Lennon thought her world might explode the day Matt had confirmed Kade and she were dating. Her phone had blown up with notifications minutes after the news had hit the Internet.

The fans reaction covered every extreme from horrified to strongly supportive and everywhere in between. She had made the mistake of trying to simply go online to find some information and she hadn't been able to get away from herself. She had tried to ignore it all and stay focused but when a picture of herself and Kade had popped up on the sideline with a catching heading she hadn't been able to resist.

Her outings with Kade had gone from mildly interesting to the public to the top news. People couldn't get over the fact that Hollywood's play boy was in a relationship, especially with her.

Since the announcement, Lennon's life had been hectic. When she found herself with a rare period of time where she didn't have to be at certain place, at a certain time she used the freedom to shop. Since stepping into the public eye she had become extremely aware of her lack of wardrobe; most of the clothes she owned were three years old and had seen several tours.

After spending a few hours at The Grove mall, Lennon found herself in her last store, her new wardrobe complete with the swipe of her card.

"Thanks so much," Lennon said, taking her card.

She took her bag and headed for the door. There was an event taking place at the mall and a crowd had grown in the short amount of time she had been in the store. She looked around, trying to gauge the best way to avoid the crowd.

She kept her head down and headed towards the parking lot. She paused a moment as a a crowd passed in front of her. Someone called her name and she looked around, confused. They called it again and she turned to see the group of girls catching up to her. There was five of them and they all looked excited.

"Are you here for the concert?" one of the girls asked.

"Concert?" Lennon asked.

"Are you going to perform with Josh Stone?"

"Is Kade here?"

"Does Kade know you're here?"

"Sorry," she said, trying to be nice but extract herself from the conversation as quickly as she could. "I was just doing a little bit of shopping. Enjoy the concert."

"Is Kade with you?" one of the girls asked.

"No," Lennon said.

"Can we get a picture?" one of them asked, as Lennon was turning to leave.

She looked at their expectant faces.

"Sure," she said with a smile.

"Selfie!" one of the girls said.

They crowded in around her and snapped the picture.

"Thank you so much!" one girl squealed.

"Tell Kade we say hi!" another girl said.

"Will do," Lennon said.

She turned to see a few girls who had moved closer as they were taking a picture. A few of them were giving her questioning looks but others clearly knew exactly who she was.

"Hi, I love your music," a girl said, approaching her.

"Thanks," Lennon said, starting to leave.

Her path was blocked as the small group around her drew more people's attention. Girls snapped pictures without even saying anything. Lennon tried to smile but keep moving. The crowd seemed to multiple by the second, bodies pressing in. She whipped her head around, trying to find a way out but she was pinned in. She couldn't see beyond the mass of girls.

"Lennon!" people called out.

"Can I get a picture!"

"Can we be best friends?"

"You're so beautiful!"

She felt frantic her heart beat quickening, her chest constricting with panic. Phones were held inches from her face. Voices deafening. Lennon's breaths came in short bursts. Her head started to throb as dizziness washed over her, her eyes darting wildly around.

From a distance, she heard commotion. She saw a mall security guard slowly forcing his way through the crowd of girls towards her.

"Please, step back everyone and clear the walkway!" he yelled in a booming voice. It was loud and carried over the crowd. There were two more guards behind him, trying to disperse people.

"You need to come with me" the guard told Lennon.

His voice hadn't changed in volume and he terrified her. His dark brows were pulled together in a deep frown and the corners of his mouth were turned downwards as he surveyed the crowd.

"Please take a step back! This is for your own safety!" he bellowed.

Lennon watched as the girls closest to her tried to step back but they had no room to move.

"Come on," he said.

He made a path by the sheer size of his body and Lennon followed closely behind. The other two security guards continued to slowly disperse the crowd.

"Where are you parked?" the guard asked, once they were able to gain some space from the crowd.

"The fourth level" Lennon said, too nervous to say anymore.

She wanted to thank him and explain she hadn't tried to cause a problem but his frown was still in place and she was worried it was aimed at her. She glanced behind them to see a few girls still following them but the other guards had done a good job of cutting people off and forcing them to move in the other direction. The guard escorted Lennon to a small office.

"You need a permit if you are going to have a meet and greet in a public space," he said roughly, once they were inside.

"I wasn't doing a meet and greet," Lennon started to explain.
He cut her off.

"Crowds are unpredictable and people can get hurt and you would be held responsible."

Lennon tried to find the words to explain but she was cut off.

"We got paparazzi in the parking lot," someone shouted.

The guard growled and looked at Lennon.

