The Chloe Price Syndrome
A/N:-So, a third LiS story, mad right? This is an AU so as usual, no time powers or psychotic drugging and kidnappings.
The Story will prominently feature more than 4 characters (I have no idea why FanFiction limits us to four) Max, Kate, Rachel, O.C are the highlighted ones but it will also include: Chloe (Duh) Brooke, Nathan, Taylor, Victoria and Courtney.
If you like it, great, if not, lemme know why. I love hearing how to make my shit not shit. See you all on the other side.
Chapter one:-To the Stage
Arcadia bay had never had a large music scene; it was too quiet for one. The underground scene was probably the liveliest and attracted a large following. Bands that were local to the Oregon State tended to play weekly shows at local underground venues. They probably had the largest fan-base out of all the genres in Arcadia bay.
People would come from all over to attend local gigs and listen to the up and comers of the alternative music scene. Clubs boomed late into the night as bands played their sets and patrons moshed along to the music. The atmosphere was unique and could only be experienced in order to understand how amazing it way.
Max had been trying to convince Kate to come with her to see one of the shows whenever they were on in an effort to make her more sociable. Kate was too busy spending time studying and not spending enough time socialising.
Kate was mainly on the fence due to her religious background, she figured that she would hate the type of music that was played. Max continued to pester her, trying to convince her that she'd enjoy herself.
Kate finally caved in after Max said that it was on a Friday and she'd pay for her entry and buy her a drink of whatever she wanted aaannndd do her laundry over the weekend. Kate figured it wouldn't hurt and if he didn't like it, she wouldn't go again. All she had to do was literally go somewhere with Max and she'd get her laundry done for free, she saw it as a win/win situation.
May 22nd 2015 Friday 18:56
"Come on Kate, the doors are open; we better get in quick if we want a good view" Max blurted as she dragged Kate by the arm.
The Club was unappealing on the outside, to say the least. Its coat of black paint was pretty shitty, there were about four teens leaning against the wall having a smoke and a pair of dark blue doors that led into a poorly lit descending stairwell. It gave off an aura of unpleasentries and would make any practiced catholic cross themselves upon entering.
There was a small booth to Max's right where a bald man sat with a money box on the other side of a pane of glass. He looked about as interested as dirt, his face sagged and had expressions of boredom as he rested his large chin on one hand.
"Ten dollars" he droned as Max slid the bill under the glass. He proceeded to stamp both girls hands with a press that had the venue's name.
Kate looked down at the inky 'STARFISH' that was now on the back of her hand. She couldn't lie, the look of this grimy club made her feel uneasy, the people made her feel uneasy and she was seriously regretting coming here.
As the two girls descended the stairwell, Max said "I know this place looks whack but the Starfish is one of the best clubs to go to" Kate was still unconvinced.
"Why do you go to these things Max, this doesn't seem like your scene?" Kate asked, she always sounded timid, her hazel eyes glistening in the light.
"You're right, I'm not but you need to remember who I go out with" Max laughed in response.
Max's girlfriend, Chloe Price was the singer and lead guitarist of 'Blue Butterfly' and was part of the up and comers in the Oregon state. Max wouldn't have listened to the type of music that it played in these clubs without influence from Chloe. As her and Chloe's relationship progressed, she found herself listening to more and more alternative bands and she enjoyed the atmosphere of live local gigs.
Kate couldn't help but feel out of place; the club's patrons were totally different from her. Most of them were dressed in all black with leather, chain or other assortments of unusual attire. She noticed a particular girl with a blue Mohawk in a pair of black denim shorts with massive black boots and stretched ear lobes. Kate never thought a girl could look so...different.
The venue was more or less jam packed; there was a bar on her right hand side by the door with a few people sitting on the stools, the first band was setting up on the elevated stage at the far end of the room and groups of people filled the remaining space. Kate was happy Max was with her because she would have ran out crying if she was there on her own.
Max could see Kate was nervous, why wouldn't she be?! The environment was alien to her and this was probably the first time she'd seen people dressed like this in one room. It was no place for a Christian girl like her; she stuck out like a sore thumb.
"I'm not gonna like this, am I?" Kate asked as she turned to face Max. The two girls were at the front of the crowd by the stage now.
"You never know, this music really grows on you the more you listen to it. I bet you'll like at least one band by the end of the night, if not a band, then a song" Max replied, smiling at Kate as a way of trying to ease her nerves.
As the first band were about to start, Max felt a pair of arms firmly wrap themselves around her and a pair of lips kiss her cheek. She turned around to see a smiling Chloe Price looking back at her in her trademark white tank top.
"Well, looks like you made it on time" Chloe jested before smiling at Max. "Kate, glad you decided to come along, you're gonna love it"
Kate just smiled meekly back as she looked at the floor. She was nervous and didn't want to make herself a target for any reason.
"When are you on?" Max asked Chloe who was now part of their group in the crowd.
