Swish

.12

The roar of the crowd was only heard, as the only people I could see directly in front of me were in the very front row, the rest blocked out by huge stage lights and the sun that beat down on me.

Sweat dripped a line of nervousness down my back, breaths coming in quick spurts as I attempted to calm my racing heartbeat.

Searing, the late summer Florida sun was bearing down upon us as song after song, we didn't let up one single moment.

Thankfully, my inner ear piece that allowed me to hear my own vocals through it as well as the music instead of the blaring sound system at the front of the stage, my performance was in line with how we'd practiced, and there were no accidental mess ups, I didn't fall on my ass in the middle of a song, and my voice didn't crack on a high note embarrassingly.

Surprisingly, we'd made it through the entire performance without incident, and soon it was all over and the main band was ready to take over, Bea gleefully announcing their entrance while the crowd screamed its approval of the changeover. I didn't take it personally, we were unknown and the headliner was the real reason for the amount of those lining the stage, but at least our band had received some much needed coverage.

Sweaty, sore, and still half numb and nerves zipping with adrenaline, we were alive and overzealous in our celebration of a near perfect first show.

Leo and Hazel, seemingly a couple after their steamy performance on stage together, decided to take a ride share back to the school, and the moment I decided to join in the carnival fun with Bea, my phone rang, my father's ID flashing on the screen.

"Hey dad, what's up?"

"Virginia, I need you back home right now."

His tone let me know that he wasn't kidding in the slightest.

"Oh, okay. What's wrong? Is it-"

"I said now! We will talk more when you get here."

And then the line went dead.

In all my years with it just being the two of us, he had never spoken to me like that. Something was seriously wrong.

"I'm sorry Bea, my dad just yelled at me to get my ass back and I think something's wrong."

"Okay, I'll drive you in my car."

"Thanks," I told her, remembering the fact that my previous ride had left me high and dry. I wondered if Jared or Sara had anything to do with the way my father had been acting on the phone.

Phone buzzing yet again, I was surprised to find an unknown number flashing on my screen.

Unknown: I'm sorry about what happened earlier today. Everything I said came out wrong, and then I had a family emergency come up. I hope you had a good show.

Oh, so somehow Eli had found my number and was apologizing for his behavior, again. I knew better than to fall for that act a second time. If he wanted a good word from me to my dad, he shouldn't have been so obvious about it.

I didn't respond, and I definitely didn't input his number into my phone. We were pulling into my circular driveway just as I noticed his SUV parked front and center. Family emergency, my ass. So he had time to come and receive extra coaching from my dad, but abandoned me at the carnival? Something definitely wasn't adding up.

"Bea, can you keep my keyboard? I don't feel like lugging it to my car, plus I need it at school anyway."

"Yeah of course, girl. I hope everything's okay with your family."