"What a shame we all became such fragile, broken things.
A memory remains, just a tiny spark.
I give it all my oxygen,
So let the flames begin." - Let The Flames Begin
"Okay, Lacey, say I told you so." Olivia pouted, her lower lip jutting out in irritation.
"I told you so." I said matter-of-factly, crossing my arms. But my response was half-hearted; I could almost picture my eyes still glazed over from the performance. Situated by one of the picnic areas by the playground, the gang and I were sitting on the picnic tables in a small circle. Carter had ran off with the rest of Within These Cages to try and get autographs from Tilt, and even though I wasn't half the crazed fangirl they were, some part of me wanted to meet the band too. It was if my whole insight on who they were drastically changed.
Tilted Reality had played four more songs after their cover of We Are The In Crowd, including two hits from All Time Low, a cover from Mayday Parade, and a song by We The Kings. Each time, I had stood rooted to the spot, staring up at the band in front of me as they poured their hearts out into each song, their skills surpassing my own.
My eyes were especially glued to Blake, their drummer. Each time he struck at the drum set, the muscles in his arms would ripple slightly, showing off his physique, and his tongue would stick out slightly in concentration. I would watch as he bobbed his head, causing the shaggy strands of dark hair to fall messily into his eyes. But his physical appearance wasn't what kept me interested in him. It was his style; the way that he drummed, the way he planned every beat and rhythm so perfectly that it kept the song together, and in a way, kept the entire band together too.
Icould tell that he felt the music pounding through his veins and don't even think that I missed that distant look in his eyes as he drummed. It was if he were transfixed in another memory, in another time. In a moment when there was no crowd in front of him; there was only him, his band, and his music. In a way, this Blake guy remind me of me.
But my favorite part of the night was when they did their cover of All Time Low's So Long, and Thanks For All the Booze. Just like when they sang Rumor Mill, I saw the desperation in their eyes as they practically yelled the lyrics to the backs of the retreating audience. As the night wore on, the large crowd that had come to see Tilted Reality diminished greatly.
And all because they caught a glimpse of the real band that was Tilted Reality, standing right in front of them.
Even The Twins and Olivia eventually left at this point to go buy ice cream, leaving me, Xander, Within These Cages, and a handful of loyal remaining Tilted Reality fans clustered around the makeshift stage. Vanessa grabbed the microphone stand so that it was tilted at an obscure angle, belting out an incredibly high note that even my own soprano voice could never hit, and the previous song finished. She tucked a loose strand of hair in her ear as the band panted a bit, analyzing the crowd (or what was left of it) in front of them. And as the dazed look in their eyes faded slightly, I caught a glimpse of disappointment in each of the four member's gazes.
But then Katerina had stepped forward, whispering something excitedly into Vanessa's ears. I saw a smile curve from the lead singer and rhythm guitarist's lips and she glanced at Zeke and Blake, mouthing something that I couldn't catch from the angle where I was standing.
The two male members nodded and instantly, Zeke's fingers were on his guitar, playing a smooth melody that I recognized immediately. The corners of my lips twitched up as I fought the small smile playing at the corner of my lips. Vanessa smirked and raised a hand, closing her eyes and singing passionately, "Pick yourself up off the ground. You're sure as hell too good to let them hold you down..." All sound stopped at that exact moment and I had leaned forward, anticipating the next entrance.
Then Blake raised his sticks in the air and counted off, and as soon as he said "one," a shockwave of sound blasted through the park and I felt Xander jolt, accidentally bumping into me. For once, I didn't felt the instinct to flinch from the sudden contact as I rocked back slightly on my heels, silently singing the lyrics along with Vanessa, Katerina, and Zeke's intertwined voices. I heard the hidden meaning as they played; Katerina plucking the thick strings of her bass with grace, Zeke hitting the solos and riffs with ease and dexterity, Blake pounding away in his own little world, and Vanessa strumming the additional rhythm easily, while singing in her beautiful voice. "So gimme, gimme my motivation. Gimme, gimme my dreams. You gotta tear me down to set me free."
"Whoa, oh, oh~" Katerina and Zeke chimed in, harmonizing with one another behind Vanessa's voice.
"And gimme, gimme my revelation. Gimme back my scene. You gotta let me be... You gotta let me be me!"
The chorus repeated a second time and Vanessa dropped to her knees, wrapping her hands tightly around the microphone as she belted out, "You gotta let me be-"
The rest of the band paused for dramatic effect and I held my breath, their honest words echoing in my mind.
When the rest of the band strummed in the last chord and played the final beat, Vanessa had held out the mike to the audience, holding a hand to her ear, as if expecting us to know the final lyric. And nobody did. Nobody except for me.
And even though it was quiet, and no one heard me, I softly whispered the final word of the song. You gotta let me be...
"Me."
"Hey, earth to Carson." A hand waved in front of my eyes and I focused on it, narrowing my eyes. I was cast out of my flashback and for that, I was annoyed.
"What?" I snapped, turning my head to the left as Xander took the seat beside me.
"You alright? You seemed zoned out there for a second." He replied, frowning a bit.
Was I alright? Was that a cruel, sick joke that he was playing at? No. I wasn't alright. If only people could see that. But in reality I shrugged, shaking my head. "Oh, I'm fine. Healthy as a cactus. No internal bleeding, rabies, lice, broken sternum, dysfunctional ovar-"
"Alright, little too much info there, Lace." Amber made a face at me, finishing off her ice cream and tossing the remaining bit of cone into the garbage can. Caden yawned and spun his keys around his finger.
"Amber, let's go. I need to get to bed early since Coach is making up get up at like, 5 in the morning for practice." He grumbled, stretching a bit and standing from the table.
"But, Caden, it's only eleven!" Amber whined, and I let out a little snort from her behavior. But when her words settled in my brain, I stood up abruptly, running a hand through my hair. Not good, not good at all. I only expected it to be around nine, so that I if I snuck back in and my father caught me, the consequences wouldn't be as bad. But eleven? Oh, God. Just please give me the power to turn invisible so I could just go home without a worry.
"I'm heading home, guys. See you." I said suddenly, waving distractedly and walking away without another glance.
"Wait, Lacey! Do you need a ride?" I heard Olivia's voice yell faintly, but I was already a good distance away from the picnic area. My apartment was only about five minutes away, so I could make it and hopefully sneak in without a problem. But as I headed towards the gates, my pace slowed and I eventually came to a stop, feeling a tad pathetic. Marco was probably still passed out, and even if he was up, he would be too drunk to even process what was going on. For Pete's sake, I was a teenager! I should be living my life normally, with no worries, and no concerns.
And a sudden thought occurred to me. At this moment, there was nothing holding me down. I had just felt my first taste of freedom, and it felt magical. Like, Disney-edition-fireworks-over-Cinderella's-castle type thing. The chains of secrecy and guilt were unlatched for just those three hours. Why go back to my prison so soon? But where do I go from here?
Well, there was a particular spot I've always fancied.
Careful not to pass by the playground for the fear of the group noticing me, I took the long route to The Bench; and quite frankly, I enjoyed this passage more because it was quiet and relaxed, everything I liked. Suddenly wishing I had Rev by my side, I hummed Rumor Mill underneath by breath in an attempt to distract my hands from twitching from the absence of my faithful drum sticks.
Above me, the stars twinkled brightly in the night sky, accompanying the moon who brought down a natural light almost as radiant as the sun's onto the lake. The branches of the oak trees scattered over my head, creating a path as The Bench made its way into my view. But something was wrong with this scene. I even had to stop walking and do a double-take.
The Bench was occupied.
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Isabelle