I started new story called Nothing Ever Easy. It'd be really cool if you guys could check it out and maybe leave a comment or a vote? :)
Anyways, comment/vote?
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Chapter Sixteen
Say Goodbye To That ‘Lovely’ Face of Yours
I woke up with a queasy feeling in my stomach.
And no, I wasn’t on my period, I was just nervous about the performance I’d have to give later on today. Today marked round two of the competition. My band and I had spent the past two days rehearsing and I’m proud to say that I’ve pretty much gotten the song down—now let’s just hope I don’t screw up.
“You’ll do fine, Jules,” reassured Lola, as she patted my knee. “So don’t sweat…! It’ll ruin your blouse.”
I gave her a weak smile. We were sitting inside of a taxi that Hyde had hailed for us. Since the taxi was in the form of a van, Lola, Ivy, and I were sitting in the backseat while Kale and Hyde sat in the middle.
“I don’t think I can do that,” I said.
“Why are you so nervous anyways?” said Ivy. “I mean, it’s not as if this is your first time performing in front of hundreds.”
“You try singing in front of a thousand people,” I snapped. “I’m sure you’ll be shaking and all too!”
“But I’m not shy,” she countered.
I rolled my eyes.
“We’re here, you guys,” said Hyde, as he got out of the car. We all piled out quickly as Kale handed the driver our fare.
“Where are we?” I asked, as I stared at the ginormous, dome-shaped building in front of me.
“In Los Angeles?” said Kale, looking at me as if I was the stupidest person in the world.
“Well, duh, I knew that. But I meant what is this place?”
“This is the Holdington Theater,” Hyde offered.
“Oh, I see,” I said. “That makes more sense now.”
From the corner of my eye, I saw Kale roll his eyes.
“We should head in so we can get our number,” said Lola. By number, she means the band number. Like how the auditions worked, the numbers tell you when you’re supposed to be onstage performing.
“Yeah, that’s a good idea,” agreed Hyde.
“You guys go on in and do that,” I said, yawning. “I wanna take a quick nap and calm down my nerves before actually performing up there.”
“You will do no such thing!” said Ivy. “Every time you wake up from a nap, you always end up with “morning” breath—and believe me; you do not want to end up stinking the room with it.”
I blushed. “I do not have “morning” breath!”
“Um, yes you do!”
Hyde and Kale snickered at Ivy’s proclamation.
“Oh my god, Ivy! Could you get any more embarrassing?” I hid my face behind my hands and refused to look at her.
From the cracks between my fingers, I saw Ivy smirk. “So don’t go to sleep!”
I muttered a few unpleasing words at my friend as she disappeared with Hyde and Lola, whom together, were going to be getting our band number.
“So I guess it’s just the two of us?” asked Kale, awkwardly.
“No, really?” I replied, sarcastically. I rolled my eyes and started to head over to the stage room where the competition was supposedly being held. “Which stage were we supposed to go to?”
“I think it was A4, but I’m not sure.”
“We can always check.” We made our way towards stage A4 and sure enough, I could see an audience gathering in the seat sections. There was a judge panel set in front of the stage with three empty seats for the judges. Based on the time displayed on my watch, the competition didn’t start for another hour or so.
“Okay, I guess this is the place,” I affirmed.
“Great. Do you want to head backstage and practice or something?”
I shook my head. “Nah, that’ll make me even more nervous, and plus, there’s a chance we’ll see ‘The Magnetizers’ and trust me, I am in no mood to converse with them.”
“I thought you liked Sterling?”
I blushed. “What?” Did I hear him correctly? Since when did I announce to Kale that I had a crush on Sterling?
Kale smirked at me. “I know you like him,” he teased.
“I do not!” I said, hotly. “I have no idea how you reached that conclusion but that is so definitely not true!”
“Sure…” he said, purposefully emphasizing the word as he gave me his ‘I-don’t-believe-you’ look.
“What? I really don’t!” I pressed firmly. “I don’t see how you think that, but whatever it is, please remove it from that mind of yours!”
“And this is exactly why I can’t erase it from that mind of mine. It just sounds as if you’re trying to tell yourself that you don’t like him. If you really didn’t like him, then you wouldn’t be blushing, your voice wouldn’t be so high-pitched and desperate, and—”
“Shut up, Kale!” I put my hands over my ears and like an immature six-year-old, started to sing, “La, la, la, I can’t hear you! La, la, la…!”
Kale sighed and didn’t say anything more, but I could tell he wasn’t going to let this subject drop—he was bound to bring it up again.
“I’m going to check out the backstage, actually,” I said. “Why not you go and find us some seats?”
“Fine,” he said.
“Ta, ta for now!” I said, lightly patting him on the shoulder before I shot off towards the stage. I didn’t want to be near him anymore—if I did, then he’d start to bring up some other topic concerning my love life.
