Sequel: If Only Until Morning

Pictures on Silence

Chapter 5

~Ryan~

The four of us picked our way to the back of the floor, packed with people moving in one direction or another. For a lot of people, that direction seemed to be the door, so heading towards the band was harder than before. Guess they didn't think the last band would hold a candle to Penny Dreadful. We stood around, watching the crowd, until Spencer nodded in the direction of the stage door.

The band, three guys laughing hysterically and Angie smiling innocently, had just emerged from backstage in relatively normal clothes. Brendon called over the crowd, catching Angie's attention and drawing her over. It took her a while though, due to the mobs of people asking her to sign things or get pictures.

Grinning, she stopped in front of us as her band mates meandered up behind her. "Hey, kids," she greeted.

"Who are you calling kid?" Jon challenged good-humouredly. Smirking, she pointed her fingers at him like a gun, and Jon put his hand to his heart before laughing and holding out his hand. "Hi, I'm Jon."

"Angie," she replied, shaking his hand.

"Spencer," Spencer introduced himself, holding out his hand, too. Angie ducked under his hand and pulled him into a hug. Spencer looked confused for a minute, making us laugh, before hugging her back. He stuck out his tongue. "Eew, stage-gross."

Angie rolled her eyes. "Like you're not used to it." She smiled shyly at the guy offering her a shirt and a sharpie.

"You stole my look," I observed, looking at her green, black, and gold makeup.

"You should be flattered," she said with a smile. "It's not everyday that you inspire someone to draw pretty patterns on her face with eyeliner. At least, not for me." I laughed. Touche. The black-haired drummer coughed emphatically behind his hand. "Oh! Brendon, Ryan, Spencer, Jon: Sean, Matt, and Jesse. Panic! meet Penny."

We all greeted each other. "You guys are amazing," I complimented.

"Likewise," Matt replied, putting his arm around a fan for a picture.

"Seriously, though," Brendon said. "A lot better than we were at this level."

"You guys were never at this level," Jesse pointed out, laughing slightly. We laughed, knowing it was kind of true.

"You know," Jon said to Angie, "That last part of the last song was pretty interesting."

"There's nothing like a girl screaming 'You're so good!' at the top of her lungs," I laughed.

Angie's cheeks burned bright red and she swept some curls out of her face, looking for some escape. Her expression brightened. "Hey, Aromi!" she called, before skittering off.

We all laughed and watched her get lost in the crowd. "Aww, she's embarrassed," Matt teased. "Good job. Normally that's what I do."

"Which is why he has so many bruises," finished Sean, signing a CD.

We made small talk for a bit, band to band, until Angie came dancing back, waving envelopes in her hand. "I come bearing paychecks!" she sang, handing her band an envelope each.

"Cha-ching!" Matt exclaimed, tearing into his.

I watched them all open their envelopes, remembering the first time I'd gotten paid for a show. That was a good day. Angie's eyes widened to the size of half-dollars and a grin split her face as she stared at the amount. "Holy fucking shit," she whispered. My eyebrows rose, and the other guys looked surprised too. So much for having to watch the language, I thought to myself. Angie hugged Jesse, Sean, and Matt in rapid succession and, after a brief pause, hugged Jon, Bren, Spence, and I, as well.

"I feel loved and violated at the same time," Brendon joked.

Angie was hopping up and down, which was just a little distracting. "I'm so happy!" she cried. "I finally have enough money for a bass!"

"The other one's not yours?" Jon asked.

"Her brother's," Jesse explained.

In the pause of conversation, the song over the speaker system changed to a pulsing dance beat. Angie gasped, smile broadened. "I love this song! Someone dance with me!" We all looked at each other uncertainly. She stuck out her lower lip. "Come on! Muse is awesome!" No one volunteered, and she sighed in aggravation. "Fine, be lame. I'll go dance alone."

"Well, she's hyper," Spencer observed with a laugh as she danced off.

So she disappeared into the crowd again and the seven of us got more water. The guys of Penny Dreadful signed some more CDs and t-shirts, and it felt good to not have to do it myself for once. I looked out over the floor, where many people were dancing. Spotting Angie almost immediately, I whistled and pointed her out.

"Damn," Brendon said, impressed, "That girl's got moves."

"She's a dancer," Sean informed. "Has been since she was six."

"Nice," Spencer declared.

I nodded idly. She moved really well; graceful, unique, almost Shakira-esque. Brendon whacked me on the arm. "Stop staring, man," he laughed.

"I wasn't staring," I defended, even though I knew fully well I had been.

"Sure, dude," Matt said, unconvinced. "Just make sure she doesn't catch you. Angie's pretty shy. Not to mention she has two really protective older brothers. But you're safe so long as they like you."

I shook my head, half-smiling. "It's not like I'm making a move on her." Realising she'd disappeared from view, I straightened and looked around for her, only to have her jump suddenly on Jesse's back, sending him stumbling forward a few steps.

"Hey, love. You miss me?" Angie giggled and messed up Jesse's hair, making it stick out everywhere. He scrunched up his face at her, and she smiled innocently and slid off his back. Joining the circle again, she asked, "Anyone seen Aero?"

Everyone shook his head. "Pete's been gone a long time, too," I realised.

There was a pause. "You don't think...?" Jon started.

"No way," Jesse interjected. "Aero swings that way, but he's been with his boyfriend Charlie since I don't know when." We all gave him funny looks, like 'You know this because?' and he shrugged. "I'm often on the receiving end of girl talk."

"Don't look at me," Angie said, holding her hands up. "I hate girl talk."

We laughed and moved on to other topics of conversation. The final band started up, but no one really listened; we were too busy making friends and having fun. Matt and Jesse turned out to be the outgoing jokesters and pranksters of the band, and despite her strange, sick sense of humour, current high energy, and pushing Matt several times for his comments, Angie was more quiet, along with Sean, who said almost nothing.

Time passed quickly and all-too-soon Pete appeared and said we ought to be getting back to the hotel. "It's okay," Angie said, stifling a yawn. "We still have most of the equipment to pack up. Plus, I have a serious jones for some beauty sleep."

"Not that you need it," Brendon said.

Angie smiled levelly, raising her eyebrows and dipping her chin. "Aww." She patted his cheek. "You're cute, but you're full of it." I chuckled along with the others and said goodbye to the band, receiving another hug from Angie.

As we walked down to the street to our hired car, I noticed Pete was smiling victoriously, but he refused to give any iota of a reason as to why. So I shrugged it off, but my mind drifted back to Penny Dreadful.

It disappointed me a bit to know there was such a great group of people in the same business against whom the chances were piled. I sighed. Oh well, we probably won't ever see them again.