"I like you the way you are,
when we're driving in your car,
and you're talking to me one on one,
but you become,
Somebody else,
'round everyone else,
watching your back,
like you can't relax, try
to be cool, you look like
a fool to me. Tell me...
Why you have to go and make things so complicated?
I see the way you're acting like you're
somebody else gets me frustrated,
Life's like this you, you fall, and you crawl,
and you break, and you take what you get,
and you turn it into, honesty, you promised me
I'm never gonna find you fakin'
No, no, no."
-Avril Lavigne

It was now November and Leah had ended the relentless promtion tour for her third album. So True had went number one on the Billboard Top 200, and the UK Albums Chart. Her lead single, "Let You Go" had gone number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, and her second single "Waiting for the Moment", was in the top ten. Now she could go home, rest a while before her summer tour started, and spend some time with Tyson.

"Hey babe!" Leah said into the phone.

"Hi Leah." Tyson replied, he hadn't sounded so excited to hear from her.

"I'm sorry, are you busy?" Leah asked, hoping she wasn't interrupting anything.

"No." Tyson replied, simply.

"Oh, well okay." Leah said getting out of the taxi she was in. "I just... I needed to hear your voice." Leah admitted, now walking down the sidewalk filled with busy New Yorkers rushing to get to work, or school.

"I'm all ears, baby." Tyson replied.

"Well I really miss you." Leah sighed, turning into Central Park.

"I miss you too."

"I'll be home soon." Leah replied.

"I can't wait to see your face. In person, not on the cover of a magazine, or on MTV!" Tyson said.

"I know this is hard for you baby, I'm sorry." Leah apologized for her absence.

"So, how have you been doing?" Leah asked, walking into a building, and getting on an elevator.

"So far so good, Chase and I got a loan from the bank and we can start up the company soon."

"Wow, that's great! But I thought you were borrowing money from your dad?" Leah asked, remembering what Tyson had told her during one of their late night conversations.

"Yeah, well that didn't work out so well. He wants me to be independent and-" Tyson stopped mid-sentence, hearing a knock on his apartment door. "Hold on babe, someone's at the door." Tyson said, excusing himself.

"At seven in the morning?" Leah asked confused.
Tyson walked to his front door curious as to who it could be, since he wasn't expecting anyone. When he opened the door, his eyes rested on the beautiful five foot two girl, whom he'd fallen for almost a year ago.

"Oh my god, Leah! What are you doing here?!" Tyson asked confused and excited all at the same time. She smiled up at him, and he picked her up off her feet, hugging her. He then carried her into the spacious living room.

"Some dates, and interviews in Europe got cancelled, and I got to come home early!" Leah explained.

"This is awesome!" Tyson exclaimed.

"So awesome!" Leah agreed. "So now, I can sit back and enjoy my time with you!" Leah continued, sitting down next to him on his couch. The couple shared a long passionate kiss, and looked deep into each other's eyes. "You have no idea how much I missed you baby."

"I think I do," Tyson concured. The two shared another passionate kiss. They kissed as if they'd never have the experience again.

"I should get out of this coat." Leah said, suddenly feeling the room grow hotter and hotter by the moment. She stood up, slipping out of her pink Yves Saint Laurent trench coat.

"Yeah, along with your shirt, and your pants, amongst other things." Tyson said slyly, a grin forming on his lips.

"Pig!" Leah gasped, jokingly.

"What? All I'm saying is that you should get a little more comfortable." Tyson replied with a grin on his face.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah! I'd especially want you to get comfortable, since you'll be here all day and night." Tyson declared.

"Oh really?" Leah asked.

"Really!" Tyson replied.

"Well, what makes you so sure?"

"Well, wasn't it my cocky charm that hooked you in the first place?" Tyson joked, pulling Leah into him, and kissing her on her forehead, and wrapping his arm around her.

"Uh, no. Your cocky charm practially made me barf. I changed you!"

"Oh, you changed me? Is that right?" Tyson asked.

"Yeah that's right, before you met me you were probably some wild frat boy. And now, now you're pratically whipped."