"Fourth, we're main support and are on just before the headliners so probably nine-ish"
Max nodded in understandment as the first band started to strum their instruments. They were about to start.
The crowd roared as the vocalist stepped up to the mic and introduced them. Most people there had no idea who they were but cheered them on out of good faith. It was an unspoken certainty of anyone who attended a local gig that they would make each band feel as comfortable as possible.
Most people were there for the headliners as they were the most well known among the alternative community. That was not to say that the patrons didn't want to learn about new bands. Most of the people there were just happy to enjoy the atmosphere of great music while others travelled across the state to see a certain band.
Chloe's band had accumulated a lot of followers during the year they have been set up. Over 50.000 likes on facebook as well as a record deal saw them being a well known name in a state of over 4 million. Their largest fan-base came from areas such as Portland, Albany and Jefferson. For an unknown, underground band, they were pretty big.
The headliners however, were notoriously big for an underground band and had even played shows in the surrounding states as well as being part of Slamdunk and Download Festivals respectively. Angels and Demons racked up over 250.000 likes on facebook and have signed to Pure Noise Records. They were starting to be known all across North America and even had a pocket fan-base in Europe.
The third band was on before Kate knew it; she was so focused on hiding out of the way, she didn't realise two bands hand been on and finished their set. She was more relaxed as she started to warm up to the atmosphere the venue offered. It was welcoming and friendly in its own extremely weird way.
Kate would see people hitting each other in a big circle as well as running straight into each other from opposite ends of the room and it confused her. Chloe informed her they were called a Mosh Pit and a Wall of Death. The names sounded as unpleasant as they looked but the part that confused Kate the most was if someone got knocked to the ground in Mosh Pit, someone would immediately help them back to their feet. Kate couldn't tell if they were trying to kill each other or help each other.
She even found herself bobbing her head to a few songs without realising it. Most were just shouty and loud but there was a few which had good rhythm that Kate liked. She never once imagined herself in a place like this but here she was.
As the third act finished, Chloe left the girls and made her was to the stage to load in, she had to tune her guitar and sync the mic. Kate was starting to feel incredibly warm due to the amount of body heat that was being generated in this underground club. She took her cardigan off and placed it in her bag before turning to Max and asking:
"Would you mind getting me that drink you promised, now Max?"
"Sure Kate, what would you like?" Max replied as she placed her hand on her friends shoulder in reassurance.
"Water please, I'm really warm right now" Kate replied as she fan-ed herself down with her right hand.
"Kate, you do know water's free at these things, I said I'd buy you one" Max disclosed.
"I don't care Max, water would be great" Kate offered a meek smile. She just wanted to cool herself down. She had noticed people going outside for a smoke but didn't want to leave. She found solitude and security by the pillar she was leaning up against, just off the right of the middle of the stage.
So far things had been bearable; the music wasn't disgusting, the people seemed nice enough and no one tried hitting her like the people in the middle of the crowd. Kate had to admit she was enjoying herself aswell, it could have been a lot worse.
Max returned with a big plastic cup of water for Kate who thanked her for it and started to drink it down. The cool water was a welcome to Kate and she could already feel herself cooling down.
Not long after Max gave Kate her drink, reverb from one of the guitars could be heard before Chloe screaming:
"Starfish are you ready?!" into the mic. She was met with a positively overwhelming roar from the crowd.
The guitars started to play a fast, upbeat tune that was very pop punk but also gritty. As Kate looked around the room, she saw various people wearing white or black t shirts with a blue butterfly scrawled on the front. She made an educated guess that they were merchandise for Blue Butterfly. Chloe's band had a lot of fans in the crowd.
Their music was a lot cleaner than what Kate had been listening to all night. It was still loud and fast but Kate could actually understand what Chloe was saying. Well, mostly.
Max loved seeing her girlfriend on stage; it made her so happy to see Chloe doing something she loved. Seeing Chloe pour all her energy into something that she was good at rather than being destructive was a sight Max loved. She locked eyes with Chloe more than once during her set and all Max could feel was love for the girl standing in front of her.
Despite being so reserved, Max had become a lot more forthcoming as a person since being with Chloe. Max was nowhere near as loud or outlandish but was defiantly a lot less shy and more engaging. She found herself talking to people more and defiantly enjoying life more.
Kate liked seeing Max this way; she was more bubbly and made Kate think If max can enjoy this place, then I can too. Kate decided for the last set that she would watch the band on stage and try to engage more.
Chloe had announced their last song of the night before playing it; it started off slow but picked up pace and by the end, the entire room was jumping up and down with the band. Chloe finished singing as the music continued playing while she caught her breath. She then pulled Max up from the crowd and made out with her on the stage. The audience's roars were even louder as the two girls locked lips. Chloe broke it off before turning to the crowd, Max's hand in her left palm and her right arm holding up a peace sign as she shouted into the mic:
"Thank you so much, goodnight!" before taking a bow.
Max and Chloe made their way back down to Kate and hugged each other warmly before kissing again. Kate just stood there awkwardly as she waited for the moment to be over.
