Boston, Massachusetts.

“Keely!”

“Shit, shit, shit,” she muttered before raising her voice, “I'm coming!”

Marco poked his head into the closet that she was using as a changing room. “Seriously, we have to go, the bus is literally leaving.”

“I know, I know,” Keely mumbled, stuffing her things into her bag and grabbing her plain guitar case from the corner of the room. Wincing she caught sight of the sweater she left in the corner and lunged towards it, shoving it into her bag hastily.

“Keely,” whined Marco from the door way, “Let's go. Do you like being late?”

Shaking her head she shoved past him, just avoiding swinging the case into his stomach as she pulled her bag over her shoulder. “I never mean to be late.”

“No, it's just a happy coincidence,” he chuckled before prodding her in the back, ordering, “Run!”

Incredulously she swivelled around to look at him. “What?”

“Run,” Marco repeated, jabbing her in the back again. “Unless you want to get left here, I wasn't joking when I said that the bus was leaving.”

She rolled her eyes at him, but all the same broke into a sprint, moving through the labyrinth of halls that would lead her to the back of the stadium and to the tour bus. Her legs eating up the ground quickly, Keely streaked around a corner, bumping her shoulder with the bag into the wall – thankfully not the guitar – as she dodged around a person.

When said person gave her a wide eyed look she couldn't help but burst out laughing at their expression, although she didn't stop running, hearing Marco's loud footsteps chasing her down the corridors. They raced past a few danglers in the halls, making her laughter ring out through the echoing halls. And with Marco shouting directions from where he ran behind her, in five minutes they had gotten to the doors and her breath was clogging in her throat.

“Man,” she complained, pressing against the heavy steel door that opened obligingly to the brisk night air.

Smirking, Marco said, “You're out of shape.”

Keely just arched an eyebrow in his direction, taking in his heaving chest. “Well, you're not quite a fitness buff either, buddy.”

“Are you calling me fat?” he exclaimed, putting a falsetto on his voice as he pressed a hand to his stomach.

Laughing loudly, she just hooked an arm around his shoulders, having to stand on her tip toes and drag him over slightly to do so, as she pulled him to where the bus was waiting. The engine was on, apparently Marco wasn't lying about it leaving.

“Am I calling you, the skinny little blonde boy, fat?” she chuckled, “Of course.”

“Well you don't have to be so harsh about it,” he answered, wiping away a mock tear.

Shaking her head, Keely shoved him away. By this point she was sure his antics shouldn't make her laugh anymore, but she doubted that it would ever happen.

Shoving him away from her so she could pull herself up the steps of the bus, she couldn't help but be grateful for the blast of heat that met her. At least if they were late then the heat would be on high by then, it was becoming quite cold in the northern states. “I could say the same to you,” she called, sending him a cheeky smile over her shoulder.

Turning around to see her path, since she wasn't notoriously graceful, Keely spun around on her heel. Not realizing at that point that she hadn't stepped up the forth step, and immediately her heel caught on said step, sending her forward with a squeal rushing from her mouth towards the false, yet very shiny, hardwood floor.

Yet before the floor could make rather damaging contact with her nose, she was dragged up by the back of the flannel shirt she'd changed into after the show.

“See,” said Marco, wearing a triumphant smile as he let go of her shirt. “You should be nicer to me, I saved your nose.”

Finding herself laughing again, Keely just gave him a light peck on the cheek thoughtlessly. Still chuckling when she proclaimed, “My hero!” and then turning back to the tour bus, but watching where she stepped this time.

Hitching up her bag and guitar case, she made her way around the couches, as well as the miniscule dining table that turned into a bed when needed, towards the back of the bus. The tour bus wasn't exactly luxury, but it was still one hundred percent better than some of the horror stories she'd heard from other artists about their first tours. Colton had told her as that NSR had been shoved inside a literal hippie bus along with all their instruments for their first tour, and they'd barely had anywhere to move around. Apparently she was lucky Maureen owned UAE now.

In any case, the bus still smelt alright, but she was warned that was subject to change over coming months. It was clean though, the couches, chairs, table, their bunks, the appliances; all clean, for that they could be grateful.

“If Dave could have left without you, he would have,” pointed out Colton.

The boy was slouched on one of the couches, looking straight to the television in the corner – Keely had little conscious nightmares of it falling from it's perch and hitting them – that was playing some sport. Colton had a drink in hand and had piled the pillows behind his back, the seats and beds not being the most comfortable.

“We weren't that late,” she answered, hopping carefully over the long legs that were stretched across the walking space.

Colton grinned up at her, biting down on a twizzler. “You have an addiction.”

“It's a sickness!” she protested, laughing as she moved towards the four bunk beds.

“You keep telling yourself that!”

Turning her head back to the narrow path, her smile slid from her face when she reached their beds as Seth was leaning against them, his eyes on her.

And instantly came the tension shooting through her shoulders.

Pulling in a deep breath Keely fought to keep her face at a neutral expression as she brushed past him to her bed, and let out sigh when she heard his socked feet making muffled steps across the floor away from her.

