The Flood

“So who to see first?” Teddy asked, bouncing up and down.

“Ummmm.” That was the general opinion of the rest of the group. No one really cared who we saw first, so we just wandered around aimlessly.

“Hey Teddy, Vic, why don’t you go ahead and walk around for a while?” Anna asked. Uh oh. I was in trouble.

“You have the phone I gave you, right?” I asked Vic. “You remember how to use it, right?” I whispered into her ear.

“Yeah, and of course, I’m not an idiot.” She said, pulling the mobile out that I had gotten her for this occasion.

Alan grabbed it from her. “Well here’s mine and Austin’s numbers in case you need us.”

“Alright, see you later!” They said before walking off together hand in hand.

“They really are perfect for each other,” Anna said as they left our sight and disappeared into a crowd of people. “But we have more important things to discuss.”

“Uh oh.” Oh great, he knew.

“Yeah, that’s right. First, we walk so we don’t look stupid.” Alan began. Oh dear, he’s long winded when nosey. This is going to be a loooonnnng speech. “What exactly was going through your mind when you two made the brilliant decision to just hide out in your bunk for two hours leaving us with the bouncing idiot and his master?” Who this was directed to, I wasn’t sure.

“Uhhhh.” I’m so smart, right? I can form complete sentences and everything.

“Save it missy. I wasn’t talking to you. I was talking to him.” Glad that’s cleared up.

“Well, you were the one who was like, spend time with her, do it, do it. So I just did what you told me to. Stop being nosey anyways. It doesn’t suit you, ginger.” Austin replied.

“Well I didn’t mean leaving me all alone with those two!” Alan said.

“Just following orders.”

“That’s beside the point. What we really want to know is what exactly you two did in there. Teddy was sniffing around like a hound dog saying he was missing out on the fun.” Anna finally interjected.

“Thanks for getting to the point, dear nosey sister, but that is for us to know and Teddy not to. Or you two for that matter. Don’t get me wrong. I love you both, but you told me to spend as much time with him as I could, and Alan, you told Austin to do the same thing. So we were just getting to know each other.” I said

“Yeah, sure, in a sexual way.” Alan said. WACK. That was from my sister, and myself.

“Alan, what did we talk about earlier? You know each of them better than that!” Anna said, raising her voice.

“Well I had to say it; even though I do know them personally, it goes against my nature not to assume they didn’t do anything of a sexual nature. It’s me, for Christ sake!”

“How long will this go on, do you think?” Austin whispered in my ear.

“Well he’s long winded and won’t stop being nosey until we tell him, and Anna will do anything to find out as well, so should we just tell them now and save ourselves the trouble?” I whispered back.

“Hey love-birds!!” Austin shouted at them. It was hard to get their attention over the argument, but that shut them up.

“Not love birds, but continue.” Anna responded. Alan just blubbered until I cut him off.

“Well, we are going to tell you what happened, so shut up and listen. We talked, did all the getting to know each other and stuff. I got sleepy and took a nap after losing his stupid firkin game, whatever the hell that was, and he fell asleep after I did.” I explained. Alan shot me a look of disbelief and Anna sighed with relief.

“I fell asleep 15 minutes after she did.” Austin said. “And before you can say anything, Alan, we were both fully clothed the whole time. I had changed shirts and only put it on to set you on edge after she opened the curtain.”

Insert Alan looking like a fish. Open mouth. Close mouth. Try to think. Fail. Repeat.

“Alan you look like a fishy,” I squeezed his cheeks together. "Say Glub Glub"

"But I don't wanna."

"Do it. I have blackmail you know."

“Glub glub.” Alan said with a defeated voice. I let his cheeks go. “Damn you and your blackmail.”

In the midst of our laughter, Anna pulled me to the side. “I was against trying to figure out what you two did. Alan convinced me by saying he wouldn’t try to pull anything with me while I was sleeping in his bunk, and that put him with Vic and Ted.” I just looked at her. “I know, I know, but seriously he’s just worried about you after what happened in 4th year. He doesn’t want you to go through that again. You know how he is about protecting you after that.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I just wish he wouldn’t do that. He went to the extreme of trying to get Austin and I alone, which now means I have to share the bunk with him because I wouldn’t even put Alan through the torture of sleeping on that couch with Ted and Vic.” She roared with laughter at this.

“What are you two ladies talking about?” Alan asked while wedging himself between my sister and I as he threw his arms around us. She pushed them off, but I let them be. “Oh, was it you telling your sister how deadly attractive I am?” This sentence was what got him a huge bruise from my sister. I love her.

