A Warped Summer

Chapter 1: Red, White, and Blue Water

I walked along the path from the party. That's right, it's Summer. And the very beginning of it might I add. Everyone knows me as that girl who sits in the back, gets amazing grades, is kind to everybody, and loves music. Literally I love music with a passion. So far my hearts been settled on hard-core and post- hardcore rock. Acoustic and piano seem to be my favorite, though. Everyone tells me that I love any type of music that's ran through my ears. They don't lie. I love every single genre of music out there! I've listened to rock, indie, pop, country, rap, acoustic, piano, hard-postcore, emo, screamo, you name it!

I was just invited to a party by a player of football. All those things they say about jocks always being mean, or cheerleaders being prissy, they're not all like that. Everyone in the school is mostly kind and appreciative. At least, that's my school. I've read on websites and learned about the so called "emos" who usually get bullied and outcasted. I hate whoever makes them want to lose their lives. They don't know half of what they put those people through! I've made actual friends online who have been bullied every day for years of they're lifetime! And I haven't even met them in person! They'd either had school problems, bullies, family problems, abuse, or worse things!

It was then I figured out the fact people have started cutting. It breaks my heart every time someone brings it up in the fanfiction I now read online. It hurts. Every time I hear of it I try and help people and say the one thing I can think to make them feel better. I know all the other things that people say about how everything will be alright, but the truth is, it doesn't help the person at all. It just makes more questions run throughout their head. Instead, I say, "You were put on this planet for a reason. Don't try to take it away because of how people look differently at others. It's their fault if they can't see your beauty. It's their fault for making you see everything wrong. If your put into life, you're suppose to live it your fullest. Don't make your life sadness to the point where you give up and give in. If you do something like it, you regret it after its too late."

I've helped quite a few people from this. I told them how I poured my heart and soul out to tell them that. A lot of people don't understand how others feel, because they are not the person getting bullied. They don't know what goes through the victim's head. They don't know the thoughts they've created. They don't know how they feel.

I don't even know how they feel! All I know, is that if I put myself into their shoes for a moment, and imagine everything they go through and remember every fanfic I've read and how it told me what it would be like to cut every day to feel the pain, it also convinces the person who's cutting themselves to more terrible thoughts. Because the more they feel the pain, the more they know they're alive, going through a painful phase that happens to everyone. I just can't bring myself to the conclusion of bullies who have done this. They don't deserve the power their minds persuade them to gain from the weak.

I feel so left out of this world because I don't know what the people out there go through. Instead, I'm living in a happy life full of colorful clothes, smiles everywhere I go, and a skip and melodic step to every walk I bring myself to do everyday.

Parties and celebrations were the last thing I wanted. Even though the whole school seemed to be my best friend, they just made me realize I'm like some of those bands out their who give a strong message throughout their music. I stand as an inspiration to keep going. That's all I am. Everyone knows I try and help out as much as I can. I pour all my feelings out so I can help people. Those people who can accept what I give, those people are my true friends.

I smiled as I spotted a white flower on the sidewalk. It looked gold if tilted it in the suns rays. It reminded me of my name. Iris. It was a sort of nickname that catches on through school. My real name was Irislane. They started calling me Iris when I listened to The Goo Goo Dolls song "Iris." I can't get it out of my head since. Instead of looking it up and watching someone sing it through a camera, I hum and quietly sing it to myself in the hallways. It's my favorite song. And it won't stay out of my head.

I plucked the flower from the ground and began walking again.

I hummed down the sidewalk as I twirled the flower in my hands. White was my favorite color. I still will never know how white always brings me to the word Iris. It was just one of life's mysteries.

I stopped walking when I noticed a small looking concert going on over across from me. No guard or security was around it. I didn't know who they were, but I found myself walking across the empty street to the sunlit stage. A couple of people were jumping around on a stage. It looked so much like a concert, yet it wasn't. I could tell an actual concert when I see it.

