Adrenaline

Wrong.

For as well as he had slept, his morning proved to be a challenge trying not to think about the couple and how they were doing. With the same clarity as the first lights of the day broke into his room, he remembered all too well how wrecked Corey had been the night before.

His concern only grew as the hours passed by and he had no news of Matt. He still wanted to know what had happened with the creepy crazy guy that had followed him, and he was certain only Matt would get that privileged information.

At the same time, his own life seemed to crumble as his phone kept ringing and vibrating under what only could be described as bombarding. Messages and calls from his band mates kept coming relentlessly. He hadn't answered any of them the whole morning, too preoccupied to think about anything else.

But truth to be told, he couldn't blame the band for worrying about him. He never missed practice and let alone ghost them all. Guilt worked its way through his skull and brought him to muster a few words for them.

Tony:

Seriously?! Where the hell are you?

Man! I had to cancel on Lana for this. It was Netflix night, man!

Hey, don't make me come and get you!

Mark:

Hey, man. Are you ok?

Owen:

You nasty dog!! I want details!

Who's the babe? Does she have a friend?

Wait, are you busy with your "lessons"?

Me:

Yeah. Sorry. Something came up.

Today. Same time.

Was the best he could do when, for the first time, the band and the show were nowhere near his mind. All the messages asking for explanations or rescheduling were going straight to the can as he kept thinking of last night. Whenever he closed his eyes, it wasn't a crowd cheering what he saw, but Corey trembling in his arms.

If he wasn't thinking about the horrible experience, the blond guy may have gone through, he was thinking of how great it had felt later. That moment they shared when he played the guitar for him and Corey just stayed there, letting him surround him with his music. That unspoken connection he had felt was like nothing he had ever done before and he would lie if he said he didn't want more.

Did he feel it too?

Unfortunately, those moments kept filling his day with memories, longing or questions; but there was no sign of Matt.

The radio silence continued until Sunday; the big day of their show. Everything was ready. The band was eager to go out and play and the crowd that had gathered seemed to have just the right energy. It all should have felt awesome, if it weren't for his hope of finding them sitting at the bar or cheering somewhere in the crowd.

This new anxiety he had developed loved to tease him with crazy ideas of them not being ok or never coming back. He didn't even care about the explanations anymore, he just wanted to know they were fine and that whatever happened to Corey that day hadn't been as bad as he was considering.

Why the fuck didn't I ask for his number?!, he continued to beat himself about it, driven by the frustration of uncertainty.

His eyes darted from one corner to the other, searching for any familiar black cap or unique outfit; but he continued to come up empty-handed.

"Is it all good?" A smack on his shoulder and a friendly laugh helped him focus on his new task at hand.

The musician returned the smile, charged with confidence and determination. The entire group focused on him and felt their own energies recharged. They were ready to take up on the world and the crowd was already screaming their name.

This wasn't their first gig, but the stage fright was the same and always there. The feeling they would go out in front of dozens of people that were screaming their name was a rush nothing else could compare to. The minute he set foot on the stage, everything else vanished. He was exactly where he needed to be and the music was all it mattered.

Lowlights and a mix of alcohol and excitement welcomed them as women and men clapped their hands alike, triggering their adrenaline to the roof. The group slowly but fiercely took their places. They weren't the kind to sport flashy looks like other bands.

AJ was wearing his usual black jeans and a black t-shirt; no doubt knowing what his tattoos caused in the front line along with his piercings, but never purposely using them to get extra attention.

Tony, the drummer, was a shoulder-length blond with dark blue eyes and a winning surfer smile. His height and not too heavy lean build made him look like an agile bodyguard instead of a drummer, if it weren't for the expertise with which he handled the drum sticks, making them dance between his fingers.

On the other side of the spectrum was Mark, the bass player, whose short spiky hair, along with his slim build and ear full of piercings, portrayed him as the younger in the group. Sadly, his day job demanded he lose all of those accessories, but it was a small price to pay for the comfort of a happy home to share with his very shy girlfriend. 

The second guitar, Owen, was the one that represented more the wild life rock stars were supposed to lead. He enjoyed the lady's attention and took full advantage of all the perks that came with the fan base he so carefully honed by constantly posting on social media and keeping a very active social life. He knew all too well how to get the best of his exotic Asian features and worked out. Like now, for example, he was wearing a slim fit black t-shirt and equally tight jeans that earned the immediate attention of the group of girls already stationed at the left side of the stage; right where they knew he would be.

AJ held the mic and, as if he had ordered them to, everybody fell into an expectant silence. His fingers played with the all too familiar soft surface as he took the time to scan them with no different outcome. He took in the heavy weight of the guitar hanging from the strap around his neck to ground himself and focus on the task he had at hand.

He lived for this. This was his call.

Just as Maria had promised, the place was crowded. The proud and satisfied smirk she was flashing at him was proof enough of how good things were going and they hadn't even started playing yet. The blond woman squeezed the white cloth on his hands and nodded him in confirmation; time to rock.

The music lashed out at full strength, driving everyone crazy with screams that made the walls tremble. Hands lifted in the air to follow the beat as bodies crashed against each other, jumping up and down, trying their best to keep up with the drums.

They were a well-known cover band, which meant all of their songs were from a famous artist that everyone admired, but that didn't outshine the fact they were awesome, giving each song their own added flavor. They had fun playing with it and spiking it up whenever there was the chance, which always left the crowd waiting for more and wondering what they would try next.

The lyrics might not have been their handy work, but the name everybody yelled at the bar was theirs and that was enough to make them keep going.

Between songs and whenever a little breather came along, AJ kept searching the crowd for those two familiar faces he wanted to see so badly. By the last few songs, the thought of never seeing them again was starting to weigh its way in over any other possibility, leaving a distasteful feeling of disappointment.

A nudge on his shoulder urged him to focus his attention back to the stage and to Owen pointing a look. He had missed his verse. He had never missed a verse.

Fuck!

He pushed everything back to focus on what was left of the show, complying every time the audience asked for one more song, though not half as responsive to their playfulness as he used to be. After the third encore, they finally dropped their instruments, and the crowd cheered their name in a loud roar.

Behind the stage, the traditional group hug barely registered until Owen called him on his mistake. "Sorry guys, I just lost focus for a second." He rubbed his forehead.

"No harm done; they didn't even notice." Tony pointed, flashing his smile. 

"Sure," Owen dropped it, but the look in his eyes said he was reading far beyond the others. "Sure everything is ok?" AJ just nodded; his mind full of the two missing guys.

Back at the bar area, the pit was ready for the next show and the guys spread around greeting and talking to different people that sought to congratulate them or invite them something to drink. AJ quietly made his way to the bar where Maria was already promising new dates and pouring him a

drink.

Everything was fine, right?

Why didn't it feel like it?