Oh god, it’s warm in here, I silently thought to myself, as I stepped into the backstage. There were a few people already in there, rehearsing with their bands. Making sure the room was devoid of Sterling, Carson, and Erving, I quietly made my way past the groups of rehearsing bands and tried to search for an acoustic guitar for me to practice with.
A few minutes later, I found one lying beside a stereo. I took it within my hands and then sat down on a chair to play it. Even though I wasn’t going to be playing a guitar during my performance, I still needed some sort of background music so that I could practice the song well. I strummed a few chords and then quietly started to sing the song, checking my surroundings every now and then to make sure Carson wasn’t anywhere around.
But you know how bad luck always seems to follow me around, right? Because a few minutes later, I felt someone clear their throat from beside me.
I jerked my head up, startled by the noise.
“Ugh, Carson, really?” I whined, when I saw who it was. Why does it always have to be him?
“Yes, really,” he said, smirking. “Where’s your band? Did they ditch you?”
“No!” I replied. “They’re over in the audience section—and shouldn’t I be thinking the same for you? I don’t see your friends anywhere near you; and I wouldn’t blame them. With an attitude like yours, I’d be staying away from you as much as possible, too.”
“My friends are over there,” he deadpanned, as he gestured to a spot behind him.
I craned my neck a bit to the side so I could see where he was pointing at. I blushed when I saw Sterling and Erving there, practicing. They never once looked in my direction, so I’m guessing they had no idea that Carson had come over here.
So maybe he wasn’t alone…but still! I was semi-correct because Carson’s here, as in ‘here-in-front-of-me-by-himself-without-his-friends.’
“Why are you here?” I asked, warily.
“Just wanted to say ‘hi,’” he mumbled. He stuck his hands into the pockets of his jeans.
“Because…?” I narrowed my eyes at him. Something told me he wasn’t exactly here to just say ‘hi’—in fact, knowing him, he’s probably got something evil planned up his sleeve.
“Just felt like it,” he said, nonchalantly. “Geez, I can’t even say ‘hi’ to you now?”
“No…just that you’ve never been this nice to me before.”
He rolled his eyes.
I cleared my throat. “So uh, what number are you guys?”
“Nine.”
“Oh…”
Awkward silence ensued as we ran out of a topic to talk about.
“Well then, you should probably go and uh, get ready,” I finally said, after a few moments. “I mean, number nine isn’t so far away.”
“You’re right.” Silence again. Suddenly, he smirked and in a bright, maybe-a-bit-too cheery voice, said, “I can’t wait to show off the song I’ve chosen.” And before I even had the chance to open my mouth and ask him what the hell he meant by that, he had already spun around on his heels and was walking back to his friends.
I glared at his retreating figure.
Okay, now come to think of it, Carson definitely has something evil planned up his sleeve—but what exactly was it?
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“Hey,” I said, as I joined my friends in the audience.
Ivy waved me over to the seat she had saved me. It was one beside the aisle, which I was happy about—I was free to get out of my seat as I pleased without pissing someone off. “Hey,” Ivy replied.
“What number are we?”
“Sixteen.”
“Wow, so we’re in the middle.”
Ivy nodded. “Which is good—you know how I hate going first or last.”
I laughed. “True.”
“So where were you?”
“I was backstage—practicing—when out of nowhere, Carson appeared and actually dropped by to say ‘hi.’”
“Oh did he really? That’s a first. I guess he really wanted to make amends with you,” Ivy said.
I pursed my lips and shook my head in disagreement. “Knowing him, he’s probably got something up his sleeve; he’s never approached me to just say ‘hi’ before.”
“Well there’s always a first for everything.”
“Yeah, well not when it comes to him.” I crossed my arms and laid them over my chest. “I swear: if whatever he’s got up his sleeve has something to do with me, then I will seriously go all-karate up his ass.”
Ivy laughed and rolled her eyes. “Sure you will. Knowing you, Jules, you won’t even have the guts to hit him—I mean, you don’t even have the guts to hit a freaking fly.”
I scoffed. “Just watch me, Ives.”
She glared at me.
This time, I laughed—I know how much she hates that nickname.
“But seriously, I don’t think he’s as mean as you always thought him out to be,” said Ivy. “I truly believe he’s trying to work out the bad stuff between you guys.”
“Are you sure?” I asked, a bit unsurely.
“Trust me,” she said, as she patted my shoulder reassuringly.
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“Ladies and gentlemen, may I please introduce to you, ‘The Magnetizers!’” shouted the host enthusiastically, as he made way for Erving, Sterling, and Carson. The three friends walked onto the stage in a cool manner and then situated themselves into their appropriate places. Carson’s holding an acoustic guitar in his hands—which is very interesting; I mean, I’ve always thought of him as a rocker kind-of-dude and not some sort of country singer…
As they got themselves ready, the host shoved his mic up into Carson’s face and asked, “So what song will you guys be performing today? Will it be as amazing as the song you chose last time?”