I started walking along the grass to the music. I caught a few words, but it was cut off by the screaming kids.

Most of them looked to be around my age. Some were even a bit older or younger. They seemed to be having so much fun, jumping around on the grass, even if it was a hundred degrees out here. They kept singing along with a band. It seemed to be such a great place, that is until someone ran right into me.

I groaned, as I was on the grass with a person piled on top of me. I couldn't see much of what they looked like, but I saw multicolored hair. Cool multicolored hair if I may put that out there.

Someone pulled them off of me and the sun blured in my eyes. I held up my hand to block the sun as the figures started to take notice of who they just trampled.

"Oh my gosh! Are yout okay?" Someone asked. It was a girl's voice, nonetheless.

"Yeah. I'm fine," I announced. I pulled my hand away from my eyes to see a lot of people looking at me. "Am I bleeding or something?"

Someone next to me chuckled. I turned my head to the right to find a guy with a large streak of red in his hair.

"No. But if you were, wouldn't you look at yourself before you ask someone your bleeding?" He asked. I shook my head.

"I don't care if I get a little blood on me."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Well that's a start for a girl who's wearing all white." I completely forgot I was in a white sun dress. It went down to my ankle. It went with my hair, which I put white streaks in. I didn't dye or give highlights to my hair, I just clipped in some of those cheap clips you get from a retail store.

"Well then, I guess I might as well have put the blood in my hair. You seemed to have done that with yours," I simply answered back, using a bit of sassyness in my tone.

He just simply smirked.

"Well well well. Looks like someone fell on the bad side of the grass." A few people gasped and leaned in to to hear my words. The guy with the red hair held out a hand to help me get picked up. I noticed a variety of tattoos up and down his arm. They looked cool, but there was no way I was giving in to this jerk. I needed a fight. So I'm going to take him down.

I slapped his hand away, causing a few more gasps.

I then picked myself off the ground and dusted off dirt that tagged along to my butt. I then turned to Red - which I nicknamed him - and smirked.

"Well someone shows a lot of pity to people who can pick themselves up from the ground." My shot remark to him made him cross his arms.

He kept opening and closing his mouth until he finally decided on his words.

"No fair! You get the best remark and I have nothing!" He shouted out like a five year old, flaring his arms above his head only to cross them again. He bowed his head and grumbled, "meanie."

I chuckled.

"Someone needs to find you, because whoever they are, they lost a three year old." Everyone gave me wide eyes before looking back at a flabbergasted red faced man. Also known as Red.

"Who do you think you are?" He managed to huff out.

I stroked an imaginary beard.

"Someone who just burned you." His mouth looked agape and he just stood there, hunched over, arms limp in front of him, and his face now red.

"Wow. You got some nerve coming here. What are you? Some kind of prep?" I crossed my arms and glared.

"No," I hissed. "I'm here because I saw an awesome band performing. And what you describe as "prep" here, doesn't exist in this town." Everyone widened their eyes. "Who are you guys anyways?"

"We're what you recalled as and 'awesome band.'"

I nodded and continued the fight. This time unfolding my arms.

"So . . . I'm not calling you 'awesome band' for this whole fight, so what is your real band name, Red?" I asked, using his nickname. His eyebrow raised.

"Red?" He questioned. I pushed my hands to my hips.

"Got a problem with the nickname?"

"No. Just wondering where you'd get it from is all . . ."

"Well I have two reasons so far. One being the streak in your hair, and two for your face turning into a fire truck's siren." His face contorted into anger.

"What are you even doing here?" He shot back.

"Like I said: I just saw an awesome band performing and I wanted to know why it was free."

"This is the very beginning of Warped Tour, White. If you don't like the sun, maybe you should've stayed in the shade and blossom a bit more."

It was my turn to raise an eyebrow.

"White?"

"Wanna know the reasons?"

I crossed and uncrossed my arms.