Swinging her things up onto the top bunk that she had above Colton, she simply leaned her head against the guitar case for a moment, an enormous sigh escaping her lips. For a moment she let her eyes wander to the back of the bus, where a long couch turned with the corners of the vehicle so it covered all ends, pillows carelessly already thrown to the ground and scattered about. For the most part people would simply go to the end where no one was if they wanted to be alone, plus there was a door they closed for that end which was a plus.

She could go there, Keely considered as she stared, but almost as suddenly as the thought passed through her mind, she straightened her back and turned to where the boys were sitting.

Just because she and Seth were speaking outside of the studio didn't mean she was going to run and hide. It wasn't her fault! Well, maybe half of it was, when her emotions took over she couldn't stop them, but that didn't mean she regretted it. At least from that she got to see that people weren't always what you thought they were, despite how much time you spent with them.

So she just flopped down onto the couch beside Colton, stealing a twizzler from him as she did so. There would be no running on her part, she didn't need to be speaking with Seth to talk to her other friends in the bus.

Providence, Rhode Island.

“Yeah, sure,” Keely smiled at the girl who blushed shyly after asking for her autograph, feeling a warm glow light up in her stomach. “What's your name?”

“Rebecca,” the girl mumbled, her eyes lighting up.

Hastily taking the dark pen she'd been offered, Keely scribbled a hello to Rebecca and then signed her signature at the bottom of the school binder. She'd never been sure about her signature from the time she'd made it when she'd been thirteen, but now it seemed it was here to stay in case it would be worth money one day.

“Are you coming out to the show tonight?” she asked, hauling up her guitar case and duffel bag from where she'd placed them on the concrete.

The girl glanced about, before whispering conspiratorially, “Yeah, for you and NSR.”

Keely laughed loudly, pulling the bag comfortably over her shoulder. “Well, thanks for that, I hope you enjoy it.”

Still grinning she skirted around the girl so she could make her way to the hotel that she'd been stopped in front of by the girl, Rebecca. She could remember Seth saying that people would be coming to the shows just for her and NSR, it felt like years before, but she hastily shoved him from her mind as she pushed open the door.

“What was that about?” asked Marco, leaning against the window and glancing at her as she opened the door. A quick glance around proved a frowning Colton to be sorting through a handful of keys while Seth leaned against the rickety looking front desk, his back turned to the man who stood behind him, who also happened to be glaring fiercely.

Smiling, Keely brushed her hair out of her eyes. She was wondering how on earth the girl had even noticed her, she was feeling crusty from being held up in that bus with her hair a tangle around her face.

“I was signing an autograph.”

“Ah!” exclaimed Colton, using a high girlish voice. “And we weren't asked? I'm so insulted.”

Rolling her eyes she didn't even bother to reply.

“And here,” said Colton, looking up from his hands, “Are your keys!”

He tossed two sets to the boys, but before he could do the same to her, Keely hastily stepped forward, taking it from his hand.

“Not exactly my hotel back in New York, is it?” Keely said conversationally as she moved forward, Colton beside her through to the faded white coloured walls. She wasn't complaining, in fact this was what she was used to from staying in hotels as a child, but after her fancy room back in the city, it was a bit different.

Beside her the boy gave a disdainful snort, “Well, be thankful you get your room to yourself.”

Unable to help herself, she smirked over at him. “You have to share a room?” The tour might have just started, but she was very much thankful for the fact that they would get their first night in a hotel since it had began, privacy was a necessity once in a while.

She had learnt very quickly that Marco and Colton weren't respectful of her personal space when she had found a picture on her phone of the former wearing her bra over his t-shirt as he pursed his lips at the camera.

“Yeah, with Marco,” he scowled.

“Hey, it's still not as bad as our first tour!” called the boy in question from behind.

Glancing about at the sound of his voice, Keely found he and Seth huddled together over a magazine held between their hands. “What happened then?” she asked, looking back towards Colton as they continued down the hall.

“Three guys, two beds, one hotel room.”

Her eyes bulged, “Seriously?”

“Yeah, it was a bit tight. We could have gotten a better place to stay, but we were fucking broke,” he chuckled. “Marissa and her father stay at the nicest hotels in town since they book it themselves, but Maureen still does ours and since we're with you now, we need three rooms instead of two, we've been downgraded.”

“Being a rock star isn't so glamourous, is it?” said Marco from behind.

“Okay, I'll see you at the sound check,” Seth said, but Keely didn't bother to look around.

After the boys had chorused their “see you later” she looked over at Colton as Marco hurried to her side. “How did he get the room to himself?”

Shrugging, Colton answered, “He won rock, paper, scissors.”

“Plus he's grumpy,” added in Marco.

Glancing down at her key, Keely found that number on it matched the one on the door beside them. “Well, my stop, see you guys tonight?”

“What are you going to do until your sound check?” Colton enquired.

Letting the dreamy look come onto her face, Keely leaned back against the door as she looked up at the ceiling. “I have this dream of sleeping. I know, it's a mad idea, but it's just this thing I've been thinking about trying out. All the kids have been talking about it.”

“Really? What have they been saying?” grinned Marco, playing along.

She smirked, looking back to them, “You can't know what it's like until you try it.”

