What She's Doing Now (Sequel to The Great Pretenders)

Take A Bow

By Madonna

Take a bow, the night is over
This masquerade is getting older
Light are low, the curtains down
There's no one here
(There's no one here, there's no one in the crowd)
Say your lines but do you feel them
Do you mean what you say when there's no one around (no one around)
Watching you, watching me, one lonely star
(One lonely star you don't know who you are)

The girls cheered as the last notes of "A Little Piece of Heaven" played and the fireworks set off. Even though the tediousness of being in the bus and some boredom, Charlie realized she'd never get tired of hearing the band perform live and the crowd go crazy. She hadn't told her mom about the photographers she and Kate had spotted at the park a few days before but she knew it wouldn't be long before the pictures surfaced on some social media outlet probably painting her mom as some harlot that was trying to seduce M Shadows away from Valary Sanders. She also knew her friends would recognize her mom and that would set them all talking. She had been content to live in the self-contained tour world where only a few people knew about her and her dad but sooner than later it was going to become public. She wasn't sure she was ready for that.

Arin was first off stage and she handed him a towel to wipe the sweat from his face. "You kicked ass," she said giving him the seal of approval.

He gave her a sweet grin "Thanks Chuck," he said using her nick name.

Zacky and Johnny were next, exchanging their instruments for bottles of water. Zacky ruffled her hair as he walked by and Johnny took the towel she offered. Brian was next and Kate anxiously moved from where she was standing to hand Brian a drink and towel. He smirked sideways at her as he let her take the guitar before walking to join the rest of the band members.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" Kate asked her cheeks high with color.

"I'll take it," Jason Berry's voice said from behind her and she turned to hand it over.

Matt was the last to walk off the stage after taking many bows and making promises to return to the big Texas city. He gave Charlie a huge grin as he came toward her "How'd I do?" he asked.

"Amazing as always," she gushed. He smiled and gave her a hug and a kiss on the top of her head.

"I'm starved," he said keeping his arm wrapped around her shoulders "Let's get some food."

"Can't," Brian joined them "We have interview with KLBZ for the after show."

"Oh damn, I forgot about that," Matt pursed his lips as they made their way to the media room "Food after I guess."

A skinny man with a beard greeted them as they walked in and moved quickly to shake Matt's hand "Hey there, I'm John Cutter with KLBZ here in Dallas. It's so awesome to meet you guys."

Charlie and Kate stayed closer to the exit to stay out of the cameraman's angle and watched each band member shake the DJ's hand. Everyone smiling except Brian gave his practiced and perfected bored expression.

Matt flashed the dimples "It's good to meet you too man. How did you enjoy the show?"

"You guys are definitely worth the price of admission," the DJ complimented.

"Thanks, man," Matt continued to serve as spokesman "We always try to go out there and give it our all."

"And Brian, wow, you're guitar playing is amazing."

Brian nodded and gave a small 'thanks' but didn't seem overly enthusiastic as Zacky frowned.

"Heard you have a birthday coming up too?" the DJ continued

"Yup," Brian nodded again but didn't elaborate.

"Does that cute wife of yours have something planned for you?"

Brian looked from bandmate to bandmate and shrugged "I hope so."

"And you two just recently got married," the DJ asked Zacky and Arin "How is married life treating you?"

Zacky frowned again "I thought this was an interview about our music."

The DJ laughed "And we'll certainly get to that. Hail to the King has been a successful record that you guys must be proud of but I wanted our listeners to get a glimpse of your personal side."

"I don't have a personal side," Johnny joked and everyone laughed.

Charlie suddenly began to panic as she looked at Kate whose eyes were wide. They knew where this was going.

"So Shadows, rumor has it you and the little woman separated because you're touring with an old girlfriend. Any truth to that one?"

"That's definitely not true," Matt's face instantly dropped the smile "Val and I are just doing just fine."

"Oh really? Then what about these pictures of you all at Highland Park yesterday," the DJ produced the shots that Charlie had feared were taken.

"Oh her. Seriously, you guys have got to do better research," Matt smiled tightly "That's a high school friend of ours joining us on a day at the park with her kid." He pointed to Charlie for good measure. "She's actually good friends with Brian's wife."

The DJ turned and Charlie lifted her hand to wave nervously. She didn't hear the rest of the interview because she suddenly felt nauseous as she could hear the blood rushing in her ears. He hadn't acknowledged her. He passed her off as just some kid. The kid of his high school friend. Some random kid that happened to be hanging with the band at the park.

And definitely not his daughter.

"Are you okay, Chuck?" Kate asked her green eyes peering into Charlie's face.

Charlie shook her head at the sick feeling she had in her stomach "I want to go home."

Kate nodded sympathetically "Let's find your mom."

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Matt felt like an asshole denying everything to the interviewer in front of Charlie but he didn't want the news to break like that. He wanted some preparation. But as he watched, Kate lead Charlie out of the media room by hand and he caught Zacky's green eyed glare, he knew he'd fucked up.

She'd taken it all the wrong way.

God damn, this fucking interview needed to stop. He needed to get out of this room.