-BOOK 1 OF 3- Something On The Side (FOB/Smosh FanFic)

[Chapter 11] CSCJ

-Carter's POV-

While on the tour bus headed towards the high school, Pete and I, who were sitting side by side brought up the song we worked on last night and asked if we could do it in the show. Nobody opposed it, so once we got to the school, instead of setting up first thing Cassidy told me they normally do, we spent the first few hours learning and practicing the song. Luckily while we were practicing, Mrs. Stump gathered a few teachers to help with the set up. But we finished soon after and began to help them.

We needed to get the instruments out of the music department and out to the football field. Cassidy and I were carrying the bass drum, one girl to each side.

"So this is what you do when you come to Chicago every six months?" I asked Cassidy as we decided to take a break. We set the heavy drum down on the turf and both exhaled in relief.

She ran her fingers through her hair, "Yeah, well, every other six months. Like Andy said, we come every year."

"How big is the crowd usually?"

She laughed, "You'd be surprised how many people cram into this small-ass football field just to see them. Now us."

"Come on you two," Patrick remarked as he walked past us carrying the crash cymbal stand and the hit-hat symbol stand in his two hands, "'We don't have all day'."

Cassidy stuck her tongue out at him and she and I picked up the bass drum. We reached the stage and had some people help us set it up. Once we finished bringing the instruments to the stage, it was time for mic check. All of us had a mic so it took a while to get everything just right. Once that was all set and done, it was time to eat something before the show. Mrs. Stump ordered two sheet pizzas that she set up in the middle of the cafeteria Cassidy and I had so many memories in.

With my hand covering my mouth as to be polite, I pointed over to a table and said with a semi-full mouth, "I think that's the table we used to sit at."

She looked in direction I was pointing and smirked, "Yeah. I think it was."

"Do you know that if I never sat down with you that day, that we wouldn't be sitting here today? Best friends? Making music together?"

She nodded her head, "Yeah."

"Thirty minutes till the start of the concert," The teacher who brought Cassidy into my choir that one day announced. I couldn't believe he was still working here. Mrs. Stump thanked him and he walked out.

Cassidy and Patrick's mom clapped her hands together and said loudly, "Alright, you heard the man! Thirty minutes till the show! Let's get a move on!"

The band and we got up, threw our paper plates away, and started our way to the stage. We walked out of the school and I saw that the football field was already half-filled, with people on blankets and lawn chairs, everything. My jaw dropped in shock. Cass wrapped her arm around my back and said, "This crowd is nothing compared to the crowd that comes from the away football game that ends at eight."

I looked over at her, smiling widely.

-Cassidy's POV-

Patrick, Pete, Andy, Joe, Carter, and I were all standing backstage, waiting for the guy who was getting the crowd pumped up to finish. I looked over at Carter who I knew was trying to calm her nerves. She did this little thing where she closed her eyes and did this weird deep breathing exercise. I shook my head and peeked out at the football field. It was nearly filled now.

"Are you ready?" Patrick placed his hand on my shoulder.

I looked back at him and nodded my head.

"GIVE IT UP FOR..." The guy turned towards us and extended his hand that wasn't holding the microphone in our direction, "FALL OUT BOY!"

The crowd went wild as the six of us walked out. We waved at them and got in our places, Andy at the drums and the rest of us at microphones, Patrick in the center, Pete and I to the right (from the crowd's perspective), and Joe and Carter to the left. Pete and I had bass, and Joe, Patrick, and Carter had guitars. Patrick looked at everyone to make sure we were on the same page before we started with a song off their new album, "The Phoenix".

*****

Halfway through the show, while the boys were taking a break to replenish themselves, I grabbed a mic and said, "Hey guys! It's so great to see you all again! I'm Cassidy, in case you forgot," The crowd clapped and squealed. I grinned before pointing over to Carter who was also getting a drink of water, "And this is my friend, Carter. You might know the two of us better by the name CSCJ." The applause and cheer got louder. I smiled even wider. "I'm glad you guys are fans. Now, we would like to play a song for you. A song that was literally written yesterday. No one's heard before but us and these fine gentleman standing with us today. So you guys are the first to hear it. And we hope you like it." I stepped back and we all got back into our places, this time with Carter in the center and Patrick where she previously was standing.

The lights on the stage dimmed so that there was a spot light on Carter. Pete and I started the basic chord progression and Carter began singing "Something On The Side". Everyone went silent. But it was a good kind of silence. Like they were intrigued. The parts Patrick, Joe, and Andy added during practice today came in and it just sounded lovely. Once we finished, there was a pause before the crowd exploded into applause and screams.

I looked over at Carter and saw she was smiling the widest smile I think I've ever seen on her face. She glanced over at me and nodded her head. I walked over to her and pulled her into a hug. The cheering continued. The band members walked over to us and made our hug into a group hug.

"You're a hit, Carter!" I shouted over the crowd.

"We're a hit, Cassidy," She retorted.