"Am not!" Tyson argued, a little offended.

"Whoosh!" Leah imitated the sound of a cracking whip, and gesturing her hand as if she actually held a whip in it.

"Oh come on."

"It's true. Like a little bitch!" Leah joked. Tyson gave her a look.

"Oh baby, I'm only joking." Leah said, poking her lip out.

"Ha ha." Tyson replied dryly. He took her remarks to heart, because he honestly felt like a housewife with Leah. He felt like he was doing nothing with his life, while she was out traveling the world, and her career was always taking a positive turn. He felt like

"Mr. Leah James", like he no longer had his own identity. His title was "Leah James' Boyfriend", rather than Tyson Andrews.

"So, it's early, are you hungry?" Leah asked, switching the subject.

"Starving!" Tyson replied

"Good!" Leah said, hopping up from the couch and walking into his kitchen. She looked into one of the cabinets, and got out some pancake mix. Then over to his refrigerator and got out some eggs, milk, and bacon. Once at the counter, Leah reached for a big mixing bowl and spoon. Added the necessary ingredients for pancakes into the bowl, and began to mix them together. While she was doing so, Tyson walked up behind her, and reached his arms around her, wrapping them around her tiny waist.
"It's good to have you back babe!"

JC sat in silence, while his four best guy friends goofed off around him. They were eating breakfast at a Denny's in wait... where were they? They were in some small town in Wisconsin. They were definitely in Wisconsin. That much, JC was sure of. He was tired, and a little crabby. The most annoying thing was that he couldn't get Leah off of his mind. Why had he kept thinking about Leah? The thought of his friend nagged at him, even though it shouldn't. Then there was Bobbie his girlfriend. He love Bobbie, but lately, lately she's been acting so different. So damn complicated.

She knew he had a career, she knew he had to be away a lot. So why was she acting like this was all new to her. She acted as if she had to have his attention constantly. Bobbie said that she understood his life style, and she had promised to be patient with him. Well, she broke her promise. Not to mention, she was constantly picking fights with him. It was like she just didn't get it. Not the way Leah got it anyway.

"JC, you alright man?" Joey asked, noticing his silence.

"Yeah man, I'm cool." JC lied.

"Or you're probably just thinking about Leah again!" Justin piped up. JC shot him an evil glare. Justin knew what he was doing. He gave JC grief about Leah on purpose. He wanted to push him to admit his feelings for Leah, because they belonged together. They were like Corey and Topanga! He wanted to see JC and Leah together, because they were good for each other, and they deeply and genuinely loved each other. They just needed to quit bullshiting, and get it together! He didn't know why they pretended not to have feelings for each other, when they both knew damn well that they couldn't possibly love anyone else the way that they loved each other!

"Leah?" Joey asked, and everyone stopped what they were doing at the sound of her name. Everyone knew of their intense relationship, and were interested in seeing which turn it took this time. "As in Leah from Orlando Leah?"

"Yes that Leah," JC replied annoyed.

"So are you guys on again or what?" Chris asked. "Wait, did you even break up with Bobbie?"

"No, I did not break up with Bobbie, and no, Leah and I aren't 'on again'." JC answered, quoting Chris.

"But he wants to." Justin replied, to both of JC's answers.

"Shut up Justin." JC warned.

"You want to break up with Bobbie, and you want to be 'on again' with Leah." Justin continued, ignoring JC's warning.

"That's rediculous, I don't want to break up with Bobbie, I love her. And I'm over Leah." JC defended himself for what seemed like the thousandth time.

"Ooo, someone's getting defensive." Lance chimed in.

"Am not!"

"You are too." Justin said, he seemed to be the main problem.

"I am not, and how many times do I have to say that I do not have feelings for Leah anymore!" JC retorted.

"Until you actually start believing it!" Justin argued.

"I'm over her."

"Dude. You talk in your sleep!" Lance laughed, taking a sip of his milkshake.

"I do not!" JC stammered, growing more and more frustrated by the second.

"Yeah, you do!" Joey agreed.

"Oh Leah!" Justin mocked in a high pitched voice.