"You guys were really good" Kate called over to Chloe. Due to how loud it was, you'd have to shout if you wanted anyone to hear you.
"Thanks Kate, that means a lot coming from someone who doesn't like this type of shit" Chloe replied as she placed her hand around Max's shoulder. "I'm gonna go for a smoke, I'll catch you up later"
As Chloe left, Max and Kate were left on their own once again.
"So Kate, did you really like Chloe's band?" Max asked.
"Well I could actually understand her so yeah, it wasn't bad. The music was still a little too lively for me but I enjoyed it" Kate answered in response. "I'm gonna actually pay attention to the next one, they're the headliners so they must be good"
"I've never really seen them before but their music is something else, you'll love it"
Not long after, four men walked onto the stage and stated playing their respective instruments, the beat was fast yet calm, quiet yet fast and as they played, the entirety of the room started chanting "A.A.D, A.A.D" really loudly.
Chloe had rejoined them not long before; her face seemed uninterested as the crowd chanted.
"What's A.A.D mean?" Kate asked Chloe.
"Angels and Demons, the band that's up next" Chloe responded begrudgingly, something wasn't right.
Suddenly the crowd exploded as a black haired man walked onto the stage. He waved his left hand over the crowd, quieting them as he passed. He stopped in the middle and turned to face the crowd, bringing up the wireless microphone that was in his right hand. He brought it to his mouth and shouted:
"Arcadia Bay!"
With those words, the crowd lost their minds again, he was really popular. The drums picked up and the first song started to kick in. It was extremely melodic yet loud and it had Kate confused.
"Who's the singer?" Kate asked Chloe who snorted in disgust at the question.
"Aaron bloody Heartfield" Her tone was full of venom as she answered.
"I'm sorry, who is he?" Kate insisted as that name meant nothing to her.
"A fucking prick is what he is" Chloe obviously didn't like him for whatever reason.
"Why does he have you so wound up?" Max chimed in
"Don't worry about it, it's not like I have to see him every day. I'll tell you another time, now come on, let's not ruin a good night.
The band finished their first song and then the singer started to talk.
"So, we are Angels and Demons and we wanna thank each and every one of you for coming here tonight, it means a great deal to us" His voice was calm, yet commanded respect but also sounded charismatic "Let's hear it for all the other bands from tonight, you guys were the shit" The crowd cheered to what he said. "If you don't know us, we're a melodic hardcore band from Portland, go like us on facebook and if you haven't already, buy our new album, White and Red, it's in stores now. This next song is very close to my heart and if you have ever lost anyone you love, you'll know how I feel. Sing along if you know the words"
As he started to sing, the music was very melodic and slow behind him. He was singing instead of doing unclean vocals this time and he sang beautifully, there was no denying it. The words echoed through the venue as everyone listened to him with baited breathe, they loved it.
Kate was able to get a good look at him for the first time. His black hair had traces of blue in it. Chloe insisted he had done it to mock her own blue hairstyle but Kate couldn't be sure. His shirt was a black CBGB shirt that had the sleeves ripped off at the shoulder, black skinny jeans and black and white converse. He had a few bracelets on his wrists and black eye makeup around both eyes that had a single line going down the centre of both his cheeks from the bottom of his eyes.
Kate got lost in his blue eyes as she listened to his voice. It was a lot more angelic than she thought it would be, especially for a man. She realised he was young, probably the same age as her but couldn't be sure. As he panned over the crowd, he stopped and stared right at her. Kate froze; she couldn't move and didn't know why. All of a sudden the drum picked up and the music got louder and faster. Aaron's clean vocals became a lot louder and gritty.
The night went on, leaving Kate confused as to what happened. The band played more and more songs before finally ending. They were certainly fan favourites and everyone seemed to love them. The music was fast and loud but Aaron's voice was something different. Kate was lost and couldn't help but think about that boy who was on stage. She looked up and saw him fall off the stage and land in the hands of the crowd below.
Musicians are crazy she thought as she made her way out of the sleazy venue with Max and Chloe.
The cold night air was refreshing for all the young girls as they took it in. Kate never once saw herself going to one of those clubs in her life but now all she could think about was going again.
A/N:-First off, I now this chapter is shit and I apologise. I'm going away for two weeks and wanted to upload this story before I left. If you didn't like it, I urge you to stay and wait until the second chapter is posted as it will be a lot better and I'll make up for giving you all shit to read.
I was initially inspired to do something like this as I myself go to many of these local gigs and though it would make for a cool story. After seeing the LiS before the storm 20 minute teaser where Chloe actually goes to one, I decided that I had to do this story.
The first chapter is wank and I'm sorry but I literally have no time to do anymore and wanted to put it out there so please just take it at face value as I promise the rest of the story will be so much better.
Please Follow/Favorited and Review, it would mean a shit load of good to me. Thank you for your patients, I do appreciate it. Until next time.