Anywhere But Here

Chapter Twenty-Eight, Dawn's POV,

Ora took everyone I picked out to pizza at this fancy diner a couple blocks away. New York is so much more different than Pennsylvania. The streets are always crowded here and I see homeless people on every street corner. I want to help, but there is no way I can help. When we get to the place, Ora orders us a large cheese pizza and sodas for us to drink. We talk to each other mostly about simple questions like their lives before they came to this college thing. Callie said her family put her in there because she had too much fun playing her guitar and that annoyed them. I told her that she will show them up very soon. We all talk and happily eat. I learn that Miles comes from a poor family and that Chase does as well. I learn that Connor started to play the piano secretly at school without his parent's approval because he liked it so much. I also learn that Chase always made himself look perfect because his parents wanted him to model. Callie seems to enjoy herself a lot and I honestly do too. This group of people we have, we are going to be an amazing band! Then Ora starts to question us about our band name and what we want to express in our music. It's weird that we all said the same thing at the same time, all five of us.

"That it's okay to feel broken," We said in unison.

Ora smiles at us, "Perfect, all we need now is a name, any suggestions?"

"Maybe we could name the band fighters because that's we have done all of our lives," Callie says.

That's when I realize that everyone at this table is as broken as I am.

"Or maybe how about the rebels, I mean Callie, Connor, you rebelled against your parents to be here right now, and Miles, Chase, there had to be sometime in your life where you couldn't take it anymore and rebelled, I don't know if you guys want to do it but I am a rebel too so...," I say.

Everyone stares at me, they all start to smile. One day when we are on stage and living our dreams, I'll remember this moment as the moment we decided in unison, without talking, what our band name shall be.

"So what made you a rebel?" Miles asks me and bits into his slice of pizza.

My face goes red and I turn my face away. They all look at me with smirks on their faces, even Ora.

"Come on, you all are rebels just tell us what you did" Ora laughs.

"Come on!" Chase says.

"You can tell us anything, we are your band mates!" Connor says.

"Okay, Okay," I say and take a sip of my soda to relax me, "I kissed a girl"

They all look at me in shock and I feel something terrible inside of me. What if they turn me back over to the police? What if they give me back to the government? They are all silent, my ears burn with the quietness at the table. I can't believe I told them. They will probably think of me differently now. Hopefully, they don't ditch me because of my flaw. Ora then turns to me with a gentle smile on her face.

"Don't worry Dawn, even if you're pansexual, asexual, or straight, we would still let you be in this group, what gender you prefer has nothing to do with how well you play music" She says, breaking the silent curse, "Anyway back to the name, it's settled, we are now officially the rebels, I'll call up some graphic designers and we can get the rebels a cool logo as well! We will probably have to do a photoshoot but I know I can get you all clothing" Ora rants.

I can't wait to get a logo and go on tour. I stop listening for a bit because she starts to rant about our moving to a penthouse, and how awesome it will be. Then I focus in again when she starts to talk about stuff I actually care about.

"So everyone, each of you has a song you want to put on our first album right?" She says and we all nod our heads, "Good after we practice a few hundred times in the penthouse and write up the music for different instruments, then I will book us a gig!"

"Awsome!" Miles says, "But what the album name and getting our band popular?"

"Leave all of that to me!" Ora says, "I got you covered for everything, all you have to do is play your instruments and we will be stars!"

We all start to cheer and talk again. I can't help but feel relieved that they didn't judge me for being a lesbian, or maybe they think it was an accident, a prank maybe? When we get back to the college place, I am assigned to sleep in Callie's room for the night. I only bring my carry on bag with me to her room because it's really all I need. Her room looks very punk rock and heavy metal, posters of people I had no idea existed are taped to the walls. I see her bed and dresser very close to each other, then a whole wall of fake scenery. It's beautiful because she could just stand in front of that wall and practice as if she was on stage in front of so many people. She pulls out an extra mattress from under her bed for me and gives me a blanket and pillow. When we are all tucked in for bed and ready to sleep, she asks me a question.

"Did you kiss that girl on purpose?" She asks me once she shuts off the lights.

"If I say yes will you think of me differently?" I ask because I want to know.

"No, I am just curious because when Connor and Chase heard a girl was coming to start a band, plus she was a percussionist, they started to fight over which one of them would win you over first," She says.

"Yes I kissed her on purpose and we even had a relationship, but when I came here I left her behind" I try to say with power but my voice cracks, "I miss her"

"As long as you won't be kissing me in my sleep, I am fine with whatever you choose," She says and chuckles.

I stay silent and think about what she said. Soon I fall into the best sleep I have had in years.