"Dude, I am so going to kill you!" JC said, and began to throw fries at him. Justin threw some fries back, and soon Joey, Chris and Lance joined in starting a food fight.

Why am I here? Why am I here? Was all that Leah could think to herself. She was sitting on a couch, at a house she's never been to, smushed between to drunk, sweaty guys. Tyson had invited her to one of his friends house party. He claimed that he "wanted her to meet his friends, and show her a different side of him, show her how he 'got down'." But when they got to the party, all he did was flaunt her, in front of his already wasted friends, who ogled her like she was a piece of meat, which was pretty disgusting. He gave his friends suggestive facial expressions, and high fived them all. Then he disappered into the party. That's where she found herself a place all alone, on a lovely white couch. Well, she was alone until two drunk guys squished her in the middle.

She was hot, and miserable, and thirsty. She didn't like to drink alcohol, because she didn't like to get sloppy, and she wasn't fond of the taste. The most that she ever drank was a simple glass of red wine or champagne occasionally, and she just knew that the "punch" had to be spiked. The loud music made her head throb. She couldn't take it anymore.

"Fuck it, I'm going to find Ty!" Leah said frustrated, to no one imparticular. She hopped up off the couch, pulling her black leather Gucci mini skirt down.

"Nice ass honey!" One of the men on the couch shouted at her. Leah held her head high and kept walking. As hard as it was, she didn't want to say anything to the already drunk man, and have things escalate. When she got out into the foyer, and into the crowd of people, she didn't know where to start. The mansion was so huge, Tyson could be anywhere. She made her way into the kitchen to look for him but all she found was a couple making out with the girl's ass on the island, and her legs wrapped around the guy. Ugggh, Leah thought to herself. She walked pass them, and out the back door to search for him by the pool, she didn't seem him. She then made her way to the guest house where the sight was much worse. Their were at least seven high school aged kids involved in an orgy! Oh my word, this is rediculous! Leah thought to herself. Now she wasn't prude, but this was just all kinds of sick and disgusting!

Bolting from the guesthouse, and back to the main house Leah decided to check upstairs. She checked at least three rooms and a bathroom, and caught no sight of her so-called boyfriend. Frustrated, Leah wanted to give up, but decided it couldn't hurt to check the last room. The last room was the last door on the left, and was slighly cracked. Leah lightly tapped on the door, and poked her head through. She saw someone, not Tyson. She saw what looked to be a girl with long jet black hair. It seemed as if she were crying.

"Go away", she cried. "I told you I'm done!" She turned to look at the door, and the expression on her face changed once she realized that it wasn't the person she intended her rant for. "Oh god, I'm sorry, I thought you were my boyfriend." The girl explained. Leah could see that her eyes were red and swollen, and mascara ran down her face. Leah hesitated. I can't just leave her here, she thought. Poor thing, she looks so helpless. "Umm, are you okay?" Leah asked, stepping into the room, and sitting down on the bed beside the girl.

"Why would you care?" The girl asked, wiping her face with a tissue.

"Um, because I have a heart." Leah replied.

"Sorry, sorry. It's just that I'm really emotional right now, I really don't mean to lash out on you."

"No, no, it's okay, really. So what's wrong?" Leah asked, rubbing her back.

"I got into a horrible fight with my boyfriend Derrick, I caught him in the guesthouse and this girl was giving him a blow job!" The girl sobbed.

"Oh, poor thing I'm so sorry!" Leah said, showing empathy. She truly felt sorry for this girl. She seemed so naive. She took a good look at the girl. She looked to be around eighteen or nineteen. Her shiny raven hair was pulled back into a high ponytail and contrasted against her pail skin, her icey-blue eyes were filled with sadness. "Well, he deserves to have his balls ripped off!" Leah continued, and she thought she could see some trace of a smile on the girl's face. "Has he done this before?"

She nodded her head. "I've known about other girls, but I've never actually seen him have sex with anyone else and-" she stopped mid-sentence.

"What?" Leah asked confused, watching the girl's eyes grow as big as saucers.

