ALANA'S MISTAKE ✔

Chapter 2

The club was packed by the time Alana and Noah arrived. It was full of people holding onto their drinks, nodding their heads and moving to the beat of the music. The air was hot, humid and a little bit sticky. A girl band, all four of them dressed head to toe in black, with bright red lips, thrashed their guitars and sang loudly into their microphones. 

Noah, Alana already knew, was seriously unimpressed. She didn't even need to look at him to know that his brow would be furrowed and his nose would be wrinkled ever so slightly, like it always was when he didn't like something. She knew that he would rather leave right this second than stay here.

A usual night out for them would consist of a quiet glass of wine in a cosy pub somewhere, actually pretty much like being at home, just in someone else's living room. Noah couldn't care less about experiencing music live, or going to crazy art shows or even a trip to a museum. All he needed was a book or a movie or one of his video games. She squeezed his hand and turned to look at him. Sure enough, there was the frown and the wrinkled nose.

It was cute though, to her it was anyway. He looked completely out of place in his plain old t-shirt and jeans with holes at the knees. He also looked considerably taller and more muscular than everyone else. She winked at him and his soft, ocean-blue eyes melted. His big, warm hand squeezed her hand back in return.

Alana couldn't help but feel a rush of adrenaline to be out in the world. She always got such a sense of freedom when she was among this many people, this much movement and noise. Before she got pregnant six years ago, she came to places like this all the time. Usually with her best friend Riley who, without warning, right then appeared in front of them, greeting them with open arms. She was dressed something like a Japanese school girl but with jewellery draped all around her neck.

Her jet black hair was jagged across her pale, delicate features. She was like a bird, Alana always thought, small and fragile, like she might fly off at any moment. Her eyes were the thing that drew you in. Wide and dark, framed with long lashes, always looking right at you, curious, wanting to know what was coming next.

Riley held on to the arm of tall, edgy looking guy who, despite his young years had a mature, well-groomed beard and tattoos down both his arms. He stood back slightly and didn't say a word, looking like he might be too cool for human connection, but Riley made up for it with a torrent of greetings and excitement. She had to shout over the shrieks of the girl band but managed to introduce the guy as 'Duke'. Alana and Noah looked at each other when she said this, both knowing that neither of them believed that was his real name.

Alana hugged Riley warmly, then Riley flung her arms around Noah's wide shoulders. He looked down at her, patting her back with a reluctant half smile. Noah always treated Riley like an old person would treat a cute but over-active puppy. Riley took them both by the hand and dragged them into the throng, as Duke hovered close by.

The music got louder as the four of them waded closer to the front. Huge speakers at either side of the stage hummed and vibrated, looking like they might burst. Noah wore an increasingly appalled expression on his face as bodies banged against them and the space between the bodies got less with every step.

Alana had never been to this club but she liked it, a converted theatre that still had its winding columns and enormous red curtains either side of the stage.

'I'll get the drinks!' yelled Noah, touching Alana on the shoulder.

She nodded. He wants to get away from here. After five minutes he already needs to find sanctuary. She couldn't blame him for it. She knew what he was like when they got married. He was a great big movie-book geek and born in the middle of nowhere too, in between two mountain ranges, brought up in a forest he always said.

As Noah disappeared, the girl band exited the stage amidst a thunder of applause. Before long a new band entered. This time, all guys. It didn't take long for them to adjust their guitar straps, perch behind the drum kit and readjust their leads. They looked like they were from another era, the 1950s or 60s with their teddy boy haircuts, leather jackets and lumberjack shirts with the sleeves rolled up. They reminded Alana of black and white pictures of her mum's friends when they were young.

'Would you look at him?' said Riley.

She pointed to the lead singer, who was sliding the microphone stand up to his height.

'Everyone is basically here just to see him,' she said. 'The band's called 'Silence'. Isn't that a cool name? I mean, for a band. Isn't that ironic?'

She went on to tell Alana that they had just been signed for a huge amount of money and the reason they got signed was that guy right there. Elias Smith. Riley kept right on staring at him, as though he were some kind of demi-god on that stage, guitar hanging around his neck. Duke didn't seem to mind, he was staring too. Everyone was.

Elias took the microphone in his hand, and brought it slowly to his face. He flicked a strand of thick, dark hair away from his big brown eyes. He was slim and lithe, like he could move as fast or as slow as he wished. He looked out into the crowd with mesmerising confidence, as though he owned the whole room and everyone in it.

His body moved fluidly, his hands wrapped around the microphone, until they slid lazily down the stand. He began to sing. His voice was rich and layered and within seconds almost had them all in a hypnotic trance.

Alana gulped. She suddenly felt hot. She became aware of sweat trickling down her back beneath her dress. She looked away, wafting her hand in front of her face in an attempt to cool down. It didn't work. She was burning up. Suddenly Riley stood on her tip toes and began to squeal.

'Did you see that? He just looked right at me!'

Alana lifted her head to see that he did seem to be facing their direction. As Riley continued to jump around Alana took a deep breath, looked back at the stage, letting the music soak right through her.