Published: September 21, 2020

Track 27: The Festival

Raven rubbed at her temples in an attempt to massage away a pounding headache. It was possible that it developed from pent-up stress after her recent encounter with Slade. Or perhaps, it was from the three glasses of wine she had consumed during the impromptu girl talk the night before. Either way, the migraine greatly affected her mood and she was grumpy for the entire ride to their next stop. Mercifully, the drive to the SXSW Festival was relatively peaceful. There were no shouting matches over video games and no clumps of dirty laundry being thrown around. The two-hour trip was more than manageable in comparison to the full days of travel that they usually spent on the road.

What was odd was how Garfield was acting towards her. From the moment they stepped onto the tour bus, the man tailed her like a shadow. He followed her all the way to the back of the vehicle and parked himself in the seat beside her, effectively cornering her so that she was squished against the wall. When she got up to use the washroom, he lingered outside the door to make sure that she wasn't vomiting again. And just as she was getting into the book on her e-reader, he pestered her about whether or not she would like a drink or a snack.

His attention might have been sweet if not for the fact that it was becoming supremely annoying. The whispers and giggles from Kory, Cassie and Karen weren't helping either. Raven managed to hold in her temper until they arrived in downtown Austin. Since neither their travel nor lodging expenses were covered by the festival organizers, they had to settle for a mid-range hotel. However, all of the band and crew members were given wristbands for full access to events. Once again, Raven was the only person in their party who got a room to herself. As soon as the others were settled with their key cards, she went into "hermit" mode and headed for her room, fully intending to take a nap. Much to her frustration, she was cut off at the pass by an energetic Garfield.

"Yo, Rave! Is it okay if we go check out some of the other acts? There's gonna be a pop-up show at the pub next door in an hour."

While most music festivals took place in a single, static location, South by Southwest occupied the entire city of Austin for ten days. Concerts varied in size and prestige, with informal shows being performed in hole-in-the-wall restaurants and major head-liners starring on the outdoor stage at Lady Bird Lake. While neither Honey and the Bees nor the Titans were top-bill artists, they were both scheduled to perform on the main stage. The Bees were set to play later that evening, whereas the Titans' slot was for the following day. Seeing as her clients didn't have sound check or any other pressing responsibilities, Raven couldn't care less how they spent their free time.

"Do whatever you want. Just make sure to be inconspicuous and put on a disguise. Same goes for whoever else is going out with you."

"Well, it was just gonna be me, Vic, Kory and Dick. Do you wanna come?" he asked with a hopeful expression.

"No."

"Please? It'll be fun!"

"I'm not going."

"According to their menu, they have unlimited wings during Happy Hour. I mean, I won't eat any, but at least we'll be able to hang out, right?"

"I said I am not going." Although her voice came out a lot harsher than intended, Raven was too weary to hold back any of her impatience. She needed sleep and a double dose of aspirin, not Garfield's babbling in her ears. His expression soured and his brows furrowed with worry.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"I just don't feel like going out, okay?

"But Rae-"

"-You're not listening to me, Garfield. Read my lips: I'm. Not. Going." Raven was aware that she was acting like a moody teenager, but she did nothing to soften her tone. The headache continued to pound in her skull and her head felt fuzzy. By the time she realized that she was unfairly taking out her frustrations on the man, he had already turned on his heels.

"Geez, I was just trying to be nice. If you're gonna be like that, forget it."

Once his footsteps faded into silence, Raven felt the full sting of her attitude. She hadn't meant to be so sharp with him. Of course she knew that he was only trying to be nice. That's who Garfield was, a nice guy who actually cared about her and treated her with consideration and kindness. Closing the door behind her and falling into bed, she sighed to herself. Why couldn't she stop and think before letting her tongue run off on its own? Rolling to the side of the mattress, she bent down to reach for her purse. There, in a hidden pocket, was the apology letter she had written after their first major fight. She reread her own words only to realize that she just made the same mistakes that she had vowed to never make again. Rife with self-frustration, Raven replaced the note in her purse and promptly fell asleep.

Suddenly, there came a tapping, of someone gently rapping at her chamber door. The sound made Raven wake up with a start. Glancing at the clock on her bedside, she saw that nearly four hours had passed. When she uprighted herself, blood rushed to her sinuses, making her migraine even worse than it was before. A dry itch had developed at the back of her throat and she felt unbearably thirsty. With great difficulty, the manager pulled herself together and hobbled to the door. Kory barrelled inside and shouted, "You must hurry, or we will be late for the Bees' performance!"