"Well? I don't have all day." Lie. I have nothing planned for the day at two in the afternoon.

"If you must know the reasons, they are you're really pale, you're dressed in all white, and let's not forget the streaks." He grinned. Correction! He smirked.

"I'm pale for an unknown reason, even though I've been in the sun for far too long in the day. White is my favorite color and if you wear all white, unlike someone," I began, referring to him. He wore all black so, why not? "The heat won't be as bad. And the streaks? They're clips from a retail store." My arms were limp at my side. I had nothing left to say.

Red frowned.

"Are we going to go on with this all day? I have to perform!"

I simply waved my hand at him.

"Then go and bleed on the stage! I don't care!" I stated. A large crowd had formed around us. I think they were waiting for something big and exciting to happen. They were just holding in their laughter . . . For now, at least.

"Actually, I'm going to bleed on the dance floor, White," he spit my my name out with venom as a retort. I simply smiled.

"Did you just give me a hint to your bands name?" I asked suspiciously. He was taken aback.

"Yeah," he finally grumbled as he bumped shoulders with me to head to the stage. I smiled where I was. I think I just made my first enemy. Great.

"You have some guts to stand up to Dahvie like that," a girl's voice said. I recognized it as the girl who ran into me.

"Dahvie? That's who he was?" She nodded her head. Her rainbow colored hair cascaded over her shoulders. She looked to be my age. She wore every color of the rainbow. She had stopped red, orange, and yellow skinny jeans, with a polka dot rainbow shirt. She looked hyper with her dilated pupils l that were surrounded my a dark emerald green. She looked . . . Fun to be around.

She laughed. It was very unexpected, but it looked like she just realized something.

"You and Dahvie are enemies! You and Dahvie are enemies! Forget about being frenemies! It won't happen anytime in history!" She began singing at the top of her lungs. I laughed. "Oh and, by the way, my name's Ranen." She held out her hand. I took it in mine and shook her hand.

"I'm Irislane. But, you can call me Iris," I said back. She smiled.

"Like the flower?"

"And song."

"Awesome! Your name is so cool!" She jumped as she let go of my hand.

"So why did you run into me?" I asked as she jumped up again.

"Oh I was having a water fight with two other bands, but I got ambushed and ran into you backwards!" She yelled out, as she kept jumping in the air. She finally stopped a minute later and grabbed my arm. She also leaned down and grabbed a super soaker. She then turned to me.

"You wanna play with us?"

I nodded my head.

"But, I don't think I'm dressed right for getting wet. . ." I trailed off. She tugged my arm and then started running to a black bus. She ran up the small staircase and burst through the door. She let go of my hand and held up the water gun

"Don't shoot! I've come with a player!" She yelled. I looked over her shoulder and saw a lot of men standing in the bus, holding up large water guns and in an attacking position.

"Who's the babe?" A . . . Man . . . Dressed in black asked. From my view, he kind of looked like a girl. Half of his face was covered by sunglasses. His voice clearly indicated he was a guy though. Five of the men in the bus were dressed in black. The other half were dressed in band tees and everyday loose, dark clothes. Almost everybody's face was covered by sunglasses. Some were even wearing hats. It looked like they were undercover spies or something.

"This babe, is Iris. She will be joining the game of squirt the twirps!" I chuckled. "Do you guys know where I put my suitcase yesterday?" They pointed to the corner on the other side of the room. She practically ran over there, dragging me along with her.

While she rummaged through the bag, the men on the bus took them is chance to ask me questions.

"So, Iris? How did you end up meeting Ranen?" A guy asked who looked like a girl. He was definitely a guy from his voice.

"She ran into me while shooting people with water." They chuckled.

"What brings you to Warped?" A guy with a hat in asked. His eyes were covered by shades and I saw blonde poke out of his hat.

"Actually," I grabbed my left arm and started rubbing it. "I didn't even know what Warped was. All I know is bands perform for free?" It came out more as a question then a statement.

