CHAPTER 13

Do you ever get that feeling where you have words at the tip of your tongue but you can't actually find the right words to say it? All morning, my brain has been a jumbled mess. Ideas, inspiration was flowing through but I couldn't get it out. I stared at the blank page of paper before me frustrated.

Music was my way of communicating thoughts and stories but then I couldn't even write it!!

My bedroom door slammed open and Rose barged in. I looked up annoyed and she rolled her eyes at me, "You've been staring at that page all morning, go and do something."

I stared blankly at her and soon her words fell past my ears. The pen in my hand was doodling on the page, drawing flowers and stars and hearts.

I heard Rose leave and soon so was I. I packed up my leather bound journal and pen and made my way upstairs to the music room. I sat at the baby grand piano and ran my fingers over the ivory keys, the silent room welcoming the noise.

I played around on the keys and soon I was forming a pattern, a melody. I et my phone out to record the few melodies I created. I played them back and then edited a bit making sound nicer. I was able to get the melody and harmony down but I just couldn't get the words out. At all.

I was literally stuck.

I had the complete instrumental of the song but no words!

I was actually about to rage quit when I heard someone laugh behind me making me jump. I whip my head to face the one and only bad boy.

Xavier Matthews.

"Stuck?" He asked kindly.

I nodded a bit dumb struck. How he managed to look so attractive without trying, I don't know but it wasn't fair.

Dressed in ripped black jeans, a black Ramones T-shirt with rolled sleeves and black converses he casually strolled over and slid onto the piano seat with me.

"Show me what you got so far," he said quietly.

And so I played him the music I was able to get down and when it finished the room was silent.

"That sounds like a ballad kind of song, I reckon it would be cool just to have a piano and voice for it, so it's stripped back. Maybe two voices at the least," He said and he did know what he was talking about. He did actually know his music, compared to other pop stars out there.

I nodded in agreement, liking the sound of his idea.

He hesitated, I saw him. He hesitated for a moment before asking softly, "What did you want to write the song about?"

Now it was my turn to hesitate, did I want to tell him?

After a minute I said, "Discovering yourself, or discovering someone else for the first time."

He nodded hesitantly again, nervous.

He then stood up and grabbed a sheet of paper off his desk and two markers. Sitting next to me he handed me one and then said, "Brainstorm a list of words in your head, ones you want to communicate."

I took the paper and brainstormed the words 'mask, hidden, uncovered, golden heart, truth...'

Words soon began to flow and the white blank page was covered in words.

And then I was able to piece them together. I took my journal and wrote and wrote lines down, then checking them over to see if they fit the melody. Xavier watched and read what I wrote, pointing some things I could make better out and helping me write the song.

Within an hour, I was actually exhausted, that creative burst tiring me out. I grinned at the page of lyrics before me, proud of it. Xavier had been a massive help co-writing it with me and we figured that the song would sound better with a duet instead of solo melody. It took about about an hour to record properly but hey! It was my first proper recording in the mini studio and proper equipment and I was incredibly happy with the song. Xavier sang the duet part with me and our voices just seemed to blend perfectly together.

When we finished I grinned at him, "I love it! Thank you so much!"

He came close to me and then wrapped his arms around me. I buried my head into his chest and, like any girl would, inhaled his addicting scent of boy.

"No worries Belle," he said softly, his husky voice making his chest vibrate under me.

My heart seemed to flutter and I was confused with what I was feeling. I mean this was Hollywood's bad boy. Sleeps with girls and breaks their heart, on drugs, pulled over by the cops constantly and doing who knows what else but yet every time I was with him by myself I saw a different side of him and it was frustrating because he was either hiding his true self or showing his true self and no matter how much I want to believe all of this is true, I get bombarded with photos and media stories about what the party boy has been doing.

But who is the party boy?

I let go my arms go and stand back, too shy to look at him and that was when I notice a discarded outfit in the corner.

"What's that?" I asked walking over to it.

"Wait-"

But I had already picked up the clothes and the wig and recognised it. It was the same clothes Tyler had worn to the bowling and the wig resembled his bleach blonde hair.

I raised an eyebrow at Xavier, not annoyed nor angry, just confused.

He sighed, "I was Tyler the other night."

"How come?"

He sighed and sat on a bean bag.

"I just wanted to see what everyone was like without the cameras around or without me around. I figured that was when I could see the girls true self." He stated.

I sat next to him on the bean bag.

"And what did you learn?"

He looked up briefly at me and smiled, "Well, to the begin Rose is absolutely insane."

I laughed as that was very true.

"I found out that Lindsay can be extremely obnoxious and Ashley just follow hers around but doesn't necessarily like her. I also overheard Lindsay talking to Elliot and it seems like they're planning something."

I wouldn't be surprised if they were to be honest.

He told me the things he noticed about each girl before saying, "And you..."

My heart jumped for a moment, "I learnt that you're shy around people you don't really know but confident with people who you do,"

"I learnt that you're grateful for the smallest things and always try to find the bright side in a situation,"

"You treat people kindly and with respect. You're forgiving," He's staring into my eyes as he says this, "You have this genuine love for people which makes them attracted to you, a desire to be your friend."

By now I'm blushing and playing with my hands in my lap.

"You're courageous yet timid. Crazy yet sensible. And most all, you're real."

Quiet surrounds us and it's a comfortable silence where I take in the words he said. The words he said with so much emotion and words that meant the world to me.

"Thank you Xavier," I whisper and he gives me his charming smile.

"Anything for you," he grins.

I look down shyly and he stands up. He's pacing in front of me and I watch him curiously. He has a frown on his face and he looks like he wants to say something. He passes a hand through his hair.

"I wish... I wish I could just do that normally," He says frustrated but he wasn't making much sense.

"Do what normally?" I ask softly.

He continues pacing, "You know, go to the beach, go bowling, go to the park without cameras after me, watching my every move."

I nodded, I could understand where he was coming from.

The media attacked Xavier the most compared to other singers since he was the bad boy.

"They turn me into someone I'm not and I can't do anything about it."

A/N: So sorry this is such a short chapter but I promise I'll pick up my game. Haha

Hope'd you like it at least :)

Also, who wants to know the song Xavier and Annie wrote together?!

Haha

Question of the update: cats or dogs?