Entirely Guilty by Design
Eight
Their guitar tech was running around the stage setting up equipment, when I shifted my gaze to the left of the stage where right next to some seats and guitars was a door to the outside world. As soon as my eyes focused on the door, it opened. I grabbed Raine's arm, as every girl, and some boys, in the crowd started screaming. It was them. Josh was the second to enter, and Matt the last. When I saw him, tears clouded my vision for a mili second, but I regained myself. I watched him take off his hoodie and turn his back to the crowd. He didn’t look very happy. I couldn’t hear the screams anymore, and I could barely feel Raine holding onto me. The only thing I could hear and feel was my heart beating too fast for its own good.
They got on stage, and they started playing their first song. I might not have been hearing the people around me, but I could hear him strumming on his guitar, and every once in a while when he decided that it was okay to turn around and actually face the crowd, I could hear him singing. I watched him get the courage to fully face what was going on and as he stopped turning his back to us, he scanned the crowd and found me standing there.
When our eyes met, we both froze for half a second. He shook his head and concentrated on his hands and the rest of the band. The audience went on as if they hadn’t felt an electrical shock pass through their body for the second time ever, and that’s because they hadn't. The only other person who felt what I felt was him.
After our eyes met for the first time that night, I couldn’t look away, and neither could he. The only times we would smile would be when we were looking at each other. If you could only know how great that feeling was.
They were now playing their last song, and my legs were shaking. I knew that in less than 10 minutes, I was going to be in his arms again. After they played their last notes, I held my breath, watched them go off stage, and pass their guitars/bass to the guitar tech. They put on their coats/hoodies and headed for the stairs that would take them to the crowd, but instead of turning and going down the stairs, they went straight and walked through the door. He didn’t even look at me.
‘What the fuck?’ I turned around and saw Raine standing there with probably the same look on her face as I had on mine.
‘They just left…He just left…’
‘You okay Skye?’ My sister was looking at me with sympathy, and I couldn’t help but shake my head.
‘Didn’t you guys see that? He was looking at me the whole time, and he was smiling at me, and….and…’
‘I saw it.’ Raine said as she frowned. ‘That was not nothing, and he knows it. God, he’s so fucking stupid.’
Shan and her best friend agreed, and we all walked towards the exit. We obviously had to take the other door, so it was hell trying to get past everyone who was trying to get autographs and merch from the other bands.
‘I wanna get autographs too Skye!’
‘Fine, get some Shan. I’ll be outside.’ I walked out with Raine at my heels and slumped against the wall, taking a deep breath. I took my face in my hands and sighed. A couple of minutes later, my thoughts were interrupted.
‘Skye…’ I heard Raine mutter, but I didn’t respond. I felt her poke my side and I looked up.
‘Wha- Oh.’ He was standing right there in front of me. Matt was looking down at me with big brown eyes full of tears. He had a sheepish smile plastered across his face, but his eyes only spoke of regret.
‘Hey…’ He inched closer until there was only a think sheet of air between us. I just stared back in awe, incapable of forming words.
‘Matt…I…’ I stuttered.
‘I think I’m going to go get autographs too…’ Raine smiled at us and left, leaving me alone with him.
‘Did you think I was going to leave without seeing you at all?’ He inquired after a couple of seconds.
‘It kind of seemed like you were going to…’ I trailed off, getting lost in his eyes.
‘Well, I wasn’t.’ Leaning in, he put his hands on the wall, letting his forehead rest against mine. ‘I’m so sorry…’ He whispered sadly.
‘It’s okay, you’re here now…’ I brushed away the single tear that had fallen from his eye, and I smiled when I felt him lean into me even more until his lips fell on mine. I felt like our bodies had vanished, and all that was left were our souls finally stitching themselves together to be whole. I couldn't feel the pavement under my feet, the wall against my back, or the air rushing out of my lungs. I could only feel his lips against mine, and his heart beating at the same rate as mine: a very fast rate. I was finally with my soulmate.
They got on stage, and they started playing their first song. I might not have been hearing the people around me, but I could hear him strumming on his guitar, and every once in a while when he decided that it was okay to turn around and actually face the crowd, I could hear him singing. I watched him get the courage to fully face what was going on and as he stopped turning his back to us, he scanned the crowd and found me standing there.
When our eyes met, we both froze for half a second. He shook his head and concentrated on his hands and the rest of the band. The audience went on as if they hadn’t felt an electrical shock pass through their body for the second time ever, and that’s because they hadn't. The only other person who felt what I felt was him.
After our eyes met for the first time that night, I couldn’t look away, and neither could he. The only times we would smile would be when we were looking at each other. If you could only know how great that feeling was.
They were now playing their last song, and my legs were shaking. I knew that in less than 10 minutes, I was going to be in his arms again. After they played their last notes, I held my breath, watched them go off stage, and pass their guitars/bass to the guitar tech. They put on their coats/hoodies and headed for the stairs that would take them to the crowd, but instead of turning and going down the stairs, they went straight and walked through the door. He didn’t even look at me.
‘What the fuck?’ I turned around and saw Raine standing there with probably the same look on her face as I had on mine.
‘They just left…He just left…’
‘You okay Skye?’ My sister was looking at me with sympathy, and I couldn’t help but shake my head.
‘Didn’t you guys see that? He was looking at me the whole time, and he was smiling at me, and….and…’
‘I saw it.’ Raine said as she frowned. ‘That was not nothing, and he knows it. God, he’s so fucking stupid.’
Shan and her best friend agreed, and we all walked towards the exit. We obviously had to take the other door, so it was hell trying to get past everyone who was trying to get autographs and merch from the other bands.
‘I wanna get autographs too Skye!’
‘Fine, get some Shan. I’ll be outside.’ I walked out with Raine at my heels and slumped against the wall, taking a deep breath. I took my face in my hands and sighed. A couple of minutes later, my thoughts were interrupted.
‘Skye…’ I heard Raine mutter, but I didn’t respond. I felt her poke my side and I looked up.
‘Wha- Oh.’ He was standing right there in front of me. Matt was looking down at me with big brown eyes full of tears. He had a sheepish smile plastered across his face, but his eyes only spoke of regret.
‘Hey…’ He inched closer until there was only a think sheet of air between us. I just stared back in awe, incapable of forming words.
‘Matt…I…’ I stuttered.
‘I think I’m going to go get autographs too…’ Raine smiled at us and left, leaving me alone with him.
‘Did you think I was going to leave without seeing you at all?’ He inquired after a couple of seconds.
‘It kind of seemed like you were going to…’ I trailed off, getting lost in his eyes.
‘Well, I wasn’t.’ Leaning in, he put his hands on the wall, letting his forehead rest against mine. ‘I’m so sorry…’ He whispered sadly.
‘It’s okay, you’re here now…’ I brushed away the single tear that had fallen from his eye, and I smiled when I felt him lean into me even more until his lips fell on mine. I felt like our bodies had vanished, and all that was left were our souls finally stitching themselves together to be whole. I couldn't feel the pavement under my feet, the wall against my back, or the air rushing out of my lungs. I could only feel his lips against mine, and his heart beating at the same rate as mine: a very fast rate. I was finally with my soulmate.