"I'll be ready soon. Just give me a second to change..." Raven replied, wincing at her friend's loud voice. Once properly dressed, she discreetly packed her purse with a water bottle and a packet of painkillers. The manager would have loved to keep resting, but she had appearances to keep up. As the person running the show, she couldn't afford to show any weakness. She made sure that Kory didn't see the pills either. Raven had a feeling that the woman would make her aches and pains a much bigger deal than they really were. When the two of them joined the other Titans in the lobby, Raven avoided making eye contact with Garfield. She still felt bad about her prickly attitude from earlier, but it would be weird to apologize in front of everybody else. Raven hoped that she would get a chance to talk to him later in private, but for now, it would have to wait.

By the time the party of five arrived at the outdoor stage, the roadies and the Bees had already been at the venue for a couple of hours. Instead of standing with the rest of the crowd, the Titans were escorted to a closed-off section that was reserved for high-profile guests. Raven was grateful for the seats as it was becoming increasingly difficult to stand. The audience erupted with applause when Karen and her bandmates ran out onto the stage. Not wasting any time of their 45-minute set, Honey and the Bees jumped into their first song with a bang of Roy's drums and a dynamic guitar lick from Marco. The explosion of noise went straight to Raven's head and it took all of her strength not to pass out from pain. "Get it together," she chastised herself. "Stop being a baby and suck it up." Somehow, the self-pep talk was enough to keep her conscious. Raven barely registered what was going on around her but at the very least, she didn't faint.

Nearly an hour later, she didn't even notice that the Bees had stepped off the stage to make way for the evening's headliners. A woman with spiky pink hair strode out confidently, followed closely behind by five men. The crowd chanted their name over and over.

"Hive Five! Hive Five! Hive Five!"

"Good evening, Austin! Are you ready to get this party started? Let's go!"

The drummer hit the snare in a rapid 4-count, followed by the electric guitar's rhythmic riffs. "Lightspeed" was their most recent single and had been topping the charts for the past month. The audience of fifteen thousand people sang along in unison, but nobody's voice was louder than Wally's. Raven turned to see that the manager and his band had joined them in the VIP area. Wally jumped up and down like a maniac, screaming "I love you, Jenny!" in the direction of the stage. As exhausted as she was, Raven found herself rolling her eyes in amusement. She originally planned to slink away after the Bees' performance, but everybody else wanted to stay until the end. Hive Five were the closing act of the day, so Raven willed herself to hold out for another hour. As the punk rock band moved through their set, the reason for their fame was clear. Jenny Hex bewitched the audience effortlessly, all the while supported by the chaotic, catchy instrumentation of the players behind her. When the front woman announced the end of the show, Raven exhaled in relief. She wasn't sure how much longer she could hold off passing out.

"For our last song, we have a very, very special guest," Jenny shouted into her microphone. "Everybody, put your hands together for... Terra!"

The crowd went apeshit when a woman in a skin-tight jumpsuit emerged from stage right. Her long blonde hair billowed behind her as she ran into the Hive Five guitarist's arms. The tall, skinny man gave her a kiss on the cheek, which was met with even more cheers and screams from the audience. The woman gave him a beaming smile of affection before turning to wave to her adoring fans. To Gar, she was barely recognizable. If not for the familiar sound of her voice through the speakers, he would have taken his ex-girlfriend for a completely different person.

"Hello, Austin! How are y'all doing? I'm so stoked to be here with you tonight. Babe, would you do the honours?"

The guitarist gave her one more kiss, then moved away to start playing a simple chord progression. The drums and bass joined in after the first bar, followed by the keyboard and rhythm guitar in the second. The guest performer brought the microphone to her mouth and sang:

Too scared to come out / Stuck in my chrysalis

Avoiding, ignoring / My metamorphosis

But things change

When you meet the one you were meant to love

Gar knew the lyrics to "Metamorphosis" by heart, but he didn't sing along unlike the rest of the crowd. He was too shocked at the sight of Tara, who he was now seeing in the flesh for the first time in ages. It had only been three years since she abandoned him, but she looked so different. As Gar analyzed her projection on the giant LED screen, he noticed all of the subtle changes in her appearance. Her sweet, baby blues had turned hard and cold. Her formerly fresh face was painted with makeup and her frame was even skinnier than before. Gar couldn't deny that she still looked gorgeous, but it was a stiffer, more mannequin-like beauty. There was no doubt about it; the pop star was no longer the simple girl she used to be.

As he continued watching her, Gar felt an emptiness rise up inside of him. When they first met, he was convinced that she was his soulmate, the one he was meant to love. Yet here he stood, feeling absolutely no connection with her. If Gar was paying attention, he might have noticed his friends regard him apprehensively, but he was too busy settling his emotions. Once upon a time, he dreamed about getting back with her. After it was clear that she had left him for good, that wishful thinking turned into bitter hatred. But now he felt... Nothing? The hurt and betrayal that had consumed him was totally nonexistent, and the love he once had for this woman was all but a distant memory. The green-haired man was stuck in a daze for the remainder of the performance, only snapping out of it when Victor grabbed him by the arm.

