"Who the fuck do you think you are, man?" Eddie questioned Billy as held a cigarette in his hand since he had just told them all he was leaving the band.

"Yeah, seriously?" Stella backed Eddie up, crossing her arms over her chest. Now he wants to be a good husband and father? She thought angrily, wanting nothing more than to just smack his stupid face.

"Look, everybody just calm down, okay?" Graham interjected calmly, not wanting things to get too heated.

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Stell and I can't be the only ones who are pissed here," Eddie responded angrily as he gestured at the blonde woman, sitting up straighter in his chair.

"I don't know what else you want me to say. You guys don't even need me. You have the songs, you got the fan base," Billy responded. "I mean, I'm sure if you just—"

"Billy!" Eddie cut him off, making the older Dunne brother stop talking. "If you're going, go," he told him sternly, waving his hand towards the space behind the boy.

"All right," Billy whispered as he backed up and left the room, leaving them all there to process what had just happened.

Stella scoffed to herself, plopping down on the couch next to Warren as she muttered, "What the actual fuck."

Warren pushed up from his seat, giving Stella a wary look since she looked like she wanted to sock someone. "So now what do we do?" He asked carefully.

✯✯✯

KAREN: I mean, bands fall apart, you know. That's rock and roll. (stares to the side) I just...thought this one was different.

STELLA: As you know by now, I did not like [Billy] whatsoever (chuckles ironically). But that didn't mean I didn't think he was talented. I mean, without him...chances of us being a great band were low. He screwed us over. Again.

✯✯✯

Without saying anything, Stella got up and left the room to go follow Billy before he had completely left. "Hey," she called out since he seemed to have stopped to gather some things, but once he saw her, he began walking away again. "Hey!" She tried again, grabbing his arm.

"What the hell do you want from me?" Billy harshly asked as he spun around and shoved her hand away from him.

"I want you to change your fucking mind," she demanded, her nose flaring. "Do you have any idea what this will do to us?"

Billy narrowed his eyes at her. "Need I remind you why this is even happening in the first place?" He voiced and she just shrugged and shook her head, not knowing what he was talking about. "It's because of your little call to my wife. I wouldn't be in this situation if you hadn't called her."

"Oh, bullshit," she immediately said. "You'd still be drunk and high out of your mind to the point where you'd miss your daughter's birth even if I hadn't called her. And you'd still be cheating her and probably becoming a father to more unwanted children. So, you should be thanking me right now, Mr. Dunne."

Billy's lips pursed and his body tensed before he looked past her, seeing that the others had been peering around the wall to make sure nothing violent happened.

He then looked back down at the blonde girl. "If you fucking hate me so badly, then you should be happy I'm leaving," he seethed before he turned around and walked away from her.

"I would be if you weren't fucking us over again!" She yelled out at him right before he could leave the house.

She then rolled her eyes and spun around to go to her shared room with Karen, walking past the others without so much as acknowledging them. According to the British woman, the guys thought their room had been haunted and they didn't want to take it. So, that allowed the girls to have it for themselves, which was nice.

She paced back and forth in the room, trying to find a solution to what had just happened before she heard a knock at the already opened door. She glanced over to see it had been Eddie, who decided to lean against the doorframe.

"What?" She asked, raising her eyebrows at him impatiently.

"Just checking in on you to make sure you don't smash a guitar or something," he told her, trying to lighten the mood even though he was in the same mood she was in, just slightly less furious.

She laughed scornfully. "Good idea because I am this close to just about doing that," she replied, holding her two fingers a centimeter apart. "I mean, what the fuck? First, he goes to rehab and makes us cancel the rest of the shows so the label drops us, and now he says he's quitting the band? Is he that fucking entitled?" She ranted before groaning and falling backwards onto the creaky, old bed.

Eddie walked into the room, deciding to fall back onto the bed with her since it seemed unwinding. He offered his cigarette to her once he landed and she looked over at him, her hair all sprawled out onto the bed but he was somehow able not to fall onto any of it. She then shrugged and took the cigarette, placing it between her lips. "I know. He's fucking this whole thing up."

She blew out the cigarette smoke, waving it away with her hand so it didn't linger in the room. "Look, I'm gonna be honest with you, Ed. I didn't want to be in this band in the first place, which you probably knew already," she began and he nodded, "but Teddy thought it would be better for me. He said he saw talent in me and didn't want it to be wasted, so he thought this was the best option.

"And after recording the album with you guys and going on tour, I started to believe that. I mean, we're good. Like really, really good. We were going places and that's not even me talking, that's what I heard some people saying after each show. But now since Billy feels guilty for not being there at his kid's birth, he thinks he can just quit and take this all away from us? It's not fucking fair. And of course I want him to be there for his wife and child, but..." She trailed off, shaking her head.

He looked over at her, propping himself up with his hand as she gave the cigarette back to him. "No, I know exactly what you're talking about. He's a piece of shit who only thinks about himself," Eddie voiced before he took a puff of the cigarette. "But we already knew that, so this was inevitable, I guess."

"I have no idea what Camila sees in him," Stella complained, releasing a frustrated sigh.

"Me neither," Eddie agreed bitterly, causing Stella to glance over at him. Since he had already been looking at her, he cleared his throat awkwardly and glanced away. "But, uh, I guess we're just gonna have to move forward without him. Think of somethin' so we can continue playing."

"Yeah, well, I would take his place, but I know that the record company definitely would not let that happen. So, let me know when you do think of something plausible because I definitely haven't," she retorted before she pushed up from the bed and walked off.

