"Morning, baby," he said.
"Morning," I said, deep in thought.
"Thinking about the group again?" he asked.
Damn. He never ceases to amaze me. We've been dating for about 5 years, and I'm totally in love. He's one of the few guys I've dated who really loves me for my personality, and not for my looks. Pretty much every guy I'd dated before basically wanted to hop in bed with me. But Brian is different. He's so sweet, I can trust him with anything, and he just understands me. I honestly don't know how I would have gone through the breakup without him. I nodded. He took me into his arms, and I started thinking about the group again.
My life had been perfect before. At 15, I was in one of the top groups in the entire world. Our first album had gone platinum several times, and the same thing happened with all the albums that followed. Now I'm doing some solo work, but it's just not the same. When I'm up on stage I get a feeling of...loneliness. That may sound stupid since I'm in front of 10,000 people, but it's the truth. I miss having my bandmates onstage with me, and I miss the bond we shared. I haven't spoken to either Korin or Lizzy since the breakup, but I know Lizzy is also doing solo stuff. Korin isn't though, because she's too busy drinking and sleeping with 5 guys a night (I swear to god I'm not exaggerating) to actually have a job. That's what started the whole breakup. Things had been going great until Korin turned 21. I think she had been feeling a little left out because Lizzy and I had been going out clubbing and drinking (moderately, we never got heavily drunk or anything) without her, since Lizzy was about a year older than her and I was about 6 months. When Korin became legal, she didn't drink moderately. She would go out partying all night, every night. We would have a show, and she would act all happy and all, and immediately after the show she would disappear. She didn't even talk to our fans anymore. Korin would usually come home about 5 or 6 in the morning. She would be so drunk she could barely walk. When she got in, she would usually say something either really nasty or just plain wierd. Then she would pass out. At first, Elissa and I would worry about her when she wasn't home by 7 or 8, and we would put her to bed when she passed out, like good friends. But eventually we stopped. Korin's drinking started affecting the group a lot. We started fighting ALL the time- especially Korin and me. Poor Lizzy couldn't stand the tension- which caused more fighting. Things went on like this for about a year or so. But then Korin did something that was the final straw.
I was channel-surfing in my apartment one night when I heard an announcer saying "Next: Illusion member Korin Mumford tells the truth about the group. After these messages on Entertainment Tonight ."
"Oh look, why it's the little slut herself," I said aloud.
But something told me to stay on the station. I was right to. Here's the dialogue:
ET: And now we're here with Korin Mumford, a member of the popular group Illusion. So Korin, how has the group been getting along lately?
Korin: Well, we aren't The others have serious problems and it's just not working. I'm the only one that gives a shit anymore. I'm the only one that actually tries to work these days.
ET: What problems do the others have?
Korin: Well, you probably shouldn't hear it from me.
ET: Well, can you give us an idea of what they are?
Korin: Okay, I'll tell you. Someone should know. Well, you see, Lizzy is...well...gay. She's always bringing girls home. And then they make out on the tour bus. I've asked her repeatedly to do that stuff in private, but she just won't listen.
ET: What about Kristy?
Korin: Kristy has serious drug problems. She's addicted to heroin. I know someday she's probably going to overdose and die, but she's always high anyway so I won't really care.
ET: Well, that's all we have time for. Thank you Korin, and have a good evening everyone.
I was speechless. I could not believe the bitch would have the guts to say that. I immediately called Lizzy. She had seen it too. She came over to my place. We were pissed beyond belief. We decided to call Korin. It rang a few times, then someone picked up.
"Hello?" said a very drunken sounding voice.
"Who the fuck do you think you are you damn bitch?" I started.
Korin hung up.
"What happened?" Lizzy asked.
"The damn bitch hung up on me. I heard music and people in the background, so it looks like she's having a party. Probably a whore party. But whatever it is, she sure didn't invite us." I replied.
"Let's go over there." Lizzy suggested.
