Explosive

37 || Northern Lights

~ Shout out to my girl, ArtisticVisions, for all the sweet comments on my story. Please be sure to check out her poetry. It's inredibly raw and beautiful.

I run my hands across the front of my dress, straightening out the wrinkles. Blake is up at the stage, calm and collected as ever. He's wearing a suit and there is gel in his hair. It's so different than what he normally wears. When he picked me up early this evening, I was at a loss for words at his appearance.

When he catches my eyes, he throws me a dazzling smile which causes my stomach to do a cartwheel. Waving at him, I turn away and scan the crowd for Cynthia. Apparently, she saw someone she knew and went to talk to them.

"Boo!" Cynthia yells, practically jumping onto my shoulders. I let out a loud gasp, causing people to throw curious glances in my direction. "Hey," she says, raising her eyebrows at my dazed expression.

She's dressed in a pale pink dress that reaches her knees. Her hair is wrapped into a gorgeous bun. Cynthia is the epitome of grace and beauty.

Unlike her and Blake, I'm a wreck. There is a nervous ball of energy at the pit of my stomach.

"What's up?" Cynthia asks, tilting her head to the side and parting her lips.

"Nothing. Just super nervous about playing in front of all these people." Despite spending several lunches practicing for the wedding performance, I can't help but worry about the possibility of messing up in front of a bunch of strangers. I don't want to be the reason why Mrs. Mackenzie's sister hates her wedding day.

"Psh, girl. You got this. Remember, we're bomb-ass bitches," she says, placing a hand onto her hip. Her words make me smile, which easies the nerves slightly.

"You know what? You're right. We do got this," I state, puffing my chest out and enjoying the surge of confidence. "We've practiced for weeks and should be fine." As I say the words, I realize that there is so much truth in them.

Cynthia wiggles her shoulders and shakes her hands slightly. "Let's get this bread." I roll my eyes because we aren't even getting paid for this gig. The only reason I'm doing this is that both my friends are super excited about it, especially Blake.

Eventually, we find ourselves on the stage. We've chosen a song by Maroon 5, She Will Be Loved, which is apparently one of Blake's favorite songs by the band. Blake squeezes my shoulders before going to stand before the microphone, tapping his leg slightly.

Mrs. Mackenzie introduces us to the crowd, who fall silent as soon as I start playing the piano. The world around me falls away, fading into nothingness. It's just me and the beautiful melody of the instrument.

The lyrics are brought to life by Blake's deep drawl. When Cynthia starts to sing, a kid lets out a hoot, to which she rolls her eyes and smiles. They belt out the chorus together and someone cheers, most probably the bride to be.

I don't mind spending every day
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay a while
And she will be loved
And she will be loved

It isn't long before the song draws to an end and I find myself bowing with the others. "That was so awesome!" Cynthia exclaims, excitedly gripping my hand and pulling me down for another bow. The bride is practically jumping for joy as she blows us kisses and hugs her sister.

There is so much love in the room in that moment. It's dripping down the walls, traveling across the floor like a river and making its way into my heart.