The stage is set, quite literally, as the anticipation mounts in the auditorium. The soft glow of stage lights illuminates the room, casting a warm ambiance over the eager audience. Backstage, my heart pounds with nervous excitement, a jumble of emotions swirling inside me.
Alongside me stand Lily, Morb, and our newest supporters for the night, Iris, Ash, and Akeno. Their presence brings a surge of confidence, their encouraging smiles bolstering our spirits as we prepare to take the stage.
"Thanks for coming, guys," Lily says, her voice tinged with gratitude as she adjusts her dress. "Your support means everything to us."
Iris nods, a determined glint in her eyes. "We wouldn't miss it for the world," she replies, her tone resolute.
Ash chimes in with a grin, his enthusiasm infectious. "Yeah, you guys are gonna kill it out there! Just remember to rock out and have fun."
Akeno nods in agreement, her gaze sweeping over the group. "You've got this," she says, her voice filled with conviction. "Just go out there and show them what you're made of."
As the Anchors introduces us, a ripple of applause fills the air, spurring us on as we take our places. Lily stands at the front, microphone in stand, her presence commanding attention. I flank her, my guitar at the ready, poised for the performance of a lifetime.
The music starts, a soft melody that fills the room with its gentle strains. Lily's voice rises above the guitar strums, clear and melodic, drawing the audience into the story she weaves with her voice. With each note, each chord, we're transported to another world, lost in the magic of the music
As the song reaches its bridge, a sense of exhilaration washes over me, adrenaline coursing through my veins. I lose myself with my love , my guitar. Fingers flying over the strings of the guitar, lost in the rhythm and the melody
And then, all too soon, it's over. The final chords fade into silence, the last echoes of Lily's voice lingering in the air. The audience erupts into applause, their cheers and whistles a testament to the power of the performance.
I can hear Morb screaming "That's my boy, that's my boy!!"
As we take our bows, a sense of pride washes over me, a feeling of accomplishment unlike anything I've ever experienced before. Together, we've created something truly special, something that will stay with us long after the final notes have faded away.
Meanwhile with Iris
The final notes of the performance echo through the auditorium, I felt pride. I glance around, searching for Draco in the crowd, but he's nowhere to be found. With a sinking feeling in my chest, I push my way through the throng of people, my heart pounding in my ears.
Finally, I spot him near the stage, surrounded by friends and well-wishers. Relief floods through me as I make my way toward him, but as I draw closer, I see something that stops me in my tracks.
Zeus.
He's there, in between the crowd, his lips locked in a passionate kiss with another girl. Students recording him. My heart shatters into a million pieces as I watch the scene unfold before me, the realization hitting me like a punch to the gut.
Tears sting my eyes as I turn and flee, the world around me spinning out of control. I stumble blindly through the empty corridors, my breath coming in ragged gasps as I struggle to process what I've just witnessed.
I can't stay here. I can't face Coco, not like this. With every step I take, the weight of my heartache grows heavier, threatening to crush me beneath its suffocating grip.
And then, out of nowhere, a hand grabs my arm, pulling me to a stop. I look up, startled, to see a boy from 11A staring at me with concern in his eyes.
"Are you okay?" he asks, his voice gentle.
I shake my head, unable to find the words to express the storm raging inside me. Without another word, I turn and flee, leaving him standing there, a silent witness to my pain. I wanted to run away as far as I can.
Back to Draco
I feel a surge of adrenaline coursing through my veins. The stage lights cast a warm glow over the crowd, and for a brief moment, all my worries and insecurities fade away, replaced by a sense of exhilaration and pride.
But as the applause dies down and the audience begins to disperse, a hushed whisper catches my attention, pulling me back to reality. I exchange a concerned glance with Morb and Lily, sensing that something is wrong, almost the whole crowd was on their phone.
"What's going on?" Morb asks, his voice tinged with apprehension as we navigate through the crowd.
"I'm not sure," I reply, my heart pounding in my chest as I strain to catch snippets of conversation.
We soon come across a group of students gathered around a smartphone, their expressions grave as they huddle together, eyes glued to the screen. Instinctively, I push my way to the front, my curiosity giving way to shock as I take in the scene before me.
