Project Publicity || l.h

Chapter 37// Finale

LUKE'S POV

'When I close my eyes and try to sleep

I fall apart, I find it

Hard to breathe

You're the reason,

the only reason...'

I've hit the rest of the notes right, and I'd done exactly as I was told. And yet, it feels like something is missing. I scan the crowd, imagining my friends in the seats. But what friends, exactly? The jocks I used to hang out with? Ashton? I barely hang out with them anymore, now that I've gotten my memories back. I blink and look at the audience again, and suddenly I'm imagining a new group of faces; Hailey, Jade, and Herber-I mean Logan. Not my mother anymore, but my friends.

When the performance ends, Calum and Michael push me behind the curtains a little impatiently, and our drummer trudges behind us. Michael and Calum hang their heads in obvious disappointment that: well, we could've done better.

"What happened back there?" Michael turns and asks me sharply. He's always been the big brother of our group; and tends to get pissed a lot.

"I don't know," I lie. "I messed up."

Michael shakes his head at me, drops of sweat clinging on the strands of his hair.

"They're announcing the finalists!" Calum shouts from the hallway. Michael's eyes meet mine, and we make a run for the door. Outside, Calum is looking at the TV above the doorway.

"Finalists for this year's Battle of the Bands," the host says into the mike, his face projected to fit the screen. Everyone, including the audience, holds in a breath. Calum whispers something under his breath, his face pale. Michael shows no reaction, but his eyes don't leave the host's face as he lists the following artists: "The bands Down Heaven, Route, Bald Jive and...

Spasmic Report. Congratulations, you are invited back tomorrow for the final round."

Calum puts his face in his hands. I keep my eyes on the screen as the audience claps and screams, praying I won't cry. It was my fault we didn't do a good performance. The guilt is eating me up already. In fear of meeting my band members' eyes, I watch the screen, as the camera pans over the cheering audience. And something catches my eye.

"Luke," Michael says, his eyes firm. I now realize that he's asked me a question, but I have no idea what it is. "Luke! Are you listening?"

The door of the amphitheatre opens and a girl, with brown tresses and eyes to match- the girl I can recognize anywhere- runs in.

"Jade?" I breathe, and blink my eyes rapidly as if she's a trick of the eye. But it's not an illusion anymore. She really is here.

Suddenly, I'm not so guilty, nor sad, or angry. I don't give two shits about the Battle that we'd just lost.

I watch as Jade pushes past the bouncer, and into the crowd. The bouncer yells something and tries to grab her, but she'd run too far ahead. I can see her though, as I follow her with my eyes. Why did she come back? Why did she change her mind? I catch glances of Jade moving towards the stage. The regret is clear in her face; that she hasn't come quickly enough. She'd come just when the song had ended, and I'd already destroyed every possibility of my 'big debut'.

"Luke!" Michael says angrily, grabbing my wrist.

I squirm out of his grasp and run, down the hallways of the building, and all the way around the stage. I get back into the amphitheatre through the door that Jade used, and run straight into the crowd of people. The mosh pit.