Eddie watched her walk out of the room as he placed the cigarette in between his lips, softly chuckling to himself. He didn't know what it was about Stella, but she was always able to light up the room, even if she had been in a bad mood. There was just this presence about her that he noticed and it intrigued him.

Even when they had first met, he could tell there was something about her that made her have an edge. At the time, he couldn't tell what it was but now after being with her for basically every day, he just realized that the edge was Stella herself; she had this venom to her, but at the same time, she was kind and inclusive.

And that's what he liked about her. She was tough as nails and blunt as fists, but that didn't stop her from trying to be friends with everyone. Apart from Billy, but he definitely deserved her shunning.

He was glad that the girl he met on the rooftop was now his friend.

✯✯✯

After a while of sitting on the decision made by Billy, Graham was determined to find someone to replace him. So, he forced them all out to a party so they could scope out any possible replacements.

Stella, Eddie, and Warren sat together drinking while Graham and Karen went together. Stella could tell that Graham had a crush on Karen, but she wasn't exactly sure if Karen felt the same; yet, she thought it was cute to see Graham pining over her.

A guy from the record label came up to the three of them asking if Billy had actually quit the band and didn't want to entertain the guy, so they were just being as dry as possible.

"We aren't gonna find anyone good enough here," Stella commented once the guy had left them alone. "I mean, the guys here are all just wannabes."

"I know, I know. But Graham seems pretty confident that we'll find someone, so I'll guess we'll have to stick it out," Warren responded with a shrug.

"For who knows how long," Eddie muttered, playing with the tiny umbrella given to him in his drink.

"Do you think there's a chance that Billy changes his mind and comes back?" Warren asked the both of them, hoping for an optimistic answer.

Stella shrugged. "Probably. I know for a fact he loves music too much to just give it up. He's probably doing this just to fuck with us and make us realize how important he is, only for him to come back and act as our savior or so something. It's pathetic, honestly."

Eddie let out a short laugh. "Wouldn't be surprised."

"You know, Stell, Billy may be my good friend but the way you just yell and berate him at every chance you get is just so hot," Warren complimented before taking a sip of his drink.

Stella nodded at that, glancing at Eddie who had just raised his brows a bit. "I can't tell if that was you flirting or not, but either way, thank you," she thanked. Warren held his drink up to her in response. "Anyway, I'm gonna go find the b—"

"Hi, there," a pretty woman greeted, cutting Stella off, as she came up to them. She turned to Eddie. "I've been staring at you for, like, five minutes and there is nothing more I want than to go inside with you," she told him, hinting at something else.

Stella couldn't stop her mouth from dropping at the boldness as she shared an entertained look with Warren. Eddie began to awkwardly laugh, trying to eye his friends for help but they were too busy being gagged at the situation.

"I'm flattered, but uh, not today. Sorry," he rejected her, shaking his head.

The woman seemed to be surprised at that, seeing as though no one could deny she was pretty. "O-Oh, okay, uh..." she trailed off embarrassedly before walking away.

"Dude!" Warren exclaimed once she left, pushing Eddie's chest.

"Ow. What?" Eddie queried, giving his friend a look.

"She was hot!" Stella told him and Warren nodded in agreement as Eddie gave her a look. "What? I'm not allowed to say she's hot?"

"No. It's not that. I just wasn't interested right now. I'm too focused on other things," he replied with a nonchalant shrug.

"Oh, what, like another girl?" Stella joked, but Eddie just glanced away awkwardly, not knowing what to say to that. "Holy shit, it is another girl."

Warren gave his friend an offended look. "You've been hooking up with a girl and you didn't tell me?"

"No, what?! No, I haven't been hooking up with some girl," he denied, shaking his head.

"Okay, but it still has to be a girl," Stella pointed out. "Which of these ladies here has gotten your panties in a twist?" She teased, looking around to spot any potential women. Warren chuckled at that as Eddie rolled his eyes, taking another sip of his drink. "Just point me in the general direction and I'll guess."

"It's no girl here," Eddie stated, shaking his head.

"Oh, so it's a girl somewhere else?" Stella assumed.

"Wha — No, it's just no girl in general," Eddie denied again. "I'm just stressed with the whole Billy situation, that's all."

"Oh, so you're saying you're too stressed to get it up? Okay, I get that," Warren backed off, holding his hands up while he still had a mischievous smile on his face.

"Hey!" Eddie whisper-shouted, gesturing over to Stella.

She scoffed at him. "You're acting like I haven't been on tour with you man-babies for months," she retorted. "Trust me, I've heard some wild things so I'm pretty used to that talk." Warren and Eddie shared a fearful look. "Don't worry, not anything too bad," she assured them. "But I actually really have to go to the bathroom, so I'll be right back."

As Stella walked off, Warren whispered to Eddie, "You think I have a chance with her?"

✯✯✯

WARREN: Just because Stell and I are friends, doesn't mean I wasn't into her at one point (shrugs).

✯✯✯

"You have a thing for Stell?" Eddie questioned, a little surprised to hear that.

Warren laughed. "You don't?"

"Well, I-I mean, I don't know. She's my friend, I guess, I don't know," Eddie spluttered awkwardly for some reason.

"She's not the one she was teasing you about, is she?" Warren inquired curiously, but he didn't really care if she was; he just found Stella hot and funny.

"What? No. Definitely not. The girl you guys think I'm into doesn't even exist, okay? I'm not into anyone right now," he lied, thinking back to Camila but the image of Stella also creeped into his mind. I'm not into her, am I? He thought to himself before he internally shook his head, feeling like that was impossible.

The two were friends and nothing more.

"Okay, well, you didn't answer my question from before," Warren pointed out.

"The answer's no, dude."

"Aw, man."

authors note
hope u guys enjoyed!