“No, we were just talking about that time when you got the great idea to climb on our roof as little kids and you fell off.” I told him. Austin died laughing, as did Anna who remembered it in vivid detail.

“I hate you.”

“I love you too, Alan dear.” I said as I kissed his check and pulled the three of them off to do some eating. I was fucking hungry.

--

“Oh my god! This is it! We’re in the front of the crowd to see Pierce the Veil”Vic was jumping up and down with excitement. If she was looking forward to one thing the most, this was it: Pierce the Veil. They saved her life. When her grandpa Arthur died she played the song ‘Million Dollar Houses’ on repeat for days. It was the only thing that got her through that, knowing that he loved Molly Weasley more than he loved all things muggle.

“Vic, chill your shit, dude! They don’t come on for another 5 whole minutes.” Teddy said. The boy was growing up; he wasn’t acting like an over-excited dog anymore. Maybe it was the fact that she was practically in love with the lead singer.

“Teddy, you’re just jealous of Vic.” I said.

“He is one attractive Mexican, if I do say so myself.” Austin interjected.

“It’s true. Even straight men think that Victor is attractive, so just calm down.” Alan, always the voice of reason of my friends.

“I’m not jealous, I just don’t understand.” He said.

“Teddy it’s just like you thinking that a famous girl is hot. Women are just different about it.” Anna said.

“Oh, well okay then.” He seemed so down. Right as Teddy said this, they came on stage. Insert many fangirl screams from Vic, Anna and I. Austin and Alan were whooping manly. Teddy just stood there. They started playing Disasterology first. I was happy about that. Victorie Anna and I were singing along to every song; just being happy to be there. This was why I wanted Vic to come. She just looked so happy. Her blonde hair was up in a messy bun, and she was in her favorite shirt, one of Teddy’s old ones, but she had charmed it so it fit well on her, and my sofees. She looked at me right then, her blue eyes just shining. “Thank you!” She screamed at me.

“You’re welcome love! I knew you would never want to miss out on this chance. I couldn’t say no when Anna mentioned it as a graduation present!”My voice was going to be gone by the end of the night from all this yelling I’m doing to be heard.

“Hey guys, our signing will be in fifteen minutes at our tent! Hope to see you there!” Jaime, the bassist, said as the set was over.

Teddy pulled Austin and I to the side, leaving Anna, Victorie, and Alan having an animated conversation about what was their favorite song among those just played.

“Do you guys think that you could keep Vic company while I go get her something signed? I want it to be a surprise.”

“Of course.” We all said in unison.

“Hey Vic! Come with Austin and I, we wanna talk to ya!” I shouted to her and dragged her with me. “Anna, Alan, go with Teddy and make sure he doesn’t get lost.”

“Why can’t I make sure Teddy doesn’t get lost?” Vic asked curiously.

“It’s a secret. You’ll find out later. But right now, I can hear my stomach turning into a giant monster that’s going to eat me from the inside out if I don’t get some food.” Wow, that was the oddest analogy to ever come out of someone’s mouth. Austin was really creative when hungry.

“It’s better than it turning into a giant man-eating squid. I think a monster would be less confusing. People run from monsters, not squids, which in effect makes squids way more dangerous because people will be staring at it thinking, ‘What the fuck? A squid?’ And then what happens? The squid eats them all and they never had any hope.” I reasoned.

“Okay, you two need to stop with the acting so much alike. It’s slightly creepy.” Vic was so nice, wasn’t she?

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. To the food!” I shouted. We had made a super fantastic maze around the whole place so Vic wouldn’t know where Teddy was, and we were now eating. Yay, bacon!

“Hey! You guys made me miss the Pierce the Veil signing because you couldn’t decide where you wanted to eat!” Vic said, after which I got hit on the arm because I made her miss it. But right with wonderful timing Austin’s phone rang. It was Alan.

“Let me answer it. Pleeeeeeaaassseee?” I looked at him, armed with a puppy dog face. He’ll never be able to refuse.

“I didn’t even have time to say no before that face came out. Damn. Fine. Here.” He handed me his phone, and I did a weird jig. “Victory!” I answered the phone. “Yo ginger, what the fuck is UP and where are you AT?!” Yelling was fun. I’m going to do this to Alan more often.

“One. Why the fuck did you have to answer the phone like that? Wait, nevermind, it’s you. I don’t even want to know your reasoning to torture me. Two. Why are you answering Austin’s phone?”

