“I can't believe when you got me drunk, you got me arrested,” groaned Keely, plopping down on the hard bench. “I mean, it could have been at least a fun drunk time.”

“The guy deserved it,” muttered Seth, sitting beside her so their sides were touching.

Giving a snort that sounded rather oddly high for her, Keely slumped back, kicking off her sneakers as she looked across to the cell beside them where the man was drooling, passed out on the the bench. It was only with great focus that she managed to keep her mind steady on the conversation, resisting the urge to start giggling for no reason.

“For what?!” she exclaimed.

He shrugged, closing his eyes as he leaned his head back against the brick wall, mumbling, “He hurt you.”

“I can handle myself,” Keely pointed out.

But before the conversation could go farther, John pushed a rubber ice cream bucket towards her.

“Don't puke in holding.”

For a moment she just blinked at him in confusion, but when Seth startled laughing beside her and leaned his head into his hands a smile crossed her face.

Figuring it was for the best, she really didn't want to sit in a jail cell if there was puke in it as well, she shoved herself up from the bench. But she couldn't help the loud giggle that escaped her lips when she found her legs uncooperative with walking in a straight line to the bucket.

An hour, probably longer, later found them still sitting on the bench, but at least their intoxicated minds so far hadn't allowed for them to become bored. They still hadn't gotten their one phone call yet, because they needed to be booked first, whatever that meant. It might as well have been gibberish to her.

Keely was sitting on the metal bench, her legs cross legged in front of her, facing Seth with her – thankfully empty – bucket huddled between her legs. Seth was also facing her, although he had opted to straddled the bench instead where he sat close to her.

“Okay, okay,” she said, holding her hands flat in front of her as if on a table.

Arching an eyebrow at her Seth followed her movement, although turning his palms upwards to face her. But he surprised her by closing in the distance between their hands with the lightest of touch, causing Keely to rip her hands away from him, but hastily reaching out to snatch at his wrists before she could topple off the bench with the movement. She'd hit that concrete floor more than she cared to admit.

“Hey!” she complained, letting go of his wrists when she steadied herself and shoved him lightly in the chest, pulling her hand away before it could linger on the warmth radiating through his sweater. “That's not fair,” she continued, holding her hands out again, “Again.”

Still smirking slightly, Seth copied her movement, placing his hands beneath hers, palm upwards again.

“Okay... go!” she yelped, snatching her hands back towards her, but once again she wasn't fast enough as his hands swung around to smack hers lightly.

It was either she was terrible at that game or her reaction times had slowed.

“Again,” Keely ordered determinedly, holding her hands out again.

“Hey, Seth, do you want your phone call?” called an unfamiliar voice.

“Hold that thought,” he told her, shoving up off the bench.

Puffing out her cheeks, Keely swung around on her hard metal perch so she could lean her back against the wall more comfortably, watching Seth as he moved forward to the bars to get the phone handed to him. Thoughtfully she let her eyes drift down from the perfect width of his shoulders and downwards, but after a moment she shook herself from her gaze. Even the drunk version of herself shouldn't be doing that.

But that didn't mean that the entirety of his lean body was just as attractive as the front, the boy really did drip sex appeal. Not that she was thinking about it.

As he turned to the side, Keely let herself watch him absentmindedly while he leaned against the bars of the jail cell, a small crease appearing between the dark brows as he dialed a number. Letting the air escape from her lips, she once again puffed out her cheeks.

Finally getting bored with the situation, probably because there was no more Seth to keep her entertained, she flipped over the bucket, using it as a drum as she beat her hands across it carelessly. But the banging that had a lack of rhythm soon turned into a beat as she sang lightly to Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love.

Still she managed to keep half an ear on Seth's conversation.

“Yeah, you guessed it. Right here. Well, I don't know, it just sort of happened...” he trailed off, running a hand through his hair before continuing on. “Is anything ever my fault? I know. No, don't you dare, get Colton to go pick it up. No, I don't want you anywhere near my car! Yeah, you're my best mate but that doesn't mean I'll ever let you near it again. I'm not being a dick, I'm being realistic, you totaled my last car. Of course that's fair, shit, you were driving it! Just come, okay?”

