3. Like a family reunion
The more I watched at them jumping on the stage, I started to like them each minute more. Eevi was hyping them up, we were a bit further away from the stage and I didn't really recognize them, but the vibe was fire. I was smiling the whole time, and sometimes I just looked at them shocked when they did something unexpected.
"What do you think?" Eevi suddenly asked, their show was almost over by now.
I turned to look at my friend, and I couldn't stop smiling. She smiled too and apparently liked to see me like this. She put her hand around my shoulders and chuckled of all the happiness.
"They are amazing. And so crazy at the same time, where does that energy come from?" I asked amused while the last song started to play.
She just laughed and shook her head.
"That is their destiny. They love it the most. Can't wait for you to meet them." She leaned her head against my shoulder.
"Thank you!" The brunette singer shouted to the microphone, it was Eevi's brother. Now it was over, and I think that my heart is still beating faster than ever, and I felt dizzy.
"Oh lord..." I sighed and Eevi took my hand, and she started to lead me towards the bar. Santeri would pick us up from there. Eevi told me a bit about him, he's her old friend from school and also that bands tour manager. Very good friend to all of them. His other name is "angry tour manager", don't know what to except from that, but I guess he's just as crazy like all of them.
That's my doubt.
We have been waiting for five minutes, and I can see that I'm much more relaxed than before. I don't feel so nervous anymore, and those gazes others give us, I don't really care about them.
"There he is!" Eevi suddenly said smiling. I turned around, a brown haired man was coming closer to us with his sunglasses on. As he reached us, he hugged with Eevi. Now I felt that annoying feeling in my throat. Anxiety coming. I tried to be as normal and calm as possible.
"This is Saga, and here is Santeri." Eevi pointed us both, and we just smiled to each other.
"Hello, shall we go then? Boys are waiting, especially Olli." Santeri poked Eevi's shoulders and smirked.
As we walked different ways to the backstage, I saw how fast that man walked. We both had to fasten our steps. Well he's a tour manager, of course he has to walk fast to every place.
"The vibe can be.. what's the best word to describe it.. a chaos. Don't get scared of the stuff we're talking about." Santeri explained while we reached the area, and now we were finding the right place. I saw how Eevi just grinned next to me.
"Don't worry. I've heard a lot of confusing stuff." I just smiled shyly to him, and he only nodded and smiled too.
I started to hear a lot of talking, weird noices and so on. I turned my eyes on Eevi, and she only raised her eyebrows to me and smiled.
I guess we find the right place.
I saw shirtless men around me, I got confused at first, but I remember all the stuff Eevi has told me.
"Good evening ladies." Olli walked to Eevi and they immediately kissed and hugged. I started to feel extremely single and lonely around them, but I still was happy to see them.
"This is Saga." Eevi said with louder tone so they all could hear her. And they got silent right away, it made me nervous. So I just smiled at them.
How awkward is that.
"Eevi had told about you. It's nice to finally meet." Olli smiled to me. The way I saw how Eevi looked at his side profile.. even me who doesn't believe in anything, it made me believe in true love.
Then Olli landed his eyes on her, and I almost started melting right here.
"Well there's not much to tell about me." I chuckled quietly. For my luck they all started to focus on own things, and they all finally found their shirts on.
Someone walked next to me while I just kept standing in here, trying to look like I belong here.
"Here, take a beer." A blonde man handed me one, so I took it and smiled to him while I opened it.
"I'm Joonas. I heard you're the bridesmaid?" He continued. Shyly I turned my eyes back on him.
Sometimes it's hard for me to look at others in the eyes, I feel like they see my soul or something.
If I even have one.
"I am. Already regret it." I took a sip of the beer, and Joonas just chuckled.
"Me too. But I guess we can handle it." He smirked to me. I just showed him a quick smile.
"Well I guess you can handle the stag party pretty well. But please, don't drop the rings to the ground with your shaking hangover hands on the wedding day." I looked away and took another sip.
He laughed to what I just said and it made me look at him.
"Is Porko already disturbing you here?" Someone asked in front of us.
I moved my gaze on the man, it was Eevi's brother, Niko.
"Uhm.. I heard from Eevi that he's a funny guy, but I haven't laughed at all. I'm gonna grab a new beer." I took a long sip of my beer while I escaped the whole situation. But behind me I heard how Niko chuckled.
"I can be funny if you want to!" Joonas shouted after me.
I quickly turned around.
"Please don't." I said back to him, and I continued my way to the table where the drinks were.
I put the now empty beer bottle aside, and I grabbed a new one. I opened it and took a long sip of it.
