"Thanks Dave," Keely murmured waving at him as he dropped her off in front of her hotel.

She had given him the rest of the day off, because once again, she'd had the photo shoot for her album art this morning, but this was the last one. Which meant she wouldn't have to be waking up so early in the morning. That would have been nice to have for this morning, because she hadn't gotten home until two in the morning after the concert last night.

And then she hadn't fallen asleep until about four. First of all, because Keely was always buzzed after a concert and never could fall asleep right when she got home. And secondly, she'd been texting Jenny into the wee hours of the morning.

But now Keely had the rest of the day off as well, just like Dave, and Marissa left for the start of her radio tour this morning and Jenny had already gotten on her plane this morning, she was going somewhere in Canada, at least that was what Keely thought. And her last two contacts that she could call to hang out in New York - Marco and Colton - were out as well. Marco putting the bass track down on one of their tracks and Keely didn't want to interrupt while Colton was going doing... well, whatever he was doing. She had no idea what Seth was doing, but Keely wasn't about to call him, anyways, she didn't have his number.

So, she was going to take an afternoon nap for a few hours. And after that she'd probably go out to grab a solitary lunch and then go to the mall.

She wanted to go to the mall because she needed to find a music store. Naturally, she would go to the small almost falling down record store she'd seen her first day in the big apple, but they didn't have the new The Script album that Keely was already lusting over.

"Hey," she muttered answering her phone as she stumbled into her room.

"It's me again Keel," Joe's voice sounded over the line.

Making her way up the stairs, Keely had to bite back a groan. She would like to have this conversation when she could at least keep her eyes open. "Sorry Joseph," she apologized immediately, falling fully clothed on her bed. "But I didn't get to sleep after the concert until four and then had to wake up at six to shower and get ready for a photo shoot. I really need to sleep," she finished.

"A concert?" Joe enquired surprised. "I thought you weren't going on tour until later, and you already played a concert."

"No," yawned she. "I went to a U2 concert last night with some friends."

"You've been there four days, you can't possibly have friends yet," said Joe suspiciously. "What are there names?"

"People like me," the tone of her voice hinted at a shrug. "What can I say? I'm just amazing. Names? Um... Marissa James, Jennifer Cooper, Marco Stevenson, Colton Neilson and Seth Ryan."

"Marissa James?!"

"Yeah," Keely yawned again, curling into a ball. "She's actually really cool, I'm going on tour with her and N.S.R. I had dinner with the guys a few nights ago and had lunch with Marissa yesterday, and then we recorded a duet, which I made into an awesome song, I've go to say."

"And you met Jennifer Cooper?"

"She's great," laughed Keely tiredly to Joe. "Coop is like me, just her talent is acting not singing. And I'm about to fall asleep, talk to you later."

"Okay, bye."

He murmured more words in goodbye, but Keely was already dead to the rest of the worlds.

*

Keely hadn't bothered called Dave to drive her around, she just walked down to where she could get a quick salad - feeling slightly guilty about eating four slices of pizza the night before - and went down to the mall. She really didn't like having a driver; cabs and walking were just as good for her. And if she was desperate, couldn't she drive herself about?

It was a nice sunny day today, and Keely was taking advantage of it. She'd pulled on a pair of short white jean shorts that left almost the whole length of her long slim legs bare, she had pulled on a plain low v-neck tee that wasn't quite tight, but was flirting with her flat stomach. Over top of the tank top, Keely pulled on a big red, black and white long sleeved plaid button up shirt, but she left it loose. Keely had had a shower, so her hair was now curly madly over her shoulders. She probably looked sloppy, but she was too tired to car.

When she was walking past, people mostly wouldn't notice, but some would do a double take and look back down at the magazine in front of them. Probably seeing a picture of Keely hanging out with everybody, and it was already starting to annoy Keely even though it was a few individuals.

Sighing, she ducked into one of those chain music stores. Not only was she happy to be surrounded by music, she was getting away from the prying eyes of some ten year old.

Automatically, Keely considered what genre The Script would be in.

Probably lumped into the rock section, Keely decided rolling her eyes, there were just too many versions of rock to just have one section, it had always bothered her. Not having the best - and by not the best, Keely meant the worst on entire planet - sense of direction, it took her about fifteen minutes of walking around the store aimlessly to find the rock section.

But that didn't mean Keely didn't enjoy the wandering, because she had about seven CD's in her hand that her will power hadn't been strong enough to refuse.

Though she did find it kind of ironic that the main stream pop section was straight across from the rock. Keely wasn't really paying attention to where she was walking, but that wasn't unusual.

Running her fingers over the CD cases as she passed, Keely didn't let one get passed her guard. And she couldn't refuse herself when she saw the one Jeff Buckley album she didn't have. Turning, to walk straight forward, Keely bumped into someone.

