A Single Moment Of Sincerity [SOMEONE SOMEWHERE SEQUEL]

All you have to do is believe.

The sun has risen and fallen many times since that night, and the band had begun to accept Ben's behaviour change. He was often acting normal (well mental) on stage, but there had been a couple incidents where he had come out angry, and it affected his playing quite badly. At one venue he even screamed at the audience.

Ben would come back at stupid hours, drunk and crying, if he was on the bus he was in the back room with a bottle or two or Smirnoff and Jack Daniels. It'd been a couple of weeks and we'd all been very worried, he'd even began to shut me out a lot more. He stayed in the back room, making it his booze up bedroom, where I could enter maybe once a day at best. He really wanted his privacy.

“Danny, come here.” I ushered quietly, he took my arm, knowing I needed to talk to him, and walked me briskly to his bunk.

“Sis, what's up, you look so tired.”

“I am, I need to talk to you about Ben.”

“Yeah what's going on...” He asked, I braced myself and reeled it all off, starting from him leaving for tour, including the night I saw his marks, the stress I'd put him through with my mum and anxiety, and finished with the present day. Danny listened, without interrupting at any point. When I finished he pulled me close into a hug, and shuddered a little. The feeling of warmth spreading over my shoulder was all too familiar now. He was crying.

“Ben... My Ben, he's been hurting like that and I didn't know.” He whimpered.

“I know, I thought the same.” Danny snivelled into my shoulder a few more times before sitting back.

“I'm going to go talk to Ben. I want to comfort him.” He said and got up.

I followed him to the back room where Danny knocked clearly.

“Melissa?” Ben slurred, he was drunk again.

“No, it's Danny, Ben, can I come in?” There was a sigh and a long pause of silence before a click of metal and the door opened slightly, Danny stepped forward and I moved out of view, I wasn't going to be going in and I know he didn't want to see me. After a couple seconds of Ben checked around then opened the door enough for Danny to enter before shutting it again.

Their voices were muffled and I couldn't hear anything really, which upset me at first because I knew it'd be important, but I trusted Danny to help him. With a heavy chest I stood up and walk back into the lounge area. The guys all looked expectantly at me. We'd gotten a lot closer since Ben had been shutting us all out due to the worry we all harboured.

“Anything?” Cam asked, concern plastered to his face.

“Nah, he doesn't want to talk to me. Danny is in there though.”

Everyone nodded solemnly, trapped for words. There was a gap in the band and we all knew it. Without Ben's craziness it was practically empty, no one was the same without him. And deep down I think it effect Danny the most. He cared about Ben a ton.

I made myself a drink and twisted my ring on my finger anxiously, Ben was getting worse each day and no one knew what to do when he was pushing us all away. I slowly drank my drink when a comforting hand pressed against my shoulder, it was large and warm, which made me turn up straight away. Danny's dark eyes peered at mine, as he throatily said the simple words that sent me hurtling out of my anxious state. 'He wants to see you.' I jumped from my chair, spilling the remnants of my milkshake on the floor and basically sprinted down the tight corridor to where Ben awaited.

The door was open and the site sickened me slightly, there were blood stains all over the covers and bottles all over the floor. He'd created his own bubble in which he could make himself feel better and no one could keep him safe. He sat wearily on the quilt, his whole body swaying. I guessed maybe it was the effect of alcohol and depression. My heart dropped.

His hands lay on his lap, cradling one another, it looked like he needed as much strength as he could get. Someone must have brought food to him recently because there was a dirty bowl sitting by his side, but even then it wasn't enough. Ben, who was skinny anyway, was now wasting away, becoming a shell. A big hug, hot meal and a chance to get away from this all would have helped, but wasn't quite possible. Not yet.

“Melissa, I need to talk to you.”

“I know, what is it, Hun?”

“I'm ruining the band aren't I...” a heavy silence lay in the air.

“No, they're just concerned.” I replied after a few moments.

“But I mess up on stage, I shout at the fans, and we have a god damn signing today. I'm failing.”

“It gets better, and Danny did his fair shared of all that, don't you worry.” He smiled for a second remembering Danny in Seattle, then slowly got to his feet, his arms bandaged again, so I assume that was Danny's doing. He was in fresh clothes but looked worn and battered.

“What's the time?”

“2:40”

“Shit! We have to go!”

All five of them now sat in a line, fans screaming in front of them and filtering to talk to them all. I knew Ben liked this more than the rest, he loved his fans. He had been late meeting me several times because he'd met a fan and taken them for a drink. He was always that kind, caring man.

A boy came up, thanked them for being there always, asked for a picture with them all.

A girl handed in a poster to each of them for them all to sign.

A group of friends hugged them and got their arms signed. (It wouldn't surprise me if one of them got this tattooed later, people had begun doing that more recently.)

Then a girl, with here head down, hood up and sleeves pulled over her hands walked over to the table.

“Thank you so much, you saved my life.” She started, and though the boys heard it a lot I saw Ben was taken aback. “I wouldn't even be alive without you lot, but this time maybe something I do can help you lot.” She looked at every single member before walking to stand right before Ben.

“Ben, I got through this, and yes I still cut,” She rolled one sleeve up, Ben stared at it for a second then he immediately dropped his eyes to his own arms. “And I've seen you recently at the gig. I was in front row when you screamed, and you cried as you walked off, no one noticed but me because I saw your arm slightly. Ben, you are better than cutting. Here, look at this.” She took a small piece of metal out and placed it on the table.

“This is the thing that still ruins my body, and today I want Danny to take it, and to take yours too, that way you won't be alone in stopping. You saved me, and now I'm trying to save you. I'm not watching my idol rip himself from this world.” She leant in, kissed his head, and then just walked away, her hands shaking as she tried to wipe her face.

Ben sat there. Lost for words. He simply stared at the table, at the small tarnished steel piece. No one even expected it, yeah people told them their music saved them, and that made them so happy, but what just happened was something special. And he was more than aware of it. Danny slipped his hands to the blade and took it away, promising Ben he'd do the same for him when he got home. Ben looked up, and it was the first time in a long time I saw hope in his eyes, it looked like he got to her and things might be making a turn for the better, I more than hoped so.