On the screen is a photo - a damning piece of evidence that sends a wave of disbelief crashing over me. It's Zeus, his lips locked in a passionate kiss with another girl, their embrace captured for all the world to see. The caption below the photo leaves no room for doubt - "Caught in the act: Headboy exposed."
My stomach churns as I struggle to process what I'm seeing. Beside me, Morb curses under his breath, his fists clenched in anger as he stares at the screen. Lily reaches out to squeeze my hand, her eyes wide with concern.
"Where is Iris? We need to find Iris," she says, her voice trembling with emotion. "She must've seen this."
I nod, my mind racing as I try to formulate a plan. "Let's go," I say, my voice steady despite the turmoil raging inside me.
Few hours later -
It was already evening, we searched the entire campus but she was nowhere to be found. Morb and Akeno had a date and I didn't wanted to disturb them so I told Akeno that she is free to leave, with Morb. As they departed, Me, Ash and Lily were now searching the nearby gardens and the alleys and still we found no trace of her.
"It is evening already, she must've headed home by now, let's head there and probably We can talk to her there." Lily said with visible tears in her eyes.We headed to check on her at her home but she wasn't there either, we convinced her parents that she must be with Morb and Akeno, Ash lied for us.
As the evening descended, the weight of worry settled over me like a heavy cloak. Iris was missing, and despite our best efforts, we still hadn't found her. I knew I had to do something, so I reached for my phone and dialed Morb's number. I hated to do it, but there was no other way, we needed more friends.
"Morb, we need your help. Iris is still missing, she is isn't even at her home" I said, my voice tight with concern.
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line before Morb's voice came through, filled with determination. "I'll be right there. Just tell me where to meet you."
Relief washed over me as I gave Morb directions to Iris's house. Before I hung up the phone, I heard akeno's voice
"I'm coming with you," she said, her voice firm. "I can't just sit here and do nothing."
I nodded gratefully, grateful for her support. "Thank you, Akeno."
After few minutes
Together, the five of us set out into the evening, our footsteps echoing in the light as we searched for any sign of Iris. We split up, each taking a different path in hopes of covering more ground.
It felt like hours passed as we combed through the streets, calling out Iris's name and praying for a response. Just when I was starting to lose hope, I caught sight of a figure sitting by the river, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. I quickly knew who it was. I firstly texted the group to let them know.
"Iris!" I called out, rushing to her side. "Are you okay?"
She looked up, her eyes red-rimmed and tear-stained, but there was a flicker of relief in her gaze as she saw me. "Coco..."
Without a word, I sat down beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders in a comforting manner. I wrapped my blazer around her, because it was already cold. We sat there in silence for a long time, the only sound the gentle rush of the river nearby.
Eventually, Iris spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know what to do, coco. Everything feels so messed up."
I squeezed her hand, offering what little comfort I could. "I know, Iris. But you're not alone. I'm here for you, no matter what."
Tears welled up in her eyes again as she turned to look at me, her gaze searching mine for some semblance of reassurance. "Do you really mean that, Draco? Can I really count on you?"
I met her gaze, my own heart heavy with emotion. "Surely, Iris. I mean it. Always."
With those words, a sense of resolve settled over me, a determination to be there for Iris no matter what. And as we sat there by the river, I wasn't able to ignore the sheer beauty of her,
Eventually, Iris's phone buzzed with an incoming call, and she pulled it out to see Zeus's name flashing on the screen. Without hesitation, she answered the call, her voice cold and distant as she spoke.
"What do you want, Jerk?" she snapped, her tone laced with bitterness and anger. "I saw what happened, and I'm done. We're through."
Zeus's voice crackled through the line, his tone defensive and pleading. "Iri, baby, please, you don't understand-"
"I understand perfectly," Iris cut him off, her voice trembling with suppressed rage. "You're a liar and an Asshole, you don't deserved to be called a man. I want nothing to do with you. Don't ever call me again."
With that, she ended the call, her hand shaking with fury as she tossed her phone aside. she turned to me, her eyes blazing with determination, I knew that no matter what the future held, we would face it together.
Still I told Iris to block Zeus, She hesitated "But....Coco...."
"Iris, Try to understand... you won't be able to heal if you keep getting reminder about the thing that broke you..."
She hugged me and broke into tears, i gently returned her hug as time passed out.