Five Years of Fame [COMPLETE]

38. The First Festival

Spring, Year 4, Month 4

Bobbi never stopped moving. The day of the festival found her running around the fairgrounds, following her manager, her band in tow.

Alex had given them enough time the day before to pack up their place in LA, drive out to the desert and make it to the house with just enough time to nap before a big group dinner. But the morning of the festival she had them dressed, fed, and at the fairgrounds by eight o'clock. She was nothing if not efficient.

They were one of the first bands called for soundcheck as they were one of the first bands to open the festival. Bobbi decided to look at it as a place of honor.

But even once their set was finished, their day was far from done. Alex had them racing from one end of the fairgrounds to the other, showing up at this promotion tent, talking to that media outlet. Anyone who let them talk, who would talk to them, Alex found.

It wasn't until the sun was setting and the desert was settling into a chilly night that Alex finally let them rest in the VIP area sectioned off for performers. Alfie and Sam ate up half the buffet offered while Theo started mingling. Bobbi found a spot on the ground with her back resting against one of the tall palm trees that shot out of the ground and gave her feet a rest.

About half an hour before the final performance of the evening, Dani and Reeve's entire band showed up and joined her, creating their own little social circle. Soon they were the center of attention but kept their backs turned to the other VIPs trying to break in, start a conversation, join their group.

Alex reappeared to alert them it was time to go. Bobbi whistled to catch the boys' attention and they all fell in line as they headed for the main stage.

There was crew everywhere. Alex situated them in a corner just off stage to keep them out of the way. They were the only people not working to get things set up and ready to go.

A crowd had long ago formed on the other side of the stage, it's numbers now growing to cover all available ground anywhere nearby. This was the finale.

A van rolled up, stopping just before a small flight of stairs leading up to the stage. It was a mammoth among a flood of golf carts. Kelly hopped out of the front seat and moved to open the back.

Reeve stepped out onto the dry-packed dirt and every eye within her vicinity turned to follow her. Without needing any instruction, the now frozen crew parted to make an aisle for her to pass through following behind Kelly. Anton and Noah followed a few paces behind, having exited the van last. They made it through the part in the crowd just before it closed up again.

Reeve came to stand just at the edge of the stage, her feet only inches from the black tarmac that sectioned off where the audience could and could not see you. Bobbi sunk further into the shadows instinctively to give her space.

The cries of the crowd mixed with the calls from the crew as last-minute preparations were put in place. All the while, while the world spun around her, Reeve kept her eyes on the floor, her breathing regular and slow. She only looked up when Kelly approached to give her her microphone.

When she did, the far off lights from the Ferris wheel on the other side of the fairground lit up her face in a rainbow of colors.

The band was ordered on stage. Ember took her place behind her drums, Ezra behind his keyboard. The crowd started to scream as Reeve's back-up singers filed on stage from the other side. Gage slung his guitar strap over his shoulder, pausing a second beside Reeve, waiting for her signal, ignoring the stage manager who was ordering him out.

Reeve nodded and Gage obeyed. She took a deep breath and finally set her eyes on the crowd. Her face was still, her eyes wide, the lights of the festival lighting up her irises.