"You okay, buddy?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"You looked lost in space. Anyway, let's get out of here," Victor answered while gesturing to the Bees' manager. "Wally says there's an afterparty at Hive Five's hotel and we've been invited. "

Gar was always down for a good excuse to party. It would be a nice way to unwind after travelling and performing for three straight weeks. He glanced over at Raven, who looked totally withdrawn from the rest of the group. Her face was set in a tight frown and her expression said that she wanted to get away from the crowded outdoor area as soon as possible. Gar thought about asking her if she would come with them, but he highly doubted she would agree. The woman had already rejected him several times that day and he didn't feel like putting himself out there again.

His suspicions were correct; everyone except for Raven and the underaged boys made their way to the afterparty. It was held in the lounge of Austin's most exclusive hotel, not two blocks away from where the Titans were staying. Upon their arrival, the bouncers let the Titans and Bees inside with no questions asked. Champagne and hard liquor flowed freely, the room buzzed with voices talking and bodies dancing. Taking their VIP status in stride, Gar was pleased to find himself in the company of several other celebrities. Since the Titans' manager wasn't around, Wally was solely responsible for introducing everyone to one another.

They met Argent, an Australian jazz pianist, as well as Hawk and Dove, an indie pop duo from Wyoming. Their entire group settled at a table with the lead singer of the J-rock band Bushido and a Latin idol named Pantha. The DJ of the evening was Red-X, an EDM artist who always wore a mask to keep his identity a secret. Somehow, Wally was able to intercept his celebrity crush and engage her in conversation. Jenny Hex of Hive Five looked upon the Bee's manager with suspicion, which quickly turned to interest once they started talking about record deals. She had never considered signing with an indie label, but after hearing all about the perks from Wally, she was beginning to regret her contract with Wilson Entertainment. Gar watched the two of them from afar, opting to linger by the bar instead of sitting at the table. Even surrounded by dozens of people, he felt lonely. While Raven could be a total killjoy at times, he missed her company.

Before he could get too carried away with his thoughts, a finger poked at his lower back. Gar turned around and yelped, "Hey!"

"You were always ticklish in that spot, weren't you?" The woman locked eyes with him and continued, "It's been awhile. How have you been?"

If seeing Tara's blown-up face on a screen was weird, confronting her in person was surreal. Gar felt momentarily stunned and struggled to find the words to speak. After half a beat of hesitation, he recovered and answered, "I've been good. Great job on your performance tonight by the way."

"Just one song hardly counts as a performance," she replied with a flip of her hair. "Say, we should really catch up. There's a quieter section in the back of the room. Why don't we talk over there?"

Gar knew instinctively that this was a bad idea. He could almost see all of the red flags appear in the air around her blonde head. But there was so much he needed to say and so many explanations he wanted to hear. Regardless of the fact that he had already moved on, Gar couldn't deny that he still craved real closure. He nodded in agreement and followed her to the back of the room. On the way there, he purposefully sought out the attention of his best friend. Upon making eye contact, Victor gave him a thumbs up for good luck. All the while, Tara glided ahead of him, being stopped every once in a while by other celebrities' greetings. Their new location was really just the end of a hallway, past the washrooms and a janitor's closet. A plush settee was placed against the wall, upon which Gar and Tara sat on either end.

"I never thought I'd run into you here," she began, picking up the conversation where they left off.

"Same. How's life been treating you?"

"Not bad," Tara shrugged, "I actually flew in from Tokyo a couple of days ago, so I'm still a little jet-lagged."

"Wow, Japan, huh?"

"I've been to five continents, thirty-five countries and over eighty cities in the last three months."

"Lucky you," he breathed in awe, "it's only been North America for us. You were always dreaming of travelling the world, you must be happy."

She chuckled mockingly at his assumption, as though she were the total opposite.

"Well if touring doesn't cut it, does he make you happy at least?" Gar asked.

"Who, my manager?"

"No, your boyfriend," he clarified. "I've met Mr. Wilson and I doubt he'd be able to make anyone happy."

"Oh, you mean Billy. You realize none of that is real, right?"

He did a double take and stuttered, "Wh-what?"

"It's something my agency cooked up for PR. Those kinds of 'arrangements' happen all the time."

Gar could hardly believe what she was saying. The affection between her and the Hive Five guitarist had looked so real. And if she was willing to compromise herself on a lie like that, what else had Tara done to get ahead in her career? "You never answered my question," he said aloud. "Are you happy?"

"Does it look like I am?"

"No, you look miserable."

And she did. From up close, Gar could see bags under her eyes that were barely covered with concealer. Her entire demeanour was solemn and subdued, a mere shadow of her former self. The light in her eyes had dimmed, exuding a deep sadness instead.

