If it wasn't for the sunglasses perched on her nose, Mia would not have been able to see her computer screen. Her screen was dark in contrast to the bright January sun and Mia found she was squinting more than she would have liked while she scrolled through the endless amount of photos downloading from her camera that sat right next to her.

There was nowhere else to work and so Mia had to make do with an old iron bench that was strangely several inches too tall. At least she was out of the way of never-ending hustle happening only a few yards away.

A school bell had just rung out over the loudspeakers and every door around burst open at the exact same moment, like the students locked inside were waiting at the exits with pent up energy. Mia figured this must be the case and the swarm of high school students that started to migrate towards the football field proved her theory.

It was a contrast to what she remembered the after-school migration pattern to be. She knew today was a special occasion and different from the days she had spent roaming around the campus herself. But still, she expected to find kids slowly making their ways to their cars or their parents' cars or the line of buses that crowded the parking lot.

She knew there would be on-lookers and people waiting around to see what was going on but the sight of so many kids crowding around the now blocked off entrance to the football field beyond was still a surprise.

Mia sat just far enough away from the center of attention that none of the teenagers seemed to have noticed her. She was now more grateful for the uncomfortable bench she'd had to make her temporary desk. Even the students flooding out of the portable classrooms right behind her didn't bother to take notice.

Mia could see the reason for the traffic jam and smiled at the sight of Nate standing tall and imposing at the only gate unlocked leading into the football field. She had to let her friend do his job as she tried to do hers.

There wasn't much chance she'd even make it through the crowd and back onto the football field now. All she had left was her work and the thousands of photos she had been shooting all weekend to occupy her attention.

She got a solid ten minutes of concentration in when someone from behind started calling her name. It was a familiar voice and one that brought a smile to Mia's lips within an instant and just as quickly threw out all intention of working.

The call had come from far away and when Mia turned she found a familiar head of blonde hair making its way towards her, her hand tight in the grasp of her ever faithful companion.

Mia couldn't remember the last time she had seen Ali without Christian standing right by her side, looking down lovingly at the ever-energetic ball of happiness remaining tethered to the ground by his grasp alone.

It had been nearing two years since the last time Mia had even seen Ali or her boyfriend but she had a feeling that her friends hadn't bothered to break with tradition in that time. She saw proof of it now as they came closer, taking their time walking up the dirt path leading from the school's back parking lot.

Ali's smile turned from Mia's in just a split second as her eyes beheld another familiar face. Mia followed her gaze and found her eyes frozen in place at the view. The sight quickly froze her whole body. And her intent to pack up her gear froze along with it.

At the sight of that all too familiar face, every reason why Mia thought shooting a 7 Ships music video at her old high school was a good idea flew right out of her brain. She even forgot why she had suggested such a thing to begin with.

*

It hadn't been her intention for her suggestion to not only be taken seriously but then grabbed a hold of, run with, and put into action. It had been a slip of the tongue, a thought thrown out into the air but it was just what Tommy had been looking for in that moment and so Mia was forever after screwed.

After escaping a harrowing family Thanksgiving dinner the fall before, Mia and Jay had driven north out of the city and along the coast to Tommy and Casey's old school New England home. It was tucked in on a quiet street with clapboard houses looking almost identical to theirs, except the rest were all painted different and varying shades of faded pastel.

The house itself was starting to feel like a second or third home at that point, as Tommy had quickly decreed every Tuesday night game night at his place once the band had returned home for an indefinite break. Mia had loved the idea from the beginning as it gave her a chance to see her close friends that were starting to resemble family during a time when she thought they might never get the chance to hang out.

The lights in the front parlor were glowing out onto the dark and cold street, sending out warmth and hospitality into the chilly early winter air. Casey had already served her famous apple crisp by the time Mia and Jay had arrived but had made sure to save them some. They had simply hopped from one family holiday celebration to the next.

That week's game night had been postponed two nights in order to create a haven from family activities for the whole crew. A place to come and find rest once the holiday obligations were fulfilled.

As most were sleepy from the amount of turkey and carbs consumed during the day, the game night soon fizzled into a collective nap time that then morphed into a hushed and impromptu band meeting.

As her only alternative was to leave the comfy hollow she had made for herself underneath the weight of Jay's arm, snuggled up close to his side, deep in the folds of Tommy's large leather couch, Mia stayed to half-listen, half-dose as Tommy and Jay discussed business.

