It was finally the day for them to perform for the Tix battle of the bands. The backstage was a narrow corridor of sound, feedback squeals, muffled cheers, the thud of a bass warming up somewhere behind a curtain. Everyone pretended to stretch, tune, laugh. No one was actually calm.
Cyma kept rubbing her palms on her jeans.
Tyler noticed. Of course he did.
"Hey," he said softly, stepping closer. "You're shaking."
She tried to joke it away. "Stage fright. Don't expose me."
He smiled, but it faded when she didn't meet his eyes. The championship game had been two days ago. The win still hung around him like an afterglow, but tonight wasn't about football.
"I already won our fight," Tyler said, voice low. "This is yours now."
Cyma nodded, swallowing hard. Guilt pressed behind her ribs, heavy and relentless. She wanted to tell him everything. She didn't.
"I'll be right there," he added, brushing his thumb across her knuckles. "I promise."
She whispered, "Okay," and hated herself for how much that promise hurt.
Across the room, Kiara stood near the curtain, scanning the crowd through a slit like she could will one face into existence.
"He's not here yet," she muttered.
Leo appeared beside her with a bottle of water. "You're going to wear a hole in the stage with all that pacing."
She exhaled. "Peter said he'd come."
"And he will," Leo said easily. "But even if he doesn't...look at you. You've got all of us."
She smiled despite herself. "You always know what to say."
"It's a gift," he grinned. "Also a curse."
Dani was crouched center-stage, checking cables with Lucas.
"Lights on cue," Dani said. "No delays. No chaos."
Lucas smirked. "You are the chaos."
Dani stood, rolling their shoulders. "Tonight, I'm the glue."
Kelvin leaned against an amp, headphones on, eyes closed. Vinny nudged him.
"You good?"
Kelvin opened his eyes. "Yeah. Just… thinking."
"Don't," Vinny said. "Go win instead."
Elena, Jenna, Tyler, Leo and all gathered near the side, clapping and hyping them up as the announcer's voice boomed.
"Next up ...K2 Dc"
The crowd roared.
Just then, Kiara froze.
"Leo," she breathed. "Look."
Peter was there, slightly breathless, eyes locked on her.
Their smiles collided.
"Told you," Leo whispered.
The lights dimmed. Silence stretched.
Dani stepped forward first.
"We're standing where the echoes stay,
Hearts too loud to walk away,
Every scar, every name,
Every loss we never claimed,
Sing it broken, sing it true,
All our pasts in shades of blue,
If we fall, we fall as one,
This is where we're finally young."
The beat dropped.
Then cyma followed
"I danced with fire, called it freedom,
Confused the heat with being seen,
I mixed my love with borrowed desire,
Chased the rush, ignored the screams,
I had a hand that held me steady,
I let it go to feel alive,
Every choice felt momentary,
Every truth learned over time,
I broke a heart that beat for me,
Just to feel my own control,
Now the silence screams my name,
Every lie carved in my soul,
If regret is just a mirror,
Then I finally see it clear,
I loved wrong...and that's my fear."
Tyler stiffened with confusion but he shrugged it off
Kelvin took charge
"You remind me of a memory,
I thought I buried deep inside,
Same laugh, same quiet honesty,
Same way you never had to try,
I watched you from the sidelines,
Cheered you on with borrowed pride,
You reached for hands that weren't mine,
Still I stayed, I never lied,
Loving you felt disloyal,
To a friendship I hold tight,
But feelings don't ask permission,
They just show up every night,
If happiness chose someone else,
I'll still hope you see my heart,
Some loves live quiet in the dark."
Vinny let out a low whistle. "Damn."
And Kiara took control
"I came to Tix with a suitcase full of doubt,
Left room for people I didn't know about,
Found family in strangers' smiles,
Learned that love can take a while,
A girl who meets me where I stand,
A mama's boy with a gentle hand,
A man who listens, steady, kind,
A best friend loud and out of line,
Enemies turned neutral ground,
Peace is louder than the sound,
A sassy king and his chosen love,
A mirror friend who grew above,
Every fall, every win,
Every place I've ever been,
Tix made me whole...flaws and all."
Her eyes found Peter in the crowd. She smiled brighter.
Then all together they sang
"We're standing where the echoes stay,
No more fear to give away,
Every wrong led us here,
Every truth we chose to hear,
Sing it loud, sing it brave,
We are more than what we gave,
If tomorrow breaks us through,
Tonight..we choose the truth."
The final note rang.
Silence.
Then the room exploded.
Cheers. Screams. Tears.
Dani grabbed their hands. "We did it."
" All we need now is to hear the result" Kelvin said as they waited backstage for the judges to announce the result
" We did great, we will win" Kiara said
" I hope" Dani said
And when the judges announced the winner, the crowd surged to its feet, chanting their names like a promise.
" K2 DC!!!"