Whoa there, looks as if Carson has just made a little fan here.
Carson, looking rather irritated by the mic in front of him, gently pushed the mic away from his face and then said, “Um, probably.”
“Probably?”
“Yes, probably,” he repeated. Suddenly, a huge smirk spread across his lips as his head vacillated across the audience, as if looking for someone. “This song…” He hesitated for a moment before saying, “…Is dedicated to this one girl I know.”
A few “ooo’s” escaped the audience as the host’s eyes widened in curiosity. “Really? And who is it—your girlfriend?”
Carson scoffed and shook his head. “Like hell.”
“Lies—he totally has the hots for her,” butted in Erving, with an evil grin on his face. “In fact, he’s especially chosen this song in hopes that when he asks her out, she’ll—” Carson quickly clamped a hand over his friend’s mouth as his face turned into a deep crimson color.
“He’s just kidding,” he quickly said.
From behind him, I could see how pale Sterling’s face had become. He actually looks rather uncomfortable…and maybe even jealous? But maybe that was just my imagination.
“I wonder what girl Carson’s talking about?” Ivy whispered beside me.
I pursed my lips as I pondered her question. I shrugged. “I have no idea.”
“Maybe it’s you,” she teased.
“Ha, yeah right. For all we know, it could be about you, after all, you have been giving him those lovey-dovey eyes of yours.” I smirked.
Ivy punched me in the arm. “Shut up.”
“This song basically sums up my feeling towards this one girl I know. And if I can, I’d like to not give away the song title…yet,” Carson said. “I want it to come as a surprise. As soon as the song starts, then I’m pretty sure she’ll know it’s dedicated to her because only she can make me feel this way.”
“Which are love and raging hormones!” interjected Erving through Carson’s hand (which was still covering his mouth).
“Oh my god, please—just shut up!” Carson angrily said, as he removed his hand from Erving’s mouth.
Erving smirked but headed back to his drums.
“Wow.” The host blinked a few times, probably surprised at the turn of events, and then recovered himself. “Anyways, I’m sure the crowd is ever so excited for your performance, so I’ll just quietly step aside and have you guys begin.” The host gestured for them to start.
Carson cleared his throat before strumming a chord on his guitar. “Something's on my mind…It's been for quite some time…This time I'm on to you…So where's the other face? The face I heard before…Your head trip's boring me…”
Suddenly, Erving started in with the drum beats as Sterling picked up a constant rhythm with his electric guitar. A look of wariness crossed Sterling’s face, as if he’s just realizing the song he’s playing.
“Let's nuke the bridge we torched…two thousand times before…This time we'll blast it all to hell…I've had this burning in my guts now…for so long…My belly's aching now to say…” Carson pauses for a moment as he tilts his head up. A playfully smirk slowly spreads across his lips as he begins the next verse, “Stuck down in a rut of dislogic and smut…A side of you well hid…When it's all said and done…it's real and it's been fun…But was it all real fun…”
I gasped in realization.
Carson was singing about me.
I felt my face heat up in rage as I angrily glared at him. But I knew he couldn’t see me, after all, I’m sitting five rows back from the stage—of course he won’t see me!
So that’s why he was being so amicable towards me earlier on! I knew he had something bubbled up his sleeve!
“Whoa, are you alright there, Jules?” Ivy asks, a bit worriedly. “You seem kinda tense.”
I suddenly realized my hands were gripped tightly around the arms of my seat. “I am perfectly fine,” I said, through gritted teeth.
“You know, if it wasn’t for the fact that he was treating you so kindly today, I would’ve thought this song was dedicated to you!” said Ivy, giggling. She playfully shoved me to the right, but when she noticed how tense and angry I became, she immediately stopped her giggling. Her face paled as realization smacked her in that small brain of hers. “Oh,” she squeaked.
“He is so fucking dead!” I whisper-shouted, as I slammed my fist against the arm rest. “Ah, fuck!” I winced in pain as a sharp pain shot up my arm. “Holy mother of chocolate bunnies, this hurts like a—”
“Juliet, are you okay?” asked Hyde. He’s sitting two seats away from Ivy while Kale and Lola are sitting to his right. Lola and Kale, upon hearing Hyde’s angry voice, turned their head towards me.
I guess they haven’t realized yet that Carson was singing about me.
Ugh—oblivious much?
“Let's nuke the bridge we torched…two thousand times before…This time we'll blast it all to hell…I've felt this burning in my guts now…for so long…My belly's aching now to say…to say…” Carson carries on.
You know what I feel like doing to him at this very moment? I feel like running up onto that stage and prying that stupid acoustic guitar away from those stupid hands of his and then hitting him on the head with it. Then, I’ll drag his limp body off the damn stage and then drop him off the Golden Gate Bridge, and then, we’ll see who’s going to nuke the bridge!