Just because they were on a break from touring, the band still kept moving forward, as they always did. Work was already well on its way on the next upcoming album that would bring them back into view, even though no one in the room knew just yet when that would be.

Talk of singles and release dates flowed along as one of the topics of discussion. Tommy was describing an idea he had for a music video he wanted to accompany the song he knew would be their first single back. The idea in which he was describing created an image in Mia's head that she knew exactly where it could come to life.

"I just want a huge crowd, tons of people cheering, the football team actually playing on the field while we perform. Like we don't even exist," Tommy said.

Jay nodded, with his eyes half closed in concentration, his whole attention focused on piecing together the idea Tommy held so vividly in his head.

"And you want the whole thing to take place at a school?"

"Not just a regular school, like the ones we went to. I want one that has an open floor plan. One with just tons of sun and kids everywhere, walking to and from class. I want the buildings spread far apart and the campus huge with a football field right next door, if possible. I don't know where we'll find such a place but it has to exist, right?"

Jay nodded and hummed his agreement. Mia waited a beat so as not to interrupt. When neither of them spoke for a while, she finally did.

"You'd love my old high school."

Tommy looked up to meet her eye, her words breaking the concentration that he had been directing at the carpet beneath his chair.

"The one right outside the city?"

"No. The one back in California. Rowen High. It was pretty much exactly what you're talking about."

Mia spotted a gleam in Tommy's eye that she had seen countless times before. He had an idea brewing and she had the answer he was looking for.

He spent the next hour pumping her for information. She described everything she could remember. The old campus still lived on in her memory and she gave Tommy everything she had. It got to the point where Tommy even looked up the school online to make sure she wasn't lying and that she had in fact just handed him the answer to all his problems.

The sleepy atmosphere of the room had started to dissipate with her first words and Tommy was now talking loud and excited, gaining the attention of the few others who hadn't yet left for home and their beds.

Tommy had to shake Nate to wake him up out of his turkey coma and it took another five minutes for the band's manager to figure out what was going on.

By the time Mia announced that she was going to drive herself home, the band's inner circle was huddled around a table, in intense discussion, the band meeting now official. Even Mac was there, fighting to stay await and alert. But Tommy had enough vision and energy for every single one of them.

Mia left them to their projects and gave Casey a farewell hug on her front steps before hurrying to her car and driving home to pass out on her bed at her mother's house. She had no idea what they were cooking up back in Tommy's living room and even more so absolutely no clue how much it all depended on her.

Mia was regretting having said anything about her old high school and even more was she regretting having said yes to all Tommy then asked of her soon thereafter. His excitement and enthusiasm had been infectious. His eyes were bright and Mia found she had a hard time saying no. She put her trust in him that it would all be okay and that his plan would be the best decision for everyone involved.

While driving from the airport towards the mountains that housed her hometown, Mia was having a hard time seeing just how this would be the best to her. It had been a while since she had taken this route and this time it wasn't Jay in the passenger seat beside her. It was Nate of all people and he made for a chattier companion.

He talked mostly of logistics and even took a few business calls during their trek east and north out of the downtown area. His straight forward thinking and no-nonsense way of talking helped Mia cool down her nerves and swallow the well of emotions bubbling up in her throat. It put her in business mood as the next part of Tommy's elaborate plan rested on her shoulders.

She was pulling into her old high school's parking lot before she knew it. Her brain had gone on autopilot as soon as they had hit the narrow two-lane highway that was the only road leading in and out of her hometown.

She had pulled into the students parking lot out of pure habit. Nate was already out of the car and moving towards the entrance before Mia got a chance to catch her breath. She found it after she had closed her door and hurried to catch up with Nate.

With a quick glance at the time, Mia's suspicions were affirmed as the nearly empty campus told her that school had not yet let out. There was a thought of the hot meal waiting for them once this was all over as Mia hadn't really stopped since early that morning on the opposite side of the country.

She quickly put it aside as Nate paused with a glance in her direction waiting for her to take the lead. She lead them towards the nearest white building out of the several dotted all throughout the campus.

She pulled open the glass door and lead Nate inside, giving the secretary sitting just inside a half smile and a nod as they moved past her desk towards another sitting outside one of the many doors lining the large room's back wall. It was at that secretary's desk that Mia finally stopped to speak.

"I'm here to see Principal Robin. I have an appointment."

Just as the secretary started to nod and affirm that Mia did, in fact, have an appointment, the door behind her opened and the principal herself stepped out.

