Help me, Lord, I thought I found it
Just like a dream turned out all wrong
Don't feel the same madness about me now
Don't feel the hurting when I'm gone
Don't feel the wonder or the sweetness
Don't feel the aching need to share
Don't feel the way I feel without you girl
Just the flowers in your hair

Should I never look into your eyes again
Should I never want to make the call
Should I never need you like my only friend
Should I read the writing on the wall

Riley bobbed her head as she watched Jason sing. It felt odd for her, to watch him sing something, and she didn’t know it very well. She smiled and looked down at the script before mouthing along.

It's just as simple as a feeling
Just as simple as these cards
Why do I feel so god damn complicated
Don't feel the aching need to share

It keeps coming back without you
Like a boomerang through my heart
And cursed cupid even found me alone
Into the wound another dart

Paul nudged her and Riley looked at him.

“Odd isn’t it?” He said. “Hearing him sing a song that you didn’t write.”

“You read my mind.” Riley said, giggling softly.

Should I never look into your eyes again
Should I never want to give my all
Should I ever need you like my only friend
Should I read the writing on the wall

And all of those themes
Hoping our dream would fall together
Never to be, if only one dreamer dreams of love

Help me, Lord, I thought I found it
Just like a dream turned out all wrong
Don't feel the same madness about me now
She loves to hear the sadness in my song

“Cut…that was spectacular, good job.” Greg said.

“Having fun yet?” Paul asked.

“It’s confusing but yes I am having fun.” Riley said. For the first couple of days they had been filming scenes and now they were sitting in a studio, recording songs. They had most of the song scenes filmed so Greg had figured now to be the perfect time to put the vocals in properly. “You know I never really knew this was how musicals were done.”

“Bit like a cartoon really.” Paul said. “I mean you do a lot in the filming and you’re not always in range of the microphones so they probably won’t catch about half of the words.” Riley nodded. “It’s not like being in the high school plays huh.”

“Not at all.” Riley said. “There’s a lot of differences.”

“On the plus side…you don’t have to practically yell your lines.” Paul said. Riley laughed. She watched as his eye slid to something behind her and before she could turn around, there were hands on her shoulders.

“Boo.” Kyle said, leaning down as Riley turned her head to look at him.

“Hey!” She said, kissing him quickly. “I didn’t know you were stopping in today.”

“Felt like surprising you.” Kyle said. “Besides…I’m actually just down the hall doing some recording myself.” Riley laughed again.

“Well we just wind up with the oddest coincidences don’t we?” She asked.

“Yeah…hey man.” Kyle said, looking up. Riley looked as well to see Jason sit down next to Paul.

“Hey, how’s it going?” Jason asked.

“Pretty good, yourself?” Kyle asked.

“Can’t complain.” Jason said.

“Well I gotta get back.” Kyle said, kissing Riley a second time. “You be good now.”

“Aren’t I always?” Riley asked.

“Hmm…you don’t want me to answer that.” Kyle said, smirking. He left them and Riley looked at Jason before looking down at the script in her lap. Why did she feel so awkward? She frowned as she flipped through the script, pretending to read it.

“Hey!! Riley, Paul, Jason!!” The three of them turned as they were trying to leave. Running their way was Bridgette, Sam and Faith.

“Hey girls.” Riley said.

“Hey!” Bridgette said. “Hey Jason…am I allowed to hug you?”

“I don’t know…” Jason said. Bridgette made a face. Jason laughed and held open his arms. Bridgette smiled and hugged him. Riley grinned and shook her head.

“Hey, so we were planning on going out for dinner.” Sam said. “You know…escape your parents and the manager.”

“Ok, sounds good.” Riley said.

“You guys want to come too?” Faith asked. “Give Kyle some company while we all have our girl talk.”

“I’m up for it.” Paul said.

“I don’t know.” Jason said. “Monique might…”

“Oh invite her along.” Sam said. She looked at Riley. “Uh…if that’s ok with you.”

“Of course…why wouldn’t it be?” Riley asked.

“Uh…sure…I’ll call and ask.” Jason said.

Half an hour they all sat down with their first plates of food at a fancy buffet. Riley was seated next to Monique.

“I love you’re music…it’s fantastic.” Monique said. Riley just nodded since she had her mouth full.

“Thanks.” She said, once swallowing. “It’s nice to hear from time to time.” She leaned towards Bridgette who was sitting on her other side and whispered. “Why did we go to a buffet if she barely eats anything?”

