Catch My Breath (31 page)

“G
ENTLEMEN
, you’re going on tour this summer,” Sasha announced at a meeting in the beginning of March. They’d been watching the album hold its place on the charts since before Christmas but none of them knew how well an album had to do to warrant a tour. They’d just gotten their answer.

Elliot’s stomach flipped. Other than a few small radio-station shows with a handful of fans, they hadn’t done much.

“Where are we playing?” he asked.

“The label is working on booking venues. It’ll be theaters and concert halls for this album. Next tour, if we play it right, will be stadiums.”

Theaters and concert halls sounded intimidating enough to Elliot. But exciting. Really exciting. It was what they were made to do.

Reece grinned and Webb and Tate exchanged high fives with everyone. “We’ll have a few months in rehearsals, do some interviews and a few TV spots to drum up interest. Tickets are going to go on sale in two weeks. Dates will be released as we book different venues.”

“
Sick
,” Reece said. Then he paused. “Does that mean we’re gonna have to learn how to dance?”

Sasha chuckled. “Your stage show will be tailored to showcase what you guys do best. Let’s not worry about that until we get there.”

“When do rehearsals start?” Webb asked.

“As soon as we can book some studio time. We have a lot of preparation to do.”

Three months later

“I
STILL
can’t freaking do that turn,” Tate complained.

The tour started in two weeks right down the freeway in Anaheim. None of them felt like they were ready. Everyone’s families had tickets, Danny had given a set to Katie and her friends; Elliot had given some to Sara. Danny was nervous. The other guys were nervous. Sometimes Elliot’s nerves went from jittery anticipation all the way to terror. He tried to ignore it but it wasn’t easy.

“Just cross your right foot in front of your left and twist until they’re uncrossed,” Danny said as he demonstrated to Tate. “Then keep spinning.”

“I’m so glad they didn’t give us any real choreography. I still can’t dance,” Elliot mumbled from behind Tate. His two left feet hadn’t magically transformed into anything resembling grace in the past twelve weeks.

“You’re doing fine, babe,” Danny said with a grin and a gentle elbow. He and Elliot were having a good day. There had been more of them lately. Elliot lived for the good days when he knew there was no Chelsea in the near future and he and Danny could just be themselves.

He avoided the tabloids like a disease. They were stuffed full of lovey pictures of Danny and Chelsea, double-dating with Tate and Felicia, smiling and laughing. It all looked so fake to him. Danny told him it had only taken Felicia one date to ask Tate what the hell was going on. To her it had been obvious. To the world, it clearly wasn’t.

Days when Elliot happened to get too much exposure to “Danny and Chelsea”—those days weren’t so good. But he and Danny were still them. Still solid. Elliot wasn’t going to let that fade away. Not after everything they’d been through.

“’Kay, guys. That’s enough for today!” the choreographer called. They’d been there for hours, in final vocal rehearsals and then on to blocking and working out the minimal dancing they’d be doing on stage. The work was exhausting, but they all smiled constantly through it. It felt like performing for people was exactly what the five of them were meant to be doing.

Elliot liked their show. There was a ton of joking, talking to the audience, singing their own songs and their favorite covers they’d sung back in the
Band Camp
days. It wasn’t flashy, it was friendly. The production team had done a great job of actually listening to them, which was a refreshing change, and the show would just be…
them
. There really wasn’t any other way of putting it.

They were all happy. Scared and nervous, but happy. The guys grabbed their bags and water bottles and walked tiredly toward the entrance to the studio.

“Two weeks, guys. Can you believe it?” Webb asked. Even Webb, who was naturally quiet, had bloomed during rehearsals. His gorgeous dark looks shone under the spotlight and his voice—well, his pretty mellow voice would fill the concert halls to the rafters.

“It went so fast.” Reece chugged his water down. “We’re still doing movies and pizza tonight, right?”

“’Course. Your place?” The band liked Reece’s place. He’d never been much of a city guy, so he’d bought a house in the hills with a pool and a big yard. The fans never followed them out there. Neither did the press. It had become their official hideaway. Everyone nodded.

O
UTSIDE
the studio, fans waited. Elliot didn’t mind the studio fans too much. They were usually the respectful ones, the ones who’d wait all day just for the chance to talk to them. He didn’t understand those girls much, probably never would see what the big deal was about talking to him and his friends, but they were still sweet. Static’s bodyguards formed a barrier between the boys and the fans, but they still stopped and signed albums, took pictures, handed out kisses on the cheek and hugs.

“Thank you for coming!” Elliot called as he slipped into Danny’s car. “We love you guys!”

He had to remind himself that he did love the fans. They were just nice girls who loved him and his friends back. It wasn’t their fault necessarily that everything was such a mess. Elliot liked to think the girls really wouldn’t mind if they found out about him and Danny. So many of the fans online already knew—well, at least they thought they did—and he honestly didn’t understand how the ones who didn’t know couldn’t see it. It was probably what Danny told him months and months ago. They didn’t want to. He still hoped the fans in general wouldn’t care. The support from the ones who’d noticed helped a lot, even if he couldn’t acknowledge it. Still, Elliot knew all the same that it was wishful thinking to hope he and Danny would get embraced with open arms by everyone. If the vast majority of the fans really wouldn’t care, and would still love them for who they were, he and Danny would’ve never been asked to hide it.

“Hey,” Danny nudged him. “No sad face. Today was fun. Movie nights are always fun.”

“Oh, I know. I’m being dumb.” Elliot smiled at Danny and reached for his hand. “Probably just tired.”