She was already smiling and smiled just a bit wider at the sight of Mia standing waiting for her. Mia thought she caught a glimpse of recognition in the woman's dark eyes but didn't have time to confirm as the woman was walking right toward her, arms outstretched and enforcing a hug.

"Mia. Oh my goodness. It is so good to see you. I can't believe how long it's been. You looked so grown up!"

The woman's pleasant features smiled down at Mia as she kept her loose grip on Mia's arms. Her lightly tanned skin spoke of Hispanic heritage, as did her dark brown hair. It was just starting to gray at the roots and yet Robin didn't look a day older than the last time Mia had seen her, and that was nearly eight years ago.

"It's good to see you too, Principal. Congratulations on the promotion, by the way. I know I'm a few years late but it's nice to see the Board finally got some sense and made you principal."

Robin stepped aside and ushered Mia and Nate into her awaiting office.

"Oh, yes. That's right. I was still Vice Principal when you attended here. I forgot that. And thank you. I've enjoyed my time here and I believe we've all made some improvements over the past few years."

Robin took a seat behind her desk and in front of a wall of certificates, diplomas and accolades. They had multiplied since the last time Mia had been among these four walls.

"This Nate Bradley, by the way."

Nate leaned forward and shook Robin's hand at Mia's introduction.

"I was just going to ask. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Bradley."

"And you, Principal Robin. Mia's already clued me in on your long history together. She said you were her English teacher all the way back in fifth grade."

"That's correct. I was a teacher at Mia's elementary school before I moved to the high school. Wow. It's been a long time since you first wandered into my class."

Mia nodded with a smile at the necessary bout of nostalgia and reminiscing. She knew Robin and knew that the formalities would be soon put aside so business could commence.

"I must admit, Mia, your email was a little vague. And it did seem a bit drastic for you to fly all the way out here just for a face to face meeting. Not that I'm not glad to see you, I simply figured whatever it is that we need to discuss could have been discussed over the phone."

Robin sat stick straight, her arms laid on top of her desk, her whole manner reading out authority. Mia felt 15 again, except this time she didn't have as good an excuse now as she had had when she accidentally dented the Principal's car.

"I appreciate you taking the time to see us. Especially with the holiday break coming up. What I wanted to talk to you about is of a delicate nature. And needs to stay between the three of us and these four walls for the time being."

Robin leaned back in her chair, her arms now crossed.

"Alright. I'm listening."

"Nate is the manager for a band called 7 Ships."

"I've heard of them."

Mia's surprise must have registered on her face. Robin smiled and Mia breathed a sigh of relief that she didn't look offended.

"I'm not completely culturally ignorant. It would have been hard not to hear of 7 Ships. Besides, I have two current students who are avid fans of the band and seem to discuss nothing else."

"Then I hope you can understand the need for so much secrecy."

Robin nodded.

"The band would like to use the school to shoot a music video. The layout and overall aesthetic fits perfectly with what they're looking for. It seems my relationship with the drummer really paid off for the frontman when I was able to suggest Rowen High as the location he kept describing. As soon as he saw photos of the football field, that was it for him. I am here to ask you to let us shoot on the school's property."

Robin was looking across at Mia through squinted eyes, her fingers steepled in front of her mouth.

"That is a lot to ask. I assume you brought Mr. Bradley with you to scout out the location and make sure it is, in fact, the place you want to shoot? I imagine it would be difficult for either one of the band members to show up without causing a stir."

Mia nodded.

"You're asking a lot of me. And the school. This will need to go through the Board of Education first. Such a situation will warrant their approval, not just mine."

Mia didn't breathe while Robin thought for a long moment.

"What do you need?"

And with those four words, Mia was able to exhale. She even caught a glimpse of a smile on Nate's set expression. Robin was in.

Mia quickly laid out all they would need. She had spent a very long afternoon with the entire crew to make sure they knew exactly what they would be asking for.

It came down to a few crucial points. They needed the school, first and foremost. Empty would be preferable. They needed two whole days to shoot and one night. And lots of extras, as well the cooperation of the entire student body to keep the project under wraps.

It was with a shake of a hand that the agreement was set between Rowen High School's administration and 7 Ships. They had their location.

Robin then took them on a quick tour of the campus, reassuring Nate that it was in fact exactly what Tommy was looking for. Mia easily spotted the two avid fans Robin had mentioned earlier as their tour extended past when the last bell of the day sounded.

They were two young girls, deep in an excited conversation, making their way towards the parking lot. One of them did a double take at the sight of Nate and the second one stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of Mia.

