CHAPTER NINETEEN: PAINFUL SONGS

December 21, 2002

  It’s now December, and No Rules are wrapping up promotions for their fourth single, Show Me Your Love. In North America, they’re promoting a different second single, Falling For You. Show Me Your Love was a success, but Falling For You, not so much.

  As for their TV series, Dare 2 Dream, it was a huge hit in Britain and Ireland. Now the series are being aired in other countries, including in USA. The first season just ended after thirteen episodes, and the series was given another season.

  The NR members were about to go shopping for Christmas to buy gifts for their families. Sophie didn’t want to leave without Alex, so she went into his room to wait.

  As she was waiting, she saw papers on a desk. Sophie assumed the desk was Alex’s because she saw his name engraved by a pencil all over the desk. She picked up a piece of paper, and saw writing on the other side of the paper.

  As she was reading the paper, Alex walked into the room. He was shocked to see Sophie reading his paper. He asked her angrily, “What the f*ck are you doing?”

 Alex grabbed the paper from Sophie’s hands. She told him, “Sorry Alex, I was just waiting for you so we can leave.”

  “Well, you don’t go snooping around my stuff!”

  Just as Sophie was about to leave, she spoke up, “I thought what you wrote was good. The lyrics were pretty deep. I assume it’s a song.”

 Then Alex roughly gave the paper to Sophie, and angrily muttered, “Take it if you think my song is good.”

  He said this as he stormed out of his room.

  At the mall a little later, the NR girls just left a store. Sophie stopped at a hardcore punk clothing store, and saw Alex in there. Everyone knows by now that Alex hates designer clothes. He only wears designer clothes if he has to.

  When Alex saw Sophie through the store window, She gave him a smile, but he turned away. The NR girls noticed there was something wrong.

  Ashley asked, “Sophie, what’s wrong?”

  She replied sadly, “Alex doesn’t wanna have anything to do with me.”

  “Why?”

  Sophie explained what happened between her and Alex over a song he wrote. When she finished, Ashley asked, “Was his song really good?”

  “Yeah, it was. I felt anger and pain in the lyrics. It was saying he just wants to scream but couldn’t. And I think he wrote that after he joined No Rules or something cuz I saw a date on that said ‘4 of December, 2001’.”

  “Well, he wasn’t exactly having a good time then considering Charlie was always insulting him.”

  “What should I do?”

  “Just talk to him, but nicely. I know it’s been a year since this band was formed, but Alex doesn’t fully trust everyone. Hell, we still don’t know him well.”

  A few hours later, the NR members were back at their house. Sophie followed Alex to his room. He noticed her, so he asked her angrily, “Why are you following me?”

  Sophie replied, “Look, I’m sorry for reading your song. But I must admit that you’re really good. I felt your pain and anger.”

 With that, Alex grabbed a notebook, and gave it to Sophie. He said to her roughly, “Read what I wrote, and see if you still think I’m good.”

  So Sophie read Alex’s notebook. After an hour, she gave the notebook back with tears in her eyes. Alex saw that, and he soften his attitude towards her.

  He asked her calmly, “So, is my stuff good?”

  Sophie then gave Alex a hug. He hugged her back. She told him, “I just felt so sorry for you. I can’t believe you had so much pain.”

  Then he stammered, “I-I d-don’t w-want to go home.”

  “Why?”

  “I had a cousin whom I not related to because he was adopted. He’s on my mum’s side. For one week, my parents had to go to Cardiff. So they left me with my cousins. This was when I was 13, and during the summer of last year. My cousin got drunk, and…he raped me. This kept going on for a week. I was relived when my parents picked me up. Now I’m 15 and in a popular pop band, and I’m scared of what he’ll do. It’s bad enough when the bullies come to my house to beat the shit out of me. I can‘t even report anyone because I‘m a teen star.”

  After a few minutes of silence, Alex spoke up again: “Before I auditioned for No Rules, I attempted suicide. I was about to swallow the entire bottle of pills. My older brother caught me, and dragged me to our parents. They forced me to audition for either BG6, S Club Juniors, or No Rules, which was unnamed at the time.”

  After another few minutes, Sophie came up with an idea, “I don’t think my parents will allow boys in my house, but you could ask Eddie to let you live with him until we all get back.”

  Alex calmly said, “I guess I could do that. I’ll have to send the Christmas gifts to my family, and vice versa. I just need to tell my parents that I don’t feel safe at home.

  Then Sophie gave Alex a hug.

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NO RULES' SINGLE, 'SHOW ME YOUR LOVE,' IS IN THE VID, AND (IF YOU HAVE SPOTIFY) THE OTHER SINGLE, 'FALLING FOR YOU' IS IN THE EXTERNAL LINK>>>