Someone was breathing to my neck, so I slowly turned around. A tall man stood there, and his strong arm went over my shoulder and he took a beer. He stepped aside next to me, nervously I swallowed. It felt like he heard it.
"You're Saga?" His low voice asked.
I didn't dare to lift my gaze on him, so I kept staring other while taking sips of my drink.
"That's what Eevi said." I mumbled back.
Then he held out his hand to me, I looked at it and it was a sign for shaking hands. So I gave him my hand and we did.
"Tommi." He then said. I looked at him and smiled to him.
"I'm glad that Eevi has other friends in her life than just us. It's good for her to have woman company." He suddenly said after we were silent for a moment.
My gaze wandered around, and it landed on Eevi and Olli, they were talking with couple guys from the crew.
"I think I'm not very good company after all." I quietly mumbled to him. I lifted the beer bottle to my lips, but before I could drink it, Tommi kept talking.
"Don't be silly. She has told me how she likes your humour and spending time with you. Why else you would be her bridesmaid?"
I just shook my shoulders as an answer. I was feeling nervous and anxiety again.
Yeah, that's true what he just said.
And it's weird actually how good we come along with Eevi. We have the same humour and music taste, but I don't get it why she wants to help me so much.
And I don't really know about her that much.
I see how these band guys are acting towards her.
Like, so protective and stuff. It's adorable. But.. why?
Has something happened in the past, is there something she hasn't told me?
I have just expected that her mental health is good, because she seems so happy everytime when we see.
Is she pretending because of me, or is she really like that?
I kept staring at Eevi and Olli. The way he watched her, it was so cute and romantic. Like he didn't see anyone else but her.
The gaze.. no one has ever looked at me like that.
And no one ever will.
I don't want anyone to love a person like me.
And who would be so crazy as to fall in love with me?
Time was flying again, and by now I noticed sitting alone in some chair. Drinking my beer.
"Those lovers catching your attention? Don't worry, they're most of the time like that. You'll get used to it." I heard a familiar voice again, sitting next to me.
I turned my gaze on my left, and there that blonde guitarist was again. He had that smirk on his lips.
"I wasn't-" I tried to explain, but he chuckled and it interrupted me.
"You have been watching them all the time, mostly." He grinned and stared me with those blue eyes.
Slowly he took a sip of his beer, and now I catched myself staring at him. Stupidly.
I looked away and blinked few times.
"That means you have been stalking me." I said underneath my breath. He just smiled.
"Maybe. You're not really a party type?" He lifted his other eyebrow up. I stared at him, and looked around then. Everyone were laughing and talking with each other.
"This doesn't seem like a party? I feel like I'm in some boring family reunion."
He laughed and shook his head. He looked around too.
But then he stood up, and it looked like he was going to speak.
Loudly, to everyone. I wanted to stop him already, but I guess it was too late.
"Guys! Our new friend thinks that this is not a party! Should we go to the nearest bar and show her what we're really made of? Who's in?" Joonas shouted and after that everyone was cheering around us.
I sighed and rubbed my face. These are the moments when I just wished that I could disappear, or I just have kept my mouth shut.
Apparently I'm not good at that.
"Well, are you coming? I wanna see you relax and have fun, come on." He looked down at me and I just shook my hands. I saw how everyone were already leaving here. I was getting nervous that I didn't see Eevi anywhere, and it was almost just the two of us.
"I think I'll go home." I stood up and put the almost empty beer bottle on the nearest table.
Joonas took grip of my hand and it made me turn around.
He was smirking at first, but then his face got more neutral.
My eyes landed on his hand that was holding me, and he let go of me.
"Sorry..." He mumbled when I took one step away from him.
"What are you afraid of..? All night you have been in your own world." He asked with gently tone. It made me more relaxed when I saw him like that.
I just swallowed, and my hands were sweaty.
I tried to speak, but that was mission impossible.
Maybe he saw how much anxiety I got, I saw it in his face how he looked more worried.
"Saga? Are you coming?" I heard Eevi's voice, and immediately I turned to look at her. Her gaze moved between me and Joonas, and she walked closer.
Then she stood next to me, she put her hand on my back, stroked it and I just stared at her green eyes.
I don't know why, but I felt afraid.
"You don't have to if you don't want to.. I can take you home." She said and then I shook my head.
And finally I had the strength to open my mouth.
"Absolutely no..."
Then I looked at Joonas, he smiled to me very little bit.
I looked at Eevi again.
"I'll come with you guys."
So, Joonas and Saga met the first time.
Thank you for reading this story, and leaving votes and comments <3
All of you, stay safe and strong. Don't forget to take care of yourselves🖤 Sending lots of hugs.