𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗩𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 (𝙵𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝙱𝚡𝙱)

Track 07 | 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝘃𝘆𝗱𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘆𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗹

➤ ➤ ➤

"We'll see you soon, Har," I told Harley, patting his shoulder as he stood before the car that would take him away to the other side of Cloverland. We haven't graduated yet, but he had to move into his new apartment for his new school, so he wouldn't be able to see us as much anymore. It's been a week since the performance at the club, Harley's last show with the band.

His old house was completely moved out of, and probably for a good cause. It was small and uncomfortable and he almost never stayed at home. He'd always find somewhere to stay, whether at my place, Rian's place, or literally sleeping in the local park. He does weird things when he's high.

"Don't say anything else, all of you, you'll make me emotional and there's no point in it," He warned us, pointing his finger from me, to Eden, to Torrence, to Levi, and to Rian. We were all standing on the sidewalk outside of his old house in the sunset. The car was double-parked in the street, Harley's parents sitting in the front seats with the engine running. They watched Harley take his time to say his final goodbyes, impatiently glaring at us.

"Just get in the car and abandon us like you always do," Torrence snickered.

"I'll remember you guys!" Harley mocked with a long and drawn-out whimper, stepping one foot into the car. He reached his hand out to us as if he was being stolen away.

"We'll see each other at school tomorrow, quit whining," Rian remarked.

"Yeah, but I'm not in the band anymore," Harley continued.

"We'll find you a good replacement. Auditions are at my house tomorrow," Rian informed him. Harley nodded, accepting the answer. He was about to fully board the vehicle and sit down in the back seats, but he stopped himself and poked his head out once more. Harley's parents groaned, anxious to leave.

"Hey, can I ask for one last favor? My goodbye present?"

"What?" We all asked, rolling our eyes.

"Change the fucking band name," He growled, jumping into the car and slamming the door.

➤ ➤ ➤

When tomorrow came, we all raced over to Rian's apartment after school. The five of us, excluding Harley (who was managing things over at CIVA), climbed the fire escape and entered through Rian's window. We cleared our small band rehearsal space in the middle of the apartment living room, pulling up a desk at the back of the room with five seats. We heaved the heavy drum set, piece by piece, towards the middle of the "stage" and sat back in our chairs. I pulled out a clipboard with an empty list.

We were like the judges of America's Got Talent, ordered from left to right at the desk as: Levi, Me, Eden, Torrence, and Rian. Rian was like the Simon Cowell of the group. Torrence and Eden were like the female judges that change almost every year, I was Howie, and Levi was too kind and soft to be a dream-destroying judge.

"When does everyone come?" Torrence questioned after a few minutes of sitting and waiting. He and Rian leaned back in their chairs like they were gangsters.

"I wrote 4 PM on the flyers," Levi answered, sitting with his back straight, looking at a copy of the flyer in his hands.

"Wait, who was supposed to hand out flyers?" Eden asked, leaning over onto the desk.

"Not me," Both Rian and I said at the same time.

"Levi, who did you put in charge of handing out flyers?" Torrence interrogated his little brother.

Levi stared at us, growing a little nervous. "H-Harley..?"

"What?!" All of us, except for Levi, gasped in unison. Levi jumped in his seat and backed away.