The Pop-Up Shop

Chapter Twenty Seven

Hey Ruel

I'm so sorry, but I can't do this anymore. I can't be the person dragging you & your career down. I can't be that person you cancel amazing opportunities for because you're taking care of me. I've already lost Bella & now Luna, I can't be in a relationship when I'm needing you 24/7 and you don't want to be there. I was always going to be your second choice to your music and performing and now you don't have to think about choosing.

I've caught a flight home already so please don't chase me, you deserve better than me. I left my ring so you can give it to someone who you truly love and want to spend the rest of your life with.

I love you Ruel but I can't do this anymore. I'm sorry

APRIL'S POV

All the girls sat on mattresses in my mum's rental house in front of the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. 'But honestly, year 12 is just gross' I admit and they all nod.

'Yeah, same. I don't want to go into year 12' Kim shakes her head.

'At least we are all going into it together' Emma smiles and we all look around to all the girls in our year level in one house, one room. Luna's death has brought, not only the girls but the whole year level closer together, but the girls especially all had each other's back. 

There wasn't such thing as groups anymore. Obviously, there was still best friends but we could go hangout with whoever we wanted as there was no judgement. I had invited all the girls over for Christmas Eve because Luna had always talked about how she wished all the girls in the year level would have a sleepover and finally get along. 

In the last month and a half without Ruel, a lot of stuff had gone down. My parents got divorced and my mum got custody of me whereas your dad got to take my brother. My brother and I found it extremely unfair that we got split up but we just ended up agreeing, it was going to save fighting between them two. 

The Luna support group became a thing and there were 2 therapists brought into school so that a Luna situation didn't happen again. Luna's death hit home to my school, especially to our year level and they really wanted to make sure everything was ok. The Luna support group was a group that came together every Tuesday after school to talk about her, or anything they wanted to talk about. I sometimes talked about your relationship with Ruel when I missed him but only ever referred to him as 'the guy'. 

Because Kim & Emma and I created the Luna support group, us three became extremely close and were constantly together and at each other's houses. For the past month and a half, I started to focus on myself again as well as school and trying to bump up my grades since I missed so much when I was away. 

No body knew this but I had a really hard time when it came to your breakup with Ruel. The secret was, I cried myself to sleep every time I would get a message from Ruel and ending up blocking him on everything so that I could stop being reminded of him. I missed him so much because I knew that he wasn't thinking of me and was doing bigger and better things than be in a relationship with me. The next week of your life will be the hardest because my mum and I were making some big changes and I wasn't so sure if I was completely ready for that to happen.

RUEL'S POV

Europe was the hardest part of the Free Time tour hands down. Not having any hope that I would see April or any chance of her surprising me, killed my happiness when I wasn't in front of people. I thought that chasing her and going to Melbourne would be the best option for us but after multiple missed and declined phone calls and many opened messages of me begging to talk to her, she blocked me. 

I must've kept on a good face because none of my fans picked up on how hurt and sad I was before and after going on stage. Even my crew thought I was fine until Nate caught me having a breakdown in the tour bus. After that I felt Nate being less on my back about things such as being in time to every sound check or being super active on Instagram. Obviously it was nice but it still pissed me off, thinking that I couldn't handle things and making it easier for me? I would rather be pushed and get distracted by everything tour wise than constantly have April on my mind. 

Every night I would thank the crowd, take my mic pack off and go straight into the back area. I would put on a fake smile as I walked onto the tour bus and as soon as my bed room door close, that smile fell and I went to sleep. Life was really shit at that moment but when I finally arrived back in Sydney and hangout with all my friends, it was finally a weight off my shoulder.

I walked up Sunday's driveway on New Years Eve and opened the door. I saw Dane and talked to him for a little bit before asking where Sunday was. He directed me to the corner of the living room and I saw Sunday laughing with a shorter girl with long wavy hair. My whole body tensed up as I smelt her perfume and walked closer to them. I recognised her hair as I got closer and my heart dropped when I saw who it was

'April?'