Status: Finished
Can You Chase Away the Darkness ?
Chapter Four
Vic’s POV
I can’t believe I actually just asked her to come hang out. I’d been thinking about it all day, but I thought for sure I was going to wimp out. Carson looked genuinely intrigued to come watch us play, but I was so nervous that she wouldn’t like our type of music. We weren’t exactly your typical boy band…
I paced the floor, she would be here any minute. The garage was loud with voices, the other guys scattered around on the couches. It was the same crew as at lunch, minus Jesse, Gabe, and Jack Fowler, because they were all going to some party. Mike placed his hand on my shoulder, “Dude, relax.” I nodded, but my body was still tensed up. “It’ll be fine !” Phil said in encouragement, and a few others murmured agreement. I walked outside of the garage and waited at the end of my driveway for her to appear. I saw her round the corner and wave, and I waved back. She wore the same outfit as at school, only with grey boots and a grey beanie, and she looked amazing in it. “Hey Vic !” She said enthusiastically as she walked up to me. I nodded in acknowledgement, then motioned to my house. “This is my house, obviously.” I lead her into the garage. “This is where we’ll be playing, you can take a seat on one of the couches. She took a seat between Aaron and Alan, on the same couch as Kellin as well. Every guy in the room greeted her with a smile, and she seemed happy to be accepted. Her and Alan started a conversation, and the guys and I got ready to play. I stepped up to the microphone, ”This song goes out to Carson, a new friend.” A chorus of “awh’s” filled the garage, and I rolled my eyes. “This song is called Cheap Bouquet, it’s one of our newer songs.” The guys and our band had an agreement that every time we played for one another, we would act like it was a legit gig, to prepare for the future. We all rotated by playing for one another every week, so my band played once every three weeks. The guitar for the song started up, and then the only thing on my mind was music.
“Stay young and at the top of our lungs
Our hands are free
Our lives have just begun
It's getting dark, we should go back
But what's the use if what you love is what you have?
And I could die right now
For something beautiful to take me somewhere else…”
I kept locking gazes with Carson, and her eyes were big and shining. After the first song, she clapped the loudest, and I was relieved that she liked it. We played four more songs, Falling Asleep on a Stranger, She Sings in the Morning, The Balcony Scene and Currents Convulsive. By the time we’d finished the set, it was fading into nighttime. I grabbed Carson and we exited the garage, gazing out into the starry night. It was just past 7:30, and the stars were just starting to show themselves. She turned to me,” So, you’re called Pierce the Veil ?” She must have seen the emblem on Mike’s drums. “Yeah, to pierce the veil means to get to the root of a problem and get rid of it.” Her eyes twinkled, brighter than the stars themselves “That’s pretty cool. I, uh, I really like you’re guys’ music.” I turned to her with a big smile “So you like post-hardcore and stuff ? That’s great, Austin has a band too, and so do Kellin and Alex, and that’s the genre we all play.” Just then, someone ran up behind us and picked both of us up. I looked over, Austin had her slung over his shoulder and was now darting down the street whooping and hollering. Tino and Mike ran after them, with me in their arms, raised above their heads. “What the hell guys ?!” I saw Kellin, Jack, and Alex behind us, all making a ton of noise as we raced down the street.
After we reached the end of the block, I started to enjoy it, and just let them race me through the slightly chilly November air.
We ended up at the corner store, almost the whole group of us now. Mike and a few others bought some cigarettes, and I stood outside the store with Carson. She shivered and shuffled closer to me, laying her head on my shoulder. I tentatively wrapped my arms around her, and she leaned into the embrace. I turned to face the opposite side of the street, pointing out the park there. “We’ll probably head there for a while after this, you down ? If not, I can take you home…” I added the ending as an afterthought, in case she wanted to come home for some reason. She shook her head, and I asked “Do you smoke ?” She looked up at me, “Yeah, but I left my pack at home.” I pointed to the guys inside, “They’re buying some right now, we all share.” Just then, someone shoved me from behind, then playfully grabbed me around the shoulders. I whipped around to face Kellin, then jumped on his back. We took off again, crossing the street like that. With more footsteps and hollers, we were all at it again.
