Dare You To Move

Chapter 2 - Snowfall

The bar seems to be unusually packed for a Sunday night. Groups of friends were scattered about the tables, a few couples sat at the bar. Singles made their way around to each other, mingling and getting to know each other. Conversations all muffled together into a pleasant cluster while Elli and Collyn sat at a table, adding to the noise of the bar.

"So, what'd you do last night?" Collyn asks, sipping his pop.

"Finished some work for one of the schools, read a bit, watched a movie with Parker." Elli takes a sip of her Tequila Oasis.

This was a usual routine for Collyn and Elli. Collyn would show up at the apartment and pick up Elli, taking her to wherever Parker would be playing his set. Parker always showed up with plenty of time to spare so that left Elli time to get ready on her own, to just show up with Collyn. And they always showed up a little early to make sure they didn't miss any of his set. While they waited, they always caught up even if they'd just seen each other the day before. The routine is something neither of them would trade.  

A sly smirk comes to Collyn's face. "Yeah? Thought Parker had a date?"

"He did." Elli says, her eyes narrowing. "She was kind of bitchy to put it simply."

Collyn nods. "Your words or Parker's?"

"Parker's too nice to call her a bitch so, I'll say it." Elli chuckles.

"Sure, mate." Collyn takes another drink of his pop and Elli furrows her brows but before she can ask, Collyn is back to talking. "What'd you have to do for the schools? Thought you weren't working with schools anymore."

Elli sighs, running a hand through her hair. "Their sports' photographer fell through last minute. Photographing a bunch of teenagers might be annoying and a royal pain in the ass but hey, it's not their fault their photographer bailed."

"Good on you." Collyn sips his drink slightly, a smile etched across his face.

"How 'bout you? What'd you do?"

"Working on a commission piece. Some guy in Orland wants a sculpture of a lion for his new house." Collyn explains with a quick brow raise.

"That's...odd." Elli giggles.

"Especially because he wants it life-sized and it's going in his house."

"You at least having fun? It's something different."

Collyn nods eagerly. "Yeah, yeah of course. It's fun to do a life-sized animal rather than people. Always like a challenge."

"Good! I'm glad!"

The conversation between the two of them dies off as they see movement from the corner of their eyes. They turn to the small stage a few feet in front of them where Parker is making his way out with his guitar. He's dressed in a plain black shirt and a red jacket with dark navy jeans. His hair is in its purposefully messy style as it almost always is and he's sporting a nervous smile. Months of playing at the same place a few days a week and he still gets nervous. He gets nervous until he takes a seat on the stool and his eyes fall on Elli, front and center with her camera around her neck. She gives him a thumbs up and Parker's nerves float away as if they were never there to begin with.

Parker sighs before introducing himself like he's done a hundred times before. The people in the bar stop their conversations and give Parker their attention. All eyes on him while he speaks. He can hear his heart in his chest, beating against his ribs but he loves the way it sounds. He's in love with the way his heart pounds with anxiety and excitement while everyone waits for him to start. It's thrilling.

Elli pulls her camera to her eye as Parker starts his set. Acoustic covers are his thing. It doesn't matter if the original artist has an acoustic version or not, Parker will rework it to fit his own musical style and make it acoustic. The genre doesn't matter, either and that's the part that blows Elli's mind. Parker's turned deathcore metal into something acoustic and it worked, and worked well. It wasn't something he had set out to do but he wanted a challenge and a challenge it was, but it'd paid off and it was amazing. He was amazing. But, that's just Parker.