“One. I haven’t seen you in over two years. I have a right to torture you as I please, so kindly shove that in your juice box and suck on it. Two. Puppy dog face. I won.”

“Really, on the first day, you're already pulling that face on him? Now he’s never gonna say no to you. But and I will stick that in my juice box and suck on it.” I then heard the distinct sound of no drink coming through a straw. “Oh wait, my fuck to give was drank when I finished the juice box five minutes ago, sorry.”

“Smartass. “

“So where are you guys? Teddy’s got what he needs.”

“We are by the restrooms so come get us, mofo.” I hung up on him. Aren’t I so loving?

“So are they on their way back ye- TEDDY!” I guess they were closer than I thought because she just jumped up and ran to Teddy.

“Hello, miss lady. I brought you something. Sit like a good girl so you can have your present.” Teddy said shaking his head at her. She sat down, and Teddy sat next to her. “First, I’m sorry you had to miss the signing. I sent these two on a wild goose chase to keep you distracted so I could get you something.” He started to explain. He then pulled out both of the Pierce the Veil CD’s, all signed by the band, her favorite PTV shirt, also signed, and he saved the best for last. Teddy pulled out the smallest box from his pocket and then got down on one knee. “Victorie Nicole Weasley, I have loved you since I was 5, we’ve been dating for three years now, and I couldn’t wait one more second to do this. Will you marry me?”

Whoa, what? Did he just-? Awww! He’s so adorable! Wait. Well damn, there goes my flat mate. Wait. I didn’t have a flat yet. The summer is being spent here with Aunt Eliza. Oh yeah, pay attention, idiot, or you’ll miss her response.

“What? Oh, of course you big doof!” She jumped into his arms and kissed him right there. I started clapping for them, and in a few seconds you heard a round of applause coming from a good fifteen feet away. I guess we weren’t the only ones who were paying attention.

“OHHHMYGODVICTORIE!” A voice with a pitch that high only meant one thing; Dominique Weasley and her best friend Ashley. The two were joined at the hip. Wait, why were they there? Maybe that’s why Teddy took so long. He had had to apparate to get them so they could be there.

“DOM!” Vic cried and ran to her sister, jumping up and down repeating, “I’m getting married!” over and over again before tackling me.“Thank you for distracting me.”

“Hey, don’t thank me. I didn’t even know what he was going to do. He just told me he was getting things signed for you.” I shrugged. “But YOU’RE GETTING MARRIED!”

We spent the most of the next fifteen minutes finishing our food after the general excitement was over.

“So who are these two very attractive looking men?” Of course the first sentence out of Dom’s mouth is about Austin and Alan. At Hogwarts she was a bit of a heartbreaker.

“Well Dom, the ginger is Alan. He’s hopelessly in love with my sister.” Alan and Anna both denied this. I just smiled because it only proved my point more. “And this guy beside me is Austin.”

“I’m hopelessly in love with Star Wars. No room for female affection.”Austin said. I guess the way Dom talked he was a little scared that she was going to jump his bones just because he existed. Alan coughed. It sounded a lot like bullshit, but we won’t call Austin on that. Hey, if I was an attractive man, I’d be scared of Dom, too.

“But anyways, Austin, Alan, the blonde who may have just mentally sexually assaulted you is Dominique, Vic’s sister. Her much more sane and awesome friend is Ashley.” Ashley smiled at them. When you first met Ashley she was shy, but once you got her talking she never shut up.

--

Just look around and see this life is beauty

--

“Make sure I’m in the picture!” Alan whined.

“Be taller and you wouldn’t have to worry about being in the picture, shorty.” Austin remarked.

“Oh, everyone just shut up, and Austin please take the picture. I hurt from sitting this way.” What? I was cranky; they had me sitting on the shoulders of Alan and Teddy, who, lucky for me, had an inch or two difference in height so it hurt my butt, so I could be taller than everyone. What? I’m short.

“Everyone should say ‘ridiculously brilliant and super wicked.’”Teddy suggested. That boy was so weird.

“No.” I’m glad Vic was here to tell Teddy no, that way I didn’t have to.

“Seriously, you guys, the picture? Just don’t say anything, and smile.” Yay for Anna saying these things.

“One, two, three.” We all smiled. Austin was behind me to the right so I wouldn’t fall, Vic was standing in front of Teddy, and Anna was standing in front of me holding my legs. We had lost Dom and Ashley fifteen minutes ago after Sleeping With Sirens.

