Hello,” Daniel pronounces without emotions.       “Another idler has been found and stopped ignoring my calls!” the stranger exclaims loudly. “You did make me unbelievably happy, guys!”       “Mr. Smith?” Daniel asks hesitantly, rounding his eyes. “Is that you?”       “No, holy shit, it’s your girlfriend!” George replies rudely. “Of course, it’s me! George Smith himself!”       “Erm… Excuse me… I… Did not think you would call me…”       “Ha, he did not think!” George blunts coldly. “Mr. Perkins, actually, I tried to call you on your mobile several times. But you answered none of my calls. But you saw all my calls and knew I was looking for you.”       “Mr. Smith, let me explain everything…”       “I want to hear nothing! Do not try to excuse yourself for your behavior.”       “I do not try to excuse… I just…”       “Shut up and listen to me, young man. So, I am going to be waiting for you and your band at my office of your PR agency by three hours o’clock. I’ve already warned another idler and the most responsible man, who does just something to save your band, about the meeting. So, you may not get busy with calls. And I swear, if I do not see your wonderful trio at my office, sitting in front of me in one line, you will regret it.”       “Erm, yes, sure, I will go to your office,” Daniel agrees hesitantly, running his hand through his hair.       “I hope, Mr. Perkins,” George throws gloomily. “Do not dare to ignore my order. Or I will have to go to your home and get something into your empty head.”       “No, no, do not worry… I will surely come at three, as you wish.”       “Excellent! Do not forget: at three hours, at my office, it’s mandatory. And yeah, I want to bold the phrase ‘it’s mandatory’. Because it’s not a plea, it’s an order! I hope I said it clearly?”       “Yes, you did…”       “That’s all! Talk later at the meeting. See you soon.”       George sharply turns off the call, and Daniel locks the phone and thinks for some time, understanding he does not like this idea. At some moment, Raquelle, Natalia, and Anna come to the man, while he looks through the window with a thoughtful gaze and looks tense enough.       “Who was it, Daniel?” Anna asks, putting her hand on Daniel’s shoulder. “Who called you?”       “You kind of changed after this call,” Raquelle notices, embracing herself with her arms and frowning slightly.       “It seems like you were told something terrible,” Natalia says thoughtfully.       “I’d say so…” Daniel replies quietly and slowly turns on the girls. “It was George Smith, the manager of our band… He told me to go to ‘Dark Side Management’, the PR agency, which promotes us.”       “He asked you to come there for a talk?” Anna asks.       “Yeah, he ordered, not asked. He can’t ask.” Daniel exhales sharply. “He can only be rude to everyone and give orders…”       “Is George so terrible?” Natalia asks.       “He is! But now I don’t care about him… I care about one thing… The case is that I’m not gonna be alone at the meeting. George also invited Terrence and Peter.”       “Terrence and Peter?” Anna wonders. “So, do they know about the meeting?”       “Most likely. He said he called them and told them to go to the agency.”       “Oh, it seems like a hurricane is coming…” Raquelle pronounces quietly.       “Exactly, a hurricane!” Daniel exclaims, rubbing his forehead slightly with his hand. “I don’t like this idea… I don’t wanna meet George, Peter, and Terrence. I wanna see them less than anything! And okay… I’d take a meeting with Terrence quietly. But I don’t wanna meet Smith and Rose…”       “But, honey, you can't avoid this meeting,” Anna notices. “It should’ve happened early or late.”       “I know, Anna… I wouldn’t really avoid this meeting. Otherwise, George will annoy me at my own home if I don’t go to his office.”       “He can?” Natalia gets a little surprised.       “He can! I can confidently say that man is not the kindest and holiest one, and he always treats people rudely. The guys and I have never heard kind words from him.”       “Maybe, he is nervous because of what’s happening?” Raquelle assumes. “When the problems are solved, he may get kinder…”       “No, Raquelle, Smith’s case is hopeless. I don’t even hope that he'll get better,” Daniel exhales sharply. “And sadly, I’ll have to meet him and find out what he wants.”       “You said you had to be there at three o’clock?” Anna asks shyly.       “Yup, I’ll go there by three… I think I have time to get morally ready for the meeting that won’t be over well.”       “At least try to control yourself and not to attack the poor Peter,” Natalia says with sadness in her eyes. “I understand you’re mad at him, but you won’t get anything by doing that.”       “I can’t promise anything. But if Rose isn’t brainless, he’ll understand that he’ll make his situation worse by fighting with me before George’s eyes.”       While Anna, Raquelle, and Natalia look at each other with sadness in their eyes, Daniel glances at the watch that he is wearing on his hand.       “Okay, I’ll probably put on something different,” Daniel says thoughtfully. “And then, I’ll probably go down and eat something… I won't bother you… Have a nice time, girls, feel like home.”       Daniel slightly claps Raquelle and Natalia on the shoulder, softly kisses Anna on her forehead, caresses her cheek tenderly, goes to the stairs, and gets up. The girls watch the man with sadness in their eyes, still trying to accept what they found out, and say nothing until the brunet hides.       “Yeah, I would’ve never thought such a funny man like Peter would do that,” Anna sighs quietly, shaking her head.       “Nothing is amazing!” Raquelle exclaims, crossing her arms over her chest. “It’s easy – Daniel brought Peter to that and got what he was asking for. I’m more surprised that Pete was actually taking all of that for so long.”       “Probably, Perkins understands it but refuses to recognize he’s guilty,” Natalia assumes thoughtfully, scratching the back of her head.       “The problem is not only about their conflict…” Anna notices. “Daniel is partly right. Something is not right with Peter.”       “Maybe…” Raquelle says thoughtfully. “Terrence said Peter was laughing, smiling much and pretending he had no problems.”       “Maybe, has he really had problems for a long time?” Natalia asks. “But he’s been hiding them under the mask of a sanguine man!”       “Do you think he could be laughing so much just because it’s his protective reaction?” Anna rounds her eyes.       “Why not?” Natalia shrugs. “Of course, there are sanguine people, who get pleasure from life and look at everything positively. But there are those, who just pretend to be…”       “At least, we know just something now,” Raquelle notices thoughtfully. “Peter really has problems. He couldn’t get depression for nothing. And I’m sure it has to do with his relationships with girls.”       “Yeah, but it’s kind of strange that Peter doesn’t meet girls on purpose,” Natalia notices. “Daniel does always notice it for the reason.”       “Maybe, he likes someone? Peter seems like quite a good guy, who doesn’t run after everything in a skirt and would be loyal to his girlfriend. So, it could explain why he refuses to meet girls.”       “Who knows…” Natalia sighs quietly. “What if he just meets skanks that don’t need permanent relationships, and Peter easily sees them through and rejects them?”       “But there must be at least one good girl that doesn’t change men,” Raquelle notices and frowns slightly. “Or is Daniel right to some extent, and Peter has problems with it?”       “But saying these things openly is terribly mean. Daniel should better imagine himself instead of Peter and what he would feel if he was told he was an impotent that was just horrible at sex.”       “Gosh, he does understand everything,” Anna says confidently. “He doesn’t just wanna confess it. Maybe, he’s too mad and not ready to forgive Peter for what happened. But I think Daniel would eventually say he did a terrible thing and confess that he brought his friend to that.”       “Ah, girls, we’re starting to guess and think up something…” Natalia sighs tiredly and hugs Raquelle and Anna around the shoulders. “Perkins will go to meet the manager and the guys, and we’ll be able to know just something that would help us make the situation clearer.”       “Probably…” Raquelle says thoughtfully. “The guys won’t be silent during the meeting like fishes in the water and stare at the floor as their manager swears at them. They’ll have to speak and say at least a couple of words.”       “I’m sure it would happen. But now let’s forget about the band’s problems, at least for a while, and start to be happy about our lives,” Natalia smiles widely, falsely. “We need to get as much pleasure as possible!”       “Friend, didn’t you get sick?” Anna frowns slightly, looking at Natalia suspiciously and crossing her arms over her chest. “What’s up, honey? You were gloomy and literally burying yourself some time ago. But now you tell us to be happy about life.”       “Well, I just had a bad mood,” Natalia replies with a wide, false smile, rolling her eyes. “But now I feel much better and wanna stop always thinking of bad things.”       “Gosh… Did you reconcile with Edward?”       “Nope, I haven’t,” Natalia shakes her head with sadness in her eyes. “But now I don’t care about it! The important thing is that I have my beloved friends, who won’t let me be sad and will always find a way to make my mood better. I need to talk to you a little to make my mood much better.”       “Your mood changes so fast,” Anna replies thoughtfully, still frowning her forehead and looking at Natalia with suspicion. “I can’t get used to your changes…”       “I just don’t wanna withdraw into myself,” Natalia looks around the whole living room with a slight smile and stops her eyes on a big TV that is hanging in front of the sofas. “Oh, let's watch some movies? What are they translating on TV? A good movie? Or maybe, Anna has some DVDs?”       “Yes, let's really see what there is here,” Raquelle suggests, playing along with Natalia but thinking her behavior is very strange. “Daniel will leave soon, and we'll stay alone. Well… Or we could go to the city and go to a cinema in case they show something good.”       “Nice idea, friend,” Natalia replies cheerfully with a slight smile. “I'm sure we'd find what to do.”       “You found an interesting way to stop worrying about the fight with your boyfriend,” Anna notices thoughtfully.       “It's the best thing I can do.” Natalia pulls a bracelet on her hand nervously and exhales sharply. “C'mon, girls, let's see what we can watch!”       Natalia goes sharply to another side of the living room, smiling widely and trying hard to seem to be cheerful and happy. At some moment, Anna throws a questioning look at Raquelle and then does the same to Raquelle, who smiles slightly and puts a finger on her lips, as if she says they should be silent. The girl quickly understands that they should not better ask Natalia about her behavior and her relationship with Edward.       