"Oh my god. Are you Leah James?" The girl asked curious. Oh. Leah actually forgot that people knew who she was, and it was weird for her still.

"Um, guilty." Leah replied, a little uneasy.

"Wow, you're like the coolest. I love your voice! 'Waiting for the Moment' is like my most favorite song ever! It's the whole reason I made the move to New York in the first place." She exclaimed, her mood instantly changing to that of a happy one.
This, this right here is exactly why she did what she did. Why she loved making music. The paparazzi, and the attention she wasn't that crazy about, but to know that she had impacted someone's life, to sit here and make this girl feel better in an instant, was why she was an artist. It was a moment like this, that made all of the crazy things she went through worth it.

"Oh, well I'm so flattered. Thank you so much!" Leah replied gratefully. She was mostly glad she could comfort the girl in her time of need.

"So what are you doing here?" She asked pointing to the floor.

"Well, I came with my boyfriend, only he's been MIA since we got here." Leah explained.

"You're boyfriend? Well maybe I know him, what's his name?" She asked.

"Tyson. Tyson Andrews." Leah answered.

"Wait? Tyson's your boyfriend? No way!"

"Yeah, you know him?"

"Are you kidding? That's my boyfriend's- well ex-boyfriend's best friend!

"No shit." Was all Leah could say, as pathetic as it was she could actually see how Tyson could be friends with someone like this girl's boyfriend. Lately Tyson was acting like such a jerk, but only when they were in public. Whenever they were alone, he was so sensitive, and sweet, and caring, but when they hung out in public he started to act like his same old self; A cocky, arrogant, self-absorbed ass.

"As a matter of fact I think I saw him go down to the basement, when I was on my way up here!"

"Thanks so much." Leah said, relieved that she had met someone in their right mind, and someone who had been of actual help.

"No, I should be the one thanking you. You've turned the most horrible night of my life, into the best night of my life!"

"Well, we are girls, and we do have to look out for each other. If we don't then who will? Definitely not the men! Hey, when I see that a sister's down, I gotta help her out!" The two girls shared a laugh. "I didn't get your name by the way." Leah mentioned.

"Oh, my name is Jaime, Jaime Reed." She introduced herself.

"Well Jaime Reed, it's a pleasure to meet you! My name is Leah James." Leah formally introduced herself, and held her hand out for Jaime to shake.

"Wow, it's not even like I'm talking to a celebrity, I've felt like I've known you forever! You seem like just a normal girl." Jaime smiled, shaking hands with Leah. Leah winced at the uncomfortable word of 'celebrity'. She hated any kind of special treatment.

"Well, I hope I'm normal! And, I don't really see myself as a celebrity, it's just a label that people use!"

"You are like so down to earth!" Jaime said in complete aww.
Leah gave the girl a good once over, and decided that she seemed like a nice enough girl, and that she could trust her. "Thank you. You know, if you ever wanna talk, I'm all ears."

"Really?" Jaime asked, as she took some Kleenex to wipe the running mascara off of her face.

"Sure, do you have a phone?" Leah asked.

"Yeah, it's right here." Jaime reached into her clutch and pulled out her cell phone. She handed it to Leah, and Leah put her home phone, and cell phone number into the contacts.

"It was nice meeting you Jaime. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go find my jerk of a boyfriend." Leah said. She slid off of the bed and headed for the bedroom door.

"Well good luck!" Jaime called.

"Thanks." Leah replied, giving Jaime a smile. She then turned, and walked out of the door.

Once downstairs, Leah made her way to the basement. As she walked down the steps leading to the basement. A strong smell hit her in the face, she let out a sneeze, and realized that it was smoke. When she made her way down the stairs, she spotted a group of preppy boys in a circle smoking marijuana! She looked closer, and saw that Tyson was involved! Leah felt nauseous, and dizzy. Partly, because of the smoke, and partly because of the fact that she caught her boyfriend smoking an illegal substance.

"Tyson!" Leah yelled.

"Hey Leah baby, take a hit!" Tyson invited. Leah was shocked. This was a completely new side of Tyson that she had never seen before.