"There are paparazzi all over the parking lot and mall," the security guard said. "You have two options. You can face them on your own, which I wouldn't suggest, or you can wait here until they leave. I have to go facilitate a concert and I don't have any extra men to be your bodyguard. You are suppose to take care of that."

"I'll handle it," Lennon said, her voice shaky.

Lennon sat as she dialed Jordan's number, ready to call him when she remembered he was on vacation. He said she could still call him if she needed to but how was he going to fix the problem when he was in Costa Rica. She still dialed his number but he didn't answer. She called Kade, knowing he was only other person she thought could help her out.

"Hey," he said distractedly.

"Hey, I would call Jordan but he is on vacation and I need help," she said.

"What's wrong?"

"I went to the mall and got mobbed by a huge crowd of people and now paparazzi are here and I don't know what to do."

"What do you mean, you got mobbed?"

"I was shopping and some girls recognized me and asked for a picture," she said, her voice panicked. "Then there were more girls and before I knew it there was a massive crowd of people."

"Why did you go alone?" He asked.

"To shop," she said.

"That was dumb."

Lennon rested her head against the wall, feeling overwhelmed.

"I need help," she said.

"I'll send Gavin. Where are you?"

"I'm in the customer service office."

"Ok, stay there. It shouldn't take him long."

Kade hung up before Lennon could say anything more. Her shaky hands dropped into her lap and she tried to take deep breaths and stay calm. Tears pooled in her eyes and she quickly blinked them away, sucking in another deep breath.

After fifteen minutes, the door opened and Lennon looked over to see Gavin, Kade's bodyguard, walking in.

"Are you ok?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she lied.

"Ok, let's go," he said.

**************

"Mr Matthews told me to bring you here," Gavin said, when they pulled up at Kade's building.

"Why?" she asked.

All she wanted to do was go home and crash for the night. Her nerves were fried and her body exhausted. Gavin didn't respond and Lennon stepped from the car.

She walked off the elevator into Kade's apartment to find him waiting for her.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he yelled. "Did you honestly think you could go to a mall covered with Josh Stone fans and not have a bodyguard? You put people in danger."

Lennon stood before him, speechless.

"Did you seriously not think about the danger you were putting yourself and everyone else in? Or how stupid it was?"

Lennon opened her mouth but nothing came out. She could feel a bubble slowly rising in her throat and she couldn't tell if she was going to yell or cry. He moved closer, studying her face.

"You can't be thoughtless about what you do anymore Lennon," he said, frustrated. "People go crazy over the band and now that you are linked with us you need to assume you will get the same treatment."

His frustration faded to worry when she remained silent. His expression softened and he looked her up and down before he took a step closer.

"Are you alright?" He asked gruffly.

Lennon shook her head but she wasn't sure if it was in response to his question or her attempt to keep the rising bubble in her throat from bursting.

"What's wrong? Did you get hurt?"

His voice was gentler and pushed her over the edge.

She quickly wiped away the first few tears that got lose but when she tried to take a deep breath, it came out as a choked gasp and she lost it. Deep sobs escaped her mouth and she put her hand up in an attempt to cover them.

"Hey hey," Kade said, reaching for her arm. "It's gonna be fine. I promise. I'm sorry I was harsh."

His words came tumbling out fast. Lennon shook her head as she cried, trying to tell him that wasn't why she was crying.

"Here, sit," he said.

He led her towards the couch. Her breaths were coming out in hurried, ragged gasps and she followed his lead. He disappeared for moment to return with a box of Kleenex and a cup of water.

By the time Lennon's breathing started to return to a normal rhythm her whole body felt spent. She wiped her eyes with a tissue and drank the whole glass of water.

"Sorry about that," she said, trying to make her voice sound light.

"No worries," he said.

She looked at him to see if he really meant it. He was sitting far enough away that it didn't feel intimate to have him there. His elbow was resting against the back of the couch. His expression was neutral for the most part with a hint of worry.

"Is it safe to ask if you are ok now?" he asked.

She smiled and she could see his worry turn to relief.

"I'm good, now," she said, moving her focus from Kade to out the window.

The building had become shadows against the light of the setting sun, with only a few lights in them strong enough to be seen.

"What happened?" He asked.

"I don't even know" she said,

She tried to think back. It all felt slightly blurry now.

"I finished at the studio early today and I had some shopping I desperately needed to do. It was fine until a few girls noticed me in a store. I tried to get away before they could approach me but they caught up with me outside and I didn't want to say no. And then a few girls tuned into twenty and then a small crowd and then it just exploded! I don't know how there were that many people there who even knew who I am."