Mia gave them a wave which they returned after a long frozen moment with a respectable nod and a smile. Their conversation grew even more animated as they hurried along their way, sending glances in Mia's direction every ten seconds before they lost sight.

Robin gave Nate and Mia one last handshake and confirmed her excitement in the upcoming project, promising to get the ball rolling as soon as possible and that she looked forward to seeing them soon.

The parking lot was nearly empty by the time Mia and Nate climbed back into their rental. They retraced their route back to the airport and with just enough time to get something to eat, they hopped back on a flight that took them home.

Mia found herself back in her home state and then her hometown sooner than even she had expected. Robin's enthusiasm had almost evenly matched Tommy's and before the school's holiday break had even started, Mia received the green light email. They were good to go.

The school board was satisfied with their plan and everything was in place. A date for the end of January was set and the necessary additional crew was the last piece to put together.

Mia and Nate were once again at the same airport. This time they were meeting at baggage claim instead of flying in together. The band had spent the previous weeks in LA and so that was where the entire crew was coming from. Nate was the first in a very large wave of people migrating to the furthest point in Southern California.

Mia drove once again towards Rowen with Nate in the passenger's seat. She had a bigger suitcase with her this time as their trip would be extending past a quick 24 hours. They were even booking a hotel and that was where Mia drove them to, the only place in her small rural hometown that could be considered a hotel.

It was a private resort set far on the outskirts of the town, a good twenty minutes from the high school and another ten past that from what was considered downtown.

There had been talk of renting a house as there were so many people accompanying the band on this endeavor that it was thought they would need the room. As there were no homes available to rent, they had landed on instead renting an entire building of rooms out of the resort's complex.

Nate had to once again follow Mia's lead as she led them up the walkway of the resort's main building. The interior sent out a familiar scent as Mia pulled open the door. She had once worked part-time at the resort and so that clean smell brought back a wave of memories.

She crossed the large and open lobby that stood waiting for them in all its south-western decor glory. There was a young girl working the front desk, wearing the same maroon polo Mia used to hate with a burning passion. Even the white stitching reading out the resort's logo and name was the same. Nothing really ever changed in Rowen and Mia was finding that true first hand.

The girl behind the counter wasn't alone. There was a boy leaning against the desk, talking when they entered the room. He stopped as soon as he caught sight of Mia and Mia caught sight of the familiar look of recognition on his face.

He nudged his companion probably harder and more times than was necessary but his excited energy had to come out somewhere as he was working very hard to keep his face calm. The girl was the one to greet them.

"Welcome to the Pines Resort. Do you have a reservation?"

Mia let Nate take the reigns from then on and stood trying not to smirk at the wide almost goofy grin on the young boy's face and the professional expression his friend was working very hard to maintain. Despite her best efforts, Mia did catch her hands trembling as she took Nate's card. It only made Mia smile more.

Just before Mia let the door close behind her as Nate exited the building, the young man called out, "Welcome back."

Mia nodded and almost laughed when he almost immediately turned to his friend and cried out, "Sam! Do you know who that is? Do you know what this means? Ty was right!"

Mia didn't get the girl's reply as those were the only words that slipped out of the door as it swung shut.

The rest of the band and crew arrived that night in droves. It took four rented shuttles to ferry them and all their equipment from the private airport just outside of town.

Tommy had taken extra precautions against being seen and had paid the extra price for his privacy. Mia didn't bother reminding him that he was going to be standing in front of an entire school population the next day as she was sure he was aware of it.

Mia shared a room with two of the production assistants, the woman in charge of catering and the lead camera technician. It was officially the girls' room as Tommy and Casey had their own space and Jay was bunking with several of the other members of their large entourage.

Mia didn't have to drive this time to the school. She was able to look out the window while squeezing Jay's hand from the back of one of the many shuttle buses. He was smiling at her mild state of anxiety and she took comfort in his calm and collected state of being.

It was a job for him, as it technically was for her too. She had her camera bag primed and ready to go for behind the scene footage. But it wasn't his alma mater. It was hers.

The school was eerily empty and disturbingly quiet when they flooded the front gates. The few security men Mia knew usually roamed the school were standing waiting for them and fell in line along the edges. It was an unnecessary precaution as several of the camera crew doubled as security guards, their enormous size twice the width of the school's security.

