𝄞 02 | Backstage - Part 1

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Darkness.

My head throbbed in time with my heartbeat. The back of my head felt like tiny sledgehammers were looking to break my foundation one hit at a time. It didn't help that the surrounding noise reinforced the sledgehammer team. This earth-shattering headache needs to stop.

"Tucker!" Paulie bellows. "Take the girl." Woman, was my automatic correction to Paulie in my pounding mind.

One eyelid opens slowly. Oh, light.

So blurry.

A camera slides into my vision, its iris taking up my entire view. The lens shades the blurry light. I try to give myself a self-assessment. I'm on the ground. Right. Still on the stage at the arena. Right. Oh, god. I passed out. It all comes rushing back in at once. My hand was over my mouth and I didn't get enough air. Oh god everyone saw. My hot face is thankfully dark and hides my shame. Serves me right for trying to lock down my fan girl music nerd.

Someone, please dig a hole.

"Don't crowd her. The EMTs are coming," Megumi says. Her stage manager's voice was filled with authority. I could breathe easier, more airflow to me as people moved away. The stage lights weren't as bright and I adjusted. I lift my head a little and look for Zoey. A wave of pain hit me again and then...

Darkness.

"Ouch," did this mother fucker just slap me? "I was resting my eyes!" I yell at the fresh-faced paramedic. Pile the humiliation on thick. Yes, I stole that line from my deceased grandmother, but it applies. I was resting my eyes!

"How many fingers am I holding up?" The EMT asks.

"Three," I answer.

"Who's the president?" The EMT quizzes.

"Can't you ask something fun, like a music nerd question?" I smile at the blurry EMT person as my eyes clear slowly. "How about whose version of the song 'Hurt' was better, Johnny Cash or Nine Inch Nails?" My hopeful smile goes right past the EMT guy. He takes a light and passes it back and forth over my eyes.

"Dilation is good." He says to his partner. "Get her up on the stretcher."

"Whoa, there bruh," I don't have money for an Emergency Room visit. "No, thanks, my head hurts but I mostly feel dumb." The two EMTs argued a bit but packed up and left after having me sign some paperwork. They encourage me to go to the ER if I have issues and not to drive. I promised them I would not be driving home. I'll have to remember to call my brother, who's a firefighter, and get him to drive me back to the house.

Megumi hands me a piece of paper.

Hey, we can go home and forget this.

- Zoey

Zoey is the best. But she's bat shit crazy, if she thinks my dumbassery is going to keep her from getting into this singing contest. I borrow a pen from Megumi, then flip the back of the paper.

No, break a leg, or forklift a cow, whatever the show biz term is! Get into this contest with me because we are in this together! This was your idea! Even if we aren't on the same team.

I was seriously tempted to tear a page out of my journal. Give her a whole damn essay on why she was going to stay in this contest. The full blah blah blah.

Can't think of how to end the message. But the number of exclamation points should prove how serious I am. Then it pops into my head. I write the phrase that I always wrote on all our force journaling by my mom.

You and me.

Love Sabali.

I hand the little paper to Megumi, "can you get this back to my friend, please?" She nods and heads off stage.

I hand the little paper to Megumi, "can you get this back to my friend, please?" She nods and heads off stage

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A/n: I haven't fully picked a release date yet. I planned for faster post than Fixing Noah which was a slow post book. This one is going to be somewhat faster. Thank you for the support so far. I think of this book as a "Show".. so, I hope yall are enjoying the show so far and will keep posting. This book is a thirst trap book so I went back and added the missing Asher picture from the last post. I will try for a bit more cute pictures and whatnot because I don't want to let my people down. lol. Thank you again, enjoy the show.

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