***

      Meanwhile, Edward is sitting at home, in his room, and lying on the bed, looking at the ceiling with his dead eyes. The man is too excited because of the call he got two days ago, and he is afraid he can do nothing to prevent some trouble. He does not doubt that the stranger will call him soon and wish to go much further and hurt someone.       While Edward thinks about how to save his close people and how to tell them about the threats, Victoria enters his small room, looking at the man with sadness in her eyes.       “So, Edward, did you decide to live with your friend’s mother?” Victoria asks softly. “Or are you still thinking?”       “No, I’m still thinking,” Edward replies thoughtfully, leaning on the wall with his back and bending his legs at his knees.       “And what stops you?” Victoria sits on the bed and caresses Edward’s hand.       “I just don’t want to leave you alone…”       “Sweetie, I completely understand that you don’t want to leave me. But you said that you got deeply attracted to that woman. And she asked you if you wanted to live with her.”       “But you aren’t also a strange to me,” Edward says softly, straights his legs, sits up, and takes Victoria’s hands. “I have been attracted to you for the years we have lived together. I started to consider you my second mother. If not for you, I would’ve had to ask homeless people to let me live with them because I have no money for my own place.”       “But you can always visit me and drink tea or coffee with me. I would always accept you with great pleasure and maybe even ask you to help me with something. You wouldn’t refuse to do a little thing for me.”       “Of course, no! If you need something, tell me, and I will do everything.”       “Now you see it! We wouldn’t say farewell if you left this place.”       “But I don’t want to leave you forever. Even if I decide to move, it will be a hard decision.”       “Do you doubt the way she treats you? Or haven’t you gotten too attracted to her?”       “No, Mrs. Richardson!” Edward rounds his eyes sharply. “I’ve already told you that I madly love Mrs. MacClife and been tightly attracted to her. She gives me the warmth that I was deprived of many years ago. She is spreading the kindness… With her, I feel much better than with anyone else. Nobody can give me the relief that kind and sweet woman can give.”       “But what’s the problem?” Victoria wonders.       “It would just be hard for me to change my place…” Edward says hesitantly and sighs quietly. “Yes, I always dreamed of living in a similar house, but I would need time to get used to it.”       “You will, honey,” Victoria caresses Edward’s shoulder with a slight smile. “You get used to good things quickly. That would be great if you lived in a better place! And if you are lucky, you will be able to find a good job and earn money for your own place and something. All of your clothes are so old! You have worn many of them literally since a teenage age.”       “I’m kind of used to what I have now,” Edward shrugs, looking at Victoria with a sad gaze. “But I really wear clothes that I wore when I was a teenager… I’m lucky I still fit them and didn’t probably gain too much weight. I’m lucky to have my genes. Or I would have literally to wear only underwear…”       “But you can’t wear teenage clothes forever. Either they don’t fit you or they will tear. Many clothes of yours are about to be thrown in a trash can.”       “I have something to choose yet. But if someday I have to throw my old clothes away, I will think up something. Maybe, my friend will have some clothes he doesn’t need and give them to me. We have the same cloth size, and his clothes will fit me.”       “I’m sure he’ll give you something. If you’re so attracted to each other and became like brothers, there’s nothing bad in sharing something. My late husband often shared something with his younger brother, who wore the old ones.”       “Well, you can think I’ve found a solution!” Edward smiles shyly. “Terrence is not greedy and would give me something if I didn’t have clothes.”       “Anyway, when you get money and your own home, you will be able to leave Mrs. MacClife and move to your place.”       “Unfortunately, it will be just my dream. I will never find a good job, for which I would get great money.”       “Do you want me to ask my familiar people about some job for you? Maybe, they would have something good for you!”       “Oh, no, no, don’t need…” Edward refuses gently, massaging his neck. “Thanks for the suggestion that I will remember, but I hope I will find something good.”       “When you are going to get married and provide for your wife and your children, you won’t be able to feed your family thanks to one-sided jobs.”       “My gosh, Mrs. Richardson, don’t talk about my wedding and especially children…”       “Why not? You are dating a good girl. If you keep dating, someday you will get a wish to make her your wife.”       “Honestly, I don’t think it will lead to that.”       “Why? I’ve seen that girl a couple of times, but I truly loved her and think she fits you well. She seemed very sweet, kind, and perfectly educated.”       “There are many reasons for that…”       “I think there’s something you don’t want to say.” Victoria closely looks at the sad Edward and softly caresses his hand, while he looks down, bending his legs under himself. “You’ve not been yourself for a long time… Sad… Lost… What’s going on, sweetie? Share your sadness!”       “No, there is no secret…” Edward says quietly, nervously fingering over. “What could I hide, in your opinion?”       “Well, for example… The problems with your girlfriend… I see you get sad when she is mentioned.”       “Nope…” Edward lies, moving his eyes aside. “I don’t get sad because of her… Why would I be sad when my girlfriend is mentioned?”       “Maybe, you just fought, and are you worried?”       “Erm, yes, we had an argument,” Edward looks at Victoria with sadness in his eyes. “Had different opinions… I wanted one thing, she wanted another…”       “Oh, it’s not been six months since you started to date, but you confront because of stupid things. What are you gonna do, guys?”       “Honestly, it’s very hard for me to imagine how someone could live with a girl, who easily gets hurt by any word. I said nothing bad, but it hurt her so much that she started a serious scandal.”       “Yes, sometimes, girls may be too offensive and emotional… But they should learn to find a compromise and agree when someone’s decision is better than theirs.”       “I doubt I could teach her that. And I’m not gonna do…”       “But, Edward, if you do nothing, your problem won’t be solved by itself. Talk to that girl and tell each other everything you want to try to find a compromise together.”       “No, Mrs. Richardson, that’s impossible…” Edward inclines his head and glances at his hands. “I’m not ready to accept what’s happening and fight with my girlfriend because of stupid things every time we have a misunderstanding.”       “But why?” Victoria wonders. “Don’t you love her anymore? If people love each other, they should find compromises and not stop fighting for their relationship to make it better than before.”       “Yes, I know… But I’m not ready to take the character of that girl and suffer from her hysterics caused by stupid things.”       “Do you want to break up with her?”       “I don’t know…”       “Edward, you must not treat your relationship so irresponsibly. I completely understand that you don’t like to fight with someone. But it’s a part of our lives. There is no one, who has never fought with anyone.”       “It’s true, but…” Edward does not say what he wants and bites his lip slightly, fingering over nervously.       “What?” Victoria frowns slightly.       “Erm, it doesn’t matter…” Edward shakes his head. “You shouldn’t know it… Don’t think I’m rude, but I don’t really want to talk about it. At least now. I need to reflect on much and decide what to do…”       “Ah, Edward, what’s happening to you?” Victoria sighs heavily and caresses Edward’s shoulder and hand with sadness in her eyes. “If I knew everything you’re hiding so hard, I would try to advise you something.”       “Don’t think about it. You shouldn’t think of what you don’t have to do with.”       “But I worry about you and want you to be happy and start to live a good life. You always run somewhere excitedly and never stay in the same place.”       “I can’t stay in the same place,” Edward smiles shyly. “I always need to do something not to go crazy from boredom and sadness.”       “Everything depends on you, my boy. But whatever happens, don’t forget that you can always ask me for help.”       “Ah, Mrs. Richardson, I know you’re a very kind person, who is always ready to help and support,” Edward replies softly, caressing Victoria’s cheek. “But I can overcome everything that’s happening in my life. Life made my character stronger and made me tough enough to overcome anything.”       “I know you have a strong spirit. But never say you’re ready for anything and fear nothing. Remember, someday you may run into a problem that you wouldn’t solve without someone’s help. Sometimes a wish to become a hero and prove that you can do many things gives you nothing good.”       Edward says nothing and inclines his head, looking at his hands and thinking of something that makes him nervous. Victoria watches him and smiles slightly with a wish to comfort the man a little and let him know she would always be by his side.       “Okay, sweetie, don’t be sad, everything’s gonna be fine,” Victoria comforts. “You will reconcile with your girlfriend, she will learn not to get mad at stupid things, and you will find a good job and earn money for your own home.”       “I’d like to believe it,” Edward replies quietly, smiling with the corners of his mouth.       “Hope dies last. Whatever happens to you, never bury your head in the sand with the hope that everything will be solved by itself. Sometimes time doesn’t help you solve problems and does make them worse.”       “I know…”       Victoria sighs heavily and looks at Edward, who moves a sad gaze to a small window. And two seconds later, she pulls down a sleeve of her shirt, saying:       “Oh, alright, I’m afraid you’d have to stay alone… I need to go to a shop for one hour and buy something.”       “Yes, sure…” Edward smiles slightly. “Do you want me to go with you and help you carry packs?”       “Oh, no, thanks, my sunshine, I need to buy a couple of things. I can carry them by myself. So, stay home and do something. If you wanna eat, you will find something tasty in a refrigerator.”       “Alright, I will do it. Thanks a lot.”       Victoria silently caresses Edward’s cheek with a wish to see his true smile, which she has not seen for ages.       “It’s gonna be fine, don’t be sad,” Victoria says cheerfully. “A bad steak can’t last forever.”       Victoria slowly gets up from the bed and leaves the room of Edward, who watches the woman with a sad gaze until she closes the door. And then the man looks around the whole room and puts his head on the pillow, bending his legs at his knees, setting his eyes on the white ceiling with yellow spots and cracks. And some time later, Edward starts to sing a simple song quietly under his breath, calling the memories of forgotten words and playing its soft, touching melody.       Signing always helps him get a little better. The man smiles slightly as he imagines himself performing on a big stage in front of a big crowd that does not want him to leave. Edward would like to be a musician and perform his own songs. But he understands he would not gain popularity and get into the celebrity world. That’s why the only thing the man can comfort himself with is his fantasies about everyone loving him as a musician and buying his albums.       Edward does not notice anything and does not hear a sudden call at once. After singing the song until the middle of a second verse and making a crowd applaud at him in his dreams, the man comes back from heaven to earth, sits up with a quiet sigh, reluctantly reaches for his mobile phone, and looks at the screen. He sees that the number of the incoming call is familiar to him and moans quietly before he puts the phone to his ear and asks with his eyes rolled up:       “What’s up?”       “Oh, I see you got brains to look at the phone screen!” the stranger replies cheerfully, who called Edward two days ago. “Well done, boy, seems like you are getting smarter!”       “But you are still stupid.” Edward bends his left arm, in which he is holding the phone, at an elbow and leans on the flat of his left hand with an elbow of his right hand with his eyes rolled. “And if you wanted to tell a joke, you failed it.”       “I no longer believe I would have to confess that I am not right someday. Confess that you are not a worthless piece of shit.”       “I am still waiting for a beautiful day when you get brains and wish to leave me alone?”       “Do not snap at me, you, pathetic boy!” the stranger demands rudely. “Or I will kill you earlier than I want.”       “You will not do it because you want to feel more pleasure. I know you well. You are a lover of making everything longer. You watched too many telenovelas, in which they loved making everything longer.”       “No, my sweetie,” the stranger laughs evilly. “Telenovelas are your thing. You are a sentimental and romantic guy, who cannot act like a real man. And definitely chokes with tears when watching a movie, in which the main character dies tragically.”       “Ha, do you want to replay it in real life?”       “Why not? I’m sure any woman would like this movie.”       “Fuck, when would you leave me alone?” Edward growls irritably, running his hand over his face. “Sometimes I want to break my phone not to hear your disgusting voice.”       “Oh, you can expect it as long as you want, but it will never happen,” the stranger laughs quietly. “Because I will not give up and will get what I want.”       “Yeah, what are you going to do next?” Edward rolls his eyes. “When you kill me and those, you want to get out of your way! You will die of boredom if you have nobody to chase. And your accomplices will become totally stupid if they do not work their brains at least a little to work on your orders.”       “Do not worry, I have a lot of grandiose plans. But unfortunately, you will not learn about them. Because you will probably be dead.”       “Many grandiose plans of stealing someone’s money,” Edward hums. “We both know well that all these millions do not belong to you, and you have no right to use them. No cent belongs to you.”       “And you do want to steal at least one-hundredth of the money,” the stranger smirks contemptuously. “Buy a one-room apartment in an old building that is about to fall. You got so sick of being a homeless beggar and using people’s kindness, who agree to feed you.”       “I live where I am living now very well. And I know the money wouldn’t make me happier.”       “Ah, Edward, don’t try to make me sure you are not jealous of those, who live much better than you. You are surrounded by people, who have enough money. You look at them and ask yourself why you aren’t able to live like them.”       “Stop making yourself sure your lie is the truth. I am madly glad I did not become rich. I learned to budget money and not to waste money on everything.”       “Yeah, you have not been caught at nightclubs drinking alcohol or watching half-naked strippers that would be getting great money from you and pleasing their little puppy. This is the only thing I could agree with.”       “But money made you much worse a long time ago. And you have not learned to earn it honestly. The house where you are living got a luxury redesign, you hired many people, who run after you like tales… You even bought a big yacht for yourself… You probably decided to shake up and go to nightclubs and have fun with prostitutes, who are ready to sleep with you just for money.”       “You talk too much, shabby puppy.”       “I’m surprised that you have not got a lover that would fall in love with your great money and agree to stand your ugly face just for millions of dollars.”       “Don’t worry, Edward, if I like a girl, I will easily seduce her with gorgeous gifts and everything she wants. If a girl was too beautiful, I would spare no money for her.”       “But you know, I’m not surprised that nobody wants to lie in your bed and have sex with you. You are ugly outside and inside! Only a bastard like you could be by your side. The same as your pathetic accomplices. And you would be very lucky if someday you met a corrupt girl, who would be too stupid to be ready to be with such a nasty bastard.”       “You, fucking puppy, got too arrogant! That’s what jealousy for those, who are more successful and luckier than you, is doing to you. A little later, your close people will know you are not an angel.”       “I swear I will find a way to tie your hands and legs and not to let you make your dirty plans come true that would harm my close people.”       “You will never do it! Because I will strike blows much earlier than you realize what happened.”       “Yeah, where are you going to strike blows? Stomach? Back? Or maybe, you strike blows somewhere else? Think up something new, gentleman! And do it with your own hands, not with the hands of those bastards that work for you and kiss your legs.”       “Do not be arrogant to me!” the stranger hisses, being irritated. “You are a kid, who can’t tell me what to do. I’m much older and know much more than such a brainless puppy like you.”       “No matter what your age is, you will never learn to be kinder and fairer to people,” Edward replies confidently, rolling his eyes and humming. “You will keep being the nasty scumbag that you have been since you were born.”       “My dear, let’s not forget you are not sinless, too,” the stranger sneers contemptuously. “I know something about you that would not make you more charming. That would stop making people think you’re so holy and good.”       Edward swallows up nervously, understanding what the man means and being afraid a secret would be revealed.       “Yeah, are you sure about it?” Edward asks in a low voice.       “We both know well what you do not want to tell your close people,” the stranger replies confidently. “You’re afraid that people will think you’re as disgusting as your father is. Not sure if they will accept you after revealing all your secrets.”       “I am afraid only of one thing. You might make everything different. Not what it actually was.”       “It’s not your case. I am aware of everything and do not doubt that many people would turn their backs on you if they found out everything that happened a few years ago.”       “I would like to know what kind of proof you could give them to prove my fault.”       “I would not have to,” the stranger smiles slyly. “First, I can bring here those, who would give you up. Second, you know how well I can make people sure about what I need. And lastly, everybody would believe it. Because there would be those, who would confirm everything. And then nobody would have doubts about your dark past.”       “Those, who really love me, would never believe the bullshit you would tell them.”       “Do not be so confident, Edward. I understand you don’t want someone to know about your sins and do your best to keep being an innocent angel, who is very unlucky. But early or late, everyone would know everything and turn their back on you, believing you are the same stinker as your father is.”       “I’m not similar to my father! And you are a more disgusting bastard than the one, who is not an angel but would never go as far as you did.”       “No matter how hard you deny it, you took much after your father and cannot control yourself in some situations. We both know what a sick scumbag that man was. But I think you outdid him and are about to become a more terrible bastard for those, who do not know who they have by their side.”       “You know amazingly much. It seems like you get into people’s heads and find out what they think about.”       “Believe me, my sweet Edward, I know much more than you think. There are many things that you wrongly think are true or false. There is something you take wrongly and what you don’t know yet.”       “You have always been able to find dirt on anyone and shower them with mud by telling a dirty lie.”       “You are right about it. I can do everything because I have many contacts. And maybe, someday, I will tell you very many things that can change the situation. And it will probably make you regret being born in this world.”       “What do you want to say?” Edward frowns slightly.       “I repeat, someday you will probably know everything. But now I do not want to tell you anything and am focused only on the goal that I have been reaching all my life.”       “Ha, you can say nothing! I know what you want to say. And I don’t get better or worse.”       “Are you really sure?” the stranger wonders with a sly smile. “Alright! Since you do not doubt it, keep doing this. But still, I have something to tell you right now.”       “Will you shower me with mud again and do your best to hide your sins, for which you will never pay enough?”       “No, Edward, not that. If you have not lost your memory, two days ago I told you I had some news that would get you shocked. And I think now I need to make you ‘happy’.”       “Came up with another treat to scare me?”       “No, I constantly threaten you and will not stop doing this until you die,” the stranger laughs quietly. “I just have the news that has to do with your father.”       “I don’t have to do with it.”       “Really? Edward! Don’t you miss your daddy, whom you ran away from many years ago? Didn’t your tender heart miss a beat when you went outside with your things and left the house of your father and stepmother?”       “I want to know nothing about the one, who has never loved me. And I still do not regret it. My father would have made me crazy and feel like a pathetic reject. Well, I think I’m a piece of shit because of you.”       “You know, my dear, I can understand you. Because I did not also get enough love from my parents. I know the pain you feel.”       “My relationship with Father does not have to do with you,” Edward hisses irritably. “And I repeat, I do not want to know anything about my father or how he lives. If he does not need me, he is not so important to me.”       “That’s how! Say, how would you react if you were told he was about to die or about his tragic death? Would you keep hating that man and not be worried about his life?”       “Tragic death?” Edward swallows up nervously, taking a breath away. “What do you want to say?”       “Unfortunately, Edward, your father is dead.”       Edward rounds his eyes and gets sharply white from horror. He can barely move his lips and feels his throat get dry. The man sharply gets up from the bed and starts to breathe heavily, shaking his head and putting his hand on his forehead or running it through his hair.       “No…” Edward pronounces, barely moving his lips. “W-what did you say? No… No, it cannot be true… Cannot…”       “Sadly, my sweetie, but your father is dead,” the stranger replies confidently, without regret. “I was personally told that my brother was dead.”       “You are lying to me!” Edward shouts, breathing much heavier as he walks in circles in the room nervously. “It couldn’t have happened! Father did not die! He is alive! Alive!”       “Sorry, Edward, but you should know what happened to your dad.”       “You cannot know it! How do you know it’s true? And how would you confirm it?”       “Using my contacts, I found out that he died somewhere in the sea… I don’t know what he was doing, but I organized the search, which was not successful. I didn’t want to tell you everything before, but since everything was confirmed, and there was an assumption that this man killed himself, accept my condolences.”       “Stop lying, you, old bastard!” Edward shouts much louder. “My father is alive and healthy! You will not make me sure he wanted to kill himself and jump in the sea!”       “My people can confirm it. If you want, I will ask them to go to my home, and you will ask them anything you want to know.”       “If you have to do with it, I swear you will pay a great cost,” Edward says rudely. “YOU WILL PAY ME, HEAR ME!”       “And you say you don’t care about what’s happening to him,” the stranger smirks contemptuously. “You got so excited after such a shocking piece of news. It proves that you can’t pretend at all. You are a too bad actor.”       “You killed him!” Edward says confidently, strongly clenching his free hand into a hard fist, breathing heavier and holding his mobile phone so tightly that it’s about to tear apart. “YOU KILLED HIM! YOU KILLED MY FATHER!”       “So, did you make sure you would have no time to do anything to save those, who are dear to you?” the stranger laughs evilly. “Your father is now lying somewhere on the bottom of the sea. I guess only bones left from him.”       “You, asshole… Pathetic nasty asshole, who much be in prison. I SWEAR I WILL PUT YOU THERE AND MAKE YOU PAY FOR THE CRIME!”       “Calm down, my boy, calm down, I’m not deaf. Do not yell at me and get insane because you didn’t say farewell to your daddy. You should have made your stupid brains work to know you would never see your father after leaving his house.”       “I hate you…” Edward pronounces in a low, shaking voice. “Hate you, HATE! BASTARD! I WISH YOU BURNT IN HELL! YOU WILL PAY ME FOR KILLING MY FATHER!”       “Now you made sure everything was very serious,” the stranger replies confidently. “I got the idiot, because of who my whole life went wrong, out of my way. And I hope you would be the next. Maybe, you got off me and used one of your nine lives like a cat, but you will die next time and go to heaven to your daddy. To beg for forgiveness.”       “Don’t dare to stand in my way,” Edward screams at the top of his lungs, feeling he is on edge because of the stranger, who managed to make such a quiet and peaceful man enraged. “I SWEAR I WILL STRANGLE YOU WITH MY OWN HANDS!”       “You will have no courage and power, barking puppy,” the stranger smiles slyly. “You can only say loud words, but you are actually a coward.”       “BUT THIS TIME, EVERYTHING WILL BE OTHERWISE! I WISH YOU DIED, MOTHERFUCKER!”       Edward sharply turns off the call and throws the phone against the wall as strongly as possible with a loud shout. But the thing remains almost unharmed. It has only a few chips on the sides and a couple of scratches on the screen. But the man does not care about it and just tries to get over the emotions. This is the moment when he wants to turn time back upon and say he loved his father, despite nothing. All the offenses Edward has kept for ages and all the unpleasant moments that have to do with that man are instantly forgotten and moved to the last place.       “No, no, no, it couldn’t happen…” Edward pronounces in a low voice, nervously walking in circles in the whole room and feeling he is strongly shaking and how fast his heart is beating. “That scumbag is lying… Lying…”       Edward stops his eyes on a small table near the bed and sharply throws everything off it with a loud shout. That’s why everything falls on the floor with a crush.       “THIS SCUMBAG IS LYING!” Edward screams at the top of his lungs, literally pulling his hair out, breathing heavily, and fighting with a wish to break something else. “HE COULD NOT FIND FATHER, COULD NOT!”       Edward runs his hands over his face, shaking from excitement much stronger.       “But if that bastard found my father, I will skin him,” Edward says with evil in his eyes. “That asshole will pay me for everything! No, he will no longer hurt anyone… Won’t dare to do that! I couldn’t foresee it would happen to Father, but I won’t let him find the others. It’d be better if that scumbag dealt with me and killed me… I’d rather die than let him harm someone else.”       When Edward decided to leave his father’s home, he wanted to say he would love him, despite nothing. But he did not say that because he was too mad at this man for how unfairly that man treated him. And now Edward will regret not reminding his father about his love and respect for him and not apologizing for being a bad son. He does not want to believe in the death of his close person, but he understands that the stranger could commit the promised attack and starts to destroy those, who stand in his way.       Edward loses control little by little and stops being the discreet and quiet guy that all his close people know. And later, the man sharply throws everything off the writing table with a loud shout and hits his fist against the wall. That’s why he immediately feels a strong pain that he does not care about, however. After this, Edward hits his fists against the wall and the pillow on the bed again, crying loudly and letting his emotions go outside. But it’s not enough to get over the pain of losing the close person and realizing that he will not get back to him anymore.       Still breathing heavily and looking around nervously, Edward is fighting with a wish to destroy the whole apartment that he got inside him and is tearing it apart. But completely understanding that it’s not his apartment, and he might get kicked out of here, the man just throws everything he looks at on the floor. He hits his fists against the wall so strongly that they get tracks of blood, and he gets an itchy throat because of his loud shouts. But some time later, Edward breathing heavily powerlessly sits on his bed and throws his widely open eyes around the room, literally pulling out his hair, fighting with a wish to shed a tear of despair and wishing everything was just a dream. At some moment, he falls on the bed and closes his face with his hands, swearing to revenge for his father’s death and not to let anyone else be killed by the man, who is definitely dangerous to everybody, who surrounds Lockhart.       

