You Were Meant for Me

Ville groaned as the moment had been ruined. Lauri grabbed my hand and pulled me off Ville’s lap, then walked me to a spot that had a view of the whole stage. He let out an excited yell as the rest of the band joined him and waited for their cue to take the stage. I felt a pair of arms snake around my waist as I pulled my phone out, ready to take pictures and videos. Ville stood beside me and gave the band a thumbs up as Lauri put the microphone up to his face.

“No fear,” He sang as they all ran on stage. Eero had his bass, Pauli played guitar, and Aki was on the drums.

I couldn’t contain my excitement any longer. I moved out of Ville’s arms and jumped up and down with the beat of the song. The crowd sang along to every word with Lauri, and I wished I could have too. I didn’t stop moving until the end of the song when my cousin started to introduce themselves. Once that was out of the way, they wasted no time starting the next song. This time, I leaned up against Ville’s body, as I needed to regain some energy. I wasn’t used to all this moving and jumping.

Throughout the rest of their performance, I stayed against Ville. I made sure to take plenty of pictures and videos to show to my parents. I knew dad was going to be just as impressed as I was. Talent definitely did run in our family. Our bodies swayed together to the beat of the softer song they were playing, and he hummed along to the lyrics.

Before I knew it, Lauri announced that this was going to be their last song and he wanted to see everyone in the crowd moving, dancing, and singing along. I heard a familiar guitar riff start and my eyes went wide as the crowd screamed.

“Oh my god, I know this one!” I laughed, turning to Ville. “I know this song!”

I held my phone out in front of me as I recorded them playing In The Shadows. I sang along and danced a little, as did he. Lauri looked over into the wings and grinned as he saw me singing with him. Once the song ended, I couldn’t even hear myself think over the sound of the applause and screams. Lauri and the rest of the band thanked everyone then ran off stage.

“You’ve heard of us?” Lauri asked, giving me a sweaty hug.

“Yeah! Well, only that one song. Ryan loves In The Shadows. God, she’s going to flip when I tell her you’re my cousin. Anyway, you guys were so amazing! Maybe I’m biased, but I don’t think anyone can top that performance today.”

Pauli snorted and nudged Ville in the side before they went to go clean up. We didn’t move from the side of the stage as the next band came on to play. I had no idea who they were, but I was still going to listen. Everyone in this band was dressed in all black and looked like a bunch of vampires. They were actually really good though.

Just as Lauri joined us, someone came up to Ville and pulled him to the side. I couldn’t make out what she was saying, but he nodded at her then came back. He gave my cousin a look then told me he would be back. I was a little confused, but I smiled and said okay, then went back to watching the band with Lauri. Over the music, he yelled that it was The 69 Eyes playing. I nodded, remembering them from the car ride to the bar.

Lauri danced with me as he sang along to the songs. I took more pictures and videos on my phone, including one of me and Lauri together. Ryan was going to absolutely die when she saw it. I was having such a blast with my cousin that I didn’t realize the sun was going down or that Ville hadn’t come back yet. As The 69 Eyes finished their last song and left the stage, I sent my dad a text letting him know there was only one band left to play. Lauri said a few words to one of the guys in the band as they passed us, and another one held his hand up for a high five. I couldn’t help but let out a laugh as I slapped his hand, making him laugh too.

Lauri asked me to walk with him to get some food from one of the vendors that were set up backstage, and I wasn’t going to say no to that. I’d been having so much fun, I forgot to eat lunch. He bought me a soda and fries, while he got a beer and some strange thing on a stick. We sat at a table and ate in a hurry so we could get back to the stage.

When we got back, there was a mob of people forming on the side of the stage, but that didn’t stop Lauri. He grabbed my hand and forced his way through, stopping at the front of the crowd. The stage was already set up for the final band and it looked like they were going to start playing at any moment. I could see a guy with long blonde hair holding a guitar on the other side of the stage. I caught a glimpse of Ville in the shadows across the stage, and as I turned to Lauri, the lights went down, causing him to get a wicked smile on his face.

Before I could say anything to him, an amazing guitar riff followed by drums rang out through the speakers. I spun back around on my feet to face the stage, and as I did, the lights hit the stage, revealing the band. My jaw fell to the floor as Ville stood in the middle of the stage, microphone stand in front of him. When he started singing, my eyes almost popped out of my head.

“You can’t escape the wrath of my heart, beating to your funeral song.”

