The Secret Affair (Kellin Quinn/Sleeping With Sirens)

Chapter 14 - Seal My Wounds, Be My Therapy

Kellin's P.O.V

I watched Brooke on stage, singing each lyric. I couldn't help but think of how this was how it needed to be, her performing with me. Music might have saved her. Only I saw her face and could tell why she had hidden herself from the world. I wanted to know what triggered such a break down, and it only felt worse not being able to hold her.  But the music washed away her sorrow, and it only made me smile. As she finished her last song, the last song of the whole performance, she said goodbye. She was allowed quite a long one, no one would care.

"I want you to raise your hands if you had a fucked up parent!" She yelled. I knew what Brooke was doing, showing all of our weaknesses.

"Now, look around. Take in how many hands you see. Now, how many of you have done self harm?" Brooke's hushed, breath of a tone was strict and straight to the point. I found it strange, she rose her hand each time.

"How many of you were bullied?" She finished. Nearly every hand shot up. Including her's.

"All of you, know you aren't alone. When the world hits you, we pick you up. Use music as your home. Take my songs literally, take the guys' songs literal!  And know we stand together, the ultimate Outcasts," She smiled. And you could see the faces lighting up, the nervousness dissappearing from everyone. No one felt uncomfortable, they felt like an Army. Brooke made them realize this.

"Thank you for coming. Just never forget, ever. Always and Forever!" She always ended with that at concerts. Always. You couldn't find anyone without a smile on their face. Even the ones working back stage showed signs of happiness. Black Veil Brides, my band, Blood On The Dance Floor. Especially Dahvie, he was bullied once. Rise and Shine showed that. Jayy smiled at his fellow band member, his friend. Brooke was still staring into the crowd, and her eyes sparkled when she saw one small, fragile, girl there. She jogged over there. Then it hit me, her tears, her breakdown. This little girl had hit somewhere emotionally. I racked my brain for the answer, and only one memory came to mind.

All it took was a simple statement to turn everything around. What might this sentence be?

Brooklyn Mackenzie and several other victims have just been discovered at the sight of a tragic crash. Only Brooklyn and a younger girl survived.

That one, short, statement ran through my head. A younger girl. I neede dmore information, I wanted to help Brooke. The only way would be to talk. She finished with the young girl, and by the end the little girl looked so much better. Brooke turned around after saying goodbye, to find me. Just watching her.

"You okay?" She questioned, starting to walk towards the backstage area.

"Yeah, I am fine. I just.........Look, I saw you go over to that girl. And.......I saw you cried before the concert," I chanced. You could see al her emotions from this. No one had the nerve to talk to her about the crash, obviously, until now.

"I...........Katy," She croaked. I nodded to the tour bus near by, and she accepted the invitation for talking. We sat down and I just faced her, preparing to hear what no one else has been allowed to know.

"She.............she was a little girl on the bus. Her mother, Lee, was there with her. They were going somewhere to get away from an abusive dad. And............Lee let me eat some lunch with them," She took a shaky breath, "And that night, when we slept on the bus, when we got hit, I sang her to sleep. I.............And then.........." By now plenty of teardrops had fallen.

"You don't have to go on," I insisted. I could only imagine. Brooke had felt like Katy's death was her fault.

"Katy asked me, when....w-we were bleeding to death. I played her favorite One Direction song and she asked if she'd ever marry this Lou.........." Her breathing sounded like a pain. Her eyes had no emotion. Cold. Hard. Small. But tears still ran.