"Oh . . . So you don't know who we are then?" A guy dressed in black asked. He looked more mature than the rest in the bus. Mr. Mature, and Mr. Blondie. Awesome.

"Well, what songs do you guys usually perform?"

"We're a post-hardcore and hard rock, and metal core band," Mr. Mature answered.

"What's your bands name?"

"Why should we tell you?" A tall guy asked. A very tall guy asked. His face wasn't covered. He didn't wear a hat. But his hair was shaved off one side and grew out on the other. His face was built to look hollow, but intimidating. Intimidating my butt.

"Well, looks like Mr. Intimidating woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," I said without thinking. Ranen giggled behind me as everyone on the bus snickered.

Everyone but Mr. Intimidating.

He glared hard at me.

"Who do you think you are?"

"Why is it, it's the second time today someone's asked me that? And Mr. Intimidating, you must be deaf because I was just announced as Iris. Clean out the hair dye in your ears if you want to actually hear better."

His face were priceless! His face was snarled and he looked angry. Like, "I'm going to kill you angry."

Before he could say anything back, Ranen handed me kapri shorts, and a short sleeved t-shirt. The tee was light green, and the kapris were a sunshine yellow.

"Thanks."

"No problem. Whoa," she said, looking behind me. "What got up Andy's ass?"

"Apparently Iris." A guy with shades and hat said. Black hair was sticking out of his hat. Everyone in the bus started laughing their heads off. It took me and Mr. Intimidating, who I'm guessing was Andy, to realize what had just been said.

"Ew!" We both said at the same time.

"Dude! Why would you say that?!" Andy yelled.

"Oh! Looks like 'Mr. Intimidating' strikes again!" The same guy said. Shades. . . That name suits him.

I turned back to Ranen.

"Where should I change?"

"The bathroom is down the hall, your first door in the right." She pointed in the direction of the hallway.

"Thanks."

"She can't use it," said Shades. "Bus driver is using it." He pretended to gag.

"Iris can change in front if us. We won't peak," the guy that looked like a girl said. He wore a black vest that showed a tattoo that was written out. 'Outlaw.' Well, his nickname was already chosen for him.

"Ashleyi, you pervert! Iris, I'll hold a blanket in front if your so you can change," Ranen said, a little more serious than I'd seen her today. I nodded and we went to the corner of the far side of the bus. She pulled a large blanket off the couch and held it high above both our hands, and she backed me further into the corner, closing the spaces of anyone's view.

I quickly stripped down and pulled the kapris over my king, pale legs. I then took the shirt and slipped it over my head. I pushed the blanket where I suspected Ranen to be and she got the message. She slowly took down the blanket and looked me over.

"I think you might want your long hair to be tied into ponytail. Okay?" I nodded. She took a hair band from her wrist and turned me around. I won't lie to you, my hair is very long. It goes down a little past my butt. And the worst part is, I'm tall, so my upper body is long. It makes my hair longer, too. It took her a minute to pull my hair hack, but in the end, she braided my hair. It reached up to my waist. My long, brown hair, is mean, since it didn't necessarily agree with ponytails.

"There! Now we can get you a Nerf gun, and we can soak each other from head to toe!"

We started to walk off the bus, and that's when I noticed Andy eyeing me. And by that, I knew he was going to try to soak me first. How do I know this? Well, Mr. Intimidating held his pointer and middle finger to his eyes and then he pointed to me. Talk about a stalker moment!

"Here," Ranen said, handing me a giant Nerf water gun. I love this already! She gave me one that's bigger than everyone else's!

Shades looked at me. Then my gun. Then back at me again. Then he smirked.

"I'm gonna take you down, Flower!" He shouted raising his gun.

"Flower?"

"You know . . . Iris is a flower and its really white and-" before he could say anything else, I raised my gun and soaked him. When he dropped his gun two seconds later, I raised my gun high above my head.

