Cry Out

"I really feel like we could've got some of the others to help." I grunt, carrying an amplifier. Look, I'm pretty well built, but it's a long way from the music room, and we're only authorised to have the equipment for the afternoon. Gotta make this snappy.

"I'm already down my ace, you think I'm risking more injuries by getting the team to roadie for you?" Captain Rosie answers dismissively. "We're almost done, if you wanted to complain, you should have done it an hour ago." She adds as we approach the gathering point outside our house. Despite all the ruckus, it doesn't look like Andi's looked outside, her window remains shut and the curtains drawn.

Hoisting the amp into position, Echo automatically plugs the jack in before returning to other pre-flight checks as Poppy refers to them. Poppy herself is sitting on Ty's lap behind the drum kit after Echo told them to stay out of her way. I suppose it letting all the football team members know that Ty's taken is another positive for my sister. Guess that jealousy became a factor after all.

Speaking of, the team are serving as a crowd, giving us some energy to feed off. If you've never performed live, just trust me, it'll help. Rosie herself doesn't take her eyes off of Andi's window, **** for some sign of her best friend. "Okay, we're doing this, Poppy, get off Ty's microdick. Rufus, stop staring into space. Positions!" Echo orders, her voice full of stress. Before I take my spot, I nip over to her and sneak a kiss onto her lips, which seems to calm her a bit.

The crowd quietens as we prepare for our long shot. If the right song made Andi act the most un-Andi-like she's ever been, then it stands to reason that another song could bring her back to herself, right? Look, don't underestimate music, it wouldn't be the weirdest thing it's done. If nothing else, it shows Andi how much we care.

"We've only really got one song prepared." Echo begins into the microphone. "It's an oldie, but it's dedicated to the one and only Andi Graham... I miss you. This one's called All You Did Was Save My Life." She finishes, careful not to let her voice break. Ty's sticks count us in, and we all begin at once.

We haven't practised this one all that much, truthfully, it was in Grandma Dani's CDs... Not that we have anything that still plays them, but I looked it up on streaming and... Well, I can't think of a more fitting theme for Andi.

Tried to run, but I couldn't move

Well, I paid for these concrete shoes

Like a singer that sings the blues

You saw hope in the hopeless

Echo sings with a much different tone than usual, she's not belting out the words with fiery passion, it's more honest. She's feeling each and every word and sending them all to Andi's window. The rest of us sound different too, like we're less focused on perfection and more on getting the exact emotion we want through to Andi.

Andi's window doesn't budge, no sign that she's even listening... We've got to keep going.

I'm not dying

All you did was save my life

Pulled me out of that flat line

Put the heartbeat back inside

I'm not dying

All you did was get me through

I owe every breath to you

Heart and soul unparalyzed

All you did was save my life

The chorus rings out as the crowd cheers along, even Rosie seems to be getting into it. I guess trusting us to notice if Andi's window budges. It doesn't. Not when we repeat the chorus or when we reach the end of the song. When we finish, the crowd cheers, but we're too focused to notice. Seconds feel like an eternity, I feel like I'm staring at a static image.

Until it moves. Undeniably, the curtains start to be drawn back, just a little more and...

Lights flash from the nearby road. I don't remember us setting up lights... Or cars... Cars that say 'police'.

Ah, fuck, not again.

*

Maybe there is something to this bad influence idea, I'd never even spoken to the police before I met Echo, and now I've been in jail once for being drunk and disorderly, and again for anti-social behaviour. The second is particularly ridiculous, I'm the most social person in the world, arrest Marie instead.

"So, in the real world, we have these things called permits." Mum informs Ty and me as an officer opens the door for us to leave. "If you're going to run a huge show at max volume in public, you kinda need one." She continues, clearly holding back a laugh. Trish becomes visible too as we round the corner. I guess she's here for Ty and Echo. We follow the officer to the next cell over, where we see Poppy curled up into a ball with Echo looming over her.

Upon opening the door, Poppy immediately runs into Mum's arms, as Trish evaluates Echo's position. "What?" My girlfriend asks innocently. "I was just reminding Poppy what would happen if she went to prison, how the women there would treat her." She explains, as if that isn't something a maniac would do.

"Do I need to point out that you were in here too?" Trish points out. "And that you're not going to prison, it's just a fine. Had to push to keep it off all of your records, though." She adds, with a sigh, looking at the officer accompanying us, who just shrugs.

"I'm just that committed to 'scared straight'. I can guarantee Poppy's never going to be here again." Echo announces proudly. As if there were any chance Poppy of all people would be a career criminal. My sister actually looks more scared of Echo than this place. "I may have said she'd have more fingers in her than a chocolate factory." My girlfriend whispers to me, which shouldn't make me laugh, but given how stressful today has been, I needed the levity.

We make our exit, with Poppy continuously giving her best **** glare to Echo, who eventually caves and puts her arm around my sister as both an apology and reassurance. "Pops, would you and Ty mind riding with Aunty Trish?" Mum asks, her daughter nodding in acceptance.

"Someone's waiting at home for you two."