CHAPTER 4: CONCERT

"Are you sure about this, Eli?" A concerned Meg asked me as I got ready to leave to go to the concert. She was worried for whatever reason, I'm not sure exactly.

"Yeah, I'm sure about this, I'll be fine." I put my foot up on a chair, beginning to tie my boot lace. "Why are you concerned? I'm just going to a concert."

"Well… Y'know how concerts are, especially… Rock concerts." She said it with a tone of voice that made it sound like the words "rock concert" were a bad word.

"Why are you saying it like it's a taboo subject? It's just people in a stadium together having a good time as someone performs, it's not rocket science." I finished tying my shoes and went to grab my coat.

"I'm afraid you'll end up hurt, you've never been to a concert before, you don't know how to act." What the hell was that supposed to mean?! I don't know how to act?

"What? I'll have you know I know how to act, thank you very much. I'm going to the concert, end of story. You can't change my mind. As a matter of fact, I'm going now." I proceeded to start walking out the door, but she all of a sudden grabbed me.

"Wait-! No-! Don't!" I gave her a glare and gently took her hand off my shoulder.

"No, Meg. I have to do this, I want to go out and do something exciting, I don't want you stopping me. Last time I'll say it, I'm going. Goodbye. I'll be home later." I then turned and walked out of the house fully, closing the door behind me and beginning to walk off to the arena, pulling my cigarettes out to have one on the way. What was her deal? Why was she so protective over this? It's just a concert for fuck's sake, I'll be fine.

It only took around 15 minutes to walk to the arena, and when I got there I saw a large line already beginning to form to get inside. I quickly got in the line, wanting to try and get the closest I could to the stage so I could see Kate, and hopefully so she'd see me. It's weird, this was the first time in a while I felt… Excited, like I actually wanted to be here and see what's going on. The last time I'd felt like that was when my dad appointed me King but… I think we all know what happened after that. I quickly shook off the feeling and focused on feeling excited, looking around at others in the line. Most, if not all, were wearing some form of Paramore merch, like pins, t-shirts… And hoodies. Holy shit I wanted one of those hoodies so badly. Maybe I could ask Kate for one… I realized then and there how out of place my outfit was. I had opted to wear my work clothes, but with black boots and a black jacket, yet others were wearing much more casual clothes… And merch of course. Maybe I wasn't as prepared as I thought I was. Shit.

I was suddenly pulled out of my thoughts by someone yelling at me to move, and when I looked up I saw that the line was beginning to move to go inside the arena. I jumped and quickly began moving, now feeling slightly panicked. People… People… So many people… Do they recognize me? Do they know I abdicated? What if someone hurts me because of this…

"Oi-! Put that cigarette out now or else I'm not letting you inside!" I came to my senses again as I realized that I'd impulsively opened my box of cigarettes, took one out and lit it… Right in front of security. I truly am the biggest fucking dumbass to ever exist.

"Oh–! Um, sorry!" I quickly threw it on the ground and stamped it out, but the security guard still didn't look pleased. "Ticket please, and give me that box of cigarettes." For fucks sake. I begrudgingly handed over my cigarettes and my ticket, and the security guard took a look at it, then me.

"Alright, in you go, you better not cause anymore trouble." I just gave a nod, took my ticket and proceeded inside, all flustered and shaky. I couldn't even have a cigarette now, so I had to deal with this panicky feeling elsehow. I looked around, seeing what the stadium was selling, and immediately b-lined for the merch counter to pick myself up a hoodie. It was expensive, perhaps more than I'd ever want to spend on clothes, but it felt so worth it that I couldn't complain. I slipped it on over my work clothes and kept looking, deciding that I was going to get myself a pint of beer before I went in, just to keep my nerves at bay until the band went on stage.

"Hey, what can I get 'ya?"

"Uhmmm… A pint of beer, please."

"What brand?" What brand? Wasn't there only one brand? I looked at the taps and saw many different options. Oh. Well this was a predicament.

"Uh.. What one would you uh.. Recommend?"

"If it were me I'd go with Guinness. Do you want that?"