"Honestly, I don't want this life anymore. I hate it. I'm sick of the press, the cameras, the lack of privacy," she answered, counting off the reasons on her fingers, "the gruesome schedules, being controlled by Wilson... Hell, I'm even sick of my fans."

"But they love you."

"Don't be so naive, Gar. They don't love me, they don't even know me. They don't realize that it's all smoke and mirrors. When they look at me, they see Terra the airbrushed idol. They don't see a girl who likes skipping rocks and going to carnivals. They don't know who I am, not like you."

Tara reached over to rest her hand on his. Gar tried pulling away, but her grip was tight, almost desperate. He needed to make it clear that things were truly over. "You're wrong, actually. I don't know you anymore. I stopped knowing you the day you left without saying goodbye."

"Gar, I'm so, so sorr-"

"-Save it, Tara. I don't need your apology," he said firmly but not unkindly. "You know, I had this whole big speech prepared for the day that I'd finally get to confront you. I was ready to give you a piece of my mind. But now that we're here, all I can say is that I hope you find happiness. Wherever you go, whoever you're with."

"You made me happy once. Maybe, you could make me happy again...?" Her question trailed off and all of a sudden, her face was mere inches away from his. Her hold on his wrists had moved to his shoulders and she leaned forward in an attempt to kiss him. Thanks to his lightning-quick reflexes, Gar was able to dodge the figurative bullet. Her lips grazed his cheek instead of his mouth as he pushed himself away from her.

"What the hell are you doing?! Are you out of your mind?"

"I-I thought after seeing you tonight, I thought that we might-"

"-Get back together? Absolutely not. I have someone else now. Someone who doesn't care whether I'm famous or not. Someone who will stay by my side."

Tara flinched at his last words and the accusation behind them. Of all the hypothetical scenarios that Gar had imagined for their reunion, this was not one of them. She stared at her feet while he looked towards the end of the hallway. Gar wanted nothing more to get out of this place, far, far away from her. But one stone was left unturned.

"How could you leave me like that, Tara?" he quietly questioned. "You wrecked me."

"I'm sorry."

"Again, I don't want an apology, or any excuses either," said Gar, raising his hand to stop her. "I just want to know why."

Tara went quiet, her eyes still fixed on the floor. He could hear her take deep, even breaths, as though she was trying not to cry. "When Wilson first approached me, it felt like a fairy tale," she finally admitted after a few beats of silence. "It's like I was Cinderella being saved by my fairy godmother. He promised me so many things. Fame. Fortune. Happiness. I wanted it all so badly."

"You needed 'saving', huh? And here I thought you were happy with the Titans. With me."

The conversation went quiet again and after a few minutes, Gar was pretty much ready to leave. At least Tara had answered him honestly. His former girlfriend spoke out softly, "So, you said you're seeing someone else now. How's that going?"

Gar's voice coloured with the tiniest bit of sarcasm when he answered, "Swimmingly."

"Do you love her?"

"Yes," he said with more sincerity.

"And does she love you?"

Now wasn't that the million dollar question. Neither he nor Raven had admitted it out loud to each other, but Gar knew that they weren't far off from that point. "I'm pretty sure she does. She hasn't told me yet, but I'm willing to stick around to find out," he replied, getting up from his seat to leave. "Bye, Tara. Take care of yourself."

"Gar..."

He turned around to look at her one last time. For a moment, he was able to see her for the person she once used to be. Behind the lights and cameras, Tara was just a lost young woman trying to figure out how to navigate life like the rest of them. Her voice trembled as she whispered, "Again, I'm sorry. For everything."

Gar nodded in acknowledgement and returned her simple apology with a small smile. "Best of luck, Tara. Be happy."

The pop star sat by herself for a solid ten minutes after her ex walked away. She had many regrets in life, too many to count. Letting him go was the biggest one, but she was in far too deep to cry over the "what ifs" and "what could have beens" now. She swallowed her guilt and pushed it to the back of her mind. After taking a deep breath, she pulled out her phone from her handbag and selected a number on speed dial.

"Hello?" a gruff voice answered.

"It's me. I did what you asked."

"And?"

"And yes, he's with someone, just like you suspected. So, is that it? Can I finally go home?"

"Not quite."

"Mr. Wilson, I've had enough."

"Ms. Markov, I don't like your tone," Slade blithely replied.

"I'm tired of you treating me like a puppet."

"I would hardly call myself a 'puppet master'," he remarked, "but 'master' certainly has a nice ring to it..."

"I'm serious. I'm done playing your stupid games. I want to go home, now. Do you understand, old man? I'm done!" she shouted into the phone.