“Alright, you two, you can let her down now.” Austin said, and Alan lifted me off his and Teddy’s combined shoulders so Teddy could walk to Vic.

“Can I just throw her and see who catches?” Alan asked as he brought me closer to the ground but not letting me go.

I leaned up and whispered in his ear, “Do that and I will hex you so far into oblivion you won’t be able to see straight.” He sat me down pretty safely after that. “Love you, Loki.” I gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

“Sure you do Nyx, sure you do.” He grumbled and checked the time on his phone. I noticed it said 5. “So who wants to go back to the bus? We have two and a half hours to fuck shit up. Unless you guys have some band you want to go see?”

“You four go on back to the bus, we’ll call around 7-ish so we can meet you guys where we need to.” Vic said. I’m guessing she wanted to spend some alone time with Teddy before the show.

“Don’t you need anythi-” Austin started to ask, but I elbowed him in the side. “Never mind. Have fun.”

While I was turned around talking to Anna, Alan and Austin began whispering amongst themselves. I turned to glance at them, my brows furrowing. “Do you know what they’re whispering abou-” My sentence was cut off as I was being hoisted over Austin’s shoulder.

“Put me down you fiend!” Anna screamed over Alan’s shoulder. At least I wasn’t getting hauled alone.

“Never!” Alan shouted back as he was running toward the bus. I got put down about two minutes later.

“I’m assuming he just did that to annoy Anna and is going to say it was your idea so he doesn’t’ get in trouble, right?” I asked.

Austin laughed. His laugh was just contagious; I couldn’t help but laugh along. “Yeah, something like that. All he said was follow my lead. But hey, let me call Tino and warn him Alan gonna be banging on the door for him to open it.” He got out his phone and hit a few buttons and held it up to his ear. “Tino! Alan’s gonna be there in two minutes carrying Anna on his shoulder. Don’t ask questions, just open the door for him this time. Okay, bye.” He hung up the phone. “Oh, the reason people have to open the door for him is because he got locked in the bus last year and refused to open the door in case that happened again.”

“I knew the boy had issues but I never realized they got worse when I moved to England. For shame.” I just laughed.

“Please feel free to come around more often if you bring his sanity with you.”

“Oh very funny. I may just forget it at home next time.”

“Please don’t. If you do, I might actually have to throw you over my shoulder and run with you.”

“Oh no you don’t, you are not doing that to me!” I started running then. I hope I’m going the right way. And then he caught up with me and proceeded to throw me over his shoulder and continue to run.

“I’ll never forgive you for this.” I said from over his shoulder.

“Oh you’ll be fine. I’m just doing this so Alan doesn’t say something about me taking it easy on you because we’re at the bus now.” He opened the door, ran to his bunk and threw me on the bed. “And at least you had a soft landing. See? I’m not gonna hurt you.”

“Yeah yeah, whatever. Let’s just smoke. Wait, do Tino and Phil smoke?” I asked Austin.

“Yeah they do. So prepare the stuff while I call them. Aye! Alan, Tino, Phil, Anna! Get your asses back here before we leave you out of the fun. Cause we seriously might do that”

There was a sound of Alan saying “Tino! I’ll race you!” and then a bunch of running and then, oh shit, Alan’s was coming straight for me. I had just lifted everything off my lap as he and Tino dive-bombed the bunk.

“Okay you two, simmer down. We don’t want anything to get ruined now do we?” Phil said.

“’Simmer down?’” Anna just raised her eyebrow at him

“It’s the only thing that really gets through to Alan when he’s this hyper, which Alan, have you been doing meth?” Phil asked, turning to him.

“Nope! Austin has though, apparently six meths a day!”

“Okay, I have this feeling that I don’t even want to know why that sentence was ever said.”

“I was joking! It was all Bryan Stars’ fault!”

“Yeah yeah Austin whatever.” Tino rolled his eyes.

“Okay, now that the most disturbing conversation I have ever had is over, Nyx, my wonderful amazing sister, start that up for us.” Was Anna always going to be the one to get everyone on track when distracted? She should be a life coach.

“First, I’m going to find my cigarettes for later, and Anna, you should totally be a life coach.” I grabbed my bag and started digging through it looking for my muggle cigarettes. I had to buy the muggle kind ‘cause I’m sure the colored smoke would cause some questions I wasn’t ready to answer out of Austin. I found them and my lighter. “Let’s get this pre-party started! Wait, we should move to the living room-like area and be in there. It has more room and as much as I love Alan, I don’t want him sitting on me the whole time.”