"Yeah, sure, please." I looked as they poured it into the pint glass, passing it over to me. I quickly paid for it and walked away, taking a slightly embarrassing sip from the drink. I did not know what I was doing. At all. Regardless, I continued to make my way into the standing section of the stadium, and claimed my spot very near the stage. I was satisfied with that, it was most likely close enough for me to see Kate and for Kate to see me. I looked around as the stadium began to fill with many other people, the lights were bright and neon yet the stage was so… Dark. And eerie. What kind of introduction were they planning with the stage being that dark?

My questions were answered a half an hour later. By then I'd finished my beer and so was just waiting to see what happened, and at around 9pm, it finally happened. The lights in the stadium began to go dark, and everyone there began to cheer and yell, and so I knew the concert was finally going to begin. I looked up to the stage as what I thought to be an electric guitar began to play a tune, a spotlight turning on and casting the shadow of what looked to be a girl playing the guitar, definitely not Kate though. Everyone started screaming, so I assumed it was another band member and excitedly waited to see who'd come on next. After a little bit of the guitar playing a repetitive tune, a drummer came in, their shadow being projected too as they began to play the drums. Not Kate again. Looks like she was gonna make a dramatic appearance, and I didn't blame her. My hype was INSANE.

Finally, she made her grand appearance after her voice came yelling over a mic, yelling out the name of the town as the spotlights suddenly switched on to reveal her and her band on the stage, making everyone in the crowd go fucking NUTS as she just immediately began to sing, the crowd joining in when she did what I assume to be a call and response. I didn't know the lyrics at all, but oh my god I was having a great time. I jumped, I fist pumped with the audience, and hey I even managed to figure out the call and response thing during the bridge section since she kept repeating the same thing over and over for a few lines. Needless to say, by the end of the first song I was craving more, the same way I craved nicotine. I felt like I could never get enough of it, it was so good. Her voice was so mesmerizing, I began to fully understand why she couldn't smoke like she told me earlier.

As the concert progressed, I became even more drawn in by her charismatic singing and dancing on the stage, it's almost as if she was singing directly to me, the words being a heavy reflection on me and my life. I watched as she sang both rock songs and powerful ballads on a piano or guitar, and I savored every moment, trying my best to sing along or join the crowd in waving our arms during the slow songs, and hey I actually knew something when Kate began to sing that one Hallelujah song before she started one of the songs, which I presume has connotations to the song Hallelujah. It was such an amazing atmosphere, and I was learning concert etiquette very quickly. Looks like I'd proved Megan wrong.

Though I was having the time of my life, Kate still hadn't noticed me in the crowd. I'd tried a few times to get her attention during a few of the songs, but she never saw me… Or so I thought. During what I had a feeling was the final song, Kate was singing this absolutely amazing song, and it was about to hit its climax of what I thought would be a guitar solo… But they suddenly stopped, and Kate looked around the stadium with a grin as everyone, including myself, looked confused as fuck.

"Gotcha! Gotcha! Gottccchaaaaa!" She started pointing randomly at the crowd, laughing to herself. I was inclined to laugh too.

"Alright, so… We thought together as a band for a while, and we made a mutual decision that we were gonna change up the way we played the end of this song from here on out. Here's how it's gonna happen. I've been watching the crowd all night, and someone in particular has stood out to me… So I'm going to invite them up on the stage to sing this final verse with me." The crowd ERUPTED into screams and cheers as everyone realized they now had a chance to go up on stage to sing with them. I was excited, but knew she probably wouldn't pick me… Right?

"Ok, so, security, the person I want you to grab is right over… There!" She pointed in my direction. "The guy with the red hair and hoodie with the three bar logo." Wait, what? She was actually picking me for this? How was I supposed to do this? I barely knew the words for God's sake! Before I could react, I was being pulled out of the crowd and up onto the stage… Where everyone was staring at me with faces I couldn't determine. Kate quickly turned me around to look at her.

"Heeeeyyyyy! How 'ya doin'? Why don't you tell the audience who you are if they don't know already?" She held the mic up to me.

"I'm… Elias."