"Careful, dear. If I were you, I would avoid biting the hand that fee-"

"-Oh, go fuck yourself, Slade." Tara promptly hung up the phone and let it fall from her hands so that it clattered onto the seat next to her. A blowup at her manager had been a long time coming, damn all the consequences to hell. Gar had wished her happiness. And in order to be happy, she needed to be free. Her phone began to ring, the caller ID telling her that her boss did not appreciate being cut off. Before she lost her nerve, Tara ignored the call, walked out of the hotel, and didn't look back.

When Raven woke up the next morning, she felt like she had been hit by a truck. The clock told her that it was almost noon; it was rare that she slept in so late. The headache had subsided a bit, but her sinuses were heavily congested and her arms felt like weights. The woman hated being sick, it made her feel pathetic and useless. And of all of the times to be ill, why did it have to be on the day of the Titans' very first festival performance? Fortunately, Raven still had time to pull herself together. They only needed to be at the main stage later in the evening, so there was ample opportunity to keep resting.

After forcing herself into a vertical position, she put in an order with room service. While she waited for the physical sustenance to arrive, Raven took stock of her mental and emotional bearings. Her apology to Garfield was overdue and she felt bad for neglecting the team. She hated being the "weak link in the chain", so to speak. So much of her identity was tied up in her ability to take care of others and deliver on expectations. She should have been around to help the Titans network during the afterparty, but her body wouldn't let her. And as the person whom Garfield was dating, Raven was responsible for his well-being in more ways than one.

When Terra made her surprise performance the night before, Raven's mind immediately turned to him. She could only imagine how pained and uncomfortable he must have felt after seeing his ex on stage. Thinking of Garfield's past relationships reminded Raven of her own and she cringed at the memory of Mal. Now that was a disaster and a half. She wondered how she would react if she bumped into him on the street. What would she do? How would she feel? A small part of her fantasized about punching him in the face. But Raven knew if the opportunity ever came to pass, she would simply ignore him. Mal meant nothing to her now.

There was a knock at her door, which effectively broke her out of her inner thoughts and reminded her of how hungry she was. She wrapped herself in the hotel comforter like a burrito and shuffled across the room to let in the food. Upon opening the door, she was greeted by a man standing behind a cart full of platters. Based on his ripped jeans and faded t-shirt, Raven immediately deduced that he wasn't a hotel employee. "Room service!" he called out.

"I can see that."

"Where would you like me to set this up?"

"By the window would be nice."

Raven unsuccessfully hid her smile as Garfield wheeled the cart inside, nearly hitting the edge of her bed by accident. He sheepishly grinned at her over his shoulder before setting down the platters of food. In the corner of her room was a small, round table which was flanked by two chairs. The furniture was placed right against the window and through the glass was a spectacular view of downtown Austin. Across the street were several high-rise buildings and looking down, one could see pedestrians roaming the sidewalks like minuscule dots.

"Your breakfast awaits, m'lady. Though I guess it's closer to lunch at this point."

"Why, thank you," she replied demurely while taking her seat, letting one hand out of her blanket cocoon to invite him to sit down as well. "You know, I wasn't expecting you. If I knew you were going to visit me, I would have put on something a little more decent."

"Nah, the bedding looks good on you. Very slimming," Garfield answered with a wink.

"How exactly did you get a hold of my food anyway?"

"It was a bit of a coincidence. I actually intercepted the hotel guy at your door and convinced him to let me serve you instead."

"That sounds awfully unprofessional on his part," Raven deadpanned. "What if you were trying to poison me or something?"

"Oh, he could tell that I was pure of heart. And besides, the twenty dollar 'tip' was enough for him not to ask any questions." Garfield gave her a satisfied grin which was returned with a roll of Raven's eyes. She gingerly picked up the cover of the first platter and inhaled the wafting aroma of waffles.

"Mmm. This is exactly what I needed," she breathed, picking up a mini-pitcher of maple syrup to douse the griddled goodness.

"I'm no doctor, but I think you'd be better off by starting with this." He lifted the cover of another platter to reveal an unremarkable bowl of chicken noodle soup.

"But I want waffles."

"Then why did you order this?" Garfield asked while pointing at the bowl.

"Well, that's because-"

"-You're sick?"

"I'm not sick."

"Oh really? Then why ask for ginger tea with extra lemon? You're not fooling me, Rae." He pulled the plate of waffles away and pushed the soup towards her. "Now get to it, or I'll have to spoon-feed you instead."

"Okay, Mom," Raven huffed, picking up the spoon before returning his intense stare. "Are you going to let me eat in peace, or what?"