They found the entire student body waiting for them, seating in the bleachers of the basketball court, in assembly-style formation. Robin was waiting for them just outside the door and stepped forward to introduction herself to Tommy and Jay.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both. On behalf of Rowen High School, welcome. Those who were brought into the know about this project are very excited and I'm sure the whole student body will be as well, soon enough."

"Thank you for having us. And thank you for all the work you've put in on your end."

Tommy took his place right beside Robin and followed her in and Jay took his place beside Tommy, bringing Mia along with him, her hand still tight in his.

The room had been filled with ceaseless chatter of all subjects just before the crew entered. The sight of Robin walking alongside two semi-familiar faces brought the whole gym to complete silence.

Mia let go of Jay's hand and let him enter further into the room. She took her spot beside Casey and the rest of the crowd as they filled out the far wall of the gym.

No one was looking at them, as Robin had been given a microphone and handed one to Tommy. All eyes were on them. And yet Mia could feel someone looking in her direction. She didn't get a chance to glance around as Robin's authoritative voice came booming through the louder speaker.

"Good morning, Rowen students."

A chorus of "Good morning, Principal Robin," came singing back at her out of pure tradition.

"Thank you for taking time out of your day to come together as a student body. I know you didn't have a say in the matter but I'm going to thank you anyways."

The light chuckle that followed eased the tension that had been hovering over everyone's heads once Tommy and Jay had entered the building.

"I have some very exciting news for all of you. I know some of our more astute students have already caught onto this fact. I want to thank those of you who figured it out and did your best to keep it quiet."

Mia caught sight of Robin's eyes flashing towards a particular pair of students. It took Mia a moment but she soon recognized the two girls as the ones who had recognized her when she had come to meet with the principal a month or so before.

"We have the honor to be hosting a very special group of people. Some of you may know the two gentlemen that stand here beside me. If for some reason, you have been living under a rock for the last two years, let me introduce Tommy Shepherd and Jay Williams of 7 Ships."

A cry went out at the names and Robin let it roar for a minute before quieting the crowd with a raise of her finger.

"I'm going to let Tommy explain what is going on. Tommy, the floor is yours."

Tommy gave a slight bow to Robin as she stepped aside.

"Thank you, Principal Robin. Good morning, Rowen High School. How are you guys doing?"

The students responded with a cry that reverberated off the walls. Mia smiled at the hint of Tommy's performer side coming out. He had always known how to work a crowd.

"Thank you for having us. Me and my man, Jay here, are very honored that you guys would let us come and take over your school. And we are just as equally excited to be here and be able to work with you. If you didn't know this already, one of our good friends actually attended your school. Mia, go ahead and give the crowd a wave."

Mia took a few steps forward and held out a hand to the cheering crowd.

"She didn't graduate here, so technically she's not alumni but treat her as if she was, okay?"

The cheer turned into a laugh. Tommy waited a beat to continue.

"If you didn't already know, we are currently working on our next project, coming sometime in the future. We don't really know when yet. But we want you guys to be a part of it. Not only are we commandeering your campus and your football field as the location for our video but we also want you guys to be in it with us. How does that sound?"

The loudest cry yet went up from the crowd and Tommy and Jay smiled at the enthusiasm coming their way.

When the crowd had settled enough, Tommy gave a brief description of what was needed and what he had planned. Robin soon took over to explain the technicalities and Mia could hear her explain what the students needed to do to be in the music video as she followed the crew and they all slowly exited the building.

She gave one last glance over her shoulder as she still felt that same pair of eyes on the back of her neck. She could only see the large mass of people around them and then the students and teachers beyond, nothing else distinguishable.

The group split into two as soon as they reached fresh air. The majority of them stayed behind with two of the buses and started to unload their equipment. It was Friday afternoon and shooting began early the next morning.

Mia went with Jay, Tommy, and Casey back to the hotel as they would not be needed yet. Everyone reconvened at the resort later that night where Mia and Casey had set up a small crew barbecue.

The resort's pool area was littered with lawn chairs that lined the perimeter, the pool and the hot tub filling most of the center area. Off in one corner stood the tallest tree Mia had ever seen in her life and there it still stood overlooking the entire resort.

On top of its roots had been built a patio space, filled with tables and chairs. Nearby was a small alcove filled with outdoor grills, there for any guest to use.

By the time the winter sun had finally set, the pool area was filled to capacity with crewmen and women in their bathing suits, climbing in and out of water, helping fry up the burgers and hot dogs Mia and Casey had retrieved from the grocery store along with a variety of sides to go along with them.

