Ha, nonetheless I made Veridia a vocalist of a folk metal band.
I planned to write more in this chapter, but sadly a war broke out just outside my country border and we really don't know, what may happen tomorrow, so I publish what I have... I haven't decided yet, wheter I will include the rest in one chapter or break it down into two with one short. Anyway... enjoy!
...
The next day was quite intense for The Dark Islanders members- their schedule was full from morning until the concert itself. Firstly they had rehearsals. During those, they played singles from the studio album, which were to be the highlight of the evening. In addition, the band practised several songs, which could be a problem while performing live. After rechecking the audio, everything was done at this point and they could go to a proper dinner. The little breakfast, consumed in a hurry, had been digested long ago, so everyone was really hungry.
Regular line-up ate in a small, modest restaurant near the place of the event. Aurora wasn't with them, she went to eat somewhere else with her acquaintances, whom she had met yesterday.
The group got themselves familiar with the menu and quickly decided what they wanted to order. Harry and Ross picked cheeseburgers, while Rita and Nerissa took respectively prawn fried rice and salmon dinner set with fries. When they were waiting at the table, they were discussing the last details about the upcoming performance.
At that time, Rita's mind was mostly on the concert related matters. Shortly after waking up, she still had been thinking about the woman standing at the entrance to the bar last night. She had been wondering if it could really be Veridia. But the idea seemed so absurd to her that she had pushed it away.
Veridia is in Australia, she must be there. She always hated travelling so far from home. Besides, she could change in appearance a lot over the years. Or you simply are mistaken. After all, so much time has passed…
Rita had kept repeating it to herself and thus had ended any further inward speculation on the subject.
After the meal they had to start preparing themselves for the concert, which was scheduled for 5 p.m. Lauren, a befriended stylist, arrived in Wacken that afternoon. Her job was to help them with make-up and hairstyles. Single concert at the festival wasn't anything big, so for financial reasons they decided not to hire more staff for that.
The band came together with Aurora and Lauren in the changing section. At this moment, they all were in the dressing room dedicated to them and preparations were in full swing.
"I like you with wavy hair. It suits you," Lauren told Rita, looking at her reflection in the lighted, rectangular mirror. She just ended her hairdo. Now Rita's hair was loose and falling in soft waves over her shoulders.
"Thank you. It's your merit that I look good with it. You're a great professional," Rita returned the compliment with a smile.
"Don't be so modest. I'm only responsible for putting on the finishing touches," Lauren replied playfully, then walked over towards Aurora, to apply blue eyeshadow over her eyelids.
Not long after that, everyone was totally styled and ready for the show. They were standing behind the scenes. All the musical instruments and equipment were placed on the stage. In two minutes it was to be five o'clock. Rita, taking the last moment opportunity, adjusted the buckle on one of her knee-high boots.
"Good luck," Harry squeezed her hand, when she rose to the vertical position.
"To you too. I would kiss you but my lipstick would smear on your face. Also on mine anyway."
Harry laughed at that.
When the full hour struck, the group ran onto the stage. They all lined up in the right places, each with their instrument. Rita stood in front of the microphone.
The crowd cheered.
Then they began to play. Nerissa on guitar and Harry on drums were first, then the rest joined.
The crowd cheered up more.
Half a minute later Rita started singing. In that moment the crowd howled to the fullest.
…
In Rita's opinion, performing on stage was unlike anything else.
At that time you were on the other side than the one you are used to being before. There was a complete shift in perspective. So much so that, it seemed like being entirely somewhere else. As if you weren't at the concert, like many times earlier as a listener. As if you were experiencing something new, amazing and hard to describe.
All the impressions were somehow multiplied. Sounds. Lights. Positive energy. The feeling that their music and their fans are creating it.
There were huge emotions behind every show. Rita was a stressful type of person, so that probably had an impact on all of that as well. On feeling so intensive. Fortunately, the stress and nerves kept getting smaller each time. Good vibes stayed the same.
The performance at the Wacken Open Air was no different from the others.
…
Rita sat down on the ground beside the changing section and drank some mineral water from a plastic bottle.
Their show was over. After going backstage, everyone from her team went to chat with people from a friendly band. Everyone except Rita. She needed to rest for a few minutes. Or more precisely, her vocal cords needed to rest.
She sighed and looked at the screen of her smartphone. It glowed with a bluish light in the dusk of the approaching night. No important messages. Rita thought that surely someone has already posted photos from today. She searched for the relevant tag on Instagram. Suddenly she heard footsteps. They were getting closer, however she didn't look up.
"Hi Rita," the owner of the footsteps said in a familiar voice. Rita raised her head in disbelief. Immediately her eyes became round as saucers.
"Veridia…?" She gasped hoarsely. She still sounded like that after two hours of singing. Damn it, at such a moment... "W-what are you doing here?"
That was really her. Veridia. She was standing about one yard from Rita and smirking in that smug way of hers. When this fact fully reached Rita, she sprang to her feet.