"It must have been the concert," Kade said.

"What?" she asked.

"Josh Stone is having a free concert at the Grove to promote his new single."

Lennon remembered one of the girls mentioning that name. Josh Stone had opened for Hey Farewell a few years before and shared most of their fans.

"That's why there were so many people," Lennon said.

That information helped make sense of the situation.

"People kept asking where you were or if you were with me," she said.

"That was probably the worst time you could have gone to the mall," Kade said.

"I didn't mean to," she said, defensively.

"I know," he said.

"The security guards thought I had caused the chaos on purpose."

"I'm sure they were just worried about everyone's safety."

Lennon nodded her head but didn't respond. She was silent. She could feel the anxiety pushing back in.

"I've never experienced something like that before," she said quietly.

Kade didn't say anything, waiting for her to explain.

"The crowd. There were so many people pushing in, I could barely move. It was so claustrophobic."

"It can get intense."

Lennon wiped a stray tear and nodded her head.

"Terrifying," she whispered.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that. How come you didn't call Jordan? Or your band?" He asked. "I mean, I don't mind helping you but they seem like a better choice."

"Jordan is in Costa Rica. And my band is spread out in different states. I won't see them until our next tour. Jordan is going to freak out when he hears about this."

"I would call him and give him a heads up. He will want to know about it."

"Ok, I will," she said.

She stood and grabbed her phone. She walked outside as the phone rang in her ear. She left him a short message, explaining what had happened. When she went back in to the apartment, Kade had turned on some lights and was typing on his phone, sitting on a barstool.

"What something to eat?" He asked, looking up as she walked in.

"Sure," she said, sitting on a barstool next to him.

"Alright, what do you feel like? Thai, Mexican, pizza, sandwiches, Chinese? I know the best Chinese place."

"I don't care," she said. "You choose."

"Ok, Chinese it is. What do you like?"

"Chicken, rice, veggies."

She watched over his shoulder as he ordered off of his phone.

"How much do you think I eat?" she laughed as he added dish after dish.

"Who said this was all for you?" He asked.

"I like a variety of food," he added. "Plus Noah is coming over tomorrow. He always raids my fridge."

Kade finished the order and Lennon hopped off of the bar stool. She moved towards the pictures and was studying the one with the large group when Kade came up behind her.

"Tell me about your family," she said, turning towards him.

He smiled and moved beside her, grabbing the frame off the shelf. He studied it without saying anything and Lennon waited patiently.

"It's big, as you can see. This was at my grandpa's eighty-fifth birthday a few years ago. That's him in the middle with my grandma."

He pointed to an adorable gray haired man with a devilish smile. His arms were wrapped tightly around a beautiful women with youthful looks.

"That's my mom and dad," he said, pointing to a couple to the right.

Lennon looked to Kade and realized he had his mother's eyes.

"You look like your mom," she said.

"That's what most people say."

"And this must be your brother?" she guessed, pointing to the younger boy.

"Yes, that's Robbie."

"And who is everybody else?"

He let out a laugh.

"Now that could take all night," he said.

"I don't have any where I need to be."

He studied her face.

"Ok," he said.

He broke down his family tree for her, explaining how he had grown up with his cousins living down the street.

"So does your mother's family still all live on the same street?" she asked.

At some point, their Chinese food had arrived and they had moved to the couch, the food spread out in the coffee table in front of them.

"Yup. When I moved away it was like the end of the world. They couldn't understand why I needed to move away. They made a good argument for putting a recording studio in my parents basement and just staying at home."

Lennon liked the way Kade smiled and laughed when he talked about his family. His tried to sound annoyed as he described some of the things they did but it was clear he loved them.

"So, how about you?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"What about your family?"

Lennon hesitated.

"It was just my dad, mom and me for the first twelve years of my life" she said, turning her gaze away from him. "They were great parents. My mom liked to make big plans and take my dad and me along as she tried to carry them out. My dad was a good trooper and always supported my mom in whatever she did.

"She got sick when I was eleven, cancer, and she was gone by the time I turned twelve."

She absent-mindedly picked her food.

"And then it all changed. There weren't any more projects. Just me and my dad"

Lennon fell silent as she thought back on those years after her mom had passed away. Her dad had been just as lost as she had felt and together they had been a mess. It wasn't that her dad wasn't around but they both found ways to cope, to find a new normal. Charlotte's warm and inviting house had been hers.

"I'm sorry Lennon," Kade said.

She looked over to see a somber look on his face.

