You guys... I bought a laptop.
I'm so happy. You have no idea
Anyway. Enjoy. <3
“Hi, I'm Anita,” she said quietly, walking up to the lads.
Ryan smiled and Anita blinked at how bright his smile was. “It's very nice to meet you, Anita.” He extended his hand.
She shook it hesitantly and then turned to Emmet. He held out his hand for her to shake and she shook it just as hesitantly before stepping back slightly and smiling at them both.
Ryan cleared his throat. “So, Anita, tell us: what was your favorite part of the show?”
Anita shrugged. “I suppose the energy. It was pretty incredible.” She took in his speaking style, the way he stood, everything. “What was yours?”
Emmet laughed. “That's a new question.”
“I suppose the energy,” Ryan said. His eyes twinkled mischievously. “It was pretty incredible.”
Anita managed to not roll her eyes. “Okay, point taken. Emmet?”
Emmet shrugged. “I really love the end, when we all take our bows and everyone is cheering and the band is just playing on and on... That's when I feel like, well... we're done and we succeeded.” He frowned slightly. “The shows can be long.”
Ryan raised his eyebrows before turning to Anita's parents. “And you are?”
“I'm Alan,” her dad said, shaking Ryan's hand.
“Oh!” Ryan said, his face softening as he glanced at Anita. “So you must be Mrs. Jackson,” he said to Anita's mom.
Anita glanced at her parents in surprise.
“Please, call me Wendy.” Anita's mom smiled and shook both their hands.
Slowly glancing between the lads and her parents, Anita was slightly relieved to see that Emmet looked just as confused as she felt, but sighed at the look on Ryan's face. It was that annoying mix of sympathy and pity that she hated so much.
“So, Anita,” Emmet said after a moment, clearing his throat, “who is your favorite lad?”
Anita frowned and thought for a moment. “Probably Neil.”
Ryan laughed at the look on Emmet's face and smiled. “He's good, isn't he?”
“I especially appreciate his guitar skills, but he does have a good voice, yes.” Anita smiled. “But you're all good.”
“Who's your least favorite?” Emmet asked.
Anita glanced at him in surprise and noticed the easy, teasing smile on his face. “Oh. I don't know. You probably don't want me to answer that, though.” She grinned.
“Oh,” Emmet said, taken aback. “I suppose not.”
Ryan clapped Emmet on the back before motioning around the room. “Seeing as we're all alone, would you care to sit? We only have a couple more minutes.”
“Sure,” Anita said, grabbing a chair and sitting quickly.
“What grade are you in?” Ryan asked.
She narrowed her eyes slightly. “Oh, uh, I'm a sophomore in college. Why?”
“You look really young,” Emmet said in surprise.
“I skipped a couple of grades.” Anita bit her lip.
“Oh, so a genius,” Ryan teased her.
“No, just learned faster than everyone else.” She shrugged.
Her mom cut in. “Anita is incredibly smart and I'm so proud of her academic accomplishments.” She smiled. “But she won't let anyone think she's a genius.”
“What's your major?” Emmet asked.
“English. I'm an aspiring author.” Anita smiled as she thought back to her discussion with Professor Collins. “It's fun.”
They both looked duly impressed.
Anita's dad spoke up. “In fact, she writes a lot of stories. She's never let me read any of them, but I've heard that she's very good. Once I find out her screen name, I'll be able to find the ones she posts online.”
Anita glanced at her dad in slight horror before glancing at the lads. They both looked very interested in that statement and she shook her name. “He will never find my screen name,” she whispered conspiratorially.
“Come on, Nita,” he teased her. “I'm your father. It's only right I check out these famous stories of yours.”
“What type of stories do you write?” Ryan asked.
“Oh, uh, just... stupid stories,” she said weakly.
He raised his eyebrows but didn't say anything. Turning to her parents, he said, “Would it be possible for me to speak to you guys alone for a minute?”
Anita and Emmet stared at him in surprise.
“Oh, of course,” Anita's mom said.
“Emmet, you stay here,” Ryan ordered before walking over to a far corner, where he started chatting with Mr. and Mrs. Jackson.
Emmet watched them curiously before turning to Anita. “What's this about?”
She shrugged. “Uh... I don't know, honestly.”
“Do they know each other?”
“I'm pretty sure my parents would have told me when I discovered Celtic Thunder years ago that they knew Ryan Kelly,” Anita said in frustration. “I don't know what's going on. When I met Keith last week, he acted like he knew who I was, also.”
“You met Keith? During a solo gig?” Emmet guessed. “And he acted like he knew you?”
Anita nodded. “That's what I said,” she said dryly.
Emmet nodded. “I wonder what's going on that they're not telling us.” He pulled out his phone and started texting furiously. “I'll just ask Keith.”
Anita watched him with an amused expression on her face. “Well, I hope he doesn't keep you in the dark any longer.”
He nodded and finished his text, putting his phone back into his pocket. “So, speaking of being kept in the dark, what kind of stories do you write?”
She frowned and turned away. “I thought we already ended that discussion?”
“You're just so... adamant about not telling us. It's suspicious.” Emmet chuckled slightly.
Anita turned and looked at him. “Well, maybe I just don't want to tell you,” she huffed.
“Is it embarrassing?” His eyes twinkled as he fought to keep a straight face. “Something you aren't proud of? What?”
“I'm proud of my writing,” she snapped.
“But you are embarrassed by it,” he guessed.
Anita took in a deep breath. “No, I'm not embarrassed.”
“Then you would tell me, right?”
She glared at him. “You really want to know?” she snapped. “Because I will tell you if you promise to leave me alone afterwards.”