"The same as you. I was at your concert. You sang beautifully, as before."
When the first shock passed, Rita took an attentive look at her old friend. Veridia had really not changed much from the end of high school. She was still a slim blonde with unruly curls. She was wearing a casual black t-shirt, jeans and green converse sneakers.
"What do you mean by the same as me?" Rita asked in surprise.
"I'm also a singer in a band. Mermaid Council, maybe you heard about us? We make folk metal."
Rita heard, but only the name and some basic information about them caught her ears. She didn't delve into it. Folk metal wasn't one of the genres she liked. However it was Veridia's favourite… How could she not have got the idea that Veridia had something to do with this band? All-female group from Australia, a mermaids' theme that has always fascinated both of them… She didn't take all these hints at all.
"Oh… Then congratulations on your success," Rita said dumbly.
"And vice versa."
There was an awkward silence between them for a few seconds. It was not surprising that now they couldn't talk to each other normally, considering how their friendship had ended years ago. Finally Rita spoke first before she had time to think about what she really wanted to say.
"I thought that you gave up your dreams of singing and would take over your family's company. You started studying business management for that purpose."
"I even graduated from this," Veridia told numbly. "Luckily my younger sister expressed a desire to replace our mum in a managerial position in the future. It allowed me to do with my life what I wish."
"That's good. When we were teenagers, I thought you would be unhappy to follow in your mother's footsteps. I was worried about you back then."
Veridia smiled sweetly in answer. Instantly Rita felt butterflies in her stomach, but quickly chased them away mentally. So she still hadn't been able to completely get rid of her feelings for Veridia, even after all this time… Come on, fly away from here…
"Perhaps you would be right. And what about you? How is your study of marine biology going in Europe? Probably okay, since you have settled here," Rita detected some strange note in Veridia's voice. Like nastiness… or resentment? What's the matter? It was Veridia, who had abandoned her and severed all contact with her. Not the opposite. Rita decided not to get upset by this.
"Yes, I received a bachelor's degree in this major. And I finished my master's degree in marine and atmospheric chemistry."
"Wow. But it was to be expected of you. You were always the smart one of the two of us," Veridia smirked.
"And you were the confident and pretty one," Rita replied before she could bite her tongue. What was wrong with her? She usually chooses each word carefully but with Veridia she wasn't able to control herself properly.
"Haha, I had to be better at something than you! We both have the vocal range of mezzo-soprano and additionally you were a top student, so I had to stand out somehow," after saying this, Veridia became a bit more serious. "Rita, listen… Your bandmates are from here, right? I mean from Europe. And the drummer is your boyfriend," the last one was presumably supposed to pretend to be a question but came out as a statement.
"Yes, they're all locals. And yes, Harry and I are together."
"So you are not going to return to Australia?" The red-haired woman was already opening her mouth to answer, but she didn't make it.
"Oh Rita, there you are. I was wondering, where you went," Rita and Veridia turned in the direction from which the voice came. It was Nerissa. Just like Rita, she was still wearing the clothes from the evening's performance, i.e. a purple corset, tight trousers from synthetic leather and burgundy boots.
"I was here all the time. Let me introduce: Nerissa- Veridia. Nerissa plays guitar in our group and Veridia is a dear friend of mine from old days. Today I found out that she sings in the Mermaid Council."
From tense posture and the brief glance she gave her, Rita knew that Nerissa must have figured out who Veridia was to her. Once she had confided in her bandmate about unrequited feelings for her best friend, who suddenly had stopped talking to her. Veridia walked over to the uptight newcomer and held out her hand in greeting.
"Are you Nerissa? Of course I have heard about you. You're a brilliant musician. The trade press has been writing for a long time about a genius girl, who plays at the world level on any instrument she grabs."
On the praise Nerissa relaxed a little. She shook Veridia's hand.
"Uhm… Thanks. I don't know what to say."
"You don't need to say anything. It's all true. I'm happy that I could meet you."
"Nerissa, I suppose you came here because Harry was looking for me? Am I right?" Rita decided to seize the opportunity and get away. If it sounded like an excuse, so be it. Talking to Veridia wasn't half as uncomfortable as she had once thought it would be. But the painful memories of the rejection began to come back, one by one. Rita didn't have the strength to face them right now.
Nerissa blinked, but she quickly realised what was going on.
"Yes, exactly. He wants to have a word with you urgently about something important."
"Veridia, I'm really sorry, but a force majeure."
"I understand. We can't help it," Veridia's tone of voice and expression were blank.
They embraced farewell. It came so naturally to them, so normally, as if nothing bad had ever happened between them two. If Rita could, she would never let her out.
But now she loved someone else.
Just as she and Nerissa were about to leave, Veridia grabbed her arm. "Rita, wait," Rita turned around and Veridia put something in her hand. It was a folded piece of paper.
"This is my phone number… Just in case you want to talk sometime and remember the good, old days."
