The Middle - Starring Zara (The 3rd Book)

El Ultimo Show

Translation: The Last Show

We getting close to the end

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Year: September 2044

Ages

Zara, Jenna, Tyler, and Sam: 40

Jonathan: 41

Brendon: 57

Ryan: 58

Frank: 62

Gerard: 67

Hayley: 55

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Today was the day. We were doing a final show. We haven't been on tour in a few years. We are all raising families and don't really have too much of an ability to tour as often as we did back in the day where we would do tour after tour after tour, travelling all across the world over the years. 

But, today was it. Panic!, Twenty One Pilots, MCR, Paramore, and Fall Out Boy had been pretty much long gone, with the exception of small, occasional shows. 

We were going to be performing all of our hits and even a few songs that we haven't played in a very long time. It's so cool to have performed over the last few years and see fans who are our age and have been there from the beginning and seeing fans who are as old as our kids, it's kinda crazy. 

*the show*

Before we walked on stage, we heard the chant of thousands of people yelling "BULLETS, BULLETS, BULLETS, BULLETS" over and over again. It's bittersweet. It's so cool that they've been doing this since we were just pre-teens and now as we enter our 40s, they're still at it. But, this is last time we'll hear it (in real time).

We all walked onto stage and began with 'Salute' a song that I wrote when I was about 12 and still stand by at 40 years old. 

We continued with the crowd singing along to EVERY SINGLE SONG. Even after 30+ years, they still have the same damn energy and it's amazing. 

We played 'Here's to Never Growing Up' probably our biggest song yet. That song had the most energy from the crowd and it was crazy. 

Eventually, the night and the show was coming to an end. We played 'The Kids From Yesterday', our final song. I don't think any of us can truthfully say that we didn't cry at least once. ESPECIALLY during 'The Kids From Yesterday'. 

As we have done since the very beginning, we walked to the front of the stage and bowed to the audience. Felt weird to do that for the last time. 

As we were at the edge of that stage, I was looking around at the audience. Seeing people who looked as young as 11 years old to about 60 years old. In that moment, suddenly everything flashed before my eyes. From our first band meeting to our first show to Warped Tour to some of our biggest and smallest shows. Then, I came back to reality to see the crowd still cheering. It's so surreal. 

We then walked off stage. All of us were in tears. 

Forever Alive, Bullets In My Heart 2013-2044 

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sad sad sad

XXEmily