“Woo!” Yeah that’s Alan called out as we all moved into the living room.

“Alan, you’re going to need to start forming complete sentences if you ever want someone to take you seriously.” Anna pointed out as she sat down.

“But Anna, it is way more fun to speak in only one word sentences. You can have a full conversation with someone saying only one word sentences and get the point across faster than you would if speaking normally.”

To prove his point I simply interjected, “Freak.”

“See, even your own sister does it sometimes!”

“Hey now, you are not bringing me into your argument with her. I’m staying out of this.”

“Alan, I think you’re growing as a person with them around.”

“Ouch. Must you be so harsh, Tino?”

“Dear Alan, haven’t you learned from being my best friend for years that the only way to get through that mop of ginger hair is to be harsh and mean to you?”

“I like her. Can we keep her, Alan, pleaaseeee?”

“Austin, are you really giving Alan the puppy face so you can keep my sister as some sort of pet? If anyone gets pet privileges it’s me!”

“One, I am not a pet. Two, if anyone is a pet it’s totally Alan.” To prove my point further he just curled up in the middle of the living room floor and laid his head in my lap. I missed this part of Alan. He loved having his hair played with. I loved doing it. So I started playing with his mop of ginger hair. If he wasn’t my best friend and totally in love with my sister I may even find him attractive.

“Hey Nyx, it’s your hit.”

“Sweet.” I took it, hit it, and then proceeded to hold it for Alan as he did the same.

“Alan, aren’t you so glad to have me back around to do things for you?”

“I can do things on my own just fine! I just like it better when you do them for me.”

“Yeah, sure, whatever.” I ruffled his hair.

“Hey! How come when I do that you get mad at me?”

“Austin, just think over that sentence.”

“Oh. Yeah I’m going to shut up now before I sound overly gay.”

“Good idea.”

The six of us sat for a good hour and talked about the most random things. Austin and I brought up what would be scarier a person to change into; a monster, or a man-eating squid. I totally had the most people for mine, mainly for the fact that no one would ever suspect a squid to be man-eating and all it had to do was just slap down one of its many tentacles and people would get stuck to them, and bam they’re dead. Tino, Phil, and Austin wanted to know more about Alan as a little kid. which brought us to this.

“Well it wasn’t my fault that Alan was the one who got sick on me! He was the one who dared me I couldn’t eat as many strawberries as he could!” Yes, we were talking about the Strawberry Incident. Alan had showed up at my house one day with four gallons of strawberries and dared me I couldn’t eat more than him without getting sick.

“You were the one who did dare her, Alan.”

“She was the one who made me get sick!” Alan practically shouted from his position with his head in my lap. I whacked him upside the head.

“I did not! You were the one who after eating only a gallon and a half decided to go jump on the trampoline that we had! Therefore resulting in you running into the house and puking all over me and my bathroom! I will never be the same because of that.”

“So let me get this straight. He, after eating almost a pound of strawberries, chose to go jump on a trampoline. and blames you for getting sick?” Austin asked

“Yup, pretty much. Hell, that’s pretty much our whole childhood. He dares me something, looses, and blames me because something bad happened to him.”

“Not the whole time! There was that time in fourth year when I took responsibility for my own acti-“The rest of that sentence was cut off because Anna was glaring at him so fiercely even I was scared, and I’ve faced a Weasley temper before.

“Alan, how many times do I have to tell you? We. Don’t. Talk. About. Fourth. Year. At. All.” I said through gritted teeth. Fourth year wasn’t the best year for me mentally; I was battling some very harsh demons which led me to make a six month mistake that I will never speak about again, unless absloutely necessary.

“Oops. I’ll shut up now before you yank all my beautiful ginger hair out.”

Anna, being the wonderful sister that she is, said, “Austin, Tino, Phil, how about we give these two some time to catch up? They’ve been apart for two years. Before that they couldn’t go two hours without seeing each other.” There was some ‘yeah’s and some ‘alright’s from them.

After they had vacated the bus. Alan jumped up, grabbed my hand, and pulled me toward his bunk. “I have to show you my bunk!”

“Alright! Lead the way, dear best friend!” I couldn’t help but laugh. Alan was always so happy.