"I'm so sorry," Keely apologized immediately.

"It's fine," the voice muttered defensively.

Surprised at the tone, Keely - for the first time - looked at the person she had ran into and had to hold back a snort.

There - in all his glory - was Mr. Seth Ryan.

He looked as if he'd just walked off a photo shoot, and Keely could only roll her eyes. Seth was wearing navy blue jeans with a thick black belt and The Doors t-shirt beneath a black leather jacket. To finish the look off, he was wearing black wayfarer sunglasses and his dark hair was sticking up slightly in the front.

"The sunglasses aren't really hiding you," Keely pointed out scathingly. What was it about this guy that made her so defensive and catty?

"Are you trying to moon the whole city in those shorts? About all of the forty year old guys are drooling over you now," he returned.

Maybe this was why, Keely decided instantly as he made his insulting comment. But she did have to fight the urge to tug the shorts down as his eyes passed over her long bare legs, she hadn't realized they were so short until now.

Snorting, she saw that he was holding the Scripte album she wanted.

"I don't really think this is your style," Keely smiled sweetly while plucking the album from his hands, the smile was all the more dangerous by it's sweetness. "After listening to your music, I think this fits better."

The side of Seth's mouth twitched with some sarcastic amusement Keely didn't understand when she pushed the Rick Astley CD in her hands. "Never Gonna Give You Up? Trying to give me a hint there Staub? First of all, don't pretend you know me, because you know nothing about me. And," he put the album down, leaning towards her.

"I'm a much better dancer."

"And here comes the much awaited appearance of the egotistical musician," Keely rolled her eyes leaning towards him. She whispered in his ear, "And trying to give you a hint? I think I just puked in my mouth thinking about it."

"I really don't like you," he whispered back.

"Right back at you pop star," Keely smiled pulling back. She didn't give him back the CD, instead she just walked away. "I didn't know you were a forty year man," she called back over her shoulder.

Paying quickly for the music, Keely got away from Seth as fast as she could.

He is such an ass, she scowled harshly as she walked away from the store. What was wrong with him? Maybe she started it, but still, what she had said had been more joking than anything. And you know what? She had some pretty great legs if she said so herself, what the hell was his problem?

Having worked herself into such a huff that she was hearing white noise, Keely barely noticed her cell ringing.

"What?"

"Hey K Staub."

"Oh, hey Coop," Keely smiled. The nasty sound in her voice disappeared when she heard Jenny's voice, it was odd how they'd all had a strange connection between them, if you exclude Seth. But what Keely was refusing to think about was that there was some sort of connection between her and Seth, that odd shock that had ran through their bodies when their hands touched the first time.

Laughing easily, though it sounded as if she was walking, Alex said, "So what was with the tone that could make any person's blood freeze in their body? Had to deal with evil designer lady at your photo shoot?"

"There was that," she agreed. "But I've kind of gotten over the dragon lady, she makes me laugh now. But today, it's arrogant egotistical pop stars."

"Oh," Coop's voice got excited. "Arrogant egotistical pop star drama with my best friends is my speciality. Tell me the goods."

A glow of happiness appeared where Keely assumed her heart was when Jenny so easily said she was her best friend, and she almost completely forgot about Seth and the music store. "Not that interesting," she evaded. "So how is my girl doing out in Canada?"

"It's really beautiful out here," she sighed.

"Where are you?" Keely asked interestedly, making a beeline for the coffee shop, having an iced mocha on her mind.

"British Columbia."

"Oh, I love it there!" she gasped. "My mother's parents used to have a property in Langley. We would go up there every Christmas until she died, I wish you could have seen it in the snow. And the Golden ears, and there are always mountains around when you're in the valley. Plus it only take like twenty minutes to drive down to Whiterock to the beach. The only thing that sucks is that it's cold."

Jenny squealed in delight, sounding as if she was jumping up and down, which only made Keely laugh. "That's where I am right now! I've gone down to some lake with some of my co-stars, and we're filming in a place called Fort Langley."

“Gorgeous out there isn't it?" Keely sighed, remembering.

"Daddy!" Keely squealed highly as her father threw her up in the air over the clear lake where her mother caught her. "Daddy, help!" she called giggling.

"The monster's got you," Brooke giggled as well, the same sound of her daughter, except her daughter's voice was still high with adolescence. Swinging her four year old baby around, she kissed her stomach.

"Daddy!" Keely squealed again still giggling.

"Uh oh, I think he's turned into a monster too!" Brooke murmured secretly to Keely.

In that moment, Brooke tossed her daughter carefully towards Frank, who snatched the baby from the air dexterously.