Garfield gave her a wide, Cheshire Cat grin before reaching for the pot of tea. He poured out the hot liquid into a mug and added a teaspoon of honey, stirring exactly three times. Just the way she liked it. He then took her fork and knife and began cutting her waffles into small, manageable bites. When Raven showed him the bottom of her empty soup bowl, he handed over the plate of breakfast dessert. No one had ever taken care of Raven like this. She had vague memories of the nuns at Sainte-Azar tending to her when she was at the Academy, but their touch was clinical and cold. And whenever she was at home with her mother over the summer, Raven spent most of the time taking care of the older woman instead of herself.

Picking at a bit of waffle with her fork, she asked, "So how was the afterparty last night? Did you have a good time?"

"Sort of. I left pretty early."

"I'm surprised. You're usually quite the party animal."

"I ran into Tara, actually..."

Raven raised her eyebrows and said, "I see. How did that go?" He proceeded to give her a play-by-play of the entire conversation. She didn't interrupt at all, waiting for him to finish before asking any questions. When he wrapped up the story, she asked, "So how do you feel?"

"About her?"

"Well, about seeing her."

"Honestly, I'm relieved," he answered. "I've been over her for a long time, but it was kinda cathartic, being able to address everything out in the open. If anything, it made me all the more grateful to be with you."

"Gar, if you're just saying that..."

"No, I'm serious. You're smart, kind, caring. A total badass. I'm just glad you gave me a chance in the first place." His earnest compliments were enough to make her blush. And in turn, it made Raven even more ashamed of her actions the day before.

"Why are you being so nice to me? I don't deserve it."

"Because I lo-," Garfield began to say, before making what sounded like a fake cough, "I, uh, loathe seeing you out of shape like this."

"You loathe it, do you?" she repeated with a raised brow.

He questioned back defensively, "What? Are you telling me that you're the only one who's allowed to use fancy words?"

"No, not at all," Raven replied, smirking in bemusement. "I'm only asking because I was such a jerk to you yesterday. By the way, I am truly sorry for treating you like that. I let my bad mood get the best of me and I took it out on you."

"Aw, that was no big deal."

"It may not have been 'big', but it was still a 'deal'. You shouldn't just brush off these things."

"It's fine."

Raven threw her hands in the air and muttered, "Stop downplaying how you feel and just be honest. If you pretend like things don't bother you, they'll pile up over time. And ultimately, you'll end up more upset than if you had just said something in the first place!"

"What do you want me to say? That I didn't like it when you blew me off?"

"Yes!"

"Well then there you go!" he argued back. "You should be honest too. Why are you trying to hide the fact that you're not feeling well? Why didn't you just tell me? How come I had to hear it from Kory?"

"Kory was mistaken. I am not sick."

Garfield crossed his arms and replied, "Bullshit. Your nightstand is covered in used Kleenex, your eyes are bloodshot and you wince every time my voice gets loud. You, Raven Roth, are sick, whether you like it or not."

"And what does that change?"

"Because if you finally admitted that you need help, I could provide it for you."

"Oh yeah?" she answered, her tone losing a bit of its steam. "And how exactly do you plan on doing that?"

"Like this." He sprung up from his chair and literally swept her off her feet, blanket and all. Holding her in a princess carry, he walked them over to the center of the room and gently laid her on the bed. He re-tucked the sides of the comforter around her body and murmured in her ear, "Now go to sleep. You look like you need it."

"What about you? Are you just going to watch me creepily?"

"I've got my phone to keep me occupied," he replied, dragging over a chair so that he could sit at her bedside.

"Well I'm not tired."

"Want a bedtime story?"

"That depends on the story."

Garfield spotted her e-reader, picked it up and waved it in her face. "Your choice. Whaddya want?"

She took the device from him and opened it to the correct page. "I was reading this on the bus yesterday, but you kept interrupting me. So I suppose you should start from the beginning."

"Here goes nothing," he said after clearing his throat. "Chapter 1, 'In which we learn of the village of Wall, and of the curious thing that occurs there every nine years'." As Garfield's warm, tenor voice filled her ears, Raven felt her eyelids droop. She succumbed to it immediately and let herself doze off. Fading into sleep, she heard him recite, "There once was a young man who wished to gain his Heart's Desire..."

Gar was never much of a reader. It's not that he didn't like stories; in fact, he loved them. He adored the storytelling achieved by musicals, comic books and graphic novels. There was something just so boring about paragraphs of words written on a page. And yet, he found himself totally enraptured in the tale of Tristran and the fallen star, Yvaine. Maybe he just wasn't reading the right books this whole time. So instead of playing on his phone like he originally intended, Gar spent the next two hours reading Neil Gaiman's Stardust. He had moved his chair back to the window so that he could take advantage of the natural light. He was so absorbed in the whimsical adventure that he almost didn't notice when Raven woke up and stood behind him. After he set down the e-reader on the floor, she climbed into his lap and wrapped the blanket around the two of them.

"Hiya, sleepyhead," he said after ruffling her hair affectionately.

"Hi. Enjoying the book?"