“So, before I show you the general fantastic area that is my bunk. I just want to say that I have missed you so freaking much and that you are not allowed to lose contact with me for two years ever again. I was lost after what happened. I had turned my back on the magical world and didn’t know what to do. When you moved, that all got worse.”

“Alan, I am so sorry! I never meant to lose touch with you. After the move and everything I was so confused. Hell, I didn’t pull one prank my whole time at Hogwarts with Vic’s cousins, James and Fred, because it felt wrong not having you there planning it. But let’s talk about all this after you show me your bunk.”

“Alright, so brace yourself!” He pulled back the curtain and everything about it said Alan. There were old wizard pictures of us, which when I saw them, I took my wand out and tapped them, making them move again. There were several muggle pictures of us, some of his family, some of Anna him and I, and some things that meant something to only us. A drawing that we had made of our names, a note in which he told me he liked Anna for the first time.

“Wow.” It was all I could say. It felt like home.

“I do say I have this one empty spot on my wall for one new picture. How about we take it?”

“Have you been saving that space on here for me?” I asked, kind of blown away. I knew Alan was always going to be my best friend above everyone else, but I never realized how much he missed me while I was gone.

“Nyx, of course I have. I need a new picture of my best friend and I.” He got out his computer and pulled up the program to take it with. We spent five minutes just taking pictures. We were always like this. We always took the most random pictures.

“So which one should I put on the spot?” He asked looking at the twenty or thirty pictures we had taken. Even the ones that we looked bad in we never deleted or threw away; it was like throwing away a memory, so we couldn’t do it.

“Hmm, I don’t know.” I scrolled through the pictures. Then I saw it; the picture that described our friendship perfectly. He was kissing my cheek while I was laughing at something he said. I pointed to it. “That one.”

“I couldn’t have chosen a better one myself.” He always agreed with me. “I have a question for you. It’s a really important question.”

“Shoot, Loki, shoot.”

“Well, our last song is all cleans, and I know Austin’s freaking about it, would you please come on stage with us and sing My Understandings as a duet with Austin, that way he can scream some and sing some?” He looked at me after he was finished. I was having a hard time processing it. I know Alan always thought I was a good singer, but never good enough to ask me to be on stage with him.

“Wow Alan, wow.”

“I knew you’d say no.” He looked crestfallen.

“Alan, you didn’t let me finish. I would be honored to do that. I haven’t been singing lately so I don’t know how good I’ll be, but I’ll do it.”

Alan jumped out of his bunk, pulling me with him, and gave me the biggest hug ever. “I love you so much! Have I mentioned that?”

“You’ve told me before, but it’s nice to hear again.” I smiled at him and hugged him back. God, I missed this crazy kid.

“It’s been so odd not talking to you every day, Nyx, I miss you. A lot. For the first month that you were gone, I didn’t know what to do. I was a mess, so I started playing more, I was even talking to that ridiculous painting that you gave me third year of you, so I could have a little balance in my life.” Alan said. He was still hugging me, so I couldn’t see his face, but I knew he was tearing up.

“Alan, I want you to know that I left because I couldn’t stand to be at Salem and look at those assholes every day, knowing that they took away one of the best things at that school for me. I had to get away from it before I did something that I was going to regret. I felt like I was back in fourth year again, I couldn’t handle it anymore, so I ran without thinking about you, about anyone, I was just thinking I needed to get out of there before I did something that could ruin my life.” I had started crying by the end of that. Alan and I don’t talk about what happened at the end of fifth year, and made him turn his back against the wizarding world. He still had his wand, it was in a box in his bunk and I'm sure he did small spells every now and then but not all the time like he used to. He pulled back, and looked me in the eyes. “I got the revenge I needed. I got out and I’ve made something of myself, which is something that none of those losers will ever be able to do.”

“Gods, have I miss you!” I said, pulling him back in for another hug. The door opened then, it was Austin.

“Oh shit! I’ve ruined a moment, haven’t I?” He felt bad. I could tell it in the way he talked.

“No, just the hug after the moment. But good news. Guess who found you a clean vocalist for My Understandings?”

“You did?” Austin was jumping with this news. He’d never expect it to be me. I had forgotten to mention to him that I sing.

Alan pushed me into Austin. “You’re looking at her.”

“What?! You sing?” He looked at me like I was a gift from the goddess.

“You really think I would be willing to get on stage and sing in front of people if I couldn’t?” I laughed at him.

“Dude, seriously, Nyx has a voice like no one.” Alan threw in. At this point Austin decide to pick me up and spin me around in a circle, stating his undying love for me and that I saved his life.