“We’ve gotta get you some coffee then,” Danny said with a smile. “Can’t have you falling asleep in the middle of the movie.”

StaticFan#1 @Rateisgreat

@Dellyisreallove @Ellysbaby Girls, did you see that pic from outside Danny and El’s Apt? Were they holding hands??? #omgomgomg #Delly

Cara D @Dellyisreallove

@Rateisgreat @Ellysbaby Grrrrr it’s too hard to tell. I hope so! <333 #roomiesinlove #Delly

Staticgrl4life @Ellysbaby

@Dellyisreallove @Rateisgreat I can’t tell either, but I’ve decided they were because I want them to be:) #roomiesinlove #confirmed

Cara D @Dellyisreallove

@Ellysbaby @Rateisgreat Yes, lol!! Let’s see how many Chelly shippers we can freak out:) #Delly #Confirmed

StaticFan#1 @Rateisgreat

@Ellysbaby @Rateisgreat Guys, I know it’s funny but let’s be careful. We don’t want the boys to get hurt over a joke :( #roomiesinlove

L
ATER
that week Elliot and Danny got a call. It was one of those calls that came in all caps and probably italics too. Those kinds of calls were never good. Especially when none of the other boys were conferenced in.

“Morning, boys,” Rebecca started.

“What now?” Danny asked. He didn't want to know the answer, but it was better to get it over with.

“The team thinks it's best if you and Elliot move to separate apartments.”

Danny's mouth dropped open. Elliot, who was on the other line but sitting right across from him, looked equally horrified. “Hell no,” he said. “Just no. Absolutely not.”

Danny couldn’t imagine being away from Elliot for one night, let alone always. He wouldn’t do it.

Rebecca took a long, noisy breath. “We just thought it would be best if you didn’t have such a… unified front. And it seems like some of the girls are watching your apartment to see if you two act like a couple.”

“Fuck, Becks. Those girls already know we’re a couple. At least they think we are. What difference does it make if they know we live together too?”

“It’s not those girls we’re worried about. It’s the new fans. You boys are gaining momentum every day. The new fans need to see you as available and single.”

“And straight,” Elliot grumbled. “Yeah, we’ve been over this. I’m still not moving away from Danny.”

There was a long silence. “How about you two get a new place, keep it secret, and we just circulate stories that you’ve moved apart. Danny should be getting more serious with Chelsea anyway, and you have your own lifestyle.”

“I hate this.” Danny couldn’t believe all the damn subterfuge. All over one relationship. No. It wasn’t even that. It was all over
money
. He’d never dreamed how much would be done in the name of a profit. “El and I get to stay together if you do this?”

“Yes.”

Elliot made a face at Danny, like he was appalled that he’d even consider it. But Danny was tired of arguing, and they wouldn’t win. “Fine, then. We’ll look around for a place out of the way. Give me a few weeks, okay?”

“Okay. I’ll put my end in the works. And nobody can know about this new place. Family and Static boys only.”

Danny ground his teeth together. “Fine.”

BYE-BYE DELLY LOVE NEST!

A Candy Scoop Exclusive

Our boys are growing up so fast! Sources say that ELLIOT PRICE and DANNY BRIGHT of STATIC are moving apart. We know, we were shocked too. DANNY wants more room to entertain his lovely lady, and scenester ELLIOT probably needs more room to, well…
entertain
if you get our drift. We’ll miss the golden era of Delly, but we suppose in time all good things pass.

—CS

StaticFan#1 @Rateisgreat

@Dellyisreallove @Ellysbaby Do you think this is our fault?!? I feel bad. #Delly

Cara D @Dellyisreallove

@Rateisgreat @Ellysbaby I don’t buy it. They’re still together. It’s just PR #bullshit #roomiesinlove #Delly

StephSteph @IShipChelly

@Dellyisreallove @Ellysbaby @Rateisgreat You guys ruined their friendship. It would suck to have people calling you gay for your bff all the time #DellyisBS

Staticgrl4life @Ellysbaby

@Dellyisreallove @Rateisgreat @IShipChelly Homophobic much? Besides if they’re straight it would be a joke not a big deal. #Ismellasmokescreen

I
T
SEEMED
like for every fun day, for every day when he was happy to be with Danny and his best friends, there were twice as many when Elliot wanted to give it all up and go back to being anonymous. Days when he wished their album hadn’t gone platinum, that nobody cared what he did.

He’d woken up that morning, arms wrapped around Danny and smiling in their brand new house. There was this little fantasy he had, for the days he knew Danny was going out with Chelsea, that they were just normal guys living together, going to college. He’d get up and make them breakfast before he went off to English class. He and Danny would text each other all day, cute messages about how they couldn’t wait for later. People would wave to him, but only because they knew him from class.

On the good days, Elliot thought he was crazy for wanting the normal life he’d turned down. But on days when things were overwhelming and hard… he wondered if he’d been crazy to sign up for all this. No matter which way he turned it seemed like he was going crazy for some reason.

That day it was because Danny was out with Chelsea.

He was out there roaming around, somewhere in the city. They were walking with coffees and shopping bags, getting their picture taken, meeting other pop couples for lunch. Elliot didn’t even ask exactly what they were doing. He never wanted to know where Danny was when he was with Chelsea. It was a fact of their lives, and he dealt with it better than he had at first, but he didn’t like it. Elliot’s phone buzzed.

I miss you… can’t wait until we get home tonight.

Okay, so maybe they weren’t just at class, and maybe Elliot had told Danny about his little fantasy, but it was still hard not to smile.

Miss you too. Love you
, he texted in return.