"Beat that Shades! Victory!" Everyone was watching us. They all started laughing. Laughing at Shades.

He started turning reder than Red, and he glared at me.

Before I knew what was happening, he picked up his gun and soaked me in blue water. I started running away. We chased each other around the grass, while Shades and Mr. Intimidating ganged up. I ran into Ranen and she shouted while we ran away from the guys, "Run towards the stage so we can get Dahvie and Jayy while their performing!"

"Who's Jayy?!" I shouted back.

"He's Dahvie's best friend and they perform together!" The stage came into view.

We finally reached backstage. Ranen showed her backstage pass to backstage security and we ran in. We ran to the side of the stage and kept clear from the screaming crowd. I noted how Dahvie noticed us and glared at me. He started jumping over to our side while coming to the end of a song. I panicked, and so did Ranen.

Suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder as Dahvie was a few feet away. I flipped around, only to come face to face with intense green eyes. His eyes smirked along with his mouth. The only bad part was, HIS shades were still covering his eyes.

Suddenly, I was grabbed by the arms by him. Without thinking, I pushed him behind me, to the stage, into Dahvie, while he was singing. They toppled onto the stage, and Dahvie's microphone went flying my way. I heard it hit someone in the head, as I ducked it. I spun around, and saw Mr. Intimidating himself rubbing his head with his hand. He glared solemnly at me.

"Oh come on!" I shouted. I grabbed Ranen's hand, and we ran off the stage into the fans. Shades got up off of Red, and he ran off the stage to look for us. His water gun was in his hand and he was shoving to the crowd in our direction. I looked at Ranen. She looked as scared as I was as Shades was closer and closer to us. I spaced out in panic, and she pulled me out of the fans. We ran to the small parking or as I saw people handing out water guns to the fans. We ran and ran until we were being pelted with all different kinds of colored water.

Unreadable too soon when me and Ranen were about to be surrounded by Shades, Red, and Mr. Intimidating. We we're panicking. Badly.

Some of the guys from earlier glean up to us and shoved past the swarm of bodies. We were running now.

Running as three guys were specifically chasing me.

Dahvie must have picked up a water gun sometime, because when I glanced back he had a super soaker. Dear Lord, that super soaker was almost as big as mine! What we're they going to do to me if they catch me?!

A million thoughts racked my brain as I felt a hand on my arm. I turned around in horror to see Mr. Intimidating. I screamed and ran faster. His grip listened and I ran even faster as I felt his hand fall from my arm. I heard music throughout the whole place. I vaguely remember the song as "Do It Now, Remember It Later." Another one of my favorite songs. I never see any of the music videos, even though I'm dying to catch a glimpse of one, I just don't have as much internet access. I forgot who sing a this song, but I love it!

Somewhere while running away, I tripped on a lost water gun and fell face-first on the ground.

Ranen went to help me up, but one of the guys dressed in black pulled her away, as the three guys who probably hate me now we're a few yards away. I smiled and waved at them.

"Hi!" I yelled out to them sheepishly. They raised their guns with smiles played only their faces. I covered my face with my arms, but was just in time to see three fans throw huge buckets of water on the three of them. They even put ice in them! I undressed my arms as they dripped the speakers and began screaming through the coldness. I need to thank those fans!

Ranen ran back over to me and helped me up.

"Sorry! One of the guys wanted to see me watch what the tans planned on doing! You should thank Ashley for helping you out." We high fived and walked over to who I remember was nicknames Outlaw.

"You're Ashley?" I asked, astonished his name fit with his . . . Um . . . Face. Not to be rude, even though it's my thoughts, but he really looks like a girl. And his name, fit his face. That's it.

"Yep. And your Iris. We good here?" Ranen chuckles. I just smirked.

"Only after I say thanks, Outlaw." This time I smirked even bigger. He smirked too.