--

It was time; time for me to see my best friend and his band perform from side-stage and then get on stage and sing with them. Ah! I was so excited.

“Nyx, are you sure you want to do this?” This was the question, Tino, Alan, Phil, but mostly Austin and Anna kept asking me.

“Yes I do. Now stop asking me before I change my mind on you.” I stuck my tongue out at Austin.

“Okay, I get it. How come you didn’t tell me you sing?” He was genuinely curious.

“Eh. I don’t really put it out there, I mean, it’s something that I enjoy doing, but I don’t shove it in people’s faces.” I shrugged. “It’s not something that I consider to be a big part of me. I do it cause it makes me happy, and it’s one of the few things people can’t take away from me.”

“I understand that.”

“Hey Nyx, remember when you, James, Freddie and Teddy all put on that talent show?” Vic asked.

I started laughing. “Of course I do. They thought I couldn’t sing, as I’d never sang around them,” I pointed this out for Austin’s sake, as he was looking confused. “So I acted the part when rehearsing that day for it, and sung like I would making fun of a song, then when I got on stage I actually sang… the collective look of shock on their faces was the best part.”

“I remember that!” Teddy said joining in on the conversation “We were gob smacked for lack of a better word.”

“It was priceless.” We all were laughing.

“So you still haven’t sang in front of me.” Anna and Austin both said.

“First, that was creepy. Second, you can’t wait. Patience is a virtue.” I laughed at them. I loved being the enforcer of patience.

“You’re no fun.”

“What have I told you about pouting, my dear sister? It isn’t becoming on you.” I said to Anna while I squeezed her face.

“Fine.” She stopped pouting. “It’s like 2 minutes before you go on. Austin shouldn’t you be doing something important?”

“Eh, not really. I just kinda stand around. I’ve already warmed up and stuff so I’m all good.”

“Well that’s cool.” Vic said.

“Welp, that’s my cue. See you in a few.” Austin said and then ran out on the stage.

Then it started; the moment that I was looking forward to all day. I get to see my best friend on stage, doing what he loves most: playing guitar. I haven’t seen him play in what feels like months, not like this. Ah, this is what I loved about music. It makes you feel things that you would otherwise just ignore. When people say ‘music saved my life’ they mean it. There’s a reason people relate to bands so much. It’s that they speak from the heart, and listening to a song that relates to what you’re going through and it tells you that you’re stronger than whatever is happening. It saves you. It’s saved me.

“This is great!” Teddy shouted while dancing around like a puff.

“Teddy stop being such a Puff!” Anna said it. Not me.

“Fine.” He stopped jumping around, then did what the rest of us were doing: bobbing our heads.

They went through song after song, O.G. Loko, Ohioisonfire, Product of a Murderer, The Great Hendowski, YDG, and this one, Still YDG’n. My Understandings was next, I was only slightly nervous.

“Alright everyone, for our last song we have a surprise guest.”Austin said to calm the crowd.

“This person is the most fantastic singer I have had the chance of growing up with. Too bad she’ll never do something with it, despite my protest.” Alan put in.

“So here she is, please give a badass welcome for a bad ass chick. Nyx!” Austin introduced me. Then Alan ran off stage and grabbed my hand and drug me back on with him before I could do anything. I couldn’t help but laugh at his expression. Austin handed me a mic that was thrown to him. Before I took it, I smacked Alan on the head.

“I could have fallen if you had been less careful.”

“Okay, if you’re done assaulting my guitarist, say hi.” Austin said into his mic.

“He started it, and hello people in the crowd. Shall we do this?” The crowd screamed. Oh this is fun. Now I know how they feel while on stage.

“Alright, you got this!” Austin said, gesturing toward me.

The chords of the music started, and suddenly I was glad that this was the song I sang in the talent show

“I don’t mind It, I don’t mind if you’re overrated, Or if you’re staring at the edge of the world.... and if we climb this high I swear we’ll never die. I’ll never die, yeah.”

That was it. It was over. Just like that, it seemed to fly by. I didn’t think it would go by that fast, and I sure as hell didn’t think the crowd would be screaming that much.

“Thank you everyone, we’ll be signing right next to the stage so come out and see us!” With that said, Austin ran over to me, hugged me, and carried me off stage.

“Holy shit! You were amazing!! I had no idea you had that kind of voice!” Austin cried.

“Oof,” I groaned as Alan, Tino, Phil, Anna, Vic, and Teddy practically attacked the two of us with a chorus of things similar to what Austin said.