"No, I will not take a hit!" Leah exclaimed, offended. "Tyson, what you guys are doing is illegal!"

"Look Leah, now is not the time." Tyson warned, his pupil dilated.

Oh my god. Leah thought. He's high! "I don't give a damn Tyson! How are we supposed to get home?!" Leah asked through clenched teeth, now completely and totally angry.

"I'll drive." Tyson answered in a 'duh' voice, as if it were obvious.

"No, you're not driving me home, not while you're under the influence. You can put your own life at risk all you want, but not mine!"

"Chill baby! I know you're famous, but damn, you don't have to be a walking talking public service announcment all the time!" Tyson laughed, the whole circle joining in and laughing at her expense. This was not her Tyson, and this was not okay. He was doing drugs for crying out loud! Leah didn't even know how to respond to this situation.

"I'm so outta here!" Leah huffed, she turned on her stilletos, and headed up the stairs, and out of the basement. She was back into the crowd of party people, who were either on drugs or alcohol. Damn, now how am I going to get home? Leah asked herself. She didn't know anyone there, and didn't have her cell phone on her. Hell, she didn't even know where she was! She's never even been to this part of New York before. She just wanted to burst out in tears, she needed an exit, any exit. She turned around ready to run, when she bumped into someone. The impact of the collison left both of them on the floor. She was so relieved when she looked up to see a familiar face.

"Jaime hi!" Leah sighed relieved, getting up from her spot on the floor.

"Leah, did you find Tyson?!" Jaime asked, oblivious to what just happened.

"Yeah, I found him alright, downstairs in the basement, smoking marijuana! He's completely out of his mind, and under the influence. Now I have no idea how I'm supposed to get home!" Leah explained.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry. Well, I was actually on my way out, I can give you a ride home!" Jaime offered.

"That's really sweet of you Jaime, but I couldn't let you do that. It's already two in the morning, and my apartment is ways and ways away."

"Well, my apartment isn't too far from here, you can crash there if you want."

"Really?" Leah asked in disbelief. "I wouldn't want to impose."

"No, no! Trust me it's fine. Especially after all you've done for me tonight! And, besides, I gotta 'help a sister out!'" Jaime said, quoting Leah's words.

Leah smiled. "Thank you so much, it really means a lot!"

"No problem. C'mon, let's get out of here, this place is a mess!" Jaime said, leading Leah out of the mansion, and to her midnight blue Ford Taurus. She unlocked the door, and the two got in. Once they were pulling out of the drive way Jaime turned on the radio, and Leah rested her head on the cool window, it provided some relief to her throbbing headache. The ride was silent but not awkward, Leah was to wrapped up in her thoughts for conversation. All she could think about was how much of a jerk Tyson had been acting lately. In the beginning, she let it slide, but tonight was the final straw.
Once they arrived at Jaime's apartment, Jamie showed her around. It was a small, but cozy place. "So, here's my place, it's not much, but you can crash here. I only have one bedroom, but you can sleep there if you want..."

"No, no! The couch is fine, really! I'm just lucky enough, you're letting me crash in the first place!" Leah said.

"Well, I totally wasn't gonna let you walk home! I'll be right back!" Jaime excused herself. She disppeared down the hall, and into her room. She soon came back with a large comforter and pillow.

"So, you can make yourself at home, and I guess I'll see you in the morning." Jaime said.

"Really again, thank you so much for all of this. This has been the night from hell, I promise I'll be out of your hair in the morning." Leah said, apologizing, feeling like she was intruding.

"It's no problem really!" Jaime smiled. With that, she exited the living room, and Leah lay on the couch.

Her mind went back to Tyson. She couldn't believe how he had acted tonight. Whenever it was just the two of them, everything was fine. He's polite, and sweet. But, when they were around everyone else, he practically treated her like shit. The sad part was, Leah even admitted to herself that her boyfriend was treating her like shit, but wouldn't do anything about it. To be honest, she didn't want to let go of him, because she felt like maybe she could be the one for him. Maybe, just maybe, she could be that one special girl to change him, like she had in the beginning. Damn, why was Tyson so complicated?