Tommy had taken command of the grill and seemed to be relishing his power. After Jay's offer of help had been vehemently declined, he had taken up starting a game of volleyball in the pool. And Mia took her spot as an observer, with her legs dangling into the cool water, a towel wrapped around her shoulders to fight off the slight chill in the air. It was supposed to be January after all.

The crew flooded the buffet of food once Tommy called out ready and Mia joined the queue. While most took to the set tables and chairs waiting for them, Mia nodded back towards the now empty poolside and Jay followed right behind with his own plate of food held tight in his hands.

The water was glowing as the lights along its wall turned on in the dark. The pool was heated enough that it was pleasant to once again dip her feet in the water. Overhead, stars could be seen in the black sky, very little surrounding light pollution keeping them from shining bright.

Mia and Jay ate in silence while bursts of laughter and jokes floated their way from the deck across the pool. No one called to them to join in and Mia caught sight of Tommy and Casey sitting alone away from the crew as well.

Jay sighed with content once he had set his now empty paper plate aside and leaned back on his hands, his head facing the stars above.

"How did you ever leave this place?"

Mia tried to smile while a bittersweet knife threatened to stab her in the gut.

"It wasn't easy," she offered as a reply.

"It's warm. All the time. You can actually see the stars. Everyone has a pool."

"All very valid points."

Jay finally looked her way and shifted so that he was leaning closer to her, his arms now leaning against his legs as they swished back and forth in the glowing water.

"You must miss it."

"I do. Yeah. Sometimes. But I also really love Boston and the east coast. I'm glad I left. If I hadn't, I would have never met you."

Jay smiled and nodded at this.

"Well then. Thank God you did."

Mia laughed as he draped his arm over her shoulders.

"Are you gonna tell your dad you're in town or is this another covert mission, like when you and Nate flew out?"

"He's out of town, luckily. Kurtis, too. He would have loved this."

"That's a bummer. It would have been nice to see him."

"You'll get to meet Ali, though. I surprised you guys haven't by now."

"This is your childhood best friend, right? Does she still live in town?"

Mia nodded.

"Yeah. She's a kindergarten teacher at our old elementary school."

"Really?"

"Yeah. And that's probably where I would have ended up if I had stayed. Most likely I would have gone away to college only to then come back right after. I would have even married my high school boyfriend. And my life would have been so different."

"I can see that."

At the soft tone of something in his voice, Mia smiled and looked up at him. His head was down and he was concentrating on the pattern the water made when he moved his leg in a circle.

"But now I have the best life. With the best boyfriend. Who has the best group of friends. And who lets me follow him around when he goes out to travel the world sometimes. That sounds like the perfect life to me."

Jay couldn't help the smile that broke out on his face. He pulled Mia in closer and planted a kiss at the top of her head. Just as he did, Tommy called his name from across the pool.

In the low light emanating from the pool, Mia recognized the two kids standing near where Tommy and Casey sat.

Jay stood up first and then helped Mia up. She followed him as he rounded the pool and met up with Tommy and Casey. It was the girl from the front desk and her friend. Mia could see the boy's smile even in the low light as he extended his hand towards Jay as he approached.

"Hey, man. I'm Ben. And this is Sam. She's seriously your guys' biggest fan. She works here at the resort and I knew she would kick herself to death if she didn't meet you guys, even if she was too respectful and shy about it."

Jay shook Ben's hand as he chatted along. Ben even extended his hand to Mia as well and she took it with a warm firm shake.

"It's nice to meet you guys," she replied.

"They go to the high school, dude. They're gonna be a part of the crowd on Monday."

Mia could see Casey smiling at the sound of pure excitement in Tommy's voice. It was hard to miss. And it soon jumped into Jay's too.

"Oh, cool! We're so stoked for this shoot. It's gonna be awesome."

"I like your concept."

The girl spoke for the first time.

"It fits in perfectly with the stories you've already told in your previous music videos."

Tommy couldn't hide the pride and amazement in his voice if he tried.

"You picked up on that?"

"Yeah. I mean, I had a feeling and then some of my friends went super in depth into how you guys are continuing the narrative you started with the last album."

"You're gonna have to introduce your friends to us."

The girl let out a half laugh.

"I'm pretty sure they would die if they heard you say that."

It was Jay's turn to laugh.

"Then we really can't wait to meet them."

*

In that split second, once her eyes had met his, Mia's whole week had flashed before her eyes. The whole two months previous building up to this moment had flashed before her eyes. Then the past eight years since she had last seen him. And in all of that, she couldn't think of a single thing to say.

