The Anatomy of Emotion

Chapter Ten

August—iHeartRadio Music Festival

Corin bounces on his toes at the edge of the stage entrance, the blue light show of the current act flashing in his eyes. He nibbles his lower lip and watches the solo pop girl strike across the stage in stilettoes. There are dancers behind her, twisting as her voice climbs higher. Their flying limbs hike his anxiety. He toys with his bottle of juice and tries to remember the last time he had been this anxious before a show. A snort comes to his lips as he considers how he had been last night, but that hadn't been anxiety. No, the last time he had felt this horde of butterflies in his stomach had been their first trips over a Warped main stage.

He takes a deep breath into his stomach, looking at the next act—another pop artist, waiting at the opposite stage entrance. He doesn't look the littlest bit nervous. Corin takes another deep breath. His free hand passes through his hair, and he looks down at Maeva's name on his hip, taking comfort in the fact that it hasn't faded a bit. He traces the M, A, and E left exposed over his jeans, leaning on the wall with a sigh.

"AY, CORR!"

Alex's cry bounces him from his sap-strewn thoughts. Corin looks left, finds two lip rings and pale eyes distorted by a grin sidling up to him. The next artist is giving them a strange look.

"The fuck do you want, air horn?" Corin folds his arms.

Alex motions behind him. There is Quentin's familiar spiked black and blonde head towering behind him, Cameron in his favorite cowboy boots making tracks beside him. Last, Nathaniel with his red Schechter, escorting a scrawny blonde kid in a purple Aeropostale hoodie.

"Hey, Owen! How are you?" Corin clasps fists with him and frowns at his pink face, "what happened to your head?"

"I grew it out. What do you think?" Owen grins, pushing his straw colored bangs back.

"Not bad. You look less like a dork, I miss it."

Alex rubs his chin on Owen's crown, "I think it's sexy. How does that make you feel?"

Owen laughs, "mhm, I'll get back to you on that. Are you up to doing the interview today, Corr?"

"Oh, I am in a stellar fucking mood. When do we start?" He waves to Jen the camera bunny, "how are you, babe?"

She gives him a neon green thumb up and fiddles with the camera. They all shuffle around Owen until the angle is optimal. Corin takes a final sip of his juice.

"Let's do it in three, two, one..." Owen holds his microphone up as the camera flicks red, "What's up guys, it's Owen Cosmos, and I'm here live at the iHeartRadio music festival with Eurydice. Please introduce yourself and describe your role in the band."

Owen puts the mic under Corin's nose. Corin raises his brows

"The fuck?"

"For the viewers, they haven't seen you in a while," Owen shrugs.

Corin turns his frown onto the camera, "my name is Corin fucking Olivier, I'm the vocalist of Eurydice, and if you didn't know that you've been living under a fucking rock for the past five years."

"Yeah, retain it!" Owen fumbles a finger jab at the lens before looking back up, "so how are you man? I haven't had you on the show in forever."

"I'm great. I'm a little concerned that someone I've known since I'm twenty doesn't know who I am," Corin leans back against the wall. "Do you live under a rock, Owen? Is that why you're so pale?