Show Them What it Means To Be Alive

and I'd give my heart as an offering

“Kara!” Melanie squealed as her brunette friend took a place next to her. She tousled the freshly curled ringlets in her caramel hair as she adjusted her loose sweater. “Guess what I just remembered?”

“That you love me?”

“I was actually trying to forget it for a while, but I turn 16 this Saturday.” Kara looked her friend like she had three heads. Melanie tried to explain herself: “’Cause like, I was really upset I had to spend it at camp. Not home with my friends having a party, after all, it is my sweet sixteen, y’know?”

“Well at least now you don’t have to worry about the party,” Kara started, obviously trying to make her feel better. “At my party, Alex and Jack got drunk and sang Britney Spears on the table in their underwear”

“And that’s bad? Kar, I hate to say it but I’d pay to see that” Melanie laughed

“God, I wish I met you earlier. I’d be rich right now,’ Kara joked. She continued, “I seriously cannot wait for this talent show thing to start!”

“Don’t you get to see all their practices?” The younger girl questioned

“Yeah… But it’s kind of a big thing for us when they play for audiences. I mean, they’re only 16. So they need a lot of support.”

Melanie gave Kara a smile and nod to show the understood. As she twirled around in front of the rectangular mirror, she made a mental note to be extra supportive, although she had a gut feeling they’d be great. Right?

*

“You didn’t tell me I needed to hike!”
Melanie’s jaw dropped as her ballet flats hit the concrete and she took in the sight, or size, of the pavilion the two were now standing under. It was about the size of two basketball courts, that had a wooden roof over it; in case of rain, she assumed.

There was no need for a roof on a night like tonight, though; every star in the night sky was in clear vision, and the moon was almost as bright as the sun.

“I’m pretty sure the word hike doesn’t apply when you walk for like, five minutes on a paved path,” Kara returned to her friend, who was still busy taking in the scenery.

“Fuck off. That forest was dark,” Melanie laughed
Just now, she noticed a make-shift stage on one end of the court, already occupied with a girl singing.

“C’mon Mel,” Kara motioned for her friend to follow her as they made their way through countless groups of teenagers sitting on the ground with their friends.

Melanie no longer felt alone as they met up with the group she was now able to call her friends in the corner closest the stage.

Zack was leaning against the wall, having a conversation with Rian, who was idly drumming against his thighs. She assumed Jack was the human-like blur bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet excitedly while air-strumming his guitar.

“Wow, so I am officially witnessing an All Time Low pre-show ritual” Melanie spoke loud enough to get them to notice without interrupting anything, “I should use this to brag when you guys get huge.”

Rian and Zack turned their heads to and shot Melanie warm ‘thank you’ smiles. She didn’t bother them much more; judging by what Kara had said, they were better off by themselves for the time being.
Jack, however, was still Jack. He sauntered over to Melanie, with a proud look plastered across his face. Oh god.

“You know what would be better to brag about?” Jack asked, clearly fighting to hold back a fit of giggles about what he was going to say.

“What, Jack?”

“Saying you slept with their guitarist.” His giggles were now clearly released.

“Isn’t Alex a guitar player too?” She jokingly questioned

“Yeah. But he already has too many girls who can say that about him”

“Shut the fuck up.” Melanie heard Alex’s voice yell. This time, there was no hint of amusement; you could no longer hear his glowing smile as he spoke.

Jack shrugged, returning to his jumping-bean antics.

The caramel-haired girl walked over to the clearly shaken singer, who she had not noticed until just now. Unlike the others, he was kept to himself, sitting with his knees to his chest against the wall.

She took a spot next to him; he didn’t flinch. His hands continued to play with the frays of his dark skinny jeans as his thin arms wrapped across his body, covered in a grey Blink-182 shirt. The soft lighting caused his dark eyelashes to cast a shadow on the contours of his cheek bones as he looked down at his hands.

“What’s wrong?” Melanie asked softly. Although she first considered making a joke, this didn’t even seem like the Alex she’d grown to know.

Still not looking up, he mumbled something that she couldn’t quite make out.

“Alex.” She told him firmly while placing her hands on his knees. He finally looked towards her, “I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.”

Alex lifted his head up as his brown eyes, filled with worry and desperation, locked onto her own sea-blue ones. “We’re gonna suck. No,” He corrected himself, “I’mgonna suck.” With that, his head sunk down again, chocolate colored hair covering his face.

Melanie grabbed both of his hands, and held them in her smaller ones

“Look at me,” She told him; he obliged.

“Alex, I…” Melanie started, but then she realized, she had nothing to say. She never saw them play before. What if they did suck?
She quickly recovered, “You’ve played shows before. This is no different.”

“Yeah, but those were our friends. They’d never dream of telling us we sucked. They wouldn’t want to break us like that. Most of the people here I don’t even know. They’d have no problem letting us know how much they hate us.”

Melanie tried thinking of something to say, but he cut in again, “and what if you don’t like us? Melanie, you don’t get it – music is all I have.”

“Alex” She squeezed his hands, smiling reassuringly into his distressed eyes, “I’m sure I’ll love you guys. I don’t know how to even hold a guitar, and I can’t hum without sounding awkward. Even if you guys suck, you’ll still impress me. And I’m sure it’s the same with everyone else here.”
Melanie laughed slightly at that, but her voice quickly took on a serious tone, “Don’t worry about everyone else in the room. Pretend it’s just Kara and I. Play to me, sing to me. I’ll be there, no matter what.”

A soft smile hit his lips once he heard this. She pulled him into as much as a hug as they could manage in their seated positions. As Melanie rested my chin on his small shoulder, she lightly whispered into his ear, “Show them what it means to be alive.”