I will never understand how someone can go gaga over a celebrity. It has been a crazy week since the Rainbow won the Battle of the Bands. I expected their win. This is just the beginning of their success. We, the people closest to them, knew before the fundraising concert that they would be the best band in the country.

But no one has prepared us for the onslaught of crazy fans wanting a piece of the members of the Rainbow.

Especially Riley.

After the interview was aired, the media made a big deal on who Riley is dating and has been milking it. After all, one of the hottest gays in the country is dating and everyone wants to know who's the lucky one. The issue has exploded like an inferno when someone claimed that he's dating Riley.

We were shocked. I was shocked to the core when someone named Cooper Bailey posted a photo of him kissing Riley on the cheek. Before my blood boils, Riley was quick to explain that it's a fan who requested for a photo and he was surprised as well when he kissed him.

Could've fooled me since he was smiling brightly at the camera. However, I knew that it was nothing for him. That it was only part of being an up and coming rock star and if I want to be with him, I must accept that I have to share him to millions of people. Everyone thinks rock stars are hot. I don't only think. I know it very well.

The Rainbow is currently in Perth for the Music Festival. I haven't seen Riley for three days and I miss him although we talk every morning as soon as he wakes up since his timezone is later than mine. Then, I call him again before I sleep.

I stare at my phone again, specifically at the photo. There's no way that this picture is legit.

"Holy shit!"

The phone slips from my hand, but thankfully I catch it before it hits the floor.

"Damn it, Selena. Don't sneak up on me like that."

Raising her hands up and with a mischievous smile she says, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I wasn't sneaking at all. Didn't you hear my heels clicking on the floor?"

I didn't. I was busy inspecting the picture.

"Didn't you read the sign on the door?"

She glances over her shoulder and shrugs like she doesn't care.

I glare at her. "It says 'No shoes inside the house'."

"I love these red stilettos. My feet don't want to be separated from them," she pouts. "They're so comfy."

"I'll bet on Riley's abs that those shoes are from Finn and you want to parade it in front of me." Finn is back this week. It's why Selena is glowing in just her white shirt and ripped denim shorts. Orgasm is the perfect skin care.

Dammit. I miss my Rye.

"Whatever." She rolls her eyes. In a blink of an eye, her expression changes, furrowing her eyebrows. "Can we go back to that picture of a shirtless Riley, sleeping on the bed with another half — hopefully not fully — naked man?"

"They'll never stop, won't they?"

"Not until they have the real one."

"I won't take their bait. Damn them if they think I'll play their game."

She stands next to me and we both examine the Instagram photo like bacteria under the microscope. Both of their lower half are covered by the white blanket. The waistband of Riley's boxer shorts is shown and his left hand is splayed on top of a guy sleeping on his stomach.

"Are you sure this picture is not real?" She pinches two fingers and holds the screen of my phone to zoom on the picture. "It looks legit."

I was in a shitty mode when I saw it earlier. Before my emotion clouds my brain, I let my eye for details do its job. "Keep zooming on Riley's left hand on top of the guy's back."

"Still looking real to me," says Selena, not taking her eyes from the phone.

"More until you see the black-colored part in between his middle and ring fingers." There's a small gap between those fingers and whoever photoshopped the photo missed it. "Look closely, the guy's skin color is brown."

"My eyes hurt. I think I haven't blinked for minutes." She blinks several times, her long eyelashes flutter crazily. "OMG! I see it. If I'm not patient enough, I'll never notice it."

"Unfortunately, most people aren't as patient as you."

Selena opens her mouth, but another feminine voice interrupts us.

"Riley!"

Selena and I are startled when the door opens, revealing Eloise who's wearing a white floral dress. She storms towards us but turns around to remove her shoes.

"You forgot to knock, but thank you for removing your shoes. So what's the rush?" I can't help but chuckle in amusement.

"Glad you still find the reason to laugh," says Eloise, dropping her ass on the couch and glance at Selena. "I love your shoes." Then, she turns her scrutinizing gaze to me. "Have you seen Riley's photo on—"

"I did," I say, cutting her because I know what and why she comes barging in.

"Yep," says Selena. "We knew it's fake news."

"Fake?" asks Eloise.

"What? You think Riley can do it?" Eloise is a good judge of the character. I hope she doesn't think that Riley can do it.

"Yes. I mean, no. Not that he's cheating. The picture looks real and—"

"Here." Selena shows her my phone. "Almost perfectly edited."

Eloise takes a deep breath, her expression relaxes. I'm so glad to have my girls who not only look after my welfare but don't jump into conclusion that Riley is a cheating bastard. Their faith in us makes my heart swell.

"Have you talked to him?" asks Eloise.

Selena and I move to the opposite side of the U-shaped couch so that we can still look at each other while talking.

"No. I won't disrespect him by asking whether the picture is real." I've learned from experience that jumping into conclusions can be messy. On the other hand, that experience brought me and Riley together. At the same time, he made it clear that cheating is not an acceptable behavior so I am confident that he will not eat his words.

