7 Chapter 6

Hunter

"All right guys, remember what we're doing?"

"Yes!" my bandmates responded. The drummer's name is Josh, back up guitarist is Sam, and the other guitarist is Will, he sings as well. They tended to their instruments while I walked over to Emily.

"Now, if you're nervous, just look at me, alright?"

She nodded her head and gripped her assigned mic with white knuckles.

"Sixty seconds till curtain!"

We played some chords in harmony with each other to check the key signature and the speakers.

"Thirty seconds!"

Dim lights faded up so we could see in the darkness of the covered stage. The curtain lifted and the crowd cheered. There were hushed whispers about the new girl on stage. The drummer in the back cracked his sticks together to get us on the beat. We started to play "Bad Romance," covered by Halestorm.

"Want your bad romance. I want your ugly. I want your disease. I want your everything, as long as it's free. I want your love." I sang

"I want your love." Sang Will.

"Love, love, love. I want your love."

"I want your love, I want your love."

"I want your drama. The touch of your hand. I want your leather-studded kiss in the sand. I want your love."

"I want your love."

"Love love love."

"I want your love."

"I want your love, I want your love."

Now is Emily's cue, let's see how she does.

"You know that I want you, and you know that I need you. I want it bad, your bad romance."

Perfect.

"I want your love and I want your revenge. You and me could write a bad romance."

"Oh oh oh oh ooh!" Sang Emily.

"I want your love, and all your lovers' revenge.. You and me could write a bad romance." I sang.

Now the hard part. I trust that Emily can do this. She looked at me and then the crowd then closed her eyes. Here we go.

"Oh oh oh oh ooh oh oh oh ooh oh oh oh! Caught in a bad romance. Oh oh oh oh ooh oh oh oh ooh oh oh oh! Caught in a bad romance!"

As soon as she started to sing I froze in awe. The crowd went wild. Will had to bump into me to tell me to sing and play, but I couldn't take my eyes off her.

"Want your bad romance. Want your bad romance. I want your horror. I want your design. 'Cause you're a criminal, as long as you're mine. I want your love." I sang.

"I want your love." Will backed up.

"Love love love. I want your love."

"I want your love, I want your love."

Emily jumped into the crowd and danced with them as Will and I sang.

"I want your psycho. Your vertigo stick. Want you in my rear window. Baby, you're sick. I want your love."

"I want your love."

"Love love love. I want your love."

"I want your love, I want your love."

"You know that I want you, and you know that I need you. I want your bad, your bad romance." Emily sang in the crowd and they cheered.

"I want your love, and I want your revenge. You and I could write a bad romance."

"Oh oh oh oh ooh." Emily sang.

"I want your love, and all your love has revenge. You and me could write a bad romance."

"Oh oh oh oh ooh oh oh oh ooh oh oh! Caught in a bad romance.

Oh oh oh oh ooh oh oh oh ooh oh oh! Caught in a bad romance."

Nailed it again that I froze, my eyes still on her as she's buried in the crowd. Goosebumps shot up and down my arms and back. Will bumped me again and I shook my head and sighed and continued, "Want your bad romance. Want your bad romance. Want your bad romance."

Emily started heading back to the stage and I stopped playing to help her up. I sang to her and to the crowd as I helped her up. "I want your love, and I want your revenge. I want your love, I don't wanna be friends." I got her on the stage and I danced with her as I continued singing. Josh, Sam, and Will played while I sang to Emily and the crowd, but Emily doesn't know I'm singing this to her. She thinks it's part of the song. "Je veux ton amour. Et je veux ta revanche. J'veux ton amour, I don't wanna be friends."

"I don't wanna be friends." Will sang.

"I don't wanna be friends."

"I don't wanna be friends."

"No, I don't wanna be friends." I spun her away from me.

"I don't wanna be friends." Will continued.

"Want your bad romance." She spun back to me.

"Want your bad romance."

"Want your bad romance." She was in my arms and I was looking at her. She and I were breathless and the crowd cheered. For a split second, I froze while I gazed at her. I wanted to kiss her so badly, but instead I continued.