As he hung up, Keely managed to hear him tell the cop that she didn't need a phone call before coming to sit beside her.

Stopping her drumming, Keely turned on the bench again so she could face him although he continued to face forwards. Her light head protested at the sudden movement, but at least the bucket wasn't needed. “Marco's coming to pick us up?” she asked, looking the side of his handsome face.

Yes, she could admit he was better looking than most people, better looking than anyone she'd ever met before. And with the alcohol still coursing through her bloodstream very potently, she probably would have admitted it out loud, especially if he sent her a look through his deep hazel eyes with the hints of gold.

“Yeah, we'll see how long it takes him to come when you're hear,” Seth returned tipping his head to the side so their eyes met fully, “He usually lets me stew a while.”

Feeling the pall of sleepiness blanket her mind, Keely gave a loud – and very wide – yawn, barely able to cover her mouth in time. Still she managed to keep her abruptly weary eyelids open.

Thoughtlessly she shoved the bucket away from her grasp, it falling to the concrete floor with a loud clang to the ground. But she ignored it with ease, shoving herself forward so her crossed legs brushed him as she raised a hand to his cheek, brushing her fingers lightly over his cheekbone and up towards his eye, much too focused to notice his reaction.

“You're starting to bruise,” she whispered, tracing her fingers over the darkening skin.

All she received in a response was, “Hm?”

A smile twitching on her mouth, Keely brushed her hand up from his cheek into his hair, finding the cropped hair just as soft as she'd imagined. Focusing on his eyes, she told him conversationally, “Tyler said you're a great musician because you've had a crappy life.”

His eyes crinkled with humor, making the gold shine, but she could still see that familiar sadness. “So you think I'm a great musician now?”

“Oh, I think you're an incredible one,” she answered honestly, not feeling the least bit embarrassed for her words in her state in the protective bubble of intoxication about her. “But you know what? I'd like the pain to go away now, you'd still be the same musician you are now, but you'd be happier. And maybe then I wouldn't have to worry about you.”

No longer able to keep the tiredness at bay, Keely gave another huge yawn as she closed her eyes, dropping her hand away from him in order to drop in his lap. Yes, definitely time to sleep.

Continuing on her mindless trek, Keely swung about, bringing her legs up onto the bench and stretched out, laying the back of her head on his lap.

“What are you doing?”

“I'm tired,” she mumbled. The last thing she felt was the softest touch brushing her bangs away from her face before she drifted away.

Her guitar case in one hand and a coffee in the other, Keely strolled down the seat, thankful for the warmth in her hand.

She couldn't help but notice the looks that she was getting as she walked down the street. Although, rarely did people actually peak to her, as they probably weren't too sure if it was even her for sure, but it'd take a blind fool to not see the amount of people who were recognizing her had multiplied within a few days.

Taking a sip of her coffee as she walked down the road at a steady pace, she kept her eyes straight forward. It was a bit awkward to be honest, hadn't people been taught as children it was rude to stare? Especially when the point of the staring was beginning to feel as if she was schizophrenic from thinking like that.

Unable to help herself, Keely turned her gaze sharply so she could arch an eyebrow in a girl's direction. The girl instantly blushed and began walking faster.

But it would have been better if she'd just kept her eyes forward.

Instantly pausing at the sight of her own face, she felt the scowl stretch across her mouth. On more than one tabloid at the magazine stand was both she and Seth looking back at her, their mug shots side by side. Apparently someone at the police station thought it would be a good idea to sell the photos to the papers, and since the Sunday afternoon when she'd rejoined the world of the living, the pictures had been plaguing her.

In her picture her green eyes were wide, looking enormous as they swallowed the attention, her mouth hanging slightly open, her ginger hair was scattered messily around her face while she held the little black sign. Seth on the other hand didn't look as disheveled, his hair rumpled and a slight smirk playing across his mouth while he held up the sign, the white figures on his sign differing from hers by only a number.