"Yeah, surprisingly. I couldn't put it down."

"When we travel again tomorrow, I'll trade it for your Switch," she answered with a twinkle in her eye. "Thanks for taking care of me, Nurse Gar."

"My pleasure. Had a good nap? I know a bit of extra sleep always does me good when I'm sick.

"I told you, I'm not sick," she began to say, but backtracked when Gar gave her a pointed look. "Okay, so I'm a little under the weather. But I feel much better now."

"Sick, I tell you."

"Can't a girl enjoy a nice nap whenever she feels like it?"

"And can't a guy nag the woman he loves whenever he feels like it?" Gar immediately caught himself and slapped a hand over his mouth. Raven merely waited patiently while he sputtered out a string of barely coherent words. "What I meant to say is, 'cares for', because you know, I care for you," he rambled, a red flush taking over his cheeks. "N-not to say that I don't love you, because I do- er, wait, wait..."

"Gar."

"I love you, in like a friends way, not in a 'love' love way-"

"-Gar."

"Well actually, that's not exactly true either, because I-"

"-Gar!" Raven repeated for the third time. "Shut up, will you? I love you too, you dork."

He gaped at her, shellshocked. Did he just hear what he thought he heard? "You mean you 'love' me, love me?"

"Yes. I love you," she answered calmly.

"B-but, I... I was supposed to be the one to say it first!"

"Excuse me?" she inquired with an unimpressed stare.

"Oh my God," Gar groaned into his hands, "I had everything planned out. I was going to wait for the perfect moment and just tell you, but now I totally fudged it!"

"Relax. Why are you putting so much pressure on yourself? It's not like you're proposing or anything like that. Unless...?" She looked at him expectantly through her eyelashes, holding out her left hand as an offering. Based on her barely concealed smirk, it seemed like Raven wasn't even trying to hold back her amusement at Gar's horrified grimace. She raised her outstretched hand to give him a playful smack on the cheek and said, "I'm just messing with you, you gullible fool."

"Oh," he answered simply, letting out a relieved breath.

"So do you want to try again?"

"Try what?"

"Telling me that you love me, moron."

"I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you."

Gar kissed her between each of his confessions, on her temples, nose and cheeks. He could feel Raven's skin flush with heat as he pressed their foreheads together. Leaning to the side, she whispered in his ear, "Is that all you have to say? I was expecting something a bit more... verbose."

"There was a lot more, but I forgot most of it," he admitted freely. "How about I show you instead?" He slid his hand between her neck and hair to pull her in for a kiss. His lips molded against hers and they moved together in a sweet, steady rhythm. Raven pressed her body closer to his and ran her hands up along his arms, making him shiver with pleasure. She still sat on his lap, but now her fingers were tangled in his hair. As the heat between them rose and the kisses became more passionate, the blanket fell to the floor. Her touch was tender and hot, warming Gar from his fingertips to his toes. The only word to describe his current state of being was "bliss". Pure and utter bliss.

Their makeout session would have lasted a lot longer if not for the sudden buzzing in Gar's pocket. With a pout, Raven reached into his pants and drew out his cell phone. As Gar unlocked the screen to check his messages, he secretly wished that she had reached for something else. When he saw that it was a text from Victor, Gar silently cursed at the man for cockblocking him yet again.

Victor: where are you?

Gar: roaming around the hotel. you?

Victor: in our room, where else? sound check is happening soon so you better come back here and get ready

Gar: k

Victor: don't you "k" me, punk ass...

"I guess I should head back," said Gar in a regretful tone.

"That seems like a wise idea," Raven replied, then sniffed herself dubiously, "and I need a shower..."

"Need help with that?"

"You're really taking your nursing responsibilities seriously, aren't you? Don't push your luck, Logan."

"So, instead of 'nurse', do I get upgraded to 'boyfriend' now?" he wondered aloud while hugging Raven closer.

"Isn't this enough? Just this?" she answered while gesturing to their intertwined limbs.

"Oh trust me, I'm not complaining. I just wanted to know where we stand."

Raven pulled away slightly so that she could look him straight in the eyes. "How does 'best friend' sound instead?"

"I think I can handle that."

"You really are my best friend," she said emphatically. "You're the person I trust the most. All I want is for you to be happy. And when I tell you I love you, I mean it."

"I know, I feel the exact same way," he said softly, then gave her a peck on her forehead. "So what next? Can we finally tell the band now? Vic's already pretty suspicious..."

"I'm not sure. I trust him and the others to keep it on the down low, but we'll eventually have to go public. How do you feel about that?"

"I've been waiting for us to go public since the very beginning," replied Gar. "I've said it before and I'll say it again. I don't give a shit about what other people think about me. I only care about you."

"That's very sweet, but very unhelpful. Anyway, I need to strategize first. Let's not tell the others until we come up with a proper plan."

