Status: In progress; be calm.
Somewhere in Neverland
Prologue.
“Well?” she finally spoke, wiping a tear from her big green eyes with the back of her hand. It was the moment he had been expecting, dreading. The decisive moment. “What’s it going to be?” He heard the implication behind her unspoken words. ‘Who’s it going to be?’
The two women looked at him, eyes unblinking. Audri was steely, unwavering, hair almost cemented to her head in a flawless Grecian updo. Lisa looked more nervous, emotional. Her hands shook, and her normally perfect appearance was rough around the edges, make up smeared beneath her bloodshot eyes. It was perhaps she who had the most to lose from this situation, Audri with the most to gain.
It was Alex who stood in the centre of it all, practically helpless. He’d had no significant other when he’d gone to sleep the night before. Nobody to worry about. Plenty of ex-girlfriends. Too many flings and one night stands. Only a few who’d ever really meant much. And here were the two main flames stood in front of him, suddenly demanding resolution. He opened his mouth, shut it, opened it again.
‘Just say the first thing that comes to mind!’ his brain urged. His mouth opened, moved to speak…
“Two minutes to stage, Mr Gaskarth!” a frantic stagehand looked in the door. Alex blinked in her direction, struggling to comprehend. “Now, come on!” She grabbed his arm before he could say much, pulling him down the hall to stage right, thrusting the guitar into his arms. Not thinking, he strapped the instrument onto his chest, taking a deep breath.
“You pumped?!” Alex’s hyperactive best friend bounced in his direction, guitar smacking off his chest. “It’s the VMAs!”
“Yeah,” Alex replied softly. “Pumped.”
“Let’s gooooo motherfuckers!” Jack skipped onstage, dancing behind the massive red curtain that covered their portion of the stage. Alex steadied his breath before following him, taking his position on the podium, centre stage of the Kodak Theatre.
Looking down at his guitar, he mindlessly began to pluck out the opening riff. To his left, Zack began to pluck out the deeper parts on his bass. Behind him, Rian began to lightly beat his drums. It was a piece that Alex had designed to build anticipation and excitement into the crowd: in reality, it was just instilling the worst sense of dread into the young musician. Still, he continued to play, and just as the full band kicked in, the curtain dropped, revealing an ocean of writhing fans, all there to see him. In the corner of his eye he can see Zack swallow at the sight of the crowd before him. Zack never really liked the big crowds or the attention, but he’d always done it for the sake of the band and the music he loved to play. Alex felt his nerves swell again, the sense of duty weighing heavy on his shoulders. Almost entering autopilot, his voice kicked in, right on cue.
“I'm half remembered halfway across the world,” he began, “twice removed from my second home. The shadow of a ghost in an old haunt where the leaves spawn life cos I can’t afford to own…”
‘This isn't so bad,’ Alex thought to himself, lost in the music. He was doing it, singing his way through his words, and singing them well. The crowd were going crazy, throwing his words back at him, calling his name. He could do this.
“…oh, just for a moment!” As Alex launched into the middle 8, his eyes caught Lisa and Audri’s, the two stood side by side at stage right. Audri was steely as always, but Lisa…well, she just looked sad, and as cruel as Alex had been in the past, it broke Alex’s heart.
Something in Alex had snapped. “…when being young starts getting old…” His heart quickened, extremities tingled. “…a new place saves face, or so I’m told….” Sounds began to blur out, and the light in the corner of his eyes began to fade. “…I’ll be a new kid on an old block…” His voice began to slur, and he attempted to get the final words out with all that he was worth. “…a chal…a chalk outline on a play…a play…playground…”
With that, his vision faded to a pinprick, and he suddenly felt the sensation of falling, of movement. He felt a slam send ripples through his body just before the sound bled back in, just for a moment, just for long enough for him to hear his name echo in his ears.
The two women looked at him, eyes unblinking. Audri was steely, unwavering, hair almost cemented to her head in a flawless Grecian updo. Lisa looked more nervous, emotional. Her hands shook, and her normally perfect appearance was rough around the edges, make up smeared beneath her bloodshot eyes. It was perhaps she who had the most to lose from this situation, Audri with the most to gain.
It was Alex who stood in the centre of it all, practically helpless. He’d had no significant other when he’d gone to sleep the night before. Nobody to worry about. Plenty of ex-girlfriends. Too many flings and one night stands. Only a few who’d ever really meant much. And here were the two main flames stood in front of him, suddenly demanding resolution. He opened his mouth, shut it, opened it again.
‘Just say the first thing that comes to mind!’ his brain urged. His mouth opened, moved to speak…
“Two minutes to stage, Mr Gaskarth!” a frantic stagehand looked in the door. Alex blinked in her direction, struggling to comprehend. “Now, come on!” She grabbed his arm before he could say much, pulling him down the hall to stage right, thrusting the guitar into his arms. Not thinking, he strapped the instrument onto his chest, taking a deep breath.
“You pumped?!” Alex’s hyperactive best friend bounced in his direction, guitar smacking off his chest. “It’s the VMAs!”
“Yeah,” Alex replied softly. “Pumped.”
“Let’s gooooo motherfuckers!” Jack skipped onstage, dancing behind the massive red curtain that covered their portion of the stage. Alex steadied his breath before following him, taking his position on the podium, centre stage of the Kodak Theatre.
Looking down at his guitar, he mindlessly began to pluck out the opening riff. To his left, Zack began to pluck out the deeper parts on his bass. Behind him, Rian began to lightly beat his drums. It was a piece that Alex had designed to build anticipation and excitement into the crowd: in reality, it was just instilling the worst sense of dread into the young musician. Still, he continued to play, and just as the full band kicked in, the curtain dropped, revealing an ocean of writhing fans, all there to see him. In the corner of his eye he can see Zack swallow at the sight of the crowd before him. Zack never really liked the big crowds or the attention, but he’d always done it for the sake of the band and the music he loved to play. Alex felt his nerves swell again, the sense of duty weighing heavy on his shoulders. Almost entering autopilot, his voice kicked in, right on cue.
“I'm half remembered halfway across the world,” he began, “twice removed from my second home. The shadow of a ghost in an old haunt where the leaves spawn life cos I can’t afford to own…”
‘This isn't so bad,’ Alex thought to himself, lost in the music. He was doing it, singing his way through his words, and singing them well. The crowd were going crazy, throwing his words back at him, calling his name. He could do this.
“…oh, just for a moment!” As Alex launched into the middle 8, his eyes caught Lisa and Audri’s, the two stood side by side at stage right. Audri was steely as always, but Lisa…well, she just looked sad, and as cruel as Alex had been in the past, it broke Alex’s heart.
Something in Alex had snapped. “…when being young starts getting old…” His heart quickened, extremities tingled. “…a new place saves face, or so I’m told….” Sounds began to blur out, and the light in the corner of his eyes began to fade. “…I’ll be a new kid on an old block…” His voice began to slur, and he attempted to get the final words out with all that he was worth. “…a chal…a chalk outline on a play…a play…playground…”
With that, his vision faded to a pinprick, and he suddenly felt the sensation of falling, of movement. He felt a slam send ripples through his body just before the sound bled back in, just for a moment, just for long enough for him to hear his name echo in his ears.
♠ ♠ ♠
Don't try too hard to follow my timeline - just imagine that All Time Low blew up over the summer and they're finally starting to get their dues. Lisa is obviously that Lisa, and Audri's my own little creation (though she did take some inspiring). I have the next few parts all written up, so if there's any kind of interest you can expect them soon enough.Besos, bisous, beijos.