"Danny! Hey!"

It was Mia's luck that Ali was the friendliest person that had ever lived and that she knew how to bring people together, even those who were estranged.

Danny faltered a moment where he stood, his eyes still frozen on Mia. It took swinging his satchel over his shoulders for him to finally move. Mia didn't miss the neat buttoned up shirt and slacks he was wearing. Nor the glasses she knew he only ever wore because they made him look more intelligent. So he had become a teacher after all.

His eyes watched his feet as they moved him closer to where now Mia, Ali, and Christian were standing. He pushed his dark brown hair out of his face in the same way Mia had always seen him do. He was nervous. Even that hadn't changed.

He gave her a tight-lipped smile that didn't even try to curve upwards. She returned the awkward expression with one of her own. She was sure that every single one of the four of them was aware of the deja vu descending around them.

It was the four them. Hanging out in a loose circle after school. Just like it always used to be. There was more distance between Mia and Danny, physically and emotionally, than there had been back then.

Mia breathed a silent prayer of gratitude for Ali when she was the one to break the tense ice that had frozen them all in place.

"Mia. This is crazy. How exciting is all of this?"

Mia could see Ali's eyes flick to behind her left shoulder where an entire film crew had set up along the sidelines of the football field. Not to mention the two trailers that were parked alongside the stadium and the multitude of other things the band had brought with them.

"Uh. Yeah. It is. Just a little. Crazy, I mean. Thanks for coming. It would have felt like a crime being back here and not seeing you. All of you."

Mia broke eye contact with Ali and caught Danny's with her last words.

She had her stuff now backed away and her bag slung over her shoulder, her camera hanging around her neck ready to go. It matched the rest of her stuff, already packed up, the hotel rooms vacated early that morning, all unnecessary equipment already loaded up in the vans. There was a plane waiting to take them all home very late that night, standing by at Rowen's commuter airport.

Danny gave a slight nod at her words. Ali started moving towards the field and took Christian along with her.

"Can we have a look around? We came early so we could be a part of the crowd."

"Sure."

The three of them followed Mia's lead as she neared the only entrance. Nate saw her coming and made a path so they could sneak in past the mass of students waiting to be shown in.

"So do you know everyone here?"

Ali was trying really hard to keep the conversation going.

"Yeah. Well, mostly. They hired a lot of additional crew for the shoot so I don't know everyone super well. But we've all been hanging out at the resort after shooting's done so I've definitely met everyone."

"You guys are staying at the Pines?"

It was Danny who asked the question. Mia nodded when she met his cold gaze. She didn't have to look far to find the memories of the four of them, the two of them especially, and all the hours they had spent hanging around that same pool.

"That must have been fun!"

Ali was only half listening as her wide eyes were sparkling with the sight of excitement before them. The sun was finally starting to set and Mia could see that the final preparations were being put in place. Tommy and Jay hadn't come out of their trailer yet but she knew it wouldn't be long before they were sent for.

"You guys should probably go find a seat. You'll want to get to the stands before the students if you wanna be a part of the video. They're closing the gates as soon as they hit capacity."

"Okay. I'm gonna have to meet that boyfriend of yours sometime tonight, though. Before you guys head off again. Don't you dare leave before I do."

Mia found she could smile at Ali's words and met her friend's hug with equal tightness. Ali soon faded into the bustling crowd, Christian right behind her.

Nate had opened the gates and students were flooding the stands. The football team stood nearby, dressed up in their uniforms even though it was long past the end of their season. They stood along the sidelines as though it were a real game, the junior varsity team dressed in their own distinctive uniforms and standing on the other side of the field.

Mia knew Danny hadn't moved and so was ready to face him when she turned back in his direction. Neither of them spoke as years of history and heartbreak stood at the forefront of both of their minds. Mia did her best to initiate conversation.

"It's good to see you."

Danny nodded.

"Yeah. You too."

"It's a bit of an odd situation, for sure."

"Just a little."

A long moment passed and Mia tried again.

"I didn't really think when I left that the first time I would make it back, it would be for something like this."

"I can understand that."

He wasn't helping move along the conversation but he wasn't leaving either. Mia didn't begrudge him either of those things as it was hard work to speak and she felt like her feet were frozen to the artificial turf beneath her feet.

"You became a teacher. That's cool. I'm guessing math?"

Danny nodded.

"You were the only reason I passed pre-calc junior year."

"You were pretty bad at it."

