You took my heart, could I please have it back?

[17] You took my heart, could I please have it back? SPECIAL: The Gig

All will be explained at the end...

.:Story Start:.

I woke up at 5 o'clock on Sunday morning feeling sick.

Today was the day of The Gig, and I was a nervous wreck. I couldn't bring myself to eat breakfast, although I knew that when Alex came he would make me, so, out of nerves, I spent about an hour practising up in the attic, playing until my fingers bled (not literally).

We had already spent practically the whole of yesterday practising, but I thought a little more couldn't hurt. Well, figuratively speaking anyway. I hadn't realized Alex had knocked on the door, and he made me jump as he appeared in the trapdoor.

"Oops, sorry," he said, walking over to sit beside me. "Still practising?" He asked incredulously, raising an eyebrow at my guitar.  

"Can't practise too much, Alex. Especially not when you're as nervous as I am. We're only having one more run through of it before we actually start, then I'm up there in front of everyone..."  

"Relax, Liz. You're going to be fine. Even them ignoring you is better than them taking the piss, so just relax, play your best and have a good time!"  

"Easy for you to say," I muttered, glaring at the floor. "You don't have to perform in front of the whole freaking school!"  

"It's not going to be the whole school, and anyway, there are other bands too,"  

"No pressure, then," I said sarcastically. He sighed, evidently realizing his reassurance wasn't working. I sighed too, realizing he was just trying to help. "Sorry, Alex. I'm stressed. I need to vent when I'm stressed," he laughed, unfazed by my grumpiness.

"Clearly," he chuckled, leaning back onto the sofa. "Have a rest, Liz," he said gently, taking hold of my guitar and placing it on the floor. I sighed as I looked at it, and he looked at me, and said sternly, "I know you haven't eaten your breakfast," I rolled my eyes and shrugged, and he led the way to the kitchen.

He made me a bacon sandwich and when he put it in front of me, I had to say, I was hungry, and glad he had talked me into breakfast. I briefly wondered if my stomach could handle food, then decided if it couldn't, it couldn't, and there would be nothing that could be done.

Silence fell over the kitchen, interspersed with crunching and munching on my part. I dwelled over what this afternoon would be like - tonnes of people in that hall that now seemed so big, the other bands, so much better than me...

Alex strove to take my mind off it that morning. We went to the library and looked through excerpts of books we might like, we went into the town centre, a half hour walk from my house, and looked in various shops at random items and we went to Starbucks and he ordered hot chocolate for me, as it was a very cold day.

I sat with my fingers wrapped around my cup of hot chocolate rather awkwardly - he had paid for everything (which wasn't much, but still) and I wondered how I would pay him back without him noticing - I had a feeling he wouldn't accept the money if I just gave it to him.

We arrived back at my house at gone 12 o'clock, and I must say, most of the thoughts of The Gig had been erased from my mind. It was a mere shadow now, lurking in the back of my mind to be brought out again by what would be happening - now? Oh, crap.

We were supposed to go to the school at 12 o'clock to have an extra practise, and I was now very late. I told Alex, who offered to walk me there. I declined, knowing the guys would suspect something.

I practically flew out of the door after changing into my concert clothes - nothing special, chocolate coloured jeans, brown and pink striped converse and a dark and light brown striped short sleeved t-shirt with the small bit of v-shaped material under my neck that was pink.