XPLR | Colby Brock

~62~

Elena sat on my bed, watching me put makeup on. "If you're wearing the offwhite one, you shouldn't do much eyeshadow. Just winged liner," she advised me. She's right.

I've been saving the off white dress for years for a special occasion. It's my mother, the one she played in when she was my age.. she'd be turning thirty-six this month. In one week.

I glance at the photo of me and my mother sitting on my vanity. The only one I have her. I was probably thirteen at the time. I stare at it for a moment, brush in hand. Do you think she will hear me from so far up high?

This is the kind of concert I had dreamed about, and for the last five years, I've been dreaming my mother would see me perform.

Momma...

"Rose!" Elena said through a laugh. I flinched and looked up. "Sorry, what?"

"I was asking if you were excited to see Colby. You did mention that he was leaving the tour as soon as it was over to come see your concert."

"Yeah, I am excited to see him," I said. He's my boyfriend, she's my best friend, I can talk about him to her.

"That's so cute. I must say, I'm jealous," she said. I looked at her in the mirror. "Maybe a little because Colby is totally hot and I would love for him to be with me," she said honestly, and I was sued to her honesty, "But I'm also jealous that you have the kind of relationship where he's trying everything to come and see you."

I smiled when she said that, brushing off the first part. Colby is totally hot, and I'm sure there's a million- mostly fourteen-year-old girls- who would love to be in my place. Colby Brock's girlfriend. I'm Colby Brock's girlfriend, and he's coming to see me perform at the biggest concert of my life so far.

"Yeah. I'm glad I finally have someone. You know how my father was never around and I've never really dated," I chuckle. My "father wasn't around" is the excuse I've been telling her for years. I've never told anyone about his alcoholism and his problem with beating my mother until she killed herself, and the weight of that responsibility fell on me.

"I know, I'm happy for you. One day my Prince Charming will come," she chuckles as she lays back on my bed and I go back to my makeup. I still have two hours until I have to be at the school, and four hours until the actual concert.

"I know he will," I said. But I think he may have already come. Hayden.

I think about him every now and then. About the few minutes I had with him in that jail cell where he cried to me about how much he loved and missed Elena. I wonder if he still feels that way. The last time I saw or even heard about him was when I had come home with Colby and he was shirtless in my kitchen.

I have no doubt that he'll reappear when I least expect it again.

He used to be big into ASL, I remember that. He used to do a lot of translation for the college, top of his class. It used to be a hobby. I always thought that was so cool.

"I'll be back late. Colby and I are going to a party tonight. I may not even come home, I might stay at the mansion with Colby," I said.

I glanced at her face to see her reaction when I said that. She said she was jealous, and I guess my instincts took over and I had to see what she was feeling when I said that.

She just shrugged. "Sounds good, thanks for letting me know. Usually when you're out late I stay up to make sure you get home," she chuckles.

Little does she know while she was partying on Friday nights, I was in a practice room until they kicked me out. At 10 pm. But that was every single night, not just Fridays.

I chuckled at what she said. "Especially in the dorm room," I said as I continued to work on my eyeshadow. I decide to go with a bit of orange to add some color. Make my green eyes come out a little more.

"Especially in the dorm room. You were so nervous the whole time! I mean seriously, I had to walk with you every morning because you would get lost. And you didn't talk to me for the first week."

I laughed, remembering those days. The good days. Me, her, a tiny room, and no cares in the world.

I had curled my hair, it took an hour since it's so thick, and I had to enlist Elena to help me with the back. Half an hour until I have to be at the school and do a dress rehearsal.

I took the beautiful gown out of my closet and hung it up, examining it. Gorgeous. My mother's.

I carefully unzipped the back of the dress, and slipped inside it. I slowly brought it up my body, letting the sleeves naturally hand off, and fluffing up the tulle fabric as I looked at myself in the mirror.

Mother.

Momma.

Memories of her body came to mind, but I push them away. I don't want to think about that tonight. Tonight, I want to think of the legacy she left me.

I stare at myself for a few moments, remembering who I was and who I've become. How genuinely happy I am now. A man in my life who missed me, who will love me one day- I know it- a best friend who already loves me, and I'm living the dream for me and my mother. Hundreds or thousands of people's eyes will be concentrated on me in a few hours.

"Here we go," I muttered to myself, took my piano bag, and left to Whatever this night leads to.