4

Chapter 4 

Days come by so quickly when I am dreading it, it feels like the past five days flew by in a blur and suddenly I am on the backstage with my bandmate- If we are even considered one. 

The songs that we had rehearse for tonight were mainly Kacy Musgraves and Lady Antebellum.Ethan, Brandy, Jack, and Oliver were the only guys that I find myself comfortable with besides Bibi and Mr Young , solely because we were in sort of a band and Mr Young is my landlord. But the stares and the gawking that I've been receiving tonight creeps my skin out, it makes me uneasy and the urge to vomit overwhelmed my senses. 

“Are you okay? You look like you just swallowed a watermelon” Jack placed reassuring hands on my shoulder, I jumped a little. 

“What!? Watermelon? Have you seen people swallowing a watermelon? That sound weird” 

“Exactly, loosened up and whenever you think of puking, imagine me swallowing a watermelon” I laughed a little at the mental image he was providing me. 

“Good, now we are ready to go” And the nerves came rushing back in full waves, riding my common sense and almost knocking me over. Before I could comprehend the situation, Ethan dragged me towards the small stage and I tried not to look over the audience that stood before us. My eyes are glued on the floor, I wish the ground could swallow me up. 

And then Ethan starts playing the familiar tune of Golden hour and my feet tapped unconsciously, When the slow beats dropped, I let my voice and instinct took over me, my shaky hands grabbed hold of the mic and I closed my hands listening to the lyrics that flow out out of my lips and then the audience disappeared and all I could do was indulge into the song, the music and my mind telling me that - Mom I did this, Dad I am singing right now. 

It was so easy to lose myself in music. By the time I was starting to loosen up and dared to look down at the audience,I saw him. Mr Young among the crowd looked as handsome as ever under the faint blinking lights of the club and a smile tugging at his lips. Suddenly, My small flimsy black dress was of no protection under his stare, I felt so naked and opened. He saw me singing and I cared more about what he thought than the fifty other audience members who were watching me. I wanted to sing well and impressed him.  

When Jack and Ethan started playing ‘Bartender’ by Lady Antebellum, I did a little spin and walked towards Jack, and danced with him a little, smiling and singing like I had done a hundred times. The audience cheered along with us as the song was upbeat than those previous ones, 

🎶Now there's only one thing left for me to do, 

Slip on my favourite dress and sky high leather boots 

Check the mirror one last time 

And kissed the past goodbye 

What I’m really needing now 

Is a double shot of crown 

Chase that disco ball around 

‘Til I don't remember 

Go until they cut me off 

Wanna get a little lost in the noise,in the lights 

Hey Bartender pour’em hot tonight 

Till the party and the music and the truth collide 

Bring it ‘til his memory fades away 

Hey Bartender 🎶

                        *****

“Yay!” We clinked the cups of beers and the biggest grin was spotted on our faces after the whole ordeal of singing on the stage for the first time. My body and senses are high on adrenaline with the way the crowds seemed to love and applaud for our performance, it was terrifying but in a good way. 

“Chloe, you were amazing back there. Your voice is angelic” The guys nodded their head at Ethan's compliment. Hearing about my voice was something I found it hard to swallow specifically because I felt naked and so raw, but I smiled and complimented them the same way. It was the first success and we got to share a 200 dollar bill each for the first gig among the members. We were grinning and the notes are safely tucked in our pockets and pouch, 

“My God, this is the first money that I earned!” They laughed at my shrieking and I lunged at Ethan, Squeezing his neck a little too tight for his liking. 

“Come on, Group hug!” Jack was the one who yelled, before my small body was ambushed by the three other strong boys. 

“This is one of my best nights, guys. It's all thanks to you” 

“Will you tell your parents?” Jack asked, the smile never wavering from his face. Words got stuck in my throat, they didn't have any knowledge of my parents but it doesn't hurt to say the truth so I just answered him plainly. 

“They would be...If they were alive” 

There was silence, as if they had never encountered someone without a parent. 

“Anyway, Come on, let's take a picture” Seemingly thankful for the change of topic, the conversations continued normally and when the night struck at 10,we called it quits. Ethan dropped me by the front of the building and drove away after he waited for me to enter the building safely. 

“Chloe” My feet halted when Mr Young stepped out of his apartment. I turned to look at him, he was in his silk pajamas and his hair fell over his face,covering his honey eye. 

“Are you awake? I am sorry, did I wake you up?” 

I didn't miss the way his eyes lingered on my dress in a subtle way, my skin burnt under his stare. 

“I was waiting for you” Only when he spoke did I realise he was drunk, the smell of whiskey fanned over my nose when he took a step towards me. We were standing so close to each other that I could feel the heat and warmth from his body. 

“You were so amazing today,Chloe. You sang like an Angel” I nodded, my heart going off radar from the proximity of our body. 

“Thank you for coming” 

There was a thud and suddenly Damien was leaning into my body, his face in between the crook of neck, there was a tingling sensation on my skin when warm produced from his breathing. 

“Mr Young?..” I called out and shook him a little but to no avail he fell asleep in the hallways. 

I dragged his heavy body across his living room and towards his bedroom, his sheets and pillow smelled of fresh soap and conditioner, I swoon mentally. 

I took his socks off and tucked him to his bed, and stared at his flawless skin and unkempt hair that covers his closed eyes. His pink lips glistened under the soft light of the lampstand, My lips itchy to touch,feel and get a taste of his plump lips. 

But before I let my urge win over me, I stroked his hair and left him, carrying Bibi with me so that I could sleep with him instead of my hot teacher.