(A/N: This is a song fiction based on the song by Engine Down, an amazing band that just recently “left it to the history books.” I was really depressed when I heard they broke up, so I decided to do a song fic for one of their songs, and I get to see them in concert on Saturday!! Yay!!! Farewell tour! If you’ve never heard of Engine Down (which most people haven’t) I suggest checking them out, they’re awesome and this song is awesome. So here it is, my tribute to Engine Down, you shall be missed!)

Cover

Enter, please enter

How much is required?

Keeley opened the front door for Sarah; she walked right past his house without as much as a hello. She was too busy searching through her purse for something.

“I can’t seem to find...” she mumbled, “Ah! Here it is.”

She pulled out a lipstick tube with a look of success and quickly moved to the bathroom to apply another layer to her subtle lips.

“Hello to you too,” Keeley said smugly, leaning against the bathroom door frame as he watched her smooth out the lipstick.

She looked at him in the mirror through dark, chocolate brown eyes, and smiled. Closing her lipstick, she planted a kiss on his cheek and moved past him towards the door again.

Borderline unpleasant

You faked this desire

“We’d better hurry up, the party’s already started,” Sarah informed him, now searching for a mirror in her purse to check the lipstick that had been smudged by the kiss.

“Party? I thought we’d just go to a movie tonight. You know...just you and me,” Keeley attempted to guilt, he really didn’t feel like going to another party.

“Come on Keeley, everyone’s gonna be there, besides I already told them we were coming...” she pouted.

“Well.... I guess we can go, just let me get my coat,” Keeley succumbs to her pleads.

She was doing that a lot more often lately, convincing him to do things, to go places he really didn’t want to go. The reason he had gone out with her in the first place was because she was different, she wasn’t from his circle of friends, she wasn’t...“popular.”

Things were different now...he sometimes felt that she knew his friends better than he did.

“Hurry up,” she said, heading towards the car while Keeley follows behind, closing the door behind him.

The appearance was made in full view

They are glad you came past due

Sarah made a glowing appearance at the party, giving hugs to her girlfriends and showing off her new high heels. She kept a hold on Keeley’s hand for quite a while, but they finally parted when he went to get them both drinks.

He was relieved to get away, overwhelmed by Sarah’s giddy party personality.

Pulling two beers out of the cooler, Keeley was met by his friend, Aaron.

“Heyyy! Keeley, you made it!” Aaron grinned.

“Yeah...” he managed as a reply.

“Sarah here?” Aaron joked, Sarah was always there, you never needed to ask.

Center, no center

No sight of how this started

As if on cue, Sarah appeared from behind, grabbing one of the beers from Keeley’s hand and sliding her arm into his.

“Hey Sarah! Some party the other night, eh? Heard it went on till six in the morning. I’m just glad I left early, those things can get pretty crazy after that long,” said Aaron.

“Yeah...” she said, unknowingly mocking Keeley’s earlier response, she fidgeted with the bottle in her hand.

“What? What party? We never went to a party...” Keeley trailed off, seeing where his own questions were leading.

“Oh. Yeah, I meant to tell you... You weren’t home so I went without you. I was gonna call you again once I got there, but you what it’s like at those things...can’t hear a damn thing,” she answered smoothly.

“Oh...okay,” Keeley replied, not exactly sure what to think.

When did all this happen? Keeley mused; going to parties without him...growing ever friendlier with his friends...always trying to get her own way...Sarah was so different now.

He didn’t even know when it all had started; he didn’t even really notice it until now. She was rising into the spotlight while he was fading away into the dark.

Your cover has been blown

I know you’re alone

But the center of attention

You speak no sign of leaving

But you stopped breathing

And I can’t afford the loss

Keeley lost Sarah. She had gone off with some girl, whose name he didn’t remember, and now he was all alone; sitting on a couch with his beer still in hand, growing emptier by the minute.

He was finally beginning to see past Sarah’s disguise. She didn’t care about him, he knew that now. She was using him...whittling her way into popularity, probably to dump Keeley off in the end without any warning.

His head was crammed with confusion...she had been so different before, when they had first met. Had it all just been a big lie?

He had to know, he had to find out if she had only dated him for a chance at a little attention, or if he was just over-reacting, and it had just ended up that way...by accident.

Comfort, look comfortable

Points taken for lack of confidence

He found Sarah in the other room, surrounded by friends and dancing along with the beat of the deafening music that blared from the stereo.

He waited until the song was over, and then pulled his girlfriend out of the crowd.

“We need to talk,” he yelled in her ear over the noise, then guided her towards the same couch he had sat on in solitude earlier.

“What are you doing?” he asked her.

“What do you mean what am I doing? We’re at a party, I’m having fun,” she answered slightly confused.