--

The night of the concert couldn’t have been more perfect. It was Austin, Alan, Anna, Vic, Teddy, Tino, Phil and myself. Just us 8, and boy, were we having one hell of a party.

“Shots!” Alan shouted from on top of the counter! Cue general sound of everyone running to him so the liquor they wanted was getting poured. Luckily I had charmed a bottle of Firewhiskey to look like some muggle whiskey so Teddy could drink something he called normal alcohol. Only those who were magical knew it was firewhiskey, aka, just Vic Anna, Teddy, Alan, and I.

“Whiskey! It’s my turn to choose the shot!” I shouted from the back of the crowd.

“Agreed!” Both Teddy and Alan shouted. Alan started to pour the shots of it. Yay firewhiskey. “Alright! This shot is in honor of my most fantastic best friend Venus Nyx Winterburn, though it’s not fair her name is two of the most powerful goddess in history but beside the point, to her fantastic voice and our amazing friendship!” Alan raised his shot in my general direction, and the others followed suit. Then as one collective group we took our shot, and the sad thing is Anna, Vic and I were the ones who were least affected by the burning, which was so more intense than muggle whiskey.

“Nyx, I have two questions. One, why is this whiskey so much more harsh than others, and two, where the fuck do you get it?!” Austin was a very animated person. I was learning this more and more as he got more and more drunk. I love lightweights.

“One, it’s a kind they only make in England and you have to know the right places to get it. I’ll send some when I go back.” LIE LIE LIE! Blasted Statute of Secrecy.

For the next few hours we just sat around playing drinking games such as bullshit, circle of death, Edward forty hands (that was just the guys, all of the girls preferred hard liquor) and a bunch of other random ones that went with movies, TV shows and even some games. The bus was so cloudy from of all the smoke. It was getting close to 6 a.m. I was tired.

“Urgh. I’m so tired but I don’t want to move!” Lying on the floor was a lot more comfortable than it seemed. Alan and Anna had retreated to his bunk to talk about shit. I could hear them laughing from here. Austin was lying beside me, Teddy was on the verge of passing out on an already sleeping Vic, and Phil and Tino were on the other side of me, practically asleep as well.

“I’m tired, too. Carry me to the bunk?” Austin mumbled.

“Hey if anyone’s getting carried to the bunk it’s me. I would have issues picking you up. I can’t even pick up Teddy and he’s a rail.”

“Not fair. I don’t wanna carry you.”

“Then don’t. Just help me get up.”

“Fine, I will.” Austin wiggled his way closer to me and grabbed my hands. “Pull when I pull, that way we help each other up and there will be no carrying anyone to the bunk.”

“Oof. I can’t believe that actually worked.” I really hadn’t expected it to; I was challenged as it was.

“You’d be surprised. Now,” He picked me up, “Off to the bunk.”

“I thought you said you weren’t gonna carry me?” I asked, his arms were nice and warm. It was nice. I snuggled in closer to his chest.

“I changed my mind. Ah, beautiful bunk, I’ve missed you.” Austin placed me on the bed. “Hey will you toss me that bag so I can go to the bathroom and change?” he was pointing at the bag that was next to mine on the bed.

“Sure, that way I can change while you’re in there.” I handed him his bag and he went to the bathroom.

“Shit, what am I gonna sleep in? Ah fuck it. I’ll sleep in this.” I got under the covers and was almost asleep when he came back to the bunk. “You’re crawling over me. I’m not moving.”

“Fine.” Austin crawled over me and got under the covers. “Hey, you’re still in the same clothes. Don’t you have something to sleep in?”

“Nope, I’m sleeping in this. I don’t care.

He tossed me a shirt. “Take that one, I don’t mind if you sleep in it.”

“Fine, but I’m not moving more than I have to, to change.” I put the shirt on over my clothes, and like a boss, took the other ones off with the most modesty I could muster. It’s not like I cared. For the first time in years I was comfortable with the way I looked, so I didn’t really give a shit who saw it, save for some personal areas. “I’m not sleeping in those damn shorts.” I took off the sofees and was now in my boycut underwear. If Austin had a problem with it he’d get over it.

“Whatever, now scoot. I’m tired.” I scooted.

“Just so you know, you’re never getting this shirt back, it smells nice and I’m keeping it.” I inhaled the scent of what I could only describe as a perfect mix of lavender, grass, and Austin and fell asleep before I could hear his answer.