He glanced at me for a second, then went back to singing. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing or hearing! I had no idea he was in a band, let alone playing the festival. My ears took in every word he sang, and my eyes watched every move he made. I was so shocked, I couldn’t even think straight.

“Surprise!” Lauri laughed from beside me. “What do you think? Are they better than The Rasmus?” He teased.

“You jerk! You knew all along this was going to happen. You hush, let me listen and I’ll be able to decide.”

I couldn’t keep my eyes off Ville. He looked so happy and at peace on stage, like that was where he truly belonged. He would sneak glances and send smiles in my direction as I stood there, listening to his amazing voice. He pulled a cigarette out of a pack and lit it while the band played behind him. Much to my surprise, he smoked while he sang. They finished their second song and everyone, including me, let out a loud scream. Ville introduced the next song as one called, Right Here In My Arms.

Lauri jammed and danced with me once again to a few songs. I was trying to keep myself from drooling all over the stage but it was proving to be a hard task. Ville looked so amazing on stage. The next song they did was a cover of Wicked Game, a song I knew very well, one I could finally sing along to. We kept a steady gaze during the whole song, neither one of us missing a word.

“Nobody loves no one.” He sang out, ending the song. He looked out at the sea of fans, then back at me. “Sorry, if I do not do this now, I’m afraid it will never happen.”

He left the stage and ran to the side where Lauri and I were standing in confusion. As he got closer, the people behind us starting yelling and pushing, trying to get closer to him. Someone from behind knocked into me, sending me falling forwards into the arms of Ville and he gave me a little smile. He helped me get my footing back, and then leaned his head closer and pressed his lips to mine tenderly. I felt my knees get a little weak, almost jelly-like, as I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling us even closer.

I finally forced myself to pull away from him, knowing he needed to get back to the stage. As I opened my eyes, I was almost blinded by all the flashes from cameras and phone pointed at us. He gave me a quick kiss before running back on stage to sing their next song. I took a few deep breaths, but my stomach was still doing flips and twists. Feeling a little unsteady, I grabbed onto Lauri’s arm and tried to collect myself enough to get through the rest of their set.

I couldn’t keep focused on anything, not even Ville, as my mind kept going back to our kiss. The way his lips felt against mine was like pure magic. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced before and it was certainly better than anything I could have imagined. I felt my face growing hot as I realized our first kiss happened in front of so many of his fans, in front of my cousin too.

I was pulled from my thoughts as Lauri called my name, poking my side. I whipped my head around and faced him. He had a weird look on his face and asked if I was alright. I just nodded and turned my attention towards the stage, a small smile on my face. Ville was singing about killing loneliness or something to that effect, and soon after, he was telling everyone good night and walking off to the other side of the stage.

The lights dimmed down again, and the crowd was chanting, urging them to play one more song. I watched as Ville wiped away the sweat from his body with a towel, then down a bottle of water. He said a few words to the guitarist who nodded and ran back out with his guitar. He waited for the drummer to take his spot behind his kit, then he played the opening riffs to their last song.

Ville caught me staring at him, as he waited for the perfect moment to return to the stage. I blew him a kiss, which he caught and cheesily put it in his pocket. I watched as he sang to the crowd, only this time they were singing even louder with him. He was an absolute rock star, in every sense of the word. They loved his band! I had never seen such a display of fandom before.

Once the song was over, the band walked off stage for good this time. They were all stuck on the other side of the stage, taking pictures and talking to a few fans. Lauri somehow sensed how anxious I was getting and led me to where everyone else was waiting. He stood with me for a few minutes before letting out a loud yawn.

“Thanks for coming today, Wynter. I hope we didn’t disappoint you!” He laughed, bringing me in for a hug. “I hate to leave, but I am beyond tired. You do have a way back to mummo and pappa’s house, right? I can take you if you need.”

“No, thank you for allowing me to come, Lauri! It was the most fun I think I’ve ever had. You guys were so amazing and talented! My dad is going to take me home. He’s probably here already, but I need to talk to Ville before I leave. I’m sure my dad can wait a bit longer. Thanks for the offer.”

He gave me another hug before telling me goodbye, then walked away towards the gate. I turned around and saw only one fan standing with the band now, so I wasted no time making my way over. Ville immediately wrapped his arms around me then let go realizing how sweaty he was. He introduced me to his bandmates, who all greeted me like I was an old, long lost friend. As we all stood around talking about how great the festival turned out to be, my phone rang, interrupting everything.