10 Seconds To Midnight (Bastille)

Broken Beauty

Evie POV

Gasp. Every morning the same sensation. I sighed and laid back in my grey silk sheets, looking at the ceiling fan spin. Five am like clock work, I couldn't help but replay last night in my head. The comforting atmosphere of Bastille. I rolled onto my side and grabbed my phone, scrolling through my music to settle upon Durban Skies. It was one of my guilty favorites. Truth be told I hadn't listened to them since the day I well, died.

I closed my eyes and sung along, giving into relaxing. Soon enough I'd fallen asleep once more only to awake to the sound of my alarm. I stumbled my way to the bathroom, showering and getting dressed. I did my hair quickly, letting it fall into a messy braid down my back before wiggling into a black sweater dress.

Then began my usual routine of walking down the street and running into Rachel at the Starbucks before we both went towards the studio.

"Last night was fun." I shrugged and took a sip of my coffee. " Dan was concerned about you."

"He's one of those sweet innocent guys who is concerned for everyone. I don't care." I mumbled and glanced to her. "I fucking can't keep doing this every night. I miss actual sleep."

"At least he wasn't born in the day time?" She laughed weakly as I glared at her while sipping my coffee. Though she was right. I unlocked the studio and sunk into the sofa, closing my eyes as she turned on the radio. As if the world hadn't kicked me enough times in the gut Bastille was on with oblivion playing. Rachel was belting out the lyrics and spinning in her own little world.

"I'm going to duck tape your mouth hoe." I opened my eyes to look at her, smirking devilishly.

"sing with me!"

"This song is the definition of my miserable life. No thank you." I stood and paced looking at the papers I picked up from my desk. She skipped to laughter lines and I nearly growled. "Rachel.... Rachel. Enough with the fucking Bastille!" I snapped yet covered my mouth once I turned around. Innocent Dan was in my line of fire and holding Rachel's phone. She was biting her lips in a goofy smile as to hold in her laughter.

"O my god. I'm so sorry I thought was Rachel trying to piss me off and -" I closed my mouth and covered my face.

"Sorry love, I didn't know you hated our music so much." I groaned, already I was close to banging my head on my desk.

"I don't hate your music. I hate what it reminds me of is all. Now before I embarrass myself in front of you all again, please let's just get going." I sighed and grabbed my camera. I wanted to cry from pure frustration, yet obviously I would have a lot of explaining to do at that point.

"sorry." Rachel whispered and I shrugged, handing her a bag to carry.

" It doesn't matter." It came out as a broken whisper. What happened to me made me cold inside. I knew I wasn't the girl I went to that festival as for sure. I led the way down towards the abandoned warehouses, my breath fogging up in front of me. It was freezing to me, yet Dan and Will seemed completely fine. The others were verging on teeth chattering. I snapped a few photos as he walked, his near pigeon toed stance made him real. I heard snapping behind me and found Rachel capturing me. I chuckled and struck a pose as she laughed.

"This one is gold. Real rock n roll." I laughed softly and motioned to one of the coffee shops nearby.

"Let's make a stop yeah? Before you all die of hypothermia." Kyle was already sprinting towards the cafe for sweet relief. I kept my pace to which Dan slowed down to walk beside me. "I'm really sorry for snapping at you."

"You didn't know it was me. Though I have to ask. What happened that was so awful that you hate our music?" I bit my lip roughly, looking at my camera.

" The best way I can explain it is that at the festival. I met the man I was suppose to be with for the rest of my life. He apparently didn't really notice me in the loving sense. I was just another stranger to him. I wouldn't have been there if it wasn't for Bastille. I could have saved myself a lot of pain if I didn't love your music so much." He cracked a smile and opened the door to the cafe for me.

" Maybe I can help you replace that feeling? With something better or new. Tonight we were going to all go out to dinner. Maybe you could be my date." My heart climbed into my throat and made a nest. Figuratively that is of course. I looked at him, with my mouth more than likely open for a second too long.

"um sure? We'll do the shoot and then we can take a cab to wherever. He smiled wide and that's when I raised my camera, getting it frozen in time. His tooth was crooked and you could see the freckles on his face in the lighting. He was real. Not covered in make up or his hair perfectly styled. He was flawed and that was perfect. People these days longed to see something real.

"I'm literally blind." He rubbed his eyes laughing as I joined him.

"I'm sorry it was too good of a shot to miss Dan."

"I find that hard to believe Evie." I bit the inside of my cheeks once he called me that because it felt right. The way my name effortlessly rolled off his tongue as if we were long time friends. Truth be told though friends never kept such huge secrets from each other and what I was hiding was far worse.