Warped Tour Should Be the Definition of Fun

“We are Paraphrase and thank you so much for coming!” Kennedy said to the crowd, ending the set. I followed the boys to the backstage, my mind was still thinking of what Grandma had said.

“Great job, guys,” Garrett said and we all high-fived each other. I let out a dry laugh as I saw Cliff came running and hugged me tight. I hugged back, squeezing him a little before we let go.

Seth seemed to notice, because he then asked, “Are you okay?”

I looked up to him and nodded a bit. My eyes scanned back to the stage and then to the crowd.

“Are you sure?” Seth asked. This time all the guys were staring at me.

“No,” I answered before walking back to the stage. The crowd screamed as I went to the keyboard. I turned on the microphone in front of me and tapped it to test if it was working. “Hey,” I greeted the crowd as my finger pressed a key.

My eyes glanced for a split second to my friends at the backstage. They were all clueless.

“So, um… I need to tell something,” I swallowed my spit. “My grandma called… She told me bad news.”

I pursed my lips and took a deep, shaky breath. “So my mom was taking a train back to California from her business trip. And, um, the train had an accident.” I took another deep breath. By this time my voice was shaking. “It flipped… and fell off a bridge… There were no survivors.” I sucked in another huge amount of air as the crowd gasped and stayed in silence.

My fingers were shaking as I placed it on top of the keys. “She was the reason why I started listening to music,” I continued as my fingers pressed some keys to the piano of Must Get Out. “Every Sunday we’d go out to IHOP and have breakfast there while listening to Maroon 5 in the car.” My fingers continued to play. “She’s my hero. My role model. Mom, if you’re here… I love you.”

I played the keyboard a little louder and then I started to sing.

“I’ve been the needle and the thread
Weaving figure eights and circles ‘round your head
I try to laugh but cry instead
Patiently wait to hear the words you’ve never said

Fumbling through your dresser drawer,
Forgot what I was looking for,
Try to guide me in the right direction
Making use of all this time,
Keeping everything inside,
Close my eyes and listen to you cry

I’m lifting you up, I’m letting you down
I’m dancing ‘till dawn, I’m fooling around
I’m not giving up, I’m making your love
This city’s made us crazy and we must get out

‘This is not goodbye,’ she said
It is just time for me to rest my head
She does not walk, she runs instead
Down these jagged streets and into my head

Fumbling through the dresser drawer,
Forgot what I was looking for,
Try to guide me in the right direction
making use of all this time
Keeping everything inside
Close my eyes and listen to you cry

I’m lifting you up, I’m letting you down
I’m dancing ‘till dawn, I’m fooling around
I’m not giving up, I’m making your love
This city’s made us crazy and we must get out

There’s only so much I can do for you
After all the things you put me through”

By this time, I was starting to sob back tears but my fingers never stopped playing. All the time, I kept my head hanging low, concentrating on the singing and playing the keyboard.

And then I opened my mouth to continue to sing, but my voice wouldn’t come out. The sobs I was letting out were holding it back.

That was when someone in the crowd yelled out the line I couldn’t sing.

“I’m lifting you up, I’m letting you down.”

And then the people next to him followed him.

“I’m dancing ‘till dawn, I’m fooling around.”

And then the whole crowd sang.

“I’m not giving up, I’m making your love
This city’s made us crazy and we must get out”

I let them to finish the song for me, with me still playing the keyboard.

“I’m lifting you up, I’m letting you down
I’m dancing ‘till dawn, I’m fooling around
I’m not giving up, I’m making your love
This city’s made us crazy and we must get out

I’m lifting you up, I’m letting you down
I’m dancing ‘till dawn, I’m fooling around
I’m not giving up, I’m making your love
This city’s made us crazy and we must get out”

I wiped my eyes and smiled at the crowd. “You guys are amazing. All of you. Love you guys,” I finished before hurrying back to the backstage.

Seth immediately pulled me into a hug. His hand rubbed my back up and down in attempt to calm down the sobs that were going out from me, soaking his cloth covered shoulder. Cliff and Jazz then joined us, and then the Paraphrase boys also joined us. This turned my sobs into a loud cry.

“I know how it feels,” I heard Alex muttering, “I’ve been there, Namora.”