“No....I mean what are you doing with me. Do you want to be with me, or do you just want to be at the party?”

“What? I don’t understand, I’m at the party with you,” she replied, seeming a little distracted.

“You weren’t with me at that party a few days ago,” he said bluntly.

“Whoa, whoa, is this what all this is about?” Sarah stammered, “I can’t believe you’re getting so upset that! It was just a party, and I did try to call you! Don’t you trust me?” she pouted.

Straighten, now you’re so proud

Hold back before you blow it

He didn’t answer; he honestly didn’t know what to say. Did he trust her? Should he trust her?

But it was too late for that; she took his silence as a response.

She backed away from him slightly, “what are you trying to say? Do you want to break up with me?? All over some stupid party!” she began to shout.

“No, no, nothing like that... I just need to know....where we stand,” Keeley convinced her.

He didn’t want to break up with her, at least not yet anyways. He only wanted to know what she was doing, with him, if it was all just some kind of game to her.

“What do you mean where we stand? You shouldn’t worry about things like that, just be happy that we’re together,” she paused, giving him a short kiss, “now come on! This is a party, we should be having fun!”

With that, she grabbed his arm and dragged him into the room with the booming music, trying to convince him to dance with her.

Not exactly how you hoped

But who’s to blame for this bad note?

Dancing was the one thing in the world he really didn’t feel like doing at the moment, so he moved to the back of the crowd, standing on the sidelines and watching Sarah dance in the center of all the people.

Their conversation hadn’t gone as well as he had hoped; she had avoided answering all of his questions and even tried to make him feel guilty. He was loosing more and more faith in her trust; maybe he should just break up with her, he thought.

She smiled at him through the crowd, beckoning him to come dance, but her shook his head in reply.

He needed time to think things over, so he decided to get another drink, and get away from Sarah so he could think more clearly.

Your cover has been blown

I know you’re alone

But the center of attention

You speak no sign of leaving

But you stopped breathing

And I can’t afford the loss

Bending over the cooler, he straitened at the mention of his name by a girl around the corner. She was talking to another girl, intent on what seemed to be a very important conversation.

“I heard that she’s going to break up with him, says he’s too needy or something like that...always wondering what she’s up to,” said one of the girls.

“Yeah...she’s never with him anymore, I always see her at parties but Keeley’s no where in sight.”

Keeley froze, she was using him. It was all an act, and he had actually felt sorry for her. He ground his teeth in anger, and she had dared ask if he trusted her...how could she?

He had to find her; he had to set things strait.

Now that you fit in

Is that what you dreamed of?

To be the center of...

She was still dancing, still pretending. This time he didn’t wait for the song to finish, he pulled her out of the crowd, trying not to look at her confused face. Leading her upstairs till he found an empty room, he closed the door behind him and turned to look at her.

Her hands were on her hips and she looked frustrated and a little angry, “what is it Keeley? You said you didn’t want to dance with me, I don’t see what you’re getting so upset about...”

“I know what you’re doing. I know why you’re dating me,” he said merely

“What? What the hell Keeley, what is up with you today?”

“What’s up with me? You’re the one who’s using me! I can’t believe I fell for it for so long...”

“What?! What are you talking about? How was I using you??” she said, growing angrier by the minute, “wait...oh God, this isn’t about that party still...is it?”

“Still? It’s always been about that party! And all the other ones you failed to tell me about.”

“Other ones? What other ones?! There was only one, Keeley, I thought I explained that to you. Why don’t you believe me?”

Now that you fit in

Is that what you dreamed of?

To be the center of...attention

Here she goes again, thought Keeley, trying to get me to trust her. It wouldn’t work now. “I don’t believe you, not anymore. How long was it going to be before you broke up with me, huh? Just long enough for you to find some other sucker to go out with you, was that it?”

“I can’t believe you Keeley,” she said with a glint of a tear in her eye, turning towards the door.

She began to make her way down the stairs, but Keeley grabbed her wrist before she got too far. “Tell me the truth!” he demanded, “tell me...were you just using me to get to my friends? Was that it? Did you ever even like me?”

Your cover has been blown

I know you’re alone

But the center of attention

You speak no sign of leaving

But you stopped breathing

And I can’t afford the loss

“You’re so full of shit Keeley,” she turned to him with eyes steaming with tears. “Of course I did...it’s too bad you were too damn conceited to see that.”

She pulled away from him and finished her decent down the stairs, met at the bottom by a group of friends, all asking what had happened and why she was crying.

And he just stood there...starring at her, wondering. The people below looked up at him, most with looks for disgust or confusion. Still he stood, through all the looks, through all the comments, not able to move.

He was all alone, but the center of attention.

And I can’t afford the loss