“Juliet!” Hyde roughly nudged my shoulder.
“What?” I said, as I put on my best innocent face.
“Sit back down!”
“Huh?” I looked down at my feet and sure enough, I was standing. My hands were clenched into fists and they were resting stiffly beside my hips. Suddenly, I notice whispers from the audience as they slowly snuck peeks at me.
Oh crap, I shouldn’t have stood. Now everyone knows that Carson’s singing about me!
I literally feel like jumping off a cliff right now—put an end to the humiliation I was feeling.
Suddenly, the loud noises of a furious beating drum and rough strums of an electric guitar pulled me out of my thoughts.
“You're just... a fuck, I can't explain it 'cause I think you suck. I'm taking pride in telling you to fuck off and die…”
Alright, that’s it! The last thread of self-control I had finally snapped and rather than sitting down as Hyde had asked me to do, I found myself stomping towards the backstage. I heard Ivy and Hyde saying something to me, but in my state of anger, I couldn’t really decipher what they were saying.
“Carson, you are so dead!” I quietly seethed, as I angrily shoved past the band members who were rehearsing their songs. Some muttered some not-so-pleasing words at me, but me, in the angry state that I was in, was too pissed to even acknowledge them.
From behind the curtains, I could hear Carson still singing, “I've had this burning in my guts now
for so long…My belly's aching now to say…I'm taking pleasure in the doubts…I've passed to you…So listen up as you bite thisssss...You're just... a fuck, I can't explain it 'cause I think you suck. I'm taking pride in telling you to fuck off and die! Good night…”
My mouth dropped open. Oh my god, he was so going to get it! As soon as he walks back in here, he’s dead. Meat.
I quietly hid myself behind a wall, so that way, when Carson and his friends come back, they won’t be able to see me, but I could see them. Patiently standing there as I hear the judges give them their comments (which were mostly positive—this though, came as rather a surprise for me—I mean seriously? He just dissed me in front of all those people! What kind of judges are they?), I see Ivy and Hyde running over to the backstage, frantically searching for me.
Oh geez, please don’t let them see me…please don’t let them see me… I silently chant in my head, as I see them searching the room for me.
A few minutes later, they give up in defeat and then I heard Hyde say something about the bathroom. From my hiding spot behind the wall, I see them head off the backstage and out the door, probably heading towards the bathroom.
Just to my luck, no sooner had they left, I heard the voices of Carson and Sterling, arguing, as they walked back into the backstage.
“That was a dick move, Carson!” Sterling shouted. “Seriously? If I had any clue that you were going to choose that song, then I would have totally disagreed to play with you!”
“But you still played anyways,” Carson said. I could practically imagine him with that trademark smirk of his.
“Because I had no choice!”
“What’s wrong, Sterling? Are you pissed that I just dissed your girlfriend?” he said, mockingly.
“W-what?” Sterling stuttered out.
Carson ‘tsked.’ “I thought you were better than that, Sterling! Liking a girl like her—I mean, I’d be surprised if she’d ever end up with a boyfriend, I mean, who’d like her?”
Finally losing it, I stepped out of my hiding spot. Carson and his friends were still encased within that conversation of theirs, so they didn’t really see me storm up to them.
“Surprised?” I shouted, repeating what Carson had said earlier. I put a hand on one of his shoulders and roughly spun him around so he’d be facing me. For a second, fear flashed across his eyes, but then just as quickly, it subsided as a slow smirk spread across his lips…again.
“Yes, I believe that’s what I said.”
“Carson…” started Sterling, a bit nervously, as his eyes darted between us.
Carson and I were practically standing face-to-face with each other. Our faces were so close to one another that I could practically feel his hot breath on me.
Suddenly noticing our close proximity, Carson’s smirk widened as he opened his mouth and said, “Can’t get enough of me?”
“Excuse me?” I said. Surely I heard him wrong, right?
“Come on, I know you like me.”
I scoffed in astonishment and ran a hand through my hair in frustration. “Oh my god, you’re kidding me, right?”
“Come on, just admit it: you want a piece of this.” He gestured to his body and I felt my cheeks flush. From the background, I heard Erving burst out in laughter.
“Oh my god, are you serious?” I bit back a laugh as I looked him dead-straight into the eyes. “As if! I’d be out of my mind if I’d fall for an egotistical ass like you!”
“Sure…” He rolled his eyes playfully at me.
“Alright, that’s it. Say goodbye to that ‘lovely’”—I made air quotations around that word—“face of yours, because after today, it’ll definitely be a goner.”
“What?” he asked, puzzled.
But before he had even the time to assess my words, I had already done something that I, Juliet Anderson, would have never thought of doing in a million years.
I punched him.