Austin’s POV

Next monday it would be one year since the death of Princess Lavender Lucas. It would be over a year since I last saw her and I had no idea where she had been, where she was or… Anything. Did she still have her brown hair? Or had she cut it? Dyed it? Curled it? Was she still the same body type or had she lost weight? Or maybe gained some? Everything was a mystery. Not even Cory, who now happened to be our bus driver, knew anything. He barely heard anything from her. In the last year he had maybe heard from her about three or four times. The second time she had apparently been to Africa and working with a orphanage.


I was sitting in the front lounge with Cory when he got a call. He frowned a little and hesitated before he answered, but the he pressed the green button.
"You’re talking to Cory" he said and I smiled a little. He always sounded so serious when he answered calls. A little bit like a business man. Tino walked in and he looked at Cory, and we both just stared at him when bursted out crying. Cory… The macho Cory was crying.
"Oh God Essie, it’s been ages" he sobbed. I just stared at him and my heart raced. She was alive. She was apparently well. She had finally called.
"You’re coming back to the States?" he asked and looked surprised. I looked at Tino and Tino looked surprised as well. I had not heard wrong.
"You’ve finally been called for a hearing?" he said and I lit up a little. Cory smiled and rubbed his eyes.
"So he’s finally going to be arrested again?" he asked and then he let out a chuckle. Then he frowned again and sighed.
"So you’re only coming for the hearing, and then you’re leaving again? he said and my heart dropped a little. I wanted to see her. Then he looked surprised.
"You’re already in the states? And the hearing is tomorrow?" he gasped. I stared at Cory. Did I hear right? She was already here?

A few months later she finally called again and this time she said she was coming home. My heart was once again racing and all I wanted was to see her again. It’s been 1 and a half year since I last saw her.
"So where are you right now?" he asked and we all looked at him, and saw how his face dropped.
"You’re here?" he asked and jolted up from his chair. Everybody jolted up from their chairs and followed Cory.
He ran outside and looked around outside the venue. A few of our fans screamed when they saw us and we ignored them. All we cared for was seeing her. And then we saw that Cory stopped and he stared at a girl. She was so thin from last time and her pale skin was so tanned that it surprised me. Her pale skin was so dark that I just stared. She was like a gingerbread. And her hair. It was very light, almost blond, and bleached by the sun. Her purple eyes sparkled a little and she looked at Cory, at me and then at the others and she shot that familiar smile. It was really her.

- - -

Cory wrapped his arms around me and lifted me up, and I laughed. I teared up and wrapped my arms around him as well. It felt good to smell the good old Cory again. Hearing his texas accent and seeing him so old and tired, but full with life. Then I looked at austin over Cory shoulder and Austin smiled. He looked so happy and relieved. Cory let me down and I walked over to Austin and he hugged me. I hugged him back and smiled.
"I’m sorry I never called" I whispered.
"It’s okay, it’s totally okay" he said and his voice almost cracked. He cupped his hands over my cheeks and smiled.
"I’m sorry but I have to" he said and his lips touched mine. I shivered but I kissed him back. It just felt so right and I didn’t care that his fans stared at us and some cried out because of what they saw.
"I’ve missed you" he said.
"I’ve missed you too" I answered him. Then he turned around and let out a growl and a laugh.
"I AM FUCKING IN LOVE WITH THIS WOMAN" he yelled and all his fans got quite. Then he turned to me again and I just stared at him, and he kissed me again.
"I am so not fucking letting you go again" he said and let out a loud sigh.
"Okay" I said and was all overwhelmed.