“Because Faith and Sam were really hungry.” Bridgette whispered back. “And it was it their idea.”

“OK.” Riley said, nodding a bit. She straightened back up and glanced over at Jason and Kyle. True, they looked to be having a friendly conversation, but Riley knew Jason’s acting skills all too well. She began wondering about what he was really thinking.

“Oh Riley!” Monique said. Riley took her eyes off the guys and looked at the model next to her. “I know this seems a bit, maybe last second, but my kid sister’s birthday is next week and she just adores you.”

“Really?” Riley asked.

“Really.” Jason said, hearing the conversation. “You should have seen her when I told her that I was going to be working with you.”

“Yeah, it was scary.” Monique said. She adopted a younger sounding voice. “Jason, can I go with you? Jason, can you get me her autograph. Jason can you ask her to come to my birthday?”

“Well looks like you beat him to it.” Riley said, smiling slightly.

“I think we can manage it.” Sam said, butting it. “What day?”

“It’s on Friday.” Monique said. “Any time after five.”

“We can fit it in.” Sam said, after a minute.

“How do…are you texting Lorne?” Riley asked.

“Yeah.” Sam said, simply. “He says we can do it but can’t stay too long because you have the talk show on Saturday.”

“Which show?” Jason asked.

“Umm…Karalee Morning Show.” Sam said.

“Oh…so you’re the surprise guest.” Monique said.

“Yep, that’s me.” Riley said.

“Jason’s going on as well to talk about the movie.” Monique said. “He was told to announce that you were going to be in it.”

“Oh well in that case…” Riley said. She looked over at Jason. “Your place is on my way to the studio, want a lift?”

“Sure.” Jason said. Nothing more was said between the members of the group. Other people came over to their table from time to time and there was an argument about who was supposed to pay before everyone realized that Riley had gotten fed up with them all arguing and had paid.

“You know you shouldn’t keep doing that.” Kyle said, walking with his arm around Riley’s shoulders as they left the restaurant.

“Well you guys just can’t decide who should pay or how to split it.” Riley said, leaning her head on his shoulder. She glanced over at Jason and Monique who were a bit ahead of them and off to one side. She didn’t want to admit it and, quite truthfully, shouldn’t even be thinking it but she was afraid that she was feeling a bit jealous. She mentally scolded herself.

Later on in the night she got out of bed, leaving Kyle fast asleep, and wrapped a robe around her body before taking her photo album from one of her bags. It went everywhere with her. She went out to the living room and turned on the lamp before sitting down and looking through the pictures. She looked at all of the pictures that featured her and Jason. Riley was so glad that Kyle had never seen this album. She stopped at a picture taken at the graduation party.

It was Jason and Riley sitting next to each other and forcing smiles. Riley remembered the feelings of that day too well. Excitement, happiness, confusion, sadness…Jason had said that he loved her that day. The first time either of them had said it and all she could do was…well…nothing. Riley never replied to it.

“God, I’m such an idiot.” She muttered. She put the album down and went into the kitchen. Kat had been up earlier and left the girls a bunch of cookies. Riley grabbed some before returning to the couch and looking through the album again.

“Riley?” Kyle asked, walking out of her room and rubbing his eyes. Riley looked up at him.

“Hey…what are you doing up?” She asked.

“Uh…I could ask you the same thing.” Kyle said. “It’s three in the morning and you have to be up at six.”

“Yeah I know…I can’t sleep.” Riley said, closing the album.

“Nervous?” Kyle asked.

“Something like that, yeah.” Riley said. Kyle ran his hand through his hair before sitting down next to her. Riley looked at him.

“You’re rarely ever nervous…what’s up?” Kyle asked.

“Nothing.” Riley said. Kyle raised an eyebrow and looked down at the photo album on her lap.

“I’ve never seen that one.” He said.

“This is just…old stuff.” Riley said. His eyes lifted back up to her face.

“What is it that’s between you and Jason Callahan?” Kyle asked.

“What? Nothing…why would you ask that?” Riley asked. Kyle gave her a look. “There’s…nothing between us…now.” Riley looked down at the album. “We dated in high school and then lost contact after we went to college.”

“I see.” Kyle said. He sighed and sat back, resting his head on the back of the couch. Riley looked at him. Without another word he got up and returned to her bedroom. Riley just watched him, unsure of what to do.

She didn’t return to her room and she didn’t get any sleep that night.