Chapter One
-Tamara's pov-
Today is the launch party for the 2015 On My Way Home Tour. Yes, I'm touring with Pentatonix this year. No, I don't sing- I'm an apprentice. I'm being their makeup artist for the whole four months.
The party is at Scott and Mitch's place in Beverly Hills. In the new big ass house they've bought and live with Hayden, Chris, Justin and my cousin Alex.
It's only 6pm and the party starts at 7:30pm, so I better start getting ready now rather then be rushing later.
I strip my clothes and jump in the shower, washing my hair and scrubbing my body. After I get out, I wrap a towel around myself and skip happily to the bedroom.
My apartment is only small and has two small rooms, a bathroom, a living room and a kitchen. But for me it's perfect, since I live alone with Aphrodite, though Ollie comes around often enough to always make the dull little space feel full and bright.
I dry my body and put on some underwear and skin colored tights. I move myself into the guest room, which is technically my closet and pick out some clothes.
I sling a black loose chiffon cami top that has spaghetti straps and a black skater skirt over my shoulder, pairing them with black block heel ankle boots that I grab from a rather messy pile of shoes to my right.
Going back to my bedroom, I change into my party clothes and slip on my shoes before sitting down at my vanity desk.
I dry my artificially lilac hair and straighten it. My lips flourish with colour as I apply dark redish-purple lipstick and add simple winged eyeliner, tinting my eyebrows a little to define them. The foundation I pasted on my face covers all the blemishes and makes me skin look almost flawless. A small smile hints at the corners of my lips.
I change my nose piercing into a silver hoop and industrial bar, also slipping a black tattoo choker onto my neck.
I head out my bedroom and into the kitchen to feed my Aphrodite. She's a small grey sphinx cat I'm convinced she's the most adorable thing ever to walk the Earth.
As I check the time on my phone and realize it's 7:15pm, I decide to head out. I collect my phone, keys and some essentials into my Celine bag and walk out, locking the door after me.
---
I arrive at the party venue just minutes before 7:30. Alex greets me with a big hug and lifts me off the ground.
"Aye guys, Tamara's here." He shouts across the house.
The house has a total party atmosphere: lots of drinks, snacks, a blaring music stereo etc.
I see Mitch leaning over the railing still on the top floor.
"Hey cutie." Mitch smiles.
"Hey Mitch."
He quickly flies down the flight of stairs and hugs me to which I respond warmly.
We've seen each other a couple of times at meetings. But we aren't close, I guess tour will bring us closer.
"Oh my god, you have a Celine too?"
"Yeah, it's my favorite."
"Girl, I love you already. We can go shopping together on tour then."
Before I can respond, Kirstie, Avi, Kevin and Jeremy file into the house one by one.
"Tammy!" Kirstie squeals and rushes over to hug me.
"Hey, Kirstie."
"My goodness girl, you look beautiful."
"Thanks Kirst."
Kevin and Avi come over and greet me. Then Scott turns a corner. He's gorgeous: tall, blonde, muscly and fit as fuck. His pale complexion and stunning blue eyes are just perfect. I resist the urge to stand there and just stare at him all night.
"Tammy! My favorite girl in the world." Scott grins and hugs me, lifting me off the ground the same way Alex did. I went slightly stiff in his arms, fighting off a harsh blush.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a major crush on Scott. But, I had a faithful, loving boyfriend of 2 years and I would choose him over the blonde angel any time.
Kirstie coughs behind us, "I thought I was your favorite."
"You are, Kitty. Don't worry. Y'all are my favorites."
---
The party has been great so far. It's your typical house party - The music is loud but not blaring from the speakers and no one's sprawled out of the floor drunk off their ass.
I've been feeling queasy for a while now. Kirstie notices my little episodes of fading in and out of reality, and boldly takes my hand, leading me to a quieter place.
"You okay, Tam?"
She sits me down on the edge of a double bed, in a room toward the back of the house. I sigh and brush a hand through my hair.
"Just an annoying headache coupled with a small stomach ache, nothing too unusual."
"Do you want me to root around for some paracetamol?"
"Oh- Honestly, it's not that bad. It should pass soon anyway, you know they just come and go. Hah..."
She raises an eyebrow in question. Lying clearly wasn't my speciality. I'd start to babble and fidget with the closest thing on hand - which right now was my phone.
"You're absolutely sure you don't need any painkillers?"
"Maybe some water would be nice"
I force a smile as another wave of nausea washes over me.
Kirstie stands up and nods once, stepping hurriedly out of the room. As soon as her footsteps recede down the stairs, I made a bee-line for the toilet.
It doesn't take me long to heave up the contents of my stomach. I had barely eaten at all today and my appetite hadn't been the best these past few days. I flush the toilet and rinse out my mouth, then sink back down to my knees and rest my head on the toilet seat.
"Tamara?"
Kirstie's voice drifts from the bedroom.
"Toilet." I reply weakly.
She appears in the doorway and sighs, placing a cup of hot water in front of me and sitting back against the bathtub.
"You sure you don't want those painkillers?"
"Very."
"... When did this all start?"
"A few weeks back."
She looks shocked for a second, but the moment passes and she slides down to sit next to me, continuing to rub my back like she had before.
"Have you been to see a doctor yet?" She asks
"I'm scared." Is my whispered reply.
"Of what?"
I take a deep breath, deciding to spill my suspicions to someone I hardly really knew.
And so I tell her: About me and Ollie, how we'd been going steady for two whole years, how he had taken me out for our last anniversary and how he had insisted that doing it 'raw' for once wouldn't make much difference, then how I had skipped my period - twice - and the nausea accompanied by panic and stress that hammered relentlessly at my mind for the past few weeks.
Kirstie listens intently, only once reminding me to drink the water before it got cold. At the end of it all she just nods and pulls me to my feet.
She leads me downstairs, past the chattering group in the living room and to the hallway. No one looks up from the conversation, much too immersed to notice me and Kirstie sneaking by them. Though, one single pair of eyes seem to follow me from one side of the room to the other, but I write it off as paranoia.
"I'll tell the others you weren't feeling too good, and decided to get out a little early alright?"
"Thanks Kirstie" A small smiled managed to creep onto my face.
"You'll have to tell him sooner or later, that boyfriend of yours, won't you? - and It'll be best to go book an appointment with your doctor."
"I know, I know." I fidget with the buttons on my coat.
She wraps her arms around me and squeezes me to her chest, "I'm sure it'll be fine"
The small goodbye hug is enough to lift my spirits considerably, I wave and start the short walk to the apartment block I currently reside in. Sooner would be much better then later, wouldn't it ?
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