Tuesday
Act II; Part II. Finit.
Brighten began their set exactly at 8. I clambered onto the thick ledge, deciding to lean my back against the wall comfortably. Amber grinned at me. She knew I loved Brighten. She joined me on the ledge, Parker laughing at her as she dangled her feet over the edge of it.
I finally decided even running into him would be better than having a parched throat. At the end of Brighten's set, I headed down the long staircase to the bar. He wasn't in his spot anymore. But neither was the girl.
I got up to the bar and ordered a water. It would've been all I could drink at the moment. My knees had grown weak, only because I saw him.
He was sitting across the bar from me. The brunette was no longer in sight. Thankfully, he didn't see me.
I didn't want him to see me.
But once I had ordered the water, he glanced up. Our eyes locked for a minute. Finally I tore mine away, hoping I was far enough that he wouldn't recognize me.
Even I didn't recognize myself. When I looked in the mirror, there was proof he had been there.
My cheeks had long been hollowed out, from days of not eating. My fingers had bite marks, from all the times I had thrown up dinner. My eyes were dull, with only the occasional flicker of happiness that had always been there.
I finally made my way upstairs. I joined Amber and Parker again, sipping my drink and asking if I should've gotten them any. They shook their heads and continued their conversation. I looked down at the bar. He was gone.
--
Farewell went onstage, and the crowd erupted in cheers. I watched him glance around the crowd. I bent down, pretending to pick up my purse, when he looked at the balcony. Amber pulled me up by my upper arm. She dragged me to the back of the room.
"Danielle, you need to stop. I know you're still in love with him, and I know he hurt you. You either need to get over him, or go talk to him after the show. It's your choice. But either way, we are going into the crowd, and we are pushing to the front. And you are going to enjoy yourself."
She waved bye to Parker and pulled me downstairs. Like she had said, she pushed past everyone to get to the front. She dragged me up so I was on his side. I refused to look at him, instead focusing on Marshall intently. He grinned down at me, reaching out for my hand. I was hesitant to grab it, but found myself sticking out my own arm. He took my hand and smiled. Once he let go, Amber nudged me. She nodded towards him.
Wil was staring in disbelief at me. He looked as though he had seen a ghost.
Our eyes locked. I don't know how long it was. A second. A minute. Five. An hour.
But I tore away from the crowd. I got out of it, reaching up to wipe sweat off of my face. Tears were mixed in with it. I squeezed my eyes shut.
As soon as it had started, it ended. Farewell went offstage. The crowd moved to the merch areas, where the band was. I found Amber.
"Why did you leave?" she half shouted.
"I couldn't do it."
"There was nothing to do," she said, resting her hands on my shoulders. "Go talk to him." She gave me a small nudge towards the merch areas. I scanned through the mass of fans, seeing everyone but him. I glanced back at Amber and shook my head. She sighed, walking back towards me.
"Let's go then." I closed my eyes and nodded. We walked out the back door. The front door was blocked.
And that’s when I saw him. He didn't look at me. Amber squeezed my wrist.
"I forgot my purse," she said, turning back. He looked up when the door closed.
"Why are you here?" he murmured, his voice cracking on "you". I shook my head.
"I don't know." He walked towards me, staring at me for a minute.
Then his arms went around me. He buried his head in my hair. I wrapped my own arms around his waist.
"What happened to you?" he whispered.
"You," I said. He pulled away and stared me.
His lips went on mine. When he pulled away, the familiar smirk was playing on his lips for a second.
"I'm so sorry," he said, putting his hands on my hips. I stood on my toes and pressed my lips against his again. My arms went around his neck, and I pulled my lips away.
"Are we together yet?"
He smirked again, before nodding.
I finally decided even running into him would be better than having a parched throat. At the end of Brighten's set, I headed down the long staircase to the bar. He wasn't in his spot anymore. But neither was the girl.
I got up to the bar and ordered a water. It would've been all I could drink at the moment. My knees had grown weak, only because I saw him.
He was sitting across the bar from me. The brunette was no longer in sight. Thankfully, he didn't see me.
I didn't want him to see me.
But once I had ordered the water, he glanced up. Our eyes locked for a minute. Finally I tore mine away, hoping I was far enough that he wouldn't recognize me.
Even I didn't recognize myself. When I looked in the mirror, there was proof he had been there.
My cheeks had long been hollowed out, from days of not eating. My fingers had bite marks, from all the times I had thrown up dinner. My eyes were dull, with only the occasional flicker of happiness that had always been there.
I finally made my way upstairs. I joined Amber and Parker again, sipping my drink and asking if I should've gotten them any. They shook their heads and continued their conversation. I looked down at the bar. He was gone.
--
Farewell went onstage, and the crowd erupted in cheers. I watched him glance around the crowd. I bent down, pretending to pick up my purse, when he looked at the balcony. Amber pulled me up by my upper arm. She dragged me to the back of the room.
"Danielle, you need to stop. I know you're still in love with him, and I know he hurt you. You either need to get over him, or go talk to him after the show. It's your choice. But either way, we are going into the crowd, and we are pushing to the front. And you are going to enjoy yourself."
She waved bye to Parker and pulled me downstairs. Like she had said, she pushed past everyone to get to the front. She dragged me up so I was on his side. I refused to look at him, instead focusing on Marshall intently. He grinned down at me, reaching out for my hand. I was hesitant to grab it, but found myself sticking out my own arm. He took my hand and smiled. Once he let go, Amber nudged me. She nodded towards him.
Wil was staring in disbelief at me. He looked as though he had seen a ghost.
Our eyes locked. I don't know how long it was. A second. A minute. Five. An hour.
But I tore away from the crowd. I got out of it, reaching up to wipe sweat off of my face. Tears were mixed in with it. I squeezed my eyes shut.
As soon as it had started, it ended. Farewell went offstage. The crowd moved to the merch areas, where the band was. I found Amber.
"Why did you leave?" she half shouted.
"I couldn't do it."
"There was nothing to do," she said, resting her hands on my shoulders. "Go talk to him." She gave me a small nudge towards the merch areas. I scanned through the mass of fans, seeing everyone but him. I glanced back at Amber and shook my head. She sighed, walking back towards me.
"Let's go then." I closed my eyes and nodded. We walked out the back door. The front door was blocked.
And that’s when I saw him. He didn't look at me. Amber squeezed my wrist.
"I forgot my purse," she said, turning back. He looked up when the door closed.
"Why are you here?" he murmured, his voice cracking on "you". I shook my head.
"I don't know." He walked towards me, staring at me for a minute.
Then his arms went around me. He buried his head in my hair. I wrapped my own arms around his waist.
"What happened to you?" he whispered.
"You," I said. He pulled away and stared me.
His lips went on mine. When he pulled away, the familiar smirk was playing on his lips for a second.
"I'm so sorry," he said, putting his hands on my hips. I stood on my toes and pressed my lips against his again. My arms went around his neck, and I pulled my lips away.
"Are we together yet?"
He smirked again, before nodding.