"Well, your welcome, m'lady," he said, as he grabbed my hand and kissed it. He smiled from my white knuckles and then dropped my hand.

"Hey, how old are you, Iris?" I looked at her, and got the message. I winked.

"Just turned seventeen." I heard Ashley groan.

"Why is it every girl I hit on, they just have o be underaged?" I raised an eyebrow.

"You wanted me for . . ." I spun my hands for the word. Yes, I feel weirded out when I hear anything mentioned with sex. Yes, I will admit, I'm a virgin, and I don't want to have sex until I'm a couple months into marriage. I can't be blamed for wanting someone I love to feel the same for me; I want it to be out of pure love, not pure pleasure. It just wouldn't feel right to me.

"Ohhh. . . Someone's shy," Ashley teased. I blushed.

"How old are you, Ashley?" He pouted.

"Twenty nine. . ." He muttered under his breath.

"Eh. I don't care," I replied causing both Ranen and Ashley to both drop their mouths. "What?"

"You don't care that a guy twelve years older than you just flirted with you?" Ranen asked. I shook my head.

"Nope. Age is just a number, and I don't care if Ashley over here was a hundred. My feelings towards him are small. I would accept him as a comforting friend more than anything else."

"So you're saying we're friends?" Ashley jumped in. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Yous have to act like one," I said sternly.

"Yay!" He hugged me before spotting a blonde behind me as he bear hugged me. "Well see ya guys!" He strides over to the blonde and then began his flirting.

I chuckled before facing Ranen once more.

"What do you want to.do for a while?"

"Well, I might have to do back to my brother's house in a bit, but do you think I could try one of the instruments on the stage?" She nodded before we began our long walk to the stage. She held the pass up to the security and I immediately scurried in for the acoustic guitar I had my eye on when I got here. It had a few signatures on it, but other than that, it looked tuned, and I wanted to play it. I'm a little rusty after so many years, but I just wanted to strum it a few times, then head over to my brother's house. I loved acoustic songs. My mom was a music magician. She played every instrument out there. Her favorite instrument was the acoustic. she taught me how to play at one point before the incident.

I breathed in the wood of the guitar before picking it off of its pedestal.

Ranen smiled.

"Do you want to perform by yourself for a bit?" I smiled, but nodded. She walked off the stage to the three soaked enemies.

I walked over to a stool in the middle of the stage and began stunning quietly. Slowly tuning them into small little notes. It was tuned perfectly!

Thinking fora moment, I looked at the half closed curtain. It still showed me, but no one was on the open side. It was risky, but I haven't played a song since the incident. It's itching my fingers so much. I bit my lip but started whipping my fingers all over the guitar. I finally settled for "The Mortician's Daughter". It's a beautiful song. I closed my eyes and just breathed out the words.

Soon I was swaying myself to the guitar and everything disappeared. I sang the lyrics softly, but worryingly, as if I was rocking a baby to sleep. This guitar could could easily be mistakened for one in a heart beat from me. It just felt so far away. Every time I play the guitar, I remember the first time i saw my baby sister being rocked to sleep, my mom singing to her as she swayed to an old song. I missed her so much.

A tear escaped my eye. I didn't wipe it away though. I just let it fall. The song soon switched over to "Iris" and I just tapped my foot to the strumming.

Soon, I remembered reality and stopped after "Iris" was over. I smelled in the quiet, peaceful air. I quickly set the guitar back on it's set, and began walking off the stage, listening to my shoes echo through the calm air. Then, it hit me like a ton of bricks. It was silent. Moments ago, it was screaming and noisy. What happened? I let my footsteps echo as I walked to the agape curtain.

I inhaled deeply, hoping no one heard me sing or play. I walked into the view of the crowded field of grass in front of the stage. I immediately couldn't breath as I saw everyone had dropped their water guns and were staring at me. Did I mention I have terrible stage fright? No? Well, let's just say I fell off the stage when I tripped on my own feet to run away as someone caught me.