"What? Are you crazy?"
"No, I'm serious. Come on, let's show her how much her friendship really means to us."
"Okay, let's go." I said reluctantly.
We pulled up to Korin's apartment and discovered I had been right. There was music blaring, and lots of cars around. Just as we were walking up the stairs, some drunken guy opened the door of her place and threw an empty beer bottle out. Lizzy and I exchanged looks. We took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. A girl opened the door, staggering.
"Hey, can I talk to Korin Mumford?" I asked.
"If you can find her, " she said, slurring her speech, "I think she's in one of the bedrooms."
"Thanks," we said and headed towards the back of the apartment. It was a total complete mess everywhere. "God, is this really the same place where the three of us used to have so much fun hanging out?" I thought. Then I sighed. Nothing was the same anymore. We reached the back, and all the bedroom doors were open except one. Lizzy and I opened the door, too pissed to care if we interrupted anything. We walked in. Korin was lying on the bed, making out with a stranger. Their clothes were on, but I had a feeling that if we had given them a few more minutes, the clothes would have been on the floor. But trust me, we didn't give her a few more minutes.
"Korin Elise Mumford, get your fucking ass over here you little hoar!" I screamed. She took her tongue out of his mouth and looked at me. When she saw us, she got up.
"Who the fuck let you guys in?" she yelled.
"One of your drunken slutty friends! They probably learn from you!" I yelled back.
"Yeah Korin, I'm sure you've taught them well!" Lizzy chimed in.
The guy left the room at that point. Korin tried to go after him, but Lizzy and me grabbed her and slammed her against the wall.
"Look, bitch," I said, "you had NO right to be saying that stuff about us on Entertainment Tonight!"
"Oh come on, I was just telling them how you guys wish you were like!" she snapped back. I couldn't believe she had said that. Well, I could, but I just totally completely lost control. I hit her, and she hit me back. Before I knew it, we were in a full-blown fistfight while screaming at each other.
"STOP!!!!!!!!!" Elissa screamed at the top of her lungs after a few minutes of fighting. Korin and I stopped fighting and looked at her with our mouths down to the floor. We had no idea someone that skinny could scream that loud. "Both of you listen to me!" she yelled, "Things with us used to be so great. But in the last year, things have changed. A lot. Let's face it, we just can't get along anymore. What we had is gone. There's no need to hurt each other anymore. It's over." Her tone changed near the end. It went from anger to sadness. We all just let that sink for a few minutes, then we silently nodded in agreement. "So I guess this is it." Korin spoke in a weak voice. I nodded with a sinking feeling in my stomach. "It's been great guys, but I guess we gotta let go and move on." I said, more confidently than I felt. I turned to Korin. "AJ still loves you, Korin. Brian told me he's been miserable since you guys broke up. Consider that an incentive." She didn't say anything. "Good luck, Korin. Goodbye." I said. "You too, Kristy. And Lizzy. Bye, guys." she replied. Lizzy said goodbye, and we left. Walking out of that apartment was probably one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life. I wanted more than anything to run back and say we'd made a mistake, and then get back together again. But I knew deep down that it was for the best.
I gave Elissa a ride back to her place. We didn't speak to each other on the way there. I could already feel a wall in between us, and I knew we could never be friends again, as sad as it sounds. When we arrived at her apartment, we hugged and wished each other good luck. "Bye, Lissa," I said softly. I had thought up that nickname for her the night before my 14th birthday. She had liked it so much she had asked me to call her that from then on. I knew she was thinking about the same thing, because I saw tears well up in her eyes. "Bye, Kristy," she said weakly. Then she walked into her apartment. I drove off before I could start crying.
I drove back to my place in silence. I felt like a dark cloud had suddenly come over me. When I got home, I went to bed. I dressed quietly without any music, which is really unusual for me. I lay down on my bed and then I just broke down. I cried myself to sleep that night.