We Can Shine Like the Sun

The very next day was the official first day of the ‘Vans Warped tour 2009’, for Kill Barbie. Holly woke up feeling excited, nervous and scared, all in that order, and all at the same time. Usually, Holly slept in late, but on days like today she was always up early. She got out of her bunk, got dressed and left the bus heading straight for the catering tent. She quickly bought herself a coffee and an apple and cinnamon muffin before she seated herself at the exact same table from yesterday. With a loud sigh, she sipped from her cup and was soon joined by Caleb.

“Hi new sister-from-another-mother. What are you doin?” He asked, sitting down and grabbing Holly’s coffee so that he could have a sip.

“Getting angry, ‘cause the fiery red head stole my coffee!” She sulked. Caleb laughed loudly and pushed the now empty cup back into her hands and smiled at her innocently.

“What coffee?”

“You’re so lame Caleb,” she replied, rolling her eyes. He laughed and agreed before he pulled her to her feet and led her to the back of the Hurley stage. From there he sat her down and pulled out her notebook from his pocket. She raised my eyebrow in annoyance.

“How the fuck did you get that?" She asked almost rudely.

“Not important,” he told her, “what is important is that the person who showed me this, has a major point"

"And that is?"

"That major point is that you should sing one of them today, acoustically, and I took the liberty of learning it on my guitar. I talked to your other bandees and they agree with me.” Holly snorted at him, with an odd look in her eye. She was thinking about something.

“And which song did you decide to learn?”

“The one about Romeo and Juliet. What's that about, if you don't mind me asking?” Holly sighed again for the millionth time already that day and patted her knees gently so she wouldn't have to look Caleb in the eye.

“No, it's fine," she mumbled, "that song was written last year, and it's about this boy that I really liked, who my parents and friends all hated. He asked me to go out with him and I agreed and when my parents found out, they got really mad. So obviously we went behind their backs and continued seeing one-another, and he even saved my life! So anyway, my dad finally agreed that he was a good guy, and let me see him. Then the weekend after, Daniel was stabbed thirteen times at a local house party, he...” She didn’t finish before she bent her head and let rip a loud and uncontrollable sob. That memory ripped her to pieces almost every time she thought about it.

“I’m sorry Holly,” Caleb whispered, wrapping his enormous, gangly arms around her, hugging her to him tightly.

“I-It’s Okay Caleb," she told him, patting his arm gently.

An hour later, it was time for Kill Barbie to head on stage for their first ever set in front of a massive crowd. Each girl was nervous, you could see it in the way the held their instruments and in the way that they stood. When they finally went on, Holly slowly ambled over to the main microphone.

“Alrighty guy’s," she called out to the ever growing crowd. "We are Kill Barbie, and we’re new here on Warped.” She was pleased that All Time Low and Forever the Sickest Kids had told people to come watch them when it was their sets. "I am Holly Burming, Avara Law to my right, Harlee Anchor to my left and behind me on the drums is Tadem Cefni." Avara, Harlee and Tadem all waved at the crowd when I said their names.“So this first song’s called Love Before You Fall. Now let me hear you fucking scream!”

Holly sang with a so much powerful energy that the crowd screamed and screamed and screamed for more. Some even sang along after they got the words down. She was having so much fun as she sang and danced her way around the stage with Harlee and Avara. Tadem was bopping her head, while she bashed at her drum kit.

They finished the song and Holly threw her hands up into the air and bowed. They played a few more songs after that and then Caleb walked out onto the stage and Harlee, Tadem and Avara went back stage. The crowd cheered loudly as Caleb waved happily.

“Hey, are you ready?” He whispered to Holly, motioning to the two stools someone had bought out and to his acoustic guitar. She nodded vaguely, and went to perch herself on the seat on the right. “Hey everybody!” Caleb called into the crowd of cheering kids. “My friend Holly here and I have a song to sing to you, Holly wrote it and its something that means a great deal to her, so please listen carefully and express your support to Holly, as it’s a very, very hard song for her to sing...”

Holly started off with a very small voice, way too scared to let people hear her sing the song about a boyfriend she'd lost to violence a little while ago.She didn't stop for anything in this song and the crowd didn’t interrupt like they were doing for the other songs she had sung to, today. They all stood and listened intently, just as Caleb had asked them too. By the end of the song she had tears prickling at the undersides of her eyes.

“Thank you so much every one,” she said softly into her microphone, “thanks so much for coming out and watching us play.” And with that, Holly walked off stage and went straight into Avara’s awaiting, and outstretched arms for a hug they all knew she deserved. That song always left her in a noticeable mess.

“You did well Holly,” Caleb kissed the top of her head and then joined the hug that everyone else had joined.