Hey, Ho, Why Can't We Go?

The second everything went wrong, my breath caught in my chest, and my body was moving before my mind could catch up with it. I reached for Ayria, when a man in a security uniform yanked me away from my destination. I immediately tried to fight the man, jumping forward to the screaming red-head, who to was being apprehended by a security guard. "Ayria! Ayria!" I screamed and fought, until my muscles were becoming sore, and my voice hoarse. "No!" I yelled, and finally gave up fighting against the guard - it was useless. We were both strong, and it was a losing battle.

The guard shoved me through the door leading to backstage, where everything was exactly how it had been left.

But that wasn't exactly true. Veanna was crying in the corner, like I had never seen her before. I immediately went to comforting her, trying to tell her everything was going to be okay, even though I knew that may not be exactly true. There was something about the way that Veanna was crying, something so . . . helpless, it made me feel sick.

Just then, a third body was thrown into the room. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Ayria,who was limply walking in the security guard's grip. She looked, in a word, exhausted. It was nothing like Ayria - outgoing Ayria, happy Ayria, smiling Ayria, my Ayria.

I whispered, "I'm sorry . . ."

July 2nd, 2004

Librus shrugged and laughed with Veanna, and nodded. "Alright. Let's do this. Are you ready?" he asked, and Veanna nodded.

"Let's give it a shot," she said, and, together, they started strumming their guitars, eyeing people passing by. Together, they started to sing.

"Fed up with your indigestion,
Swallow words one by one,
Your folks got high at a quarter to five,
Don't you feel your growing up undone?"

One of the people passing by dropped a quarter into the guitar case Librus set up in front of them. Halfway through the song, they'd successfully raised a dollar fifty.

"When his work was all but done,
Remembering how this begun . . .
We wore his love like a hand in a glove,
There's a future plays it all night long!"

At this, a young red head slowed as she got closer to them. Librus smiled to her, and Veanna gave her an acknowledging nod. Unlike the other hundred students who walked by without care, she smiled as she listened to the finale of the song.

When Librus and Veanna finished, she offered a one-person applause.

"I'm impressed," she said, and tossed a five dollar bill into the guitar case.

"Hey, thanks lil' Red," Librus laughed, looking down at the generous offer.

"Librus!" Veanna scolded, and shook her head. "I'm sorry. When he doesn't know somebody's name, he comes up with these little nicknames . . ." she sighed.

"That is not true, V," Librus immediately jumped in defensive mode. "If I don't know somebody's name, I find out ways to get around calling them by their name."

Veanna smiled. "You're right. I'm a liar."

"Well . . ." Ayria said, taking a step back. "I should probably get out of your hair."

"No, forget him," Veanna said quickly. "I'm Veanna, and this is Librus."

"Ayria Riddle, psychology major," she smiled, and offered her hand to shake.

"Well, Ayria, it's a pleasure to meet you," Librus winked, and let himself take in the female before him.

Oh, she was beautiful.

"So, are you a music fan?" he asked, leaning forward with a smirk on his face.

A flash of knowing and amusement crossed Ayria's face. "Definitely. I love music. I play guitar on most of my free time," she answered.

"Hey!" Veanna suddely gasped. "You should join us! I'm actually a bassist, and the three of us together could make up a small band. Without drums, of course, so we'd have to stay acoustic . . ."

Librus shrugged. "Whaddya say, Red? Are you game?"

The red-head's face seemed shocked at the offer, and Librus raised his eyebrows.

"I . . . I guess . . . I mean, I still have to keep up my grades, especially if I want to graduate well enough to be a psychiatrist . . . But yeah, that sounds like fun. I'm game."

And so began the relationship of three musketeers; Veanna and Ayria the closest of friends, Librus and Ayria on the verge of becoming just a bit closer. Observant as Ayria was, she knew there had been something between Librus and Veanna. She avoided getting involved between them as much as possible. But when Veanna broke it off, Librus let Ayria know. Not in so many words, but he made sure she knew.

No matter what happened, they were always friends, and they promised each other they would stay that way till the end.