***

      It's more than three o’clock. A building of the PR agency “Dark Side Management” that works on promoting artists and controlling their work. A man named George Smith has been waiting for the members of the band “Against The System”, Terrence, Peter, and Daniel, at his office. While MacClife came here a long time ago, Rose and Perkins have not done it yet. That’s why George gets mad, as he is walking in circles around the whole office. Terrence is sitting on a sofa, looking a little tense and looking at everything he sees in the spacious office made of white colors.       On a big white working table, there are some pieces of paper, an expensive stationary computer, a keyboard, a mouse, a smartphone, a little desktop lamp, and a glass with a few pens, pencils, and scissors. A few chandeliers are placed on the white ceiling. Glossy tiles of the same color are placed on the floor. And a high ceiling window opens a perfect view of a bigger part of the city from a bird's-eye view. And moreover, three crème sofas are placed in front of the writing table. Terrence is sitting on one of them while glancing at a couple of pictures hanging on a wall closer to the window.       George Smith, a person with an average height of about forty-three with short, light brown hair and little hairlines on his sides, is now nervously walking in the gorgeous office in a high building of the agency. His face does not look kind, and his little hazel eyes are full of anger and hate for everything and everyone.       “So, it’s almost ten past,” George says thoughtfully, pulling down a sleeve of his coffee jacket. “Where are those two idlers? I have not seen Rose or Perkins!”       “They will come, do not doubt it,” Terrence tries to keep calm, sitting on the sofa and not looking at George. “Since you asked, none of them will dare to refuse to keep a promise.”       “Yeah, sure…” George hums, rolling his eyes. “I would kick those two with a belt! If they were little boys, I would do that and make them feel a sense of responsibility. So they think much before they start scandals next time.”       “I completely understand you are not happy with it. This situation is unpleasant for me, too. I’m going to be honest, I am sick of running after them and trying to wake them up.”       “Unpleasant? No, Mr. MacClife, I’m not unhappy, I am terribly angry and resentful! Unhappy is too soft to say!”       “You do know I tried to do my best to solve this problem.”       “But you did not complete your mission!” George sharply stops and turns on Terrence. “And now I have to do it much crueler. I am not going to be tender to anyone of you and will make you do what you must.”       “Listen, Mr. Smith…”       “I swear if none of them is standing at this door in five minutes…” George points at the door of his office. “I will do what they will remember! Those two idiots will regret getting in touch with me and acting like two furious buffaloes.”       “Mr. Smith, please, calm down,” Terrence says quietly. “I’m sure they will come very soon. Daniel and Peter completely understand that you did not joke when you threatened to go to their homes and talk to them. Yes, they hardly want to see each other, but I think they will not go against your wish.”       “Well, you know, respectful, my threats did not work before, and they kept avoiding their work and fighting with each other like a cat and a dog. So, I got ready to visit them at home at the nearest time a long time ago.”       “You know that traffic jams may be on roads, and they could be stuck there for a long time. I came quickly, but there was a traffic jam due to a car accident.”       “No, Mr. MacClife, there are no traffic jams now,” George replies confidently, gloomily looking at Terrence and crossing his arms over his chest. “I’ve already checked it on the Internet after I called you three. So, if one of them wants to excuse themselves with this thing, they will regret it.”       “Many things could have changed since that time.”       “Nothing has changed!” George throws a little louder and ruder. “I even scheduled this meeting at the time when roads were supposed to be free. There is much time until the evening. People will not go home from work soon. So, those idiots have all the opportunities to come in time.”       “Yeah, you are right…”       Terrence leans back in the sofa and moans silently, running his hands over his face, while George puts his hand on his chin and strokes it.       “Oh, shit, what a day…” Terrence thinks. “Why do I have to listen to this man? He must say it to Perkins and Rose! What do I have to do with it? Those two started to fight and turned into enemies, because of who our work has been disrupted for about one month.”       “By the way, I must confess that I’m a little surprised that you came here alone,” George frowns slightly, looking at Terrence questioningly.       “Erm, but why?” Terrence gets a little surprised.       “Well… You just always came to the studio or the agency with one of them or both. But now you keep yourself kind of distantly. Of course, I’m aware of the situation of Mr. Perkins and Mr. Rose, even though only a deaf and blind person could not know it. But I have not heard that you fought with one of them.”       “Nope, I didn’t fight with them…” Terrence puts his hand on his forehead. “I just got a little sick of them… I mean, their constant scandals and reluctance to reconcile.”       “Have you not found out why they began to argue so often and even fought at the studio the last time?”       “No, they are silent like fishes in the water. I do not understand, why they turned into irreconcilable enemies right before my eyes,” Terrence exhales sharply with closed eyes. “Besides, Rose started going to clubs and drinking to hell… We’ve got too many problems, but he added fuel to the fire…”       “Well, yeah, this situation makes me angry. And I cannot even assume who started it all. Both of them blame each other for everything and refuse to recognize their mistakes. But my intuition tells me Mr. Rose could be a provocateur. He starts to insult Mr. Perkins and tries to touch his nerve. At least, I saw it, and the guys from your team stand by this version.”       “Yeah, but for some reason, I believe that the guilty one is Daniel, not him. Perkins could provoke Peter and make him lose his temple.”       “Hm…” George frowns slightly. “Why are you sure Mr. Perkins provoked this scandal?”       “Erm… The case is…”       Terrence does not say what he wants because someone quietly knocks at the door, which slowly opens. And then Daniel looks into this office a little hesitantly.       “Excuse me…” Daniel pronounces quietly and hesitantly. “Mr. Smith…”       “Oh, the first one has come!” George rolls his eyes and loudly claps his hands. “He got scared that I would go to his home and torture him before the eyes of his girlfriend! Mr. Perkins, thank you so much for not making me go to your home.”       “I’m sorry for being a little late,” Daniel apologizes, looking at George guiltily. “I got into a traffic jam… A car accident happened on the road. The part of it was closed…”       “I did know you would say that!” George throws gloomily. “One of the standard excuses to explain being late!”       “But I really got into a traffic jam…” Daniel throws his hands up with his rounded eyes.       “Stop lying, Mr. Perkins! I will not believe this bullshit because the roads are absolutely free now, and Mr. MacClife will confirm it.”       “I told you the truth! If there had not been a traffic jam on the road, I would have come much earlier!”       “Alright, damn you!” Gorge waves a hand with a sharp exhale. “I have no time to find it out! Come in the office and sit on the sofa!”       Being a little nervous, Daniel slowly closes the door, hesitantly comes to the sofa, on which Terrence is sitting with his arms crossed over the chest, and sits down next to him. The young people hesitantly look at each other, but say nothing, do not welcome each other by a handshake, and quickly move their eyes aside with a feeling of awkwardness.       “So, the second idler has shown up – now we are waiting for the last one,” George crosses his arms over the chest and looks at the watch on his hand, starting to slowly walk into the office again. “I am going to have a special talk with that brainless idiot.”       Neither Terrence nor Daniel say anything, and they just look at George being literally red from anger and throwing a gloomy look at the window.       “Where is the idler named Peter Rose, because of whom this bullshit is happening?” George asks rudely. “Where is he the fuck hanging around?”       “I swear, Mr. Smith, I don’t know where Peter is,” Terrence shrugs. “If I knew it, I would really say.”       “I do not, especially,” Daniel says sharply, crossing his arms over his chest. “And I would prefer not seeing that man.”       “But you should know it,” George hums. “I do want to see that blond alcoholic, who drinks at clubs, has fun with prostitutes, and visits his girlfriends at home instead of working.”       “I will not deny that it’s terrible that he drinks a lot,” Terrence says quietly. “But because Peter is single, he has a right to have fun with girls.”       “He can hang out with his friends in his free time.” George tightly clenches his hands into fists. “I swear, if I do not see that idler within the next five minutes, I will go to his home right now and make him regret being born in this world. And I will make him tell me something about one of his girlfriends, who talked to me on the phone.”       “Girlfriends?” Terrence frowns slightly. “You talked with his girlfriend?”       “Yes, idol of little girls, I did! Mr. Rose did not wish to walk to me and asked a girl to talk to me.”       “Girl?” Daniel wonders.       “Girl! She introduced herself as his friend and said Mr. Rose allegedly forgot his phone at her home. But I do not doubt she lied to me and was with the blond, who heard everything we talked about.”       Daniel thinks for two seconds, while George turns on the window and watches a perfect view of the city.       “Could that be Helene?” Daniel asks himself in a whisper.       “Erm, who is Helene?” Terrence asks in a whisper, frowning slightly and moving his eyes to Daniel.       “His friend. Peter has always said very good things about her and called her a close person. I don’t know if it’s true, but that girl’s name is Helene, too.”       “That’s how… Maybe, that was really her?”       “I don’t know. But I think George wouldn’t lie that the girl talked to him instead of Rose. It’s probably true, but I barely believe it.”       “Anything may happen… George really has no reason to lie…”       Daniel says nothing and just shrugs. And George frowns and looks at him and Terrence gloomily when he turns on them.       “What are you whispering about?” George asks coldly and crosses his arms over the chest. “If you know something about that idler or his girlfriend, say it now.”       “No, we know nothing,” Terrence shakes his head.       “Yes, nothing…” Daniel shrugs.       “Then why were you whispering about a certain Helene? Who is that? What does she have to do with Mr. Rose?”       “Erm… Well… A girl that he knows…”       “Oh, alright, damn it! Now I don’t care about her, I care about her pal, who I will strangle with my own hands if…”       At this moment, someone quietly knocks at the door.       “Come in!” George throws loudly, irritably.       The door opens very slowly, and Peter shows up on the doorstep, looking tense enough and not even trying to hide it.       “Mr. Smith…” Peter pronounces hesitantly. “Good afternoon… Sorry for being late…”       “M-m-m, Mr. Rose, you also decided to make me happy by your arrival and save me from having to go to your shabby hellhole,” George crosses his arms over the chest, looking at Peter from head to foot. “I will even close my eyes to the fact that you did not wish to talk to me on the phone and asked your friend to do it.”       “You asked me to come – I did…”       “That’s wonderful! You showed responsibility for the first time in a while.”       While Peter inclines his head slightly and looks at the floor with dead eyes, George frowns slightly and looks at him better. Rose’s appearance really causes anxiety. Even though he put himself in order thanks to Helene, even if he did not wash his head, and put on clean jeans, a dark t-shirt, and a black jacket, the blond looks bad. Even the support of his close friend does not make him feel better, and he still looks depressed and gloomy.       “By the way, you don’t look well,” George notices thoughtfully. “You haven’t washed your hair for ages, your face is unshaven… Here’s the result of drinking every day! If you keep doing this, you will turn into an alcoholic that would sell their mother for a bottle of vodka or whiskey.”       “It’s alright, I know my limit…” Peter replies gloomily in a low voice, glancing at the window.       While George growls irritably, Terrence and Daniel have watched Peter since he barely showed up on the doorstep of the office. They get shocked by seeing the exhausted, depressed, white, and too skinny man, who looked better on the day of their last meeting. The young people look at each other hesitantly and move their horrifying gaze to the blond again. Daniel, who did not wish to know or hear anything about him, is shocked by Peter’s appearance and feels pity, recalling the words of Anna, Raquelle, and Natalia about him being guilty of bringing his ex-friend to this condition. And now, seeing what a horrible condition Rose has, Perkins starts to think there is some part of the truth about the girls’ words.       “Erm, Mr. Smith, can I come in?” Peter asks hesitantly, still standing on the doorstep of the office and shifting his weight from one foot to another. “Let’s quickly talk about everything, and I will go…”       “Quick, please!” George replies gloomily, sharply waving a hand. “Come in and sit down on the sofa against my working table!”       Peter crosses the doorstep of the office slowly, closes the door, and goes to Terrence and Daniel examining his appearance with horror in their eyes, and literally stopping breathing. The blond throws a hesitant gaze at them when he stops in front of them for a second. While they can clearly see his tear-stained red eyes, much thicker arms and legs, and his waist that got much slimmer. All his movements are hesitant, his body is kind of tense, and his low voice is shaking strongly.       Peter silently sits down next to Terrence, who is now sitting in the middle between those, who were best friends, and looks at them again. And when these three looking at each other hesitantly, they slowly move their eyes to George, who still keeps his arms crossed over his chest and looks at the members of “Against The System.” Daniel forgets about a wish to play fun or show his aggression, and Peter does not just want to fight with anyone and understands there is no point in attacking because he is really guilty of everything.       “So, everybody is here…” George says thoughtfully and sits on a comfortable office chair placed in front of his table. “So, we can start our talk.”       George fixes the collar of his white shirt slightly, pulls down the sleeves of his jacket, and quickly clears his throat.       “So…” Terrence pronounces hesitantly and shrugs. “Speak… We are listening to you…”       “So, young men, I brought you here for a reason,” George says harshly. “Since you do not want to solve your conflicts, I have to take everything under my control.”       George locks tightly the fingers of his hands placed on the table in front of him.       “Every one of you signed a contract with the label ‘Five Seconds Records’ and also the PR agency ‘Dark Side Management’,” George says. “These contracts oblige you to follow the terms that are included in them. In case you do not follow at least one of the terms, your contracts may be canceled. And you may pay liquidated damages. But believe me, you would have to pay great money. Some of you would have to run into debts to pay for everything.”       “We realize it,” Terrence says quietly.       “But you three do not honor your obligations. Mr. Rose, Mr. Perkins, of course, it’s none of my business what happened between you, and why you fight like a cat and a dog. But you should know your band may lose a chance to release your first album.”       “Mr. Smith, we…” Daniel says hesitantly.       “Wait, Mr. Perkins.” George raises up a hand with his palm pointed at Peter, Terrence, and Daniel sitting in front of him. “I will give every one of you a chance to speak out. And I will not let you or Mr. Rose start a scandal and destroy my office.”       “But I…” Daniel wants to say something.       “Shut up and listen to me silently, you, plucked peacock!” George throws rudely. “If you think you are the greatest badass here and feel like a celebrity, I advise you to come back to reality.”       Daniel exhales sharply and leans back in the sofa, looking at the whole office and then rolling his eyes.       “So…” George continues to speak. “When signing the contract with the studio, you were told everything. And if you remember, one of the terms says you have a limited time to get some stuff.”       George falls into silence for a second and glances aside.       “You were working well for a few days, and I was happy about the drafts you had. And let’s remember that Edward Lockhart had been helping you write songs some time before you signed a contract. Although he does not have to do with the band, I was so impressed by his drafts that not using them would have been a sin. I’m madly grateful to that guy for such amazing work, and I'm sure that he is very talented at writing songs. Much more talented than you three! He could write tons of songs for a few days and work hard. But unfortunately, he disappeared, and everything went wrong for you. You have only a couple of uncompleted songs that you recorded and a lot of words that you wrote that cannot be connected together. You worked somehow, but now you do not. I have not seen new stuff.”       George frowns slightly and shakes his head.       “Where is the new stuff, young men? Where are your drafts? Why don’t I see results? Did you think everything would be given to you on a golden plate? No, my dears! You must work very hard! Artists sometimes spend hours at a studio writing or recording a lot of songs. They don’t complain, are doing something, and are focused on their business.”       “We are working, Mr. Smith,” Terrence says quietly. “Every one of us understands we would not get famous if we did nothing.”       “Only you are working here, Mr. MacClife,” George replies coldly, takes a pen, and starts to knock on the table with it. “I saw some songs you wrote at home. They are really very good and could be used as stuff. But not all of them fit the style your band chose. If you were a solo artist, you could work with it. But since youare a member of the band that wants to play rock and alternative, it’s impossible.”       “But we can always change our style,” Terrence shrugs. “And our goal is to write songs about everything. Not only about love, which millions of songs around the world are about.”       “Alright, let’s think I agree,” George nods. “But now I don’t care about the lyrics of songs, I care about your work. I must see you working on songs, not waiting for fame to come to you. It would be fine if you had a serious reason not to work and missed one day or two. But since you were back from the tour with ‘The Loser Syndrome’, you have worked well only for three days and then began to do nobody the hell knows what.”       “We know…” Daniel says with sadness in his eyes. “I’m really very sorry it all happened.”       “If you were sorry, you would keep working. However, it’s not the only question I care about.” George puts the pen aside and folds his hands on the table in front of him. “I have another question, gentlemen. The case is that Mr. Perkins and Mr. Rose have missed a few public appearances, to which they were officially invited. For example, the private premiere of the movie ‘If Today Was Your Last Day’. You three were invited, and a chauffeur should have taken you away and driven you to the right place.”       George quickly clears his throat.       “But only Mr. MacClife arrived at the premiere along with his fiancée, Raquelle Cameron. Mr. Perkins and Mr. Rose were not there. I was told you two had refused to go there one day before the appearance. That’s why Mr. MacClife had to lie to reporters and say you got unforeseen problems, because of which you did not come to the premiere.”       “Mr. Smith, I wanted to go to the premiere with my girlfriend…” Daniel replies hesitantly. “The organizations knew she would go with me and gave her an official invitation. But…”       “But you did not want to meet Mr. Rose,” George hums quietly. “Because if you had fought like buffaloes on the red carpet, someone would have written a couple of bad articles about you. You did not come because you got scared of getting ashamed and didn’t want to look like a psycho before the public.”       “It’s true, but I was not going to attack Peter at my wish… I…”       “So, would you blame this man for everything again and pretend that you are kind of innocent?”       “No…” Daniel pronounces hesitantly while his eyes run from one side to another, and he gets quite nervous and breathes heavily. “I… Do not think I’m innocent… I don’t shift the blame onto Rose and say he is the only one to be guilty of everything.”       “He is not guilty of everything, Mr. Perkins. Because you are by far not an innocent angel and are also guilty of what’s happening. Moreover, some time before you came, Mr. MacClife openly said he thought you were guilty of the conflict.”       Daniel rounds his eyes and glances at Terrence, who is silently looking at his hands.       “I guess he has serious reasons to suspect you of bringing Rose to this condition,” George replies confidently and glances at Peter, who is nervously fingering over and often pulls the sleeves of his jacket not to let anyone see a lot of bandages and bracelets that hide the bandaged wrist with cuts. “Look at him! Look what this conflict brought him to! You wanted to get it?”       “Please, Mr. Smith, let me explain everything,” Daniel says with sadness in his eyes.       “Shut up!” George shouts, hitting his hand against the table sharply. “You are not better than Mr. Rose. Who goes to clubs and hangs out with gals.”       “Mr. Smith…”       “I am sick of your constant fight! Remind you of breaking some things that belonged to the studio when you fought? What would have happened if Mr. MacClife had not been with you? You would have brought each other to a hospital? Killed? Destroyed the whole fucking studio! All the people that were there clearly heard you insulting each other, and your friend shouting, so you calm the fuck down!”       As George literally shouts at them and looks like he is about to strangle someone or throw something on the floor, Daniel, Terrence, and Peter round their eyes and look at their manager with a little scare.       “You are right…” Daniel pronounces quietly, looking down. “Absolutely right…”       “Remember, young man, if you and this blond start a fight here and damage at least a little thing, I swear I will present you bills that you will never pay for. Even if you are up to your eyeballs in debt, you will never pay for the damaged property.”       “I’m not going to fight with Peter. We are here to discuss everything you want to know.”       “I’m not going to defend Rose and remove his responsibility for what’s happening. But you will have to regret much if you really have to do with all of this, and Mr. MacClife is absolutely right about blaming you for everything.”       “Let me explain everything…”       “Mr. Smith, please, stop it,” Peter says hesitantly for the first time. “I blame Daniel for nothing because I’m the only one to be guilty of what’s happening. All his charges and claims are quite reasonable and true. If you blame someone for bringing the band to a breakup, blame only me. So, if you have claims, say them to me. I deserve it. Nobody but me is a source for the trouble.”       Terrence and Daniel immediately round their eyes and look at Peter questioningly, while he shrives from hesitance and tension. George hums before saying something, leaning back in the office chair with contempt in his eyes.       “Mr. Rose, I’m going to have a special talk with you,” George says coldly. “Although Mr. MacClife says Mr. Perkins is the one to blame for everything, I am sure you are the source of the trouble. At least because all the fights with Mr. Perkins were provoked by you with my pretense.”       “You are right,” Peter confirms, nodding quietly. “I have no right to attack those, who tell me the truth. You and Daniel…”       “I’m happy you know it and do not hide that you recognize your fault.”       “Terrence blames Daniel because he doesn’t know what actually happened. He makes conclusions based on what’s seen on the surface. In order to see that I’m really guilty of everything, you just need to know the full story.”       “Then tell something to us!” George throws his hands up. “Maybe, you want to tell us why you disrupt work on the album and constantly fight with this idiot, who is blinking his eyes amazingly as if he does not know what’s going on?”       But Peter says nothing and inclines his head, wishing to come back home and not to have to be where and with whom he feels uncomfortable. George looks at Rose questioningly for two seconds and arches his brows, seeing that he looks at his hands silently.       “So, you have nothing to say?” George wonders and crosses his arms over his chest. “Do you not want to explain why you the fuck started it? Come on, Mr. Rose, tell us! We will listen with pleasure!”       But Peter keeps saying nothing, looking at George hesitantly and glancing at Terrence and Daniel watching him and wishing to know why the blonde is behaving like this. That’s what makes George much madder, and he growls irritably and slowly, running his hands over his face.       “So, alright then,” George says thoughtfully, gets up slowly from the table and starts to slowly walk in circles in front of Daniel, Terrence, and Peter. “Since we cannot find a compromise, you suggest nothing, and Mr. Rose refuses to explain something, I will have to take measures. And, I will suggest three ways.”       George clears his throat and thinks for two seconds, stroking his chin.       “The first one is the easiest – Peter Rose leaves the band ‘Against The System’, and either we start to search for a new drummer, or you suggest someone,” George says confidently. “If everyone is pleased, we will make changes in our contract, and a new drummer will sign it. Thus, the band will continue its existing.”       George glances at the window.       “The second suggestion is the saddest,” George adds. “The studio ‘Five Seconds Records’ cancels a contract with you and counts how much money you would have to pay for liquidated damages. After paying all the money, you three can go your separate ways. And along with the studio, the PR agency ‘Dark Side Management’ also cancels our contract. If you say goodbye to the studio, you will say goodbye to me. So, it means you will get no fame. And nobody will remember that you performed as the opening act of the band ‘The Loser Syndrome’ soon.”       