"Honestly it was all so long ago, I feel like I've lived a whole life since then," she said. "My dad met my stepmom, Julie, seven years ago and now I have a half-brother, Benjamin. So thats my story."

There was a slight pause at the conversation shifted.

"Wanna watch something?" Kade asked.

"Sure," Lennon said.

He tried to let her pick but she didn't feel like being decisive. She watched the beginning of a non description action film until her eyes got heavy and she fell asleep.

*********************************

Lennon woke the next morning still on the couch, a blanket laying over her. She twisted around as she heard someone in the kitchen. Walking over, she was surprised to find Noah, a few boxes of leftover Chinese food in his hand.

"Hey," she said.

"What are you doing here?" he asked with a mouth full of food.

"Are you eating that for breakfast?"

"Don't answer my question with a question," he said. "Did you sleep here?"

He got a scandalized look in his eyes and he lifted his eyebrows in a suggestive way.

She gave him a flat look. Kade choose that moment to appear, wearing only a pair of gym shorts. His eyes still heavy from sleep and his hair standing up on one side.

"What's going on here?" Noah asked, his eyes moving between Kade and Lennon.

"You're welcome," Kade said.

He motioned to the leftover Chinese food as he moved to the coffee pot and began to fill it.

"And here I was, thinking the only reason you guys were hanging out was because of a contract. It looks like I was wrong," Noah said, pointing to Kade's bare chest.

Lennon grabbed a pillow off the coffee table and threw it at Noah at the exact time Kade sent an dish towel in his direction. Both objects made contact with their target.

"Hey!" Noah said, giving them both frowns as he sat. "I won't judge if it's love."

He let out a laugh as another pillow and this time an apple sailed through the air.

"Let me remind you who's food you are eating," Kade said, making a grab for the box of noodles in his hand.

"I was kidding," he said. "I figured Lennon's here since the paparazzi have been camped out at her place all night."

"What do you mean?" Lennon asked, sitting next to him.

"They've been there since the incident at the mall yesterday," he clarified.

"They know about that?" She asked.

It hadn't even been twenty-four hours.

"Yeah, it's been all over the tv since last night."

"Seriously?"

Lennon searched the top gossip site on her phone and sure enough her picture was the top story.

"Don't do that," Kade said.

She ignored him. She clicked on the article and began to skim it.

"What?" She asked in disbelief.

The article was brief but in the few, short paragraphs the writer had made it seem like Lennon had shown up at the mall in order to see fans and it was her fault it had been so chaotic. They called her irresponsible to be there without security and for putting fans in danger. Lennon was about to click on another story when Kade snatched her phone out of her hands.

"Hey!" she said.

"Rule number one, don't read the gossip sites," he said.

The coffee pot started to make a gurgling noise and he got out milk and a mug.

"They are saying its all my fault!" Lennon said.

"So?" Kade said casually, leaning against the counter, his arms crossed.

"They blame me for putting people in danger. They say I went to the mall intending to see fans. It's all a lie. I didn't want any of it."

"Len, it's going to be ok," Noah said.

"But everyone thinks I'm irresponsible."

"And everyone thinks I'm a cheating scum bag," Kade countered.

"I'm secretly dating a fan," Noah added.

"Lennon do you know how many false things the media has written about us?" Kade asked, pointing to himself and Noah.

"Or anyone famous?" Noah said. "It's what they do. They need a headline and most of the time the truth isn't interesting enough, so they make it up."

"Should I say something about it?" she asked. "Clarify why I was really at the mall?"

"I wouldn't worry about," Noah said.

"They'll have another story soon enough and this will all be old news."

"Ok," Lennon said.

Kade picked at some of the food in front of Noah and Lennon moved to pour herself a cup of coffee.

"Does this happen to you all the time?" she asked.

They looked at each other.

"Pretty much," Noah said, "but you get use to it."

"It gets easier," Kade assured her.

"I can't imagine that. I guess I'll just have to trust you."

"It's a business," Noah said. "Once you realize it's as real as reality TV you can laugh it off."

Lennon smiled, reassured.

**********************************************************************

Guys! Okay, more accurately girls!

It didn't rain yesterday and I'm literally so bummed. I had my book already and it ended up being a really nice, cool day with sunshine and a strong breeze. How lame is that! I know right! I was planning to have a crazy rainy day and got nothing. Whatever, I guess I will survive. I hope!

Vote, comment, follow. Remember don't stick with the status quo.

(Dang now that High School Musical song is going to be stuck in my head. Oh well, I'm off to dance about a cafeteria and look like an idiot while singing dramatically)