Smoke And Mirrors

Sierra is amazing when she performs, Garrett thinks. She jumps around stage and head bangs like no one else does and her voice is still steady and straight. He wonders how she manages to do that. Also, when she sings and she looks at the crowd, it seems like she looks at every single person and not to it as just one big mass of people. Well, maybe it doesn’t seem like, maybe it really is like that.

While she's talking to the crowd between two songs, she looks for a second to the side of the stage. She sees Garrett looking and smiles a little. Both their stomachs flip. Garrett's because of Sierra's gorgeous smile. Sierra's because Garrett is watching her performance. She instantly feels a lot more nervous.

But somehow she manages to end the performance with success, without falling or breaking something. Without hurting herself or someone else. Which is not easy for her, even when Garrett's not watching her, there's a chance these things could happen.

Tired and all sweaty, but happy with the performance, she walks off stage. Blake follows her in suit and they’re talking about the good and the bad things from their performance. She notices Garrett is still there, but he’s talking to one of his bandmates. When she walks past him, she gives him a small smile. The smile he returns make her stomach go wild.

“This is so sick, man,” Jared says. He looks at Garrett, who nods his head. Jared’s gaze was fixed on the other musicians, who are actually headlining. They are a big band and it’s crazy that bands like them and VersaEmerge are able to play with them. It’s not like you tour every day with 30 Seconds To Mars. So they’re pretty proud they are able to tour with them. 30 Seconds To Mars is a pretty sick band, in a positive way.

“In five minutes you have to be on stage,” one of the sound guys says, walking past them to warn the other members of The Maine. Jared and Garrett wait for them at the side of the stage. When they arrive they do their We Like To Party-ritual and go on stage. The crowd is already crazy from the other performance and they’re going even more wild. This crowd is sick.

Garrett is jumping around the stage, getting all sweaty and red within two songs. Then he remembers how Sierra looked at the crowd, at each one individuality. But there are so many people, he can’t see the faces of the people in the back. It’s way too dark. But he does look at each face from the people in the front row and the ones behind them.

He sees some girls who start to cry. He don’t really get why. You shouldn’t be crying at a concert, you should be happy to be able to be there. He also sees some girls and boys who are going crazy. He smiles at that. It’s nice to know that people enjoy your music. But when he looks at one girl and locks eyes with her a shy, but happy smile appears on her face. Just a smile. She doesn’t scream or anything. She sings along with some parts, but isn’t going wild. And she obviously enjoys it. He gives her small smile and turns his back to the crowd, jumping around the stage again.

Also they end their performance with success. While talking about how awesome the crowd and the show was, the band walks off stage. Garrett notices the two other bands at the side of the stage. His stomach flips. Did they watch them? Maybe it was good he didn't see them during the performance, he would have felt way more nervous.

Just when starts for the dressing room, one of the members of 30 Seconds To Mars, Shannon Leto, walks toward him. "Sick performance, man," he says, nodding his head to confirm his statement. Something that has to be a smile creeps on his face. Garrett thinks he has never seen Shannon smile before. "Hope we can do as good as you guys." He smacks his hand against Garrett's shoulder and joins his bandmates at the side of the stage.

Garrett is amazed that such great musicians find that they, The Maine, had a sick performance. He even said that he hoped that they would be as good as them. Honestly, they're a greater band, they're obviously better. Wow... It takes a minute before it sinks in.

The he joins Blake and Sierra with watching the show of 30 Seconds To Mars, who just went on stage and are rocking this thing. And the crowd is even more sock then during the two previous performance, singing every single word and some are even head banging. It's really cool to see the people move in sync.

"They're so awesome," Sierra whispers in amazement. Her eyes flicker from the stage to Garrett and back to the stage. He is still sweat from his performance, but that doesn't make him less good looking.

When 30 Seconds To Mars is done performing and walked off stage, Garrett finally went and go take a shower. Their lucky that this venue has showers. Some doesn't and then they have to shower on the bus. That's not so much fun. It's all crappie and small and you can't waist too much water. Most of the time the water is even cold. Now he can take a hot shower as long as he wants. And no one is going to bother him, because they need the shower as well. You have just one shower on the bus, in the venue are several shower available.

Only John is in the dressing room when Garrett walks in. He is busy typing away on his phone with whoever is on the other. He is still wearing the clothes he wore on stage, so he hasn't showered yet. John looks up when Garrett enters the dressing room and gives him his famous smirk. Not the flirting smirk, but the yo-what’s-up-man? smirk. Garrett just nods his head.

“Where are the others?” he asks. He feels a bit awkward just standing there in the middle of the room, looking at John to give him an answer, but he doesn’t want to sit if he’s going to take a shower in a minute.

“Showering,” John answers. “There are just three showers, so we’ll have to wait for a minute.” Garrett nods his head again and takes a seat. Why not? If he has to wait…



With still damp hair from his shower, Garrett walks around the venue back to his tour bus. He stops when he hears the sweet voice he heard the first night again. He realizes now that the voice belongs to Sierra. But she's not talking, she's singing. When he listens better, he also hears the sound of an acoustic guitar.

He starts walking toward the place where the sound is produced. He finds Sierra and Blake sitting on the parking lot of the venue with a couple of fans around them, who are singing along the song Sierra's singing.

A girl squeals when she sees Garrett and pulls her friend toward him. Garrett takes a step back at the sudden attention and Sierra laughs a little at his reaction to the girls. She tries to keep her attention to the song, but it's hard now Garrett is here.

Blake and Sierra finished their song and are talking to some fans now when a girl comes up to Sierra and asks: "Would you mind to take a picture with you, me and Garrett?"

Garrett turns his head at the sound of his name. Sierra feels a warm red creep onto her cheeks, but she stays calm and answers: "Yes, of course. Why not?" and smiles at the girl.

The girl warps both of her arms around Garrett's and Sierra's waist, while they lay their arms around the girls shoulders. Their arms touch a little. They look at each other for a split second and then smile for the camera.

A warm, tingling feeling stays on Sierra's arm long after his touch.