Icarus

Horizon

Horizon

        His fingers ran between the strings of his old friend, the guitar.  His voice made a path of notes joining the instrument, from the rise of the high notes to the abyss of the low ones. Sometimes he stopped to write a phrase for some lyrics in his little blue notepad.

Mac was in the other side of the room listening to him, paying attention to the words of the song Tate was writing while he unplugged in some of the microphone's wires to the speakers.

 “I have an announcement, everybody,” Mac said raising his hands, "Chester…drum roll, please."

Chester, his silver lip piercing flashing in the light, turned around and attacked the drums with a flurry of rapid motion. Philip looked at Mac, his eyebrows pinched so close together it made a perfect bridge between his nose and forehead, before scratching the back of his light-blue hair.

"I got a call from the peeps who organize the S.U.N Music Festival this year, guess what…we’re on the roster!" 

"Wow…how…when…what are we going to play? How many songs?" asked Philip.

Chester started kicking and playing the drums while screaming "yes!" at the top of his lungs. Between Philip obsessing and Chester’s banging, Mac spotted Tate in the corner who didn't even move.

"Hey, man!" Mac yelled to Tate.

He didn't answer.

"Tate!" This time he raised his head confused, his hand still moved on the paper making the pen look like it had a life on its own. "Didn't you hear me?"

"Uh...sorry I was...you said something about a festival right?" 

"Yes! We are going to S.U.N festival in a month," declared Chester shaking Tate's shoulders and jumping up and down like a kid on a playground. Tate couldn't decode what Chester was saying at first, then it sunk in and a smile grew on his face. 

"I can see us on stage, Within Inferno, spectacular red lighting, smoke and fire, and the crowd screaming as we start the show!" he exclaimed, grabbing Tate by the neck with his arm forcing him to bend down to his shorter height.

"I called them back in April, sent them our demo and a video of one of our shows. They wanted new alternative rock bands and artists…and here we are." Mac finished unplugging all of the equipment. Tate took a deep breath. He would miss Lip and Cheese but most of all, Mac.

He felt guilty for having more feelings towards Mac than for the other members of the band. For thinking more about his happiness —because even if he didn't want to admit it, he loved Mac the way he used love his family— and the thought of having to leave him like that…

Tate tried to at least see how the people he met in another life were doing...about two years ago he looked one of his school friends on a social network. On the screen was an image of his friend, it was him, thirty-something years older and balder and he had kids. Something Tate would never have: a life beyond eighteen years.

"What does S.U.N stands for?" asked Phillip.

"Sounds...Under...Natural…conditions, maybe, I don't really know," Mac replied honestly.

"All I know is it stands for the best opportunity we’ll ever have to change our lives forever! Come here." Tate walked to the center of the studio and stretched his arms out. Once his three friends were gathered in front of him he said, "You are going to be big!"

"You mean, WE are going to be big." Mac corrected.

"You are going to make the inspirational-together-forever speech aren't you?"