Narrowing her eyes at the pictures, Keely stalked away. It had been almost a week since the incident, now being a Thursday, but it was following her around like locus. She'd managed to block out all things after she'd been thrown in the police car, and it would have been nice for every moment of her day not pushing her to remember.

She was quite happy not knowing!

Even when she got to UAE she could not escape the photos, finding them taped to the door of studio C, and could see Brett along with Marco and Colton snickering from the end of the hall. “Ha ha,” she glared at them, shoving through the door.

Slouching back in his chair, Seth had an acoustic guitar in his lap, his eyes snapping up to hers when she slammed the door shut behind her. Her eyes caught a familiar bar, but he quickly placed a hand over the strings, silencing the sound effectively.

With barely a pause, she dumped her guitar on the chair and slammed her coffee onto the table, proclaiming, “People suck?”

“What are you on about?” he asked, straightening slightly in his seat, one hand still on the guitar's neck.

“Nothing,” Keely side, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she leaned back against the wall comfortably. “Hand better, now?”

Playing a chord that she instantly recognized as a B7 by both the sound and his finger position, Seth leaned back into his seat, looking up at her. “There's nothing wrong with my hand, rebel, never was. I've never had an issue with it before.”

Very much appreciating the fact that the outside world seemed far away when she was locked in the studio, Keely felt her body relax as she closed her eyes. “Was that a new song?”

“No, just some Buddy Holly.”

The smirk lighting on her mouth, she asked, “Thinking of adopting the glasses?”

“I can handle my life without them,” replied Seth. As he spoke, Keely heard a few scuffles, but ignored them easily.

She murmured, “Your loss.”

Remembering she wasn't in the studio to practically sleep propped against the wall, Keely opened her eyes to find Seth standing now, but placing his guitar on the table, far away from her coffee. “I was thinking about the guitar for Only Lose, I want to make it rougher, you know what I mean? Right now it's too soft as if its not there, it just doesn't fit the song.”

He nodded, side stepping the table as he made his way towards her. “Thinking about using some Hendrix techniques for it? We can use over driven amps, until we get you some feedback.” As he spoke, he moved close, their bodies almost brushing as he reached over her to the headphones on the wall behind her.

Despite the closeness, Keely just dropped her arms to the side, moving her shoulders comfortably against the wall as she tipped her head back to look at him, ignoring the strange jump in her pulse. “Yeah, exactly,” she said, brushing the bangs from her eyes as she smiled up at him.

Seth dropped the large headphones on the table behind him without turning around, but didn't move away, giving Keely the sudden feeling that she'd been backed into a corner with her against the wall and his solid body just inches away. “You think you can handle the guitar track or should I do it?” he asked, putting his hands on either side of her head.

Definitely backed into a corner, she thought as her body tensed against the wall and she could feel that strange jump in her pulse again, but this time it happened more often. “I can handle it myself.” Why did that come out sounding breathless?

“Really?” he returned, his mouth turning up in a crooked grin.

Losing her thought pattern she just looked back up at him, biting down on her lip absentmindedly as her chin tipped up to him. Was it strange that she wanted to-

The door beside them swung open and Keely jumped violently, rapping her head against the wall as her thoughts flew away from her mind. As she jumped, Seth took one hasty step away, the hands that had been pressed flat against the wall dropping to his side.

Muttering swear words under her breath as she rubbed her head, she looked at him with wide eyes. Keely found she didn't even care who had opened the door, she was more focused on looking across the space at him. She couldn't even see his face, because he was scraping his palms over it, hiding it from her view. How could she have not even been thinking about how close that they had been? And further more, how could she have been that stupid?

“What are you two doing?”

At the sound of the voice her gaze shot to Ms Jones who was looking down at her cell phone, and Keely could only be grateful she couldn't notice the tension in the room. The thick tension was sitting heavily on her skin, and the control room suddenly felt much too small.

“We're just talking about a guitar track,” Keely blabbed, “You know, high gain and treble, high bends, legato and a wah-wah pedal.” Now why did that sound shaky?