"The teacher didn't help the situation."

"Nelson wasn't the worst."

"When he wasn't screaming at everyone, sure."

"You were better at it than I think you gave yourself credit."

Mia bowed her head at the strange compliment and its source.

"Are you happy?"

The question came out of nowhere and Mia didn't give herself time to think before she answered.

"Yes."

"Good. I'm glad. You always did want to do something extraordinary with your life. I'm guessing he lets you do that."

Mia tried to ignore the strange implication in his words.

"I never wanted to stay in Rowen. Even if I had stayed to graduate. You knew that."

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess I did. It was never going to work between us."

That one small word hung in the air between them but Mia didn't get the chance to answer when her favorite sound hit her ears and saved her from further one-on-one conversation with Danny.

"Mia!"

Jay was calling to her as he entered the football field and was making his way towards her. He was dressed up and all ready to go, ripped skinny jeans and band tee-shirt on. Mia smiled when she turned to face him but she knew it wasn't her brightest and she knew he would notice.

He put his arm around her, mostly out of comfort but she could sense a hint of territorial in his motive.

"Hey, man. I'm Jay."

He was the one who extended his hand out first. Danny met it but only after a half second delay.

"Danny, this is Jay Williams, my boyfriend. Jay, this is Danny. My ex-boyfriend."

The words sounded strange and tasted sour coming out of her mouth. Jay didn't let a hint of how awkward the situation was show on his face. He was already in an acting mode for the shoot and put it to good use.

"Nice to meet you."

"Same," was all Danny replied.

"Babe, I got to go. I'll see you out there, yeah?"

Mia nodded and watched Jay leave after he planted a kiss on her head. She caught sight of Tommy glaring at Danny from where he stood waiting for Jay. Jay was the one to finally pull him in the right direction and to the shoot waiting to happen.

Reality finally dinged somewhere in the back of Mia's mind. She remembered the job she still had to do. She nodded in the direction of the camera crew and the filled to capacity stadium behind that.

"I've got to go. The shoot's about to start and I have to, you know."

Mia held up her camera as an explanation and Danny nodded his understanding.

"You want to stay and watch?"

Danny shook his head.

"No. I should go. You have a nice life."

He had turned away before Mia replied so she was speaking to his slowly retreating back.

"You too, Danny."

It was Mac calling her name that finally set her in motion. She hurried to meet up with the rest of the crew and put all her energy into doing the best job she could. Alternating between filming and shooting stills, Mia watched as an outsider the people around her and the job they were trying to complete.

She watched the people she had only met a few days ago and smiled at the memory of the nights spent by the pool, eating barbecue.

She shot Mac as he shouted directions from behind the camera. She shot Nate as he hovered nearby making sure everyone was doing what they were supposed to. She shot the students, especially the few who weren't blatantly staring at her and trying to get their picture taken. She even shot the two girls who had first noticed her back in December.

And she shot Sam, with her eyes transfixed on the performance Tommy and Jay were putting on only a few yards in front of her.

And she couldn't resist shooting Ben, as his gaze was focused nowhere near where Tommy and Jay stood playing while a football game happened around them. Even with the boy's unheard song blasting through the stadium speakers, Ben was staring at Sam. And smiling.

Mia didn't have to look for to find her own version of that look. When she turned to the kid beating the crap out of his drums in the middle of the football field, only a few feet from his best friend, in the middle of an actual football game, there it shone right back at her when his eyes met hers.

A/N:

I've said it before and I'm gonna say it again.

🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀

But also

😍😍😍❤️❤️❤️

They're adorable.

And goodness gracious is this story long! It's my longest by far! And boy has it been a long time coming.

I've had this story planned out since last August and just now got to writing it.

It's the most recent one I've written out of all of them. I only wrote it like two weeks ago. I figured I liked enough I would include it in the lineup.

Alright. What do you guys think? Did you even make it this far? Or did some of you die along the way? It's hella long I won't be surprised.

So you remember those two fangirls I snuck in there? Yeah. You'll be meeting them real soon. They are registered members of the Girl Power Galaxy, if you catch my drift.

Comment this emoji 😎 if you know what I'm talking about. It might be a few weeks for you guys but you'll meet them eventually.

Hey joymoment

Ben and Sam are two of my characters that I haven't even written yet but I plan on writing in the future and who go to Rowen High. I just couldn't resist sneaking them in.

Alright. Thanks for reading. Thanks for sticking around. See ya next week.

Only two more stories to go! 😫