Just Like You...

JACKY POV

Everyone is acting so damn strange. Ryan had me running errands back and forth from soundcheck so I missed Shea's practice which made me feel bad. Then, I'm sent to get dinner? I came back, the dinner was provided by the venue just like we asked for on the damn rider.

Shea sat next to me when we ate.

"You ready for tonight?" I asked.

"Yup!" She smiled, but I could feel tremors shaking her every so gently.

"You're more nervous than usual." I commented.

"Nah, just chilly." She shrugged, "I'll feel fine once I get up there."

"Okay, just making sure." I knew she was lying but I wasn't going to force her into trusting me. You can't do that to people like her.

"Zipmyheart's set starts in half, you guys should get ready. So should we." Ronnie told us.

"We have two hours." I frowned, I was going to get ready now anyways, I missed her soundcheck, I can't miss her set. But, Ronnie never pushes getting ready early.

"Too damn bad, Vincent, let's go!" He clapped his hands. "Everyone up! Chop chop!"

This day is crazy.

And people are hiding something, I want to know what.

SHEA POV

"Do you have everything?" Jinxx asked me, having been helping Matt restring one of the strings on his violin that had ironically just snapped. I hope that wasn't foreshadowing. I really needed everything to be perfect…

"It's fine, Shea." Matt assured me, "I just freaked out, I hate it when my strings break. I'm always scared I'll break the spares putting them in."

"You did fine." Jinxx assured him.

"Can you hold it back here until we need it?" He asked. "If it were the electric I'd trust the techies but…"

"Yeah, no problem."

"I'll watch the recorder!" Sammi smiled at me, giving me a hug. "You'll be amazing."

"Thanks, I hope so."

"We have everyone, including his own band, making sure he'll be here to see it. We made sure he didn't see the sound check. It's all going to be perfect no matter what. A rhinoceros could run over the crowd and your family and it'd still be--"

"Come to God damn fucking Brazil! I know!" Ryan huffed, walking past. We looked at him, puzzled. "Oh, were we not on that topic? Sorry." He laughed awkwardly before continuing on his way.

I heard our band called to the stage for our set and I took a deep breath and walked out like the few performances I'd done before.

"Hey, guys, what's up?" I asked.

"Besides the sky?" Matt asked into his mic.

"Shut up you idiot, no one likes you." Alyssa rolled her eyes.

"Oh…ouch…" Matt frowned.

The crowd laughed.

"SEE THEY LIKE ME!"

"SHUT UP WE'RE PLAYING A SHOW, MATT!" We all turned to look at him.

"Oh…is that why my guitar is here?"

I sighed.

"We're Zipmyheart and this, is Innocent Dreamer." I grinned.

Minute by minute passed in the music and it was time for one last song…I took a deep breath.

"So, guys…this is uh…something a little new…" I struggled for the words.

"She means it's happy for fucking once." Andy walked on the stage followed by Jinxx and Sammi who ran over and gave me my recorder and a hug. Andy draped his arm over my shoulder as Jinxx and Matt stood upstage with Alyssa and her acoustic, tuning quietly.

"Can we have an A?" Matt called.

I bit my lip before holding the little wooden whistle to my mouth and playing a low A. I tried to wet the back of the mouth piece, it works like a reed almost, without licking it for everyone to see.

"An E please?" Alyssa asked. I played my E.

"Thanks!" They both said.

"She wrote this lovely song with a little helping hand from a few of us in BVB--"

"Jinxx composed. " Sammi nodded, "He seemed proud of that."

"I am proud of it!" He laughed.

"And I speak for Zip--while she has an anxiety attack about playing recorder, something I'm sure none of you knew she played, in front of this many people--she dedicates this song to someone very special." He smiled and adjusted the mic to reach the seat I was sitting in next to Alyssa and Matt who had both moved up to take their spots.

I watched those three walk off stage. Sammi gave me a thumbs up and I smiled.

"This is Please…"

I took a breath as Alyssa and Matt played the small intro.

The fears dug up
To haunt me by night.
I feel like nothing I say can be right.
You promise me
Like everyone else.
But the truth behind it only future tells.

It's the feeling I can't say,
And it just won't go away.
The voice to tell me it's alright,
And the comfort to let me sleep at night.

Please just say you love me,
Please let it all be true.
Because after everything I've suffered,
I can't bear to lose you.
I know I'm young and foolish,
And you think you're so wise.
But please just be honest,
And please don't feed me lies.

The whispers
That calm me
When you help me to see.
The light
In my life
After all of my strife.

It's the feeling I can't say,
And it just won't go away.
The voice to tell me it's alright,
And the comfort to let me sleep at night.

Please just say you love me,
Please let it all be true.
Because after everything I've suffered,
I can't bear to lose you.
I know I'm young and foolish,
And you think you're so wise.
But please just be honest,
And please don't feed me lies.

I picked up my recorder and took a breath before joining. The crowd seemed to be in an awed daze. I held out my last note and Matt shot me a glance. We ended perfectly together. Alyssa played her chord…

Please just say you love me,
Please let it all be true.
Please don't tell me it's pointless,
To fall in love with you.
Please I'm in dire need,
Of help from a friend.
Please just promise you'll be here,
Until the very end.

It ended.

I think that was the most applause I've ever gotten…

Oh my God…

I did it.

Matt grinned at me and pulled me into a careful hug. Alyssa brought herself into the group hug.

I saw someone the edge of the stage watching me with his usual calm demeanor and I felt the jitters come back.

Matt saw too and pushed me to the mic.

"Uh, so…that was a song I…literally just wrote with Andy and Sammi and Jinxx." I heard Sammi yell something like "It was all you, girl!" And I smiled. "Thanks, Sammi!" I took a breath. "Point is…it's kinda creepy right. You guys are all probably like 'it's a sweet innocent love song, how is it creepy?' Well, let me explain…so I've known my current boyfriend for like…a month maybe. And he's quite a bit older than me. And he's one of the nicest guys on the face of the earth. But, we only just started going out. But, he's stuck by me through a lot, even though he didn't know me well at the time. That amazed me. I have never had someone actually want to stick by me because of what they thought I could be. He's kept my head up through a lot and I love him so much for that. And that's a scary thought for me, because I never used to believe in love…and that's so dumb and cliche and now I sound like the stupidest girl alive." I sighed.

"No you don't." Ronnie smiled.

"Thanks." I smiled back, "Well…it's just weird that someone I've known for not that long knows me so amazingly well and has put the time and effort into trying to make me happy again. I…I love you." I whispered with a small, nervous smile, now facing the side stage.

"Aweeeee!" The audience cooed, so did the two bands gathered at the side stage.

Jacky smiled at me.

"Go get your girl, Vincent!" Ryan shoved him forward and he tripped a little in surprise.

"Hey." I whispered when he wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Hey." He pressed his forehead to mine and softly brought our lips together. I don't think we've ever kissed all…soft and nice…not with him, no I don't think so.

"Aweeee!" Everyone squealed again.

"I love you too."