"Yeah, you are! The reason I brought him up is because we actually met each other earlier, and I spotted him in the crowd, so I thought this would be a good chance for you to get a real concert experience. Whaddaya say?" I thought, long and hard. Did I actually want to do this? …I had to do it. I had to prove Megan wrong. I had to prove that I knew what I was doing.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll do it. I'll do it."

"Great! Here's a mic for you." She ran off and quickly came back with a mic, handing it to me as I quickly grabbed it from her, still extremely nervous. At the last second, she took out her earpiece and whispered in my ear.

"I know you won't know this very well, just follow my lead." I quickly exhaled and nodded, and Kate turned to her band and nodded, and just like that the song was starting again. I remembered the pre chorus words, so I was successfully able to sing them, and just like that we were into a guitar interlude, and Kate grabbed my hand and made me dance with her on the stage, the both of us running and jumping around like wild idiots. I didn't care. At that moment I felt so… Free. It felt like all of my problems had been lifted off my shoulders, and I was just there, with Kate, having the absolute time of my life. After the guitar interlude we hit the chorus, which I also remembered, so I managed to keep up with her as she so enthusiastically gave it her all for the final chorus. The only thing I couldn't do was the final high note, so I had to leave that to Kate, who absolutely slayed it. She held the note perfectly for so long, even arching backwards slightly to exaggerate it more.

And just like that, the song was over, and so was my first ever concert. It felt SO AMAZING. I was taken off to the side by security, still on my adrenaline rush, and I got to watch as Kate and the rest of her band stood together in a group hug before taking a bow together, the stage lights going dark as the crowd erupted into screams and cheers for them. I was about to walk off to go back into the crowd to begin to go home, but someone grabbed me by the shoulder.

"Hey, wanna come backstage for a while?" It was Kate.

"Oh-! Uhm, ok! Only for a couple minutes, I need to get home soon."

"Stay as long as you want. C'mon." She pulled me back up onto the stage and out the backway, and finally into a room which I assume was a dressing room. There were already two other people in there, a pink cat and a dark blue hedgehog. I recognized them. They were her other bandmates.

"I got him. Elias, this is Luke and Emma, my bandmates." I sorta just gave a nervous wave.

"Hey! I gotta say, you were good at singing that song!" Emma very happily said to me as she sat down on the couch in the room, opening up her drink she had in her hand.

"Oh-! Thanks! I uh… Didn't really know what I was doing, Kate gave me a helping hand."

"Yeah, she's always been a showoff like that."

"HEY!"

"Ok miss I-can-sing-octaves."

"It's not my fault I got voice training. ANYWAYS, why don't you come join us, Elias?" Kate went and sat down on the couch, and so I felt obligated to go and join her.

Perhaps my conversation went on for a little too long, as when I finally got the chance to look at my watch, it was half past midnight.

"Oh God-! I gotta go! Meg's probably worried sick about me!" I quickly got up and went to leave, before turning back to the three. "Say, thanks for this. I really appreciate it."

"It's no problem! Wait-!" Kate quickly got up and grabbed some paper and a pen, writing something before handing it to me. I took a quick glance, and low and behold it was her phone number. "So we can stay in touch! I'd definitely like to be friends with you, you're a cool guy."

"Uh, thank you! I'll definitely take that opportunity. But for now, I gotta go. See you soon." I quickly slipped the paper into my pocket, and walked out the door, before beginning to bolt home, trying to get back as quickly as I could, managing to do it in around 15 minutes. Once I walked in, Megan was still up, just sitting on the couch. She looked noticeably on edge.

"There you are! What took you so long?"

"Sorry! It's just I… I got the chance to go backstage, and I got to know the band better because of it. I wasn't going to stay long, but clearly time got the better of me. I'm sorry for worrying you."

"Yeah, of course you worried me! At least you weren't killed. We'll talk about this more in the morning, but for now we both need sleep. And where did you get that hoodie?"

"At the concert, I really wanted one so I got one."

"...Alright then." She then quickly got up and went into the bedroom, and I was obligated to follow, not even bothering to get undressed and just collapsed into the bed, pulling the covers up over myself. I nestled tightly into the hoodie I was wearing, smiling as I did. It was so strange. I felt… So happy, when I thought about music and the concert. Was this an awakening within me that was about to be unleashed?