"I'm secure in my relationship with Finn, yet if I am in your shoes, I can't be this calm and collected," says Selena.

"Me too." Eloise agrees. "Jace loves me too much, but I will throw a fit if I see him shirtless in bed with another woman, even if it's photoshopped."

"That's unfair to them. Girls, your boyfriends worship the ground you walk on."

Three.
Two.
One.

There goes the giggles of girls who are in love. They're contagious as fuck. Before the giggles escape from my throat, my phone on the coffee table vibrates. All of us shift to look who's calling.

Riley. It's cute to see Eloise and Selena take out their phones, suddenly scrolling through their social media is a must. Others might be fooled but not me. I know too well that their ears are twitching like bunnies, listening to every word and sounds from me.

"Hey, boo. How—"

"Listen, Cher," Riley says. "That photo is fake."

"I know."

"Let me explain, please." His voice sounds desperate. When I reply with a sigh, he continues, "The picture was taken at the same place, at a different time. Mine was two years ago and if you dig deeper into my albums on Facebook you will find it."

I put him on speaker and when Rye speaks again, the two girls snap their heads in my direction.

"I swear it was edited," says Rye.

I know but I am already scrolling his albums on Facebook. When I find the photo he mentioned, I click my tongue. The photo shows the same black and white striped wallpaper, pillows and white bedsheet. The only difference is that the lamp in the photo is on the table, but it is not shown on the Instagram post. The lamp on the side of the other guy is mounted on the wall.

And he's alone in the bed. His hand is on top of the black pillow.

"Rye, I believe you." I hear him sigh of relief. "I believe you even before that lengthy explanation. Do you really think I'll fall for this scheme?"

"I don't know. I panicked and ordered the members to spot any proof that it was edited because for the life of me, I can't."

"Me too!" Eloise and Selena say in chorus. This time I'm the one who turns to look at them. For some minutes, I forget that we have an audience.

"Did I hear Lois and Lena?" Riley thinks they're name is long so he drops the first syllable of their names. As if the side comment is not enough, the two girls move to sandwich me and start talking to Riley until we end the call.

Eloise narrows her eyes at me, like I did something wrong.

"What?! Stop glaring at me. Use your words, Eloise."

"Sometimes I doubt your genius brain," Selena says, shaking her head and stomping her stilettos.

"Words, Eloise." I insist in a slightly lower and cold tone.

"Duh, she means that you're not putting much effort in your relationship," says Selena.

"Do something," says Eloise.

"Do what?" I know these girls very well, maybe more than I know myself, but when it comes to romantic relationships, they're speaking in a language I don't understand.

"Claim him. Tell the world that Riley is yours and you own him." Selena says.

"I don't own him."

"You know what I mean."

I'm starting to get annoyed, but one look at Eloise tells me that I should shut my mouth and listen to her. She lifts her phone in front of my face and shows the post on Instagram.

"How many more people will you allow to claim him until you do something?"

Silence is my answer.

The girls walk out of my house, disappointed at my lack of reaction. Selena stomps to ensure that the noise coming from her heels will annoy me.

Three days later, I find myself in the sea of concert-goers in the Moon Theater where Rainbow is one of the guest performers. When Rye's original composition, Make-believe, reaches the chorus, I walk towards the stage.

You're blind for others except for me
I bet your heart races because of me

My eyes are glued to Rye even if he doesn't see me yet. Toni sees me and nudges him to look in my direction. Rye is not able to mask his surprise expression. He stops playing for a second, but he's a professional and continues playing. I hold his gaze while climbing the six-step make-shift stair. I barely notice the crowd that goes silent.

I have the wrong assumptions

Rye stops playing when I stand three inches in front of him. The band continues without the guitar part.

Why did you lead me on?

"I didn't," I say, closing the distance between us and crashing my lips to him. I swallow his gasp and he immediately abandons his guitar to return my kiss with equal fervor, ignoring the even louder gasps from the thousand of people around us.

In this game of make-believe (I am the fool, fool, fool)
I lost my heart, I lost big time

When the song ends, we pull apart and intertwine our hands. I smirk when the first thing I see after averting my gaze from Rye is the big screen showing the printed words at the back of my shirt.

RILEY SCOTT IS MINE.

Rye follows my gaze and a wide grin appears on his face when he sees it.

"I should edit the last part of the song," he whispers to my ear.

"What would it be?" The usual flutter in my stomach intensifies in anticipation of his answer. I know that I will love whatever he's going to say. I have no idea what it will be. But at this moment, what we have here feels like a bubble of sweetness and love. Others call it happiness.

"Cher is my heart, forever in my life."

###
OMG! I finished it! (Patting myself because no one is reading it but I still wrote until it ended.)

If you see this, thank you for reading. Young But Real book is now complete.

Five stories in one book, though they were shorts, writing them was still challenging.

Thank you for those who read, voted and commented on this book. You always made my day. Till my next story.

Lovelots,
Alya