The Sound of a Ghost

I adjusted my weight that was concentrated on my bent knees as I crouched next to Pat in the front of the stage. The kids against the barracade looked down at us with confusion. Pat shooked his head violently and pointed up as I mouthed 'Watch them! Watch them!" They gave us odd looks, but looked back up at Pierce the Veil, who was ending their set up on stage.

"Beat it! Beat it! No one wants to be defeated!" Vic sang directly above me. I looked to Pat.

"You ready?" I shouted over the amps. Pat grinned maniacally and raised the little button in his hand.

"Hell yes!" He giggled.

"Show them how funky strong is your fight
It doesn't matter who's wrong or right just BEAT IT!"

And with that, Pat hit the button and the two giant fans we had, with a little help from the lovely Houston Venue employees, set up on both wings. A stunned silence followed by a magnumus uproar of laughter coming from the audience indicated that the feathers I had paid one of the stage hands to let of in front of both the fans were now flying across the stage. Pat and I jumped up from our hiding positions to take in our handi work. All the boys were batting the feathers and were trying desperately to shield their faces from the wind. Pat and I shouted and pumped our fists in the air in victory. Vic and Jaime were the only ones close enough to hear us and they looked down quickly. Vic spat out feathers pointed at us.

"YOU!" He shouted, took off his guitar, and then bent down to yank Pat onto the stage and toward the wings to push feathers in his face, laughing all the while. I started cracking up and then shrieked as two arms wrapped around my upper torso and dragged me up the stage and into the wings, holding my head to the fan. I spat out a feather and turned around when the pulled me away from the huge fan. Jaime was behind me. Fan-freaking-tastic. As awkward as I still felt around him, I couldn't help but giggle at the multitude of feathers that was sticking out of his oddly shaped, and now windblown, hair.

"You look so ridiculous!" I shouted.

"What?!" I saw Jaime mouth, but I couldn't hear him over the fan, which I couldn't turn off because Pat still had the remote and he was a little occupied with eating the feathers Vic, Mike, and Andrew were shoving down his throat.

"You look ridiculous!"

"WHAT?!"

"YOU LOO-" Jaime rolled his eyes and then grabbed my wrist and dragged me out the back door. The heavy door slammed behind me and I leaned against the wall laughing, enjoying the easy comraderie that was between Jaime and I at the moment, one which had never been there.

"Now, what?" Jaime asked, a slight chuckle coming from him as well.

"You look at ridiculous" I said through my laughter.

"Me! Look at you!"

"You have feathers in your hair!" Jaime laughed harder, leaning an arm against the wall next to my head with his lowered slightly and his eyes squeezed shut.

"But your hair!" He exclaimed. I laughed and looked up at him as his eyes opened. Our laughter subsided when our eyes caught. The mood did a complete 360 and the easy atmosphere suddenly spiked with heated tension. Jaime's other hand rose to smooth my hair out of my face and then to cup my cheek, his breath brushing gently against my face. My pulse raced and thundered in my ears.

"But you still look gorgeous." He murmered and then pressed his lips to mine in a heated kiss, sending my senses reeling. My eyes slid closed and I savored the sweet pressure and taste of Jaime's lips. He drew back and looked down at me, his green eyes capuring me.

"Please tour with us." He murmered.

"Why?" I whispered. Jaime looked away from me and chewed his lower lip.

"Because...I still enjoy being around you, and I still fucking like you, and I still think you're unbelievably attractive and incredibly special, Kai." He looked back down at me hopefully. My hopes crashed and my mood sunk. Damn it. Why can't he just say it?! I opened my mouth to reply but suddenly the metal stage door opened. Jaime and I both looked looked over to see Nick and Mike standing at at the thresh hold.

"Kailyn? We've got to-oh." Nick said, taking in Jaime and my slightly intimate position, with me pressed against the wall and his arm resting near my head and his other hand cradling my face.

"We'll just...go." Mike interjected.

"Although we need to get on stage! Right now!" Nick interjected and then they both disappeared behind the door. Jaime and I looked back at eachother.

"I've got to go." I whispered, and then pulled away from him and walked over to the door.

"Kailyn, did you even listen to the song?!" I looked over at him and my heart broke at the hopeless look on his face.

"27 and a half times." I replied and then walked into the building.