"Daddy!" she chortled when she was securely tucked into his arms. "Be a dolphin daddy! You can't be a monster like mommy said because you're a dolphin." As she was saying this - mispronounced of course as she was just four years old - Keely scrambled out of his arms and crawled onto his back.

Obligingly, Frank dived into the water, though the whole time he was making sure his baby's miniature though still chubby hands were still clutching at his shoulders as he cut threw the salt water."

"Mommy! Catch me!"

Seeing as they had just came back out of the water, Frank took her carefully off his shoulders and tossed her just as carefully to Brooke.

"I got you baby," Brooke laughed, tucking Keely securely in the crook of her arm, kissing her forehead lightly and brushing the wet dark curls that were stuck to her face away.

"The monster's coming!" yelled Brooke jokingly.

As she yelled, Frank had dived into the water, and came out right in front of them.

Automatically, Keely held her arms out wanting to be held by her father now, she could never decide between the two of them. Smiling delightedly, with no distance whatsoever in his eyes, he picked up Keely. Plus he wrapped an arm around his wife's waist, pulling her close.

Suddenly Keely forgot about her parents, and became very interested in the water, not noticing how they kissed warmly behind her as she slapped her hand to the water.

"Oh yeah," Jenny sighed as Keely came back into the present. "I've always liked going to the water, and I'm having fun splashing. But I love walking down Fort Langley. It's so, I don't know what it is, it's just perfect."

"Yeah," she murmured vaguely, half her mind still in memories. "I got to go Coop."

"Oh, well... okay," said Alex bewildered.

"Can I get you anything?" the girl at the cashier asked, her voice was in monotone showing boredom to the extreme.

But Keely's eyes were filling up.

"Miss?" the girl asked in alarm. "Can I get you anything? A latte? A tissue?"

Smiling watery, Keely backed away. "Thanks, but no thanks." But by the time she ended her short sentence, one tear rolled down her cheek. This started the brigade, and soon the tears were pouring out like a fountain, alarming the cashier. But Keely just shook her head, when she pushed the door open to try and get rid of the claustrophobic feeling the first sob racked through her entire body.

How could she just leave the way she had? Keely had never even said goodbye to her father, just left in the dark at seven in the morning.

She'd left him just as suddenly as her mother had died.

Before her mother had gotten sick, there was almost always a light in Frank's eye. He never had a worried glint in those dark eyes, money, belongings and status had never bothered him.

Because he had all he'd ever wanted in his baby girl and wife. But - of course - the worst things happen to the best and least deserving people, so he ended up with just a daughter. But then she had decided to leave him as well, so everything that had really meant anything to him was now gone.

Oh god, Keely felt like crying out loud. How in the world had she been callous enough to leave?

"Having fun?" though her voice was thick, Keely managed to make it scathing as she wiped yet another tear from her eye.

Seth just stared at her blankly.

Rolling her eyes, Keely swiped the fabric of her shirt across her eyes, glaring fiercely at him through the thick veil of tears. When he didn't say anything, just continued to stand there, she rolled her eyes and shoved past him, muttering, "Jackass," as she went.

As she walked down the road back to the hotel, she was given no looks from those around her, apparently a crying eightteen year old girl walking down the street was just not too shocking.

Giving a loud sniff, Keely pulled her phone from her pocket.

She hastily dialled her father's number, and pressed the phone to her ear, waiting impatiently for him to answer.

But all she got was, "Hey, you've got Frank, leave a message."

He still had a very bland voicemail.

Pulling in another loud sniff, she shoved the phone into her back pocket and continued down the road, feeling a bit out of body. She knew she shouldn't really be reacting to her dad not answering his phone, after all he could be working and just not heard the thing. But oddly Keely felt a bit out of body as she walked down the road, feeling somewhat lonely.

- So it begins...

Lol.

Okay, new chapter. What do you think Joe said to her when she was falling asleep but she didn't hear? Huh, he'd very much like to tell you, he's literally screaming in my ear so that everyone can know, but I don't think I'm letting that happen just yet.

By the way, I did punch my neighbour a bit, it felt good, but I didn't hit him in the face, because that would have screwed it up sadly, and he's nice to look at XD

Wow, I had some advice I was randomly going to say, but anyway I phrase it, it sounds really dirty! And it's not lol! Really, it's damn innocent, but it sounds so wrong when I'm writing it down, so I think I'm just going to keep it to myself.

Oh, and the picture on the side just made me think Keely. It is the actor I've chosen for her, so it kind of fits perfectly!

As for the song, I was going to put Breakeven by The Script there, but I think I might use that song later, I'm not sure. But that song will be used, either for this story or Gimmie Shelter. By the way, listen to that song, it's awesome. So now I'm going to put down some Scorpions, because they rock!

Well, comment, comment comment!!! -