"You got it, boss."

The couple untangled themselves from the chair, making sure to pick up the blanket on their way to the door. Raven gave him one last searing kiss before letting him out. They said their "see you laters" with a platonic wave, just in case someone was watching from the hallway. On his way to his room, the musician moved with an extra pep in his step and whistled a happy tune. There once was a young man who wished to gain his Heart's Desire. And as he walked away, Gar realized that he already found it.

"I believe this is what you wanted." The woman slid two envelopes across the table. Her employer reached for them with an excited glint in his eye. He pulled the large prints from the first envelope and inspected them with intense focus, repeating the actions with the second.

"It's nice to see you finally deliver some results," he remarked. "Aren't these a little blurry?"

"The lighting was tricky. It's not my fault you insist that I work with film."

"I suppose you did your best."

Rose Wilson didn't like the dry sarcasm in his voice. After hearing it for the last two decades, one would think that she would have gotten used to it by now. As much as she despised her father, she had an unexplainable urge to please him. Was it biological? Or was it because he was a manipulative son of a bitch? Even though his words were insincere, a small part of her wished to believe them at face value. She kept her expression a cool mask of impassivity and outstretched her hand. "My payment, please."

Slade took out a thick wad of bills from his pocket and tossed it onto the table. The ungrateful bastard didn't even have the courtesy to put it in her hand. Grabbing the cash and stuffing it in her camera case, the photographer felt like a dirty pawn. It was pathetic, having to rely on him for work, but beggars can't be choosers.

"Will that be all?" she asked.

"I want you to tail them to their next stop in Minneapolis. Chicago too, if need be."

"You have got to be kidding me," protested Rose. "Didn't I get the money shot like you asked?"

"Doesn't matter. I have a feeling that I may need extra insurance."

Rose bit her tongue in order not to retort back. She wanted to move on to other jobs, but she had no choice but to follow his instructions. When her fine art photography failed as a post-grad, she worked the tabloid circuit. It was a surprisingly competitive business with lucrative pay, but it was also unpredictable. Eventually, she crawled back to her father for more steady work. They settled their deal in a contract, which was Slade's preferred modus operandi. In exchange for a monthly stipend and lump sums after every job, Rose had to make herself available to his every whim. Where Slade wanted her to go, she went. What he wanted her to do, she did. She was trapped.

"Fine," she mumbled moodily. "You'll send me the travel info?"

"Of course. Ta-ta, dear. We'll be in touch." Slade said nothing more, clearly indicating that the conversation was over. Thoroughly disgruntled, Rose left his hotel room as fast as her legs would take her. The moment his daughter made her exit, Slade picked up the phone and dialled a number. "Ms. Roth?"

"Speaking."

"It's Slade."

"How did you get my number?"

"I have my connections. Listen, I have a bit of a business proposition I'd like to run by you. Can we meet later tonight?"

"It'll have to wait until after the Titans' show."

"Fine. I'll send a car to pick you up around 10 pm."

"That won't be necessa-"

"-I insist," he interrupted in a bored, dry tone. "Make sure you're on time, dear. This is a meeting you don't want to miss, I guarantee it."

Before the Titans' manager could answer, Slade hung up. He reached for the photographs once again and brought them close to his face, taking in every detail. The man smiled. Everything was going exactly according to plan.

A/N: It was time for Gar to wrap up the "Tara" chapter of his life. I had their confrontation planned from early on, so I hope it was satisfying and didn't disappoint.

Hive Five is inspired by late-2000's Paramore, "Lightspeed" mirroring the iconic song "Misery Business". I can totally picture Jinx as Hayley Williams with her hot pink emo hair cut from 2007. Other inspirations: Argent is Andrea Keller, Hawk and Dove are The Bird and the Bee, Bushido is Burnout Syndromes, Pantha is Rosalia and Red-X is Marshmello/Deadmaus.

My Grade 11 English teacher would be very proud of you if you caught the reference to Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven". Also, Stardust is one of my favourite books of all time. If you've only watched the movie, or if you really like The Princess Bride, I highly recommend that you read it.

Till next time, Lily Timbers

Replies to Guest Reviews

frog31791: Thank you, friend! Does their little confession in this chapter count as them not beating around the bushes anymore? The new song will be revealed in Chapter 29...

Guest: Never apologize for not having time to read! Thank you again for always leaving a comment so faithfully, it really means a lot. The plot thickens on Slade's side of things. The ball is really going to drop in the next chapter. The family moments are my favourites too. They're not the most romantic, but I feel like they flesh out Gar and Raven as characters. Thanks for the well wishes. I've taught online before, but I've never had to take an online class as a student. It must be really difficult to concentrate and stay motivated. Wishing you and your family health and safety as well!