George crosses his arms over the cheat, looking at Terrence, Daniel, and Peter a little arrogantly, while they feel like being at school when a teacher swears at them for their bad actions and gets them ashamed of their schoolmates.       “Well, the third suggestion is the hardest and almost impossible,” George says confidently. “You three brace yourself – I do not care how – and start working on songs, improve your skills of playing instruments, and get vocal lessons from your teachers to have a clear voice.”       George falls into silence for a second and throws his hands up.       “So, here are all the suggestions. Decide what is closer to you. I give you the right to choose and will respect any decision you make. Please, tell me your opinion… C’mon! Mr. MacClife! Mr. Perkins! Mr. Rose! What’s your decision?”       George waits for a few seconds, looking at Terrence, Daniel, and Peter questioningly and slowly walking in front of their eyes, but does not hear anything from them.       “Alright…” George pronounces. “Since you cannot make a decision now, alright. I will give up on you and give you time to think. You, young men, have two weeks to talk about it. Today is September, 8th. So, it means I will invite you here again on the twenty-two and ask you to tell me your decision. But remember, if I do not get an answer from you in two weeks, the contracts will be canceled unilaterally. And after this, I will no longer run after you and read lectures that hurt your tender souls. You got it, morons? Or do I explain everything again?”       “Got it…” Terrence, Daniel, and Peter pronounce tiredly at the different time.       “Wonderful! That’s all! Everybody is free!” George sharply points at the door. “You should not be seen here in one minute!”       Daniel, Terrence, and Peter slowly get up from the sofa at a different time and slightly incline their heads as they hesitantly leave George’s office and keep reflecting on the decision about the future of the band, the fate of which depends on them, not their manager.       After leaving the office and going down the wide hall that is lighted up with halogen lamps, Peter exhales with great relief and decides to immediately leave this place. But he does not go far because Terrence catches him quickly and decides to try to talk to him. Daniel follows him but does not find the courage to come to the blond and stays aside.       “Peter!” Terrence exclaims loudly. “Peter, wait, please!”       Peter slowly turns to Terrence and looks at him without emotions on his face.       “What’s wrong?” Peter asks quietly. “Do you wanna say something?”       “Erm…” Terrence stutters and quickly looks at Peter from head to foot. “You look bad, honestly… Are you okay?”       “Yup, I’m fine. Thanks for asking.”       “I tried to call you many times, but you were always unavailable.”       “Just didn’t wanna talk to anyone… Sorry for ignoring you… You didn’t hurt me. It’s okay… I just wanted to have some rest.”       “Is that true that your friend answered George’s call?”       “Yes, it’s true…” Peter crosses his arms over his chest and glances aside for a second. “She was sick of my phone constantly ringing and decided to answer.”       “Think you’re lucky,” Terrence smiles slightly. “Or that man would’ve gone to your home and kicked your ass.”       “I think nothing would’ve changed. I don’t care, honestly… I just wanna piss everything off…”       “But…” Terrence pronounces thoughtfully, looking at Peter closely all this time and being shocked by the changes since he saw his friend on the doorstep of the office. “You shouldn’t give a fuck about the band. I think you understand that Daniel, you and I have to make a decision and decide if we can save the band and reach our goal.”       “Yeah, I completely understand it,” Peter nods. “But I don’t care about what’s gonna happen to the band. If I’m kicked out, or the studio cancels the contract with us, let it happen.”       “What are you talking about? You shouldn’t be indifferent, because it’s your dream. The dream of Daniel and me. We want all the same, but can reach it only if we forget about our offenses and disagreements and start to work.”       “I realized it’s not my element. I still like music, but I no longer get pleasure from playing or singing. But when you perform a song and don’t give it your heart and soul, someone will hardly like it.”       “What?” Terrence rounds his eyes. “Do you wanna give up so easily and keep killing yourself because of something? Think about what you’re doing! Are you ready to give up on your dream? You’ve always said you wanted to hear deafening shouts of a crowd and see people whooping when it’s your time to show up. Why don’t you want it now?”       “Sadly, dreams don’t always come true. Mine won’t become real. And I no longer want to reach them. I wouldn’t get better if I made myself work and tried to get lines outta me or take a high note, so everybody gets overwhelmed.”       “Don’t forget you’re a part of our band and must discuss its business. We should make all the decisions together, after a long discussion and attempts to find what all of us would like. And now we need to decide what’s gonna happen to the band. I think two weeks is enough to make sure the decision we’d make is right.”       “I think I’m no longer a part of the band. I’ve decided that I’d better leave it at my wish and not to stand in the way of those, who really wanna record an album.”       “No, Peter, please, don’t make a decision so quickly!” Terrence shakes his head sharply. “If you wanna brace yourself and start to work, everything’s gonna be fine.”       “Daniel and you can find a more responsible and talented drummer than me. I’m sure many people would love to take my place. Well… In an extreme case, you can try to teach Edward to play the drums. He’s a clever guy and can learn quickly…”       “Don’t you even wanna try to brace yourself? You just need to want it and say it’s your long-time dream, and you’d make it come true in any way.”       “It’s your long-time dream, Terrence, not mine,” Peter shakes his head without emotions. “I’ve got only one dream – to run away as far as possible and not to meet anyone. I wouldn’t have come here, but my friend convinced me to go. I did it just for her. If not for her, I wouldn’t even have answered a call.”       “Listen, Peter, I understand that you’re probably worried about the conflict with Daniel or what he could tell you. But if we don’t talk about this situation and decide what to do, our band will be broken up forever. Do you remember that we promised to overcome any difficulties and reach what we wanted? Why did you suddenly forget about what every one of us swore to each other?”       “It’d be better for you two if I left the band. Confess you want it, Terrence. You’re sure I stop you from making your dream come true and ruin all your plans. You thought you were very close to your goal and would get famous as a musician. But one idiot began to mess up everything and do his best for the dream of his buddy not to come true.”       “Erm… Yeah, I thought you’d better leave the band…” Terrence exhales quietly, getting quite tense and feeling a stronger awkwardness. “But I did just because I soberly rated the situation. I see well that it’s hard for you and Daniel even to stay in the same room. Your relationship became the reason why I thought about it.”       “You see it, you’ve confessed you dream of my departure,” Peter puts on a false smile. “But don’t worry, dude, it’s okay, I’m not hurt. Vice versa, I fully support you and also rate the situation soberly. I can’t stay in the band after everything that happened.”       “No, Peter, I don’t want you to leave! I just see that you need help and have nobody to give it to you. I’m sure if you told us what’s bothering you, you’d get much better and get some motivation to keep moving on. And keep working in the band.”       “I'm not gonna hide that the situation with Daniel is madly unpleasant to me. Now I understand I’ve got no right to attack him ‘cause he said absolutely right things. This man wasn’t afraid to openly talk about all my problems. And I can say one thing: whatever he tells someone, everything’s gonna be the clean truth. Even if he says I’m a psycho crazy idiot, who shouldn’t have been born, it’ll be right, too.”       “I’m guessing why you fought, but I need to know the full story. You two should help me save the band and find words that would help you become a team again.”       “It doesn’t make sense ‘cause I’ve already decided I want to leave the band,” Peter shakes his head and throws a one-second look at Daniel standing aside and watching him with true sadness in his eyes. “He doesn’t want me to stay in the band. Perkins wants to get a piece of fame. I’m sure Daniel thought the way you did and thought you’d keep working together and find someone to replace me.”       All this time, Daniel has been standing aside, listening to what Terrence and Peter say, and watching the blond, his appearance, and his looks. He realizes more and more how much he feels sorry for this guy, toward whom he really behaved badly. But later, he gets sick of being silent and comes to the guys confidently, saying:       “But I’ve never thought you’re talentless and do highly rate your play on drums.”       “It doesn’t make sense now,” Peter replies without emotions. “You both wanted to kick me outta the band – you can rejoice. I wanna do it by my wish.”       “Listen, Peter, I probably crossed the line and acted not very well,” Daniel says quietly. “But I don’t mind talking about everything and trying to understand you. I’m ready to do it for the band ‘cause I wanna save it so badly and not to let it break up because of some misunderstanding.”       “Don’t make such great sacrifices. The solution for this problem is easy – I’m leaving the band, and Terrence and you keep working together and reaching for your dream.”       “Do you think I like what’s happening between us?” Daniel shakes his head. “No, Peter, I don’t give a fuck about it. I’d truly love to solve this conflict. And I don’t wanna be the one, because of whom our band would lose the drummer and get broken up.”       “The problem is not about you, Daniel,” Peter looks at Daniel tiredly. “I confess that you’re right about everything… I don’t blame you for anything, and I ain’t going to deny that what’s happening is my fault. If you blame someone, blame me.”       “No, you aren’t right. I said too many bad things, and I understand I could hurt you somehow… And… Don’t blame only yourself for everything, because it's also my fault. If we two started it, we two should end it.”       “You see!” Terrence exclaims. “Daniel is ready to take the first step to reconcile and save the band. Now it’s your turn, Peter. First, you just need a wish.”       “Yes, we can pretend that everything’s fine and stop fighting like a cat and a dog,” Peter replies quietly, crossing his arms over his chest. “But I can’t stay in the band after I betrayed you two. That’s why there is no place for me in the band.”       “Please, Peter, think better!” Daniel exclaims. “Everything can be fixed, forgotten, and started over again! Let’s not make everything harder and get mad because of my words that hurt you. We aren’t girls that could be mad and remember offenses for years.”       “I’m surprised you got kind so suddenly, but I’m glad to hear it…” Peter smiles with the corners of his mouth. “But we can’t talk about me staying in the band. You two want it. And George wanna kick me out of the band.”       “Listen to that man less!” Terrence says confidently. “I personally don’t like George. He treats us like doormats and definitely worries only about money. Notice, he needs our work! No matter what kind of! Just because he wouldn’t get his money if we didn’t work at the studio and record songs.”       “Aha!” Daniel agrees. “Sometimes I get mad at how disgustingly he treats us.”       “George isn’t just afraid of telling the truth,” Peter replies quietly. “He says everything started because of me, and I’m irresponsible and stupid. And George is absolutely right. I no longer take offense to the truth.”       “George says it to everyone, not only you. Don’t take it so seriously.”       “You’ll see – when I get outta the band, your business will get better, and George will change the anger to mercy. He’s furious just because one stupid idiot started to ruin all the plans of his manager and bandmates, who’ve dreamed of being on a stage literally all their life.”       “Damn, stop blaming yourself for everything! If George keeps behaving like this, we’ll just piss him off to the fuck and hire a new manager.”       “If you want, you can do it. But my opinion won’t make sense.”       “Listen, Peter, you and Daniel should talk right now and try to find a compromise,” Terrence says quietly. “And finally tell me what happened between you. If I’d known everything much earlier, everything wouldn’t probably have gone so far.”       “I repeat, I don’t blame Daniel for anything and am not mad at him for what happened. I can say I forgave him a long time ago and now quietly take what he says.”       “Then stop thinking of leaving the band and make a decision about the band’s future with us. We have two weeks to give George an answer. If we don’t agree, we’ll be pissed off to the fuck, and nobody will remember our successes. Neither the tour with Zach, Liam, Brad, and Nate nor the popularity in some circles… Nothing!”       “No, guys, don’t let this happen!” Peter shakes his head sharply. “I know how much you want to achieve success in a musical career and have always dreamed of being on a big stage and hearing the whoops of your fans. Why do you convince me to stay? I would mess up everything! The band wouldn’t need me ‘cause I’ve got no wish to work on music. I no longer want to lie to myself. I no longer want to show happiness when playing drums.”       “Peter, listen, please…” Terrence grabs Peter by the shoulders and shakes him slightly. “I see there’s something that made you fall into this depression and lose interest in everything you loved. If you keep worrying and withdrawing from everyone, someday it will be over badly. You just need help and your friends’ support. And we’re ready to give it if you say what’s happening to you.”       “Give a fuck about it, Terrence!” Peter exclaims. “Stop worrying about the talentless and horrible man. Better think of your career, your dream… But I will get what I deserved and do just something good for you, so you don’t have a terrible opinion of me.”       “Don’t insult and humiliate yourself, buddy. If George or another idiot told you that, you shouldn’t take it too seriously. Because we all know who you really are.”       “Daniel and you don’t have to wait for two weeks and tell your decision right now. Go to George and say we’ve decided to kick me out of the band. It would be better for everybody. I won’t force myself to do what I don’t like, and you’ll make your dreams come true and get famous.”       “No, Peter, I don’t want you to leave the band, and I ain’t gonna tell George about your departure,” Terrence says confidently, sharply shaking his head with widely open eyes. “If we had a new drummer, we wouldn’t probably befriend them. And our points of view may be different. Our band wouldn’t be what we wanted to make it.”       “I don’t also want you to leave the band,” Daniel says with sadness in his eyes. “If you leave, our band won’t be the same. It will lose a truly talented drummer, who plays drums better than probably all the drummers in the world. I don’t want to let it happen… And I can’t let you leave us because of my dirty tongue.”       “Sorry, guys, but I can’t…” Peter replies in a quiet, low voice, shaking his head, and pulls down the sleeves of his jacket nervously. “I’m sick of everything and don’t wanna do something against my wish.”       “Damn, Rose, what’s happening to you?” Terrence wonders with horror in his eyes. “Why did you change? You were so funny and sanguine, but now you\ve turned into a depressive boy, who gives a fuck about everything. Just tell us a reason for your strange behavior and refusal to be a part of the band. We will help you, buddy. I promise.”       “From now on, I’m no longer a part of your band, friends,” Peter says quietly, throwing his hands up. “I’m sorry about what happened, but I can’t stay in the band. It would be unfair. After everything I did.”       “Peter, please, think better!” Daniel begs with pity. “It’s never too late to fix everything! Terrence and I personally ask you to stay and are ready to do our best to save the band and keep working in the same collective.”       “I said everything, Daniel,” Peter says without emotions. “I am not a part of the band from today.”       “Are you leaving it because of the conflict with Daniel?” Terrence asks with sadness in his eyes, shaking his head.       “No, not because of it. But you shouldn’t know why I decided to do it. And stop worrying so much and thinking the band won't be the same. Nothing will be changed after my departure.”       “But, buddy…” Daniel rounds his eyes.       “Take Edward to the band. You know him well and wouldn’t have to take time getting to know him. Find a good teacher, so they teach that guy to play the drums. I’m sure he will play better than me in two months and become a part of you. Or he could learn it by himself – it’s not very hard. Said by the man, who learned to play drums by himself.”       “No, Pete, you can’t leave us…” Terrence says with pity in his eyes. “Please, don’t do this.”       “Let’s forget all the bad things and just keep moving on. I blame no one for anything, am mad at nobody, and forgave everyone I should’ve done. But you can blame me as much as you want and say any offensive things. After all my disgusting actions, I deserved it.”       “Let’s quietly talk about everything and try to reconcile,” Daniel suggests. “We’ve got no reason to shout and beat each other’s faces. We can always agree and do our best not to let the band break up.”       “I can say only one thing: I’m sorry about attacking you with fists and not holding myself down. And I want to ask you for forgiveness and confess that I behaved disgustingly. Only you can decide if you will forgive me or not. But it doesn’t make sense now. We'll never meet again. I should’ve apologized and been forgiven. And I did it.” Peter falls into silence for two seconds, exhales slowly, and smiles shyly. “Good luck to you two on making your dream come true. I’m sure someday you'll become worldwide famous and get the love of fans around the world. And I hope you’ll forgive me someday.”       After looking at Terrence and Daniel the last time and shaking his head, Peter slowly turns around and goes down the wide hall with his head inclined, while the guys watch him with horror in their widely open eyes. After this, Daniel and Terrence stay silent for a few seconds and think about something. But then MacClife breaks the silence, looking tense enough but trying to control himself so hard:       “You can think everything, but I’m absolutely sure that something is not right with him.”       “I agree…” Daniel nods. “There is no doubt.”       “He couldn’t change without a reason. It must have an explanation. There must be a reason why Peter looks much worse than he did the last time.”       “Yeah, he really looks horrible…” Daniel moves his rounded eyes to Terrence. “You saw his terrible circles under his eyes? And his eyes! They’re puffy and red! I don’t know what he did to himself to look like a zombie, but it’s not good.”       “And his gaze became kind of dead. It seems like he doesn’t really care about what people say. There is no fire that he had before.”       “I noticed it, too… And I thought Peter became kinda thin… His arms and legs look like sticks, and his cheeks are much more sunken. As if they fell through.”       “Yeah…” Terrence exhales quietly. “When Peter came to the studio on the day of your latest conflict, he looked much better than he does now.”       “Fuck, what did he do to himself to start looking like a scary thing? I’m even afraid to imagine what we’d see in a few days if we met him.”       “You’d see nothing good. It seems like he’s getting worse and worse for an unknown reason. But I can’t even assume what that is…”       Daniel silently looks at what surrounds him and exhales quietly.       “Do you think he’ll really love to leave the band?” Daniel asks with sadness in his eyes. “I thought Peter was quite serious. He isn’t probably, really gonna stay in it anymore.”       “Maybe…” Terrence falls into silence for two seconds. “He talked about leaving the band very confidently and isn’t definitely gonna change his mind and regret it later.”       “I don’t understand… He always wanted to work in the musical sphere… I remember him working at a music store where they were selling some instruments. I even bought one of them. But now that man easily says he’s ready to give up and piss everything off.”       “I think he wouldn’t wish to do it by himself. The problem is his condition. That’s what makes him do such desperate things. I’m sure, Peter would say different things if he was healthy and happy.”       “Maybe, he really lost interest? Peter was really, lately working by force and wrote not very good songs that you and I had to change.”       “Right, but we can’t lose him! I don’t want him to leave the band! If we lose him, our band won’t be saved. No other drummer would solve a problem. I know many bands that have changed their members as many times as they sounded differently. Not always good at times.”       “I don’t want it, either,” Daniel sighs quietly and glances at a girl in a white shirt and a black shirt going somewhere on high heels with a bunch of papers in her hands. “The band won’t be the same if Peter leaves it.”       “But if we wanna convince him to stay, it’s gonna be very hard. It seems like Rose doesn’t wanna have a business with us and is gonna stop communicating with us.”       “He sounded like he wasn’t really gonna meet us again. He was sure that it was our last meeting.”       “If only everything wasn’t much worse than we think… If Peter keeps suffering from depression, it may be over very badly. But it seems like he doesn’t aim to make his life better.”       “Oh, holy shit…” Daniel, moaning quietly, runs his hands over his face. “Did he get such a strong depression because of our conflict? Although Peter says he left the band not because of me, I think he did for this reason.”       “Well…” Terrence frowns slightly. “It’s quite possible… Especially, after everything that happened to you.”       “Did George tell the truth, and do you really think I’m guilty of bringing Peter to this condition?”       “Yes, Daniel. Sorry for my frankness, but I’ve got tons of reasons to believe Peter got problems because of you.”       “Yes, I know I crossed the line and said too many bad things. Now I truly regret it and would’ve apologized to Peter if he hadn’t left so quickly.”       “What about your offenses?” Terrence frowns slightly, looking at Daniel with suspicion. “Some time ago, you wanted literally to kill him, but now you didn’t snap even once, started to persuade him to stay in the band, and suggested trying to reconcile. What did you change, Perkins? What bite you?”       “After what I saw, I really lowered my hands.” Daniel exhales slowly with closed eyes, relaxing his tense shoulders. “I can no longer be mad at Peter. When I saw he had a horrible condition, all my offenses were suddenly gone. And deep inside, I’m even ashamed of him… I didn’t want him to bring himself to this condition.”       “But you probably aimed for it, insulting him constantly, humiliating him, and reminding him of what made him worry. Who asked you to laugh at Peter because of his problems with girls? And mock him by saying that you have a girlfriend!”       “Yeah, but I didn’t wanna insult him and said it as a joke. I often told jokes about that, but now he began to take it too painfully.”       “Because you did annoy him!” Terrence throws a little colder. “So, I ain’t surprised that Peter was snapping at you all this time and attacked you with fists after you called him an impotent. First, you should’ve thought about what you would’ve felt if you’d heard that, and then thought about whether you could say it to someone.”       “You’re right, I shouldn’t have really said it. I got so excited that I stopped watching my mouth and said nobody the fuck knows what.”       “So, you paid for that and saw the results of your mockeries.”       “But I didn’t really want it to happen!” Daniel replies with pity in his eyes. “I didn’t think we’d go too far after a conflict that we could’ve solved.”       “Maybe, you finally tell me the reason why you began to fight like a cat and a dog?” Terrence crosses his arms over the chest. “How long do I have to wonder how two best friends could immediately become irreconcilable enemies. Who had such a big fight that they could’ve brought each other to a hospital.”       “Alright, I’ll tell you what happened,” Daniel exhales sharply. “You probably guess it, but I think I can confirm your thoughts.”       Terrence says nothing and looks at Daniel questioningly, while Perkins glances aside and starts to rub his hands nervously.       “The conflict happened after we were back from the tour…” Daniel says. “I had seen Peter wasn’t fine before, but hadn’t paid attention to that, thinking it was tiredness. We worked well for three days, but then we agreed to meet at Peter’s home and work on songs in a quiet place. Everything was kind of fine, but at some moment, you went out somewhere. I don't remember where, but it doesn’t make sense…”       Daniel falls into silence for two seconds and exhales sharply.       “So, I noticed Peter had a bad mood and wanted to make him funnier. But he suddenly got nuts and started to shout at me and blame me for something. He pissed me off, cursed me, and wished my life went wrong… It was happening for a long time, and then I also got excited and began to answer him back. Well… Laughed at him because of his failures with girls and… Said he had problems in his relationships ‘cause he could satisfy nobody during sex. Rose eventually gave me a strong slap in the face and made me much more furious and forced me to answer back and tell him to get therapy.” Daniel falls into silence and tightly locks his fingers. “And then everything went so far that Peter attacked me with fists. I had nothing but to protect myself from that man, who was really wild and could kill anyone. But that’s good something stopped him, and he got out somewhere for a long time and came back when you were back to us. Well… That’s all… Now you know the truth…”       “My gosh…” Terrence shakes his head with his widely open eyes. “It happens that Peter made everything worse and is kind of guilty of what happened.”       “Believe me, Terrence, I didn’t want to fight with him and never had anything against him,” Daniel replies confidently. “But I couldn’t let Peter insult, humiliate, and beat me.”       “You thought of his failures again! Who asked you to do that? You saw that it was unpleasant for him to talk about it! Why did you touch a nerve again?”       “Excuse me, but you wouldn’t also be silent. Would you let someone insult and beat you for no reason and not resist at all? I doubt it! You’d do the same instead of me!”       “No, Daniel, you got your ass kicked for the reason. Your too long tongue and wish to snap betrayed you. Or are you so stupid that you didn’t see the man felt bad ‘cause he didn’t have a girlfriend? When I realized it, I stopped talking about his affairs. But you kept openly mocking him and got what you deserved.”       “Okay, I confess I was really stupid and stubborn. I didn’t think the man, who rejected all girls, would care about it so much.”       “So, there is a reason for that. And if we don’t find out why Peter rejects all girls, we may lose the drummer and good man because of you.”       “I agree…” Daniel shrugs. “But what do we do? Peter will hardly tell us everything and will keep saying nothing.”       “You say, the conflict happened three days later after coming back from the tour?”       “Yup… We also wanted to ask Edward to help us, but you said he disappeared and broke all the contacts.”       “Yeah, I remember that day… I really went out… First, I needed to call someone and then decided to try to call Edward again. And before I came back to you after that, nothing strange had happened…” Terrence looks at the whole hall and frowns slightly. “Gosh, I thought something happened between you during the tour. Because he was behaving strangely. Besides, you barely talked to each other.”       “Nope, everything happened on that day,” Daniel shakes his head. “I saw Peter was too sad and depressed. And he didn’t kind of sleep all night long. But now that guy probably stopped sleeping at all, judging the circles under his eyes…”       “Yeah…” Terrence thinks about something for two seconds, stroking his chin. “But even if you fought on that day, it doesn’t mean he got problems at the same time. They’ve existed for a long time, but we didn’t know it.”       “We barely communicated because we were too exhausted after trips from one city to another and tried to use any free time to have a rest. We had no time to talk and go to clubs.”       “Oh, he also drinks much… At least he didn’t come to the studio when he was drunk. Otherwise, they would’ve started a scandal…”       “Yeah, the problem is so serious that he even began to drink to get lost for a while.”       “It all makes me much more sure he needs help. Peter will destroy himself if he doesn’t get help in time.”       “Yeah, but what could happen to him?” Daniel throws his hands up. “I’ve got no assumptions about it. Well… Maybe only problems in his relationship with girls…”       “Has he really never had any other serious problems?”       “Even if he does, he’s never told me about them, and looked happy.”       “But if he looked happy and laughed a lot, it didn’t mean everything was fine.”       “Wait…” Daniel frowns slightly. “Do you wanna say he’s had problems we don’t know about for a long time?”       “I think, yes. Sometimes a laugh and a smile may be a protective reaction to bad things and an attempt to hide real feelings. Of course, it doesn’t have to do with everyone, but most of them…”       “And is Peter one of them, isn’t?”       “Yes, I don’t doubt it.”       “What do we do in this case?” Daniel wonders. “We have two weeks to make a decision on the band’s future. But we don’t want Peter to leave the band, and we have a reason to suspect that he has some problems.”       “I think talking to him is worthless ‘cause he’d say nothing… Peter refuses to explain something and doesn’t wanna tell us all the truth.”       “That’s right…” Daniel exhales slowly, putting his hand on his forehead. “I’m sorry that we don’t know anyone to be close to Peter and be able to tell us something. Maybe, his familiar people know enough about this situation.”       “Listen, you said something about his friend. When George said that a certain girl answered him instead of Peter.”       “You mean Helene?” Daniel frowns slightly. “Well, yeah… Peter has a friend… He always says good things about her.”       “Do you know that girl well?”       “Well, I’ve seen her a couple of times and talked to Rose about her. A sympathetic girl of the same age as Anna… At first sight, at least… But sadly, I don’t know her well… When Peter and I went somewhere, we met her on our way… He talked to her for two minutes, and then she left.”       “Hey, if Helene is Peter’s friend, she could really tell something.”       “What if she also knows nothing?”       “What if she knows a little bit more than you and me? I believe they have a very warm relationship ‘cause Peter, as you said, says very good things about her.”       “You wanna try to find her?”       “In case you know how.”       “Sadly, I don’t know her phone number or where she’s living,” Daniel shrugs. “I only know that her name is Helene and barely remember her appearance. And nothing more…”       “Oh, damn…” Terrence exhales slowly. “Do you know someone else of Peter’s friends?”       “Honestly, he doesn’t have many friends. I don’t know why, but Peter has never told me about his other friends but Helene. Sometimes I actually think his circle is that girl, you, and me.”       “Hey, how closely did Peter communicate with Rachel, the daughter of Albert Sanderson? Who you worked with before…”       “Actually, well… They communicated as good friends, but he and I spent time with Rachel only at the studio or a café during lunch. We two weren’t so close to Albert’s daughter. And after every one of us stopped working with him, we stopped speaking to her.”       “So, does she know nothing about what’s happening to him?”       “I’m sure, she does. She wasn’t so close to us to know all our secrets. And honestly, the relationship of Peter and me with her got a little worse after we found out that Rachel lied about your situation and turned us against you.”       “Okay… What if we think if there’s someone else, who knows Peter well? What if we try to ask the people from Albert’s studio and find out something?”       “It’s worthless. We communicated well with everyone, but we kept a distance and talked only about work. Nobody is supposed to know what’s happening to Peter or who he speaks with.”       “Don’t you know anyone else from Peter’s familiar people and friends except for Helene? He must have some other friends!”       “I swear, Terrence, I know nobody but Helene,” Daniel throws his hands up. “And if I knew someone else, I wouldn’t hide it.”       “Fuck, what a tangled situation!” Terrence swears, glancing aside. “There is nobody to be able to help us find out what’s going on!”       “I know, but we’ve gotta do something… Who knows how much time we have… At this rate, Rose will destroy himself and not be able to be back to the former life.”       “Now we have only two ways: literally pressing on Peter against the wall and persuading him to explain everything to us, or meeting the people from Albert’s studio and finding out what they could say about the blond.”       “Of course, I could go to the studio and talk to some people, trying not to get into Albert’s eyes. But I don’t think it would give us a result. Peter was always secretive when the talk was about his life. For him, it was kind of forbidden.”       “Maybe, if you and I unite, we will quickly find those, who could say something about Rose? To be honest, I racked my brains while trying to decide what to do, and started to give up slowly…”       “I think we must unite if we wanna help Peter,” Daniel glances aside. “Maybe, I could make amends for behaving so terribly toward my close person…”       “At least you’re regretting what you did – that’s very good.”       “I know…” Daniel looks at his hands for two or three seconds, and then he glances at Terrence and smiles slightly. “By the way, I’m glad to see you.”       “I’m glad to see you, too,” Terrence replies with a slight smile.       “I believe ignoring each other doesn’t make sense. So, let’s communicate like we did before and think about how to help the blond together.”       “Now I need any kind of help. And I promise I won’t be ignoring you anymore.”       After sharing a slight smile, Terrence and Daniel shake each other by the hand to greet. And then they hug each other amicably, sharing a slight clap on the back and step away when a guy standing not far from them lets something fall on the floor, takes it quickly, and keeps moving on.       “Hey, why didn’t you answer my calls?” Daniel asks. “I’ve tried to call you several times in the past two days, but your number was unavailable!”       “I’d like to know why you didn’t answer mine,” Terrence replies. “I’ve tried to call you and Peter hundreds of times when you two didn’t come to the studio after the scandal, but I couldn’t give you caught.”       “After that scandal, I turned off my phone and turned it on two days ago. When I calmed down more or less and was ready to talk to you and the people from the studio.”       “I think we did the right thing by breaking contact for some time. I needed to forget about the band… But I didn’t do it because George constantly called me, shouted, and swore at me like teachers at school do in front of schoolmates.”       “Didn’t you piss him off when we didn’t speak?”       “I would’ve done, but I couldn’t. Once, I turned off the phone for some time. But when I turned it on, I saw a bunch of messages and missed calls from Smith. And then he called me and began to yell at me on the phone and insult me.”       “Smith annoyed me with calls, but I ignored them for a long time and didn’t wanna listen to his shouts and insults,” Daniel says gloomily, looking around the whole hall.”       “He knew that I was doing my best to save the band and make you and Rose work. But he thought I was too soft and should’ve literally beaten you with batons and made you do your work.”       “I’m embarrassed ‘cause it happened…” Daniel strokes down his hair. “Because you were tearing apart between us and trying to save the band. George was right about it. You were the only one to care about its future.”       “I think now you’re determined to save the band.”       “Yes, now I can’t let our effort be worthless.”       “Agree. But now, finding out what’s happening to Peter is more important to us. If we don’t know how to help him, nothing will be worthless. But if George wants to break a contract earlier, it’s okay. I’d be happy if we got rid of such a disgusting manager, who thinks only of himself and money.”       “You’re right, I don’t like that man, too. And the fact that he always lets himself insult us and act like a severe daddy that can kick you with a belt is annoying me.”       “If you and Rose had been ignoring him for a few more days, Smith would’ve kicked me with a belt for not being able to get you to come together and work on His Fucking Highness.” Terrence sighs tiredly and runs his hand over his hair. “But I could do nothing because I didn’t know how to make Rose and you reconcile.”       “Oh… If we magically save the band, the first thing we must do is to fire Smith and find a new manager. Or I will wish to kill that man.”       “I barely hold myself down not to do it. But I’m about to lose my temple.”       “Why didn’t we fire him earlier?” Daniel moans quietly. “That man does give a fuck about us and our problems. He does care only about work paid by half of the amount that we could earn.”       “I don’t even wanna do anything under this pressure… Songs are terrible, the words don’t connect together, and the melody is second-rate. Edward is right when saying that a good song could be written only when you have no goal to write it, and when nobody presses and distracts you.”       “Listen, what songs did George talk about when we were at his office?” Daniel asks. “Did ya write something when we didn’t meet?”       “Yeah…” Terrence shrugs. “I wrote a part at the studio on the day of your scandal with Peter and another part at home. There were too many ideas that I wanted to make real. But today the process wasn’t well… Because George called me, I guess…”       “Did your buddy help you?”       “Nope, Edward didn’t help.” Terrence smiles slyly and raises his head proudly. “But he appreciated what I wrote.”       “Well, I wanna look at your masterpieces and see what was appreciated by the talented guy, who can write songs so well. Would you show me what you wrote?”       “With pleasure. Wanna go to my home, so I can show you everything?”       “I won’t refuse,” Daniel shrugs with a shy smile. “I have nothing to do.”       “So, did you spend too much time with your girlfriend that you wanna get separated for a while?” Terrence asks funnily.       At this moment, Terrence and Daniel start to go down the wide hall and slowly come to the stairs that led to the first floor.       “No, Anna is just spending time with the girls,” Daniel explains, putting his hands in the pockets of his coat. “When I was leaving, they were gonna watch a movie.”       “Oh, are Raquelle and Natalia at your home now?” Terrence wonders. “Cameron didn’t say she’d go to visit Anna.”       “Yes, they were together when I came back home after leaving for two hours. We talked a little, and then George called me and ordered to bring my ass to the agency. So, I had to leave the charming beauties alone and come here.”       “Then you may not rush. If the girls decided to spend time together and watch a movie, they won’t say goodbye ‘till the evening.” Terrence shrugs with a slight smile. “So, I also have nothing to do.”       “That’s cool! Natalia, Raquelle, and Anna are having fun at my home, but I’m gonna hang out with you and look at what you wrote. And I’ll call Anna or send her a message on the way to warn her about it and not to make her nervous. She asked me to call her after meeting George.”       “Wise decision.”       After going down, Terrence and Daniel are going to leave the PR agency. Not to get stuck on the band’s problems, the guys talk about something that does not have to do with it and even call the memories of something that makes them laugh, smile, and feel a little relief after they began to speak again and got an opportunity to spend time together.