“Should we give into peer pressure?” Colton asked Marco, slinging his arm over his shoulder.

“I don't know, it sounds tempting.”

Dramatically Colton waved his arms in front of him, making Keely burst out laughing against the door. “No, we can't! We can't just give in this easy!”

Shoving his friend away from him, Marco grinned broadly, pushing the magazine she'd seen he and Seth pouring over moments before into her hands. “In case sleeping isn't all it's cracked up to be,” he told her before chasing after Colton down the hall.

Still chuckling Keely turned to the door, slipping the magazine beneath her arm not even bothering to look at it as she shoved the key into the lock. She hadn't been kidding about sleeping, it was getting to be a promising proposal, her sleeping pattern messing up with the shows they'd been playing. Shuffling through the door way, she propped her guitar against the wall before kicking shut the door and moving to the double bed in the middle of the small room and tossing her duffel bag onto it.

Despite herself she found herself pulling out the magazine so she could look at what had seemed so interesting for the boys. Getting a sense of déjà vu as she looked down at the cover, Keely leaned back against the wall, seeing the familiar picture of she and the boys on the cover. The words: "The New Faces of Rock 'N Roll" slammed across the top in bold letters.

Feeling a smile spread across her face, she flipped open the magazine. Her eyes skimming over the pictures that were spread across the pages dedicated to them, there were a few of her singing by herself, looking so absorbed in the music then three of she playing with the boys, one in particular of she and Seth smiling at each other over top of his guitar as they sat beside each other, and finally the last couple of the boys by themselves.

As she read over the magazine Keely couldn't help the feeling that she was reading about different people. The Keely Staub in the article might be saying words that had come out of her mouth and speaking about the life that she had lived, but it just couldn't be the same person as she. The same was for everything Colton, Seth and Marco had said, it just didn't connect well in her head that it was the same people she spent almost every waking moment were the ones who were being interviewed.

Giving a loud yawn, she tossed the magazine onto the plain dresser before making her way towards the bathroom.

Uncasville, Connecticut.

Stripping out of her stage outfit in the actual change room she was provided this time, Keely hastily shoved it into her bag so she would be ready to leave whenever she was called. It appeared she just wasn't good at packing up so quickly and taking off as the rest of them were, especially the stage crew who she couldn't even keep up to.

Slipping into a pair of blue sweat pants, a white tank top and a black The Band hoodie, she exited the room, knowing she would get bored if she stayed in there too long that night. She didn't even bother with slipping on shoes, just wearing her socks as she moved through the back stage which really was exactly what people had told her it was, smiling at people she recognized as she moved through. Not caring to zip up the front of the sweater, she stuffed her hands into the pockets, cutting with ease through the people who she did and didn't know.

A quick peek into the door of Marissa's change room proved it to be empty, and Keely gave a loud sigh as she closed the door of the massive room. Honestly, even the boys didn't get that big of a dressing room and there were three of them!

Not knowing exactly what to do with herself since Marissa wasn't there, she just continued up towards the stage. The boys were playing, she could watch them for a while. She'd never get bored of watching them, but she found it a bit awkward now.

Still she moved to the opening that gave her a clear view of the stage even if a few fans might see her standing there.

Chewing on her lip, Keely watched as Marco laughed loudly while Colton finished the song with a small drum solo. Comfortably she leaned against the packing box for the drums behind her, crossing her legs in front of her as she watched Seth turn away from the microphone to shout something to the boys – unheard by anyone over but the boys over the roar of the crowd – and then handing his guitar off to one of the stage crew, switching from a Stratocaster to a Telecaster.

She just let out a deep breath as she moved forward, unable to help herself it was as if she had no control over her body as she leaned against the wall to the stage to get a better look. Even over the screaming of the crowd as they moved together, the sound came out clearly, none of the shouting matches between the crowds and the bands as it used to be in the sixties.

And it made it easy for her to recognize the song as Seth started them off.

His fingers strumming the familiar chords of a song she'd heard since she'd been a child, she knew the words that were going to come out of his mouth before he stepped up to the microphone.

“She's a good girl, loves her mama

Loves Jesus and America too

She's a good girl, crazy 'bout Elvis

Loves horses and her boyfriend too

It's a long day living in Reseda

There's a freeway runnin' through the yard

And I'm a bad boy cause I don't even miss her

I'm a bad boy for breakin' her heart

And I'm free, free fallin'

Yeah I'm free, free fallin'

All the vampires walkin' through the valley

Move west down Ventura Boulevard

And all the bad boys are standing in the shadows

And the good girls are home with broken hearts

And I'm free, free fallin'

Yeah I'm free, free fallin'

Free fallin', now I'm free fallin', now I'm

Free fallin', now I'm free fallin', now I'm

I wanna glide down over Mulholland

I wanna write her name in the sky

Gonna free fall out into nothin'

Gonna leave this world for a while.”

Not bothering to wait for the end of the song, Keely shoved up from the wall and briskly wiped her hands over her face before walking away. As she did so, she felt the strangest sensation of eyes on her back, but she kept moving.

East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Yawning Keely rolled over, but her eyes shot open instantly as her hand met only thin air.