Strings of Memory

Extra 2

"Grabe. Ang takaw naman." Komento ko sabay irap nang makita si Elliot na pasimpleng kumukuha sa pagkain ni Luna.

Napahinto siya at mabilis akong tinitigan ng masama.

"Inggit ka?" He raised an eyebrow before smirking. "Kumuha ka rin kasi." Sabay baling ulit sa ginagawa.

Napailing na lang ako at hindi na nagsalita pa. That was until Luna caught him. The loud smack he received on the head made me smirk. Buti nga sa kanya.

Ever since I joined them, every day has been fun. It's filled with laughter, and my heart can't help but feel warm.

Then, our first performance as a band came, and it was a disaster.

The moment Luna started singing, I felt a shiver down my spine. Parang noong unang beses akong mahulog sa gitara. I had goosebumps. But that feeling instantly disappeared when Elliot and Rive messed up, causing Luna to almost scream. Her voice, which was coming out so naturally before, ended up sounding forced. Parang sumisigaw na lang siya.

We were unsynchronized—something I was already used to. But I guess they weren't. Kita ko kung paano sila naapektuhan sa comments ng vocalist, and honestly, I couldn't blame them. His words were just too rude.

And that got me thinking... ganoon din ba ako dati sa tingin ng former bandmates ko? Was I too harsh? Was that the reason they left me?

"Sigurado ka bang gusto mong tumugtog kasama ang mga 'to?" The vocalist asked, his tone condescending.

Hindi ko nagawang sagutin iyon dahil agad siyang bumaling kay Luna.

But I knew my answer, even if I wasn't able to say it out loud.

I'm sure that I want to chase my dreams with them. I want this to happen. Because they made me feel the joy I had been searching for my whole life. They answered the question I had when I was a kid.

Being in a band with them? That's just a bonus. Sharing the same dream? That's just another bonus.

And as if to drive the point home, Wynther stepped up. He led us into performing again. And this time—it was perfect. A performance I had never experienced with my previous band.

That made me wonder—has he played in a band before? The way he led us, parang sanay na siya. I asked him, and he said yes. He said that he's like Elliot, who does fill-ins. Then the conversation shifted. Luna called him out for lying to her, and the next thing I knew, they were complimenting me.

I wasn't expecting that. Especially Elliot bringing it up.

I tried to deny what they are saying at doon ko nalaman na fan din pala sila ng bandang gusto ko.

Knowing that they love the same band I do—aside from sharing the same dream—only made my dream of performing with them even stronger.

One day, we'll be on that big stage. One day, we'll see a sea of lights before us while the audience cheers for us.

I'm so lucky to have met them.

The next day, Wynther officially joined us as a bassist. He's no longer just an honorary member—he's an official one. Hindi ko alam kung anong ginawa ni Luna para mapapayag siya, pero ang mahalaga, sumali na siya sa amin.

We celebrated the formation of the band, and my heart couldn't help but feel warm when Luna reassured me.

"In the short time we've known each other, I could see how determined you are into becoming a professional musician. Kaya huwag lang mag-alala, we're just as determined as you are. We will definitely make it," sabi niya, and I couldn't stop myself from smiling.