Emmet's eyes widened. “Oh, I'm sorry,” he said suddenly, stepping back slightly. “I probably crossed a line. You're just... uh... intriguing, with your secret stories and stay-away-from-me attitude, and I just thought... never mind. If you don't want to say, you don't have to.”
Anita smiled and Emmet's eyes widened. “Oh, I don't mind telling you. You just might feel weird talking to me after that.”
“I don't see why-”
“I write fanfiction. That's what my dad was talking about.” Anita paused. “Every moment you talk to me, I'm taking mental notes. How you stand. What your accent is like. What type of words you use. Your real personality, which I'm afraid started bleeding out somewhere in the middle of this conversation. How you run your hand through your hair when you're nervous.”
Emmet let his arm drop back by his side and smiled ruefully. “That is a little awkward. I guess I know why you wouldn't want to tell us.”
“Tell us what?”
They both jumped and turned to stare at Ryan and Anita's parents.
“Nothing,” Emmet said lamely.
Anita glanced at her parents, but they looked just the same. Not guilty at all, or like they were hiding something. She frowned. “I think we've probably taken up all of our time, and then some.”
Ryan waved her off. “It's not a problem. Honestly. It was very nice meeting you, Anita Jackson.” He extended his arms for a hug and Anita gave him one after a moment of deliberation.
She turned and gave Emmet a hug, too. “Remember, not a word of what I told you,” she warned him.
He put a finger to his lips. “Oh, no problem. It was nice to meet you.”
She nodded and turned to her parents.
“Ready?” her dad asked.
“Yup.” She waved goodbye and her parents said their farewells, and then they were leaving. Anita took a deep breath and then smiled.
“Had fun?” her mom asked.
She jumped. “Yes. Thank you,” she whispered.
There was the sound of running footsteps behind them and they all turned. Emmet appeared and smiled. “What's your screen name?”
Anita laughed. “You really think I would let you read my stories?”
He shrugged. “It's slightly flattering.”
Glancing at her parents, Anita leaned towards Emmet. “I'll whisper it to you,” she said.
He nodded and leaned down.
Whispering her screen name to him, she pulled back. “Don't tell my dad,” she joked.
He winked and seemed to make a mental note. “No way,” he promised. “See you around.”
Anita shrugged. “Sure.”
Walking back to her parents, her dad sighed. “I'm never going to read your stories, am I?”
She laughed. “Come on, let's go home.”
Anita stood in the doorway of the kitchen and watched her parents making coffee. “So tell me something,” she said slowly.
They both turned. “Yeah?” her mom asked.
“Why did Ryan seem to know me?” She turned to her dad. “Like Keith seemed to know?”
“Oh, Nita,” her dad frowned. “You know why.”
She nodded. “I thought so.”
They both seemed to wait for a moment before her mom looked surprised. “What, no angry yelling? No 'I didn't want anyone to know' and stomping up to your room to lock yourself in with your laptop?”
“Do you want me to do that? Because I'm sure I could oblige if that is what you want.” Anita smiled slightly. “Goodness knows I've had plenty of practice.”
“No,” her dad said hurriedly. “We're just surprised.”
She shrugged. “But Emmet didn't know? Why not?”
“We told Sharon, and told her to tell who she saw fit, as part of the perk,” her mom explained. “So I suppose she saw Keith and Ryan as fit.”
Anita nodded before a look of realization crossed her face and she sighed. “But Emmet will know soon. He texted Keith asking about it.”
“It'll be okay, honey.” Her mom came around and hugged her. “Emmet won't judge you, you know.”
Anita was surprised but hugged her back. “I know. So what did you guys and Ryan talk about?”
“Just about how you're doing,” her dad explained.
“And you told him?”
“Not as good as we'd hope, but you seem to be doing a lot better.” Her mom smiled at her dad before patting Anita's shoulder. “You are really doing great. And you look genuinely happy today.”
Anita thought for a moment before nodding. “I feel genuinely happy today. I'm going to go to bed.”
“Sleep well,” her parents chorused before smiling at each other.
Anita nodded and went up to her room. Shutting the door, she pulled out her laptop and checked her messages. Carolyn had messaged her.
“You have to tell me everything when you get home! I'll be up, don't worry xx”
Anita smiled and started typing back.
“So I have something to tell you,” she started. Stopping, she took a deep breath and wondered if she should do this. “Two years ago, I tried to take my own life. I was in the hospital for three weeks, in a wing of the hospital where people who are unstable stay until they can be trusted again. I didn't tell anyone—I just dropped out of high school, got my GED, went to college, and isolated myself from everyone. Only my friend Danielle knew (you remember her...right?), and she sort of drew back from me, just proving to me that nobody even liked me anymore.”
She stopped and reread her message before continuing. “I never told you because I was scared you wouldn't like me anymore. I'm not really a special person, and I know you only became my friend because you really liked my stories.
“But today I had a really long conversation with Emmet and Ryan. And they seem to like me. Ryan liked me even though he knew of my attempted suicide, and Emmet liked me just for me. (I think, I didn't actually have the courage to ask if they liked me...) So here I am, telling you the truth, because if two people I barely know enjoyed me, how could you, my best friend, not? I'm sorry for not telling you... I didn't want to tell anyone. I didn't even like my parents knowing. Although, obviously, they had to know, but...yeah, anyway.
“So, anyway, the concert was great. And I, uh, gave Emmet my fanfic author name under duress... That's kind of scary. What if he reads my story??..... I may die of mortification. I just hope he forgets.
“Are you still up? Let me know when you read this.”
Taking a huge, unsteady breath, she forced herself to send the message. And once it was sent, there was no taking it back.
She had tried to take her own life a couple of years before, and had never really recovered from it. And that was the disgusting truth.