Everything

When it rains it pours. It's like waiting hours for a bus, then two come along at once. Though in this case, the two buses hit me dead on. I've never been much of a believer in some all powerful force controlling the universe... But I'll be damned if it doesn't feel like something's got a grudge against me right now.

It takes all of my strength to rip my eyes away from Andi and rush to my sister's aid. "Hey Pops, need a word, can't wait, come with me." I state hurriedly, grabbing her hand and pulling her off the edge of the stage to the makeshift tech area. Ty doesn't appear to have regained his senses yet, which works for me, and Echo's vanished, so that's something to worry about after. "So... You feeling alright? You went in a bit strong there." I ask my sister cautiously.

"Well... It seemed like a good idea, I didn't want to keep being a coward..." Poppy whimpers, eyes dropping down to her feet. "I thought if I could be a bit more assertive... I dunno, maybe it'd make him like me."

How a person can be so overwhelmingly frustrating, and make it seem adorable, is a question for the scientists of the world. I sure as fuck can't figure it out. "Look, confident is good, assertive is good, Hell, flirting is good... Just maybe drop the Femme Fatale act? A normal conversation will go a long way." I advise her.

Poppy doesn't say anything, but the nod and the smile on her face tell me she understands. She passes me and heads back up onto the stage, all I can do is hope that my words have balanced out the alcohol.

"You're pretty good at the big brother role, when you want to be." A voice giggles from behind me. I turn to be blindsided by Andi's beauty again. "Very impressive, people might actually think you care." She jokes.

"Aah, you misunderstand, she was stealing my best moves, I couldn't sit around and watch a copycat." I answer with a grin, trying desperately to meet her hazy blue gaze, rather than letting my eyes drift to her neckline.

Andi snorts at my deflection. "Sure, tough guy, your secret's safe with me." She replies with a wink. "This all looks so good... It's nostalgic." She adds wistfully.

"Yeah, took a lot of work to pull it all together, but I had some help." I agree, before realising her words. "So, you've been here before?"

"Just once." Andi nods. "A long time ago... Back-" She tries to continue before she's suddenly cut off. Rosie appears and hands her an unidentifiable bottle to drink.

"Tonnes of booze here, but the selection's shocking." My sister thinks aloud, as Marie follows suit, much more comfortable with the available alcohol. "Sienna's a girl of simple tastes, I guess."

Yeah, it's mostly beer, but then, it's a high school party, no one here's complaining. Well, maybe me, but that's because I haven't been able to drink any of it yet.

"Oi, dickface, if you're finished flirting, we're getting started up here!" I suddenly hear Echo yell at me. Not certain when she reappeared... I'm guessing after Andi was out of sight.

The girls laugh at my instructions. "Oh, you've got a new nickname." Andi chuckles.

"Weirdly, not the worst one he's ever had." Rosie chimes in, adding salt to the wound. I roll my eyes and head back to the stage, where I suddenly realise a crowd has formed, it's not gigantic, maybe fifty people or so... But it feels like thousands.

Okay. It's fine, I mean, who pays attention to the guitarist anyway? Apart from everyone. I note Rosie, Marie, and Andi emerging from the tech area, joining the crowd. Something Echo seems to notice too, as her hand wavers for a moment before picking up the microphone. I take my place and grab my guitar.

At the very least Poppy looks just as nervous as me, meanwhile, Ty looks like he's in the zone, and Echo's moved into full on frontwoman mode. "Hey you sons of bitches, you ready for some noise!?" She yells into the microphone, causing a generous cheer from the audience. "We're... Well, we don't have a name yet, but we've got songs, and that's all anyone fucking cares about."

We kick off with some covers, some pretty well known stuff, plus some gems that Echo insisted on. By insisted, I mean told us we were going to do. But it's all a preamble. The real challenge is the one we're saving for last. Our own song. Time goes by and the crowd grows, soon enough it's time.

"You've all been great. Well, not as good as us, but, fine, I guess." Echo snarks at the crowd. "This is our last song... It's called The Way We Were." Well... This is it... Showtime.

"Staring in her eyes

Suddenly I'm wise.

Listening to that old song with her

Well I heard it today and it made those feeling stir

That old room with her

Of the way we were

She was my summer breeze

Gonna set my heart at ease

I can't be that person anymore

Couldn't drag you down, I swore

Spending every moment with her

Of the way we were

Of the way we were

That old room with her

Of the way we were

Of the way we were."

Fucking. Nailed it. The crowd seemed to lap it up, I can even spot Marie freaking out in the corner of my eye. I look over to Poppy, who seems happy with how things went, then to Ty, who seems enraptured by my sister, calm it down Casanova, save the googly eyes for later. I begin to look to Echo, before I realise her hand is already on my face...

She pulls me into a kiss so suddenly I don't even have time to take my hands off the strings. All that I can perceive are her lips on mine, and the onlookers roaring with cheers at the display. It ends as suddenly as it begins as we part... But unlike last time... Echo doesn't look conflicted. She just looks happy. For a moment.

The blow seems to come out of nowhere, as Echo's whipped round to face her attacker before a punch lands straight on her cheek, knocking her to the floor, leaving only me looking at Andi.

"You bitch! You think you can just sing some song and I'll just move on? I'll just forget how I feel? Do you have any idea the Hell you've put me through?" She roars, yelling down at Echo, who's clutching her cheek in shock. Is Andi really that pissed about her kissing me? It's not that big a deal is it?

"Andi, you've gotta relax, you're the one that turned me down, you can't get jealous now." I blurt out, eliciting a confused reaction.

"Oh... You've no idea." Andi bawls. "You're just one of the countless things I gave up. I shot down everyone that liked me, I waited and waited, because you told me you'd come back... But to you I was just the past... Something to forget. Well, I can't forget, Echo. You can dye your hair and change your attitude, but it won't erase my memory. It won't undo what you said. It won't stop you telling me you loved me. And it won't stop me still loving you. As much as I wish it would." She concludes before running from the stage.

The crowd is silent, Echo's silent, I'm silent. So much suddenly becomes clear. Andi couldn't say yes to me... Because she wasn't over Echo. Echo's been trying to push her away this whole time, the venue, the song, kissing me, everything... It was all to make Andi hurt so badly she wouldn't love her anymore.

I place my guitar on against the wall and head over to Poppy. "Get the party back on." I order her.

My sister nods in response. "Where are you going?" She reflexively asks. I walk to Echo, and pull her to her feet, but her eyes are vacant, stunned by the events. I look back to Poppy, before deciding exactly how to reply.

"To do the right thing, for once."