Rockstar Serenade: The Verse

Ch 25: Tragedy

Sorry this took so long! Peace :D Writer’s block sucks!

TREVOR~

“Ah, Trevor, always the perfectionist, I see,” Lyric tells me critically, her eyes rolling up and down as she scrutinizes my black and blue sleeveless hoodie, my beanie, my pants and chain belts.

“What?” I snap.

“It’s neatly pressed,” she mentions. “Unlike those of that bandmate of yours.” She rolls her eyes and lets out a loud huff.

I let out a slight chuckle. “Jake?”

“Yeah, that guy with an attitude.” She looks around the CJA grounds in search of Jake, and I instinctively follow.  We see him almost at the same time, talking to a group of other boys and laughing along them, a beer in hand, calm as if the competition doesn’t make him anxious at all. “But I admit, he’s the type of guy I’d prey on.”

“That sounds cannibal-ish creepy.”

“I meant that in a seductive way,” she says and winks. “Just look at those biceps.  Makes me wanna run my fingers over his skin.”

Jake is wearing a Jack Daniel’s black sleeveless top, so his biceps could never go unnoticed. In the midst of Lyric’s daydream I give a loud, exaggerated barfing sound. I can’t believe that somebody like that guy would star in Lyric’s and Josephine’s and possibly other girl’s fantasies.

She frowns at me. “Don’t make those sounds or I’ll kill you.”

“I thought you have the hots for Oliver,” I say, rolling my eyes.

“Heh, true,” she replies, then tugs my hand to cut our way through a crowd of people behind CJA’s open stage. “But he didn’t choose me as their new lead singer. I was so depressed for days! You know, it would be fine with me actually, but to choose that she-wolf over me?!” Her voice suddenly rises and her grip on my hand tightens.

Just when I’m about to tell her that the she-wolf’s got a lot of potential in her, and that for some reason Oliver’s being protective of his new bandmate, I receive a loud thump at my back. “Heyow!” Jake shouts at me so loudly that I feel ringing in my ears.

“Don’t drink too much beer before we perform,” I say flatly without looking back.

“Hey drummer kid,” Lyric greets, her voice suddenly shifting from vexed to flirtatious.

Jake startles, like he didn’t see that somebody else is with me. A playful smile spreads across his face, and then and there I know what he’s thinking. “Hey there.”

“You’re the one with the dead girlfriend,” I warn him. Though I know that Jake flirting with another girl wouldn’t bring much issue anymore—Josephine’s gone and they didn’t make any promises or whatsoever to each other, and they’ve only been dating for a short period of time—I still couldn’t help it. How would Josephine be reacting when she sees this?

“Dead girlfriend?” Lyric repeats, fright suddenly etched in her features.

“Josephine,” I say sternly. Lyric has heard of Josephine, and she isn’t blind to the fact that I do have a thing for her, in fact she’s met her a few times back in middle school. Lyric’s face is further engulfed further in fear, and Jake falls inarticulate. I laugh at both of them silently.

“Announcement, CJA requires all participants to gather backstage immediately. Thank you.”

“I guess that’s our call,” I say then sigh heavily, complemented with heavy steps I take as I walk with Lyric and Jake as we head backstage.  Weight settles down my stomach, as if there’s something in me that refuses to go to that place full of participants, and I know exactly what it is.