A Symphony of Devotion: The Start [Demi Lovato]

[54] Querencia

I strum my guitar loudly, my voice soaring louder than that even as I pour my anger out in the lyrics.

"Kenzie."

I ignore my producer's voice, keeping up with my furious strumming and singing.

"Kenzie!"

I finally stop. "What?"

He presses the button down. "Take it easy! Calm down!"

I exhale loudly as I set my guitar down. "Okay, sorry, sorry. Do you mind if I take a break?" I'm already walking out of the recording booth, sitting on one of the gigantic couches outside.

I still couldn't believe what I'd heard earlier this morning. She took Jake back. She didn't even consider me. God I'm useless.

I really thought we had something. Something, anything, that would make her pick me. I mean, we sort of had a romance thing going, right? And, instead, she went for the guy she hadn't seen in years who broke her heart.

Fuck.

But all I could do was try to remember how to breathe, tell her that I was happy for them, and leave.

Zack hands me a water bottle, that I drink from angrily. "Are you going to give up?"

"Nope." My tone is flat, my voice full of fury. "We're going back tomorrow, and we're going to bust the fuck out of him."

"And you're going to be okay in school tomorrow?" He's gentle, trying to sooth the wounds instead of provoking them.

I slam the bottle down on the table before me, visualizing the glass shattering into pieces before I throw that warped fantasy from my mind. "Why wouldn't I be? I'm just a friend to her, aren't I? I was from the beginning. What's not to be okay? We're best friends. Always will be." This I say sarcastically.

Zack smoothes my fisted palms out. "Who are we going to use as bait tomorrow? I mean, we don't exactly have a wide selection of girls who will go along to our ridiculoud plan to pick from."

I look to him, finally allowing myself to smile. "Oh, we'll find someone. Don't worry."

The someone I have in mind happen to be him and Matt, but I won't burden them with that information. Not yet.

My producer, Phil, sits by me. "Kenzie, it's getting late. Why don't you just go home and get some rest, and I'll see you on Thursday?"

I stand up. "That sounds great, thanks."

The real challenge comes the next morning. I'm determined to act normal, but what will be hard is if Devonne doesn't do the same.

They're standing by the steps when I reach in my limo. And even as I watch, Jake kisses her, and then one more time, before he kisses her forehead and walks off.

Devonne smiles uneasily when I step out of my car. "Hey."

"Hey." We start walking towards our first period lesson, English. Like everything is normal and nothing had changed. "So where did your boyfriend go?" I ask casually, once we're seated.

She winces slightly at the term used, then quickly recovers herself. "He doesn't go to school here. Already graduated."

Oh, an older boy. How great for her.

When I don't say anything, she cautiously asks, "Are you, um, mad about-"

"No, Dev, really." I smile as convincingly as I can. "It really doesn't mean anything to me. You're happy, and that's all that matters." I shrug, as if that really is all that matters. "We're still friends, right?"