" We did it" Dani said hugging them
" I know we would" Kiara said
" I'm proud of us" cyma said with a slight smile
" I'm carrying the trophy" Kelvin said rushing to the stage
" No, I am" Dani said rushing to the stage as wel
" They'll be fine" Kiara said
" Yeah" cyma said
" Hey, you alright?" Kiara asked noticing her smile wasn't from her heart
" I'm good, just a bit stressed" cyma said forcing a smile again
" Cy, you know you can talk to me right" Kiara said holding her hand
" You guys did it" Vinny said approaching them with the others interrupting them
" Yeah yeah, we did it" cyma said
" You were great out there" Tyler said to cyma
" Thanks" she said with a smile
" Okay, am I the only one who noticed or cyma has been nicer lately" Vinny said
" And you've been happier lately" Kiara said
" He has every reason to be happy, he got himself a girl" Tyler said
" Jenna?" Leo asked
" Is it that obvious?" Vinny asked
" Yes dummy, it is. It's just shocking how she ended up falling for a mummy's boy after all her pride" cyma said
" It's kind of her habit to go after things that doesn't suit her personality" Elena said and everyone went mute
" Vinny has class as well, she chased him he didn't chase her. Good game" Leo teased and they chuckled ignoring what Elena said.
" Here she comes, the queen of Vinny heart" Kiara teased as Jenna approached them
" Hi Vinny" she said pecking him on the cheek
" So classy if you, huh?. Not even a hi to us" Elena said to Jenna
" We should probably leave the lovebirds, it's not easy to be in love you know" Kiara said
" They is a party at the rooftop, I came to tell you" Jenna said to Vinny
" We will surely come" Vinny said and Jenna forced a smile
" I am inviting you not them" Jenna whispered in his ear and Vinny smiled
" Excuse us" Vinny said taking Jenna away
" Don't they look cute together" Tyler said as they walked away hand in hand
" They look the opposite to me" Elena said and Leo gave her that look
" What?" Elena asked
" I know you don't like her but for Vinny sake, endure" Leo whispered to her
" I can't guarantee that" Elena said leaving and Leo went after her
" I should go now, see you guys at the rooftop" Kiara said leaving
" What is it?" Jenna asked as Vinny took her to the balcony
" I know you don't like my friends but you can't expect me to just cut off from them" Vinny said
" I'm not asking you to cut off from them, I just don't want to associate with them" Jenna said and Vinny sighed
" They're good and fun to be with, just give it a try" Vinny said
" Fun to be with?, I know how they are Vinny"
" Jenna, just tonight. Then you can judge" he said and they was silence for a while
" Just tonight" she said rolling her eyes
" That's more like it" he said giving her a peck on her fore head
Kiara was at the rooftop about to have a drink when Peter collected it from her hand and drank it.
" So much for being a gentleman" she said
" How would I allow a beautiful girl to drink alone" he said
" Screw you" she said taking another cup
" You killed that stage" he said
" You came late" she said
" Don't spoil the moment" he said collecting the cup and dropping it in the table as her held her two hands in his
" You really did great up there, I am proud of you" he said
" Doesn't change the fact that you still came late" she said breaking free from him
" I was just an hour late" he said as she walked away
" Still counts" she said leaving
" Sometimes you just need to apologize" Leo said standing behind him
" Eaves dropping?, your thing now?" He asked
" Just apologize" Leo said passing him by but Peter followed him
" You do know her well from what I've seen, also fought with her" Peter said
" What are you aiming at?" Leo asked as he paused in his tracks
" She's a good one, we both know that" Peter said
" Then why are you stating the obvious" Leo said and Peter chuckled
" Still hot headed" Peter said and Leo shrugged it off
" Don't hurt her" Peter said as Leo was leaving and Leo turned back to him
" I should be telling you that"
" Was I the one who openly I insulted her at Bakers grab a bite"
" I'm not doing this with you, just apologize to her"
" That's the issue with you, you are not always listening. Maybe that's why your own girl friend kissed someone else" Peter said
" Peter!" Kiara said standing in front of the two guys
" What did you just say?" Leo asked facing Peter
" He doesn't know?" Peter asked facing Kiara
" You know?" Leo asked facing Kiara as well
" Leo.. it's not..." She was saying before he stormed off
" Seriously Peter!" She said
" I didn't know he doesn't know" he said
" Well, now he does... Thanks to you" she said leaving
" Way to go Peter, you just had to spoil the night" he said to himself
Leo saw Elena at a corner drinking, he stormed towards her .. grabbed her hand and dragged her out
" Hey, careful" Elena said breaking free of his grip
" Who is he?" Leo asked
" Who is who?"
" The guy you kissed"
" Leo.."
" I just need the name"
" Vinny"
" Vinny?"
" I don't like him"
" I know, I know you don't. What were you thinking?.. getting back at Jenna or what?"
" Yeah I did it together back at her"
" Can you just quit it?. Fine, what she did was wrong but let it go. She has moved on, I expect you to have moved on as well. Stop trying to sabotage her, that's you been her. You're a now the villain in the story"
" It's easy for you to say, when you're always there following Kiara everywhere she goes. You're also there acting like she is your girlfriend and am what?"
" Elena, I treat you like you're my girlfriend. I thought we were cool, I thought everything was fine".
" You thought... It's not. Anytime I need you, you're not always there"
" I've always been there Elena, you were just busy with your revenger plan that you didn't notice it. Your life is perfect now, you have everything you've always wanted. What else do you want?"
" I want her to feel how I felt, I want to be superior over her"
" That's not you Elena, you're being her"
" Are you here to support her... Or wait how can I forget that you once liked her"
" Liked Elena, it's in the past"
" And Kiara?"
" Elena"
" Kiara?"
" I guess you don't want to listen then" Leo said leaving
" You can't even deny it, I know you like her and I'm just a little pawn in your game as always" she yelled as he left