"I want your love, and I want your revenge. You and me could write a bad romance."

"Oh oh oh oh ooh." she sang

"I want your love and all your lovers' revenge. You and me could write a bad romance." I was expecting her voice this time so I continued playing.

"Oh oh oh oh ooh oh oh oh ooh oh oh! Caught in a bad romance. "Oh oh oh oh ooh oh oh oh ooh oh oh! Caught in a bad romance." I walked towards her as I sang the final part.

"Want your bad romance." I put down my guitar and touched her arms and slid my hands down her until I was holding her waist. Our faces were millimeters apart, I whispered. "Want your bad romance." While the last few chords played I kissed her. So deeply, so passionately, so emotionally. I moved my hand tighter around her waist and my other to push her head more towards mine. Her lips were so soft, and she tasted like apple cider. I want more. After I ran out of breath I pulled back and the crowd was going crazy. I looked at Emily and she was so flustered, my desire only grew. The curtain fell and we got ready for our next song, and a speech before the song.

"Did I do good?" Emily's small, flustered voice asked.

I looked at her with pride, and smiled. "You left everyone speechless."

"But I distracted you. I'm sorry I ruined it."

"You didn't do anything wrong. You can blame that on me because I can't resist you." I moved her face to look at mine. "You were perfect."

She blushed again and smiled. "Good then."

"Yo Hunter! It's talk time!" Will shouted by the curtain. I nodded and sat Emily down on one of the boxes and joined my bandmates. The crowd cheered as we walked back on stage. Everyone was shouting questions about who the girl was who sang so perfectly.

"She's a self trained singer." responded Sam.

"And she's close with Hunter," added Josh.

"Speaking of that, let me get her up here." I said. Then I disappeared to bring her on stage. Once she was on people cheered louder than before. I handed her my mic and she said, "Hi."

I took back the mic and said, "This is Emily Youngblood. We met about a month ago on her birthday, September sixteenth. When she turned sixteen, golden year for her. You could say we're soulmates which brings us to now." I turned to her and the crowd shished. It was her and my world now. Just us. "Emily Youngblood." I pulled out the jewelry box and opened it, revealing a necklace. It was a rose gold circle with diamonds, and a little glass ball in the center that said, "I love you," in one hundred different languages when a light shined through it. I put it on her and continued. "I love you so much that I gave you one hundred different languages to proclaim it. I need you to be with me. Now and forever." I looked directly into her ocean eyes and said, "Will you be my girlfriend?"

She smiled and smirked, she was going to make a joke out of this. "Such a gentleman, how could I say no? Yes, I will."

The crowd cheered and I hugged her and spun her in my arms. She's all mine now. All mine. I carried her in my arms as my band and us went backstage to prepare for our next song.

"Wait for me here, okay? I'll take you home after."

She nodded and I kissed her forehead, then I joined my band and we played a song called, "Monster Mash" for the season. People sang and danced along to it as we played. After the song was over we bowed and went back stage one more time to clean up, but Emily wasn't there. In her place was the necklace she just got, but it was broken. The chain looked like someone ripped it off her neck and then left with her. Silently, but aggressively. There's only one person she would listen to under those circumstances. Her father. He took her away from me again. I have to save her. I grabbed her necklace, took my guitar off my back, and ran to my truck. I started the truck and slammed on the gas.

Emily

A yank came around my neck, and the necklace was thrown in front of me. The smell from behind me was strong and familiar. My dad. He put his giant hand around my small mouth and dragged me home. How did he know I was here? How is he even here? He never leaves the couch, much less the house. He's clearly drunk and high, and he's going to use me as his doll again. I struggled to break free, but I was no match for a fat man like him.

"Stupid bitch playin' games again, not listenin'. When are ya ever gonna learn to stay home?" He threw me against the wall in our cold, smelly, old house.

Hunter where are you?

I huddled in on myself to protect the important parts of my body while dad raised a beer bottle to smash against me.

Blood. Warm, sticky blood. It flowed smoothly out of my arms as he raised another and struck me again, and again, and again. All my strength was leaving my bloody arms as he kept striking me. Until he stopped suddenly.