Love Has No Boundaries Chapter 10
	It has been a few more months but all of the girls were in Ireland. They all went back home just to give out the speeches that their school asked them to deliver and they got all their belongings and went back to Ireland. All of them had decided to live there, since everything was going perfectly. Toni had decided to go to college and take up mass communications in a very good school at Sligo. She was very much into advertising, media and journalism, and she wanted to take her knowledge further. Meanwhile, Shane, Mark and Kian’s band with the three other members didn’t work out but instead, they were managed by Boyzone’s manager, Louis Walsh, and Ronan Keating of Boyzone.  They were looking for two other members and Nicky and Bryan had auditioned just for a laugh. Much to everyone’s surprise, they both got picked! They had been very busy ever since then and they were hardly ever home. And every time they had the chance to, they tried to spend as much time as they could with their family and girlfriends. Helen, since she made some great contributions in her school newspaper and it was because of her publicity skills that made the newspaper a screaming success, had been handpicked by Westlife to be their publicist and official spokesperson. Westlife was the name that Shane, Mark, Kian, Bryan and Nicky have decided to name the band. At first they came up with Westside, but they had to change their name for legal reasons. Patricia, who was also good at handling and managing things and putting everything in schedule and in order, became Westlife’s tour manager in the UK. Alessia meanwhile, had discovered that she had a great singing ability when she and Nicky had gone out and they went and did karaoke just for fun. A talent scout happened to be there that night with his family, and he immediately approached Alessia, and gave her his card. Apparently, he was forming a girl group that he had named “Destiny”, and they were looking for a fourth member. A couple of auditions and harmonizing with the three other girls and she was in! They were starting to get really big, and with a bit of help from Nicky, they had been around the UK with Westlife as their opening act. Sandra on the other hand, remained with Toni in Sligo. She wasn’t really into the glam life, she just wanted peace and quiet. Sure, it was nice to be famous but she saw that it had a price. And it was all too much for her. But otherwise, everything in all their lives was absolutely perfect.                Unfortunately, things weren’t going smoothly for Mark and Toni. They both easily got annoyed and irritated at each other. They would argue about every single thing. Even if they had just a few hours to spend with each other, they would spend it bickering and saying hurtful words at each other. But every time they fight, they just reluctantly say sorry to each other for they didn’t like having ill feelings toward each other when they were apart. One afternoon, Mark had the chance to go home, since all of them would be heading back home the next week, but he couldn’t wait to get home, so he cut his trip short. It had been a few months since he had been home, and he missed his family so much, including Toni. Even if they did have silly arguments that turned into very heated fights, they still love each other dearly. It was just that things weren’t going smoothly and it was probably the time apart that made it so uneasy for them. Maybe they had expected everything to run smoothly when they do get together and when it doesn’t, it really disappoints them and they eventually get ticked off. But this day, he promised himself that he wouldn’t do a thing to ruin this evening that they will have. He dropped by his home for a while just to say hi to his parents and brothers, and he promised he’ll be taking Toni back with him later on in the evening for dinner. He left after a few hours because he knew that Toni would have been home at any moment. He bought some pink roses, her favorite flowers, and waited at the front porch at the house that Toni, Sandra, Alessia, Helen and Patricia had rented. He waited. And waited. It has been over an hour that he has been waiting. After an hour more, he saw Toni talking to a guy. It was obvious that they were classmates, and Mark felt his blood boil. He wasn’t really the jealous type, but it was the waiting that got to him. Toni got the keys to the house from her bag and she looked up to see Mark, weary and tired from waiting and jetlag. “Mark!” she shouted gleefully as she ran up to him. She flung her arms around him and kissed him. “I’m so glad to see you! I thought you weren’t coming back until next week! Did you wait long? I hope you didn’t! Something came up and we had to stay for a project.” she said, smiling up at him. He felt his anger slowly melting away as he looked into her eyes. They were so full of happiness that it seemed to go out and reach into his soul and fill him up with the same euphoria. “Well, I’m really sorry for dropping in like this. It was totally unplanned and I was really homesick and I missed you.” “It’s okay! Well, you really made my day because it’s been pretty awful, and I’m so tired! Oh, this is my friend. His name is Peter. We have our journalism class together and we were working on the project and he kindly offered to walk home with me.” Toni said a bit carefully. She remembered when she introduced Mark to Patrick and she never wanted that to occur again. She was so relieved when Mark smiled and extended his hand. “Hello there. I’m Mark.” he said. “It’s a nice surprise to meet you! My sister won’t believe this! She’s a very big fan of Westlife, especially you.” Patrick said as he shook Mark’s hand. He then bid farewell to Mark and Toni, after asking for Mark’s autograph for his sister.          They went in the house and sat at the couch. They talked about what Mark had been up to and what countries he had been to so far. They’ve already talked about all that before on the phone but it was just great to hear it all over again. “I wish I could’ve taken you with me. It would have been much more fun if you were there.” Mark said, smiling down at Toni who was resting her head on his shoulder. “Well, you know how I can’t just give up my studies like that. I have dreams of my own too.” she said, kissing the tip of his nose. What she said had somehow annoyed Mark, but he tried to ignore it. Toni didn’t mean anything bad with what she said, but it somehow struck Mark that Toni found him quite selfish. “You’re so lucky to have seen so many different places, experienced so many cultures and met so many people you idolized when you were a bit younger.” “It sure is.” he said, still trying to fight his annoyance at her. “I sometimes worry that you don’t think of me anymore, with all the girls constantly surrounding you, following you everywhere you go.” Toni said, cuddling up to him. That did it. “Now she’s thinking that she can’t trust me! That I’m unfaithful to her.” Mark thought. He angrily took Toni’s arms off him, standing up indignantly and staring at her. “Do you think I actually enjoy all the attention that I am getting? Do you think I like being away from home? Do you think I actually go with different women each night behind your back?” he shouted, anguish and exasperation filling him up. “I didn’t mean to make it sound that way to you…” Toni began but Mark cut her off. “I can’t believe you! Hasn’t it occurred to your narrow little mind that I am doing all this not only for pursuing my dreams, but for us, and most especially for you? I want us to have a good future ahead of us together, that’s why I’m working so hard and that’s what you think of me? That I’m a two-timing good for nothing?” “I didn’t say that!” “Sure you didn’t but you thought of it!” Mark said as he turned around, slamming the door and leaving Toni standing in the middle of the room, hot tears streaming down her cheeks as she heard Mark’s car speeding away.
			Chapter 11