“The only way to find true happiness is to risk being completely cut open.”
I can’t believe I actually just asked her to come hang out. I’d been thinking about it all day, but I thought for sure I was going to wimp out. Carson looked genuinely intrigued to come watch us play, but I was so nervous that she wouldn’t like our type of music. We weren’t exactly your typical boy band…
I paced the floor, she would be here any minute. The garage was loud with voices, the other guys scattered around on the couches. It was the same crew as at lunch, minus Jesse, Gabe, and Jack Fowler, because they were all going to some party. Mike placed his hand on my shoulder, “Dude, relax.” I nodded, but my body was still tensed up. “It’ll be fine !” Phil said in encouragement, and a few others murmured agreement. I walked outside of the garage and waited at the end of my driveway for her to appear. I saw her round the corner and wave, and I waved back. She wore the same outfit as at school, only with grey boots and a grey beanie, and she looked amazing in it. “Hey Vic !” She said enthusiastically as she walked up to me. I nodded in acknowledgement, then motioned to my house. “This is my house, obviously.” I lead her into the garage. “This is where we’ll be playing, you can take a seat on one of the couches. She took a seat between Aaron and Alan, on the same couch as Kellin as well. Every guy in the room greeted her with a smile, and she seemed happy to be accepted. Her and Alan started a conversation, and the guys and I got ready to play. I stepped up to the microphone, ”This song goes out to Carson, a new friend.” A chorus of “awh’s” filled the garage, and I rolled my eyes. “This song is called Cheap Bouquet, it’s one of our newer songs.” The guys and our band had an agreement that every time we played for one another, we would act like it was a legit gig, to prepare for the future. We all rotated by playing for one another every week, so my band played once every three weeks. The guitar for the song started up, and then the only thing on my mind was music.
“Stay young and at the top of our lungs
Our hands are free
Our lives have just begun
It's getting dark, we should go back
But what's the use if what you love is what you have?
And I could die right now
For something beautiful to take me somewhere else…”
I kept locking gazes with Carson, and her eyes were big and shining. After the first song, she clapped the loudest, and I was relieved that she liked it. We played four more songs, Falling Asleep on a Stranger, She Sings in the Morning, The Balcony Scene and Currents Convulsive. By the time we’d finished the set, it was fading into nighttime. I grabbed Carson and we exited the garage, gazing out into the starry night. It was just past 7:30, and the stars were just starting to show themselves. She turned to me,” So, you’re called Pierce the Veil ?” She must have seen the emblem on Mike’s drums. “Yeah, to pierce the veil means to get to the root of a problem and get rid of it.” Her eyes twinkled, brighter than the stars themselves “That’s pretty cool. I, uh, I really like you’re guys’ music.” I turned to her with a big smile “So you like post-hardcore and stuff ? That’s great, Austin has a band too, and so do Kellin and Alex, and that’s the genre we all play.” Just then, someone ran up behind us and picked both of us up. I looked over, Austin had her slung over his shoulder and was now darting down the street whooping and hollering. Tino and Mike ran after them, with me in their arms, raised above their heads. “What the hell guys ?!” I saw Kellin, Jack, and Alex behind us, all making a ton of noise as we raced down the street.
After we reached the end of the block, I started to enjoy it, and just let them race me through the slightly chilly November air.
We ended up at the corner store, almost the whole group of us now. Mike and a few others bought some cigarettes, and I stood outside the store with Carson. She shivered and shuffled closer to me, laying her head on my shoulder. I tentatively wrapped my arms around her, and she leaned into the embrace. I turned to face the opposite side of the street, pointing out the park there. “We’ll probably head there for a while after this, you down ? If not, I can take you home…” I added the ending as an afterthought, in case she wanted to come home for some reason. She shook her head, and I asked “Do you smoke ?” She looked up at me, “Yeah, but I left my pack at home.” I pointed to the guys inside, “They’re buying some right now, we all share.” Just then, someone shoved me from behind, then playfully grabbed me around the shoulders. I whipped around to face Kellin, then jumped on his back. We took off again, crossing the street like that. With more footsteps and hollers, we were all at it again.
“The only way to find true happiness is to risk being completely cut open.”