“No you aren't,” said Maureen, finally looking up from her phone.

Keely's mouth dropped open, how could she know? “Yes we were.”

Looking a bit confused, Ms Jones sent her a wary look. “Fine, you were. But not anymore. You two have a photo shoot you have to get to.”

Her mouth still didn't close, she was beginning to think her mind wasn't working properly.

“Since when do we have a photo shoot?” asked Seth. Her eyes hurriedly snapped to him only to find his face carefully blank, the front locks of hair sticking up messily.

“Since their cover shot dropped out and I managed to get you in,” answered Maureen carelessly.

Regaining her mind Keely blurted, “But why both of us? He's part of a band and I'm solo.”

“Why the two of you? Because you two have been huge news for a week, and I've been holding off reporters all week for you guys, but we need to use it to our advantage. They want you and all of NSR. And the other reason is you ruined your image before we even had time to decide what you were supposed to be for the press.”

Feeling chastised she dipped her hands into her jeans, looking down at the floor, mumbling, “It wasn't all my fault.”

“What was that?” asked Ms Jones sternly, her eyes steely as she looked down at Keely.

“Nothing...”

“C'mon, rebel,” said Seth, putting a hand at her waist to steer her out of the studio.

But she just jolted at the warm hand on her waist, and tried to hide her movement and her flushing cheeks from Maureen by grabbing her guitar.

Without a word Keely dashed out the door. She'd embarrassed herself enough for a minute.

By the time that she reached the end of the hallway though she was no longer alone. “My car is in the alley way,” said Seth from behind her, “I'll give you a drive.”

Nodding hastily she moved away from him, there was no doubt she was a fool.

“Hey you two hear about the photo shoot?”

Ignoring Colton's voice, she darted towards the door.

But still she heard Seth reply, “Yeah, we're-” but then his words cut off with the door slamming.

It wasn't until she had almost flung herself down the stairs that Keely started pacing up and down the alley, thinking about that moment.

Yes, it had been way too close. What was she thinking? It was Seth. No, the problem was that she hadn't been thinking, and she'd just let it happen and him get closer and closer without her saying anything. Not to mention that her heart was still racing, even though there was a freaking wall between them now.

Getting frustrated, Keely shoved her guitar onto the blue hood of the car. If they hadn't been interrupted, would what she'd been thinking about actually have happened? She could clearly remember her chin tipping up towards him. No, she wasn't that stupid. No matter what was going on, it was still Seth Ryan, the guy that half the time annoyed the hell out of her and could never share anything, not to mention she didn't even know his real last name.

“Hey, you ready?” came Seth's voice from the door, and Keely spun around to look at him.

So he was going to act like nothing had happened? Well, nothing had happened in reality... but that wasn't stopping her from freaking out. Still she could act like nothing had happened too.

“Yeah,” Keely answered hastily, leaning one hand over the hood of his car as she leaned over because she'd shoved the guitar case a bit too far. “Did you find anything about the photo shoot?” she asked, arching an eyebrow casually in his direction.

“Here,” he murmured, snatching the guitar case up easily by the handle that her fingers had been grasping at, but only finding air. “And yes, I did, but we have to go now.”

Walking around the car, she couldn't help but smirk at him over the top of the car, “You just want to get your picture taken, don't you?”

“Get in, rebel,” he said, rolling his eyes.

All in all, the drive wasn't awkward as she would have imagined. No, there was the usual amount of bickering, yet somehow she almost enjoyed arguing with Seth now, it was amusing most of the time, how sick as she? Still, between all the quibbling, laughter and the radio, she managed to get an idea of what was going on.

A worldwide magazine had set up a cover shoot for some pop diva, but she had canceled on them last minute claiming mental distress from the paparazzi, leaving them in the lurch. How you could claim mental distress from the paparazzi when said person was notorious for even letting them go into their house and the pretending to be so upset, Keely didn't know, but it was true. Anyways, Maureen with her infinite skills at things Keely didn't pretend to understand had somehow managed to sneak in and get them the interview and cover shoot.